Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. acute, clever, keen-witted, sharp, often ironically; esp. in phr. don’t get cute with me; thus cuteness n. [early 19C adoption in US developed and spread].

1731		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. n.p.: Cute, sharp, quick-witted.
1748		Dyche & Pardon New General Eng. Dict. (5th edn).
1756		W. Toldervy Hist. of the Two Orphans II 39: I take him to be a very cute one.
1768		O. Goldsmith Good Natur’d Man Act III: Well, who could have thought so innocent a face could cover so much cuteness! [Ibid.] Act IV: Truly, madam, I write and indite but poorly. I never was cute at my learning.
1776		Foote A Trip to Calais in Works (1799) II 339: I don’t find that they be more cuter to get our lingo, than we to learn theirs.
1787		R. Tyler Contrast III i: The School for Scandalization! — Oh! oh! no wonder you New-York folks are so cute at it.
1800		M. Edgeworth Castle Rackrent (1832) 16: Jason Quirk, though he be my son, I must say, was a good scholar from his birth, and a very ’cute lad.
1806		Spirit of the Public Journals (Baltimore) 61: A ‘cute’ old gentleman.
1817		M. Edgeworth Love and Law II i: He is cunning enough, but I’m cuter nor he – I have him in my power.
1825		J. Neal Brother Jonathan I 156: As cute a feller that as I ever seed.
1836		‘Patent S--t-Pot’ in Cockchafer 32: At last a ’cute thought struck the damsels, poor souls.
1838		‘Uncle Sam’s Peculiarities’ in Bentley’s Misc. IV 140: The Yorker too, who’s cuter at clearing out of a bargain than ever I seen.
1848		‘Ned Buntline’ Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. I 69: So ’mazin cute over his books, that an unlarnt body couldn’t help a likin’ him!
1849		Sam Sly 31 Mar. 4/3: Mr. Sly, I see you are a ’cute man, and though you may not be able exactly to see through a brick-wall, still you know a good deal.
1850		W.K. Northall Life and Recollections of Yankee Hill 168: How, and what distinguishes the ancient New England monament builders? What shows their cuteness?
1853		Delhi Sketch Bk 1 Oct. 62/1: Purveyors / Of suits which to ’cute Barristers they sell.
1858		R.S. Surtees Ask Mamma 241: Still Jacky was reckoned a cute fellow among his compatriots.
1865		C.C. Nott Sketches in Prison Camps 155: Not even [...] the absence of all Yankee cuteness in us, could bring forth the old lady’s stores.
1865		G.A. Sala My Diary in America I 173: Everybody knows the story of the ’cute Yankee who called it ‘an almighty water privilege’.
1868		Sportsman 14 Jan. 2/1: Notes on News [...] The probverbial ’cuteness of the Jewish nation.
c.1870		‘Funny He-She Ladies!’ in C. Hindley Curiosities of Street Lit. (1871) 155: A cute detective chap, / Who of their game had smelt a rat.
1875		‘Aliph Cheem’ Lays of Ind (1905) 110: From time immemorial men have agreed / That serpents are very ’cute creatures indeed.
1879		C.J. Kickham Knocknagow 138: Some people do be very cute.
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 12 June 5/4: Theo. is ’cute and will not lose by the arrangement.
1880		R. Rowe Picked Up in the Streets 15: Did you notice [...] the man with the white wide-awake that was trying to pick a quarrel? [...] He’s one of the ’cutest thieves we have.
1889		Music Hall & Theatre Rev. 6 Apr. 122/2: Remarkable for unfailing good temper [and] a fund of national ‘cuteness’.
1893		H. Lawson ‘Darling River’ in Roderick (1972) 89: There is a yarn along the Darling about a cute Yankee who was invited up to Bourke.
1894		Motherwell Times 31 Mar. 4/1: Taking this as an aspersion cast upon the ’cuteness of the Scottish police, the Glasgow man was nettled.
1895		J. Caminada Twenty-Five Years of Detective Life I 86: The quack was a ‘cute’ man of the world, as all those are who have to live by their wits.
1902		Truth (Sydney) 28 Dec. 8/3: For when he tries divorcement, she / Are much 2 cute for him.
1903		Truth (London) 26 Mar. 830/1: His principal who took over old Russelton’s business [...] and put £4,000 into it, is that exceedingly ’cute young woman, whom her friends know as Evie Wildrick.
1908		L. Doyle Ballygullion 105: The ould chap’s too cute.
1909		Goodwin’s Wkly (Salt Lake City, UT) 25 Dec. 5/2: Some of those jealous cats [...] used to sing to me, ‘Why Don’t You Get a Husband of Your Own?’ and I just thought I’d show them by copin’ off Jim. Aint I the cute kid?
1914		Joyce ‘The Dead’ Dubliners (1956) 184: Once she had spoken of Gretta as being country cute and that was not true of Gretta at all.
1915		C.J. Dennis ‘Uncle Jim’ in Songs of a Sentimental Bloke 93: ‘E bores ‘is cute ole eyes right into me, / While I stares ‘ard an’ gives it back to ‘im.
1916		Firefly 9 Dec. 1: The neighbourhood couldn’t help laughing at my cute little wheeze.
1929		W.R. Burnett Little Caesar (1932) 54: Look at that smarty over there. He thinks he’s cute.
1930		E. Glyn Flirt & Flapper 22: Flapper: [You’re] cute [...] quick at getting on to an idea.
1937		E. Garnett Family from One End Street 73: Cute kid, aren’t you!
1949		R. Chandler Little Sister 33: Nothing to get cute about.
1959		C. Himes Crazy Kill 57: Don’t be so mother-raping cute.
1961		T. Taylor Baron’s Court All Change (2011) 97: ‘To try and fanny someone that’s cuter than you are’.
1965		R.L. Pike Mute Witness (1997) 88: Don’t get cute with me, Lieutenant! Not with me.
1971		D. Goines Dopefiend (1991) 198: Ain’t you gettin’ cute.
1982		P. Bailey An Eng. Madam 53: She was a cute old stick.
1989		C. Hiaasen Skin Tight 303: Chemo snorted. ‘What, he’s trying to be cute?’.
1999		Indep. Rev. 13 Sept. 20: The theory is still looking darned cute.
2001		G. Coughlan Everyday Eng. and Sl. 🌐 Cute hoors (n): usually politicians – it implies deviousness and crookedness. (in this case, I suppose it could apply to a female as well, but almost always the term ‘hoor’ is masculine.) In Ireland, at least, ‘cute’ means ‘clever’.
2007		W. Ellis Crooked Little Vein 233: Every time he gets too cute we plant crack on him.
2011		J.J. Connolly Viva La Madness 375: Ted was cuter, he’d pacify Roy — Sane? ’Course you are, son.
2021		Breen & Conlon Hitmen 72: As he was growing up, he got a lot cuter. There was a more sinister side to him.

