Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und./Aus., also get a touch on) to arrest.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
a.1790		H.T. Potter New Dict. Cant (1795).
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1905		E. Wallace Four Just Men 155: A police force that could only tumble to poor blokes, and couldn’t get a touch on sanguinary murderers.
1952		I, Mobster 94: Lucky kept saying they couldn’t touch him for nothing.
1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xli 4/4: touch: Queensland police term for arrest. Touch on the shoulder, touch, arrested.

2. to hit.

1829		Chester Chron. 9 Oct. 4/3: Now what could I do when I got such a wallop from him? I was obliged to give him a touch and so I touched him with a quart pot .
1842		Wkly Rake (NY) 3 Sept. n.p.: If he ain’t a darned Yankee, right up to snuff; / At playing on tater traps — touching a lug — /At mousing a peeper — or spoiling a mug .

3. (UK black/gang) to wound, to kill.

2017

Harlem Spartans ‘Teddy Bruckshot’ 🎵 Talk on my name get touched (carry on chatting) / Splash I love it, do it in public.