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For example:

  • She made a killing on the stock market.
  • The comedian killed the audience — they were slain with laughter.

Did this meaning develop slowly over time or did some person or institution invert the definition?

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Related: Evolution of the word hate – Carlo_R. Oct 12 '12 at 20:17
@coleopterist Barrie's answer in the latter gave a bit of insight. I'm curious what the 1844 source is and how the word was used. – Zairja Oct 12 '12 at 20:18
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@Carlo_R. I'm not sure it's applicable in this case. If "kill" was meant in an ironic, sarcastic or hyperbolic way, it seems to have lost that sense (at least in my first example). – Zairja Oct 12 '12 at 20:20
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OED gives this reference (from 1888): Fred Jarvis..getting $15,000 in The Louisiana State Lottery drawing... Many..would like to know something relative to the man who was fortunate enough to ‘make a killing’. Back then, they put it in quotes, so it must've been a novel use of the expression at that time. – J.R. Oct 12 '12 at 20:24
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2 Answers

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Etymonline has an entry for killing:

mid-15c., prp. adjective from kill (v.). Meaning "very funny" is from 1844. As a noun, "large profit," 1886, American English slang.

While its usage to mean "very funny" is partly covered in another question, its usage via idioms like to make a killing to indicate a "large profit" dates back to 1886 (as noted above). The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms has the following to say about make a killing:

make a killing Enjoy a large and quick profit, as in They made a killing in real estate. This expression alludes to a hunter's success. [Slang; late 1800s]

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Another context where I've heard it used positively is where it's used to mean "did very well at," (or, more informally, "nailed") as in, "I killed that exam," or "I killed that interview." It seems the "hunter's success" origin would carry over into those contexts as well. – J.R. Oct 12 '12 at 20:33
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I'm also reminded of execute, where it seems the opposite occurred. It originally meant "to follow out" (and still does) but later got a more macabre meaning. – Zairja Oct 12 '12 at 20:40
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The Online Etymology dictionary states:

killing (adj.) mid-15c., prp. adjective from kill (v.). Meaning "very funny" is from 1844. As a noun, "large profit," 1886, American English slang.

Since the basic meaning of killing is "an act of causing death" I don't think either are surprising slang derivations.

You can either "kill people with laughter" (stop it, you're killing me!) or vanquish your foes in the financial realm (I'm making a killing in the stock market.)

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