Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to knock down, to stun; also in fig. use.

1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: settle to stun, or knock down; as, We settled the Cull by a Stoter on his Nob; i.e. We took him such a Blow on the Head, as quite stunn’d him.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. 1725].
1772		Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 231: Then at another stroke this rapster, / Settl’d calisius, his tapster; / With his oak stick the varlet maul’d him.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Settle. To knock down or stun any one. We settled the cull by a stroke on his nob; we stunned the fellow by a blow on the head.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1830		Mr Mathews’ Comic Annual 22: As to the stupid ape, her son Andrew, we can soon settle him.
1841		W.J. Neale Paul Periwinkle 576: Him come into de city to settle de dam whites.
1844		‘Jonathan Slick’ High Life in N.Y. II 258: I’ll settle the nigger, if he gets obstropulous.
1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 89: SETTLE, to [...] ruin, or effectually quiet a person.
1862		E. de la Bédollière Londres et les Anglais 318/1: settle, étourdir quelqu’un en lui donnant un coup.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1880		G.R. Sims Three Brass Balls 250: It was that barrister that prosecuted who settled me.
1883		J. Greenwood Tag, Rag & Co. 29: If I ever got such a ugly customer into my boat, I’d look out for my opportunity and I’d settle him [...] I’d fetch him a crack over the head.
1891		‘’Arry on Arrius’ in Punch 26 Dec. 303/1: One lesson in Greek settled me; it’s the crackjorest speshus of rot!
1900		Marvel 22 May 5: ‘Settled him!’ said Kerrick, with a brutal laugh.
1901		Boy’s Own Paper 29 June 612: Then I can get a look at his head. We’ll soon settle him then.
1916		J. Lait ‘The Gangster’s Elegy’ in Beef, Iron and Wine (1917) 243: There’s three o’ them left-handed swill-box robbers out to settle you.
1926		L. Esson Bride of Gospel Place 114: Buck: I’ll do for you, you devil! [...] You’ve settled both of us.
1930		J. Lait Put on the Spot 29: You know who settled Kinky King—Goldie Gorio!
1959		A. Sillitoe ‘Mr Raynor the Schoolteacher’ Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner (1960) 67: I’ll bring our big kid up to settle yo’.
1965		E. Bond Saved Scene x: You come near ’im again an’ I’ll settle yer for good. Lay off.

2. to sentence to penal transportation.

1857		‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue.
1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1869		Australasian (Melbourne) 17 July 8/5: To be ‘Iagged for life’ is to be wind settled.

3. (also settle with) to deal with, get even with.

1838		R. Nicholson Cockney Adventures 10 Feb. 115: ‘I know’d I could settle him,’ said the lady of the short clothes.
1844		C. Selby London by Night II iii: I think I’ve settled him – if not the coming engine will complete the work.
1864		W.R. Floyd Handy Andy in Darkey Drama 5 63: I’ll settle you!
1872		G.P. Burnham Memoirs of the US Secret Service 103: The local police [...] were unable to settle their gripe upon this accomplished, dangerous, and wily operator in the ‘queer’.
1879		G.R. Sims Dagonet Ballads 4: You must settle your dawg, Bill, unless you’ve a mind to pay.
1887		G. Devol Forty Years a Gambler 217: I’ll settle that fellow in the morning.
1900		Punch 24 Jan. 69/1: And he covered a pile of coupons with a paper-weight, as if he had the poet underneath and settled him for ever.
1910		‘O. Henry’ ‘Past One at Rooney’s’ in Strictly Business (1915) 257: I’ll settle with um meself.
1913		Sport (Adelaide) 15 Mar. 12/2: They Say [...] That Tot H is going to settle Ponker one of these days.
1920		Marvel 19 June 11: We will soon settle him.
1927		E. Wallace Squeaker (1950) 122: I’m going to settle with Frank Sutton.
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 166: Settle.–To arrange or ‘fix.’.
1943		W.R. Burnett Nobody Lives for Ever 58: ‘What’s your point, Doc?’ Johnny interposed hastily. ‘I’m just settling Pop—that’s all. So we’ll know where we stand’ .
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 16: ‘Tonight I’m going to settle with a guy. No telling where I’m gonna go afterward’ .
1983		A. Payne ‘Get Daley!’ Minder [TV script] 50: Right, I’ve had enough of this. When he comes out of orbit, I’ll settle him for good.
1989		H. Leonard Out After Dark 152: He has a score or two to settle.
1999		P. Temple Black Tide (2012) [ebook] Hed knows how the Armits fit. He’ll settle them, take the push off.

4. (also settle with) to kill, to murder.

1859		Matsell Vocabulum.
1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
c.1866		What a Fool music hall song n.p.: My darling wife and Ma-in-law Have nearly settled me [F&H].
1877		Five Years’ Penal Servitude 223: Then ’e sees the engine a coming [...] and chucked hisself bang in front of it, and it soon settl’d ’im.
1883		R.L. Stevenson Treasure Island 278: As the man rolled up his eyes at him in the last agony, ‘George,’ said he, ‘I reckon I settled you’.
1892		Illus Police News (London) 3 Dec. 2: Was it Jack the Ripper? [...] ‘Let us go on a bit further,’ said the man. ‘I will not,’ replied the ghirl. ‘Then I’ll settle you now,’ answered the man quietly.
1894		‘Price Warung’ Tales of the Early Days 116: If I don’t die, the chap’ll who’s to settle me.
1899		Boy’s Own Paper 15 July 665: There’s enough arsenic and strychnine to settle the whole ship’s crew.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 10 Mar. 28/2: […] They’d have murdered me too if I hadn’t cleared. I heard them talking outside the house at 1 o’clock this morning plotting how to settle us.
1906		E. Pugh Spoilers 291: ‘By God!’ he said slowly. ‘I’ll settle wi’ you for that, Peter.’.
1906		A.H. Lewis Confessions of a Detective 25: ‘Settle the bull, Red! Go in and cook him!’ I might add that ‘settle’ and ‘cook,’ in the language of the Five Points, always mean ‘kill’ and never mean anything else.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 12 Dec. 44/2: Settlin’ powders. [...] They darned near settled that nigger, anyway.
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 166: Settle.–[...] To kill.
1935		Ex-Légionnaire 1384 Arab Patrol 291: ‘If they attack again I fancy I can settle a few of them’.
1947		L.J. Valentine Night Stick 129: We never got the killer. The killers seldom do their ‘settling’ in the presence of witnesses.
1958		A. Delmayne Sahara Desert Escape 34: [T]he legionary [...] had gone to settle the sniper .

5. to sentence to a term of imprisonment, usu. life.

1888		Sun (NY) 13 May 14/6: I settled that mug for another trick once, and I think I can shake him down now.
1899		S.F. Call 2 Apr. 25/5: When a prisoner is convicted he is said to be ‘settled’.
1901		J. Flynt World of Graft 130: The copper tries to settle the squealer and the squealer tries to railroad the copper.
1903		H. Hapgood Autobiog. of a Thief 44: I was ‘settled’ for assault only; and sent to the Tombs for ten days.
1914		Wash. Post 11 Nov. Misc. 3/5: Foley was ‘pinched’ and ‘settled’ in San Quentin.
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 166: Settle.–[...] To sentence to gaol.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 188/2: Settle. To sentence to prison. ‘Bing was settled for the book (life imprisonment) as a four-time loser.’.
1955		D. Maurer in PADS XXIV. 151: Maybe he will get settled, or sent to prison; among pick-pockets this term does not carry the implication of a long sentence or a life-term; it usually means two years.