Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US Und.) to get rid of the victim once the confidence game has reached its climax and he has been robbed.

1951		D. Dressler Parole Chief 239: This is known as ‘chilling out the mark’ once the ‘score’ has been taken.
2012		W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Chill — To get the mark to leave ("He was getting rangy, so I chilled him.") Or to isolate the mark from his friends using your sticks (secret assistants).

2. (orig. US) to calm down, to control one’s emotions, to relax, to act ‘cool’; often as imper.

1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 119: The chicken-hearted bastard had been chilled by those awful grey orbs.
1979		Sugarhill Gang ‘Rapper’s Delight’ 🎵 A time to break and a time to chill, to act civilized or act real ill.
1980		Afrika Bambaataa ‘Zulu Nation Throwndown’ 🎵 Why don’t you chill out, just give me a play.
1987		G. Wolff ‘A Day at the Beach’ in A Day at the Beach (1992) 132: ‘Chill out,’ Nicholas said.
1988		Ice-T ‘Drama’ 🎵 Now I’m in the penzo, chillin’ like a real pro.
1991		M. Myers et al. Wayne’s World [film script] wayne: It’s okay. russell: Chill.
1993		Tarantino & Avery Pulp Fiction [film script] 115: Chill the fuck out, Jules.
2000		T. Udo Vatican Bloodbath 61: Today’s my fun day, my I-don’t-have-to-fucking-run-day! Time to chill, motherfucker!
2001		(con. 1975–6) E. Little Steel Toes 109: Chill out, dog, you don’t want no motherfuckin’ heroin.
2006		G. Pelecanos Night Gardener 247: You ought to chill before you roll up there.
2010		L. Berney Gutshot Straight [ebook] ‘You need to chill out, brother’.
2017		Ray Blk ‘Chill Out’ 🎵 You’re makin’ a big deal / Of nothing, you should chill out.
2018		G. Gilmore Base Nature [ebook] ‘Bit of nice décor and they might chill out a bit’.
2021		Breen & Conlon Hitmen 230: ‘You’re just flying, Joey [...] Just fucking chill out’.
2021		(con. 2016) in J. Fenton We Own This City 181: ‘You need to chill out,’ Gondo said.

3. (orig. US) to pass the time of day, to ‘hang out’; usu. as chillin’ n.

1987		Ice-T ‘Six in the Morning’ 🎵 Possed to the corner where the fly girls chill.
1988		Eble Campus Sl. Mar. 3: chill/chill out – [...] I’m just chillin’ and listenin’ to some music.
1993		Dr Dre ‘Bitches Ain’t Shit’ 🎵 While you’re chillin’, with your homies and shit.
1998		M. Newall ‘Sir Gawayne and the Grene Knyght’ in Indep. Weekend Rev. 26 Dec. 1: The Kyng’s crewe chilled at Camelot that Krystmas.
2001		(con. 1990s) in J. Miller One of the Guys 113: ‘We go to the park and play basketball, come back here and sit, just chill all day jawing’.
2003		G. Tate Midnight Lightning 87: We were chillin’ when one day out of the blue, the doorbell rings.
2004		Eble Campus Sl. Apr. 1: chill (out) – [...] spend time doing nothing: On Saturday I usually chill with my sister.
2013		K. Shea ‘Having Chiqui’ in ThugLit July-Aug. [ebook] [T]hey could hang down in Philly [...] After chilling out for a day or two the both of them could keep going.
2016		A. Wheatle Crongton Knights 35: Maybe he’s chilling with one of his bredrens?

4. to take a break, to pause.

1987		M. McAlary Buddy Boys 193: ‘Tony and I chilled out after that [warning]. I went away hunting [...]. We stopped taking money from Benny’.
1999		‘Master Pimp’ Pimp’s Rap 1: I’m gonna chill out a minute from playing these funky sounds.

5. (US drugs) by ext. of prev., of a dealer, to work on a street corner or in a bar.

1989

(con. 1982–6) T. Williams Cocaine Kids (1990) 104: It is only a matter of time before the dealer has to ‘chill out’ or work on a street corner or in a bar.

6. to calm someone down.

1994

N. McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 385: Seeing how hyped and uptight I was, she prescribed some medication to chill me out.

7. of events, to calm down.

2003

Simon & Burns ‘Undertow’ Wire ser. 2 ep. 5 [TV script] He wants you to stop moving cans through our docks. At least until this shit chills.