Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a short person, often as a term of address or nickname; ironic use for a tall man.

1847		Eclectic Mag. July 416/2: One was a tall robust Yankee [...] the other a short little Cockney [...] Zeke the Yankee had christened his comrade ‘Shorty’.
1864		T.F. Upson diary in Winther With Sherman to the Sea (1958) 99: Chorus: There is Shorty Jones, just six feet six.
1865		W. Hilleary diary 23 Sept. in A Webfoot Volunteer (1965) 115: ‘Shorty’ the cook, (Smith 2d).
1883		Boston Wkly Globe (MA) 30 Jan. 6/7: Persons doomed to everlasting ridicule [...] the ‘sawed-offs,’ the ‘shorties’ and the ‘snits’ of society.
1888		Canterbury Jrnl 12 May 3/2: In some schools such boys are promptly nicknamed [...] Bricktop, Shorty, Beanpole.
1890		Bird o’ Freedom 22 Jan. 3: He [began] wondering if his old friends, Shorty, and Puddin’ Foot, and Beaut, and other well-known roadsters, were shivering over a fire of old rails.
1894		J. London Tramp Diary in Jack London On the Road (1979) 38: One is about 6 foot 4, while the other is a little shorty.
1908		Hopper & Bechdolt ‘9009’ (1909) 55: A shock-headed, square-bodied little safe-cracker, called ‘Shorty’.
1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 1 Oct. 14/1: [cartoon caption] Long ’Un: ‘’Undreds of starvin’ Germans’ – / Shorty: ‘Pore cows! All the dust-bins must ’a’ got blown up.’.
1918		‘Sapper’ Human Touch 5: ‘Hullo, Shorty,’ remarked the new-comer.
1922		‘J.H. Ross’ Mint (1955) 155: The tall men are for memorial service tomorrow. The figure gives a large surplus of shorties.
1924		S. Scott Human Side of Crook and Convict Life 190: Shorty was a cheery little fellow, 5ft. tall, with merry blue eyes.
1929		(con. WWI) H. Odum Wings on My Feet 129: Well, called ’em Funny Sambo and Shorty Geech.
1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 578: Don’t let him put anything over on you, Shorty.
1940		R. Chandler Farewell, My Lovely (1949) 223: Hi, Shorty. How’s all the bambinos?
1947		N. Algren Neon Wilderness (1986) 136: Your own ears ain’t so little, Shorty.
1950		A. Buckeridge Jennings Goes To School 95: Shorty and me are doing a bit of brass polishing.
1951		M. Spillane Long Wait (1954) 36: Junior was a shortie. A guy about five-six.
1956		N. Algren Walk on the Wild Side 161: How tall are you, Shorty?
1960		J. Iggulden Storms of Summer 161: ‘Well . . . Ricco,’ said Shorty Burns, ‘You better call me Shorty.’ [...] ‘There’s just one thing Mr Shorty,’ said Ricco after a while.
1970		E. Thompson Garden of Sand (1981) 77: Well, you got me interested, shorty!
1979		E. Torres After Hours 44: Speak your mind . . . Shorty.
1989		(con. 1950s–60s) in G. Tremlett Little Legs 57: Shorty, do you wanna come and have a ride with me.
2000		Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com ) 🌐 shawty Definition: a [...] short person.
2001		(con. 1975–6) E. Little Steel Toes 169: You, shorty, cross me again and I’ll cripple ya.
2001		Source Aug. 68: Shorty from Girlfight, Michelle Rodrigueze.
2014		J.J. Sinisi ‘The hard Sell’ in ThugLit July [ebook] ‘Keep your mouth shut, shorty’.
2018		T. Pluck ‘Hot Rod Heart’ in Life During Wartime 96: ‘I want my ride with your wife, shorty’.

2. (US) half a pint of alcohol.

1929		W. Winchell On Broadway 20 Aug. [synd. col.] A ‘shortie’ of laughing soup, which is ½ a pint, costs only 35 cents a convulsion.
1941		‘Digg Mee’ ‘Observation Post’ in N.Y. Age 5 July 9/7: Pete raised his shorty of gin.

3. (US black) a young person.

