McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang 4E (PB): The Most Up-to-Date Reference for the Nonstandard Usage, Popular Jargon, and Vulgarisms of Contempos

Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-0-07-161207-4

MHID:       0-07-161207-6

The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-146107-8, MHID: 0-07-146107-8

All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps.

McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. To contact a representative please e-mail us at bulksales@mcgraw-hill.com.

TERMS OF USE

This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (McGraw-Hill) and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work. Use of this work is subject to these terms. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense the work or any part of it without McGraw-Hill’s prior consent. You may use the work for your own noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited. Your right to use the work may be terminated if you fail to comply with these terms.

THE WORK IS PROVIDED AS IS. McGRAW-HILL AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WORK, INCLUDING ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE WORK VIA HYPERLINK OR OTHERWISE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. McGraw-Hill and its licensors do not warrant or guarantee that the functions contained in the work will meet your requirements or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free. Neither McGraw-Hill nor its licensors shall be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom. McGraw-Hill has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work. Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages. This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise.

Contents

How to Use This Dictionary

Introduction

Terms, Symbols, and Abbreviations

Pronunciation Guide

Dictionary

Index of Hidden Key Words

Thematic Index

How to Use This Dictionary

• The dictionary is alphabetized word by word, rather than letter by letter.

• The entry words or phrases are not altered from their normal state. That is, you will find have an ace up one’s sleeve, and not ace up one’s sleeve, have an.

• When looking up a phrase, try to find it first in the body of the dictionary. if it is not found, look for a key word in the phrase in the Index of Hidden Key Words.

• Definitions of the terms and abbreviations used can be found on page xxiii.

• A key to the International Phonetic Alphabet symbols used in the pronunciations can be found on page xxvi.

• Each entry has at least one example sentence. Most of the examples show the entry word in a slang context. Some examples show the entry words in quotation marks, indicating that they are being used in a Standard English context. Both types are considered accurate portrayals of the use of individual slang terms.

• When looking for a slang word with a particular meaning, use the Thematic Index. It serves as a reverse index for slang and colloquial expressions.

• For a list of all the phrases containing a specific slang word, look up that word in the Index of Hidden Key Words.

• Because most racial matters in American slang relate to skin color, the vague terms black and white are used here. Only a very small number of terms relate to descendants of pre-Colombian native Americans, and the traditional term American Indian is used. East Asian, though inexact for the Pacific Rim peoples, is used in preference to Asian, which is far too broad.

• Slang words that appear in standard dictionaries can be considered to have standard spelling. There are many variations in the way that slang is spelled and hyphenated. There is no authority in this matter.

Introduction

What Is Slang?

The word slang is not a technical term. Although it is defined in dictionaries, it really does not have a definition that always makes it possible to distinguish a slang expression from other types of expressions. It is, in fact, an umbrella term that covers many kinds of informal expressions that people employ when they are not involved in producing edited writing in the world of formal communication. Slang is used in dictionary entries as a convenient label covering many kinds of words that one might not wish to include in the most serious and formal English, spoken or written. Other such labels, with other meanings, include dialect, obsolete, substandard, vernacular, and vulgar. Words bearing these labels, and others, are thought not to be as widely known or understood as the standard vocabulary being taught in schools. These labels are included in dictionaries of Standard English and are there to help people with diction or word choice.

The term slang has been used to refer to specialized vocabularies (cant, jargon, or patter) used among criminals, drug users, students, street people, hip-hoppers, video game players, surfboarders, bodybuilders, gamblers, journalists, aviators, food service workers, medical workers, military personnel, and on and on. Some of the expressions used by these groups get carried out of the group into wider use into what is called general or popular slang. These escaped expressions may broaden in meaning and become the basis for further development of even more general slang terms. For instance, going cold turkey in early drug slang referred to suddenly and totally stopping drugs. The term is now used in general slang with the broader meaning of stopping any habit or practice suddenly.

By the way, it should not be assumed that slang and Standard English are complete opposites. There are many slang terms that are as widely known and as long lasting as words in the standard vocabulary. Slang terms like chicken (coward), beaucoup (many), breadbasket (belly), cabbage (money), canary (informer), mouthpiece (lawyer), and smashed (drunk) are widely known slang terms, each of which has substantially the same meaning nationwide. All of them are at least half a century old, and each appears in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition. In choosing vocabulary for use in formal Standard English, except for effect, slang is rarely the first choice.

Characteristics of Slang Meaning and Function

There are a number of observations that can be made about the types of words that have been called slang. Rather than being squeezed into a single long and complex definition, they appear in the following list. These observations have been made by dictionary compilers, teachers, writers, and scholars. These are the kinds of expressions found under the umbrella of general slang.

• Much of the general slang vocabulary is viewed as fun to hear and fun to use.

• Many slang expressions are synonyms of, or nicknames for, widely known, standard words and expressions. For instance, crockery for teeth or magpie for chatterer.

• Many of the slang and colloquial expressions for sexual and scatological matters are euphemistic for more direct terms. For instance, poop is less offensive than shit or dung. Many of the cute names for sexual parts, such as blouse bunnies and melons = breasts, are euphemistic in the sense that they can be used to lighten the mention of these parts.

• Other slang expressions are called dysphemisms. A neutral or good term is replaced by one with some degree of negativity. For example, frog slicing replaces biology class. Food dirtying, such as shit on a shingle, represents another class of dysphemisms.

