square, adv. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

square adv.

(US)

1. completely, unreservedly.

1658		W. Chamberlayne Love’s Victory 22: 1 tra.: Come neighbours, shal’s crack each one’s our Kan. [...] 2 tra.: Our Kans, hang the muddle horsedrench, Let’s drink each of us our groat square off. Brisk sack, this forain liquor be but Adulterates our blouds.
1853		‘Philip Paxton’ A Stray Yankee in Texas 96: Jest come out square and say ef yer did run ater the verment.
1869		C.G. Leland ‘Breitmann in Politics’ in Hans Breitmann About Town 57: Und ere I norate to you, / I think it only fair / We should oonderstand each other / Prezactly, chunk and square.
1876		Congressional Record 5 July 4397/1: If the Senator from Vermont [...] does not like to vote square against [this bill] [...], this is the right way to defeat it [DA].
1897		E.W. Townsend Chimmie Fadden 1: How’d I collar it? Square. See? Dead square, and easy.
1903		A.H. Lewis Boss 197: That long term an’ big salary works square th’ other way.
1915		Bulletin (Sydney) 5 Aug. 47/2: You know how bashful er bloke gets erbout er tart ’e’s square shook on?
1922		B. Tarkington Gentle Julia 213: There’s no etiquette in coming right square out and asking how much it was [DA].

2. fairly, honestly, straightforwardly.

1866		J. Greenwood Little Ragamuffin 258: If they’d act square and honest with a feller [...].
1867		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 14 Sept. n.p.: Mortimer [...] surrendered, saying he would act ‘square’ and [...] handing over a ‘chive’ made of a watch spring.
1873		J. O’Connor Wanderings of a Vagabond 389: Should he find any of them not willing to ‘rake square,’ he would fall upon the unlucky wight with a heavy hickory cane.
1877		Five Years’ Penal Servitude 270: They can very soon know if he is going ‘cross’ or ‘square’.
1883		R.L. Stevenson Treasure Island 14: We’ll sit down, if you please, and talk square, like old shipmates.
1884		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Huckleberry Finn 125: What is the matter with your pap? Answer up square, now.
1893		J. Hawthorne Confessions of Convict 71: They act square to their pals.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 8 July 1/3: That’s why we cannot scribble square. / And never, never try.
1900		Marvel XIV:364 Oct. 11: If you act square, you shall have four more jewels.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 350: Now he meant to jump out and hustle for a job, and live square.
1913		Sport (Adelaide) 15 Mar. 12/2: They Say [...] That Kruger H ought to run the little Sandwell tart square instead of playing billiards.
1929		D. Hammett Red Harvest (1965) 60: She gave him two hundred and a diamond ring that had cost a fellow named Boyle a thousand. I thought he’d be back for more later, but he didn’t. He shot square with her.
1930		J. Lait Put on the Spot 146: He’s always treated me square.
1956		T. Thursday ‘Dead Men Don’t Move’ in Smashing Detective Stories Jan. 🌐 Did he treat his employees square?
1989		A. Vachss Hard Candy (1990) 27: A stand-up guy [...] he plays the game square.

3. (US) precisely, exactly.

1895		E. Townsend Chimmie Fadden Explains 97: I smacks her wid a kiss square on de mout.
1924		P. Marks Plastic Age 159: It hit me square in the eye.
1934		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Young Manhood in Studs Lonigan (1936) 403: The song hit the nail square.

4. properly, correctly.

1899		J. Flynt Tramping with Tramps 84: They’ll treat you square.
1914		C. Holme Lonely Plough (1931) 252: I played myself out trying to make you see square.
1957		G. Kersh Fowlers End (2001) 252: Be blunt and treat ’em square.

In compounds

square dinkum

see under fair dinkum.

In phrases

live square (v.)

(Aus.) to lead a respectable life.

1975

Bulletin 26 Apr. 44: Whatever their caper they obstinately refused to live square.

play square (with) (v.) (also play it square)

to behave in a decent manner, to treat someone honestly.

1887		Alpena Wkly Argus (MI) 14 Dec. 4/5: Oh! I’ll play square, don’t you fear.
1905		E. Wallace Four Just Men 166: I’m playin’ it square with you.
1906		O. Johnson Max Fargus 105: Play square and you will find me a good fellow.
1918		‘Max Brand’ ‘Above the Law’ in Coll. Stories (1994) 48: The only law I know, is to play square with each other.
1924		D. Hammett Nightmare Town (2001) 34: At first we played square with the syndicate.
1928		M.C. Sharpe Chicago May (1929) 28: She bawled me out for not ‘playing square by the gentleman’.
1936		J. Curtis Gilt Kid 96: I can trust you to have got the details straight and I’m going to trust you to play square with me at the end. No carving up or else.
1940		D. Maurer Big Con 173: They always play square with these friends.
1946		(con. 1910s) J. Thompson Heed the Thunder (1994) 131: He liked Bill. Bill had certainly played square with him from the beginning.
1951		M. Spillane One Lonely Night 105: You have to follow the rules and play it square.
1953		J. Thompson Alcoholics (1993) 68: More than anything else he wanted to play square with Doc.

square an’ all (adv.)

(Aus.) absolutely, honestly, truly.

1905		Bulletin (Sydney) 9 Nov. 39/1: ‘Favor!’ exclaimed Bill; ‘y’ know I’d do most anything for y’ – marry y’, square an’ all.’.
1915		C.J. Dennis Songs of a Sentimental Bloke gloss. 🌐 Square an’ all – Of a truth; verily.
1915		C.J. Dennis ‘A Spring Song’ in Songs of a Sentimental Bloke 24: I ’aven’t got the ’eart / To word a tom; an’, square an’ all, I’m sick / Of that cheap tart.
1918		Aussie (France) 7 Sept. 7/1: Now, look ’ere, Dad, square an’ all, I’m dead shook on Marcelle ’ere; an’ if you’re willin’, I’ll do the trick any ol’ time when we ain’t in the line. [Ibid.] 7/2: But square n’all, don’t youse blokes reckon a cove’s dilly to splice one of them mademoiselles when there’s whips of Aussie tarts like these?