come
Preserved but no longer current.
A slang verb used in many phrases; "Aint he COMING IT?" i.e., is he not proceeding at a great rate? "Don’t COME TRICKS here," "don’t COME THE OLD SOLDIER over me," i.e., we are aware of your practices, and "twig" your manœuvre. COMING IT STRONG, exaggerating, going ahead, the opposite of "drawing it mild." COMING IT also means informing or disclosing.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “come” mean?
A slang verb used in many phrases; "Aint he COMING IT?" i.e., is he not proceeding at a great rate? "Don’t COME TRICKS here," "don’t COME THE OLD SOLDIER over me," i.e., we are aware of your practices, and "twig" your manœuvre. COMING IT STRONG, exaggerating, going ahead, the opposite of "drawing it mild." COMING IT also means informing or disclosing.
Is “come” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.