McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions: The Most Up-to-Date Reference for the Nonstandard Usage, Popular Jargon, and Vulgarisms of Contempos

1056 Pages·2005·6.83 MB·English

by  Richard Spears

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:
978-0-07146107-8, MHID: 0-07-1461078
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 [email protected].
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
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.