Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. pornography, obscenity; thus smut-book n., a pornographic book; smuts n., pornographic photographs [SE smut, a black stain; i.e. the identification of sexuality and ‘dirt’].

1698		J. Collier Profanesse and Immorality of the Stage (1730) 207: When he has larded his Scenes with Smut, and play’d his jests on Religion [...] what can a dry line or two of good Counsel signify?
a.1719		J. Addison Lover 39: He... will talk smut, though a priest and his mother be in the room [F&H].
1731		Fielding Letter Writers III i: com.: Prithee, what are the Letters? rak.: I believe, Sir, you may guess what Business is between them and me. com.: Herakee, Tom – There is no Smut in them.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1842		‘The Chaffing Family’ in Nobby Songster 13: There’s Bet and there’s Nancy the brazen young sluts, / Are chaffing of Henry singing his smuts, / For he’s such a cove, he’s never at rest, / Unless he is chaunting out the ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’.
1857		in Punch ‘Dear Bill, This Stone-Jug’ 31 Jan. n.p.: But the lark’s when a goney up with us they shut / As ain’t up to our lurks, our flash patter, and smut.
1884		Randiana 73: [He] found me dozing over [...] the latest chic book from Mr. ---, the renouned smut emporium.
1909		W.H. Davies Beggars 104: Pictures – smuts.
1924		P. Marks Plastic Age 98: [He] read every ‘smut’ book that he could lay his hands on.
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 174: Smuts.–Obscene pictures or postcards. Smutty pictures or literature as peddled by fakirs or tramps.
1959		A. Wesker Roots II i: He were a one for smut though.
1967		L. Bruce Essential Lenny Bruce 43: Jews and all the smut books.
1974		Aus. Women’s Wkly 14 Aug. 43/6: Isn’t it enough that we must tolerate the bombardment of pornography through smut films and magazines?
1978		D. DeLillo Running Dog (1992) 139: You go into smut in a big way, you’ll find these methods aren’t so unique.
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 97: The topic pornography. ‘Picture-book smut.’.
1999		Observer 29 Aug. 27: Like a lot of women, I’ve got a relatively high threshold for smut.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 171/2: smut book n. a pornographic magazine.
2007		V. Blue Best Women’s Erotica 2007 194: She is a strong advocate of the beautifully transformative power of smut.
2011		F. Bill ‘Amphetamine Twitch’ in Crimes in Southern Indiana [ebook] No smut tapes here, Officer.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 22: They delivered the dish on the smut-film troika.

2. copper, a copper boiler, lead, a furnace [its smokiness].

1811		Lex. Balatronicum n.p.: Smut. A copper. A grate. Old iron. The cove was lagged for a smut: the fellow was transported for stealing a copper.
1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1828		G. Smeeton Doings in London 254: They substitute in the place of such articles as much smut (copper or lead) as they can stow away.
1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. (2nd edn).
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 76: Smut, a copper boiler.

3. a white dog with dark markings.

1824

Pierce Egan’s Life in London 17 Oct. 5/1: The animal competitors were razor, a white dog [...] and Driver, a fallow smut.

4. a chimney-sweep.

1840

Flash Mirror 16: A cove turn’d nose and blow’d you, so the beaks are areter you [...] There’s the kibosh on you, my double smut.

5. (Aus.) a barrister [? his black gown].

1881

Bulletin (Sydney) `12 Mar. 12/1: A barrister of some reputation in Brisbane has bad to pat up with the rough side of the tongue from more than one of his brother ‘smuts’ lately.

6. (US black) a derog. term for a woman.

1928		L. Mackay My Oul’ Town 124: To think that Kitty Morgan would make so free with my partner, the ill-mannered smut!
2000		Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 smut Definition: another name for a dirty nasty female. Example: That nasty ass smut better have my money.

7. (US campus) a prostitute.

1977

Eble Campus Sl. Apr. 4: smut – prostitutes: In the summer all the smut comes out half-naked.