Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) as interrog., do you understand? thus as v., to understand.

1904		F. Rolfe Hadrian VII 88: Holiness, Pope Leo wished to have had it opened on the day of His Own election; but it was impossible. Impossible! Capisce?
1908		New Castle Herald PA) 24 Dec. 6/2: Blank expressions, raised shoulders, and non-commital replies of ‘no capeesh’.
1927		Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ) 27 Nov. sect. 6 3/5: ‘Now on, we’re quits — all bets off — not’in’ doin’ — capisce?’.
1935		J. Lardener ‘Easslers in Hollywood’ in L.A. Times 23 June Sun. Mag. 10/3: ‘You lika da job, hey? You wants woik in da movin’ pitch? Capeesh?’.
1945		‘Mary Worth’s Family’ in Star Trib. (MN) 24 Feb. 8: [synd. cartoon strip] We gotta reservation for private dining room ‘B’! You see she’s a-spic-’n’-span!...capisce...?
a.1946		in M. Mayorga Best One-act Plays 1945 196: Capish?
1955		(con. 1944) H. Robbins A Stone for Danny Fisher 254: ‘Unnerstan’?’ [...] ‘I coppish,’ I answered.
1969		L. Waller Change in Wind 233: The first guy who plugs that redheaded bastard gets an extra C-note. But I gotta have the body. Capeesh?
1979		E. Torres After Hours 5: Signora cinque soldi, on every pack, per me, capische?
1989		Eble Campus Sl. Mar. 5: kapeesh – ‘Do you understand?’ [...] ‘Believe it or not, I made one hundred on my test, kapeesh?’.
1989		A. Vachss Hard Candy (1990) 128: You started this fucking mess, you clean it up, capisce?
1995		(con. 1950) B. Helgeland L.A. Confidential [film script] And you fuck people up for a living. That don’t make me you. Capisce, shitbird?
1996		Eble Sl. and Sociability 77: Other foreign words are already part of the slang and informal vocabulary of English and appear in either slang or conventional dictionaries. These are capeesh ‘understand’.
1997		T. Fontana ‘The Routine’Oz ser. 1 ep. 1 [TV script] ‘I’m gonna cap the motherfucker.’ ‘You ain’t gonna do a fuckin’ thing.’ ‘Capeesh’.
2005		K. Huff A Steady Rain I iii: This is my effin’ house and my effin’ TV and I do what the F I want and with the effin’ things in it. Capishe, gentlemen?
2005		P. Howard Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress 69: You’re a social worker and I’m out on TR, capisce?
2008		A. Wheatle Dirty South 130: My mum has this saying, ‘The squeakiest hinge gets the oil’. Capish?
2011		‘Jack Tunney’ Split Decision [ebook] You just keeps those mitts up, capice?
2017		D. Winslow The Force [ebook] ‘I fucking see you again, Mikey [...] I’m going to assume hostile intent and act accordingly. Capisce?’.
2020		(con. 1991-94) W. Boyle City of Margins 13: ‘Then he does this – if I may say so – offensive Italian voice: “Capisce?”’.
2021		C. Hammer Opal Country 245: ‘Capisce?’ Capisce? Who does he think he is? Robert De Niro?
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 189: Hammer to crack a nut? No! Absolutely not Sir! [...] Capice?