Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US, also fan the breeze) to escape from an institution; also as n., an escape; thus breezing, escaping.

1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks 38/1: Fan the breeze, to escape from or to evade the law.
1941		Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 8 Feb. 7/1: [A] gate of color had a heated beef with a pale pan and the sepia [...] nixed the gray out. The sepia then latched into some breeze and fell into the Apple.
1952		(con. 1948) G. Mandel Flee the Angry Strangers 19: Did you wait at least till after supper before you breezed out.
1958		Life 28 Apr. 70: If I didn’t get out legally [...] I would breeze [W&F].
1960		I. Freeman Out of the Burning (1961) 200: I retained just enough savvy not to breeze. I realized that breezing would give the social workers the chance to say, ‘We told you so’.
1965		C. Brown Manchild in the Promised Land (1969) 148: He kept breezing and getting caught and brought back.

2. (US) to appear, to arrive; usu. as breeze in.

1905		F. Hutchison Philosophy of Johnny the Gent 9: Just then in breezes the Wise Cracker on the hot foot.
1912		Ade Knocking the Neighbors 55: He was breezing along the Pike at the easy Clip usually maintained by the Twentieth Century Limited.
1914		‘Hugh McHugh’ You Should Worry cap. 7: That’s our cue to grab a choo-choo and breeze out to Uncle Peter Grant's farm and bungalow in the wilds of Westchester.
1915		E. Poole Harbor (1919) 129: Having just landed from Russia, he had ‘breezed over’ to our house.
1919		C.S. Montanye ‘Hoodwinked’ in Detective Story 30 Apr. 🌐 It’s just like we breezed up to the front door and found it wide open.
1920		Ade Hand-made Fables 153: I breezed into this Very Room and told the Boy to get to work on a Tom Collins.
1922		S. Lewis Babbitt (1974) 116: We got there, and I breezed up to the desk.
1927		C. Coe Me – Gangster 51: Right after me Danny breezed in.
1933		Bulletin (Sydney) 6 Sept. 41/1: The Snake breezed in from the opposite side of the ring.
1935		J. Conroy World to Win 58: You think I could breeze in there and order a t-bone like a swell?
1936		Wodehouse ‘Code of the Mulliners’ in Young Men in Spats 277: ‘You really will breeze along to the Savoy to-night and play the role of a betrayed girl?’.
1938		J. Weidman I Can Get It For You Wholesale 97: I breezed into my private office.
1946		Mezzrow & Wolfe Really the Blues 32: We just began to eat when in breezed these two pounders on the bloodhound tip.
1951		M. Spillane Long Wait (1954) 169: A description followed that was a good one and changed my mind about breezing through town like I was.
1961		H. Ellison Rockabilly (1963) 65: You’d better hope the Colonel doesn’t breeze in here.
1999		Indep. Rev. 25 June 8: I breezed in and said we were meeting a Mr X.
2000		S. Maloney Big Ask 101: Donny Maitland arrived. He breezed through the door [...] and greeted me.
2013		A. Sim ‘Through the Perilous Night’ in ThugLit Feb. [ebook] His guests had breezed in and made themselves at home.
2016		A. Wheatle Crongton Knights 161: ‘The neighbours are gonna be well entertained when I finally breeze in’.

3. (Aus., also breeze in, breeze it, breeze it in, breeze out, breeze through) to do something easily; to remain calm, relax.

1903		Ade People You Know 116: He said that Rinkaboo would breeze in, that he would win on the Bit.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 16: It’s a pipe [...] and she’ll breeze in on the bit.
1920		Ade Hand-made Fables 45: Breezing it in 1:42.
1957		Laurents & Sondheim West Side Story I vi: Boy, boy, crazy boy – / Stay loose, boy! / Breeze it, buzz it, easy does it.
1960		J. Brosnan Long Season 165: In both games I had breezed for seven, then blown my victory.
1963		Dundes & Schonhorn ‘Kansas University Sl.: A New Generation’ in AS XXXVIII:3 168: To acquit oneself creditably in an examination: [...] breeze out, luck out, and rack out.
1995		J. Stahl Permanent Midnight 145: I breezed though the questions.
1999		Indep. 11 Sept. 7: Others with their wits about them breezed past security, posing as delivery men.

4. (US, also breeze off, cop a breeze, to leave, to go away; thus US, breeze off, go away, leave me alone; W.I., breeze me a bit, go away, leave me in peace; W.I.) breeze me ase (ears), shut up, be quiet.

