Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(W.I.) a member of the Spiritual Baptist Church.

1976

cited in Allsopp Dict. Carib. Eng. Usage (1996).

see tie n.

(US) an excl. of surprise or amazement; would you believe it?

1896		Ade Artie (1963) 67: Can you beat him? Can you tie him?
1907		‘Hugh McHugh’ Beat It 77: And the automobile face! Can you tie it?
1919		H.C. Witwer Smile A Minute 214: Joe, Eagan’s mother is sixty-eight years old too; can you tie that?
1923		Wodehouse Leave it to Psmith (1993) 492: ‘Can you tie it!’ said Miss Peavey.
1932		V.F. Nelson Prison Days and Nights 22: What does he give him but a lousy six months! Can you tie that?

see also under relevant n.

to get married; also fig. (see cite 1846).

1738		Swift Polite Conversation 48: lord sp.: Tom, is your Friend Ned Rattle married? nev.: Yes, Faith, my Lord; he has tyed a Knot with his Tongue, that he can never untye with his Teeth.
c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: He has tied a knot with his Tongue, that he cannot untie with his Teeth: i.e. he is Married .
1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn) .
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1786].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1788].
1846		Launceston Examiner 30 May 344/2: Peel had, in gipsy slang, ‘tied a knot with his tongue that he could.not untie with his teeth.’ He had wedded the sliding scale for better for worse.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 5 Sept. 6/3: In that regard Nathaniel’s free-and-easy church is but interloping on the doings of our friends the Presbyterians who similarly allow the quick tying of knots by the tongue that cannot be untied by the teeth.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1936		Dundee Courier 21 Jan. 15/3: Tying a Knot with your Tongue which you cannot untie with your teeth was a cynics idea of marriage, and Nina Kingsbury found it sadly true .

1. to assault, to attack.

1925		D. Hammett ‘Corkscrew’ Story Omnibus (1966) 206: A hombre that’ll let a bronc dirty him up three times hand-running and then ties into a gent who tries to keep him from making it permanent ain’t exactly haywire.
1927		H.C. Witwer Classics in Sl. 15: Kate takes a look at the grinnin’ Pete and ties into him. She begins with his great grandfather.

2. to get to work on someone or something.

1904		S.E. White ‘The River-Boss’ Blazed Trail Stories (2004) 71: Just tie right into her and keep her hustling.
1912		R.A. Wason Friar Tuck 128: They girded up their loins, and tied into him a little harder, tellin’ him that his conduct in walkin’ home nights with a cafe-singer was little short of immoral.
1943		R. Chandler Lady in the Lake (1952) 134: Suppose we’d let him tie into it, instead of just trying to scare him dumb.
1956		J. Thompson ‘The Cellini Chalice’ in Fireworks (1988) 101: ‘How do we tie into him?’ ‘We don’t. He’ll tie into us.’.
2004		J.A. Juarez Brotherhood of Corruption 150: The key is that the CI [i.e. Confidential Informant] must be working (buying drugs from) someone we aren’t tied into.

3. to start eating voraciously, to ‘tuck into’.

1940		T. Wood Cobbers Campaigning 114: We just tied in to our beans; helped them out with biscuits and honey and jam, washed them down with tea.
1956		‘James Updyke’ [W.R. Burnett] It’s Always Four O’Clock 44: [T]hen he tied into the sole, which was cooked with bananas and almonds.
1972		(con. 1916) G. Swarthout Tin Lizzie Troop (1978) 169: Carberry tied in with gusto.
1991		O.D. Brooks Legs 31: Tie into that mulligan. There’s more’n we can eat.

see separate entry.

(drugs) to tie up a vein and isolate it before injecting narcotic drugs.

1963		M. Braly Shake Him Till He Rattles (1964) 50: ‘Anyone want a taste? ’ Kovin invited, not very heartily, busy tying off with one of Cabiness’s dish towels.
1971		L. Bangs in Psychotic Reactions (1988) 78: The whole rigmarole of cooking up, siphoning, tying off, all that junkie shit.
1981		H. Gould Fort Apache, The Bronx 304: She could be shooting up, [...] tying off with her stockings.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 65: He fixed himself without even tying off.
2007		W. Ellis Crooked Little Vein 125: ‘So you think the Roanokes have it?’ the White House chief of staff said, tying off in the armchair.
2011		J.J. DeCeglie Drawing Dead [ebook] She tied-off by wrapping the pull-tie just above her elbow [...] I tapped the vein up and out for her.

1. (orig. US black, also tie it on (with)) to fight.

2000

C. Cook Robbers (2001) 116: Them swamps full of gators. Ever tied it on with a bull gator?

2. (US) to be drunk.

1952		W.R. Burnett Little Men, Big World 45: The rich tie ’em on, too, eh, Arky?
1967		(con. 1920s) J. Thompson South of Heaven (1994) 123: These three birds [...] were tying on a drunk.

(UK/US) to achieve the state of drunkenness .