1935		Z.N. Hurston Mules and Men (1995) 141: You head-pecked shorty, drive up to de cryin’ post and hitch up. You want another card?
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 253: ‘Shorty’, what if I told you I could beat this joint?
1998		Source Oct. 202: I see it. Shorties. 16-year-olds.
2001		(con. 1990s) in J. Miller One of the Guys 54: ‘I was like a little shortie [i.e. aged 13]. I didn’t sell drugs. I didn’t run around shooting or none of that’.
2002		‘Touré’ Portable Promised Land (ms.) 156: We Words (My Favorite Things) [...] Sheisty. Shorty. Shuffle.
2009		J. Stahl Pain Killers 170: Cathy, that shorty who did the doctor?
2012		K. Shea ‘Pride’ in C. Rhatigan and N. Bird (eds) Pulp Ink 2 [ebook] That watery-eyed shorty with the gold tooth.
2016		Young M.A. ‘Eat’ 🎵 Damn, I got a lotta bash for that phone shit / [...] / Shawty knew I was playing just on some joke shit.

4. (US black) a child.

1939		Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 30 Sept. 11/2: [cartoon caption: child to younger one] Come on, Shorty, there’s a bow-legged guy in the front row who don’t wear ‘drapes’ .
1971		H.E. Roberts Third Ear n.p.: shorties n. small children.
1997		Simon & Burns Corner (1998) 297: ‘Man, let the little ones go past.’ ‘Shorty comin’.’.
1999		Noreaga ‘Flagrant Cops’ 🎵 Yo in the whip yo the windows clogged up / Shorty givin me head mouth clogged up.
2000		P. Beatty Tuff 181: Niggers I’ve known since back in the day when we was shorter than shorties.
2002		W.D. Myers Handbook for Boys 106: ‘How many children you say you got out there?’ Mr. M asked. ‘I got three shorties,’ Tariq said.
2005		Prison Slang Mommyblogger mydogharriet.blogspot.com 23 Sept. 🌐 So your shortie jacked some wham whams from her ace-duces clavo?

5. (US black) a single shot of alcohol.

1940		D. Burley N.Y. Amsterdam News 7 Dec. 20: ‘Let’s git annudder shawty’.
1949		Dan Burley ‘Back Door Stuff’ 29 Jan. [synd. col.] [S]entimentalists who remembered the old days [...] wanted to keep the ‘shorty’ solvent.

6. (orig. US black, also shatty) a woman, a girlfriend; occas. a boyfriend.

1993		L. Rodríguez Always Running (1996) 120: Shorty played it smooth, hanging out with her homegirls.
1997–2000		College Sl. Research Project (Cal. State Poly. Uni., Pomona) 🌐 Shatty/shawty/shorty (noun & vocative) 1. Female; used to replace a name. [...] 3. The person with whom you are sleeping. 4. An attractive person of the opposite sex. [...] 5. Girl; friend; associate. [...] 6. Cute girl, or guy, a short person, or just a name to call someone. [...] 7. Your girlfriend.
2000		P. Beatty Tuff 170: Girl, you my shorty, my wisdom, my Earth.
2001		Source Aug. 68: Wait for the video to come out on this one, get a shorty, and watch it at the crib.
2002		50 Cent ‘Wangsta’ 🎵 Shorty she so fine, I gotta make her mines.
2007		UGK ‘Life Is 2009’ 🎵 They call ’em shorties (shawty) we call ’em hoes (hoes).
2011		G. Hayward Corruption Officer [ebk] cap. 11: If you hook up with one of these shorties and ya’ll really feeling each other, she becomes your jail wife.
2012		‘Dutch’ ? (Pronounced Que) [ebook] Shameeq looked shorty over. She was a fly, chinky-eyed cinnamon bun.
2014		C. Eble (ed.) UNC-CH Campus Sl. Spring 2014 Fall 6: SHAWTY — female, especially an attractive one: ‘Let me buy you a drink, shawty’.
2019		Headie One ‘Ball in Peace 🎵 I told shawty, I don’t jugg, I just rap and I do construction partially.

7. (US black) a small penis.

2000

Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com shorty Definition: 1. a small penis.

8. (N.Z. prison) a knife.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 166/1: shorty n. a knife or stabbing weapon [...] get shortyto take or to use a knife.