squeeze, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

squeeze v.

1. to bring in trouble, to cause difficulties for.

1804		Revolutionary Plutarch III 232: The snuff-box for which I am now pinched, interrupted my career to the consulate for life, in the same manner as a gold bracelet squeezed me in 1796, and prevented me from being a Director .
1822		S.A. Mathews Willshire Squeeze 31: I’ll bet ten joes, before he goes, / I squeeze the Yankey dry.
1836		Comic Almanack July 60: I wish you were squeez’d, – and that’s flat, – / For ill-using a ‘Maiden forlorn’.
1895		H.B. Marriott Watson in New Rev. July, 2: For it was his aim to stand in security somewhere half-way ’twixt us fellows and the Law, and squeeze the both; and but that he had the lives of scores upon his tongue, and was very useful withal at a pinch, both to us on the lay and to the traps, he would have been hanged or pistolled for his pains long since [F&H].
1910		Bulletin (Sydney) 22 Dec. 16/1: I never seen no squatter goin’ a-beggin’ for his bread – / But they squeezed Bill Brown when Bill was broke, and very nearly dead.

2. (orig. US) to pressurize, to blackmail; thus squeezability, a potential to suffer extortion (see cite 1868).

1847		Era 28 Mar. 10/1: Money had far greater attraction to Ginger than gratitude or friendship; and he held a colloquy with himself as to the best method of ‘squeezing’ his friend.
1856		London Eve. Standard 20 Mar. 2/5: [headline] Weak and Squeezable Whig-Radical Ministry.
1868		Sportsman 13 May 2/1: Notes on News [...] [D]efrauding young people [...] according to the squeezeability of the victims.
1879		Whitecross and the Bench 188: It did not take long to see that with such information in their possession, the young Guardsman was to be ‘squeezed’ to a pretty tune.
1884		North-Eastern Dly Gaz. 13 Sept. 3/2: [P]retending I was struggling to get an honest living, and squeezing her for a bit of money.
1886		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 3 July 14/2: Von der Ahe is the only sufferer bv the deal, and if it is not simply ‘squeezing’ a cool $200 out of the Dutchman, then we don’t know what a ‘squeeze’ is.
1900		Flynt & Walton Powers That Prey 144: He’s too damned crooked. He’s squeezed us blokes right an’ left, an’ put the dough in his own pocket.
1915		Truth (Wellington) 22 May 7/5: Winnie took proceedings to the Magistrate’s Court with the idea of having [him] located and squeezed for regular contributions.
1911		G. Bronson-Howard Enemy to Society 39: They’re entitled to that and no more—not to all they can squeeze out of the public.
1926		Wood & Goddard Dict. Amer. Sl.
1933		N. Algren ‘So Help Me’ in Texas Stories (1995) 26: I figger to myself he musta squeezed the Jew.
1941		V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 253: Squeezing. Demanding hush money.
1951		M. Spillane Long Wait (1954) 110: I could go back and ask Eddie Packman what the guy did to earn a grand and maybe squeeze him a little to make him talk.
1960		C. Cooper Jr Scene (1996) 94: When it comes time to squeeze Ace, he’ll be one more tack in The Man’s back pocket.
c.1973		J. Thompson ‘Sunrise at Midnight’ in Fireworks (1988) 167: You think I’m still squeezing ’em? [...] No siree, pal! I never tried for another touch.
1980		T. Lewis GBH 90: ‘[I]f he was squeezing for the Sheps and we went down’ [etc].
1981		J. Ellroy Brown’s Requiem 214: He popped Fat Dog for the bombing, but let him slide, because he wanted to squeeze Solly.
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 142: He could level with Timmy and Billy, shake them down, squeeze their contacts.
1999		J. Ridley Love Is a Racket 31: Why you always got to put the bite on me, Amber? [...] city full of souls, and you always got to try to squeeze me.
2005		J. Stahl I, Fatty 134: He’s going to squeeze you, Roscoe [...] guilt you into payin’ up big.

3. (US und.) to pay a bribe.

1931

Dly News (NY) 3 Mar. 6/2: Gang Slang. Squeeze: graft. ‘Squeeze the captain and you’re okay in the district’.

4. (orig. US) to inform, to pass on information.

