| 释义 |
single-o, n., a., and adv. U.S. slang (chiefly Criminals').
[f. single a. 1; cf. O int. 3.]
A. n.
a. In gaming: ? the number one.
b. A crime perpetrated without an assistant. Also, a solitary or single person, a loner; spec. a criminal who works alone.
1916H. L. Wilson Somewhere in Red Gap vi. 262 She exposed some very distressing facts about his [sc. her husband's] nature the time she put five apiece on the three numbers and the single-o come up. 1930R. Chadwick in Liberty 5 July 20/2, I have my first experience in single-o jobs... The first single-o is a street heist. 1931G. Irwin Amer. Tramp & Underworld Slang 170 Single O, one working a lone ‘game’ or ‘racket’. One travelling alone for preference. 1942Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §461/3 Single O, one who works without a confederate.
B. adj. Solitary, lone; unaccompanied; spec. of (one who engages in) criminal activity without an accomplice.
1930[see the n. above]. 1950Harper's Mag. Feb. 71/2 There are ‘single-o’ heist-men, such as the one known in the papers as Slick Willie, who has robbed large and well-protected banks single-handed, but the vast majority of the brotherhood work in mobs. 1955D. W. Maurer in Publ. Amer. Dial. Soc. xxiv. 83 He [sc. a lone pickpocket] is usually referred to as a single o tool, a single handed tool, or a single o cannon.
C. adv. Alone; independently; without an accomplice.
1948Even. Bull. (Philadelphia) 7 Apr. 39/7 Instead of working single-o as was his custom. Ernie used an accomplice to drive the getaway car. 1955D. W. Maurer in Publ. Amer. Dial. Soc. xxiv. 100 He's a guy that will muzzle around single o. 1962‘K. Orvis’ Damned & Destroyed xii. 83 Little Faysy wants to go dream-streeting single-o. |