1951		Western Folklore X 82: The Act of Drinking: [...] to swill one down; to tie one on.
1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 50: He’d tie on a good one tonight.
1968		(con. 1950s) J. Healy Death of an Irish Town 57: Pop was well on the way to ‘tying one on.’.
1977		C. McFadden Serial 98: My guess is you’re just hungover; you tied one on again last night.
1981		Eble Campus Sl. Mar. 7: tie one on – to go on a drinking binge.
1991		C. Hiaasen Native Tongue 52: Maybe he just got depressed and tied one on.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 212: [He] tied one on with the little gang of compadres he’d fallen in with.
1997		P. Theroux Kowloon Tong 88: The repeated invitation to celebrate – ‘tie one on’ was the way Bunt interpreted it – would have indicated to any sensible person that Mr Hung was from a peasant family that had never known a good harvest.
2001		‘Randy Everhard’ Tattoo of a Naked Lady 245: ‘I feel so naked without a buzz on.’ ‘Well then tie one on, sweetheart.’.
2002		C. Stella Jimmy Bench-Press 140: This is about drinking [...] Two manly men of the law sitting down to tie one on.
2013		T. Black ‘Killing Time in Las Vegas’ in Killing Time in Las Vegas [ebook] A busboy was taking heaps from some corporate type who’s tied a few on.
2014		M.E. Fitch ‘Tommy, Who Loved to laugh’ in ThugLit Sept. [ebook] ‘We know you were out last night tying one on’.
2020		(con. 1991-94) W. Boyle City of Margins 14: ‘I’m trying to tie one on here’.

(US) stop talking nonsense.

1921		Dos Passos Three Soldiers 44: A little man lying in one of the upper bunks had spoken suddenly [...] ‘That goddam kike Eisenstein,’ muttered someone. ‘Say, tie that bull outside,’ shouted Bill Grey good-naturedly.
1929		M. Bodenheim Sixty Seconds 240: Go-o o-on, tie the animal outside.
1933		J. Conroy Disinherited 134: Tie that bull outside! That’s the kind of stuff that makes the grass grow green.

1. to get married; thus knot-tying, a wedding.

1620		T. May Heir V i: The happy knot you tie, Concludes in love two houses’ enmity.
1631		J. Shirley School of Complement II i: You meane to tye that knot, nothing but Death is able to vundoe.
1663		J. Wilson Cheats V iii: Now for a small hedge-priest to make the knot; We’ll tie it faster as we’ve better leisure.
1685–87		D’Urfey ‘Northern Ditty’ in Ebsworth Roxburghe Ballads (1893) VII:1 233: Or else I’d choose her for my Queen, / And tie the Knot much stronger.
1690		A Weeks Loving, Wooing and Wedding [song] In Eight short days the last Knot was ty’d.
1702		Vanbrugh False Friend Act II: Come Daughter, come my Son, let’s to the Church and tie this happy Knot.
1756		Sham Beggar Epilogue: Thus, when the Knot is safely ty’d, And you’re a consummated Bride.
1764		E. Chicken Collier’s Wedding 20: The Priest proceeds to tie the Knot.
1772		C. Crinkum AEnigmatical Repository 31: Be not in haste to tye the knot.
1797		M. Leeson Memoirs (1995) III 168: Thus the happy knot is ty’d; Peg became a virtuous bride.
1805		H.H. Brackenridge Modern Chivalry (1937) Pt II Vol. II Bk III 500: There was a widow lady of great fortune, that wished to see her second husband [...] I shall be happy how soon it can be brought about. Can you tell conjurer, how long it will be before the knot is tyed.
1821		W. Combe Doctor Syntax, Wife (1868) 346/2: Then, when to marry is my lot, / I’ll send to you to tie the knot.
1838		N. Hawthorne Amer. Notebooks (1932) 34: He pointed out the house where he was married to her, and told the name of the country-squire who tied the knot.
c.1840		‘“Taking Off” of Prince Albert’s Inexpressibles’ in C. Hindley Curiosities of Street Lit. (1871) 36: You’re a goin to tie a knot as I should be werry glad to untie.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 6 June 7/1: Shortly afterwards, however, the banking authorities had a suspicion that the hitherto gay young financier had either tied the nuptial knot or contemplated such an atrocity, so they generously gave him the choice of expatriation to Bananaland, or of sending in his resignation.
1892		N.Z. Observer and Free Lance (Auckland) 22 Oct. 18/2: When is Mick going to tie the fatal knot ? Hurry up, old boy, or Pat will beat you with the little sister.
1899		C.J.C. Hyne Further Adventures of Captain Kettle 193: It’s as legally binding as if the Archbishop of Canterbury tied the knot.
1901		Bulletin (Sydney) 30 Nov. 12/4: This is to be a slap-up smart knot-tying.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 204: When the knot is tied it’s back to the tall pines for the fat lady.
1912		T.A. Dorgan Silk Hat Harry’s Divorce Suit 3 Jan. [synd. cartoon strip] Say, Judge, me and the lady wants to hook up. Will you tie the knot.
1914		Sport (Adelaide) 14 Feb. 10/1: They Say [...] That You will soon be tying the knot, Charley.
1930		G. Milburn ‘Down in the Mohawk Valley’ in Hobo’s Hornbook 50: And Nell went into the city and the parson tied the knot.
1942		L. Bennett ‘Married’ in Jam. Dialect Poems 29: De bwoy sey ‘Sugar,’ Jane sey ‘plum,’ / An one man tie de knot.
1948		D. Dodge Bullets For The Bridegroom (1953) 19: Get a licence in three-four hours [...] and have the knot tied in ten minutes.
1972		(con. 1916) G. Swarthout Tin Lizzie Troop (1978) 234: We will fight together and win and tie the knot and be snug as two bugs in a rug!
1985		B. Humphries Traveller’s Tool 26: Gwen and me tied the knot at Our Lady of Dolours.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 301: I cant [...] imagine why he’d want to tie the knot with that tramp.
2005		H. Mantel Beyond Black 200: ‘How can you think I would marry a man like that?’ ‘You might not know. Till you’d tied the knot.’.
2011		Times 30 Apr. 17/3: The Queen was 21 when she tied the knot.
2023		F. Bill Back to the Dirt 40: Shelby wondering if she’d ever tie the knot herself.

