Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also fixed-up) sorted out, arranged, satisfied, often financially.

1857		T.H. Gladstone Englishman in Kansas 58: By this time the pistols were adjusted, and as he walked out, their valiant wearer continued a kind of soliloquy – ‘Well, reckon I’m fixed now!’.
1884		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Huckleberry Finn 78: We reckoned the people left in a hurry, and warn’t fixed so as to carry off most of their stuff.
1887		H.A. D’Arcy ‘The Face on the Bar-room Floor’ n.p.: I was once as fixed as well, my boys, as any of you.
1891		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 28 Feb. 7/1: Papa Stott is a millionaire manufacturer and [...] papa Haviland is well fixed.
1926		D. Hammett ‘Assistant Murderer’ in Nightmare Town (2001) 160: I wasn’t fixed so I could hand Madeline her cut.
1937		J. Curtis You’re in the Racket, Too 85: If you could only pal up with a skivvy you were fixed. [Ibid.] 188: I hope like hell next time we’re in the nick together I’m fixed as right as rain and you’re starving for a chew.
1951		Cusack & James Come in Spinner (1960) 261: The girl is already fixed up.
1954		J. Sanders Freak Show 89: ‘He showed me his bankbook once [...] That guy’s well fixed’.
1989		M. Amis London Fields 18: It was fixed. It was written. The murderer was not yet a murderer. But the murderee had always been a murderee.

2. situated materially or financially, e.g. how are you fixed for...? have you got any/enough...?

1876		St Louis Globe-Democrat 19 Jan. n.p.: This excites merriment, and they all say, ’stag his nibs’ while one waxes confidential, and asks, ‘how are you fixed?’.
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 2 Sept. 3/4: No reason is assigned [for a suicide], the old man being well ‘fixed,’ and no woman being even indirectly In the case.
1901		Boy’s Own Paper 18 May 514: How’re you fixed for grub?
1908		Magnet 7 Mar. 12: ‘By Jove, you are well fixed!’ Bob Cherry remarked as Harry Wharton turned out a half-sovereign and a dozen silver coins.
1917		‘A-No. 1’ From Coast to Coast with Jack London 15: How are you fixed financially?
1917		Wodehouse ‘Crowned Heads’ in Man with Two Left Feet 102: I figured your grandfather wouldn’t be well fixed in his information about it.
1937		J. Curtis You’re in the Racket, Too 189: ‘How’re you fixed?’ ‘Proper on the ribs.’.
1939		R. Chandler ‘Pearls Are a Nuisance’ in Spanish Blood (1946) 104: ‘Well fixed, huh?’ Henry said [...] ‘Tolerably so, Henry,’ I said modestly.
1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 110: How ya fixed for cabbage this mornin?
1961		‘Frank Richards’ Billy Bunter at Butlins 100: Glad to see you so jolly well fixed for the hols.
1962		R. Cook Crust on its Uppers 80: She’s none too well fixed for the dot-and-dash.
1969		I. Hebditch ‘Weekend’ unpub. thesis in Hewitt (2000) 132: I go first [...] to see some mates, Harry and Splif to get fixed for pills for the evening.
1971		L. Bangs in Psychotic Reactions (1988) 59: The stubble tattling that she was somewhat less than fixed for blades.
1993		I. Welsh Trainspotting 120: Haud oan mate. How ye fixed?
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 167: How ya fixed for a coupla quid for old times’ sake?
2005		A. Ostrower Nana Lena’s Kitchen 81: ‘Myer, how are you fixed for flour?’ ‘We’re hurting.’.

3. in funds.

1892		Freeborn County (Albert Lea, MN) Standard 31 Aug. 6/1: Ol’ Hop was a high-toned ol’ duck, an’ put on heaps o’ airs, cause he was the best-fixed man in town.
1894		H. Lawson ‘Meeting Old Mates’ in Roderick (1972) 169: He doesn’t like drinking with anybody when he isn’t ‘fixed’ as he calls it — when he can’t shout.
1912		Ade Knocking the Neighbors 34: He said he would wait until he was Fixed.
1920		Ade Hand-made Fables 174: Many an Inland Town looked up to the local Croesus who had corralled One Hundred Thousand. He was supposed to be Fixed.
1936		J. Curtis Gilt Kid 78: She had his hat on her knees and all his money in her hands. Suddenly aware that he was looking at her she turned round guiltily. ‘My, ain’t you fixed well, darling.’.
1940		O. Strange Sudden Takes the Trail 18: I hear she ain’t too well fixed.
1952		W.R. Burnett Little Men, Big World 187: ‘Quite a town, I understand.’ ‘If you’re fixed.’ [...] ‘I’m fixed, loaded.’.
1961		Mad mag. Apr. 14: America’s Ten Best-Dressed Women have America’s Ten Best-Fixed Men as husbands.

4. (orig. US) corrupted, bribed, ‘squared’, tampered with.

1882		Burlington (IA) Hawk Eye 2 Feb. 10/5: Little Bobby, who talks slang for the whole family, said to his father the other night, ‘There are fixed stars, ain’t there, papa?’ To which the father replied, ‘Yes, Baby.’ And then the young rascal asked, ‘Are they “well fixed” papa?’.
1908		B. Fisher A. Mutt in Blackbeard Compilation (1977) 76: Beany is heatedly cross examining friendly native as to the haunts of the wild goats. Indian seems to have been fixed. Refuses to divulge.
1911		G. Bronson-Howard Enemy to Society 40: But, in some districts, th’ bosses ain’t got no pull and th’ people put up a square guy who’ll vote agin th’ franchise as sure as I’m settin’ in this chair and who can’t be ‘fixed’.
1924		G. Henderson Keys to Crookdom 404: Fixed. bribed.
1930		C.L. Edholm ‘Gorilla Girl’ in Gun Molls Oct. 🌐 On a ‘fixed’ race in New Orleans he had cleaned up better than $75,000.
1944		‘F. Bonnamy’ A Rope of Sand (1947) 47: The cops were fixed.
1953		R. Chandler Long Good-Bye 315: But the two Americans did go in. The dick was fixed, of course. So were several other people.
1960		C. MacInnes Mr Love and Justice (1964) 79: A case is never fixed unless we’re absolutely sure the feller did it.
1971		D. Goines Dopefiend (1991) 213: I got it fixed, boys.
1985		N. Pileggi Wiseguy (2001) 88: I’ve never been on a case where somebody wasn’t fixed.
2000		Gangland News 16 Mar. 🌐 The feds will try to prove that the former leader of the Westies fixed the jury in the 1986 racketeering trial of John Gotti.

5. of a sporting contest, having had the result pre-arranged (to favour a group of gamblers).

1901		Denver Republican 26 Aug. 3/4: It is well known that in many of the police protected gambling houses of Denver there are ‘fixed’ roulette wheels [DA].
1926		K.S. Prichard Working Bullocks 295: It’ll be fixed which one of us is going to win. Depends on the books.
1939		T. Wolfe Web and the Rock 257: Some charged that the fight had been ‘fixed’.
1952		Lait & Mortimer USA Confidential 49: Football games are thrown by players, but more are fixed by coaches, who call the plays.
1963		A. Baron Lowlife (2001) 9: It was a fix. The race was fixed.
1999		Observer 27 June 1: He was sure several Pakistan games, including the final, were ‘fixed’.
2004		W. Allen Sweat 269: Most people seem to think that the match was fixed, especially the Italian media.

6. of alcohol, drugged.

1911

C.E. Mulford Bar-20 Days 19: ‘That wasn’t whiskey!’ cried Hopalong, sleepily. ‘That liquor was fixed!’.