Green’s Dictionary of Slang

to practise coitus interruptus.

2000

Sex-Lexis 🌐leave .

(US) to beat (someone) unreservedly.

1972

D. Jenkins Semi-Tough 184: Boy, I am so hot right now [. . . .] I’ve told her that if I lay my eyes on Boke Kellum again I was gonna leave him every way but alone.

see under wet adj.¹

see scat v.¹

(US campus) to act in an embarrassing way.

1989		Eble Campus Sl. Mar. 5: leave one’s face – embarrass oneself immensely. ‘I fell on that walk over by Morrison. I just left my face right there.’.
1990		Eble Campus Sl. Apr.

(W.I.) to outsmart, to fool.

1996

Allsopp Dict. Carib. Eng. Usage.

(US black) to reject or ignore a proffered handshake or to refuse to indulge in the ritualizing hand-slapping used as a greeting.

1970		Current Sl. V:2 9: Leave hanging, v. To refuse to return a greeting; to refuse to ‘return five.’.
1992		R.C. Cruz Straight Outta Compton 116: Never leave a brother hanging.
2000		P. Beatty Tuff 92: Thrusting his palm towards Winston, waiting for him to acknowledge the black man’s covenant. Winston remained still, looking at Spencer warily [...] ‘You going to leave me hanging? Aw, man, that’s cold-blooded.’.
2021		P Howard Braywatch 68: I give Oisinn and Magnus a high-five each, although I make sure to leave Fionn hanging.

(US prison) to leave jail.

1950

Goldin et al. DAUL 123/1: Leave one the bucket. (P) To take leave of one’s fellow convicts in prison. [Literally, to leave one’s fellow inmates the use of one’s portable toilet.].

(W.I.) to abandon when in difficulties, to ‘leave holding the baby’.

1996

Allsopp Dict. Carib. Eng. Usage.

to be hanged.

1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 57: Cotton — he is the Ordinary of Newgate, and praying for the malefactors, they are said (by a little stretch) to ‘leave the world with their ears stuffed full of Cotton’.
1884		(ref. to early 19C) A. Griffiths Chronicles of Newgate 171: In the Reverend Mr. Cotton’s time convicts were said to go out of the world with their ears stuffed full of cotton.

(US black) to die.

1960

Wayne Shorter [song title] Lester Left Town.

a general excl. of admonition: stop doing that!, don’t be so stupid! etc.

1958		E. Gilbert Vice Trap 30: ‘He didn’t want it known that I knew you.’ ‘Leave it alone,’ I said.
1974		G.F. Newman You Flash Bastard 173: Oh, I see. So it’s Terry you’re having a go at again, not me. Well, I told y’ before, just leave it out, you understand?
1981		J. Sullivan ‘Cash and Curry’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] Oh leave it out Del!
1998		M. Newall ‘Sir Gawayne and the Grene Knight’ in Indep. Weekend Rev. 26 Dec. 1: Leave it oute Lynette Yow are Bertilak’s beste burde.
2001		J. Baker Shooting in the Dark (2002) 114: ‘Descartes?’ [...] ‘Day cart? Leave it out, Sam.’.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 324: ‘[H]e was the most reliably bent bluebottle you could hope to meet’ [...] ‘Bluebottle?’ Leave it out.

stop it! (esp. in sense of stop telling lies).

1836–7		Dickens Pickwick Papers (1999) 19: Cries of ‘Order,’ ‘Chair,’ ‘Yes,’ ‘No,’ ‘Go on,’ ‘Leave off’ &c.
1868		H.L. Williams Three Black Smiths in Darkey Drama 4 29: Don’t! I’m ticklish – leff off! Don’t you git my Norf Car’lina up.
1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) IV 734: Oh! leave off.
1906		New Boys’ World 29 Dec. 95: Oh, do leave off, corp’l!
1938		G. Greene Brighton Rock (1943) 57: Leave off, Pinkie, and I’ll open up.
1944		J. Cary Horse’s Mouth (1948) 318: ‘Leave off,’ said Rozzie. ‘Get off, you --’.
1958		(con. 1936) A. Wesker Chicken Soup with Barley I i: Oh, leave off, Sarah.
1962		F. Norman Guntz 192: Do leave off.
1970		G.F. Newman Sir, You Bastard 61: All right, all right [...] Leave off.
1982		P. Redmond Tucker and Co 61: Leave off! Where’ve you been?
1997		P. Theroux Kowloon Tong 43: Leave off, Mum.