First edition: 86:7:3
Revised and enlarged: 88:5:6
Revised, enlarged, and placed on web: 96:10:18 (now continually revised)
Last updated: 6 May 2006.
I collected this lexicon to preserve some of the creative, interesting, or less-well-known words and phrases I encountered in North America. I made the lexicon public because I thought it might amuse others as much as it amused me to compile it. It is intended for fluent speakers of Australian slang, although the frequency of e-mail from American addresses suggests it is diverting for Americans too. Note that it is NOT an Australian-American slang dictionary. I do not know if such a thing exists (but see my Words Americans should avoid saying to Australasians). There are certainly plenty of Australian slang dictionaries on the web.
Warning: 1. Although this lexicon may help fluent speakers of Australian slang appreciate American slang, it will not make them convincing users of American slang (see also warning 3 below). It will take several years to master the timing, sense of context, and prosody of accomplished American slang users. It is the same as expecting an American to read a dictionary of Oz slang and be an accomplished user; it's just not bloody on, mate!
Warning: 2. The following lexicon contains sexually explicit words (such as *e*i*, and *a*i*a, and even *ea* o**) and words referring to defecation and other activities not usually mentioned in polite company. Persons likely to be offended by such words (just to give you another sample: **i*!) are advised to go elsewhere.
Warning: 3. It would be a mistake to think that Americans use slang as often as Australians. Many of these terms would never be used in polite company, and would be used guardedly even in impolite company. My advice for neophyte speakers of American slang is: don't do it! Always use a mainstream word, even if your entire linguistic history is telling you that a slang term would be the mot just. You could easily offend an American correspondent or listener, and you would not want to do that.
Usage panel members: Jamie Bagelman (JB), Peter Belew (PB), David B. Berwick (DBB), Randolph Blake, Mary Bravo (MB), Rafael Bravo (RBr), Alan Cobo-Lewis (ACL), Mike Colombo (MC), David Craig (DC), Jim deWolfe (JdW), Rosanne Field, Jacquelyn Gravelle (JG) Michael von Grunau (MvG), Lynn Halpern (LH), Bart Heird (BH), Karen Holopigian (KH), Geoff Hurst (GH), Paul Kaplan (PK), Tony Lopresti (TP), Donald Mitchell (DEM), Bob Patterson, Bobby F. Peacock (BFP), Shana H. Pote (SP), Sharon Riger (SR), Chuck Rothstein (CR), Diane Rothstein (DR), Lisa Rothstein, Annette Skorupa, Phyllis D. Stone (aka Phyllis Sharon) (PDS), Damian Synadinos, Mary Tang (MT), Catherine Thieffry (CT), Adriana Villa (AV).
Explanatory Chart:
word or phrase [optional part] part of speech. (Origin, both etymological and geographical; frequency of use) 1. First meaning {Australian slang synonym(s)} (Synonyms:. Antonyms:.). Information about usage, including (e.g., ``Examples'') (s.a. related words) and derived words or phrases. (Initials of usage panel member, if it was not possible to obtain verification of the word by at least one other person) 2. Second meaning, etc.
derived part of speech. Pertaining to various meanings.
[Numbers]
21 n. (diners) 2 eggs on 1 plate (s.a. diner). After you order your two eggs at the diner, your waiter or waitress will write 21 on your slip, but then needs to know how you want your eggs. Types are scrambled, sunny-side up (q.v.), and over (q.v.) (Hollandaise and Benedict will not usually be a choice in a diner), and these are qualified by easy, medium, hard. So the considerate diner patron would say, for example, ``I'll have two eggs, over, medium'', before going on to other components of the order. Back to index
[A]
ABC gum abbreviation Already Been Chewed gum, second-hand chewing gum.
ace vt. To achieve an A grade (e.g., ``She aced her test'').
all get out n. Something which is an extreme exemplar of a characteristic. It is always used in a comparison (e.g., ``He is as talkative as all get out'').
all over one like a cheap suit v phrase. (Maine) To possess comprehensively, and usually intimately (e.g., ``She was all over him like a cheap suit''). (JdW)
all right exclamation. Hooray, congratulations {ripper, bonzer, bewdey}. It is always shouted (as ``awry'' with the stress on the last syllable). When the person is congratulating another it is usually accompanied by ``high fives'' in which both people jump into the air and slap right hands above their heads. When the person is alone, it is accompanied by shaking of the right, clenched fist, slightly above the head, and with a angle of 90 degrees at the elbow.
American cheese n. Processed foodstuff resembling cheese, dyed orange (s.a. foods).
American coffee n. Filtered coffee (s.a. drinks).
Americano n. Black espresso coffee (s.a. drinks).
anal applause n. Fart (s.a. cut the cheese) (PK)
antsy a. (Probably from ``ants in the pants'') Restless.
anyhoo conj. Anyhow {any'ow}.
as slowly as old people fuck adverbial phrase. Very slowly. (JdW)
ass n. 1. Buttocks {arse} (s.a. asshole, buns, butt, fanny, keester, tucchus, tush, vertical smile). 2. A despicable person (s.a. asshole, jerk).
ass kisser n. Sycophantic person (s.a. brown nose).
asses and elbows n. 1. (Always plural) People bent over, working hard, picking up things (e.g., ``All I want to see are asses and elbows'').
asshole n. 1. An extremely despicable person (s.a. ass). 2. (Rare) Anus {arsehole} (s.a. ass, Hershey highway, warzoo).
attitude n. An overestimation of one's own abilities, hence conceited {similar to shit hot}. Used pejoratively (e.g., ``He's got an attitude) (s.a. last Pepsi in the desert).
atomic wedgie n. (Seinfeld?) A wedgie (q.v.) of such force that the band is separated from the rest of the underpants.
ayuh n. (Maine) Yes. This is always said quietly on an intake of breath, no matter how momentous the question, and with a rising inflection denoting resigned optimism (e.g., ``Did you just see that out-of-control Mac truck bearing a load of plutonium crash through the wall of your mobile home and explode in flames?'' ``Ayuh.'').
[B] Back to index
babe n. Woman {you don't think I'd be as silly as to precipitate an international incident by suggesting that Aussies refer to humans of the female gender as anything other than women} (s.a., tail).
bacon strip n. (Usually plural) What is left on one's undies after a GBL fart (q.v.) {skid marks}.
bad a. (African American) Good.
bag your face instruction. Used to inform someone of their social duty to hide an ugly face from general view (s.a. coyote ugly, one bagger, two bagger).
bait and switch phrase. A sales technique designed to get customers in the door. A good deal is advertised (the bait), but is not available when the customer arrives, so another deal is offered (the switch). The bait is usually unavailable because ``we ran out''; the switch is much less favourable for the customer.
ball vt. To engage in sexual intercourse (Synonyms: boff, do, hump, plug, pork, pump, makin' bacon, wet one's wick).
ball buster n. Someone or something that gives one a hard time (e.g., ``This project I'm working on is a real ball buster''). Perhaps this comes from the idea that one could have a hernia lifting a heavy load, although I've never heard of anyone's testicles actually exploding from this. Another possibility is that it refers to the aftermath of heavy sexual performance.
balls n. Character, strength, cheek {large in the scrotum} (s.a. chutzpah, moxie).
barf v. To vomit {chunder} (Synonyms: blow chow, blow chunks, call Earl, call Ralph, flip one's cookies, go to Europe with Ralph and Earl in a Buick, hork, pray to the porcelain god[des], ralph, ride the porcelain horse, scream at one's feet, toss one's cookies. Antonyms: glom, scarf, snarf). (For a definitive, international list, see the hURL
site.
back assward a. (Intentional Spoonerism of ass backward) Reversed {arse about Charlie}. (s.a. bass ackward).
bass ackward a. Back assward (q.v.).
bazoombas n. (Always plural) Female breasts (s.a. boobs).
beached whale n. A fat woman (s.a. small heifer). Such a description would most usually be made in appropriate circumstances, such as when the woman is wearing her swimming costume, and lying on a beach.
Beantown n. Boston (s.a. Big Apple, Philly).
beat feet v. To run (often away).
beat off vi. To masturbate {visit Mrs. Palm and her five daughters} (Synonyms: choke the chicken, jack off, jerk off, snap the carrot, run off a batch by hand, take the one-eyed trouser snake for a walk [in the grass], whack off) (s.a. twinkie tweaker, wonk).
beater n. (Chicago) An older, usually large car bearing lots of dents and/or rust, usually in poor mechanical condition {bomb} (Synonyms: bomber, piece of junk, pile of junk).
bearded clam n. The female genital region, especially the pubic hair and labia {fanny} (Synonyms: beaver, poontang, pussy, snatch. Antonyms: see crank) (s.a. pearl).
beaver n. The vulva {slats} (s.a. bearded clam, bite beaver, bump beaver, eat beaver).
beaver buck n. A Canadian one dollar note, now extinct (s.a. other Canadian money: loonie, twonie; and US money at dime). (DEM)
bejeebers n. (Probably a corruption of ``be Jesus''; always followed by out?) Toughness, some essential property that one can do without, but reluctantly (e.g., ``He beat the bejeebers out of his opponent'', ``I cooked the bejeebers out of it'').
bemho n. (Abbreviation; female slang) The never-to-be-wasted phenomenom of the Basic Early Morning Hard On. (SP)
Big Apple, The n. New York City (s.a. Beantown).
big time adj. In a big way (e.g., ``I lost out on the deal big time'').
bimbette n. A young woman bimbo.
bitch n. 1. A woman who will go to any length (usually involving deception and guile) to get her own way. 2. (African American) A sexually attractive, desirable woman.
bite beaver v. Perform cunnilingus (s.a. beaver).
bite the big one vi. (From Saturday Night Live?) To conduct an activity too distasteful to be specified. Usually one is commanded to do this in an annoyed tone (e.g., ``Go bite the big one'').
black n. (Not a slang term) An African American (Antonyms: honkey, white trash). Black is in transition from favoured to unfavoured term. The hierarchy of terms, from most to least offensive is: nigger, negro, coloured, black, African American, of color (q.v.). My advice is never to refer to any American by their skin colour or ethnic origin. That is, never use any of the terms in the hierarchy.
Black-eyed pea n. (Usually plural) Either burnt
peas, or whitish beans, each with a single dark spot (s.a. foods).
blank vt. To beat someone comprehensively in a game, often to a score of zero (s.a. skunk).
blanked a. 1. Describing someone held to zero in a game. 2. Drunk (s.a. skunked).
blitzed a. Drunk {parro} (Synonyms: bombed, buzzed, crocked, looped, out of hand, out of it, polluted, shitfaced, skunked, smashed, stewed, wasted, zoned) (s.a. scotch polio).
blow chow v. To vomit {puke} (s.a. barf).
blow chunks v. To vomit {spew} (s.a. barf). (MB)
blow it out your ear instruction. Used to let a person know that what they are saying is either objectionable {don't shit me} or of dubious authenticity {pull the other one} (s.a. I'm from Missouri).
blow off vt. To shed an obligation. It is applied mainly to work (e.g., ``He blew off work for the day'') {wag it} or relationships (e.g., ``She blew him off'', which could mean, depending on the context, she stood him up, or she terminated the relationship {racked him off}, s.a. dump). (KH)
blow out n. A large affair, a big party {rage?}.
