etymology - How did "kill" get its positive connotations?


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?



Answer



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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