Green’s Dictionary of Slang

speedy, precipitate.

2011

J.J. Connolly Viva La Madness 151: He decides to completely change his routine and living accomodation, hence a skippy exodus to Hampstead.

a footman; also attrib.

c.1637		R. Brome Damoiselle II i: Skipkennell, you shall turn Footman now, Skipkennell.
1672		‘Greenwich Strollers’ Covent Garden Drollery 23: The Prizes they took, were a Londoners groat, A Gentlemans size [sic], but his skipkennels pot.
1685		S. Wesley Maggots 98: What Skip-kennel without his eyes offence, / Taught thee all this Dog-and-bitch Eloquence?
1691		J. Wilson Belphegor I i: min.: Not a skip-kennel but gives you three tricks for one. cris.: And for their masters.
1699		N. Ward London Spy VII 151: As a Courtier’s Footman when he meets his Brother skip in the middle of Covent Garden.
1709		‘Phoebe Crackenthorpe’ Female Tatler (1992) (48) 112: He thinks himself too good to wait at the table, carrying Flambeaux is do like a skip-kennel.
1722		‘Whipping-Tom’ Foppish Mode of Taking Snuff I 8: Even Carmen [...] Coachmen, Skipkennels, and others of the Sham-Gentry.
1734		C. Johnson Hist. of Highwaymen &c. 102: All the Skip-Kennel Troop took to their Heels.
1745		A. Hamilton Tuesday Club Bk II in Micklus (1995) 28: They would call him a hundred abusive names [...] such as lousy, scabby scot, poor rascally pedlar, Itchified son of a bitch [...] Skip kennel Scrub, nasty, blewbellied, blanket ars’d, hip-shotten, maggot eaten, round about, Snuff besmeard, flyblown Son of a whore.
1762		Bridges Homer Travestie (1764) II 127: His own yawds so lank and bare / he left to two skip-kennels’ care; / And care no doubt the backward ways / They took, as skips do now-a-days.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1839		C.J. Lever Harry Lorrequer 78: Conducting himself in all respects [...] as his, the aforesaid Lorrequer’s own man, skip, valet, or saucepan.
1850		E.V. Kenealy Goethe: a New Pantomime in Poetical Works 2 (1878) 337: Dastard, Donkey, Whiffler, Shaveling, / Base skipkennel, Loafer, Bull-head.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.

(US) an absconder, e.g. from a hotel bill.

1958

R. Chandler Playback 136: We have our own organization to take care of skip-outs.

see sense 1 above.

(US campus) to go away, to leave.

1989

P. Munro Sl. U. 173: After Simon had been hanging around for twenty minutes [...] several of the girls asked him to skip on.

1. (orig. US) to desert, to abandon, to run off.

1865		M. Grigsby Smoked Yank (1891) 188: Thirteen [paroled men] [...] skipped out to-day [DA].
1876		Ellis County Star 6 Apr. Miller & Snell Why the West was Wild 46: Becoming tired of answering to roll-call in a time of peace, John determined upon a trip East last month, and as the boys say: ‘he skipped out’.
1877		Dodge City Times 29 Sept. in Miller & Snell Why the West was Wild 326: I am going to skip out for camp.
1887		G. Devol Forty Years a Gambler 19: The man I left in charge of my business [...] sold all he could and skipped out.
1891		Lincoln Jrnl Star (NE) 1 Jan. 2/1: A.L. Melgs skips out with a warrant in his wake.
1905		G.W. Peck Peck’s Bad Boy Abroad 348: You skip out to America, and come to Milwaukee.
1911		S. Ford Torchy 16: ‘The last time I saw him he was headed west.’ ‘Skipped out!’ says the gent.
1928		R. Carr Rampant Age 177: My old woman skipped out when I was still a little brat.
1931		D. Runyon ‘The Bloodhounds of Broadway’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 101: You skip out of here and go home.
1934		Film Fun 8 Sept. 24: Seeing the paddy he was in, Stan decided it would be as well to skip out of it.
1941		J.K. Butler ‘Saint in Silver’ in Goulart (1967) 59: My fares had skipped out on me.
1957		D. Niland Call Me When the Cross Turns Over (1958) 109: ‘Did you skip out?’ ‘Heavens, no! She told me to go.’.
1967		M. Williams Jazz Masters 115: [B]ookers used his name without using his band or collected an advance and skipped out.
1970		G.F. Newman Sir, You Bastard 173: We could skip out.
1977		A. Hoffman Property Of (1978) 66: If I skipped out on the wake it would be a defeat for the Orphans.
1999		J. Ridley Love Is a Racket 178: Thought you might’ve tried to skip out.
2003		Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter (WI) 24 Aug. 8/4: ‘When my folks paid to send me to Marquette High School [...] I wasn’t about to skip out’.