• Many slang terms are conundrums in that they can be understood by a clever person using context, setting, and native intelligence. Like riddles or word puzzles, they often contain enough information to allow a clever person to figure them out. For instance, when you hear This coffee is bitter. Pass me the sand, will you? you will probably pass the sugar because it looks more like sand than anything else in the vicinity and will counteract bitterness. You will be right, sand = sugar.

• Some slang terms, often called cant, were not intended to be understood by the general public. Some in-group jargon and patter, such as with drug users, pickpockets, carnival workers, and middle school students, is meant to disguise what is being said so outsiders cannot understand it. A few examples are merchandise = contraband, away = in prison, big fish = crime boss.

• Many general slang terms are simply paraphrases of other slang terms with the same meaning. Typical of these thematic groupings are cop, gaffle, glom, nick, pinch. The words in the set each have the same (two in this case) meanings, here steal and arrest. Similar cases are bacon, pig, pork, lard, which are related in their standard meaning and also share the same single slang meaning, police officer.

• Many slang expressions involve some kind of word play and seem to entertain people, at least on first hearing. Some people enjoy seeing and hearing new slang just for fun, whether they ever intend to use it or not.

• Some slang is ephemeral within some of the groups that originate it (such as youth slang) but tends to live longer if it escapes and becomes general slang. Many terms for marijuana were originally devious terms of this type. Grass, pot, ganjah, broc(coli), herb, hemp, and many others fall into this category.

• Slang, informal sexual terms, and scatology all seem to obey the same exclusionary rules, that is, they tend to be avoided in polite and formal English to the same extent.

• Some slang can be described as verbal weapons because it is meant to insult or demean people.

• Slang appearing in a major newspaper is often in quotes and explained to the reader. Much general slang first meets the public eye showcased in this manner. For instance, The youth described his car as the bomb, meaning it is the best.

• Slang is avoided in formal writing, academic writing, and writing intended to appear serious of purpose and reflect intellectual authority. It is less likely to be spoken on the speaker’s platform (pulpit, etc.) than on the streets and in classroom hallways.

• Many slang expressions are typically used with an attitude and are created to raise eyebrows and provoke censure. They act as a foil to both the standard language and standards of behavior.

Characteristics of Slang Formation and Origins

In general slang there are often clues that help the hearer figure out what is being said. Understanding the patterns of slang formation can allow the pleasurable figuring out of slang terms. Given information about the setting, context, and cultural details, many slang and colloquial expressions can be understood even on first hearing. Here are some of the types of slang formation.

• Raw coinages, such as moolah (money). A completely new word is made up without reference to any part of an existing word. It is difficult to guess the meaning of a raw coinage.

• Rhyming compounds, such as anchor-clanker (sailor). The first and second words rhyme.

• Alliterative compounds, such as bed-bunny (easy woman). The initial letters of the two words are the same.

• Front clippings, such as roni. The front part or first syllable of a word is left off, in this case, pepper.

• Reinterpretations, such as bumper sticker. The existing term (meaning an adhesive sign for a car bumper) is applied to a new situation where it fits just as well, in this case to a tailgater = someone who follows a car too closely.

• Back clippings, such as hydro. The back part of a word is left off, in this case, ponic.

• Initialisms, such as AWHFY. The letters constitute an abbreviation that is not pronounced as one word but sounded out one by one. This one is an abbreviation of Are we having fun yet?

• Acronyms, such as FISHMO. The letters constitute an abbreviation that is pronounced as if it were an English word. This one is an abbreviation of Fuck it, shit happens, move on! Most acronyms are not slang, however.

• Elaborations, such as Kentucky fried. The well-known brand of fried chicken is used as an elaboration of fried, meaning drunk or drug intoxicated.

• Suffixations, as with tunage. The suffix, age, is attached to the end of a word that retains its basic meaning, in this case tune + age.

• Spelling disguises, such as phat. An alternative spelling of a word is used. The respellings follow the English spelling patterns and are very easy to decode when seen in print. This is an unusual phenomenon for a spoken expression.

• Numerals and letters as words, such as L8, CU, and CU2. Letters or numbers that sound like words are used as words or parts of words: late, see you, see you too.

• Borrowings from a foreign word, such as plonk. This is from French [vin] blanc.

• Phonetic alphabets, such as Adam Henry. The words of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet are used to stand for an initialism that has a slang meaning. Adam Henry > A.H. > asshole. This is a word alphabet, not a phonetic alphabet.

• Izzle-words, such as shizzle, hizzle, mizzle. The initial letter of a standard word has the suffix izzle added. The process is attributed to Snoop Dogg, a hip-hop performer.

• Borrowings from Standard English, such as heinous. The entire standard term is used with the same meaning in a slang context. Its overuse and misuse make it seem like slang.

• Blends, such as fantabulous. Parts of two words are combined to make a new one.

• Extensions and exaggerations, such as bambi, annihilated, animal. The basic standard meaning is extended or exaggerated for effect. These examples mean any deer, devastatingly drunk, and a crude and rude male.

Many of us enjoy presenting a new slang term to a listener by slipping it into conversation. As listeners, many of us enjoy hearing a new slang term and figuring out what it means, using context, setting, and our own brain power. This element of social word play is primarily what attracts word-wise people to slang and what makes a dictionary of this type interesting reading as well as a reference work.