2. attractive, charming.

1824		‘Visit to Uncle Sam’s Thanksgiving’ in J.T. Buckingham Miscellanies 2 189: And gals! all as cute as a whistle!
1842		S. Lover Handy Andy 73: Nance is nice and Biddy’s biddable, and Kitty’s cute.
1857		D.H. Strother Virginia Illus. ii 166: What cute little socks! [DA].
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 129/2: Mary Ann was a pretty-faced, cute, wide-awake little hussy.
1902		‘Billy Burgundy’ Toothsome Tales Told in Sl. 23: Maintained cute little flats.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 8: ‘Oh, Sam isn’t he CUTE?’ she trilled. [Ibid.] 192: Say, kid, you’re awful cute!
1912		Day Book (Chicago) 23 Mar. 15/2: Up comes John with his cute little bow and his friendly greeting.
1917		D.G. Phillips Susan Lenox I 383: Dan laughed impudently. ‘She’s a cute one.’.
1922		S. Lewis Babbitt (1974) 34: Cute four-room California bungalow.
1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 808: Nigger babies were cute little ducks.
c.1940		advert for house rent party in Hughes & Bontemps Book Negro Folklore (1958) 598: If your Sweetie ain’t on the level, Come and get yourself another Cute Little Devil.
1944		D. Runyon Runyon à la Carte 48: A cute little white house.
1951		J.D. Salinger Catcher in the Rye 73: She was sort of cute, the blonde.
1964		H. Selby Jr Last Exit to Brooklyn 267: Anyway he dont look like no gurl. He looks cute.
1970		T. Southern Blue Movie (1974) 26: You have a very cute bottom.
1982		Beano 3 Apr. 2: Look at that little chap learning to walk. How cute!
1986		H.B. Gilmour Pretty in Pink 29: He’s pretty cute.
1992		R.C. Cruz Straight Outta Compton 18: ‘You think I’m cute?’ he asked. He was holding up a hand mirror.
2001		F. Hart ‘I Love Drunks’ (poem) on Guardian 15 Dec. 🌐 I like new young designers / and entrepreneurs / who always wear the right stuff / and have cute chicks with them.