2. to die.

1900

R.H. Savage Brought to Bay 4287: ‘Skipped out!’ he said grimly.

see cut the crap v.

to die.

1879

Cincinnati Enquirer 7 Sept. 10/7: Croaked, Handed in His Checks, Gone to That Bourne, Given His Last Show, Skipped the Earth, Flying Above--That one more has gone to his final rest.

to manoeuvre so as to avoid problems; thus to run off.

1878		Era (London) 3 Mar. 4: All the current slang was bandied about and the Count was told to ‘pull down his nest,’ [and] ‘skip the gutter’.
1889		E. Wright Freshman and Senior 200: You thought the boy had skipped the gutter, didn’t you, Sternhold?
1899		‘Pot’ & ‘Swears’ Scarlet City 369: I know a man who’ll let us have a yacht for Cowes [...] He’s had to skip the gutter.
1914		V. Tracey Persons Unknown 131: Made to retreat ignominiously and huriedly! actually to — in the language of his childhood — to ‘skip the gutter’.
1938		Post Stories of 1937 195: Didn’t Pebbleby just tell you? She skipped the gutter, that’s all. [...] Didn’ she write to tell you good-by?
1946		W. Irish Dancing Detective 69: ‘He’s not in here,’ I said innocently. [...] ‘He’s skipped the gutter’.

to run off without permission.

1880		Burlington Democrat (KS) 25 June 4/2: [A fly] makes a jump for the tip of our nose, and skips a tra-la-loo over the bridge.
1894		Hamilton Eve Jrnl (OH) 3 May 2/4: The only thing that this committee now can do / Is submitmto things [...] and skip the tra-la-loo.
1947		(con. 1870s) F. Weitenkampf Manhattan Kaleidoscope 83: To ‘skip the tralaloo’ was to take French leave.

1. (orig. US) forget it! don’t bother! etc.

1833		S. Smith Major Downing (1834) 27: At last he found he could do nothing with it, and says he, ‘skip it’.
1901		‘Miles Franklin’ My Brilliant Career 49: This is dull and egotistical. Better skip it. That’s my advice.
1935		Ted Yates This Is New York 29 Mar. [synd. col.] Your N.Y. correspondent merely shrugged his shoulders and mugged a ‘Ah, skip it!’.
1936		R. Chandler ‘Guns At Cyrano’s’ in Red Wind (1946) 202: Skip it! What’s a fight ticket between pals?
1941		K. Tennant Battlers 142: Then his normal impatience reasserted itself. ‘Skip it,’ he shouted.
1941		V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 37: ‘Skip it!’ said Nobby.
1949		F. Brown Dead Ringer 179: No, that’s crazy. Skip it.
1953		J. Thompson Savage Night (1991) 97: Skip it. Forget it. I was just trying to explain why I felt like I did.
1958		E. Gilbert Vice Trap 31: ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Skip it.’.
1960		C. Himes Big Gold Dream 70: Okay, let’s skip it.
1965		F.J. Hardy Yarns of Billy Borker 122: ‘Omar K.M. who?’ he asks. ‘Skip it,’ I says.
1976		P. Theroux Family Arsenal 255: Skip it. [...] I know all about you, so don’t waste my time denying anything.
1981		J. Ellroy Brown’s Requiem 53: ‘What’s the matter, Brownie? I got lots more testimony on the fourth man.’ ‘Skip it. I’ve got enough.’.
1992		M. Frayn Now You Know 149: OK, skip it.

2. (orig. US) imper., go away! leave!

1935		R. Chandler ‘Spanish Blood’ in Spanish Blood (1946) 26: Skip it, copper. [...] Go on home and get drunk.
1959		I. & P. Opie Lore and Lang. of Schoolchildren (1977) 213: Skip it, sling your hook.