Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to inspect as a tourist, to visit, e.g. do London.

1817		Lady Granville Letter June (1894) I 119: We shall then meet them at Basle, do the Rhine, stay two or three days at Brussels, and home .
1830		Marryat King’s Own (1850) 343: Captain Hall [...] has [...] done North and South America .
1840		T. Haliburton Clockmaker III 72: He is a-doin’ a bit of Paris.
1854		F. Smedley Harry Coverdale’s Courtship 100: They ‘did’ Westminster Abbey, which they really enjoyed.
1865		G.A. Sala My Diary in America I 139: One can ‘do’ Niagara without penetrating into the British provinces.
1868		H.L. Williams Black-Eyed Beauty 46: If ever I raise a pile big enough, I’ll do London as a tip-top figure.
1875		‘Aliph Cheem’ Lays of Ind (1905) 68: He did the theatres, music halls, the Crystal Palace oh! / [...] / He also did the Park.
1878		G. Leybourne ‘Parisien Harry’ Comic Songs 9: Some fellers do the Rhine.
1881		N.Z. Observer (Auckland) 15 Jan. 174/1: An Australian young lady, to whom he was introduced while doing the Sydney Exhibition.
1884		Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday 21 June 60: [caption] Here are the noble Briton and his family. They are ‘doing’ the Louvre. Observe the innate surperiority of the animal.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Jan. 6/4: ‘Got up,’ you ‘did’ the Burlington Arcade / (Your Upper Hunter pals this will be gall on) / And patent leathers, too, also ’tis said, / You ‘mounted,’ John, when you had ’em ‘all on.’.
1885		Kipling Civil and Military Gazette 25 July in Pinney (1987) 116: These Travelled Tots had ‘done’ the greater portion of the Continent, having seen men and cities from London to Venice.
1890		Bulletin (Sydney) 26 July 10/1: Here we see ‘our representatives’ going forth to ‘do’ the private bars. Being both unsophisticated young men, ‘Where the deuce are the private bars?’ they asked each other.
1898		Boy’s Own Paper 31 Dec. 214: The first two days of my visit were spent in ‘doing’ the sights of St. Petersburg.
1901		J. Flynt World of Graft 109: On his return to his provincial beat he tells the ‘boys’ how he did the ‘Metropolis’.
1902		Bulletin (Sydney) 2 Aug. 14/4: A certain bright little comedienne does Collins-st. occasionally with a wealthy American resident whom the Society girls have failed season after season to bait. The Johnnies of The Block think it ‘a case.’.
1912		J.E. Horsley Memoirs of a ‘Sky Pilot’ 151: There are more pitiable folks who ‘do’ Switzerland and are ‘done’ themselves.
1915		Grey Brigade 20 Nov. 4/3: So shall we do the town together?
1916		‘Anzac’ On the Anzac Trail 84: We [...] then proceeded to ‘do’ the township at the head of a now much augmented following.
1927		W. Edge Main Stem 52: Our plan now was to ‘do’ Baltimore.
1930		E. Glyn Flirt and Flapper 68: Flapper: We’ll go to Harlem to a coloured show and then do the dives.
1936		(con. 1830s–60s) ‘Miles Franklin’ All That Swagger 108: Robert and Tom called on the Butlers and Fullwoods and did the Township in company.
1946		G. Gibson Enemy Coast Ahead (1955) 200: Despite the fact that Lancasters from our Group were the only ones capable of ‘doing’ Italy, we flew [...] no fewer than 1,336 sorties.
1959		W. Brown Teen-Age Mafia 16: Why don’t you give the dope the heave-ho, and you and me do the town?
1974		P. Adam-Smith Barcoo Salute 30: Like the tourist who took a quick fifteen minute flip through the Louvre, [...] I ‘had done’ the Davey caper.
1989		(con. 1984) P. Theroux My Secret Hist. (1990) 513: I think we’ve absolutely done Agra.

2. to parade fashionable areas.

1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 22 May 4/4: He looks as snug and natty as ever, and ‘does’ Queen-street as jauntily as heretofore.
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 22 May 4/4: A certain fashionable Melbourne editor who ‘does’ Collins-street with a wealthy young heiress [etc].
1887		Byford & Joghmans [perf. George Byford] ‘The Broken Down Masher’ 🎵 I’d do Wegent Stweet or I’d stwoll in the Cri / Smoke cigarettes, wear a glass in my eye.
1895		‘’Arry on Harry’’ Punch 24 Aug. 90/1: And ‘Cads’ do the road in smart dog-carts as well as afoot or on bikes.

3. to report on.

1867		Sportsman 5 Oct. 2/1: Notes on News [...] [T]he gentleman [from the Dly Teleg.] who is down at Manchester ‘doing’ the rioters there is artisan whose skill altogether outruns his discretion.
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 20 Nov. 9/1: The respected proprietor of a certain big city hotel died recently, and an Argus reporter was sent to ‘do’ the funeral.
1890		Bulletin (Sydney) 2 Aug. 14/1: A Melbourne journalist was sent to ‘do’ a Mothers’ Meeting in Collingwood, a gathering of the rich and quasi-scientific tabbies, to preach at the poor and ignorant.
1908		Bulletin (Sydney) 20 Aug. 10/2: Melbourne Age unloosed one of its boy-reporters, and shot him over to Auckland the other day to ‘do’ the ’Murkan Fleet.
1910		Bulletin (Sydney) 3 Nov. 14/2: I was out ‘doing’ a murder in the bush for a Maoriland paper when I heard the Weird Noise.
1919		Wodehouse Damsel in Distress (1961) 121: Whoever wishes for a cold and technical catalogue of the stuffs [...] may consult the files of the Belpher Intelligencer and Farmers’ Guide, and read the report of the editor’s wife, who ‘does’ the dresses for the Intelligencer under the pen-name of ‘Birdie Bright-Eye’.

4. to attend an entertainment, e.g. do a show.

1905		A. Binstead Mop Fair 144: There are more takedowns at this game of racing than are suspected by those who ‘do’ their Derby [...] at their favourite music-hall.
1910		H. Hapgood Types From City Streets 117: They even ‘do’ it, when it assumes a ‘swell garb’.
1935		S. Horler London’s Und. 51: Is it too late to do a show?
1948		K. Williams Diaries 3 Jan. 18: Cedric phoned [...] we might do a film or something?
1952		W. Winchell On Broadway 4 Sept. [synd. col.] Merle Oberon and M. Michaelis [...] are doing the plush places.
1978		R. Price Ladies’ Man (1985) 231: You can’t do bars and monogamy at the same time.
1986		F. Pitt-Kethley Sky Ray Lolly 54: Tourists who’re ‘doing’ the Royal Court / next week, but don’t know what is on.
1997		Simon & Burns Corner (1998) 215: I don’t do funerals.
2001		Eve. Standard Mag. 23 Feb. 28: They wanted to do Glastonbury, until it was cancelled.