buck, v.⁴ — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

buck v.⁴

[? SE buck, ‘Of a horse: to leap vertically from the ground, drawing the feet together like a deer, and arching the back’ (OED)]

1. to move, to run.

1897		H. Lawson ‘The Boss’s Boots’ in Roderick (1967–9) I 320: The Boss has got a rat to-day; he’s buckin’ everywhere.
1907		C. M’Govern By Bolo and Krag 31: I’m going to take upon myself the responsibility of giving you fourteen days furlough to get drunk in [...] So buck!
1910		Wodehouse Psmith in the City (1993) 105: Look here, you’d better nip back [...] Buck along.
1997–2002		Hope College ‘Dict. of New Terms’ 🌐 buck v. To make a turn in a certain direction. Used in giving directions to those driving a vehicle.
1998		(con. 1986) G. Pelecanos Sweet Forever 181: P-Square [...] Buck right!

2. (W.I.) to meet, to encounter.

1995		Sandy ‘Bad Boy’ 🎵 Them want to whine and grind and then him leave you my daughter / Then buck up on another and take what him after.
2016		A. Wheatle Crongton Knights 81: I don’t wanna buck into Dad.

3. (US) to leave, to give up on.

2002

Simon & Burns ‘Cleaning Up’ Wire ser. 1 ep. 12 [TV script] You lost your spot when you bucked town.

buck a bull off the bridge (v.) (also butt the bull off the bridge)

(US) to perform wonders, to achieve anything one wants.

1916		DN IV 342: Buck a bull off of the bridge. To feel well; e.g. ‘I can buck a bull off of the bridge.’.
1946		PADS VI 35: To butt the bull off the bridge. (To do wonders, according to the speaker.).

buck in (v.)

1. (US, also buck into) to encounter; to become involved in.

1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 148: Take a hard game that I bucked into once in Spokane.
1902		C.L. Cullen More Ex-Tank Tales 16: It had been such a long, long time since I’d bucked into smells like those that they sort o’ got me around the neckband.
1985		J. Sherwood Botanist at Bay 36: Who begged us to come all the way from Auckland to buck in and give you a hand?
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 35: buck in Help the common cause, eg, ‘We hope every local will buck in for the Thorndon Fair’.

2. (US) to make an effort.

1902		‘Bad Bill’ in Truth (Sydney) 14 Sept. 5/6: ‘Buck in and give ’im ’ell’.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 3 Oct. 48/1: Well, as a matter of fact, I am not a surveyor. Knew nothing about it till you engaged me. Then I bucked in, and got some slight smattering of it.

buck out (v.) [equine imagery]

(US, Western) to die, also in fig. use.

1922		P.A. Rollins Cowboy 55: His demise was sometimes referred to as his ‘snuffing out,’ ‘bucking out,’ ‘croaking,’ ‘cashing in,’ or ‘passing in his checks’.
1937		W.M. Raine Cool Customer 22: You Camerons are through in this country – bucked out.
1968		R.F. Adams Western Words (2nd edn) 40/1: buck out A cowboy’s expression meaning to die, usually in a tragic way.