medicine n.
1. punishment, usu. deserved.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Owl (NY) 11 Sept. n.p.: E.K. has promised to administer to W.C. [...] ‘a dose of medicine that would purge his malignant disposition’. | |
 | implied in take one’s medicine | |
| A Trip to Chinatown Act III: I’ll give you your medicine! | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | A Pink ’Un and a Pelican 256: It was never openly known who ‘gave him his medicine’, but his head was pounded like a Hamburg steak. | |
| Confessions of a Detective 33: They’d have handed you your medicine for keeps. | |
| Robbers’ Roost 236: Say, it’s you who’ll shet his trap [...] Or you’ll git a dose of medicine. | |
| ‘Finger Man’ in Pearls Are a Nuisance (1964) 119: There was a hideous burn on her chest almost between her two breasts. I said: ‘Okay, sister. That’s nasty medicine’. | |
| Uniform of Glory 230: A taste of your own medicine, you dog. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Shiralee 206: They’d give him his medicine, some medicine, not half enough. |
2. (orig. US, also war medicine) an intoxicating drink.
| implied in take one’s medicine | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 8 Jan. 5/1: From an early hour the streets presented a lively aspect, chiefly by reason of the action of those individuals who had gone out for their ‘morning medicine’ piling on a few extra rums in honor of the festive season. | |
| Morn. Post (London) 18 Feb. 2/3: American invitations to drink [...] ‘Let’s drive another nail,’ ‘what’s your medicine?’. | |
| Truth (Sydney) 23 Dec. 1/3: ‘Did you find the medicine all right?’ [...] There were four unbreached bottles in the swag . | |
| Shellback 277: Call the steward and tell him to bring the medicine in. | |
| Regiment 27 Jan. 288/1: Many of the terms used [in the British Army] are derived from India [...] Beer is variously known as ‘soup,’ ‘medicine,’ ‘pongelo,’ &c . | |
| Nebraska State Jrnl (Lincoln, NE) 14 June 9/5: [H]e mixes war medicine about once every six months, always winding up with [...] a muscular male nurse govering around his hammock. | |
| ‘A “Push” Story’ in Bulletin (Sydney) 2 Sept. 17/1: ‘C’n y’r spill one in?’ ‘It’s me medicine,’ answered Fummy, as they moved off to meet the nearest thirst hospital. | |
| Broadford Courier (Brisbane) 14 Apr. 1/4: There are many ways you can ask a friend to have a drink [...] ‘What’s your medicine?’. | |
| True Drunkard’s Delight 227: What’s your medicine? | |
| High Sierra in Four Novels (1984) 286: Grandfather Earle would [...] have to dose himself with ‘medicine’, which he drank from a pint bottle. | |
| ‘Guilty’ 🎵 It takes a whole lot of medicine for me to pretend that I’m somebody else. | |
| (con. 1950s–60s) in Little Legs 176: I feel the weight of my bag to see if there’s enough [money] for my medicine. | |
| Pimp’s Rap 93: He came back with our drugs and alcohol [...] I downed my medicine. | |
| Way Home (2009) 279: Lawrence [...] peeled off a twenty. ‘Go on, man. Get yourself some medicine’. |
3. sexual intercourse.
| DSUE (1984) 730/2: from ca. 1855. |
4. (US) information, knowledge.
| Smoke Bellew (1926) 113: My medicine’s good. When I get a hunch it’s sure right. An’ we’re in wrong on this stampede. | |
| Cowboy 79: Thus a puncher was apt to describe as ‘making medicine’ his preparations for a journey, or his planning of an enterprise; to state later that this ‘medicine’ had been ‘good’ or ‘bad’ according as his preparations had proved sufficient or insufficient. | |
| Dict. Amer. Sl. 33: medicine, good or bad. Straight dope or the reverse. |
5. (US black) semen.
| ‘I Think You Need a Shot’ 🎵 Yeh your medicine’s come now baby, put your leg upside the wall [...] I don’t want to waste none of it mama, I want you to have it all. |
6. drugs.
| ‘Argot of the Und. Narcotic Addict’ Pt 2 in AS XIII:3 188/1: medicine. Morphine. | |
| Criminal Sl. (rev. edn). | |
| Traffic In Narcotics 312: medicine. Drugs. | |
| Snowblind (1978) 60: He has been (sniff) taking medicine since then. | |
| Fort Apache, The Bronx 307: Yeah, Jim, I gotta get down, baby, gotta get my medicine, you dig. | |
| Bk of Jargon 338: medicine: Methadone. | |
| Double Bang 90: ‘Gotta take my medicine,’ he said, digging the powder out with a silver spoon. | |
| Permanent Midnight 344: You think I go round hustlin’ motherfuckers to get me my medicine every day, you fucking wrong. | |
| Plainclothes Naked (2002) 147: Tina could still hear her whisper as she slammed the door: ‘You little bitch, that was my medicine money’. | |
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | (con. 1980s) Skagboys 168: Ah’m a wee bit sick. [...] —Ye need some medicine then, min? |
In compounds
(US) a doctor’s surgery, usu. in a ghetto area, in which the bulk of prescriptions are written for drugs which are then sold in the street.
| N.Y. Age 29 Dec. 4/1: This was final degredation; commercially advertising and ‘shilling’ for an established ‘medicine mill’ from the pulpit. |
(US) a physician.
| Wolfville 68: Three medicine-sharps – an’ each as good as Doc Peets. |
In phrases
(US, Western) to converse.
| ‘Around the Spade Wagon’ Cattle Brands 🌐 Some geranium out there wants me to come out and shake hands, pow-wow, and make some medicine with him. |
1. to have sexual intercourse.
| DSUE (1984) 730/2: from ca. 1855. |
2. to drink.
| (con. 1840s–50s) London Labour and London Poor II 20/1: Young men that’s conceited about their musical talents, fond of taking their medicine (drinking). | |
| ‘Pearls Are a Nuisance’ in Spanish Blood (1946) 123: Right now I am just taking my medicine. |
3. to accept a (deserved) punishment or reprimand.
![[SA]](/static/img/flags/sa.png "South Africa") | Secret Service 75: The leaders refused to take their own medicine . | |
| ‘Mars Jeems’s Nightmare’ in Conjure Woman 83: He wuz bleedzd ter take his med’cine. | |
| Powers That Prey 257: A bloke’s got to take his med’cine over here if they catch him. | |
| Five Thousand an Hour Ch. iii: ‘I suppose I must take my medicine,’ said Gresham glumly. | |
| Over the Top 95: They had no cover; just had to take their medicine. | |
| (con. 1917–18) Beginning of Wisdom 187: Come out, you damn Red! Take your medicine! | |
| Sudden 75: I’ll stay an’ take my medicine. | |
| Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks 11: Take his medicine: Do time or imprisonment. | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | (con. 1880–90s) I Knock at the Door 201: Are you going to come up quietly, boy, to take your medicine, or must I go down, and wallop you up to me? | |
| Little Men, Big World 244: If he was alive, do you think he’d let you make a deal for him and go to prison to save his reputation? [...] He’d take his medicine, wouldn’t he? | |
| Big Rumble 47: Feeling like staying here and taking my medicine. | |
| (con. 1940s) Tattoo (1977) 219: She’ll just have to take her medicine. | |
| A Second Browser’s Dict. 183: Take one’s medicine [...] 2. To face up to the bitter consequences of one’s actions. | |
| Powder 158: He might not like taking his medicine from girlies. |