1947

M.H. Boulware Jive and Sl. n.p.: Squeeze me ... Tell me.

5. (US teen) to make advances to a friend’s partner.

1981

Detroit Free Press (MI) 6 July 17/1: squeeze (are you trying to squeeze?) — talk to someone else’s girlfriend or boyfriend.

6. (UK black/gang) to fire a gun, to shoot.

2018-20

T. Thorne (ed.) ‘Drill Slang Glossary’ at Forensic Linguistic Databank 🌐 Squeeze - fire (a gun), shoot (bullets).

In compounds

squeeze-play (n.) [play n. (2) + pun on baseball jargon squeeze play, ‘a tactic whereby the batter bunts so that a runner at third base can attempt to reach home safely and score’ (OED)]

1. (US) the application of lit. or fig. force or pressure to get what one wants.

1916		Indep. (NY) 5 June 410: [heading] The ‘squeeze-play’ at the capital [OED].
1932		Sun (Baltimore) 14 Sept. 10/1: Most employers of relatively small numbers of workers, they appear to have been caught in an economic ‘squeeze play’ in which ‘contract’ shops [...] are played against each other in pursuit of the lowest bids [OED].
1944		D. Wecter When Johnny Comes Marching Home 557: You perhaps mentioned the fact that Hitler was putting the squeeze play on Hindenburg a few years later.
1958		R. Prather Scrambled Yeggs 146: That made him a soft touch when Joe Brooks – or Joey Maddern – started his little squeeze play.
1976		Indep. (Long Beach, CA) 19 Aug. 31/2: City officials were caught by surprise [...] to say this was a ‘squeeze play’ is putting it mildly.
2005		B. Coleman Rakim Told Me 66: ‘I guess back in the day they would change the single up and remix it for the album so you'd buy both. It was a squeeze play’.

2. pickpocketing.

1947

C.S. Montanye ‘Frozen Stiff’ in Popular Detective Mar. 🌐 Hagen picked him up for working a squeeze play on a cloak-and-suiter from out of town. Tommy had the visitor’s leather, full of green, in a hip pocket, along with his flash.

SE in slang uses

In phrases

squeeze a kidney (v.)

see tap a kidney under tap v.²

squeeze for Ps (v.) (also S4P) [SE squeeze (the trigger) + p n. (7); S4P is also name of South London gang]

(UK black) to be prepared to use a gun in pursuit of money.

2015

Section Boyz ‘Trapping Ain’t Dead’ 🎵 Buss squeeze for the Ps, don’t tempt me.

squeeze off (v.) [SE squeeze the trigger]

to fire a gun (at someone).

1955		‘Blackie’ Audett Rap Sheet 113: He just up with it and squeezes off a burst, right over the head of that trooper.
1965		H. Rhodes Chosen Few (1966) 209: Blood paid particular attention when the time came for his assistant to squeeze off a few rounds.
1989		T. Wolff (con. mid-1950s) This Boy’s Life 132: Breathe in, breathe out, squeeze off .
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 37: He saw two shapes closer in, tagged them as the nigger’s backup, squeezed off a clip.
1998		L. Stringer Grand Central Winter (1999) 111: If it came to squeezing off rounds at someone, Richard wouldn’t really be there.

squeeze one off (v.)

to masturbate.

1997

‘Q’ Deadmeat 116: I bet you download all these images and squeeze one off over the keyboard.

squeeze one’s lemon (v.)

see under lemon n.

squeeze cheese (v.) [the smell]

to break wind.

2001

OnLine Dict. of Playground Sl. 🌐 squeeze-cheese v. To fart, flatulate loudly.

squeeze the lizard (v.)

see under lizard n.

In exclamations

squeeze me! [pron.]

(US campus) excuse me!

1996

Eble Sl. and Sociability 39: Manipulating sounds for fun is consistent with the flippant, venturesome spirit of much slang use. Hence the polite apology Excuse me is playfully pronounced Screws me, Squeeze me, or Exsqueeze me.

squeeze me gently!

an excl. of pleasure.

1954

(con. 1940s) T.A.G. Hungerford Sowers of the Wind 36: ‘Well, squeeze me gently!’ Stewart marvelled as the truck [...] pulled in at the main gates of the brewery.