fade v.2
1. to leave, to vanish.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | More Fables in Sl. (1960) 101: The Bookie told him to Back Up and Fade. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Bulletin (Sydney) 10 Nov. 11/4: Just before the patient died the nurse faded altogether, and hasn’t been seen or heard of since. | |
| Wash. Times (DC) 5 Oct. 5/2: ‘Quit Dem Liver Lips!’ Nigger, what yo’ smakin’ dem liver lips fo’ like yo’ was eatin’ chicken? [...] ‘Fade,’ dryly replied the other prisoner. | |
| ‘Make a Noise Like a Hoop and Roll Away’ 🎵 Kiddo, just skidoo, / Fade away like the sun on a cloudy day. | |
| ‘Duck an’ Fowl’ in Moods of Ginger Mick 16: But the toff’s too shick or silly fer to ’cave ’is carkis out, / An’ to fade while goin’s good. | |
| ‘One Touch of Art’ in Beef, Iron and Wine (1917) 220: She wants to know are you gonna fade away to-morrow, ’cause they’s another ham wants to move in here. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Autobiog. of a Thief 118: I deemed it best to ‘fade away’ also, which I did by diving through the open door of a house [...] and out at the back. | |
| You Can’t Win (2000) 146: If they ‘tumble’ me before I get the tray out you fade away. | |
| Phila. Eve. Bulletin 5 Oct. 40/3: Here are a few more terms and definitions from the ‘Racket’ vocabulary: [...] ‘Fade,’ to disappear. | |
| (con. 1920s) Young Manhood in Studs Lonigan (1936) 247: ‘Everybody not associated with the team, please fade!’ he commanded. | |
| ‘Nevada Gas’ in Spanish Blood (1946) 169: They faded. | |
| London’s Und. 81: Scotland Yard were put on to them and they faded away. | |
| Mister Jelly Roll (1952) 140: One of the dealers [...] pulled out that big .45 of his and the gentleman with the knife faded. | |
| ‘Influence of Amer. Sl. on Aus.’ in AS XVIII:4 253: The Sydney Telegraph of July 14, 1936, palmed off on the public as Americanisms current in Australia: [...] to fade away. | |
| Death of a Barrow Boy 140: What game yer think you’re playing. Scarper [...] Yeah. I’m telling yer. Fade. | |
| Jives of Dr. Hepcat (1989) 3: Please excuse me, but -- -- comes on like ‘we the people’ riffs like whiraway, cool like snow white and fades like gang busters. | |
| World’s Toughest Prison 798: fade – To go away ; to disappear. | |
| et al. CUSS. | |
| Airtight Willie and Me 22: I saw Willie fading away fast. | |
| Lowspeak. | |
| Cadillac Beach 254: ‘We have to go now.’ Mahoney nodded. ‘Blow, hoof, dust, fade, breeze, slide, heel and toe, grab sidewalk, leave leather, drivin’ the shoe car . . .’. |
2. (orig. US) to become tired, to feel increasingly exhausted.
| Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 16 Mar. 6/5: [H]e ‘faded’ in almost every round after the first three, and went in tbe legs repeatedly. | |
| Sl. U. 76: I am fading. I should probably go to bed really soon. |
3. (US black campus) to stop talking.
| Jive and Sl. n.p.: Fade away ... Be quiet. |
4. (US) to die.
| in War Paint 166: [aircraft nose art] ‘Shoot! You’re Faded.’. | |
| ‘More Tennessee Expressions’ in AS XVI:1 Feb. 447/1: fade. To die. ‘Aunt Mittie faded last night.’. | |
| Helldiver Squadron 69: I’m fighting! Shoot you bastards! You’re faded! | |
| Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 58: Now it’s been eight long years since Dolomite’s been faded, / the average motherfucker would a long long been dated. |
5. (US campus) to miss a class; to waste time rather than work.
| et al. CUSS 113: Fade Miss class. Waste time, not study. |
6. (US Und.) to obtain a verdict of ‘not guilty’.
| Thief’s Primer 131: It’s hard to fade a jury trial when you’ve got a record. |
7. (US black) to drop a topic of conversation, to change an unpalatable subject.
| Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.]. |
8. (US black) to remain sufficiently silent not to be noticed.
| Juba to Jive. |
9. (US) to let down, to renege.
| Pugilist at Rest 11: Hey, you were the one who bought the program. Don’t fade on me now, goddamm it! |