What it means
Kip means a sleep, usually a short one or an unplanned doze. You'd say you're having a kip when you're grabbing some shut-eye on the sofa, after work, on a mate's floor, wherever your tired little engine finally gives up. It also works in phrases like kip down or kip over, where it can mean sleeping somewhere for the night.
Usage examples
"I’m gonna have a kip on the sofa, yeah. Wake me at eight or I’ll miss pre-drinks and end up rocking yesterday’s jeans again."
"I am shattered, I am going to have a quick kip before dinner."
"You can kip on the sofa if you miss the last train."
"I was only meant to sit down for five minutes and ended up having a full kip with the telly still on."
"Crash here if you want, mate. You can kip in the spare room and head off in the morning."
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Where it comes from
Kip is old British and Irish slang. It first meant a cheap lodging house or rough place to sleep, a sense recorded in the 18th and 19th centuries. From there it drifted into meaning the bed or lodging itself, then the sleep you get there. That older trail still shows in kip down and kip over.
Other ways to say it
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