scheme, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

scheme v.

1. (Irish) to play truant (from).

1938

S. MacManus Rocky Road to Dublin n.p.: He was strongly tempted to scheme school [...] Often, boys did so scheme [BS].

2. (mainly S.Afr., also scheme up) to think, to ‘reckon’.

1943		R.L. Bellem ‘Dissolve Shot’ Dan Turner – Hollywood Detective May 🌐 She refused to tear up her contract, so he schemed up a plan to save the huge salary he was paying her.
1976		E. Thompson Caldo Largo (1980) 277: I told her the story as I had schemed it.
1983		Frontline Oct. 61: The skate has his own dialect [...] ‘I got a graft, a cabbie, I got stukkies, booze, and I got zol. I tune you, mate, if I can get one mamba chow a day, I scheme life is kif.’.
1990		P. Hotz Muzukuru 3: Hell, back in those days us ouens schemed the idea of a goffel terr [...] a goffel terr – was as ridiculous as a bloke getting pregnant.
2005		A. Lovejoy Acid Alex 69: I skiem we’re okay. The noere will probably skiem it was a coloured laaitie.
2007		in ‘Ben Trovato’ On the Run 270: I scheme the poor old toppie really kakked himself when he read your article.

schemish (adj.) (also schemey)

(US black/P.R.) cunning.

1931		Shelby & Stoney Po’ Buckra 201: Purse looked well ahead; he was ‘schemey’.
1995		(con. 1985–90) P. Bourjois In Search of Respect 46: I was learning to be schemish and steal fruit from the fruit stand and stuff like that.

scheme (on) (v.) (orig. US black)

1. to make sexual designs on.

1960		C. Cooper Jr Scene (1996) 286: The girls sittin round in the restaurants schemin on their men.
1971		E.E. Landy Underground Dict. (1972).
1992		J. Mowry Way Past Cool 81: I never seen you schemin a girl, man.
2007		UGK ‘Chrome Plated Woman’ 🎵 These niggaz schemin on my young hoe.
2014		C. Eble (ed.) UNC-CH Campus Sl. Spring 2014.

2. to make plans (for someone/something).

1967		M. Braly On the Yard (2002) 88: And they would start scheming on the money that would further enrich Chilly Willy.
1977		E. Bunker Animal Factory 26: Sit down here, boy . . . an’ help us scheme on gettin’ them narcotics.
1992		J. Mowry Way Past Cool 66: This our ground, Deek! Why you come schemin round here?
2000		F.X. Toole Rope Burns 23: I knew that Ike was scheming on the punk.
2006		G. Pelecanos Night Gardener 311: Ray Benjamin’s quiet, till you scheme him.
2006		Burns & Pelecanos ‘That’s Got His Own’ Wire ser. 4 ep. 12 [TV script] Felt like you all schemin’ us. This class is the same as the one down the hall.
2011		G. Hayward Corruption Officer [ebk] cap. 7: These individuals don’t care about you [...] They don’t have anything to do all day but scheme on you.

scheme out (v.) (also scheme)(US)

1. to deceive, to trick.

1930		D. Ahearn Confessions of a Gunman 208: I might try to scheme you out with a girl.
2006		Burns & Pelecanos ‘That’s Got His Own’ Wire ser. 4 ep. 12 [TV script] I sweated him, you know.Hhe wasn’t tryin’ to scheme me.

2. to plan.

1930

J. Lait Gangster Girl 7: Then he schemed out his big deals and his broad campaigns.