BLT abbreviation (diners) Any meal involving Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato, often a club sandwich (q.v.) (s.a. diner, foods).
blue ball[s] n. (Usually plural) 1. Aching testicles from unrequited lust {lover's balls}. 2. General state of lustiness, exacerbated by being unrequited (s.a. horny).
bluehair n. An old woman who dyes her hair a shade of gray that ends up looking blue {member of the blue-rinse set}. (RB)
bodacious a. (U.S. country) Amazing, incredible. It is used to describe an object which is uncommon in its admirable defiance of social convention, common experience, or even physical laws (e.g., ``Her boobs were simply bodacious'' might suggest that they were extra large and defied the law of gravity).
boff vt. To engage in sexual intercourse {fang} (s.a. ball).
bombed a. Drunk {pissed} (s.a. blitzed).
bomber n. A beater (q.v.).
boner n. An erection (s.a. chubby, hard on, stiffy, woody).
boobs n. (Always plural) Female breasts {tits} (s.a. bazoombas, girls, hooters, ta tas, tits, yabbos). This is a fairly inoffensive term.
booger n. A ball of congealed nasal mucus {boogy} (s.a. clam, hork).
boot n. A condom {frenchie} (s.a. rubber).
bottom line n. (From business, denoting the profit or loss figure in a balance sheet) The final answer, the essence.
bowl clogger n. The results of a magnificently depleting defecation (s.a. bowl filler). This may be a peculiarly American slang term, brought out by the congressionally mandated low-flow toilet. (PK)
bowl filler n. Not quite as big as a bowl clogger (q.v.). (PK)
boys n. Testicles (s.a. ball, girls).
Brahmin n. (Boston, originally from India) Member of the elite social caste (s.a. silvertail).
breeder n. (Homosexual) Heterosexual.
bring home the bacon vt. To work for money {keep body and soul together}.
Bronx cheer n. An expression of derision in which the tongue is partially poked through the pursed lips and air is blown out of the mouth to make a wet, farting sound.
brown nose vt. To curry favour with a superior, to be a yes-man {to lick someone's arse}. It derives from the consequences of following someone (figuratively, their ideas) so closely that one is ``nose to tail'', to put it delicately (s.a. kiss up).
bubkis n. (Yiddish) Zero, nothing (s.a. nada).
bucket shop n. A shop where left-over goods from other stores are sold at a substantial discount. For example, a bucket shop selling airline tickets would give cheap fares but may give the buyer short notice of the day of travel.
bug n. Any insect or arachnid.
bug up the ass a. Angry (s.a. pissed) (e.g., ``He's got a bug up his ass'').
bugger n. Someone who bugs (q.v.). This is not necessarily pejorative and is often used affectionately.
bullet n. (Business) A rejection letter.
bum n. 1. A low person, a tramp, a panhandler. 2. Buttocks (s.a. ass, buns). This meaning is almost unknown in the U.S., but is slightly more common in Canada.
bum v. 1. To beg. 2. To wander aimlessly.
bum out v. To depress, to disappoint.
bummed a. Short form of bummed out (q.v.).
bummed out a. (Drug culture) Depressed, dejected.
bump n. Component of an erotic dance (see bump and grind).
bump and grind v. Perform an erotic dance in which there are sudden tilting of the hips (bumps) and slower circlings of the hips (grinds). The dance is usually performed by a woman, and may be accompanied by a striptease.
bump beaver v. Press one beaver against another, as in lesbian sex (s.a. beaver).
bumps and grinds v. Meal comprising sunny-side-up fried eggs (bumps) and coffee (grinds) (s.a. bump and grind, drinks, foods).
bump uglies v. To have sexual intercourse indiscriminately, with no concern for the aesthetic qualities of the partner.
bunch n. 1. A number, from 3 to 7. American informal numbers, in order, are: zip, zilch, nada, bubkis, diddly [shit, squat], doodly [shit, squat], shit (all 0s) (q.v.), bunch (about 3 to 7), whole bunch (about 8 to 39) (q.v.), and shit load (about 40 or more) (q.v.). 2. A moderately large amount.
buns n. Buttocks (s.a. ass).
bus v. (Not a slang term) To perform the duties of a bus boy, to clean up one's own place at a restaurant (e.g., ``In our restaurant, please bus your own table'').
bust one's butt v. To try, or work, very hard (s.a. butt).
bust one's gut v. (To have a hernia) To laugh uncontrollably (e.g., ``It was so funny, I busted my gut'').
butt n. (Contraction of) Buttocks (s.a. ass).
buzzed a. Just a little drunk (s.a. blitzed).
[C] Back to index
caca n. Faeces (s.a. crap).
cacamole n. (from caca, q.v., and guacamole, made largely from mashed avocados; my usage panel member says he originated this excellent word) Runny poos (s.a. Hershey squirts). (PB)
call Earl v. To vomit {call God on the great white telephone} (s.a. barf).
call Ralph v. To vomit {have a liquid laugh} (s.a. barf).
Came-apart n. (Corruption of) The name of the K-Mart department store (s.a. Fall-apart). (BFP)
camp vi. 1. To behave in an exaggeratedly self-mocking way. 2. To behave in an exaggeratedly homosexual way. (PB)
campy a. Describing someone prone to camping (q.v.).
candy (Not a slang term) Lollies including dots, Hershey's kiss, jawbreaker, jimmies, malted-milk ball, pixie stick, pop bottle, salt water taffy, sprinkles, Whoppers (s.a. drinks, foods).
canned heat n. Sterno, methylated spirits.
catch some zees vi. (Snoring in cartoons is always represented by ZZs, but whether this egg hatched the above chicken is a matter for debate) To sleep, to nap {hit the tick} (s.a. go saw wood, hit the hay, sack or rack).
catching flies a. Sleeping (s.a. catch some zees).
catholic bagel n. Cinnamon and raisin, or blueberry, or somesuch, bagel. That is, a bagel other than plain, garlic, onion, or sesame seed, eaten by goyim (s.a. goy).
Charlie horse n. Muscle cramp {stitch}.
check n. The bill for a meal in a restaurant (Synonyms: tab) (s.a. pick up, treat).
cheese n. Waxy deposit of shed epidermis cells, usually found under the foreskin (but s.a. toe cheese), smegma.
cherry n. Hymen (s.a. pop a cherry).
cherry bomb n. The highest-powered fire cracker sold to the general public {threepenny bunger}.
chew the shit v. (Corruption of chew the fat) Converse desultorily, gossip. (s.a. shoot the shit).
chill out imperative. Calm down.
choke vi. To perform poorly when under pressure.
choke the chicken v. Masturbate.
chooms n. (East Coast? Always plural) Testicles (s.a. ball).
chop[ped] meat n. (diners) Ground beef, hamburger (s.a., diner, foods).
chubby n. A partial erection (s.a., boner). (DBB)
chutzpah n. (Yiddish) Spunk, character (literally: guts) {arse, cheek} (s.a. balls).
class clown n. A person who amuses the rest of a high-school class by such antics as always making funny or smart (q.v.) answers to the teacher's questions.
clam n. An irregularly-shaped glutinous mass of larangeal mucus {golden watch} (s.a. booger).
clean a. (African American) Very good.
clicker n. Television remote control device {remote}.
close enough for government (army) work phrase. A shoddy, but acceptable, job.
club sandwich n. A sandwich made from three pieces of bread with two layers of filling, cut into quarters, with each quarter secured by a toothpick. Some restaurants put little cellophane warning flags on the toothpicks, but others do not. Beware! (s.a. BLT, diner, foods). After ordering a club sandwich, you are likely to be interrogated about the sort of bread you want (rye, white, wholemeal).
come down vi. To occur, to happen (e.g., ``What's coming down''--translation: ``What's happening'') (Synonym: go down).
Coney Island flat fish n. Used condom (Synonym: scum bag; s.a. rubber).
cool a. Good, stylish, imperturbable.
cooties n. (Always plural) Germs, bugs, general contamination, that can be passed from one individual to another (e.g., ``He's got cooties'').
corn cob up the ass a. Stuck up, snobbish {knobby}.
corn hole vt. To engage in sodomy (s.a. ream out).
could care less vi. (Originally from a longer phrase: He knows nothing and could care less) Couldn't care less.
could give a damn vi. (Or, as I guess an American would say, I still have an idea) Couldn't give a damn.
coyote ugly a. (A coyote caught in a trap will chew off its own leg to escape) A woman so ugly that a man, on waking from a drunken stupor and finding himself in bed with the woman lying on his arm, will chew off his own arm in order not to wake her (s.a. bag your face).
crank n. Penis {the unemployed} (Synonyms: dick, dork, one-eyed snake, one-eyed wonder worm, peter, pocket rocket, pud, rod, snake, twinkie, weenie, whang, willie, winkie. Antonyms: see bearded clam).
crap n. (From the name of Thomas Crapper, the inventor of the flushing toilet) 1. (Literally) Excrement {nuggets} (Synonyms: caca, do, dung, jelly bean, shit, turd). 2. (Figuratively) Nonsense, rubbish, junk.
crocked a. Drunk {emotional} (s.a. blitzed).
curve ball n. (Baseball) Something that is very tricky (e.g., ``That last question was a real curve ball'') (s.a. hard ball).
cut it v. To pass some implicit or explicit test. It is usually given in the negative (e.g., ``He can't cut it'', i.e.: he can't make the grade).
cut the cheese vi. Fart (s.a. anal applause, GBL fart, let Freddie out of the cage, SBD [fart]).
[D] Back to index
dago n. A derogatory term for a Spanish or Italian person (s.a. kike, spik, wet back, wop). The term supposedly derives from the common Spanish name ``Diego''.
dark [coffee] n. (diners) Coffee containing just a little milk (s.a., diner, drinks).
date n. (This term embodies an extremely complex set of concepts, which I must confess I still do not fully understand. Nevertheless, I'll have a go:) 1. A social occasion (e.g., a movie, a dance, a concert, a party; an occasion at which there are lots of other people) attended by an unmarried male and female, two people, one of whom has invited the other. A date is either gone on, or had (e.g., ``He went on a date with her''). To go on a date is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition to be dating (q.v.); that is, it connotes the possibility of a more-enduring relationship between the two people. 2. An arranged meeting of any kind (e.g., ``You want to meet to discuss our project on Friday at 10?'' ``Sure, it's a date!''). This date can occur between two or more people, and none of them have to be dating any of the others. 3. One of a couple going on a date. The male is the date of the other female, and vice versa. The ages of the two are usually similar, and range from the minimum which will fulfill the requirement that an invitation be extended (i.e., about five years old) to as old as people can get.
dating pp. To be in a relationship which involves going on dates (q.v.) The nature of the relationship can be judged by terms used to qualify it: there is casual dating in which a person may go on dates with many partners, and serious dating which is probably a synonym for going steady (q.v.).
dibbs n. (Always plural) An informal verbal contract establishing primacy of a person's claim to something, made with all other persons within earshot. It is usually emphasized adjectivally as in: ``I've got first dibbs on this seat'' {equivalent to: ``I bar this seat''}.
dick n. 1. Penis {dick!} (s.a. crank). 2. A person who behaves unsociably {dickhead} (e.g., ``He is such a dick!'').
