Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also Jericho beyond Jordan) a place of retirement, banishment or concealment, a far-distant place; thus a synon. for Hell esp. in phr. let someone go to jericho.

1634		T. Heywood Hierarchie of Angells (1649) IV 208: Bid such yong boyes to stay in Iericho Vntill their Beards were growne, their wits more staid.
1648		Mercurius Aulicus in Athenaeum 14 Nov. (1874) 645: Let them all goe to Jericho And n’ere be seen againe [F&H].
1742		J. Winstanley ‘Miss Betty’s Singing Bird’ in A. Carpenter Verse in Eng. in 18C Ireland (1998) 272: But carry’d be, from City far, / To Jerrico or Mullingar.
1758		A. Murphy Upholsterer II i: He may go to Jericho for what I cares.
1778		Mme D’Arblay Diary (1891) I 31: They wish the poor children at Jericho when they accept it.
1837		R. Barham ‘The Grey Dolphin’ Ingoldsby Legends I (1866) 41: His kick was tremendous, and when he had his boots on, would [...] ‘send a man from Jericho to June’.
1841		Bentley’s Misc. X 621: She with her apron wiped the plates, and, as she rubb'd the delf, / Said I might ‘go to Jericho, and fetch my beer myself!’.
1851		Manchester Spy (NH) 28 June n.p.: Is Dame Fortune as shy as a weasel? Tell her to go to Jericho and laugh her in the face.
1855		Delhi Sketch Bk 1 Jan. 9/2: ‘You shall apologize.’ ‘Sir, I’ll see you at Jericho first’.
1857		Thackeray Virginians I 209: She may go to Tunbridge, or she may go to Bath, or she may go to Jericho, for me.
1860		R.S. Surtees Plain or Ringlets? (1926) 140: Jock would [...] imprecate the ‘dighted’ body, [...] wishing him at ‘Jericho beyond Jordan,’ or some other ditsant place.
1865		J. Greenwood Seven Four-footed Foresters 143: ‘What do you think of India, ma’am, would you advise me to go —?’ ‘Go to Jericho, if you like,’ interrupted she, with a yawn.
1875		Poe Works 325: ‘I’m sure I don’t know where Miss Bodkin is to be put.’ ‘She go to Jericho!’ said Peter contemptuously.
1881		Dundee Courier (Scot.) 13 May 7/6: The officer didn’t care. They could go to Jericho if they liked.
1884		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Huckleberry Finn 334: You could hear her whoop to Jericho.
1893		‘One Mornin’’ J.F. Dobie Rainbow in Morning (1965) 160: Made a good run, but I runned too slow, / He landed me over in the Jericho.
1895		Truth (Sydney) 17 Feb. 1/5: Jack Want was doubtlful in his mind as to whether he should [visit] Honolulu with his holiday, or go on to ’Frisco. [...] This bleeding country would have forgiven him if he’d gone to Jericho .
c.1900		Mills & Scott [perf. Marie Lloyd] You needn’t wink, I know! 🎵 You ’re wishing me where? Uh? To Jericho!
1926		Wood & Goddard Dict. Amer. Sl. 25: Jericho, (to send one to.) Hell or Hoboken.

2. a privy, an outside lavatory.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 616/1: since ca. 1750; gen. † in C.20.

3. a synon. for SE hell.

1882		Tuapeka Times (Otago) 16 Sept. 4: He [...] can call a man a --- and send him to a thousand times hotter place than ‘Jericho’.
1911		C.E. Mulford Bar-20 Days 198: Why in Jericho don’t you fellers get a move on you?