Green’s Dictionary of Slang

see separate entry.

see wire-puller n.¹

(US) to receive or give a warning or message, to inform or be informed.

1921		N&Q 12 Ser. IX 384: To give a secret warning, or ‘to give the wire.’.
1931		D. Runyon ‘Romance in the Roaring Forties’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 36: Good Time Charley Bernstein just gets the wire and tells me.
c.1939		B. Bennett ‘A Tale of the Rockies’ in Billy Bennett’s Third Budget 27: Jim’s friendly with all the kid-nappers. / When they’re short of kids he gets the wire.
1957		G. Kersh Fowlers End (2001) 236–7: How did the police get the wire on Costas? Who gave them the word?
1960		C. Cooper Jr Scene (1996) 147: I only got the wire from Bleeker last night.
1968		S. Gore Holy Smoke 82: Thanks for giving me the wire.
1972		(con. 1950s) D. Goines Whoreson 138: If Big Mama got the wire [...] she wouldn’t hesitate to lock Boots up.
1974		‘P.B. Yuill’ Hazell Plays Solomon (1976) 116: You set it up an’ give me the wire and I’ll git a few of the chaps an’ we’ll rubbish the lot of ’em.
1977		(con. 1960s) D. Goines Black Gangster (1991) 59: Everybody will get the wire that there’s going to be a hit made.
1986		F. Taylor Auf Wiedersehen Pet Two 240: If there’s anything we can help you with, just give us the wire.

(US) to keep under surveillance.

1965

(con. 1940s) Malcolm X Autobiog. (1968) 194: They had their wire on me from uptown, all right.

(US prison) information.

1903		A.H. Lewis Boss 373: You might get the collar on a hot wire from headquarters, and be taken off the train.
1927		H.C. Witwer Classics in Sl. 85: In the mean’s while, Antonio has sent a hot wire to his buddie.
1931		G. Milburn ‘Convicts’ Jargon’ in AS VI:6 439: hot wire, n. Good news; late information. ‘You can bet that he told everyone about the hot wire he had received.’.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 103/2: Hot wire. A reliable and up-to-the-minute report; direct inside information.

1. generally known, going the rounds of gossip and rumour.

1930		J. Lait Gangster Girl 161: See what you can do on the wire.
1965		(con. 1940s) Malcolm X Autobiog. (1968) 215: A Negro held up some Italian racketeers in a floating crap game. I heard about it on the wire.
1969		B. Mason Awatea (1978) 47: Nothing on the wire: not a whisper.
1993		K. Scott Monster (1994) 132: I was a bit uncertain about L.A. County after hearing so much over the wire.
1997		C. Hiaasen Lucky You 120: I expect Tom to be in the newsroom next week when it moves on the wires.

2. (US und.) using some form of electronic surveillance.

1957

Danforth & Horan D.A.’s Man 97: The wire is installed and two men ‘sit on the wire,’ sometimes for months -- in a coal bin, a darkened and damp cellar, or in a woodshed.

to exert influence, esp. behind the scenes; thus wire-pulling/wire-working n.

1813		Annals 12th Congress 2 Sess. 562: When those who pulled the wires saw fit, they passed away [DA].
1847		Congressional Globe 26 Jan. 262/3: Neither by demonstrations here, nor by figuring and wire-pulling at home, am I engaged to the support of this bill [DA].
1865		G.A. Sala My Diary in America II 304: By tenacity of labour, by force of will [...] not by rolling the log, nor laying the pipe, nor pulling the wire.
1869		C.G. Leland ‘Breitmann in Politics’ in Hans Breitmann About Town 40: Boot de ding dat jam de hardest / On de men dat bull de vires, / Und showed dat Captain Breitmann / Shtood pedween dwo heafy vires.
1872		Schele De Vere Americanisms 261: Wire-pulling is not an American custom exclusively, as the figure of speech is as old as the Marionettes of Italy and France [...] but wire-working, as it is also called, has probably reached a higher degree of perfection here than abroad.
1880		Sheffield Dly Teleg. 13 Nov. 2/2: What hasty embassies and nervous wire-pullings there were to get votes.
1894		T.F. Robley Hist. of Bourbon County, Kansas 180: Political meetings and conventions caucused and pulled wires [DA].
1905		Sun. Times (Perth) 4 June 1/1: The wild wire-pulling for the State pub sinecure tops anything within memory.
1907		W.M. Raine Bucky O’Connor (1910) 244: Neil has got to stand the gaff for what he’s done, but I’ll pull wires to get his punishment made light.
1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 15 Oct. 11/3: Leading citizens of great tonnage pulled all sorts of wires in the interests of their pals.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 582: He was quite sanguine of success, providing puffs in the local papers could be managed by some fellow with a bit of bounce who could pull the indispensable wires and thus combine business with pleasure.
1924		S. Scott Human Side of Crook and Convict Life 21: Don’t plead guilty today [...] You’ll come up again to-morrow, and meanwhile we may be able to pull the wires.
1933		J. Spenser Limey 176: He and the gang were pulling wires day and night.
c.1940–5		‘Myles na gCopaleen’ Best of Myles (1968) 64: The brother is very strict about wire-pullin and favours.
1946		I. Bolton ‘Do I Wake or Sleep’ in N.Y. Mosaic (1999) 38: Bridget seemed to know people in every corner of the globe waiting to pull wires, open doors for her.
1956		‘Toney Betts’ Across the Board 42: Levey had gone to Frank Costello about pulling a wire in his case.
1968		G. Radano Walking the Beat 51: ‘They pulled a few wires, had her classified as an undesirable alien—she was a whore—and had her deported to Cuba’ .
1978		(con. 1917–18) H. Berry Make the Kaiser Dance 228: ‘Young man,’ he said, ‘we can pull a few wires here; you’ll be all right.’.
1988		H. Gould Double Bang 79: Mariano [...] easily countered all Vinnie’s wire-pulling.

