verb. (colloquial).—To fail to understand; to have no concern in: e.g., I PASS = I don’t know what you are driving at. [From euchre.]
TO PASS (or HAND) IN ONE’S CHIPS (or CHECKS), verb. phr. (American).—To die: see ALOFT. [From adjusting one’s accounts at poker.]
1872. S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), Roughing It, 332. One of the boys has PASSED IN HIS CHECKS, and we want to give him a good send-off.
1892. HUME NISBET, The Bushranger’s Sweetheart, 310. Money-lending Mortimer … PASSED IN HIS CHECKS quite unexpectedly, without leaving a will.
TO PASS THE TIME OF DAY, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To salute.
1851–6. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, II. 489. The police … are very friendly. They’ll PASS THE TIME OF DAY with me.
1900. G. R. SIMS, London’s Heart, 4. I thought it was only right to PASS THE TIME O’ DAY to an old pal.
TO PASS THE COMPLIMENT, verb. phr. (common).—To offer (or give) a douceur; to tip.