What Is Included in This Dictionary?

For an informal expression to be included in this dictionary, it should exemplify some of the characteristics in the previous list. Some slang dictionary compilers stipulate a rigid definition of slang and then exclude all the words that do not fit the definition. This compiler takes the somewhat more relaxed and less scientific position that expressions that are analogous to slang should be included if people are likely to look up such expressions in a slang and colloquial dictionary. Considerable pains have been taken to avoid including expressions that appear to have been created only for membership in lists of terms, although evidence of widespread (i.e., nationwide) use is not a requirement for inclusion. There are also some common colloquial expressions included that function similarly to slang. Some of the taboo terminology (sex and scatology) falls into this area. The average person is more likely to encounter general slang than the many additional slang terms belonging to the jargon and patter of specialized groups. This dictionary is about general slang, because that is what the reader is likely to hear or read in lunchrooms, bars, movies, streets, hallways, newspapers, books, radio, etc.

All slang dictionaries include expressions that are not considered to be slang by some people, and all these dictionaries also lack expressions that some people think should be included. This is the nature of trying to capture vocabulary that represents many kinds of social functions and many uneven patterns of dissemination.

What Is Meant by Colloquial?

Colloquial refers to conversation, particularly informal conversation. Slang and colloquial are similar in that they are thought of as more indicative of spoken language than formal, written language. In fact, some people might consider slang to be a special variety of colloquial speech. Colloquial expressions tend not to arise from in-group jargon or patter, and they are rarely entertaining conundrums, unlike slang. A word or expression could be excluded from use in Standard English because it sounds too informal and would therefore be called colloquial. This dictionary includes some of the colloquial expressions that are typically used side by side with slang.

Both slang and Standard English have received attention from scholars and chroniclers over the years, but there are many commonplace colloquial phrases that have fallen through the cracks. The availability of old movies opens up a new area for slang and colloquial research. Even more promising is the restoration of tens of thousands of radio programs dating from the mid-1930s. Imagine a lexicologist’s excitement at hearing You’re the man! in a 1937 episode of Calling All Cars, with exactly the same meaning and intonation that this very common phrase has in today’s colloquial English. Of course, the street version, You da man! is better known to some.

Previous slang chroniclers have puzzled over deciding what the boundary between slang and colloquial is, if, in fact, there is one. In the past, they have devised titles that include words that hedge the issue, as in Farmer and Henley’s Slang and Its Analogues, Eric Partridge’s A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, or Barrère and Leland’s A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon, and Cant. This dictionary follows the tradition of naming a gray area that allows for the inclusion of expressions that look like slang but might not meet the compiler’s personal definition of slang. There are dictionaries that deal with colloquial English without regard to whether it is slang or standard. For general conversational English, examine Common American Phrases, and for colloquial English in specific contexts, examine NTC’s Dictionary of Everyday American English Expressions.

What Is Meant by Idiom?

Slang is not the same as idiom. Idioms are phrases in which the meaning of the phrase is not the same as the expected literal meaning of the sequence of individual words in the phrase, such as with sitting on a gold mine. This idiom is interesting because its literal meaning leads to a mental picture of someone seated atop a mine entrance labeled gold. As an idiom, it means to be in control of a valuable asset. It is simply a phrase that must be interpreted nonliterally. Whereas figuring out the metaphor involved in an idiomatic expression may give the hearer the same kind of reward as figuring out that the slang bacon and pig mean police officer, the idiom sitting on a gold mine is not slang. Other non-slang idioms are: change one’s tune, lead a dog’s life, raised in a barn, and steaming mad. Idioms that are also slang include: spew one’s guts out, dead from the neck up, do a job on someone, and ream someone out.

Many slang phrases are also idiomatic, but slang and idiom refer to different aspects of words and expressions. Slang focuses on informality and the characteristics bulleted previously, whereas idiomatic refers to the nonliteral interpretation of a phrase. Some slang phrases are idioms, but all idioms are not slang. Only a small percentage of idiomatic expressions, such as open a can of worms, also have literal (mis)interpretations that could be considered entertaining. A good reference work for increasing understanding of American idioms is McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

Who Is This Book For?

1. This book is for those who need to know what slang expressions mean. This includes students of English as a second language and foreign travelers in the U.S. or those planning to come to the U.S. An effort has been made to include additional cultural information for persons who are not steeped in American culture. It is for this reader that colloquial expressions have been included, especially vulgarisms that are used alongside slang in the examples. Another group that needs to know a slang word occasionally is the older American. Generally, seniors are excellent repositories of established slang, but they are baffled by the current crop of terms. This dictionary will help.

2. It is for those who read for curiosity or enjoyment and those who wish to look up a specific word they have heard somewhere. It is for this group that a few devilishly clever but less common expressions have been included. The enjoyment of the linguistic creativity is encouraged here.

3. It is for writers and editors. This includes journalists and various other writers who are looking for confirmation of the meaning of a slang term or who are seeking a slang expression to liven up their writing. Toward serving this audience, this dictionary has a Thematic Index that allows the user to look up a Standard English word or phrase that leads to the slang expression for that standard meaning.

