swap, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

swap v.

also swop

[echoic swap, the sound of a slap; thus the slaps exchanged on sealing a bargain. Orig. Irish tinker’s/horse-dealer’s term, to swap a bargain, to strike a deal. Despite these origins, sense 1 is now effectively SE]

1. to exchange.

1594		Lyly Mother Bombie V iii: Ile not swap my father for all this.
1692		Dryden Cleomenes n.p.: I would have swopp’d Youth for old age, and all my life behind, To have been then a momentary man [F&H].
1705–7		N. Ward Hudibras Redivivus II:2 5: Those, who to preserve their Health, Had swop’d their little Store of Wealth.
1724		Swift Wood’s Half-pence n.p.: A fine lady swapping her moles for the mange [F&H].
1739		Proceedings at Assizes Home Circuit Mar. 7/1: He desired to look at mine, and after some chaffering together, I swopp’d with him.
1761		G. Colman Jealous Wife V ii: Swopped her? swopped my daughter for a horse?
1781		G. Parker View of Society II 48: The hostler then says ‘he has a choice nag or Daisy-kicker to sell or swap’.
1790		W. Perry Only Sure Guide 177: Swop,v, to exchange.
1816		J. Pickering Vocab. 185: To Swop or Swap, ‘to exchange’.
1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London I 250: I swapped the grey for an entire horse.
1845		J.H. Carleton Prairie Logbooks (1983) 273: They brought several of their own to ‘swap’.
1861		‘George Eliot’ Silas Marner 64: What! has he swopped with you for that big-boned hack of yours?
1873		Sl. Dict. 316: Swap to exchange. Grose says it is Irish Cant, but the term is now included in most dictionaries as an allowed vulgarism.
1875		Auckland Eve. Star (Supp.) 30 Oct. 6/3: I’d actually swap that imperishable leg off to you for two pounds of water-crackers and a tin cup full of Jamaica rum. Is it a go?
1878		F.H. Hart Sazerac Lying Club 122: You like him schwap? (swap).
1888		S.O. Addy Sheffield Gloss. 247: Swap or Swop, to exchange.
1899		R. Whiteing No. 5 John Street 145: You two countries ought to swap grandmothers, and then you’d match.
1900		Flynt & Walton Powers That Prey 213: ‘Let’s swap looks at each other under this glim here.’ And the robber drew Pankerd toward the street-lamp.
1907		P. Fitzpatrick Jock of the Bushveld 391: After breakfast we went to the store to ‘swop’ news with the men on the spot.
1917		‘Henry Handel Richardson’ Aus. Felix (1971) 30: In that laughable sing-song of his [he] had offered to ‘swop’ him.
1936		E. Ferber ‘Blue Glasses’ One Basket (1947) 413: I’d swap ’em all for one good elm.
1947		W.D. Overholser Buckaroo’s Code (1948) 12: I’d like to swap a little talk, Fred.
1959		W. Hall Long and the Short and the Tall Act II: Where you come from they still swop things for sheep.

2. to dismiss from a job.

1905		H.G. Wells Kipps (1952) 91: I been wanting a chnage. If ’e ’adn’t swapped me, I should very likely ’ave swapped ’im.
1910		H.G. Wells Hist. of Mr Polly (1946) 35: Parsons was not only summoned for assault but ‘swapped,’ and packing his box.

3. (US, also swap off) to cheat, to take in.

1881		J.C. Harris Uncle Remus 27: Den Brer Fox know dat he bin swop off mighty bad.
1898		J.C. Harris Tales of the Home Folks 159: He wants tobacco, and I want coffee an’ tea. Come, watch me swap him out of his eye teeth.

In phrases

swap cans (v.) [can n.¹ (1b)]

(US prison) to take alternate active/passive roles in anal intercourse.

1941		G. Legman ‘Lang. of Homosexuality’ Appendix VII in Henry Sex Variants.
1965		Guild Dict. Homosexual Terms 43: swap cans (v.): To alternate in the act of pedication.
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 157: Their usually even-steven relationship [...] is known as [...] swapping cans.

swap dandruff (v.)

to talk in confidence.

1936		‘Hectic Harlem’ in N.Y. Amsterdam News 8 Feb. section 2: SWAP DANDRUFF. – To talk confidentially.
1947		Dly News (NY) 21 Jan. 18/3: Many teachers don’t understand teen-age language like ‘square’, ‘beating feet’ and ‘swapping dandruff’.

swap gravy (v.) [gravy n. (1)]

(US black) to have sexual intercourse.

2000

Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 swap gravy Definition: to engage in coitus; the act of sex Example: I tol’ that hoe that wees a gonna lock legs and swap gravy.

swap lead (v.)

to engage in a shooting match.

1892		Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA) 21 Aug. 1/3: The captain [...] shouted to the men [that] unless they quit the troops would swap lead for coal [...] Easterly had a gun.
1925		D. Hammett ‘Corkscrew’ Story Omnibus (1966) 210: What I’d like [...] would be for whosoever wants to swap lead with our high-diving deputy to wait his turn.
1947		W.D. Overholser Buckaroo’s Code (1948) 82: You’ve got lots of guts when a man is on the run, but you don’t have much when it comes to facing him and swapping lead.

swap off

see sense 3 above.

swap out

see separate entries.

swap spit(s) (v.)

1. (also suck spit, swap chews, ...tongues) to kiss, usu. with tongues.

1914		Sport (Adelaide) 10 Apr. 4/2: They Say [...] That S.W. was seen the other Sunday night swapping spits with Linda L.
1947		I. Shulman Amboy Dukes 82: We’ll kiss and swap spits.
1952		‘Hal Ellson’ Golden Spike 71: Let’s swop spit?
1955		E. Hunter Blackboard Jungle 196: You ever swap spit?
1966		Trimble 5000 Adult Sex Words and Phrases.
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 158: swap spits to kiss passionately.
1981		Z-Link 30 Oct.–1 Nov. 🌐 Not the place for P.D.A., but if she leaves with you, you’ll at least get to swap spit.
1987		R. Campbell Alice in La-La Land (1999) 54: Phillip and Charles started swapping tongues, which is something we don’t encourage.
1993		B. Moore Lex. of Cadet Lang. 377: usage: ‘I wouldn’t want to be swapping spit with her — fuck knows what weird things live in her mouth!’.
2000		(con. 1940s–60s) Décharné Straight from the Fridge Dad 180: Swapping chews Kissing.
2000		N.Y. Post 7 June 10/1: ‘Sex and the City’ star Chris Noth sidled up to Winona Ryder and proceeded to swap spit with the ‘Girl, Interrupted’ star for ‘at least 25 minutes,’ a spy said.
2001		OnLine Dict. of Playground Sl. 🌐 suck spit n. mouth to mouth contact involving the exchange of saliva.
2004		Mad mag. Jan. 25: Britney and Madonna shamelessly swap spit.
2011		F. Bill ‘Officer Down’ in Crimes in Southern Indiana [ebook] ‘Women. Never had much use for one unless we was swapping the spit’.

2. to perform oral intercourse.

1932		‘R. Scully’ Scarlet Pansy 263: He was over in the corner swapping spit with something nice he had a crush on. They had no time for anything but sex stunts.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 216/1: Swap spits. 1. To kiss lingeringly. 2. (P) To engage in mutual pederasty.
1968		J. Colebrook Cross of Lassitude 299: Remember how in Wentworth we thought we were so great just because we’d swap a little spit?

3. in joc./fig. use, to become intimate, to bond.

2001

(con. 1975–6) E. Little Steel Toes 63: Let’s get inside. You can swap spit later.