diddly [shit, squat] n. Zero, absolutely nothing (s.a. nada).
didy n. Baby word for diaper (pronounced with a long i, as in the way an Australian would say ``lady'').
dilly n. A very good example of something, although the word may be used sarcastically. Rather better than a doozy (q.v.).
dime n. (Not a slang term) A ten-cent coin. U.S. coins are the only ones in the world I know of which do not show their numerical value. To further confuse the matter, they are almost never referred to by their numerical value, all but the 1 cent (penny) are silver coloured, and the sizes are unrelated to value: the nickel (5 cents; q.v.) is larger than the dime, and nearly as large as a quarter (25 cents) (q.v.). Rarely seen is the $1 coin, the Susan B. Anthony (q.v.) (s.a. IGWT dollar, two bits). Canadian coins less than a dollar are the same denominations and sizes, and are referred to by the same terms (s.a. beaver buck). They differ by showing their numerical values, and in the patterns with which they are struck (having a picture of Liz II).
dine at the Y vi. (From the suggestive appearance of the letter Y, and that the Y denotes the YWCA, a place where there could be both conventional dining, and the opportunity) to perform cunnilingus {muff dive?}. (Antonyms: go down, gobble [one's goofy].)
diner n. (Not a slang term) A restaurant comprising booths and a bar with stools in which the fare is simple but hearty (e.g., bacon and eggs, hamburgers, meatloaf, apple pie and ice cream) (s.a. foods, truck stop). Diners are sometimes (and decreasingly) old railway carriages. Diner waiters and waitresses have their own vocabulary, and appreciate it if you are familiar with it. Terms include 21, BLT, dark, dry, hold, light and sweet, mayo, on the side, over, regular coffee, rye, spicy, sunny-side up, whisky, white (q.v.).
dirt ball n. Milder version of scum bag (q.v.). (LH)
discombobulate v. To confuse (s.a. throw for a loop).
diss vt. 1. (African American) To disrespect. 2. To dismiss (disrespectfully).
ditz n. Scatterbrained woman.
ditzy a. Behaving like a ditz.
do v. 1. Signal the intention, but not the date or time, to have a casual date for a particular activity (e.g., ``Let's do lunch''). Usually this means that the proposer of the date thinks that the date is worthwhile, but not sufficiently worthwhile to justify scheduling it. It would usually be considered bad manners for the proposee to reply, for example, ``OK. How about tomorrow at 12:30?''. 2. Have sexual intercourse with, possibly regularly (e.g., ``I think someone is doing my wife'') (s.a. ball).
do [do] n. Excrement {blind mullet}. This is a euphemism (e.g., doggie do) (s.a. Maine state trooper, poop, twinkie).
doodly [shit, squat] n. Zero, absolutely nothing (s.a., nada).
doof n. (Contraction) A dufus (e.g., ``When I locked my keys in the car, I felt like a complete doof'').
doozer n. (Canadian) a doozy (q.v.) (s.a. dilly).
doozy n. A good example of something (s.a. dilly).
dork n. 1. Penis {dork!} (s.a. crank). 2. Stupid or unfashionable person {dork} (s.a. jerk, nerd).
dorky a. (Pertaining to a person who is a dork) Stupid or unfashionable.
dots n. (Always plural; not a slang term) The brand name for lollies consisting of numerous round (about 1.5 cm in diameter and about .5 cm high) dry globs of sugary stuff of various colours which are stuck on a roll of waxed paper (about 3 cm in width), and bought in lengths (s.a. candy).
doughnut n. (From the pattern left on the road or snow bank) A 360 degree spin inadvertently performed by a car on a snowy icy road (s.a. lay a patch).
Down Easter n. (Sea captains wanting to sail to Britain, from, say the Great Lakes, would sail down the coast of Maine to pick up the Gulf Stream. So the inhabitants of Maine came to be know as Down Easters) Inhabitant of Maine (s.a. Mainiac, Mainer).
down-market a. Poor, cheap, down-scale (q.v.), lower class, not up-market (q.v.) (s.a. up-market, up-scale, up-side, down-side).
down-scale a. Down-market (q.v.), not trendy, not up-scale (q.v.).
down-side n. Bad news, negative side (of a situation), cons (of an argument), not the up-side (q.v.).
drinks (Not a slang term) Americans have some special names for drinks including American coffee, Americano, bumps and grinds, dark [coffee], hobo soda, light and sweet [coffee], pine tree float, regular coffee, dark coffee (s.a. candy, foods).
drop a trout v. To defecate {lay down some blind mullet} (s.a. go to the bathroom).
drop a twinkie v. To defecate (s.a. go to the bathroom, twinkie).
drop some mud v. To defecate (s.a. go to the bathroom).
drop your drawers; it's Santa Claus phrase. Jocular invitation to have sex (s.a., stop your grinnin' and drop your linen).
dry adj. (diners) Without anything (e.g., ``dry toast'' means toast without spread; ``salad, dry'' means salad with no dressing) (s.a. diner).
dufus n. An incompetent, idiotic person who may, nevertheless, be well-meaning {drongo} (s.a. doof).
dump vt. To break a relationship {to rack off} (e.g., ``He dumped her'') (s.a. take a dump). vi. To be so dumped.
dump on v. To come down hard on, to heap abuse on.
dust bunny n. A dust ball. Colonies of these gregarious creatures are usually found under the bed.
dweeb n. Dork (q.v.).
dyke n. Lesbian (s.a. faggot).
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Earl n. A person who calls Earl when vomiting, usually distinguished from a Ralph (e.g., ``Are you a Ralph or an Earl?'').
eat beaver v. Perform cunnilingus (s.a. beaver).
eat shit and die v. Go away {rack off}.
eat watermelons vi. To be pregnant {be in the pudding club}. It is always used adjectivally, and denotes past activity now evident (e.g., ``She's been eating watermelons'').
eh tag ending (?) (Canadian) Don't you agree? (e.g., ``It's a beautiful day, eh.''). My definition restricts eh's meaning much more than it should. The word is used in all sorts of contexts. The lexicographically most challenging example I heard is: ``Goodbye, eh''. {Similar to, but much more universal than, the Queensland eh}.
El, the n. The ``subway'' tracks and trains in Chicago. From the Elevated Railway (s.a. T). The El tracks are mainly elevated, but some run underground (s.a. loop, the).
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fag n. Short form of faggot (q.v.) {poof} (s.a. fudge packer, member of the club, member of the team, stool pusher). This is probably used as frequently as the long version.
faggot n. Male homosexual {poofter} (s.a. dyke).
Fall-apart n. (Corruption of) The name of the Wal-Mart department store (s.a. Came-apart). (BFP)
fanny n. A tush, usually a female tush (q.v.). Note that in Australia, fanny is a very offensive term referring to the female genital region.
fanny pack n. A small bag held on a strap fastened around the waist, containing valuables such as cash and passport. It is often worn by Americans travelling overseas {bum bag}.
fat chance n. No chance {Buckley's}.
feed a meter v. 1. To put coins in a parking meter (s.a. plug a meter).
first base n. (Baseball) The initial stage of some process. This is usually used sexually, and refers to contact between male hands and clothed female breasts (s.a. second, third, and home base of home plate; touch base).
fish or cut bait v. To begin the main task or continue with the preparations. Often asked exasperatedly: ``Are you going to fish or cut bait?'', or given as a command (s.a. shit or get off the pot).
flag football n. An informal, but serious, non-contact game of gridiron in which each player has one or two ``flags'' (usually handkerchief-sized scraps of cloth) tucked into his or her pants. The teams can be distinguished as shirts and skins (q.v.), or by the colour of the flags. A player is deemed to be blocked when one flag has been removed, and, if in possession of the ball, to be tackled when all flags have been removed. The closest Australian equivalent is touch rugby.
flake n. An eccentric, weird person (s.a. flakey).
flakey a. Having the characteristics of a flake (q.v.) (s.a. off the wall, out in left field, out to lunch, the lights are on but no one's home).
flame n. 1. A personally critical e-mail message, usually one broadcast in an e-mail bulletin board. 2. (Old) A lover.
flamer n. 1. A male homosexual. 2. (Contraction of flaming asshole) An extremely dishonourable person. 3. One who sends flames (q.v.).
flip a bird, flip the bird vi. To gesture (to someone) by raising a clenched fist with the second finger extended; to give the finger to.
flip one's cookies v. To vomit {have a liquid laugh} (s.a. barf).
floods n. Trousers that end short of the ankle (s.a. high waters). (ACL)
fly girl n. (African American) Pretty, fashionable, usually African American woman. (SR)
foods (Not a slang term) Americans have some special (names for) foods including American cheese, black-eyed peas, BLT, bumps and grinds, club sandwich, melt, mince [meat], mince pie, pattie melt, pumpkin pie, raisin, Rocky Mountain oysters, Sloppy Joe, Texas caviar (s.a. candy, drinks).
for a fat broad you don't sweat much phrase. (Vaudeville) Expression of approbation addressed to a particularly ugly and fat woman (s.a. bag your face).
freak out vi. (60s drug culture?) To become distractedly worried, to lose one's cool (s.a. wig out).
freeze vt. To anesthetize locally {to give a local}.
freshman n. (Not a slang term; education) 1. A male or female student in his or her first year of an undergraduate degree {fresher}, or highschool. 2. Any beginner in a profession (e.g., ``The bartender is a freshman'') (s.a. frosh, sophomore, junior, senior).
fried a. 1. (Modern) Burnt out, emotionally exhausted. 2. Drunk (s.a. blitzed).
from away adjectival phrase. (Maine) A Maine resident whose parents were not born and raised in Maine (said disdainfully) (s.a. out of stater).
front v. To put up a front (e.g., ``What you frontin' for?''). (BH)
frosh n. (University Fraternity) 1. A freshman (q.v.).
fudge packer n. Male homosexual {shirt lifter} (s.a. fag).
full of it a. Used to describe a person who utters an erroneous or exxagerated statement. And, what, you may well ask is the ``it'' that this person is full of. So as not to endanger my reputation of leaving nothing to the imagination, see next entry.
full of shit a. What else? (i.e., see above).
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gang banger n. A gang member who, with little compunction, shoots people.
GBL fart n. (Actually an abbreviation: Gambled But Lost, fart) A fart which leaves skid marks on undies (s.a. SBD). (MB)
GBT abbreviation (Jewish) Literally, Goyisher Bad Taste. Any ostentatious fashion statement (of clothes, house decoration) (s.a. goy).
geek n. (Originally: A circus term for a person in a side-show with no obvious physical peculiarities, but who would conduct degrading acts such as biting off the heads of live chickens) A strange, unfashionable, often unwashed, usually male person; a person totally engrossed in his own pursuits (hence neglecting social conventions; e.g., ``He's a computer geek'') (s.a. nerd).