Point of View

The dictionary is compiled from general, popular sources (observation, video, and print) and not from within the groups that created the expressions. That means that the compiler did not spend a year in a middle school lunchroom or a year on the streets of L.A. or a year pacing the halls of a brothel—notebook in hand—or a year playing video games in the arcade or a year repeatedly falling off a skateboard somewhere. The search has been for generally available words that students, foreigners, and readers are likely to want to know about. The words listed here will not equip you with the vocabulary you need to become a hip-hop star, succeed as a popular teenager, or allow you to survive until dawn on the streets of a major U.S. city.

Usage cautions, such as Usually objectionable are made from the point of view of polite adults wishing to avoid offending people. Of course, these usage suggestions could not possibly apply to all people in all situations. The usage comments are suggestions for readers who recognize that some people object to scatology as well as racial and sexual epithets and appreciate having these matters pointed out. These usage comments are also intended to give guidance to persons learning about American language and culture. On the other hand, readers who use slang and colloquial terms exclusively and do not recognize these restrictions will view the usage comments as old-fashioned and stuffy.

Concerns About Taboo

Taboo as used here refers only to restrictions against using offensive words in polite company. It does not refer to a general, cultural taboo. Taboo words are words that many people avoid using in general audiences because they are, or can be interpreted as, offensive. Taboo words are not necessarily slang, but they are often treated as such. The rigorous study of words of this nature is a field in itself and is beyond the scope of a general slang dictionary. The subject matter of this dictionary includes both topics and words that many groups of people find objectionable for a variety of reasons. Personal sexual and excremental matters have long been considered private and not the subject of public discussion. Parallel to that are references to race, women, and a growing list of human types. There are nicknames and insults for all of these groups. It is not possible to list and define slang terms without dwelling on matters that are offensive to various groups of people.

The objection to so-called taboo words is not only to the harshness of the words themselves but to the fact that their very use represents a violation of etiquette. A search for the four-letter words in the Hidden Key Word Index will bring up lists of negative, insulting, and deliberately offensive terms and nicknames for people, in addition to the simple words themselves. These words represent effective verbal weapons that are far more important as such than their actual, basic negative references. Some of the terms were meant to hurt and offend. There is no reason for the reader to take any of these terms personally.

The word list of this dictionary includes the most common offensive terms, and they are defined as thoughtfully as possible. The example sentences, however, do display attitude, arrogance, and whatever rudeness is necessary for the purpose of showing how an expression can be used.

In general, the meaning of an expression will tell a lot about its appropriateness in a particular situation. if the guidance given is not up to the task, avoid using the expression. In the instances that a term has obvious malicious intent, that is noted in the entry. It should be pointed out that unfamiliar terms referring to women and minorities may be assumed to have malicious intent even though the term may only be teasing or humorous in the mind of the user.

Creation, Dispersion, and Life Cycle

Most of us have heard that language is always changing. Most of the change that we are aware of, however, is the addition of vocabulary items. Whereas the standard, literary form of the language is fairly resistant to change, slang and colloquial have no rules, goals, stylebooks, teachers, editors, or traditions that discourage innovation and word play. In fact, the remarkable thing about Standard English is the relative lack of change other than the admission of needed new vocabulary. People seem happy and eager, however, to take up new expressions and use them the way that other people seem to be using them. It is reminiscent of the middle school students who eagerly embrace any slang terms that they hear, simply to be accepted by their peers.

Some vocabulary changes are prescribed, such as African-American (for black or Negro), Native American (for Indian or American Indian), Asian (for Oriental), he or she (for the indeterminate [grammatical] gender he), and chairperson (for chairman). Other new or expanded uses of existing expressions seem to become popular as a matter of style, similar to the way that slang spreads. For instance, gender (for sex), mentor (for tutor, advisor, sponsor, advocate), change out (for exchange), graphic (for explicit violence or sex), build-out (for project completion), and issue (for problem). Whether these will continue to be used this way or simply fade away, as with the frequent use of redux in the 1990s, remains to be seen.

Slang expressions often spread in waves into wider use as with the word issue mentioned earlier, but they can get a boost from media and entertainment sources, which allow them to leapfrog through the country. Other innovative terms may drift around for decades before either dying out or suddenly breaking into more general use. Some slang terms are used only locally and may stay at home for their entire lives. Some, like cool, may be used for decades, take a decade off, and come back as strong as ever for another decade or so. How does a newly invented expression move into wider usage and even become general slang? Almost any answer one can conceive of will be correct for at least one slang expression. There is anecdotal evidence about how a word is faring in one place, but there is no similar information about how the same word is faring in all other places. No human being is in a position to observe all words at all locations over time.

Slang is normal and natural human linguistic creativity. It is mostly word play and the intelligent manipulation of sound and meaning for all sorts of social purposes, both worthy and unworthy. There are no stabilizing influences, such as grammars and stylebooks, to stifle creativity, limit expansion, or prevent the making of errors. There are dictionaries, of course, but no one is encouraged to consult them or to obey them if they do consult them. Users are free to innovate, make errors, and repeat misinterpretations that become new slang.

Slang is typically thought of as being a spoken phenomenon, although a few expressions are probably the product of the imaginations of writers. Slang is often described as ephemeral, meaning that it disappears almost as quickly as it is created. That is a gross overgeneralization. Much contemporary slang was created decades ago. The fastest changing slang is found among the young. Some youths use what can be called fad slang. The rapid replacement of one slang expression with another is typical of an age when children are developing socially. The need to be like others in the group and do what the others are doing is evidenced in their clothing and hairstyles and their informal language also. It would be impossible to write a useful dictionary of only fad slang or just the expressions in style in one place at the present time. It would change before the book was printed. In addition, a given word won’t necessarily be at its peak with every group at the same time. It is possible, however, to compile a dictionary of the slang in general and popular use over the past few decades, and that is what has been done here.

