shout, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

shout n.

also call, shoot

1. (Aus./N.Z.) in context of public drinking.

(a) a round of drinks.

1864		H. Simcox Outward Bound 81: The arms are left and off they go, / And many a shout they’re treated to.
1874		G. Walch Head over Heels 83: I [...] gave the boys round a spread an’ a shout.
1877		H. Hartigan Stray Leaves (1st ser.) 57: [A]waiting the advent of John, and to do the honours of his ‘round’ (it may be vulgar, but it’s not half so vulgar as shout).
1880		G. Sutherland Tales of Goldfields 78: Two lucky diggers laid a wager which of them should treat the assembled company with the largest ‘shout.’.
1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery Under Arms (1922) 382: Here’s a shout all round for these men here.
1893		H. Lawson ‘An Incident at Stiffner’s’ in Roderick (1972) 119: Another bushman arrived with a cheque, and shouted five times at a pound a shout.
1908		Sporting Times 20 June 1/4: It is just as well to remind some of our friends that Sunday’s ‘Great Shout’ in Hyde Park has no connection with liquid refreshment.
1910		Bulletin (Sydney) 18 Aug. 14/3: As the crowd swelled so did the cost of the shout and the numerousness of it. The whisky ranged from bad to fierce.
1939		J. Worby Spiv’s Progress 175: After a drink all round, he dug in his pocket for another shout .
1992		Guardian 22 Feb. 31/4: You’re down the boozer every night till the last shout.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.
2004		R.G. Barrett Rosa Marie’s Baby (2013) [ebook] ‘He got sprung when they were having a shout’.
2012		(con. 1980s) I. Welsh Skagboys 128: We down out pints, n ah get another shout in.

(b) one’s turn to order a round of drinks; thus your shout; my shout; stand the shout; thus shout-dodger, one who avoids his turn.

1854		F. Fyans in Bride Letters from Vict. Pioneers (1898) 127: ‘Do you forget the shout you stood – the shout for all hands? You are in my debt now £5’ [...] says the landlord.
1859		W. Kelly Life in Victoria I 163: A rough fellow [...] addressed me, saying, ‘What’s yours?’ I was first at a loss, but he soon relieved me. ‘Come, brandy or beer, mate, it’s my shout?’.
1873		Sl. Dict. 289: Shout to pay for drink round. ‘It’s my shout,’ says he who pays. Possibly because the payer originally shouted to the bar-keeper of an hotel to score the drink to him. ? Australian, but now general.
1876		Sheffield Indep. 23 Dec. 15/1: So the bargain, the advantage of which was all on my side, was confirmed by a ‘shout’.
1890		H. Lawson ‘The Glass on the Bar’ in Roderick (1967–9) I 69: We owe him a shout — leave the glass on the bar.
1892		Chevalier ‘Our Little Nipper’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 194: Drink up,’ sez ’e, ‘Three pots, miss, it’s my call.’.
1892		H. Nisbet Bushranger’s Sweetheart 286: Our glasses being empty, and as Rainbow had done the first ‘shout,’ I went over to the bar to get them replenished.
1900		Sporting Times 16 June 1/5: It was at a certain music-hall benefit where everybody was anxious to buy wine. ‘No, no,’ cried poor old Harry, ‘this is my shoot.’.
1901		H. Lawson ‘Send Round the Hat’ in Roderick (1972) 472: He was almost a teetotaller, but he stood his shout in reason.
1907		P. Fitzpatrick Jock of the Bushveld 393: We had one round of drinks. [...] A few minutes later Seedling announced effusively that it was his ‘shout’.
1924		Lawrence & Skinner Boy in Bush 260: You’re not going without a spot. Its on me. My shout.
1934		T. Wood Cobbers 20: I left the Trots with my new friends in search of some place of refreshment [...] where coffee could be drunk at my expense; the ‘winner’s shout’.
1941		K. Tennant Battlers 281: Fill ’em up again. Your shout, Dad.
1951		Cusack & James Come in Spinner (1960) 334: Your shout, I presume? The same again?
1957		‘Nino Culotta’ They’re a Weird Mob (1958) 27: In this country, if you want to keep out of trouble, you always return a shout, see?
1961		(con. 1930s) D. Behan Teems of Times and Happy Returns 161: Anyway, it’s my shout.
1963		‘Nino Culotta’ Gone Fishin’ 22: What about coming up to the pub with us, an’ we’ll return the shout?
1967		B. Crump Odd Spot of Bother 122: Of all the barflies, shout-dodgers [...] and other hopeful hangers-on.
1971		N. Armfelt Catching Up 12: Come on, drink up! My shout.
1986		R.G. Barrett Godson 50: [I]n no time he’d found some people he knew and was in a shout.
1986		F. Taylor Auf Wiedersehen Pet Two 21: ‘Evenin’, lads,’ boomed Bomber. ‘Whose shout is it?’.
1993		B. Moore Lex. of Cadet Lang. 341: usage: ‘It’s your shout, you scunge! I’ll have a rum.’.
2000		I. Rankin Set in Darkness 373: Rebus looked to his boss. ‘Sir, it’s my shout. Any chance you can join us?’.
2001		OnLine Dict. of Playground Sl. 🌐 shout (your.... ) n. phrase used to signify who’s turn it is to buy a round of drinks.
2004		I. Rankin Fleshmarket Close (2005) 240: ‘My shout,’ she said, reaching into her bag for money.
2021		P. Papathanasiou Stoning 32: ‘It’s your shout’.
2023		M. Herron Secret Hours 162: ‘Come on, John. Get that down you. My shout’.

