Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to go to bed.

1695		Congreve Love for Love III i: I mean to toss a can, and remember my sweetheart afore I turn in.
1751		Smollett Peregrine Pickle (1964) 584: You sister Mrs. Clover keeps close watch upon her kinsman, without ever turning in.
1767		‘Andrew Barton’ Disappointment II i: Let’s step into the state-room and turn in.
1805		J. Davis Post Captain (1813) 71: It is too cold for you to be upon deck. Come below, and turn in.
1818		H.B. Fearon Sketches of America 249: At ten o’clock, nearly all have gone to bed, or what they call ‘turned in.’.
1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London I 145: He was going to turn in, that there was fire enough to last till his wife turn’d out, which would be about six o’clock.
1833		Cruikshank & Wight Sun. in London 77: Mizzle home. Wife sings out. Give her a settler. And so turn in; – rather muzzy.
1840		T. Haliburton Clockmaker III 168: I will turn in with you [...] and we’ll talk it over in bed.
1844		J.W. Kaye Peregrine Pultuney I 213: The best thing he could do was [...] ‘turn in’ as fast as he could.
1851		Melville Moby Dick (1907) 27: Tell him to stop smoking, in short, and I will turn in with him.
1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 16: That man sitting up in his bunk [is] always one of the first to turn in.
1866		J. Greenwood Night in a Workhouse 19: Who’ll let me turn in with him for half my toke (bread)?
1873		W.H. Thomes Slaver’s Adventures 19: ‘Go turn in,’ the captain said, when he saw that I was disposed to remain on deck to keep him company. ‘Turn in. I will give you a call if you are wanted.’.
1882		G.W. Peck Peck’s Sunshine 228: I will turn in on the floor.
1896		Ade Artie (1963) 83: ‘I guess we’d better turn in.’ ‘What do you mean?’ I says; ‘go to bed?’.
1908		K. Grahame Wind in the Willows (1995) 140: I simply can’t go and turn in and go to sleep.
1918		F. Dunham diary 9 June Long Carry (1970) 185: Percey had blankets and everything ready, so that I could ‘turn-in’ quickly.
1929		(con. 1916) F. Manning Her Privates We (1986) 34: We boiled some water and had a glass of hot rum before we turned in.
1934		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Young Manhood in Studs Lonigan (1936) 323: I’m turning in and getting some sleep.
1942		Whizzbang Comics 73: Always take a jolly old stroll for the health’s sake before turning in.
1953		J. Thompson Savage Night (1991) 82: It was only a little after nine when I turned in.
1964		P. Highsmith Two Faces of January (1988) 95: Well, I guess it’s time we turned in.
1978		P. Theroux Picture Palace 267: You youngsters should turn in, too.
1981		A. Payne ‘You Need Hands’ Minder [TV script] 26: I always make a point of turning in early with a glass of water and a dry biscuit.
1991		D. Jarman letter 2 June Smiling in Slow Motion (2000) 12: Turned in at eleven.
1997–2000		Da Bomb 🌐 30: Turn-in; To go to bed.

2. to stop doing something, to abandon.

1919		Aussie (France) X Jan. 10/1: ‘Well, it’s just like this,’ I says, ‘the boys have been ’avin’ a damn rough spin, / And if you don’t take ’em out for a spell, they’ll be turnin’ the war right in.’.
1937		J. Curtis There Ain’t No Justice 128: Go on. Keep it up. I ain’t told you to turn it in yet.
1948		C. Day Lewis Otterbury Incident 38: ‘Turn it in, Nick!’ Ted punched him in a friendly way on the shoulder.
1956		‘Charles Raven’ Und. Nights 149: So the bogies had to turn it in, and make do with Len.
1965		F. Norman in Punch 17 Mar. in Norman’s London (1969) 159: I suggested to him that he might save himself a lot of trouble if he turned the villainy in all together.
1975		Sun. Times Mag. 12 Oct. 25: You can’t tell the little guys they’ve got to turn it in, when they see what the nobs are doing.
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 160: You can turn it in now, Graham.

3. to die.

1921

N&Q 12 Ser. IX 348: Turn It In (To). To die.