General slang is not here today and gone tomorrow, however. Once a word has spread into general usage, it may be around for years. When it is recorded in movies that will be watched for decades, novels that will be read for years to come, newspaper archives, and the common usage of the population, it is assured a long life. Many of the slang terms known today have long histories of use and many records of use in print. A slang term is not dead until nobody uses it or encounters it any longer. Old-time radio and old movies, as well as printed sources, make slang expressions available to the general public. Much of it resides in the memories of people, available for an appropriate insertion into an utterance for special effect. It may live well over a century before it dies, buried with the memories of its last users.

History and Origins

We can describe words in terms of their origin, or etymology, and the history of their use through time. A typical dictionary etymology of a Standard English word shows the word’s historical forms, including the forms that the word may have had in an earlier stage of the language or in some ancient language. Changes in meaning are also shown by giving examples of use of the word as found in print through the ages. Related words in other languages are also often shown. The history of a word is shown in a Standard English dictionary by showing dated examples of its appearance in print from its beginning to the present. The major dictionary of this type is the Oxford English Dictionary. Most slang follows a path of origin far different from the core vocabulary of Standard English.

There is very little English slang currently in use that comes from an older form of English. Slang terms almost always originate through a specific act of creation (or multiple acts of creation) and not through derivation from an earlier state of the language. The identity of the originator or instant of origin is rarely known. The etymology of a slang word is a statement of its allusions, form and meaning components, formation patterns, and domain of creation and use.

The history of a slang word would be a record of its use through time—when and where it was created, when it was first recorded, and when and if it became widespread and well known—and a record of its progression through the country. All we have of the distant past is what can be found in print. This means that the early use and the time of creation may be completely undocumented. Since slang and colloquial expressions are primarily spoken phenomena, even the earliest published examples of a slang word may or may not be close to the actual act originating the word. Even before a slang term is widespread and seen frequently in readily available printed material, the term may appear much earlier in an obscure source. Finding that source is hit or miss. Nonetheless, a very large amount of slang has appeared in print. There is a dictionary that shows the record of use of many American slang words that have been used in print. This detailed and exhaustive work, Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, shows dated citations of an amazing amount of slang used in print (and some film). The multivolume set (completed through volume two and the letter O) demonstrates that there has been abundant use of slang in print, although not as formal Standard English. This rigorous project shows that there are a large number of slang terms that have the same qualities of uniformity of meaning across the nation and through time as the vocabulary of Standard English. The reader also gets the idea that much of what we consider contemporary slang is much older than we thought.

Although McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions is about meaning, not dating usage, the origin of an expression is given where it is recognized. Most etymologies consist of spelling out how the expression was formed and listing the component forms or meanings.

New in the Fourth Edition

This completely revised and enlarged edition features more than 12,000 contemporary slang and colloquial senses in 9,400 entries. With approximately 900 new main entries, this fourth edition includes street slang, hip-hop terms, college terms, the usual scatology, sexual expressions, and the terms and abbreviations peculiar to the Internet. Arranged alphabetically, entries include additional usage information, slang type, source, allusions, meaning components, formation patterns, and other information about whether the term is, for example, objectionable, derogatory, or provocative. Pronunciation information is included for words that are not pronounced according to ordinary spelling-to-speech rules. The alphabetic arrangement is augmented by an Index of Hidden Key Words, making it possible for the user to find noninitial key words hidden within entry phrases. A new Thematic Index serves as a reverse English dictionary, allowing users to find a slang expression that matches a standard word or meaning. The body of the dictionary has many new cross-references to various entries with similar or same meanings.

References Mentioned in the Introduction

Barrère, Albert, and Charles G. Leland. A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon, and Cant. 1889–90. Two volumes. London: Ballantyne.

Farmer, John S., and W. E. Henley. Slang and Its Analogues. 1890–1904. Seven volumes. Published for subscribers at London and Edinburgh.

Lighter, J. E., et al. Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume I, A–G. 1994. New York: Random House.

_____. Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume II, H–O. 1997. New York: Random House.

Mish, Frederick C., ed. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition. 1998. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster.

Partridge, Eric. A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. 8th ed. Paul Beale, ed. 1984. New York: Macmillan.

Simpson, J. A., and Weiner, Edmund S., eds. The Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition. 1989. Twenty volumes. Clarendon: Oxford University Press.

Spears, Richard A. Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts. 2nd ed. 2002. New York: McGraw-Hill.

_____. McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. 2004. New York: McGraw-Hill.

_____. NTC’s Dictionary of Everyday American English Expressions. 1995. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Terms, Symbols, and Abbreviations

marks the beginning of an example in the main dictionary and serves as a separator in the indexes.

[ ] enclose parts of a definition that aid in its understanding but are not represented in the entry head.

abb. abbreviation, referring to both acronyms and initialisms.

acronym a kind of abbreviation where the initial letters or syllables of the words of a phrase are combined into a pronounceable word, such as GIGO = garbage in, garbage out.

AND indicates that additional variants follow.

black people of African descent and other dark-skinned people.

cliché an overly-familiar and trite phrase.

comp. abb. computer abbreviation, the initialisms and acronyms used in computer communication, such as email and instant messaging.

digitus impudicus the Latin term for the raised middle finger, the rude finger or simply the finger.

