pile n.1
1. a large amount of money; thus make a/one’s pile v., to become rich.
 | Poor Richard’s Almanac Apr. n.p.: Rash mortal, ere you take a wife, Contrive your pile to last for life [DA]. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Finish to the Adventures of Tom and Jerry (1889) 143: He had a pile of money in his possession. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. II 29: We’ve brought a pile amongst us, on purpose to break the bank. | |
| N.Y. Clipper 4 June 2/5: On the return trip of the British steamer Arabia, and the Collins steamer, there will be some ‘tall walking done.’ We’ll go our pile on Collins. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Bell’s Life in Sydney 14 Aug. 3/2: Having ‘made his pile’ he has recently retired. | |
| Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 110/2: He had [...] the good luck to fall over a big ‘stake,’ a portion of which he made use of in the purchase of a horse and cab, the remainder of the ‘pile’ he was spending among the ‘guns’. | |
| Great West and Pacific Coast 74: ‘Going back to the states one of these days?’ ‘When I make my pile! You bet!’ firm and decided. | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 29 May 5/2: He met with such heavy losses that he parted with the last penny of one of the hardest-earned little piles over made since the world began. | |
| Childe Chappie’s Pilgrimage 42: It was a scene where he might ‘win a pot’ / Or ‘lose a pile’. | |
| Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 10 July 2/3: The Lily [i.e Lily Langtry] has made her ‘pile,’ so she can well afford the outlay. | |
| Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 24 Jan. 6/4: Could you not send us out a good middle or heavy-weight boxer? He would assuredly make his pile in a very short time. | |
| Fifty Years (2nd edn) I viii: Take my tip and you will make a pile. | |
| Truth (Sydney) 18 Mar. 2/7: He done it grand, / He blewed a pile. | |
| [perf. Marie Lloyd] He knows a Good Thing When He Sees It 🎵 My brother’s a plunger - has quids on a horse / [...] / He frequently wins a big pile on the course. | |
| Amateur Cracksman (1992) 93: Up to this point I had kept him to Queensland and the making of his pile. | |
| Pitcher in Paradise 96: Just because you were denied the keen commercial instincts that led him to make a pile. | |
| Sun. Times (Perth) 6 Mar. 8/2: J. S. Reid left Victoria with his little pile and bought a fine estate in South Aus. | |
| Leavenworth Echo (WA) 16 Dec. 3/2: Bet your whole pile on one hand. | |
| Wash. Times (DC) 11 Jan. 13/1: He is going to back himself with his whole pile. | |
| Sport (Adelaide) 27 July 14/2: They Say [...] That Stutterer Trutterer has given up all farming ideas, and is content to make his little pile worm-prospecting. | |
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | Lighter Side of School Life 49: He has to exercise considerable commercial enterprise in order to make a sufficient ‘pile’ to retire upon. | |
| Inimitable Jeeves 2: Mortimer Little, who retired from business with a goodish pile. | |
| Gilt Kid 106: I’m going on a job to-night and I’ll get a big pile out of it. | |
| A Rope of Sand (1947) 158: I’ll make up to her for being a good wife when I make my pile. | |
| Absolute Beginners 110: Zesty-Boy [...] started writing for the top pop canaries, and made piles — I mean literally piles — of coin. | |
| All Night Stand 114: He puts a couple of others in the can [...] so they can release them when we are all dead, and make a pile. | |
| I’m a Jack, All Right 101: I’ve got a pile to blow when I get back to Sydney. | |
| Dear ‘Herm’ 16: He [...] has made a Sensation and a pile of dough in Wigs. | |
| Eng. Madam 82: I just wanted to make a quick pile and then settle down to something respectable. | |
| Curvy Lovebox 131: Koom owes you a pile. | |
| Layer Cake 103: You lot make a pile of money for makin a few phonecalls. |
2. a large amount.