1890

H. Nisbet ‘Bail Up!’ 14: I must lock up the prisoner – and I don’t want to miss my shout.

(d) in fig. use, a ‘turn’.

1911		L. Stone Jonah 101: ’Ere, ’arf a mo’ – this is my shout.
1913		J. London Valley of the Moon (1914) 415: On top of it all you’ve got no shout coming. It’s a mighty big come-down from gambling for a continent to gambling for a job.
1920		‘Sapper’ Bulldog Drummond 219: This little show is my shout.

2. (US black) an act of crying out or ‘speaking in tongues’, usu. in church, as the apparent result of being possessed by spirits.

1862		E.W. Pearson Letters from Port Royal 27: We asked Cuffy if they considered the ‘shout’ as part of their religious worship.
1863		letter in Silber & Sievens Yankee Correspondence (1996) 192: I have been much amused by attending some of their shouts or religious dances – in which they form a ring singing and dancing for hours.
1867		Nation 30 May 432/2: The true ‘shout’ takes place on Sundays or on ‘praise’ nights through the week [DA].
1918		Marshall Walker ‘Somebody’s Done Me Wrong’ The Best ‘Coon Shout’ Ever Written [song title page].
1934		J. Peterkin Roll, Jordan, Roll 83: ‘Meeting’ always ends in a ‘shout,’ which may last until daybreak if the spirit comes and ‘bears down heavy’.
1947		Time 8 Sept. 25/3: Last fortnight he got up another shout in Summerville, a county seat in the northwest corner of the state [DA].

3. (US black) a party, esp. one where the guests buy their refreshments to help pay the rent.

1928		R. Fisher Walls Of Jericho 297: He who escorts a homely sheba to a dickty shout brings mud.
1993		(con. 1920s) I.L. Allen City in Sl. (1995) 75: Some Harlemites called these rent parties jumps, shouts, or struts. The frenetic dancing at rent parties was why they were also called house hops and jump joints.

4. (US black) a dance.

1928

R. Fisher Walls Of Jericho 305: shout A slow one-step in which all the company gets happy.

5. a piece of information, a ‘tip-off’.

1974

G.F. Newman You Flash Bastard 95: ‘You want to keep the shooter?’ ‘We might get a shout on the blagger.’.

6. (Aus.) a group of drinkers, taking turns to buy a round for the rest.

1991

R.G. Barratt ‘Licence to Swill’ in What Do You Reckon (1997) [ebook] Next thing I was in a shout and, in less than an hour, I’d drunk eight schooners.

In phrases

give someone a shout (v.)

1. to get in touch with, usu. by telephone.

1986		C. Stroud Close Pursuit (1988) 75: Stradazzi [...] wants you to give him a shout.
1997		(con. 1960s) A. Frewin London Blues 146: You ever want a caravan for the weekend, Timmy, just give me a shout.
1999		N. Cohn Yes We Have No 53: Just give me a shout on the mobile.
2011		567 Talk Radio on Cape Radio 2 Mar. [radio] Give us a shout on the blower.

2. to give someone the power of decision.

2011

J.J. Connolly Viva La Madness 369: Who gave you the shout [...] Since when did you —.

3. (W.I./US) to pay a casual visit.

1996

Allsopp Dict. Carib. Eng. Usage.

go on the shout (v.)

to go out drinking.

1892

Kipling ‘The Young British Soldier’ in Barrack-Room Ballads (1893) 187: When the cholera comes — as it will past a doubt — / Keep out of the wet and don’t go on the shout / For the sickness gets in as the liquor dies out.