East Asian a person who is Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or a citizen of a Southeast Asian country or the Pacific islands.

exclam. an exclamation.

Go to indicates that the information you want is at the entry listed after Go to. Leave this entry and go to the one indicated.

in. an intransitive verb or a phrase containing a intransitive verb.

initialism a kind of abbreviation where the initial letters of the words in a phrase are pronounced one by one, such as BCNU = Be seein’ you.

interj. an interjection.

interrog. an interrogative.

jargon the specialized vocabulary, including phrases, belonging to a particular occupation or to the a group of workers engaged in a particular occupation.

mod. a modifier of some type, such as an adjective or adverb.

n. noun or noun phrase.

NATO Phonetic Alphabet is a kind of verbal spelling where a complete word is used rather than the letter name. The letter being spelled is the first letter of the word uttered. Thus Bravo, Alfa, Delta is BAD. The complete list is Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu. This is not really a phonetic alphabet but is rather a letter alphabet. It is NATO because it has been adopted by the military of each member country of NATO.

patter the slang and colloquial expressions used constantly by a particular group, including the young, thieves, and barkers. Similar to jargon, except that the latter focuses more on vocabulary.

phr. a phrase.

pro. a pronoun.

See also indicates that there is additional information at the entry listed after See also. Consult or consider the entry indicated. It is not required that you visit the indicated entry to understand the current entry. See also does not mean synonymous with the entry indicated.

sent. a sentence.

so someone.

sth something.

streets slang associated with street gangs and the popular gangsta culture. Many elements are taken from the rap or hip-hop music scene.

taboo avoided in polite, formal, dignified, older, or refined settings.

term of address a word that can be used to address a person directly.

try AND try also suggests that you study the index entry listed to see if it is what you are looking for.

tv. a transitive verb or a phrase containing a transitive verb.

underworld slang from criminal and organized crime. Overlaps with streets.

white people of European descent and other light-skinned people.

Pronunciation Guide

Some expressions in the dictionary are followed by a phonetic transcription in International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols. These expressions include words whose pronunciations are not predictable from their spellings, difficult or unfamiliar words, and words where the stress placement is contrastive or unique. The style of pronunciation reflected here is informal and tends to fit the register in which the expression would normally be used. A [d] is used for the alveolar flap typical in American pronunciations such as water and annihilated. The transcriptions distinguish between [a] and [ɔ] and between [w] and even though not all Americans do so. In strict IPA fashion, [j] rather than the [y] substitute is used for the initial sound in yellow. The most prominent syllable in a multisyllabic word is preceded by a . The use of and or or in a phonetic transcription echoes the use of and or or in the preceding entry phrase. The use of… in a transcription indicates that easy-to-pronounce words have been omitted. Parentheses used in a transcription either correspond to parentheses in the preceding entry phrase or indicate optional elements in the transcription. For instance, in artsy-craftsy, the t may or may not be pronounced. The following chart shows the American English values for each of the IPA symbols used in the phonetic transcriptions. To use the chart, first find the large phonetic symbol whose value you want to determine. The two English words to the right of the symbol contain examples of the sound for which the phonetic symbol stands. The letters in boldface type indicate where the sound in question is found in the English word.

Numerical Entries

10-4 Go to ten-four.™

20/20 hindsight Go to twenty-twenty hindsight

24-7 Go to twenty-four, seven.

4 real mod. for real. R U 4 real?

404 Go to four-oh-four.

411 Go to four-one-one.

4-banger n. a four-cycle engine. (See also banger.) Your 4-banger shouldn’t be so loud. How’s the muffler?

5-O Go to five-oh.

773H Go to seven-seven-three-aitch.

86 Go to eighty-six.

A

A-1 AND A number 1 mod. of the highest rating. This steak is really A-1!

A2O Go to apples to oranges.

AAMOF Go to as a matter of fact.

abandominiums n. abandoned apartments used by drug addicts to take crack. (Contrived and forced.) Row after row of abandominiums lined the once proper middle-class neighborhood.

abbreviated piece of nothing n. an insignificant person or thing. Tell that abbreviated piece of nothing to get his tail over here, but fast.

abe n. a five-dollar bill. (From the picture of Abraham Lincoln on the bill.) This wine cost three abes. It had better be good.

able to cut sth tv. able to manage or execute something. (Often negative.) Do you think you’re able to cut it? He’s just not able to cut it.

abolic n. anabolic steroids as used by veterinarians and abused by humans. You keep taking in that abolic, and you’ll swell up and die!

(a)bout it mod. ready; knowledgeable; cool. (Black.) Sam is smart. He’s really about it.

abs n. the abdominal muscles. (Bodybuilding. See also six-pack; washboard abs.) Look at the abs on that guy. Like a crossword puzzle!

abso-bloody-lutely mod. absolutely; emphatically. We are abso-bloody-lutely sick to death of your wishy-washy attitude.

absotively (posilutely) mod. absolutely; decidedly. I will be there at ten, absotively posilutely.

accidentally-on-purpose mod. deliberate, but meant to look like an accident. Then I accidentally-on-purpose spilled water on him.