| G’hals of N.Y. 4: Opposite that well known pile of Egyptian architecture, ‘the Tombs’. | |
| A Stray Yankee in Texas 183: All the rogues is thar fer some reason or nother [...] some to stock a jury, and a pile to ‘spread the tiger’ an play poker. | |
| Elder Conklin and Other Stories (1895) 20: There must be a pile of good in anyone you like, Loo. | |
| ‘Gulmore, the Boss’ in Elder Conklin & Other Stories (1895) 239: Ida here always thought a pile of your knowledge an’ teachin’. | |
| Me – Gangster 104: What a pile o’ talkin’ they could do! | |
| ‘Snowbound’ in Gangster Stories Oct. n.p.: Then he had the girl killed so I would get into a pile of trouble. | |
| Half a Million Tramps 310: You’ve got a pile in front of you, pal, but you can make it if you stick. | |
| Young Wolves 134: He stuck a pile of rock-and-roll on the phono. | |
| Semi-Tough 3: I happen to be writing it in my spare time between running over a whole pile of niggers in the National Football League. | |
| Powder 360: [of cocaine] There was enough in the wrap for him to take half and still return a pile to the snoring scribe. |
In phrases
(US) lit. and fig., to bet all one’s assets on a single wager; to bet heavily.
| Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 7 Dec. 3/3: [N]o less than twenty youths [...] ‘going their pile’ in the most reckless manner. | |
| Montana Post (Virginia City, MO) 30 Oct. 8/3: We go our whole pile on Jimmy and can recommend him without reservation. | |
| Cairo Dly Bulletin (Cairo, IL) 26 Oct. 4/3: we are very anxious to go our whole pile on him. | |
| Sl. Dict. 254: Go the whole pile to put all one’s bank on a solitary chance. An Americanism which had its origin in the piles of gold dust used as a circulating medium by gambling miners. | |
| Dly Globe (St Paul, MN) 10 Mar. 2/3: They are sure to exhibit their propensity for betting [...] and they will go their whole pile on anything. | |
| Morn. Appeal (Carson City, NV) 28 June 3/3: The Democrats go their whole pile onm Henry Clay. | |
| Fort Worth Gaz. (TX) 19 Nov. 12/2: The New York Sun is willing to go its whole pile on Democracy. | |
| Aus. Sl. Dict. 58: ‘Go the whole pile;’ wager all you have. | |
| Dict. of Aus. Words And Terms 🌐 GO THE WHOLE PILE—To risk everything. |
SE in slang uses
In phrases
(US black) a building.
| N.Y. Amsterdam Star-News 19 July 13: I digs the pile o’ bricks and collars a duster up th’ steps. | |
| Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive 76: House— [...] pile of stone. | |
| Big Rumble 10: Larry’s got gray hair already from livin’ in that new pile of bricks. |
(orig. US) anything or anyone unpleasant, disgusting, of poor quality, e.g. a disliked person, a piece of gross hypocrisy etc.
| letter 30 Mar. in Leader (2000) 313: Did you see that stack of shit of his in the NS&N? | |
| letter 26 Dec. in Charters I (1995) 595: Mountains of useless literature [...] A pile of pure shit. | |
| Horseman, Pass By (1997) 110: Well, if that ain’t a fragrant pile of shit. | |
| Semi-Tough 25: The owners swear they have to play these fake games to stay in business but that’s a pile of crap. | |
| Ladies’ Man (1985) 111: He just made me feel like a pile of shit. | |
| Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In 185: Excuse me, Mr. Hells’ Angel, sir, but that’s a very interesting pile of crap you’re driving. | |
| Scholar 86: Apart from the coconut shy stall, I knew dat pile of shit wouldn’t work. | |
| Indep. on Sun. Travel 5 Sept. 2: Pile of shite, say my Spanish friends. | |
| Stump 9: Be surprised if we even get to fuckin Wales in this piler fuckin shit. | |
| Guardian Sport 4 Oct. 1/4: He said [...] it was ‘all a pile of shit’. |