(US black) to circulate gossip or other information.

1965		(con. 1940s) Malcolm X Autobiog. (1968) 218: Some young hustlers rose in stature [...] when they somehow hoodwinked older hustlers, then put it on the wire for everyone to hear.
2002		(con. 1998–2000) J. Lerner You Got Nothing Coming 137: I already put it on the wire that you’re hitting the yard so my dawgs can watch your back.

(Aus./N.Z.) the honest truth; also used as an excl. to emphasize the truth of an assertion.

1892		‘John Miller’ Workingman’s Paradise 104: If he came any of his law-de-dah squatter funny business on me I’d give him the straight wire.
1902		Bulletin (Sydney) 29 Nov. 31/1: ‘A nice put-up job.’ / ‘’Struth, no! Didn’t you see Mick the Mule?’ / ‘Dicken!’ / ‘Straight wire! He’s just out of quod, and he tried a Joe Rail on me for some beans.’.
1904		‘G.B. Lancaster’ Sons O’ Men 235: Walt, yer are a smeller, straight wire.
1908		Sporting Times 27 June 1/4: All they [three Sydney larrikins] could say was ‘Ryebuck!’ (when they wor pleased), ‘Straight wire?’ (when they wor doubtful), and ‘Blimy!’ (when they wor disgusted).
1914		Sport (Adelaide) 24 Dec. 5/3: ‘I’ll drive them, straight wire’.
1936		(con. 1830s–60s) ‘Miles Franklin’ All That Swagger 328: ‘Will you?’ said Humphrey [...] ‘Straight wire. I will.’.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 139: I’m giving you the straight wire, honest to dinkum I am.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 108/2: straight wire, the truth, genuine news.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].

see separate entry.

to masturbate.

c.1940		Good Ship Venus in Bold (1979) 99: For when on shore he kept a whore, / On board he pulled his wire.
1951		in Randolph & Legman Ozark Folksongs and Folklore (1992) I 216: ‘Tommy says we done pretty good, / It sure is better than pulling your --- / Poody-woody, down on the farm, / What you don’t know won’t do you any harm’. [...] She heard it in Jasper County about 1910.
1951		song in Banglestien’s Bar n.p.: Train on trestle, bridge afire / Engineeer a-pullin’ wire.
1966		Trimble 5000 Adult Sex Words and Phrases.
1974		J. Matthews The Park and Other Stories (1983) 23: Ya, man. I gotta lotta wire but I doan pull my wire like you.
1980		Maledicta IV:2 (Winter) 192: We also come across specialized terms in the male masturbation phrases such as […] pull one’s wire.
1985		B. Simon ‘Outers’ Born in the RSA (1997) 57: This ou opens his fly and starts pulling his wire so ou Bles tunes him, fokoff man.
1996		D. Healy Bend for Home 101: The boys were pulling their wire guiltily on the Fair Green, and comparing sizes.
2005		A. Lovejoy Acid Alex 49: I would often wake up [...] to the sound of him pulling his wire, only he called it wanking.

(Irish) to provoke, to fool someone.

1992		W. Donaldson Big One, Black One, Fat One 159: He stared at me silently for a full minute and then said: ‘Are you pulling my wire?’.
1998		J. O’Connor Salesman 102: Are you serious now, or messin’ with me? [...] Because I don’t like people pullin’ me wire about this kind of thing.
2005		A. Hailwood Gun Law 129: I smiled at him and told him to stop pulling my wire.

to masturbate.

1963–74		B. Humphries Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 57: Arch just reckoned he didn’t twang the wire.
1999		Indep. Mag. 19 June 35: That was in the days before twanging the wire meant masturbation.

see chair, the n.

(UK Und.) a trick that ensnares a victim; thus wire-drawn, tricked in this way; wiredrawer, a trickster.

