Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. usu. of individuals: in respectable terms, criminal, corrupt.

1854		Bell’s Life in Sydney 22 July 3/1: P.- Havn’t you got a lot of other women living there. W.- Yes; I keeps a few. P.- Your worship! Wright keeps a wrong house.
1856		Argus (Melbourne) 21 Nov. 7/2: [from Quarterly Rev., London] The detective can at once ascertain whether the fine gentleman walking careIessly along is ‘wrong,’ as the slang term is, or a respectable character.
1908		‘O. Henry’ ‘A Tempered Wind’ in Gentle Grafter (1915) 168: Parleyvoo Pickens, the wrong reverend, writes out a marriage certificate.
1925		D. Hammett ‘Dead Yellow Women’ Story Omnibus (1966) 169: Mr. John Garthorne is all wrong, I think.
1929		Hostetter & Beesley It’s a Racket! 242: wrong — Having criminal characteristics, or tendencies.
1942		R. Chandler High Window (1951) 67: I handed the carroty man the card. He read it [...] ‘Wrong john?’ he asked.
1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 58: His Bohegan local was manned by the wrongest bunch of trade unionists this side of Dannemora.
1965		H. Williamson Hustler 87: I met another guy [...] Later on we did a little wrong together. He was wrong. [f.n.] [f.n. He was hustling for money].
1972		J. Mills Report to the Commissioner 59: [W]hen they saw black men on the street who looked wrong [...] they’d jump them.
1993		G. Disher Deathdeal [ebook] ‘Anybody else could tell she looked wrong’.
2013		F. Bill Donnybrook [ebook] ‘You’re wrong. Ruined my boy with that shit [i.e. methamphetamine] you sell’.
2020		D. Winslow ‘Crime 101’ in Broken 99: ‘Says he’s got a guy hanging outside who’s wrong’.

2. (UK Und.) unsafe (for criminal activity).

1865

Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 5/2: We soon ‘tumbled’ it [i.e. a market place] was ‘wrong.’.

3. (UK Und.) of some form of paper, usu. money, counterfeit.

1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 65/2: She didn’t know or even suspect the ‘quid’ was ‘wrong’, else we are both well aware she wouldn’t have ‘smashed them.’.
1931		P.J. Wolfson Bodies are Dust (2019) [ebook] I had been busy clearing the speculators who had the counterfeit tickets. They were not told that the tickets were wrong.

4. drunk.

1880

Proc. Old Bailey 23 Nov. 146: She appeared as if she was under the influence of liquor—she was habitually given to drinking—I said ‘Old lady, old lady, you are wrong, wrong again’.

5. (Aus./US Und.) untrustworthy (in criminal terms), too close to the authorities; thus honest.

1908		J.M. Sullivan Criminal Sl. 27: Wrong, man too familiar with police; not to be trusted.
1928		C. Panzram Journal of Murder in Gaddis & Long (2002) 117: I never met or heard of anyone yet who ever admitted that they were wrong and that they were stool-pigeons.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks n.p.: Wrong cop, an honest, upright police officer. Wrong jugger, an honest, upright banker.
1940		D. Maurer Big Con 46: A ‘wrong’ copper might lay a trap for the con men.
1953		‘William Lee’ Junkie (1966) 46: ‘For Christ sake, don’t talk like that!’ Roy said [...] ‘Wrong bastard!’.
1960		C. Cooper Jr Scene (1996) 241: Beeker’s wrong! [...] They just picked me up, that’s all!
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 29: We checked Snipe out; he was wrong.

6. false, concocted, e.g. of a criminal charge.

1928

C. Panzram Journal of Murder in Gaddis & Long (2002) 117: If the coppers [...] give them the third degree, a wrong rap with a big stretch in stir, or even the rope or the chair.

7. (Aus.) eccentric, insane [note earlier use in SE phrs. below].

1936		‘George Orwell’ Keep The Aspidistra Flying (1962) 24: The strawberry-nosed man was talking to himself [...] A bit wrong in the head, presumably.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 242/2: wrong – mentally not quite right. Used like our ‘off in the upper story’ or ‘nuts.’.

8. (US black/campus) irritating, contrary.

1967		A. Baraka Tales (1969) 19: Damn, Charlie. We brought back a frank for everybody . . . now you want two. Wrong sunafabitch!
2008		W.D. Myers Game 33: ‘So you going to loan me thirty-five dollars for a new memory chip?’ Jocelyn is just stone wrong and she knows it.

9. ( US campus) grumpy, unfriendly.

1987

Eble Campus Sl. Spring 9: wrong – unpleasant, overly critical: You’re wrong today – nobody can get along with you.

10. right, good.

1999		Guardian Guide 5–12 June 30: ‘Bad’ (meaning good) was replaced by ‘wrong’ (meaning right) [...] ‘That is so wrong.’ ‘What is?’ ‘Your outfit, it’s wrong, man.’.
2000		Guardian Guide 1–6 Jan. 18: Bustin’ some seriously wrong moves in this here column.