1905		F. Hutchison Philosophy of Johnny the Gent 88: ‘The bookie looks fer the Wise Cracker an’ somebody tells him he'd screwed. The bookie got to the door just in time to see the kid breezin’ around the corner’.
1912		H.G. Van Campen ‘Life on Broadway’ in McClure’s Mag. Dec. 178/1: 1 just yank the coat off while one my boys breezes away with the bonnet.
1921		P. & T. Casey Gay-cat 39: I’m only waitin’ fur dawn to breeze down into thet town in the valley.
1923		Wodehouse Inimitable Jeeves 180: The only matey thing to do was to go behind and warn young Bingo to [...] breeze off snakily.
1928		R. Fisher Walls Of Jericho 155: But when I reach for Pat, he’s breezed.
1930		J. Lait Gangster Girl 207: Scram, sister—blow—breeze.
1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 541: It’s pretty low to breeze on a girl after you’ve married and knocked her up.
1938		F. Anthony ‘Gus Tomlins’ in Me And Gus (1977) 136: I’ll just breeze off down to see her in the usual way.
1938		J. Weidman I Can Get It For You Wholesale 125: I sort of did get a quick look at her before she breezed out of here.
1939		R. Chandler ‘Pearls Are a Nuisance’ in Spanish Blood (1946) 115: I better breeze on home.
1943		‘Whitman College Sl.’ in AS XVIII:2 Apr. 153/2: breeze off. To be quiet, shut up.
1943		R. Chandler Lady in the Lake (1952) 164: You mean you want me to breeze on out.
1949		R. Chandler Little Sister 65: Take the dough and breeze.
1950		‘Hal Ellson’ Tomboy (1952) 15: Let’s breeze. I’m getting stiff lying here.
1954		N.Y. Herald Trib. 28 Feb. 47/3: If they don’t want to reveal their name you might get ‘Joe Slump, the midget,’ or be told to ‘cop a breeze’ (leave), or maybe ‘play dead’ (keep quiet).
1958		R. Chandler Playback 46: Breeze off. You bore me.
1960		E. De Roo Big Rumble 30: Breeze now, coolie. Cut out and be damned.
1961		T. Murphy Whistle in the Dark Act I: And we breezed out lively, Michael.
1979		H. Feldman et al. Angel Dust 102: I’ll breeze around to the cemetery ... see what’s happenin’.
1980		M. Melamu ‘Bad Times, Sad Times’ in Mutloatse Forced Landing 43: I make for the door of the joint and keep mum. If things go bad [...] I give myself the breeze.
1980		Cassidy & LePage Dict. Jam. Eng. 69/1: breeze vb dial or slang [...] in phrases: Breeze me a bit, give me air, clear off; Breeze me ase (i.e. my ears), said to a talker (= give my ears freedom).
2004		T. Dorsey Cadillac Beach 254: ‘We have to go now.’ Mahoney nodded. ‘Blow, hoof, dust, fade, breeze, slide, heel and toe, grab sidewalk, leave leather, drivin’ the shoe car . . .’.
2012		‘Dutch’ ? (Pronounced Que) [ebook] Bitch, breeze.
2018		KO ‘9er Ting’ 🎵 Back 'dem blades, put a dag in them, like the Heath / We come with shanks, they breeze.
2018-20		T. Thorne (ed.) ‘Drill Slang Glossary’ at Forensic Linguistic Databank 🌐 Breeze off - leave town, disappear.

5. (US) to go fast.

1917		Van Loan ‘Morning Workout’ in Old Man Curry 213: Le’s breeze ’em a little an’ see how you handle a hawss.
1918		A.N. Depew Gunner Depew 145: We breezed out towards the horizon full speed ahead.
1927		H.C. Witwer Classics in Sl. 47: I punched him off, and was breezin’ home in front when, in some way, my chin got stuck on the end of a left hook.
1931		D. Runyon ‘Old Doll’s House’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 63: The first blast of slugs from the sawed-offs breezes past him.
1936		‘Banjo’ Paterson Shearer’s Colt 201: See him breeze when that butcher boy hit him?
1949		‘Hal Ellson’ Duke 124: Soon as I got the angle on that I breezed [...] I legged it for home fast.
1970		J. Conaway Big Easy 74: Can you see me breezing down Desire toting a bazooka?
1974		(con. 1945) E. Thompson Tattoo (1977) 351: He could breeze right past the off-limits sign when the officers were at their duties.
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 58: We breezed through Westwood.