pickle v.
1. to tease, to hoax, to deceive.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 60: We’ve got my neighbours, / Most finely pickl’d for our labours. | |
| DSUE (1984) 877: [...] C.19. |
2. (US) to spoil, to wreck, to kill.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Sam Average in Mayorga (1919) 8: He’s on to us. Pickle him quiet, or it’s a court-martial! (Showing a long knife) Shall I give him this. | |
| Cairo Bulletin (IL) 28 Feb. 1/7: Joe said he was going to have his share [...] or he and de other boys would sure pickle it on ’lection day. | |
| (con. 1948) Flee the Angry Strangers 30: Don’t be an old fusspot or I’ll pickle you. |
3. to render drunk.
| News & Courier (Charleston, SC) 14 Apr. 18/2: We can and will pickle you stiff inside of eight minutes if you’re there with the pay-off junk. |
In exclamations
(Aus./US) a general excl. of dismissal; forget it! be quiet!
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | ‘An Amorous Boy’ in Benno and Some of the Push 175: ‘Now yiv got it,’ he said to the packer. ‘Iv it ain’t the king stinker boy, pickle me.’. | |
| Eve. Star (Wash., DC) 4 Aug. 28/3: ‘Ah, pickle it!’ says he. | |
| ‘The Vision’ in Chisholm (1951) 116: [He] says he’d like a private talk; but, ‘Pickle it,’ says I. | |
| Going After Cacciato (1980) 17: ‘You know what, Murph?’ ‘Pickle it.’. | |
| Campus Sl. Spring 4: pickle it – be quiet, stop talking. |
(N.Z.) a general excl. of surprise or disbelief.
 | Watersiders 109: ‘Well pickle my tit,’ he says, ‘if it isn’t young Blue.’. | |
![[NZ]](/static/img/flags/nz.png "New Zealand") | Stag Party 40: Pickle me bloody agates, eh. Never thought I’d see the day. | |
| Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 48/1: Gawd pickle me nut exclamation of surprise. [Ibid.] 83/2: pickle my daisies! exclamation of doubt; eg ‘Pickle my daisies if that’s true.’. | |
| Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988]. |