FREE
ADJECTIVES
– ACQUIT acquitted, cleared, set free …1393 arch.
– AT ONE’S LARGE † at liberty …c1384
– BACKSHEE free …M18 sl.
– BUCKSHEE free of charge …1916 Brit. sl.
– FREEBEE free of charge …1942 US sl.
– FREEBIE free of charge …1942 US sl.
– FREEBY free of charge …1942 US sl.
– HAND-LOOSE † free from restraint …1596
– LARGE 1. † having few or no restrictions or limitations; allowing considerable freedom …c1510
2. †* liberated, free …1600
– OFF THE CHAIN free, unrestrained or unrestricted …20C sl., orig. Aust.
– OFF THE STRING free, unrestrained or unrestricted …20C sl., orig. Aust.
– ON THE ARM free of charge… 1926 US sl., esp. police usage
– SCART-FREE free of expense …1877 Sc.
ADVERBS
– BAKSHEESH for free … 1910s Aust. sl.
– BUCKSHEE for free, gratuitously …1921 Army sl.
– DEADHEAD for free …M19 sl.
– ON A ZOOM for free …1930s US Black sl.
– ON ONE’S FACE on credit, for free …L19 US sl.
NOUNS
– BAKSHEESH something free, a ‘perk’ … 1910s sl.
– FREEBEE, FREEBIE, FREEBY something free …1928 sl., orig. US
– RABBITS perquisites; anything ‘buckshee’ (free of charge) …c1920 Royal Navy usage
– SWAG free merchandise or tickets to concerts handed out by music recording companies …1997 US sl.
PHRASES
– ON THE TIN ROOF provided free of charge by the management … Bk1999 Aust. sl.
– YOUR MONEY IS NO GOOD HERE you are our guest; you get everything free …1900
VERBS
– BUST LOOSE to break free from constraints …1920s US sl.
– LEESE † to set free, to release …a900
– MANUMISE † to release from slavery; to release from bondage or servitude; to set free …1523
– MANUMISS † to release from slavery; to release from bondage or servitude; to set free …1523
– MANUMIT to release from slavery; to release from bondage or servitude; to set free …1432-50
– QUIT † to set free, to release, to redeem (usually a person) …a1300
– REIGN to be at liberty …Bk1903 Aust. thieves’ sl.
– UNBAY † to free from barrier or restraint …1687
– UNBIND † to make free, to release from some legal restraint of obligation …1297
– ZOOM to get something without paying for it, as a ticket to a show …1930s US Black sl.