Generica n. Part of America that looks the same as many other parts, namely strip malls containing fast food restaurants, supermarkets, petrol stations, and department stores. (AV)
get a handle on vt. Understand (e.g., ``Let's see if we can get a handle on this concept'').
get-go n. The start, the outset, the very beginning.
get one's buns into gear phrase. Get moving, begin {get yer arse into gear} (s.a. get on the stick).
get on the stick phrase. (from the early 1900s, referring to starting to move a car by putting it in gear with its gear-shift stick) Begin working (s.a. get one's buns into gear).
get up vt. (Chinoteague Island, Virginia) Meet (e.g., ``Alright Duke, I'll get up with you in the morning, say around 11:00''. (SP)
get your shit together verb phrase. (Dated) 1. To exhort someone to get organized. 2. To so get organized. (MvG)
gimmie n. (From a ``give me'') An easily accomplished task or easily answered question {piece of piss}.
gin blossom n. An alcoholic's big red nose. (DBB)
ging n. (From the sound made by a cash register) Money, usually ``big ging''. (JB)
girls n. Female breasts (s.a. boobs, boys).
glom vt. 1. To bolt down food, to eat large amounts of food quickly {scoff} (s.a. scarf, snarf). This may be spelled glomb; none of my informants has seen it written. It is often followed by the preposition ``down'' (e.g, ``She glommed it down'', ``He glombed down his food''). 2. To adhere to something or someone (hence, figuratively; e.g., ``He glommed onto our group''). (DR)
gnarly a. (Valleyspeak, see grody) Cool (q.v.).
go bye bye vi. To tell a child that it's time to leave {go ta tas}.
go down vi. 1. Come down (q.v.). 2. Perform fellatio on (s.a. gobble).
go figure v. Go and think about the illogicality or contradictions in what I just said, because I cannot understand it (e.g., ``The government said it would promote free trade by increasing tariffs on imported goods. Go figure.'').
go for the gusto v. Try to achieve a difficult goal, or to perform some task or challenge with the intent of surpassing expectations, either your own or someone else's {go for it}. Often said encouragingly before attempting a sexual or dating goal (e.g., two males: ``I want to make home base with my new girlfriend tonight.'' ``Well go for the gusto!''; two females in a bar: ``He's cute.'' ``Well go for the gusto!'') (s.a. hop on that like a hobo on a ham sandwich, hit on).
go off vi. (Contraction of go off half cocked) Act irrationally and aggressively (e.g., ``He told her to sit down or he'd go off''). (BH)
go off half cocked vi. 1. (Not really a slang term) Act prematurely. 2. Act irrationally (BH).
go saw wood vi. (Snoring might be said to sound like wood being sawn) To sleep {have forty winks} (s.a. catch some zees).
go see a man about a dog (horse) phrase. Urinate {siphon the python} (s.a. go to the bathroom).
go steady vt. To be in a monogamous, heterosexual relationship, with the intention of marrying the other person. This is neither as formal, nor quite as serious as getting engaged, and also does not imply that the two people live together.
go to the bathroom v. To urinate {strain the potatoes} or defecate {choke a darkie} (Synonyms for urination: go see a man about a dog (horse), make one's bladder gladder, pee, piss, take a whiz) (Synonyms for defecation: drop a trout, drop a twinkie, drop some mud, pinch a loaf, take a dump) (Synonyms for unspecified voiding: make a pit stop, make a stop.) People in North America are very coy about micturation and defecation, as exemplified by this magnificent euphemism. Normally-linguistically-careful people will utter mixed metaphors such as: ``He went to the bathroom against a tree in the street!''. There seems to be a dearth of scurrilous synonyms, especially for unination, perhaps reflecting the absence of a North-American Barry Humphries to create them.
go to Europe with Ralph and Earl in a Buick v. To vomit (s.a. barf). I've borrowed this from the hURL
site. It is a magnificent collection of words denoting vomiting.
go up vi. (Chinoteague Island, Virginia; contraction of go up to heaven) Break down irreparably, die (e.g., ``My Chevy's gone up, and now I got to shell out for a new set of wheels''. (SP)
gobble [one's goofy] vt. Perform fellatio on (s.a. go down).
got to piss so bad my back teeth are floating phrase. To express an urgent need for urination {If I don't splash the boots soon, you'll be picking up pieces of bladder from the floor} (s.a. go to the bathroom)
goy n. (Yiddish) Non-Jewish person. a. Pertaining to a goy. goyim plural More than one goy. goyisher a. Pertaining to goyim. (s.a. GBT, shiksa, wasp)
graham crackers n. (Not a slang term, brand name) Sweet, thin biscuit, used to make smores (q.v.) and, when crushed, pie crusts. Pronounced ``gram''.
grind n. Component of an erotic dance (see bump and grind).
grody a. (So-called Valleyspeak, originating from San Fernando Valley in California) Gross (q.v.) (e.g., ``Oh, grody to the max!''--translated is: ``Oh, how very disgusting'').
gross a. Disgusting, bad. This is used almost as frequently as its antonym: neat.
grunge n. An unrepentantly-dirty or untidy person.
grungy a. Dirty, scummy, grubby (s.a. scungy, scuzzy).
gunner n. (Northwestern University Medical School) A person who studies all the time {concho} (Synonyms: keener, tech ween, throat). (MT)
guppie n. A gay yuppie (q.v.).
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half-assed a. Impractical, not giving a full effort {weak in the pants}.
hammered a. Drunk {mute} (s.a. blitzed, tanked).
hang vt. To execute a turn while driving a vehicle {drop} (e.g., ``Hang a U-ee {drop a U-ee}'', ``Hang a left'') (s.a. louie, ralph).
hang out vi. To wait, to congregate, usually aimlessly {hang around}.
hard ass n. Someone very tough.
hard ball n. (Baseball) A serious situation (e.g., ``These guys are really playing hard ball'') (s.a. curve ball).
hard on n. An erection (s.a., boner).
have a nice day phrase. (Not a slang term) Reflexly emitted words from shop assistants, especially on the West Coast, to signify the conclusion of a commercial transaction (s.a. you're welcome) {avagoodwun}.
have at it vt. (New England) To do something courageous, to take a chance. Usually one is urged to do this {as in: avago, ya mug}.
Hershey's Kiss n. (Not a slang term) A milk chocolate morsel in the shape of a flattened rain drop, and wrapped in silver paper (s.a. candy).
Hershey highway n. Rectum and colon (s.a. asshole).
Hershey squirts n. Diarrhoea (s.a. cacamole, Montezuma's revenge, power shits, shits, squirts, tourista, trots).
head for the rhubarb v. (Maine) To go (somewhere) for a sleep (s.a. catch some zees). This would be used apologetically, to excuse oneself from a gathering. (JdW)
hell on wheels n. An extremely uncomfortable trip or situation.
hellatious a. 1. Terrible. 2. (Southern) Bigger than hell, humongous (q.v.).
high waters n. Trousers that end short of the ankle (s.a. floods, waders).
hips in two different zip codes phrase. Fat hips {thunder thighs}.
hit on v. To engineer a social situation which might lead to dating (q.v.), or, at least, the possibility of reaching first base (q.v.) (s.a. go for the gusto).{con on}.
hit the hay v. To sleep (s.a. catch some zees). Other things which may be hit to induce sleep include the rack or the sack.
hobo soda n. A glass of water {Adam's ale} (s.a. pine tree float, drinks). A hobo soda is a derisive term, perhaps used by waitresses, to describe the drink ordered by miserly people (s.a. stiff) in restaurants.
hog a. Abandonedly, without limits.
hog heaven n. A sublime state of bliss.
hog wild n. Abandoned behaviour.
hold v. (diners) Omit a particular component of a dish (e.g., ``I'll have a hamburger; hold the pickle'') (s.a. diner).
home base n. (Baseball) The final goal. This usually denotes sexual intercourse (s.a. first base, home plate).
home plate n. (Baseball) Home base (q.v.).
honest to God a. Authentic, real (s.a. real McCoy).
honkey a. (African American) A white American (s.a. white trash).
hooters n. (Always plural) Female breasts (s.a. boobs).
hop on that like a hobo on a ham sandwich v. (Maine) Seize a particular opportunity with alacrity and delight {go for it}. This is often used sexually, in which case the ``that'' could be a hot date (q.v.) (s.a. go for the gusto). (JdW)
hork v. 1. (U.S.) Barf (q.v.) {technicolour yawn}. 2. (Canadian) Produce a clam (q.v.) {bring up a golden watch}.
horny a. 1. Desiring sexual activity {hot for it, hot to trot}. 2. Sexually excited. 3. Having an erection (literally: possessing a horn; this particular meaning applies only to males) (s.a. randy). These three meanings overlap considerably, but not necessarily, For example, it is possible to have an (unwanted) erection, yet not desire sexual activity (s.a. blue balls, randy).
horse-head offer n. (Business) An offer one cannot refuse, accompanied by a demonstration of overwhelming force (from ``The Godfather'' in which a man who initially refused a Mafia offer had his beloved racehorse's severed head placed into his bed while he was sleeping). (CT)
hot a. 1. Full of potential, valuable. 2. Sexy, desirable, ready for sexual intercourse. 3. Stolen.
hot bubblin' shit adjectival phrase. Really good (used sarcastically). (MB)
hot date n. A person, and hence a social occasion, that offers the certainty of reaching home base (q.v.).
hot stuff n. A person or object that is full of potential. Often, though depending on the context, the potential is sexual.
humongous a. Huge, very big.
hump vt. To engage in sexual intercourse {root} (s.a. ball).
hush puppy n. A comestible made from deep-fried corn meal (s.a. food names).
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ice a. (African American?) Very cool (q.v.).
if she had as many things sticking out of her as she has had in her, she'd look like a porcupine phrase. Used to describe a loose woman. (JdW)
if the light aint on at the top, it's dim all the way down phrase. Used to describe someone very stupid, or an organization headed by someone stupid. (JdW)
if you can lean, you can clean phrase. What a boss would say to employees to encourage them to continue working. (JdW)
IGWT dollar n. (From the words printed on U.S. money: ``In God We Trust'') A U.S. dollar (s.a. dime). (DEM)
I'm from Missouri exclamation. (U.S.; people from Missouri were, or are, supposed to be skeptical; Missouri is known as the ``Show me'' state) Prove it, I don't believe you {Don't come the raw prawn with me sport} (s.a. blow it out your ear, pull one's chain).
in your face adjectival phrase, exclamation, or taunt (Sport) Describing a particularly confrontational person or style of interaction (s.a. one on one).
indian sunburn n. Form of torture inflicted by school children on each other in which the victim's arm is wrung {chinese burn} (s.a. noogie).
it aint over till the fat lady sings phrase. (From
baseball, derived from the understanding that opera is not finished
until the soprano sings the aria. Attributed to Yankee catcher Yogi
Berra who reckoned his team always had a chance to win until the
final out was made.) It is not finished, don't count your chickens
before they hatch.
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jack off vi. To masturbate {twang the wire} (s.a. beat off).
jag n. (Chicago) A jack off (q.v.). (BH)
JAP n. A derogatory term for a Jewish American Princess, or (rarely) Jewish American Prince. These royalty are young Jewish people who have been totally insulated from the realities of life by their parents' money.
jap flaps n. Raffia thongs.
jawbreaker n. Large (2.5 cm diameter), spherical, hard lolly {gob stopper} (s.a. candy).
jerk n. (From jerk off, q.v.) An aggravating, worthless person {dickhead} (s.a. jag, jerk off, loser, putz, schlep, wonk).
jerk off vi. Masturbate {play pocket billiards} (s.a. beat off).
jimmies n. (Always plural) Small multicoloured, or chocolate specks of confection used to decorate cakes or ice creams {hundreds and thousands} (s.a. candy).
jit bag n. A scum bag (q.v.). (JB)
jock n. An athletic person, usually stupid.
joe limp dick n. (Sexual) A wimp (q.v.).
