Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also chumbuddy) a close friend, a room-mate [mid-19C+ use is SE, although Hotten (1859) includes it since it is ‘in such frequent use with the lower orders that it demanded a place in this glossary’].

1684		T. Creech Theocritus Idyllium X 58: [Dedication] To my chum Mr. Hody of Wadham College.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Chum, a Chamber-fellow, or constant Companion.
1700		N. Ward ‘A Step to Stir-Bitch-Fair’ Writings (1704) 269: A Scholar [...] whisper’d to his Chamber-Fellow, Chum, Chum, tho’ I have the Word of God in my Mouth, to tell thee the Truth on’t, I have a Lyn Devil in my Breeches.
1714		Spectator 5 Nov. n.p.: I shall here present my reader [...] with a letter written by young gentleman of the university to his friend [...] ‘Dear Chum’...
1730		K. O’Hara Tom Thumb II iv: Yet thus bereft, / Not one chum left.
1749		Fielding Tom Jones (1959) 275: I had a chum, a very prudent, frugal young lad.
c.1750		Humours of the Fleet in Ashton 18C Waifs p.280 onwards: When you have a chum, you pay but fifteen pence per week each [F&H].
1772		Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 199: He led the fainting Trojans on; / And then produc’d aeneas to / His drunken chums in statu quo.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: A chum, a chamber fellow, particularly at the universities and prisons.
1790		J. Freeth ‘A Strolling Ballad Singer’s Ramble to London’ Political Songster 6: Where’er we come ... I and my Chum, / Some business have to settle.
1809		B.H. Malkin (trans.) Adventures of Gil Blas (1822) III 222: He treated all his chums at my expense.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1815		D. Roberts Sequel to The Military Adventures of Johnny Newcome II 166: Joe and his Chum were not to be admonish’d.
1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London I 550: The other may [...] have to chaff his time away with a chum.
1824		Liverpool Mercury 16 Apr. 6/1: My old chummy, Lord Byron, slaps me on the foot and says to me [etc.].
1828		Edinbury Gleaner 7: You are to be my chum.
1833		‘Sam Booze’s Funeral’ in Lummy Chaunter 85: His chummies, who were numerous, / To celebrate his dying, / A supper held, so humorous.
1840		T. Haliburton Letter-bag of the Great Western (1873) 21: I have the honour and pleasure of having a most delectable chum, who [...] chews tobacco, spits furiously, talks through his nose, and snores like a Newfoundland dog.
1840		London Mag. Feb. 14/2: Joined in the tenantcy of Mr. M’Kay’s chambers [...] was MR. MILESIUS MORIARTY O’FLAHERTY, a gentleman who was in almost all respects the very reverse of his ‘chum’.
1841		‘Three Yards A Penny’ Dublin Comic Songster 27: To prison I am going to-morrow – ah me! [...] Locked up with my chum I shall be.
1843		Satirist & Sporting Chron. (Sydney) 18 Feb. 2/4: [He] took a seat beside his chummy, long Harry, the quandam Liverpool gawky.
1844		Cork Examiner 14 June 2/6: Well you see, messmates, my chummy and I hailed her, when she immediately threw out her grappling irons, and lugged us along.
1850		(con. 1843) Melville White-Jacket (1990) 340: Pierre, who had been a chummy of Shenly’s, spent much time in tying the neckerchief in an elaborate bow.
1857		T. Hughes Tom Brown’s School-Days (1896) 84: Gower – that’s my chum – and I make a fire with paper on the floor after supper generally.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 5/1: One of the ‘guns’ [...] was engaged for some time along with a few ‘chums’.
1879		C.J. Kickham Knocknagow 181: ‘A wet day in the country is an awful bore,’ said the doctor, who was just thinking of how certain chums of his in Dublin would spend the day.
1882		Dundee Courier (Scot.) 8 Aug. 7/3: Good morning, chummy, you’re enjoying yourself.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 9 May 6/3: John Bramston was there also as Attorney-General, and further that not only were the two men colleagues in the Queensland Ministry, but close friends and chums, actually keeping house together for a long time.
1887		W.S. Gilbert ‘Etiquette’ Fifty ‘Bab’ Ballads 303: Old chummies at the Charterhouse were Robinson and he!
1892		H. Lawson ‘Jones’s Alley’ in Roderick (1972) 40: Mrs Aspinall, I ain’t that sort of a bloke, neither is my chum.
1894		Civil & Milit. Gaz. (Lahore) 18 Oct. 4/3: Give my love, Bill, to himma ole chummy.
1898		H. Macilwaine Dinkinbar 38: My Uncle Joseph will be at the head station to-morrow night, and his chummies a day later.
1900		Boy’s Own Paper 15 Dec. 166: We had become fast chums. [Ibid.] 167: Chummie came to the rescue with ‘Come, dad, don’t tantalise’.
1909		J. Washburn Und. Sewer 46: There is the girl-chum of her own age.
1917		Boy’s Own Paper XL 2 86: I’m just as friendless as you. I haven’t a chum.
1927		(con. 1920s) S. Lewis Elmer Gantry 409: Their pastor is just one of their own chums.
1934		Film Fun 8 Sept. 1: Stan kissed his college chum instead of the charmer.
1945		P. Larkin letter 9 Aug. in Thwaite Sel. Letters (1992) 105: Well Chum hers [sic] hoping this finds you in the Pink, as it leaves me at Present.
1955		K. Amis letter 10 July in Leader (2000) 436: His great chum Leitão.
1966		R. Stone Hall of Mirrors (1987) 77: How about a piece for an old chumbuddy.
1976		P. Theroux Family Arsenal 25: I saw you two come in together [...] I thought you were chums.
1989		T. Blacker Fixx 141: Jonathan, my partner, my chum.
1998		K. Sampson Awaydays 103: Your very amusing chum has been trying to persuade the Doctor to take a Living Science Roadshow out to the provinces.
2000		Observer Mag. 25 Jan. 3: It was very nice of my estimable chum Euan to put me up overnight on the sofa.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 182: [T]he communard chummies discovered that there was no longer a running water supply.