AC-DC AND AC/DC mod. bisexual. (Older. Initialism.) I didn’t realize at first that we were in an AC-DC bar! He was reported to be AC/DC by a member of the press.

ace 1. mod. [of persons] best; top-rated. She is an ace reporter with the newspaper. 2. n. one dollar. It only costs an ace. Buy two. 3. tv. to pass a test easily, with an A grade. (See also ace out.) I knew I wouldn’t ace it, but I never thought I’d flunk it! 4. n. a nickname for a foolish and ineffectual person. (Sarcastic. Usually a term of address.) Hey, ace, hand me that monkey wrench—if you know what one is. 5. tv. to surpass someone or something; to beat someone or something; to ace soout. The Japanese firm aced the Americans by getting the device onto the shelves first.

ace boom-boom AND ace boon-coon n. one’s good and loyal friend. (Black. Ace boon-coon is not as common as the first entry and is objected to because of coon.) Hey girlfriend, you are my ace boom-boom. Where is my old ace boon-coon, bro?

ace boon-coon Go to ace boom-boom.

ace in the hole n. something important held in reserve. Mary’s beautiful singing voice was her ace in the hole in case everything else failed.

ace in(to sth) in. to happen onto something good; to manage to get into something. I hope I can ace into the afternoon physics class.

ace out in. to be fortunate or lucky. I really aced out on that test in English.

ace soout tv. to maneuver someone out; to win out over someone. (See also aced; ace.) Martha aced out Rebecca to win the first-place trophy.

aced 1. mod. outmaneuvered; outscored. You are aced, sucker! shouted Rebecca as she passed Martha in the 100-yard sprint. 2. mod. alcohol intoxicated. How can anybody be so aced on three beers?

acid n. lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). (Drugs.) Freddy got hold of some bad acid and freaked out.

action 1. n. excitement; activity in general; whatever is happening. This place is dull. I want some action! 2. n. a share of something; a share of the winnings or of the booty. (See also piece (of the action).) I did my share of the work, and I want my share of the action. 3. n. sex; copulation. All those guys are just trying for a little action. 4. n. illegal activity; commerce in drugs; acts of crime. (Underworld.) Things have been a little slow here, but there’s some action on the East Coast.

activated mod. tipsy; alcohol intoxicated. All four of them went out and got a little activated.

Adam n. MDMA (3-4 methylenedioxy-methamphetamine), Ecstasy. (Drugs. See also the unrelated up an’ Adam.) She spent the early part of the evening trying to score some Adam.

Adam Henry n. an AH = asshole, = jerk. Treated as a name. Why don’t you get some smarts, Adam Henry?

addict n. someone showing a strong preference for something or someone. (Not related to drug addiction.) Sam is a real opera addict. He just loves the stuff.

addy n. address. What’s your addy so I can send you an invitation?

adios muchachos tv. good-bye everyone, it’s the end for you. (Spanish.) if you step out in front of a car like that again, it’s adios muchachos.

adobe dollar n. a Mexican peso. How many of these adobe dollars does it take to buy a can of pop here?

AFAIK phr. as far as I know. (Acronym. Computers and the Internet.) Everything is okay with the server, AFAIK.

African golf ball AND African grape n. a watermelon. (Alludes to an early stereotype of Americans of African descent being very fond of watermelon. Forced, contrived, and demeaning.) When he said we were having African grapes for dessert, I though he meant sherbet. Look at the size of that African golf ball!

African grape Go to African golf ball.

Afro AND fro n. a hairdo, sometimes worn by American blacks, where the hair appears to be a large puffy ball. (From African.) Man, I thought Afros went out in the sixties! This rain’s gonna ruin my fro!

After while(, crocodile). phr. Good-bye till later.; See you later. (Crocodile is used only for the sake of the rhyme. This is the response to See you later, alligator.) MARY: See you later. BILL: After while, crocodile.

ag AND aggro mod. aggrivated = irritated: annoyed. Hey, man. Don’t get yourself so aggro! She said she was too ag to help with the dishes.

aggie 1. mod. agricultural. She spent a year at some aggie college, but didn’t like it. 2. n. a student of an agricultural (college) training program. (Specifically, Texas A&M) More and more aggies are going back for their MBAs. n. an agricultural futures contract. (Securities markets. Usually plural.) The March aggies are looking good right now. n. an agate marble or a glass imitation of one. I found the old aggies I played with when I was a kid.

AH n. an asshole; a really wretched person. (A euphemistic disguise. Also a term of address. Rude and derogatory.) Look here, you goddamn AH! Who the hell do you think you are?

A-hole n. an asshole, a very stupid or annoying person. (Usually refers to a male. Rude and derogatory.) Tom can be an A-hole before he’s had his coffee.

AI Go to As if!

aight mod. all right. (Streets.) Aight, my bruva, aight, aight.