John Hancock n. (John Hancock had a conspicuous signature on the Declaration of Independence). Signature, autograph (e.g., ``Put your John Hancock on the bottom of that check'').
juicy poops n. Diarrhoea (s.a., Montzuma's revenge).
junior n. (Not a slang term; education) A student in his or her third year of an undergraduate degree {third-year} or high school (s.a. freshman).
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kazoo n. Anus {arse}.
keener n. (Queen's University) A gunner (q.v.).
keester n. A tush, usually a male tush (q.v.).
key a. (Business) Up to date.
kick ass (butt) v. Impose one's authority.
kike n. A derogatory term for a Jewish person (s.a. dago).
kiss up v. To attend to someone fawningly and sycophantically {suck up} (s.a. brown nose).
klingon n. A small piece of fecal matter adhering stubbornly to the anus (usually plural).
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last Pepsi in the desert adjectival phrase. (Rare, probably idiosyncratic) Used to describe someone with an overinflated estimate of their own worth (e.g., ``He thinks he is the ... '') (s.a. attitude). (RBr)
lay a patch v. Intentionally to spin a car's tyres by acceleration {drop a wheelie} (s.a. doughnut).
let Freddie out of the cage v. Fart (s.a. cut the cheese).
life's a beach phrase. Variation on next entry. (T-shirt caption first sighted in New Jersy by KH)
life's a bitch and then you die phrase. Predominant 80s American existential philosophy (s.a. shit happens).
light and sweet [coffee] n. (diners) Regular coffee (q.v.) containing extra milk and sugar (s.a., diner, drinks).
light [one] up v. (Sport) 1. To annhilate someone or a team in a game (e.g., ``He lit him up! He torched him!'') (s.a. toast). 2. To inspire someone or a team. (DBB)
lighten up instruction. Relax, keep the current situation in perspective.
loonie n. Canadian one dollar coin. It has a loon on the side opposite the Queen.
loop, the n. 1. The central city area of Chicago enclosed by a loop of the El (q.v.). 2. The part of the El that loops around the central city area.
looped a. Drunk {parro} (s.a. blitzed).
lose it v. 1. To lose control. 2. To lose one's virginity.
loser n. A worthless person (s.a. jerk).
louie n. A left turn (e.g., ``Hang (q.v.) a louie'') (Antonym: ralph). Both louie and ralph are somewhat out of date.
low ball v. (Business, apparently from signals used on railway tracks: a low ball meant that the train could proceed, a high ball meant the train had to stop) To give someone the minimum price on a product, to undercut a competitor's price, to offer a low bid on an item, or to offer
a low salary in negotiating with a prospective employee.
luck out vi. To have good luck. Note that in Australia, luck out means the opposite: to have bad luck.
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mad dog vt. (Gangs) To stare intimidatingly at a rival gang member.
main squeeze n. (Common prior to 80s; now rare) Someone one is dating (q.v.).
Maine state trooper n. (Maine) Turd (as in ``Here I sit on the pooper (q.v.), just gave birth to a Maine state trooper).
Mainer n. Inhabitant of Maine (s.a. Down Easter).
Mainiac n. Jocular term for inhabitant of Maine (s.a. Down Easter).
make a pit stop v. To go to the bathroom (q.v.).
make a stop v. To go to the bathroom (q.v.).
make one's bladder gladder v. To urinate {have a snake's} (s.a. go to the bathroom).
makin' bacon vi. Being engaged in sexual intercourse (s.a. ball).
malted-milk ball n. (Not a slang term) A Malteser; same as a Whopper (q.v.) (s.a. candy).
mayo abbreviation (diners) Mayonnaise (s.a., 21).
MBWA n. (Business; literally Management By Walking Around) A sinecure. It is used as if naming a person's academic qualifications: e.g. ``He's got an MWBA'').
max out v. To go all out, to give the maximum effort.
mellow out imperative.Calm down. This is a more graceful command than chill out (q.v.). (GH)
melt n. Any food with melted swiss cheese on top (s.a. foods). Melts are always qualified (e.g., pattie melt (q.v.), tuna melt).
member of the club n. Homosexual {whoopsie} (s.a., fag).
member of the team n. Homosexual {invert} (s.a., fag).
mess vt. 1. To adjust (e.g., ``the plumber was in here messing with the faucet''). 2. To antagonize (e.g., ``don't mess around with Jim'').
mince [meat] n. Stew made principally from dried fruits such as currants, saltanas, and raisins (s.a. foods). It is the filling of mince pies (q.v.).
mince pie n. Pie filled with stewed fruit mince [meat] (q.v.) (s.a. foods). These pies are traditionally served at Thanksgiving (esp. US) and Christmas (esp. French Canada).
Montezuma's revenge n. (Montezuma was the last Aztec emperor of Mexico, defeated by Cortéz) Diarrhoea suffered from a visit to Mexico {Bali belly} (s.a., Hershy squirts, juicy poops, tourista).
moon v. 1. (From the white colour and gibbous appearance of buttocks) To pull down one's pants and present one's buttocks to onlookers. This is usually done as a form of social commentary but is regarded as far more shocking than dropping a brown eye in Oz {Rolf Harris} (s.a. pants).
moxie n. Spunk, character (s.a. balls).
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nada n. (Spanish) Zero, absolutely nothing (synonyms: bubkis, diddly [shit, squat], doodly [shit, squat], shit, zilch, zip) (s.a. bunch). {fuckin' nuthin'}.
nads n. (Always plural; contraction of gonads) Testicles (s.a. ball).
neat a. Good. This is probably as overworked in American speech as is the word ``nice'' in Oz speech.
nerd n. An unfashionable person, usually male. Defining characteristics include wearing a calculator on his belt, and wearing a plastic pocket protector bearing at least five pens, in his shirt pocket (not so objectionable a person as a geek, q.v., s.a. propellor head, techie ween).
nib nose n. (mainly Indiana?) A nosey person {sticky beak}.
nickel n. (Not a slang term; it derives from the major metal from which it used to be made) A five-cent coin (s.a. dime).
nickel and dime v. To charge someone in numerous small amounts (e.g., ``These bank charges are nickling and diming me to death'').
no-brainer n. A very easy decision, requiring no thought to make the correct one (s.a. slam [dunk]).
no shit Sherlock interjection. Obviously {shit eh}.
noogie n. Form of affectionate torture inflicted by adults on children, consisting of rubbing the child's head with the knuckles (s.a. indian sunburn).
not just whistling Dixie phrase. Serious (e.g., ``He's not just whistling Dixie'').
nuke vt. 1. To bomb with nuclear weapons; defeat heavily (s.a. toast). 2. To microwave.
nuke the gay whales for Jesus phrase. Phrase designed to offend everyone in one way or another.
numb as a hake adj. (Maine) Stupid, ignorant, insensitive {thick as pig shit}.
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of color a. (Not a slang term) Used to refer, usually collectively, to underprivileged Americans with other than white skin (e.g., ``People of color''). Members of this group, from most definite to least, includes African Americans, Hispanics, and native Americans. Definitely excluded are Asian Americans. See also: black; white trash.
off like a prom dress phrase. Go quickly (e.g., ``It's time to go. We're off like a prom dress.''). (JdW)
off the wall a. (This either derives from baseball, referring to the difficulty of catching a ball which bounces off the wall, or is an allusion to occupants of a padded cell in a mental institution) Crazy, outlandish (s.a. out in left field).
okedoke affirmation OK. Sometimes expanded to okedoke smokie. (DR)
one bagger n. A woman sufficiently ugly that she would need a bag over her head before any male would have sexual intercourse with her (s.a. two bagger, bag your face).
one-eyed snake n. Penis (s.a. crank).
one-eyed wonder worm n. Penis (s.a. crank).
one on one adv. Pertaining to any informal athletic contest in which one person plays another in what is conventionally a team game, usually basketball. To ``go one on one with someone'' means to play such a game, but its use is broadening to include nonpersonal nonathletic rivalries (e.g., ``Apple is going one on one with IBM''). It is sometimes abbreviated to on one.
on the broom a. (From the practice of witches) Menstruating irritably {on the rags} (s.a. ride the cotton pony, sparkplug). (SP)
on the side adj. (diners) 1. Component of a meal that can be served in a separate container, off the primary plate (e.g., ``On my salad, I'll have the blue-cheese dressing, but on the side'') (s.a., diner). 2. Any activity run in parallel with a major activity (e.g., ``He's got a wife and a mistress on the side'').
oreo n. 1. (Not a slang term) A type of cream biscuit comprising two, circular, dark-brown biscuits surrounding a white, creamy centre. 2. Derogatory term for an African American person who sympathises with, or dates or marries, whites (literally: black on the outside, white on the inside) (s.a. Uncle Tom).
out v. (Contraction of ``come out of the closet'') To reveal publicly one's homosexuality. One can out oneself, but also be outed. Also used adjectivally.
out in left field a. (Baseball) 1. To be out of touch with reality, to be somewhat deranged {not the full quid; a kangaroo loose in the top paddock} (s.a. flake). 2. To be eccentrically individualistic {a character}. (In discussion with my usage panel, in paticular DC and MC, I've come up with the following hypothesis as to the etymology: In baseball, the left fielder is the one farthest from the batter, because the longest balls are hit into left field. In that sense the person in left field is out on his or her own, and could be out of touch with the game.)
out of hand a. 1. Uncontrollable. 2. Drunk.
out of it a. 1. Disoriented. 2. Drunk.
out of stater n. (Maine) A tourist or a person who has a summer home in Maine (said extremely disdainfully) (s.a. from away, summer over).
out to lunch a. Crazy {one brick short of a load} (s.a. flakey).
over adj. Describing a fried egg that has been turned over while still in the pan (s.a. diner, foods).
[P] Back to index
pants vt. To sneak up behind a boy and pull down his pants, leading to his embarassment and general hilarity from onlookers (s.a. moon, wedgie). (DBB)
paper vt. To toilet paper (q.v.).
pattie melt n. A rissole (the pattie) with melted swiss cheese (the melt, q.v.) on top, served on a piece of rye bread soaked with melted butter and grilled (s.a. foods).
pearl n. The clitoris (s.a. bearded clam). (DBB)
pearl jam n. (Involving congestion of the clitoris?) Female orgasm (s.a. pearl). (DBB)
pearl necklace n. A woman wears this after a man has ejaculated over her face and neck (synonym: string of pearls). It is viewed by the respective partners as a gift to receive and to give.
pecker n. Penis (s.a. crank).
pee n. Urine {piss}.
pencil-necked geek n. (Probably derived from his appearance; i.e., having a large head on a skinny, nonmuscular neck) An extreme form of a geek (q.v.), a very nerdy (q.v.) geek.
peter n. Penis {Percy} (s.a. crank).
phat a. (Abbreviation; from the hip-hop movement) 1. Describing someone who is Pretty Hot And Tempting. Usually applied to an attractive member of the opposite sex. (JG) 2. Cool and funky looking. (TP)
phenon n. (from phenomenon) A precocious person.
