Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (Irish/Scots) to make a fuss, to complain.

1800		M. Edgeworth Castle Rackrent (1832) 58: I could not bear to hear Jason giving out after this manner against the family.
1908		L. Doyle Ballygullion (1927) 184: ‘Wheesht, fiddler, wheesht,’ sez Sammy in desperation; for he’d heard the fiddler givin’ out the hour before.
c.1940–5		‘Myles na gCopaleen’ Best of Myles (1968) 340: I am in the usual place giving out about the Labour Party.
1958		(con. 1940s) B. Behan Borstal Boy 128: The prisoners gave out about the crowd as we trudged into a doorway.
1962		B. Behan Brendan Behan’s Island (1984) 45: The bastard gave out that it would be against the rules of the Greyhound Association.
1970		C. Brown Down All the Days 170: ‘If I eat any more turnips I’ll turn bleeding yellow.’ ‘Ah, don’t be always giving out,’ said Mother.
1979		H. Leonard A Life (1981) Act II: mary: Father Creedon ’ud be at the door. dolly: Giving out to you.
1990		R. Doyle Snapper 5: Veronica gave out to Jimmy Sr.
1997		C. McPherson The Weir 72: Giving out like a couple of old grannies.
2009		L. McIlvanney All the Colours 23: I gave out at the time, but secretly I relished those nightly disturbances.
2021		Breen & Conlon Hitmen 224: ‘[G]iving out about women [...] giving out about partners giving them hassle’.

2. as give out with, to speak in a given manner.

1857		Globe (London) 19 Sept. 4/6: He was ‘undermining her karacter’ by giving out that she’d got three months in quod for ‘cat skinning’.
1949		(con. 1943–5) A. Murphy To Hell and Back (1950) 10: You didn’t see me givin’ out wit the coos, did you?
1953		‘John Monahan’ [W.R. Burnett] Big Stan 28: ‘Doc seemed to think it meant something. Gave out with the gas. What a laugh! ’.

3. to offer, to present.

1916		K.Y. Rockwell letter 30 June in War Letters (2008) 120: [H]e was not of the kind that absorbs from other people, but of the kind that gives out.
1955		Hal Ellson Rock 72: Finally he gives out with a smile but he ain’t fooling me.

4. to deliver information .

1933

C. Drew ‘Gorilla Grogan’ in Bulletin (Sydney) 26 July 40/4: Well, next day the paper gives it out about the fight.

5. (US black) to talk emotionally, to talk with great feeling; thus give out yards v., to talk with feeling at length.

1939		P.E. Miller Down Beat’s Yearbook of Swing n.p.: give out : play from the heart.
1939		Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 26 Aug. 11/1: I’m sure he expects me to give out a bit about the [...] American Tennis Federation .
1965		W. Dick Bunch of Ratbags 250: Bill Haley and the Comets had been giving out with ‘R.O.C.K. – Rock’ loud and fast.
1992		R.C. Cruz Straight Outta Compton 17: Gum-beating. Going for soul. Giving out. But not giving a shit.
2000		(con. 1940s–60s) Décharné Straight from the Fridge Dad.
2000		P. Howard Miseducation of Ross O’Carroll-Kelly (2004) 102: You should have heard me giving out yards to her when you were gone.
2004		P. Howard PS, I Scored the Bridesmaids 176: He’s giving out yards to Charlie Bird.

6. constr. with with, to play music or sing with enthusiasm.

1939		Goodman & Kolodin Kingdom of Swing 262: If you expect to get across and make the crowd feel like dancing, you have to give out with something in every number you play.
1945		A. Kober Parm Me 44: O.K., folks, give out with ‘Gobbitch Bill’!
1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 29: [of a song] Runty Nolan, when he had enough balls in him, he could really give out with Galway Bay.
1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 22: [of a musican] Erroll Garner was giving out with ‘Pastel’.
2000		(con. 1940s–60s) Décharné Straight from the Fridge Dad.

7. of a woman, to make herself available for sexual intercourse.

1950		H. Ellson Tomboy (1952) 40: ‘Only she don’t give out,’ Lucky said.
1970		L. Sanders Anderson Tapes 86: A guy buys gifts for his wife because he knows she wont give out if he dont.

8. to scream.

1952

W.R. Burnett Little Men, Big World 146: You been an angel all day. I guess you’re entitled to give out now.

9. to make out, to imply, to pretend.

1958		R. Prather Scrambled Yeggs 33: We gave it out as another drunk hit-and-run for the time being.
1962		B. Behan Brendan Behan’s Island (1984) 30: I also bought a picture [...] It is of a bearded gentleman whom I give out is my grandfather though actually I don’t know who the man is.
1995		J. Cameron Vinnie Got Blown Away 21: Go where you want, chapel orderly, no one touches you, just give out you’re off on a service.

10. to reprimand, to criticize, to attack.

1988		R. Doyle Commitments 101: Deco was being given out to. – Yeh stupid cunt, yeh. Imelda kicked out at him and connected. Billy threw a stick at him.
1994		(con. 1940s) K.C. Kearns Dublin Tenement Life 165: The teacher [...] was a very important person in their lives. They looked on you as a surrogate parent, a confessor, you ‘gave out’ to them, you corrected them.
2017		L. McInerney Blood Miracles 36: Ryan’s dopey dad. Giving out to Ryan for being a drug-dealing scumbag while smoking all his weed.