2. of a clergyman, to marry a couple.

1778		Thrale Thraliana i Apr.-May 306: [He] declared his intention of coming to London & giving me away a Favour not to be refused: The false Parson Thelwall too pretended to rejoyce, begged he might tye the Knot as he call’d it.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Jan. 20/1: Marriages are being consummated as fast as the Northern gospel-sharps can tie the knots.

to marry.

1651		T. Randolph Hey for Honesty V i: Join’d them word for word, till death depart. Full, resolute, without fees, to tie the noose.
1901		St James’s Gazette 7 Feb. 8, 5: The attendant announced that the bride and bridegroom were at the altar. ‘Oh, if that’s so,’ said the Bishop to Wesley, ‘let’s go and tie the noose’! [F&H].

(US) to trust to something or someone, to seek support in (someone).

1858		Southern Cultivator XVI 17/2: I think it [Chinese sugar cane] will ‘do to tie to’ [DA].
1872		Schele De Vere Americanisms 642: Tie to, to, has in the West the figurative meaning of to rely, and hence a reliable man is qualified as a man it will do to tie to.
1876		Fur, Fin and Feather Sept. 144/1: Cutchogue, Long Island, [...] is a good place to ‘tie up to’ for any one fond of fishing and fowling [DA].
1889		Thomas Co. Cat. (Colby, KS) 26 Sept. 3/1: Billwas my pard, sir, Bill was. A man to tie to every time.
1909		N.Y. Eve. Post 13 Sept. 5: The college must offer in its faculty men whom students can tie to, men who can evoke personal devotion and enthusiasm [DA].
1910		Bulletin (Sydney) 24 Nov. 11/3: Yes, of course they are rough. But they are the boys to tie to.
1948		E.N. Dick Dixie Frontier 21: He isn’t a bad man, but he’ll never do to tie to [DA].

see separate entries.

(Aus.) to get credit at a public house or hotel.

1900		Aus.Town & Country Jrnl (Sydney) 7 Apr. 33/1: ‘I don’t know as Pike’d stand old Paddy Keogh any longer. Paddy’s had a dog tied up (account outstanding) here this two years, and last time Pike was home he was reckonin’ it up to Keogh to pay something’.
1913		Bendigo Advertiser (Vic) 2 July 7/3: One of the strikers jocularly remarked that he would [...] tell one of the publicans in the vicinity of the mine that if he served that man with a pint he (the striker) would not pay the score that he (himself) owed him. He assured him that he had ‘a dog tied up’ there.
1919		Aus. Worker (Sydney) 17 July 12/2: [photo caption] FORGOT HE HAD A DOG TIED UP. The State Treasurer, warding off ‘Nationalist’ promissory notes, has explained that the surplus announced by Mr. Holman has been eaten up by a deficit.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.
1950		Brisbane Teleg. 20 May 1/6: The detective told the hotel proprietress that the fellow he was seeking had ‘a dog tied up’ (vernacular for debt) at the boarding house.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 63: To help out, for example, there’s the practice of ‘tying up a dog.’.

to hamstring.

1784

Poetical Museum ‘Dick o’ the Cow’ 27: Then Dickie into the stable is gane, – Where there stood thirty horses and three; He has tied them a’ wi’ St. Mary’s knot, A’ these horses but barely three .

(US) stop talking!

1927

(con. 1914–18) L. Nason Three Lights from a Match 163: ‘Aw, tie a loop in your chin,’ said Wally [...] ‘If you keep on talkin’ you’ll start someone to blowin’ a gas horn.’.

see separate entry.