Philly n. Philadelphia (s.a. Beantown).
pick up vt. (from ``pick up the tab for'') To pay for (e.g., ``I'll pick up dinner) (Synonym: treat) (s.a. check).
pididdle n. (Maine) Car with one functioning headlight.
pine tree float n. A glass of water with a toothpick in it (s.a. hobo soda).
piece of cake a. Easy {piece of piss}.
piece of junk n. A beater (q.v.).
pile of junk n. A beater (q.v.).
pinch a loaf v. To defecate {squeeze a Malteaser} (s.a. go to the bathroom).
pistol n. A high-energy, vibrant person, someone who is hot stuff (q.v.).
piss v. 1. To anger, to enrage. 2. To perform ineffectually, desultorily, or unseriously {fart-arse} (e.g., ``He was just pissing around''). 3. (Rare) To urinate {piss!} (s.a. go to the bathroom).
pissed a. Angry {shitted off}.
pissed off a. Long form of pissed {pissed off!} (q.v.).
pits, the a. Bad, depressing (e.g., ``It's the pits).
pixie stick n. (Not a slang term) A confection consisting of a barber's-pole-coloured paper drinking straw filled with tart sugary white powder (s.a. candy).
plug vt. To engage in sexual intercourse (s.a., ball).
plug a meter v. 1. To put coins in a parking meter (s.a. feed a meter).
pocket pool n. Masturbation {pocket billiards} (s.a. beat off).
pocket rocket n. Penis (s.a. crank).
polluted a. Drunk {been on the turps} (s.a. blitzed).
pollywog n. Tadpole.
poontang n. (Southern U.S., from South East Asian (Vietnamese?) for woman or whore; rare) Vagina {twat} (s.a. bearded clam).
poop n. Excrement {poo} (s.a. do).
pooper n. Toilet.
pop a cherry v. To deflower a virgin (s.a. cherry).
pop bottle n. (Not a slang term) A confection consisting of a small (4 cm) flattened container made of white edible wax, in the shape of a soft-drink (pop) bottle, and filled with a sweet coloured liquid. This is not to say that the wax is tasty, as I learned when I tried one. The contents of the pop bottle gives the wax a flavour for about 10 seconds, but thereafter the macerated mass tastes like wax. These lollies are prized for the chewing enjoyment they offer (s.a. candy).
pop-corn fart n. Something very dry {dead dingo's donger} (as in ``I'm as dry as a pop-corn fart'').
pork vt. To engage in sexual intercourse (s.a. ball).
postal a. (From the unfortunate tendency for disgruntled US postal workers to come to work with an AK47 sub-machine gun and slaughter everyone within range) Beserk {beresk}. The Canadian variant is postie.
power shits n. Particularly bad diarrhoea (s.a. Hershey squirts).
pray to the porcelain god[dess] v. To vomit {call god on the great white telephone} (s.a. barf).
preppie n. 1. A rich university student who dresses ostentatiously. Males wear button-down shirts, polo jumpers and plaid pants, and drive Corvettes. Females wear tartan pleated skirts, silk blouses, and get driven around in Corvettes (s.a. yuppie). 2. (Rare) An adult who dresses like a preppie.
press [the] flesh v. 1. To shake hands. 2. To politic by talking briefly to people and shaking hands.
propellor head n. (MIT?) A person so entranced by technology as to wear a hat surmounted by a propellor (s.a. nerd).
pud n. Penis {one-eyed trousers snake} (s.a. crank).
pull one's chain vi. To deceive intentionally {pull one's leg} (s.a. I'm from Missouri, yank one's chain).
pump vt. To engage in sexual intercourse (s.a. ball).
pumpkin pie n. (Not a slang term) Dessert pie traditionally served at Thanksgiving (s.a. foods).
punt vi. (From American football) To give up on a task {pike}. In American football, if the chances of making the distance required for a new set of downs, or a touchdown, are too slim, then the team will punt the ball, either to get good field position or to get a field goal. Note that to punt in Australia means the opposite: to attempt a difficult task.
pussy n. Vulva {the furry hoop} (s.a. bearded clam).
pussy whipped a. Describing a man who is subservient to his girlfriend or wife.
put out vi. To offer sexual favours (e.g., ``She put out for the guy because he bought her dinner'').
putz vi. (Yiddish for penis) To mess around. Despite its origin, this is quite a mild term (s.a. jerk, schlep, schmuck).
[Q] Back to index
quarter n. (Not a slang term; it specifies one quarter of a dollar) A coin worth twenty-five cents (s.a. dime).
[R] Back to index
rad a. (African American) Exciting, innovative (literally: radical) (s.a. rod).
radar vt. Look (usually at members of the opposite sex) {perve} (s.a. scope).
rag v. To harass, to complain {whinge} (s.a. bitch). (KH)
raincoat n. (Canadian?) A condom (s.a. rubber).
raisin n. Any dried grape including saltanas and currants (s.a. foods).
ralph v. To vomit (s.a. barf).
randy a. (Rare) Desiring sexual activity {randy (as a rabbit)} (s.a. horny).
raunchy a. 1. Strong, unpleasant (e.g., as of odours). 2. Erotic, sleazy.
real McCoy n. The true, authentic item; the thing claimed; the unique object (e.g., If some person's authenticity was in doubt, then substantiated, this might be communicated by ``He is the real McCoy''. There is no plural, and the phrase always takes the definite article.) {It is similar to the Oz adjective: fair dinkum} (s.a. honest to God).
really exclamation. (More common in Canada than the U.S., although this may record the passing into oblivion of its usage) Obviously (literally translated as ``I acknowledge the hyperbolic statement you just made, applaud your humour, and sympathise with you about the injustice/ inconvenience/duplicity/whatever which is the reality of the situation'').
ream out vt. 1. To sodomize violently {bugger} (s.a. corn hole). 2. To give a severe reprimand (e.g., ``The boss reamed me out about the $100 missing from the cash drawer!'', ``I got reamed out by my dad for missing curfew!'').
redneck n. An uneducated, bigoted, white, male, adult {there is no close Oz translation, but yobbo might come close}. The word presumably derived from the sunburnt necks of farm workers.
regular a. Good, definitive (e.g., ``He's a regular guy'').
regular [coffee] n. (diners) Coffee containing a standard amount of sugar and milk (s.a., diner, drinks). {white}
[ride] bareback v. (First heard on an episode of Law & Order) Have sexual intercourse without a condom (e.g., ``He likes to do it bareback'').
ride the cotton pony v. (From the cotton of tampons) Menstruate (s.a. spark plug). (PDS)
ride the porcelain horse v. To vomit {pray at the porcelain alter} (s.a. barf).
right a. (Maritime Canada and Maine U.S.) Very (s.a. some, wicked).
Rocky Mountain oysters n. (Colorado?) Southern delicacy consisting of bulls' testicles (For a recipe see
http://www.netrelief.com/cooking/recipes/oysters.htm).
rod a. 1. Rad (q.v.)
roll up the sidewalk (street) v. To close all commercial establishments (such as shops, bars, restaurants) in a region and to ensure that no one is in sight. This is effected by the mysterious ``they'', as in ``They really roll up the sidewalks {footpaths} here on public holidays'', as can often be seen in Halifax.
rubber n. (Common) A condom (Synonyms: boot, raincoat, skin, weinie wrapper; s.a. Coney Island flat fish, scum bag).
run off a batch by hand vi. To masturbate {have one off the wrist} (s.a. beat off).
rye adj. (diners) Used to describe bread containing rye flour (e.g., ``What sort of bread do you want for your club sandwich?'' ``Rye'') (s.a. white) (s.a. diner, whisky).
[S] Back to index
Saint VD abbreviation Saint Valentine's Day. This is, of course, a double ententre.
salt water taffy n. (Not a slang term) Soft, coloured, paper-wrapped taffy lollies, available for sale at beach shops on the east coast (s.a. candy). These inoffensive lollies symbolize everything that is sleazy and innocent, tawdry and traditional, overpriced and free, kitsch and folk, amoral and conservative, lonely and friendly, post adolescent and pre-adult, and hedonistic and capitalistic about such beach resorts from Fort Lauderdale Florida to Old Orchard Beach Maine. You have to be there to understand.
SBD [fart] n. Silent, But Deadly fart (s.a. GBL fart).
scarf vt. To bolt down food, to eat large amounts of food quickly {scoff} (s.a. glom).
schlep vt. (Yiddish) To drag, to carry something. vi. (literally: to drag oneself around) To waste time, to kill time, to engage in valueless activity.
schmooz v. (Yiddish) To press [the] flesh (q.v.) in nonpolitical situations. One who schmoozes is a schmoozer.
schmuck n. (Yiddish for a penis) A jerk. This is quite a mild term in the U.S., but a terrible thing to say if one is Jewish.
scotch polio n. Hangover after drinking too much scotch. (DBB)
scream at one's feet v. To vomit (s.a barf).
schtick n. (Yiddish) An avocation, an idee fixe, an area of expertise (to put it into obsolete slang: someone's bag, their thing). Used pejoratively (e.g., ``that's her schtick'').
screech n. (Newfoundland) Potent rum from the bottom of the barrel.
screw over v. (The interesting word here is over; s.a. warm over) To exploit, to take unfair advantage of a person, perhaps repeatedly.
script kid[dies] n. (Almost always plural; Internet) A young person who attempts to hack into various internet sites, usually using scripts downloaded from the web. This term was current in 1999 in hacker circles, but made it into at least one mainstream web source, admittedly as a quotation from a hacker pundit (http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/990614/14hack.htm). (Thanks to PB)
scum bag n. 1. (Rare) Used condom (s.a. Coney Island flat fish, rubber). 2. (Common) A worthless, immoral man (Synonyms: dirt ball, jit bag, scum ball, sleaze bag, sleaze ball).
scum ball n. Variant of scum bag (q.v.).
scungy a. Grungy (q.v.).
scuzz ball n. Variant of scum bag (q.v.).
scuzzy a. Grungy (q.v.).
second base n. (Baseball) A stage, intermediate between first and third, in a process. (This is usually used sexually, and refers to contact between male hands and naked female breasts) (s.a. first base).
senior n. (Not a slang term; education) A student in his or her final year of an undergraduate degree {fourth-year} or high school (s.a. freshman).
shake a leg v. 1. To move, to bestir ones self. One is usually exhorted to do this. 2. To dance.
shiksa n. (Yiddish) A non-jewish woman. This is a slightly pejorative term, usually employed by jewish mothers to describe their sons' goy girlfriends (s.s. goy).
shirts n. The name of a team in an informal sports game. Members of this team wear shirts, and always play against the skins (q.v.).
shit n. The most comprehensive definition I've been able to find for this universal slang term is in the book How to shit in the woods. I record here only special meanings referred to in other of my defintions. 1. Zero, nothing, nothing of value (e.g., ``You aint got shit'') (s.a. nada).
shit-eating grin n. Big, smug, grin, usually displayed by someone getting away with something.
shit happens phrase. Predominant 90s American existential philosophy (s.a. life's a bitch and then you die, stuff happens).
shit load n. A lot {big mobs} (s.a. bunch).
shit or get off the pot v. To begin the main task or continue wasting time (s.a. fish or cut bait).
