quod, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

quod v.

1. to imprison.

1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 261: To quod a person is to send him to gaol.
1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London I 179: If you doesn’t pay me for my fish, I’ll *quod you.
1824		Egan Recollections of J. Thurtell 35: I was afraid you were going to quod me.
1833		‘The Blowing In Quod’ in Swell!!! or, Slap-Up Chaunter 40: Since that ere rum ’un has quodded me, / I can’t get out for a go.
1843		Satirist & Sporting Chron. (Sydney) 4 Mar. 2/2: The provincial Judge [...] ‘quodded him’ and kept him there for the space of nine months!!!
1845		R.S. Surtees Hillingdon Hall III 97: Idle and disorderlies we can ‘quod’ on our own view, but rogues and waggabones we must have witnesses against.
1855		T. Taylor Still Waters Run Deep II ii: A fellow who risks his hundred on the spinning of a roulette ball, is a gambler, and may be quodded by the first Beak that comes handy.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor I 125/2: He’s only been quodded for pitching a crusher.
1861		Hills & Plains 2 73: ‘The tradesmen will think you are ghoing to cut, and [...] will quad you instanter’.
1886		M.E. Braddon Mohawks I 42: I got quodded and narrowly escaped a rope.
1898		Kipling ‘In Ambush’ in Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) 49: If I’d been Dabney I swear I’d ha’ quodded you.
1910		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘A Derby Bet’ Sporting Times 28 May 1/2: Yes, ere I was ‘quodded’ through perjury I topped the tree.
1920		Marvel 24 July 5: I was quodded right enough. I’m not going to tell you what for.

2. to charge with an imprisonable offence.

c.1850

Peeping Tom (London) 10 38/1: ‘I’ll sarve the bitches out [...] I’ll quod ’em for the togs’.

3. to serve a prison sentence.

1896

A. Morrison Child of the Jago (1982) 50: It’s the mugs wot git took [...] An’ quoddin’ ain’t so bad.

In derivatives

quodded (adj.)

imprisoned.

1827		Egan Anecdotes of the Turf, the Chase etc. 180: The bare thoughts of being quodded, or peeping through the iron bars.
1846		Swell’s Night Guide 64: He touted Billy, like a rank old jib; / And split upon him, when he crack’d a crib. / And had him pinch’d; and quodded, too.
1857		in Punch ‘Dear Bill, This Stone-Jug’ 31 Jan. n.p.: And the next time he’s quodded so downy and snug, / He may thank us for making him fly to the jug.
1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1873		Sl. Dict. 265: quod is really a shortening of quadrangle; so to be quodded is to be within four walls. The expression is, however, seldom used now except to mean in prison.
1882		Sydney Sl. Dict. (2 edn) 7: Quodded, Imprisoned.
1919		J. Buchan Mr Standfast (1930) 475: The son of the family was a conscientious objector who had refused to do any sort of work whatever, and had got quodded for his pains.

In phrases

quodding dues are concerned

(UK Und.) it is a matter that will involve imprisonment.

1812

Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 238: Speaking of a man likely to go to jail, one will say, there will be quodding dues concerned.