Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to escape, usu. from prison or impending arrest.

1958		F. Norman Bang To Rights 53: One week a couple of geezers had it away off the football field.
1961		(con. 1920s) J. Sparks Burglar to the Nobility 38: He had to keep his horn blaring all the time we were having it away because if we had nudged a pedestrian off it would have been murder.
1970		‘Metropolitan Police Sl.’ in P. Laurie Scotland Yard (1972) 323: have it away, to: to escape.
1975		‘P.B. Yuill’ Hazell and the Three-card Trick (1977) 6: By the time I’d parked they’d be off [...] Having it away on their toes is what these hounds do best.
1984		(con. WW2) T. Jones Heart of Oak [ebook] We had several Irish matelots from the Republic on board, and although their proudest boast was of how easy it would be for them to have it away on their toes across the border, none of them ever did desert.
1989		J. Morton Lowspeak.
1995		J. Cameron Vinnie Got Blown Away 11: Abdul’s planning to have it away in a coffin, know what I mean?
2002		D. Shaw ‘Dead Beard’ at www.asstr.org 🌐 I had to have it away on my toes somehow before I got into major barney rubble myself with him.
2007		N. ‘Razor’ Smith Raiders 125: Stan’s only had it away from Wandsworth.

2. to walk, to leave, to exit.

1962		F. Norman Guntz 5: I [...] started to have it away down the hill a bit lively before they changed their minds.
1977		S. Berkoff East in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 50: Have it away, before the law doth mark us for accessory.
1981		J. Sullivan ‘Big Brother’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] Packed his ruck-sack and had it away on his toes!
1995		J. Cameron Vinnie Got Blown Away 68: Knew I couldn’t give him details on the first or he’d have it away.
2001		K. Waterhouse Soho 118: Come on, Brendan, let’s have it away on our toes to Mr Wong’s.

3. to go to, to visit.

1962

R. Cook Crust on its Uppers 55: We [...] have it away over there very smartly.