shitfaced a. Drunk {shitfaced} (s.a. blitzed).
shoot exclamation. (Southern; that is, Slim Pickins used to say it all the time) Shit. This is a euphemism.
shoot the shit v. (Corruption of shoot the breeze) Chew the shit (q.v.).
silvertail n. An old, rich, male, member of the aristocracy (s.s. brahmin). The word possibly comes from the idea that such people are so rich their bottoms are made of silver. Alternatively, it might be the human equivalent of ``silverback'', a primatology term to refer to the alpha male in a gorilla troop. I suspect this is an old slang term, possibly from the 1920s, that has largely gone out of currency.
sit on it v. Euphemistic shortening of next entry.
sit on it and rotate v. (Sexual) Go away {piss off} (s.a. eat shit and die).
sit on it and rotate till it bleeds v. Cacophemistic lengthening of previous entry.
six pack n. (From the appearance of a six pack of drink cans) The holy grail of the sit-up set: lean but prominent musculature over the stomach; washboard abs.
skin n. A condom (s.a. rubber).
skins n. The name of a team in an informal sports game. Members of this team remove their shirts, and always play against the shirts (q.v.).
skunk vt. To beat someone comprehensively in a game, often to a score of zero (Synonyms: blank, toast, torch) (s.a. blitzed).
skunked a. 1. Describing someone held to zero in a game. 2. Drunk (s.a. blitzed).
slam [dunk] vt. (Basketball) To accomplish a task easily.
sleaze n. Short form of sleaze bag or sleaze ball (q.v.).
sleaze bag n. (literally: douche bag) A worthless, immoral person (s.a. scum bag).
sleaze ball n. A worthless, immoral person (s.a. sleaze bag).
Sloppy Joe n. Cooked minced meat and tomato paste on a hamburger bun (s.a. foods).
slut puppy n A young man who has sexual intercourse with many different women, and who shows little concern for the reproductive consequences, thereby leaving litters of puppies (babies) behind.
small heifer n. A fat woman (s.a. beached whale). In this case, the opposite of hyperbole.
smore n. (From: ``I would like s'more'') Camp-fire dessert comprising toasted marshmallow and melted (canonically Hershey's) milk chocolate between two toasted graham crackers (q.v.).
smart [-ass] a. 1. Describing a smart ass (q.v.). 2. Describing something pedantic or unfunny (e.g., ``That was a smart-ass thing to say).
smart ass n. An objectionable person who points out other people's errors.
smashed a. Drunk {ratshit} (s.a. blitzed).
smooth move, Ex Lax exclamation. (Ex Lax is a purgative, so the resulting smooth move, while positive for the mover, is not so positive for others forced to witness it) Said sarcastically after someone does something stupid, especially during Boston driving.
snake n. Penis (s.a. crank).
snap the carrot vi. To masturbate (s.a. beat off). (PK)
snarf v. 1. Bolt down food (s.a. glom). 2. Reverse the direction of post nasal drip, by sniffing hard.
snatch n. Vagina {snatch} (s.a. bearded clam).
some a. (Maritime Canadian) Very, but not so very as right (q.v.) (e.g. ``This screech (q.v.) is right some {is extremely} good'').
sophomore n. (Not a slang term; education) A student in his or her second year of an undergraduate degree or at high school (s.a. freshman).
space it out vi. To stare fixedly at nothing in particular, with consciousness ``miles away'' {To enter a brown study, to be so in a brown study} (s.a. spaced). Also space out.
spaced a. To be spaced out {to be in a brown study}.
spark plug v. Tampon (s.a. ride the cotton pony).
spic n. (Contraction of Hispanic) A derogatory term for a Spanish or Puerto Rican person (s.a. dago).
spicy adj. (Not a slang term) Used to describe food containing substances (e.g., curry, peppers) that chemically stimulate the temperature sensors of the body, especially in the mouth, but occasionally, after heroic oral ingestions, the anus (s.a. diner). {hot}
spill one's guts v. Confess all.
sprinkles n. (Always plural; not a slang term) Jimmies (q.v.) (s.a. candy).
stem n. (Northwestern University Neuroscience Students) A stupid person, literally a decerebrate person, possessing only a brain stem.
stewed a. Drunk {consumed too much of the singing syrup} (s.a. blitzed).
stick to one like snot to a finger phrase. Adhere closely and stubbornly. (CR)
stiff n. A corpse.
stiffy n. An erection (s.a., boner).
stool pusher n. Male homosexual {joy boy} (s.a., fag).
stop your grinnin' and drop your linen phrase. Jocular invitation to have sex (s.a., drop your drawers; it's Santa Claus).
string of pearls n. Pearl necklace (q.v.).
stuff happens phrase. Euphemism of shit happens (q.v.).
suck v. 1. To conduct an activity too distasteful to be specified, except this one involves sucking rather than biting (s.a. bite the big one). 2. To be so distasteful (e.g., ``That sucks''). In extremely distasteful situations, this might be expanded to ``That sucks like an Electrolux'' referring to the amazing sucking power of that very early vacuum cleaner. 3. Perform fellatio. Skilled practioners are likely to be rewarded with a similar accolade: ``She sucks like an Electrolux''.
summer over v. (New England; not a slang term) To escape the oppressive heat of Boston or New York summers by retreating to (palatial homes in) Rhode Island (Vanderbilts, Astors) or Bar Harbour (Rockefellers). Originally engaged in only by rich people, but now common, especially from Boston to Maine (s.a. out of stater).
sunny-side up adj. Describing a fried egg with the yolk intact and uppermost (s.a. diner, foods)
Susan B. Anthony n. (Not a slang term) US$1 coin, slightly larger than a quarter. It is rarely seen in general circulation, but is used as a ``token'' for $1 on the Boston T.
Suzy Homemaker n. (From the name of a doll that was sold during the 60s) A woman whose raison d'être is keeping a nice house.
sweet a. (African American) Cool (q.v.). (GH)
[T] Back to index
T, the n. 1. The ``subway'' tracks and trains in Boston. From the MBTA, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (s.a. El). The T tracks are underground only in the city, running along the ground once the outskirts of the city are reached. 2. Any part of the MBTA including buses.
tab n. The bill for a meal in a restaurant (Synonyms: check).
table vt. (Business) To postpone action on, or discussion of, a project. (DBB)
tail n. Offensive term for a woman (e.g., ``Fred's going out to a bar to get some tail'') (s.a. babe). This is probably an old slang term, possibly from before the 1940s.
take a bath v. To lose comprehensively, for example in the stock market (s.a. toast, torch).
take a dump v. To defecate {choke a grogan} (s.a. go to the bathroom).
take a whizz v. To micturate {splash the boots} (s.a. go to the bathroom).
take the monster for a walk v. To take a whizz (q.v.) {shake hands with the unemployed}. (MB)
take the one-eyed trouser snake for a walk [in the grass] vi. To masturbate (s.a. beat off). (PK)
tanked a. Drunk (s.a. hammered).
ta tas n. (Always plural) Female breasts (s.a. boobs). This is a euphemism via baby talk {e.g., wee wee for penis; I cannot think of the Australian equivalent for breasts} of tits, the ta coming from the first letter of tits. (DR)
techie ween n. An engineering (hence techie) student who studies hard, and hence is a nerd (q.v.) (s.a., gunner).
Texas caviar n. Black-eyed peas (q.v.).
the lights are on but no one's home a. Possessing all the attributes of human life except cerebration; stupid (s.a. out to lunch).
the virus n. Human immunodeficiency virus (accent on the the).
third base n. (Baseball) The penultimate stage in a process. This is usually used sexually, and refers to manual contact of female genitalia (s.a. first base).
three card monte n. (New York) A con game in which three playing cards, including a queen, are shuffled face-down on a board or table. The object of the game is to pick the queen for a return equal to the stake, but the queen has usually been removed from the table during the shuffling.
three-fingered salute n. (Computing) The manoeuvre required to reboot an IBM[-compatible] computer (i.e., cntrl-alt-del).
throw for a loop v. (Baseball?) To upset, surprise, confuse (e.g. ``She threw him for a loop'') (s.a. discombobulate).
throat n. (From cut throat; from F&M College) A gunner (q.v.). (KH)
tight a. Close (of friends).
tit[s] n. (Usually plural, corruption of teat) Breasts, usually female breasts (s.a. boobs). This is a much more offensive term than the same word in Australia.
to-die-for a. Describing something especially desirable or delicious. Usually applied to foods. Probably from high-fat foods that Americans seem to believe will result in certain death if consumed (e.g., ``The angel-food cake was to-die-for'').
toast v. To conquer someone comprehensively in a game or athletic competition (s.a. torch).
toasted a. Hung over (s.a. zoned).
toe cheese n. Smegma found between the toes when one's socks are removed after a day of wear (s.a. cheese).
toilet paper vt. To drape toilet paper over someone's house or through the branches of that person's trees, accomplished by repeatedly throwing rolls over the house or trees. This might seem a somewhat collegiate prank, but was regularly practised by the up-scale (q.v.) residents of up-market (q.v.) Evanston, where the whole process was apparently treated with good-natured tolerance. It is sometimes abbreviated to paper.
tops a. Very good, superior.
torch v. (Basketball) To annhilate someone or a team in a game of sport (s.a. toast, take a bath). (DBB)
toss one's cookies. v. To vomit (s.a. barf). It is never used in the canonical form given here, but with an appropriate personal pronoun: e.g., ``She tossed her cookies'').
totally a. (Valleyspeak, see grody) Very, although not as very as ``to the max'' (q.v.).
to the max a. (Valleyspeak, see grody) Very. Valleyspeak words are rare in the general vocabulary, but this phrase is perhaps a little more common.
touch base vi. (Baseball) To contact someone, to meet, to keep in touch (s.a. first base).
touch cloth v. To need to defecate so urgently that a turd is poking out touching the cloth of one's underwear (e.g., ``Hurry up and
find a restroom, I'm touching cloth!'') {eyes turning brown} (s.a. go to the bathroom).
tourista n. Diarrhoea suffered by tourists of Mexico {Dehli belly} (s.a., Montezuma's revenge).
townie n. (New England?) A person who grows up, lives, then dies in the same small town.
treat vt. To pay for {shout} (e.g., ``I'll treat you lunch) (Synonym: pick up) (s.a. check).
truck stop n. (Not a slang term) A restaurant on a highway preferred by truckers (q.v.) (s.a. diner).
trucker n. Someone who makes a living driving a truck.
tschoske n. (Yiddish) An object of little intrinsic worth, but with a garish, overblown appearance.
tubed a. (Possibly from tubes, q.v.) Depressed. (DBB)
tubes n. (Always plural but referring to a singular object; probably denoting the sewerage to which the object is attached) The toilet, a destination much to be kept above (e.g., ``That idea went down the tubes'', i.e.: that idea was discarded as untenable).
tucchus n. (Yiddish) Buttocks. This is a stronger form than tush (q.v.).
tush n. (A contraction of tucchus) Buttocks {bottom}. This is a milder form than ass (q.v.).
