Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to spend the night in a room provided by a public house.

1856		H. Mayhew Great World of London I 6: Where do you stall to in the huey (where do you lodge in the town)?
1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 69: I’ve caught a young flat what’s been and hooked it from the house at Nor’ud [...] He didn’t know where to stall to in the huey.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor I 217: [as cit. 1856].
1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1877		J. Diprose London Life 80: [as cit. 1856].
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 80: Stall, to put up at a public-house.

2. to travel about.

1891		F.W. Carew Autobiog. of a Gipsey 413: When I was about fourteen I slung my ’ook and joined some travelling Barks [...] and stalled the monkery with ’em for two or three year.
1909		W. Irwin Confessions of a Con Man 13: We mean by it [i.e. ‘grafter’] any one who uses skin games as a vehicle for stalling through life.
1951		W. Burroughs letter 11 Jan. in Harris (1993) 77: I got tired of the stalling around.

3. (also stall off) to walk off.

1834		(con. 1737–9) W.H. Ainsworth Rookwood (1857) 176: But stall-off now and for ever, / All outliers whatsoever.
1846		Swell’s Night Guide 58: I tells Bet to be on the wido, for a swell was sweet on me for a tail; officed Bet, she tumbled to the fake, and stalled off to the dossery.
1852		Kendal Mercury 17 Apr. 6/1: Here’s the balsam, my rum ’un, and your nibs must stole for the lush.
1857		‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 33/1: ‘Slinging the bloke’ for his ‘lush’ we ‘stalled’ Tommy out of the ‘drum’ and off we cantered.
1907		D. Runyon ‘The Defence of Strikerville’ in From First To Last (1954) 12: I [...] stalls up into this employment office.
1946		Singleton Argus (NSW) 4/2: ‘If these things get picked up it will mean a swy for me, and that will be the key. Let us stall out of town’ .
1968		J. Alard He who Shoots Last 2: Anyhow I’d better stall.
1983		R. Aven-Bray Ridgey-Didge Oz Jack Lang 9: ‘Well, I need a rinse like a mongrel dog needs a thrashing, I haven’t had an empty since the cheese stalled over a month ago,’ he confided to this by now, attractive stranger.
1985		R.G. Barrett You Wouldn’t Be Dead for Quids (1989) 108: One more [i.e. a drink] and we’ll stall.
1990		Tupper & Wortley Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 Stall. Run off.