AIIC Go to As if I care!

aim for the sky AND reach for the sky; shoot for the sky in. to aspire to something; to set one’s goals high. (See a different sense at reach for the sky.) Shoot for the sky, son. Don’t settle for second best. Don’t settle for less. Reach for the sky!

ain’t 1. in. is not. (Colloquial. Stigmatized, jocular, mock undereducated, as well as undereducated use. Its use is widespread and sometimes deliberate in educated spoken use and when writing for effect. Properly an old contraction of am not or are not. The battle against ain’t was lost at least two centuries ago but is still fought in isolated areas. See also if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.; if it ain’t broke, fix it till it is.; That ain’t hay!; There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.) Saying Ain’t ain’t in the dictionary ain’t so.

ain’t long enough phr. of a sum of money that isn’t adequate; without adequate funds. (Streets.) I can’t go with you. I ain’t long enough.

air ball n. a basketball throw that misses everything, especially the basket. Old Fred has become a master with the air ball. The net will never get worn out.

air biscuit n. a breaking of wind; a fart. (See also cut a muffin.) Who is responsible for that air biscuit?

air guitar n. an imaginary guitar, played along with real music. Jed, who sees himselfas some sort of rock star, plays air guitar when he’s happy or sad.

air hose n. invisible socks; no socks. How do you like my new air hose? One size fits all.

air kiss n. a kiss that is placed on the inside of the fingers of one’s hand then blown to the recipient who is likely to be some distance away. A mass of air kisses drifted down to the wharffrom the passengers departing on the huge Titanic.

air one’s belly tv. to empty one’s stomach; to vomit. That must have been some party. I heard you airing your belly for most of the night, after you got home.

air one’s pores tv. to undress oneself; to become naked. I’m fixing to air my pores and take a shower.

air-bags n. the lungs. Fill those air-bags with good Colorado air!

airbrain Go to airhead.

airhead AND airbrain n. a stupid person. (Someone with air where there should be brains.) Some airbrain put mustard in the ketchup dispenser. Bart seems like such an airhead, but he’s all heart.

airheaded mod. stupid; giddy. (A head full of air.) You are the most airheaded twit I have ever met!

airish mod. [of the weather] chilly or briskly cool. It’s airish enough to freeze the brass off a bald monkey!

airy-fairy mod. insubstantial; of wishful thinking. I don’t care to hear any more of your airy-fairy ideas.

ak AND ok n. October. (Securities markets: options and futures trading.) When the oks expire on Friday, we’ll start looking at the dec index. I told him to buy the aks, or Octobers, and he looked at me like I was crazy!

alchy AND alkie; alky 1. n. alcohol; an alcoholic beverage. The crooks stole most of the alchy from the bar at the club. My great-grandfather made his own alky during prohibition. 2. n. a drunkard. You see alchy after alchy all up and down Maxwell Street.

alike as (two) peas in a pod Go to (as) alike as (two) peas in a pod.

alkie Go to alchy.

alkied (up) mod. alcohol intoxicated. That old bum looks completely alkied up.

alky Go to alchy.

all meat and no potatoes Go to all (that) meat and no potatoes.

All options stink. AND AOS phr. & comp. abb. All options stink.; There is no good solution. I don’t know what to do. All options stink. Since AOS, I’ll do nothing at all.

all over solike a cheap suit phr. pawing and clinging; seductive. (A cheap suit might cling to its wearer.) She must have liked him. She was all over him like a cheap suit.

all over sth mod. very fond of something. Dave is all over old bikes.

all right 1. interj. yes; okay. All right. I’ll do it. 2. mod. for sure; for certain. He’s the one who said it, all right. 3. mod. okay. (This is hyphenated before a nominal. Slang when used before a nominal.) Willy is an all-right guy. 4. exclam. That’s good!; Keep it up! (A general expression of approval, often cried out from the audience during a performance or at applause time. Usually All right! The right is drawn out and falling in pitch.) All right! cried the crowd when they heard the announcement about the pay increase.

All right already! AND All righty already! phr. All right!; Okay. (The second version is more comical than rude.) All right already! Stop pushing me!

all sharped up mod. dressed up; looking sharp. Chuckie, my man, you are totally sharped up.

(all) shook up mod. excited; disturbed; upset. They were pretty shook up after the accident.

all show and no go phr. equipped with good looks but lacking action or energy. (Used to describe someone or something that looks good but does not perform as promised.) That shiny car of Jim’s is all show and no go.

All systems are go. sent. Everything is ready or things are going along as planned. (Borrowed from the jargon used during America’s early space exploration.) BILL: Can we leave now? Is the car gassed up and ready? TOM: All systems are go. Let’s get going.

all that and then some phr. everything mentioned and even more. Q: Did she say all those terrible things so that everyone could hear her? A: All that and then some.

all that jazz n. all that stuff; all that nonsense. She told me I was selfish, hateful, rude, ugly, and all that jazz.

all (that) meat and no potatoes phr. said of a tremendously fat person. (Rude.) Look at that guy—all meat and no potatoes.

all the way mod. with everything on it, as with a hamburger. (See also go all the way.) I’d like one double cheeseburger—all the way.

all the way live mod. very exciting; excellent. Oh, Tiffany is just, like, all the way live!

all wet mod. completely wrong. Wrong! Wrong! You’re all wet!

alley apple 1. n. a piece of horse manure. (See also road apple.) The route of the parade was littered with alley apples after about twenty minutes. 2. n. a brick or stone found in the rubble of the streets. Kelly kicked an alley apple so that it struck a garbage can with a crash.

alligator AND gator n. a long, heavy, black segment of the outside of a tire, usually a truck tire, found on the highway. We dodged off onto the shoulder to avoid running over an alligator. A gator bashed in the bottom of my gas tank.

all-nighter 1. n. something that lasts all night, like a party or study session. After an all-nighter studying, I couldn’t keep my eyes open for the test. 2. n. a place of business that is open all night. We stopped at an all-nighter for a cup of coffee. 3. n. a person who often stays up all night. I’m no all-nighter. I need my beauty sleep, for sure.