Twinkie n. 1. (Not a slang term) A vanilla snack cake containing ``cream'' that is probably made as a byproduct of the petroleum industry. 2. Turd (s.a. drop a twinkie). 3. Penis (s.a. twinkie tweaker).
twinkie tweaker n. Someone who plays with his penis {wanker} (s.a. beat off, wonk).
two bagger n. A woman so ugly that she needs a bag over her head during sexual intercourse that can only be conducted if the male also wears a bag over his head. The male's bag is in case the woman's bag slips off. The ultimate protection is provided by adding a pistol, with which the male would shoot himself in the event that both bags fell off (s.a. one bagger, bag your face).
two bit a. (Literally, worth 25 cents, two bits q.v.) Cheap, shoddy {two-bob}.
two bits n. (A long time ago, before inflation, there was a Spanish gold coin valued at US$1. It could be chopped into eight bits to allow smaller transactions. Two such bits thus were equal to 25 cents, a quarter (q.v.) (s.a. dime).
two cents[' worth] n. Apologetic words for one's opinion.
twoonie n. Canadian two dollar coin (s.a. beaver buck, loonie).
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Uncle Tom n. (From Harriet Beecher Stowe's epynomous story teller of Uncle Tom's Cabin) Derogatory term for an African American person who sympathises with whites, or who plays the stereotypical role of a black person (s.a. oreo).
up-market a. Rich, expensive, upper class, up-scale (q.v.), not down-market (q.v.).
up-scale a. Up-market (q.v.), trendy, not down-scale (q.v.).
up-side n. Good news, positive side (of a situation), pros (of an argument), not the down-side (q.v.).
up shits creek [without a paddle] a. To be in a bad situation where one's only option for getting out of it requires some distasteful or unpleasant action {up shit creek [without a paddle] [in a barbed-wire canoe]}.
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varsity a. (Not a slang term) Referring to senior sports teams in schools, universities, and clubs {First Fifteen (rugby union), First Eleven (cricket)}. This may have had its origin as an abbreviation for ``university'', perhaps denoting that members of such school teams would go onto university.
vertical smile n. The meeting place of the left and right buttocks {crack} (s.a. ass).
vic vt. (African American) To borrow permanently. (SR)
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waders n. Trousers that end short of the ankle (s.a. high waters).
wannabe n. Someone who wants to be something he or she is not (e.g., ``She's a Madonna wannabe'').
warmed over a. Pertaining to anything (usually food) that is reused after some desultory cosmetic effort (usually reheating) has been made to make it look new.
warzoo n. Anus and rectum (s.a. ass).
wasp abbreviation Literally, White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant. The ruling class of the US. (s.a. goy).
wazoo n. Alternative spelling of warzoo.
wasted a. Drunk {a bit under the weather} (s.a. blitzed).
wedgie n. A manoeuvre in which the administrator of the wedgie reaches into the back of the victim's trousers, grabs the victim's underpants, and pulls them up so that they form a wedge dividing the victim's buttocks (s.a. atomic wedgie).
weed n. Marijuana. Most drug terms overlap considerable with Australian usage. Related terms include: bong, grass, joint, Mary J, Mary Jane, reefer, roach.
weinie n. (A small frankfurt sausage {a cheerio}) Diminutive for a penis {wee} (Synonyms: willie, winkie) (s.a. crank).
weinie wrapper n. A condom (s.a. rubber).
wet one's wick v. Engage in sexual intercourse (s.a. ball).
whack off vi. Masturbate {play pocket billiards} (s.a. beat off).
whang n. Penis {old feller} (s.a. crank).
whipped a. Pussy whipped (q.v.).
whisky n. (diners) Rye bread (s.a. diner). This is used by experienced diner patrons wanting rye bread, who know that rye sounds enough to a waiter's or a waitress's ears, under noisy conditions, like dry (q.v.) or white (q.v.).
white adj. (diners) Used to describe bread made only from finely milled flour (s.a. rye, diner).
white trash n. Underprivileged white Americans (s.a. black).
white walls n. (From a type of tyre popular in the 60s) A haircut in which so much is taken off the sides that the untanned part of the scalp is visible through the stubble {short back and sides}.
whole ball of wax n. Everything (s.a. whole nine yards).
whole bunch n. A lot. This is a very common expression (s.a. bunch).
whole nine yards n. (Origin unknown) The full extent of a process; that which is required for a process to be completed. This is usually given with the verb to go, as ``He went the whole nine yards'', meaning that he went to all lengths necessary to complete the project. There is a suggestion of disparagement, a suggestion that such lengths were perhaps excessive (s.a. whole ball of wax).
whopper n. 1. (Not a slang term) A Malteser; a malted-milk ball (q.v.) (s.a. candy). 2. Something very big. 3. A big lie, usually transparent.
wicked a. (Maine) 1. Good (e.g., ``That's a wicked skidder you've got there''). 2. Very (e.g., ``These hot dogs and beans are wicked good'', ``That's a wicked large house'') (s.a. right). 3. (Rare) Bad (e.g., ``The wind is blowin' up something wicked today'').
wig out vi. (Perhaps from the fear one would have if one lost one's wig, or from getting such a fright that one's wig flies off) To become distraughtedly fearful (e.g., ``I woke up and didn't know where I was, so I really wigged out'') (s.a. freak out).
willie n. A a weenie (q.v.) {there seems to be a dearth of Oz synonyms for these terms, suggesting that there is a dearth of the objects they describe}.
wimp n. A weak, ineffectual, pusillanimous milk-sop {sook} (s.a. joe limp dick, wuss).
wind up v. To end up (e.g., ``Because he could not find a bathroom, Fred wound up going against a tree'').
winkie n. A weenie (q.v.).
wonk n. 1. A person who is full of himself or herself {wanker}. (s.a. beat off, twinkie tweaker). 2. A person who is ostentatiously studious or intellectual.
woody n. An erection (s.a., boner).
wop n. A derogatory term for an Italian or Greek person (s.a. dago).
wuss n. (New England) A wimp (q.v.).
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yabbos n. 1. (Always plural) Testicles. (SP) 2. (Always plural, rare) Female breasts {norks} (s.a. boobs). (DR)
yank n. (Canadian, and Australian for that matter) Generic term for a person from the US {septic}.
yank one's chain vi. To pull one's chain (q.v.).
yankee n. (U.S.) A person from the New England states. On rare occasions this is abbreviated to yank. People from the U.S. never refer to themselves as yanks, preferring the geographically imperialistic ``Americans''. This is abetted by Canadians.
YO! n. (U.S.) General form of address to any person in Philadelphia and elsewhere. It is possibly a contraction of You. (SP,PB)
Yoop n. The upper peninsula of the state of Michigan. Yoop may be from the sound of the initials (U. P.) ``You-P'' or may be from typical sounds made by natives of the region, or may be a contraction of Yooperland (q.v.). Usually preceded by ``The''.
Yoopconsin n. The western half of Yooperland (q.v.) plus the state of Wisconsin. (BFP)
Yooper n. Native from the upper peninsula of the state of Michigan (s.a. Yoop, Yooperland).
Yooperland n. The upper peninsula of the state of Michigan. See also Yoop and Yooper. For more see
The Yellow Snow Gazette.
you're welcome phrase. (Not a slang term) Reflexly emitted words from people in the service industries after one says thank you (s.a. have a nice day) (no wuckin furries mite}.
yuppie n. (Coined by Bob Green, a Chicago Tribune journalist: it is an acronym for Young Upwardly-mobile Professional Person) A rich professional person who dresses and lives ostentatiously. Yuppies go in for conspicuous consumption, nouvelle cuisine, and health clubs. Males wear button-down shirts, and designer jeans, and drive Saabs, Volvos, or BMWs. Females wear Ann Klein suits, and drive Saabs, Volvos, or BMWs. Preppies (q.v.) usually grow up to be yuppies, although there are such beings as adult preppies (s.a. guppie)
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zilch n. Zero, none (s.a. nada).
zip n. Zero, none (s.a. nada).
zone out vi. Space out (q.v.).
zoned a. 1. Drunk (s.a. blitzed). 2. Spaced out (q.v.).
Back to Robert P. O'Shea's Home Page. Comments to r_oshea@otago.ac.nz.
n. Testicle (s.a. boys, chooms, nads)
a. Pertaining to vomit (e.g., barf bag -- the brown paper bag provided on planes for the use of airsick passengers).
n. Vomitus.
v. Complain {whinge} bitching a. (African American) Describing something very good or desirable.
adjectival phrase. Bad, distasteful (e.g., ``that bites the big one'') (s.a. suck).
a. African American.
n. A person who so brown noses {arse-licker} (s.a. ass kisser).
vt. To bother, to annoy.
vi. To defecate {choke a grogan} (s.a. go to the bathroom).
vt. To conduct a relationship in which one person regularly goes on dates with another. This usually, but not necessarily, implies monogamy, and that there is an enduring relationship between the two people (s.a. dating).
v. 1. To penetrate with a penis. 2. To mislead irritatingly (e.g., ``My bank's been dicking me around''). 3. To perform a task desultorily (s.a. piss).
v. To send an e-mail flame, to be publicly critical.
a. Describing a freshman (q.v.) (e.g., ``The freshman senator from Virginia'').
a. Pertaining to freshmen.
v. To make an erotic, circling movement of the hips.
a. Describing a hard ass (e.g., ``He's a real hard ass guy'').
exclamation. In truth, verily.
n. Someone who jacks off, a jerk (q.v.).
a. Pertaining to JAPs. Also jappy.
n. A jerk (q.v.).
a. Superior.
n. A person who so kisses up {suck-up} (s.a. brown nose).
vt. To so torture.
vi. To so produce pee, to micturate {shake hands with the wife's best friend} (s.a. go to the bathroom).
vi. To so produce excrement {to poo} (s.a. go to the bathroom).
a. Pertaining to excrement (e.g. ``Pooper scooper'').
a. Pertaining to preppies.
n. 1. Vomitus. 2. (Capitalized, a name) A person who calls Ralph when vomiting, usually distinguished from an Earl (q.v.). 3. A right turn (s.a. louie).
a. Pertaining to a redneck.
n. 2. Penis {bar} (s.a. crank).
n. A loser (q.v).
n. An easily-accomplished task.
a. Describing a sophomore. Often used to describe a brand of humour featuring bodily fluids (e.g., nasal mucus), athough then the adjective is usually sophomoric {undergraduate}.
a. Pertaining to a stem, stupid.
vt. 1. To leave no tip in a restaurant, from miserly motives. (Not tipping when the service has been poor is not an example of stiffing. Actually, the hierarchy of socially-approved communications to the person serving is as follows: excellent service rates a tip of 25-20% and would probably be accompanied by a kind word; adequate service scores 20-15%; if one thing was especially displeasing, 15-10% would be left; if there were more than one problem, the tip would be less than 15-10% by an amount proportional to the severity of the problems and the degree of the server's responsibility for them; terrible service would justify no tip, although it would be usual to explain the reason for its absence, presumably to avoid the misperception that the server was being stiffed; finally, insulting service would justify the most insulting tip, that of a few copper coins. In Canada, all the above categories apply, but the figures should be reduced by 5%. 2. To sneak out of a restaurant without paying the bill {to do a runner}.
n. 1. Someone so conquered (s.a. take a bath). 2. Someone in big trouble (e.g. ``If you ate the last twinkie, you're toast'').
a. Pertaining to yuppies.
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