1578		Lyly Euphues (1916) 91: If Lucilla read this trifle she will straight proclaim Euphues for a traitor, and seeing me turn my tippet, will either shut me out for a wrangler or cast me off for a wiredrawer.
1580		Lyly Euphues and his England (1916) 309: If he love not, thou stretchest out like a wire-drawer.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Wire-draw, a Fetch or Trick to wheedle in Bubbles; also to screw, over-reach, or deal hard with. Wire-drawn, c. so serv’d, or treated.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].

see sense 5 above.

(Aus.) a boundary rider.

1905		Shearer (Sydney) 4 Feb. 4/2: What do you know of [...] ‘tick jammers’, or of ‘lizards’ and ‘wire inspectors’? [AND].
1906		Bulletin (Sydney) 19 Apr. 15/1: Lately, one of two ‘wire-inspectors’, camped at an outstation in C.Q, killed and brought home to show his mate, a beautifully-marked whip-snake.
1911		St. C. Grondona Collar and Cuffs 57: The emu [...] is only of use – to give the boundary riders and wire inspectors something to do [AND].
1936		Bulletin (Sydney) 29 Jan. 20/4: I have heard boundary-riders referred to by many names. Blue-tongues, lizards, hatters, boundary jerkers, wire inspectors [etc.].

(US und.) an electronics expert.

1980		G. Liddy Will 190: Our two priorities were a ‘keyman’ or expert locksmith and a ‘wireman’ or electronics expert.
1991		B. McCarthy Vice Cop 201: ‘I installed the bug on the Sicilians in the townhouse myself. [...] Gus Garen [...] went with me. He was a wire man; probably the best wire man who ever lived. We pretended to be from the phone company’.

(US Und.) an execution chamber, using the electric chair.

1917

F. Packard Adventures of Jimmie Dale (1918) I x: If one of you dicks get him, he gets bumped off just the same, only regular, up in the wire parlour at Sing Sing.

(US) a confidence trickster who claims that he can intercept the wire bringing racecourse results and thus cheat the bookmakers; thus wire-tapping, the swindle itelf; also attrib.

1894		Columbus Dispatch 5 Jan. n.p.: The wire tappers escaped [DA].
1901		C.R. Wooldridge Hands Up! 99: A gang of confidence men operating the swindle known as the ‘wire tapping’ or ‘race track’ game [...] The ‘wire tappers’ usually fit up an office in some out-of-the-way office building or rooming house with telegraph instruments which make a circuit on themselves.
1908		‘O. Henry’ ‘Shearing the Wolf’ in Gentle Grafter (1915) 110: It’s you supposedly respectable citizens [...] that support the lotteries and wild-cat mines and stock exchanges and wire tappers of this country.
1909		I.L. Nascher Wretches of Povertyville 218: In the wire tapping game the victim is told that the telegraph wire leading to a pool room has been secretly tapped, and information from the race track is received in time to lay wagers in the pool room after a race has been run.
1910		‘O. Henry’ Strictly Business 36: Who wears the diamonds in this town? Why, Winnie, the Wiretapper’s wife, and Bella, the Buncosteerer’s bride [DA].
1915		S. Ford Shorty McCabe on the Job 4: What is it this trip, a wire-tappin’ scheme, or just plain green goods?
1928		M.C. Sharpe Chicago May (1929) 37: All the wire tappers operated around 6th Avenue place, and it was a hang-out for all sorts of crooks, adventurers, and men-about-town.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 238/1: Wire-tapper. A swindler who pretends to intercept secret inside information on crooked horse races, stock deals, etc., to mulct victims.

approaching the crux, the climax; to the very limit.

1901		‘Hugh McHugh’ Down the Line 93: Swift often told himself he could give Marshall P. Wilder six sure-fires and beat him down to the wire.
1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 175: ‘I’ll stand up with you.’ ‘Right down to the wire?’.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 137: We’re down to the wire and we’re neck and neck.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.
2014		K. Garvey ThugLit July [ebook] [S]he was going to play it right down to the wire.
2021		T. Swerdlow Straight Dope [ebook] [W]e were down to the wire and we had just one bullet left.

(US black) to obtain something, e.g. money.

1944

D. Burley N.Y. Amsterdam News 15 Jan. 10A: The cats and the bats [...] played like mad in the backbeat 12, skiffling and skuffling, trying to get under the wire.

(US) to lose control.

1997

E. Little Another Day in Paradise 180: Homeboy went all the way off the wire.

at the very last minute.

1938		J. Weidman I Can Get It For You Wholesale 54: It looked like I’d just come in under the wire.
1947		B. Schulberg Harder They Fall (1971) 172: Your bum comes in right under the wire.
2012		L. Berney Whiplash River [ebook] Shake made it back to the hotel just under the wire, barely an hour before Devane was due to arrive.