Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US prison) to escape.

[1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 9 May 5/3: On reaching Townsville, he was clapped into the Barrack yard – and quickly slithered over the fence and went for the hills].
1912		(con. 1892) R.E. Appleman in Siringo Cowboy Detective (1968) 168: After they had looked at the face of each man Dallas remarked: ‘The — must have gone over the hill.’.
1927		‘Jargon of the Und.’ in DN V 448: Go over the hill, To escape from prison.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 84/2: Go over the hill. (South and West) To attempt escape from a road- or chain-gang.
1970		‘Red’ Rudensky Gonif 14: The other half dozen sick cons nearby knew we were going over the hill.

2. (US milit.) to abscond, to desert.

1918		(con. 1899) E.S. O’Reilly Roving and Fighting 76: Denny has deserted and gone over the hill.
1926		(con. 1918) L. Nason Chevrons 41: I heard you went over the hill.
1939		E. O’Brien One Way Ticket 195: I should have gone over the hill when I was thinking about it. But it’s too late now.
1953		L. Uris Battle Cry (1964) 214: Count me in, even if I have to go over the hill to meet you.
1961		(con. early 1950s) J. Peacock Valhalla 201: Corporal Bohane, went over the hill this weekend.
1965		H. Rhodes Chosen Few (1966) 84: One of our shipmates has a problem ... a problem which could make him go over the hill, if somethin’ isn’t done.
2000		in R.J. Mitchell Capture of Attu 72: ‘Well, I goofed off and went over the hill for three days, sir,’ he said.

3. (US) to go mad.

1968

C. Victor Sky Burned 128: Never, never could he have imagined himelf going over the hill, cracking up [HDAS].

see Venus’s highway n.

1. pregnant [the shape of one’s stomach].

1899		Crissie 16: ‘Mind you don’t get up the hill again [...] It spoils your figure’.
1964		H. Selby Jr Last Exit to Brooklyn 85: When Suzy told Tommy she was on the hill I guess he was a little surprised.
1969		Current Sl. III:3.

2. (Aus. prison) in prison.

1990

Tupper & Wortley Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 Hill. Prison. As in ‘on the hill’.

1. free, escaped, esp. of an escaped prisoner or a soldier who has deserted etc.

1912		implied in go over the hill
c.1943		‘Bill O. Lading’ You Chirped a Chinful!! n.p.: Over the Hill: Desertion.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 150/2: Over the hill. Away from custody, as in a jail-break, jumping bail, or flight from criminal prosecution.

2. worn out, useless, too old, dead, crazy.

1935		E. Anderson Hungry Men 174: I’m over the hill myself [...] the bug house. They say I’m crazy.
1937		J. Tully Bruiser 109: You’re over the hill now, me boy.
1951		M. Spillane Long Wait (1954) 103: All over the hill now.
1962		J. Quirk No Red Ribbons (1968) 206: Gadfrey, I thought Three was over the hill.
1967		J. Wynnum I’m a Jack, All Right 63: ‘Are you the overseer?’ [...] ‘Don’t be silly [...] the only thing he’s over is the bloody hill’.
1973		T. Loughran in Heller In This Corner (1974) 118: He must have been around thirty-four or thirty-five. I mean, he was over the hill.
1981		S. Berkoff Decadence in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 27: In the end you’re over the hill.
1992		K. Lette Llama Parlour 192: There’d been hints in the gossip columns lately of Rondah’s ‘maturity’, an LA euphemism for ‘over the hill’.
2000		Indep. Rev. 28 Jan. 14: Mark liked to call us ‘gentleman rockers’, because we were over the hill.
2011		G. Hayward Corruption Officer [ebk] cap. 46: The over the hill mob behind me is scared.
2023		F. Bill Back to the Dirt 124: Wasn’t like anyone wanted to hire an over-the-hill war vet.