Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2010

On Feb 5, 9:44 am, Roger Burton West <roger
+aue201...@nospam.firedrake.org> wrote:

Thus, "don't get made out" in fact, isn't it?

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

Deffo in the real world. OED has:

 f. U.S. Underworld slang. To recognize or identify (a person, etc.). Cf.
make n.2 12.
  1906 A. H. Lewis Confessions of Detective 222 You wouldn't have come
within a block of him. In the language of the guild, Sorg, he would have
'made you' and got away.  1908 J. M. Sullivan Criminal Slang 16 Make one,
identify a person.  1914 Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Slang 57 You had
better ring up (disguise) so he won't make you.  1955 Publ. Amer. Dial. Soc.
xxiv. 81 The victim then can possibly identify, or make, the tool if he is
arrested.  1971 'O. Bleeck' Thief who painted Sunlight (1972) xiv. 127 I'm a
pretty good tail. You didn't make me.  1973 'D. Shannon' Spring of Violence
(1974) vi. 107 'Have you made the gun?' 'Right off. It's a Hi-Standard
revolver.'

Not to be confused with 'being made' as in 'becoming a made guy'

It may have connections with an earlier usage:

22. Naut. To descry or discern as from the top of a mast or tower; to come
in sight of; = make out (91l). ?to make (an object) for: to discern it to be
(something). ?Also to make+to be.
  c1565 Sparke in Hakluyt's Voy. (1589) 536 Wee had sight of an Island,
which we made to be Iamaica.  c1600 Norden Spec. Brit., Cornw. (1728) 96 A
place whence they discouer ships at sea which they call makinge a sayle.
1628 Digby Voy. Medit. (1868) 4 Which afterwardes wee made to be a small
Frenchman.  Ibid. 33, I descryed a sayle which I made for a sattie.  1666
Pepys Diary 3 June, At his coming into port, he could make another ship of
the King's coming in.  1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. To Rdr., The Lizard
being+the first Land made at their return home.  Ibid. iv. i. 139 [He] at
last made the Coasts of Brasilia.  1708 Lond. Gaz. No. 4422/7 It was thought
proper that this Ship should go down to make them perfectly.  1712 W. Rogers
Voy. (1718) 292, I order'd the pinnace to be mann'd and arm'd, and sent her
away to make what she was.  1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 7 We+made
the Coast of Galway, in Ireland, the 10th.  1760 C. Johnston Chrysal (1822)
II. 250 The man at the masthead had made the land.  1833 Marryat P. Simple
li, We made Barbadoes without any further adventure, and were about ten
miles off the bay.  1840 R. H. Dana Bef. Mast xxxii. 124 If we could make
land, we should know where we were.  1890 'R. Boldrewood' Col. Reformer
(1891) 171 Poor Grant made the light, sometime after nightfall.

Marius Hancu:

Peter Moylan:

Did you read the thread?