Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also divi, divy) a dividend, the annual financial share-out by a cooperative society.

1872		Daily World (San Diego) 22 Sept. 2/3: Orville Grant [...] proposed to Jussen, the collector of Internal Reveue [sic.] to go snacks on a fraudulent ‘divy’.
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. 21 Oct. 6/4: The members [...] very naturally wish to muzzle the independent press so the public may not be informed how they are drawing their divvies.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 24: Divy, a dividend.
1909		G.R. Chester Making of Bobby Burnit in DN IV:ii 125: It ain’t no millionaire stunt, but it sure does pay a steady divvy.
1912		Yorks. Eve. Post 29 Nov. 7/3: Drunk on the ‘Divvy’ [...] She had [drawn] her dividend from the Co-operative Stores, and got drunk.
1920		Ade Hand-made Fables 187: This Stock never had declared a Divvy, and the whole Venture was commonly regarded as a Quince.
1932		Yorks. Post 20 Apr. 10/7: The so-called ‘divvy’ [...] ought to be taxed in the case of co-operative societies.
1940		Grantham Jrnl 27 Dec. 2/8: ‘Divvy’ Payment — At the annual share-out on Friday [etc.].
1951		Green & Laurie Show Biz from Vaude to Video 568: Divvy – quarterly dividend.
1964		Punch July 1 22: If the subs are out, there’ll be more divi for the shareholders.
1971		Sun. Times 4 Apr. 10: Now we have the Cooperative Wholesale Society, though some think today’s divi isn’t really worth it.
1972		Galton & Simpson ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Morning’ Steptoe and Son [TV script] arthur: The Co-op did a very good job. albert: Who’s getting the divvy on it?
1985		J. Sullivan ‘As One Door Closes’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] You’ll be picking up yer divvies!
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.

2. (also divvey) (a share of) profits, usu. illicit.

1872		G.P. Burnham Memoirs of the US Secret Service 170: He agreed to make a fair ‘divvy’ of the funds then in his hands, and to give him good money for the bogus scrip that he would fetch with him.
1883		Bristol Magpie 15 Mar. 6/2: ‘I’m going to collect here, and save time. Pilgrim, count out my divy!’.
1883		J. Hay Bread-Winners (1884) 143: ‘You surely do not intend —’ ‘To strike Saul for a divvy?’.
1889		Dead Bird (Sydney) 20 July 3/3: These legislative humbugs [...] / Have been glad to cop their divvy from me.
1890		Nation (N.Y.) 10 Apr. 291/1: Where the chiefs have large families, and the ‘divvies’ are inadequate for their support .
1894		Truth (Sydney) 14 Jan. 6/7: If it had been all fair and square his divvy would have been £22 5s.
1896		Manchester Courier 24 Oct. 15/3: A New York Fagin [...] The boy who felt aggrieved because the ‘divvy’ had not been on the ‘straight’ told the police how this particular academy was carried on.
1900		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 21 Nov. 2/1: Alix [i.e. a racehorse] (whose divy had not [...] been declared).
1900–10		Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.] 62: DIVVY: an abbreviation of dividend: common use to express winnings or share of profits.
1901		W.S. Walker In the Blood 112: Well, we’ve done our bit o’ stoushin’ to-night, an’ landed the divveys.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 21 Aug. 1/1: By hanging around the Palace he induced fifty flats to back his tips [...] as half a dozen of the lot got the right one he drew his divvy.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 27 Nov. 4/8: The only ‘lucky’ punter on the course arrived to collect his ‘divi’.
1906		A. Adams ‘Rangering’ in Cattle Brands 🌐 While I was in the hospital I got my divvy of the prize money.
1917		F. Packard Adventures of Jimmie Dale (1918) I vi: Youse been stallin’ on me fer a year every time it came to a divvy.
1917		Boy’s Own Paper XL 4 217: D’yo reckon w’d be in on the divvy, or do we jest furnish the outfit?
1921		P. & T. Casey Gay-cat 204: I’m on’y lingerin’ hereabouts ter git me divvy o’ a litle deal wot I pulled.
1932		Z. Grey Robbers’ Roost 209: When he made the divvy hyar he give me his share of thet sixteen thousand.
1941		F. Sargeson ‘That Summer’ in Coll. Stories (1965) 177: It was a pretty good divvy.
1941		A. Gurney Bluey & Curley 18 Mar. [synd. cartoon strip] [title] Not So Dud a Divvy.
1959		G. Slatter Gun in My Hand 164: A man shoulda been in on the big divvy on the last race.
1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxiv 4/3: divvy: Dividend or share.
1970		A. Sillitoe Start in Life (1979) 290: The hint was dropped when I collected my divvy that the notes were forged anyway.
1986		R. Campbell In La-La Land We Trust (1999) 117: Not a bad night’s divvy for the cops.

3. a share-out, a division (of criminal spoils).

1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 16 Sept. 2/3: Doc, Baggs, the bunko man, has been iin the habit of making a liberal divvy in all his swindles, with the Denver Judges and city authorities.
1909		W. Irwin Confessions of a Con Man 76: When we made our divvy he kicked on sending one hundred dollars to the sheriff.
1947		S.J. Perelman Westward Ha! 122: Whosoever among you tries to hold out on me in the final divvy, him will I beat with a besom until his noggin rings.
1953		E. Reid Shame of N.Y. 12: Tammany cut itself further in on this melon [...] and the divvy was reduced among the captains to something around $1,000,000 a year.

4. a share.

1914		R. Lardner ‘Horseshoes’ in Coll. Short Stories (1941) 269: They told me they’d intended to give me five hundred bucks for my divvy, but now I was goin’ to get a full share.
1924		(con. WWI) A.G. Pretty Gloss. of Sl. [...] in the A.I.F. 1921–1924 (rev. t/s) n.p.: divvy. Abbreviation of ‘Division’ & dividend, meaning in the former case a Military formation, in the latter, one’s fair share.
1970		in P.R. Runkel Law Unto Themselves 26: How lucky she’s been all these years having divvies on such a big joy prong.

5. a fig. dividend, an advantage.

1916

C.J. Dennis ‘Introduction’ in Moods of Ginger Mick x: Fer findin’ things in blokes to praise pays divvies either way.

6. any free sample, free trip, esp. press tours, promotions etc.

1995

J. Cameron Vinnie Got Blown Away 30: How I can get one of them divvies of yours for Antigua? Even settle for Marbella you like.