2. (UK Und.) a fellow-prisoner; for Aus. use see new chum n.

1732		Proceedings at Sessions (City of London) July 171/1: The Prisoner had been my Chum in the Fleet-Prison [...] I had desired the Chamberlain to let me be removed, but the House was then so full that I could not be chum’d elsewhere.
1785		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 232: chum: a fellow prisoner in a jail, hulk, &c.; so there are new chums and old chums, as they happen to have been a short or a long time in confinement.
1815		Morn. Post 21 Oct. 3/3: The prison contains within its walls 109 rooms, 89 of which at present receive chums [...] 8 have no fire-places and are exempt from chummage.
1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London II 57: ‘The chum,’ replied Dashall, ‘is a partner or bedfellow, a person who has an equal right to all the comforts and conveniences of a room, previously wholly in the possession of one.’ ‘I understand,’ said Bob; ‘that when every room has already one occupant, they accommodate him with a companion.’.
1833		‘The Slap-Up Cracksman’ in Swell!!! or, Slap-Up Chaunter 42: Who would / [...] / Stow a chum within a drag; / Or Norway neckcloth’s knot.
1885		M. Davitt Leaves from a Prison Diary I 15: I one day missed my labour ‘chum’ from his place in our ‘push’ or gang.

3. (also chummy) a term of friendly address.

1834		‘Up the Flew’ in Flash Minstrel! in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) I 108: Go along chummy, wide awake chummy, / Up their flue holes go along chum.
1848		‘Ned Buntline’ Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. I 13: Wall, tramp along, chummy.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 151/2: Now, I’ll tell you something, ‘chum’.
1870		E. Greey Queen’s Sailors III 250: How are you a goin’ to get rid of all your fan-pinners, chummy?
1878		‘’Arry on Politics’ in Punch 11 May 205/1: What, Charley, old chummy, what cheer?
1882		Dundee Courier 20 Oct. 7/6: Hallo! chummy, what are you up to.
1892		H. Nisbet Bushranger’s Sweetheart 201: ‘I want a drink first, by George [...] chummy.’.
1898		(con. 1875) F.T. Bullen Cruise of the ‘Cachalot’ 330: Wot cher, chummy; ’ow yer hoppin’ up?
1898		Regiment 9 July 229/2: ‘What part do you come from chum?’.
1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 58: How’re you making it this morning, chum?
1900		Marvel XIV:364 Oct. 4: Now, chum, what’s the next move?
1902		S.E. White Blazed Trail 32: ‘Got another letter, chummy,’ said he.
1915		R. Service ‘The Booby-Trap’ in Ballads of a Bohemian (1978) 572: Ah, Joe! we’ll be pushin’ up dysies... together, old Chummie... good-night!
1916		P. MacGill The Great Push 82: ‘In much pain, chummy?’ I asked.
1919		C.H. Thorp Handful of Ausseys 87: Got a Woodbine, chum?
1923		M. Garahan Stiffs 84: Don’t go in there, chummy.
1929		(con. 1916) F. Manning Her Privates We (1986) 9: ‘You’re all right, chum,’ whispered Bourne.
1936		J. Curtis Gilt Kid 73: ‘Come on, Chummy,’ he said, ‘you know as well as I do that it’s against regulations.’.
1938		J. Curtis They Drive by Night 15: ‘Going to the Smoke?’ yawned the counterman. The driver nodded. ‘Be back here to-night, chum.’.
1944		News of the World 11 June 3: ‘Where are we, chum?’ demanded one marine in the broadest of Lancashire accents.
1947		B. Schulberg Harder They Fall (1971) 136: I know when I’m licked, chum.
1953		‘Curt Cannon’ ‘Die Hard’ I Like ’Em Tough (1958) 18: This monkey, chum, he’s scratching hell out of . . .
1963–74		B. Humphries Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 108: If you really are an Australian, it’s deportation for you, chum!
1978		A. Burgess 1985 (1980) 148: What’s your number, cock? [...] All your numbers, chummy.
1979		F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 61: Come off it, chum. [Ibid.] 99: Don’t get funny with me, chummy.
1991		Reeves & Mortimer Vic Reeves Big Night Out n.p.: I beg your pardon, old chum.
1996		(con. 1949) G. Pelecanos Big Blowdown (1999) 268: You got a phone book back there, chum?

4. the vagina [i.e. the ‘friend’ of the penis].

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

5. (Aus.) in WW1, a British soldier.

1932

(con. WWI) L. Mann Flesh in Armour 90: The Aussies [...] began to chaff and even invite the Chums into the holes.

6. (UK juv., also chum boy, chummer) a male homosexual.

2001

OnLine Dict. of Playground Sl. 🌐 chum, chum boy, chummer, chummy n. (1) Friend, pal, mate (2) slang meaning more often refers to a homosexual or a suspected homosexual. Variations include ‘chummer’ or ‘chum boy’.

7. see new chum n.