Talk the Talk: The Slang of 65 American Subcultures

434 Pages·2006·89.49 MB·English

by  Luc Reid

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General Reference
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Do You Know Your Subculture Slang?
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“If your house hasn’t been looted yet, it will be, so put everything you can
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in the bank and make mule characters carry the rest.”
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“Surely a duck kicker would not disturb ducks this old?”
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“She will act as his beard when his parents come over and at office parties.”
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Do you ever feel like people are talking, but you have no idea what they’re
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saying? Do you ever feel like you don’t belong? Then you need Talk the Talk.
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This handy little book is your guide to the unique vernacular of 65 subcul- tt t
tures from hip hop to punk rock, from surfers to hunters, with more than h
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3,500 slang terms.
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Author Luc Reid introduces each subculture and its key characteristics to
give you an informative insider’s peek at culture and diversity in America— tt ll
plus he includes warnings when certain terms should be used with caution so
that you don’t commit any faux pas.
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Discover the meanings of: he Sla
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ground control (drug pushers and users), page 113 • bleep (goths), page of 65 A
148 • zombie gimmick (magicians), page 199 • mob (online gamers), page merica
227 • buildering (rock climbers), page 277 • rules lawyer (role-playing n S
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gamers), page 286 • relaxicon (sci-fi and fantasy fans), page 301 • funnel ult
(skydivers), page 321 • contactee (UFO Reid ures
believers), page 358 • warlock (Wiccans, US $14.99
Z0006 CAN $19.99
witches, and neo-pagans), page 370
ISBN-13: 978-1-58297-423-1
IISSBBNN-1 09: 718-5-8-2197--542832-937-423-1
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writersdigestbooks.com
Cincinnati, Ohio
Talk the Talk© 2006 by Luc Reid. Manufactured in Canada. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without
permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote
brief passages in a review. Published by Writer’s Digest Books, an imprint of F+W
Publications, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236. (800)
289-0963. First edition.
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10 09 08 07 06 5 4 3 2 1
Distributed in Canada by Fraser Direct, 100 Armstrong Avenue, Georgetown, ON,
Canada L7G 5S4, Tel: [phone]
Distributed in the U.K. and Europe by David & Charles, Brunel House, Newton
Abbot, Devon, TQ12 4PU, England, Tel: [phone], Fax: (+44) 1626
323319, E-mail: [email protected]
Distributed in Australia by Capricorn Link, P.O. Box 704, Windsor, NSW 2756
Australia, Tel: [phone]
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Reid, Luc.
Talk the talk : the slang of 65 American subcultures / by Luc Reid.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 384) and indexes.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58297-423-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-58297-423-3
1. English language--United States--Slang--Dictionaries. 2. Americanisms--
Dictionaries. I. Title.
PE2846.R43 2006
427’.73--dc22
2006015738
Edited by Michelle Ehrhard
Designed by Claudean Wheeler
Production coordinated by Robin Richie
DEDICATION/
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
If you fi nd anything you dislike or disagree with in this book, those
things are entirely my fault. For everything you may fi nd interesting or
useful, a good portion of the appreciation is due to the people below,
without whom this book would be just another one of my crazy ideas.
I owe debts of gratitude to:
Michelle Ehrhard, an MS moose among editors, who put up with
too many suggestions and made room for a publishing grom; My friend
and agent, Nadia Cornier, who immediately thought of me when
she heard the phrase “weird reference book,” then sold the angle and
put me over; Ethan and Lily, the fi rst people I think of when I hear
the word “super,” who patiently waited until I had more time for play
fl ights; Jen, the fi lthiest of fi lthy nectar; Pat Reid, who spent years
rustling the chuck for the whole remuda and posted a record parental
average, James Reid, the most supportive elmer a harmonic could wish
for; Sean Reid, whose help almost allowed me to keep the shiny side
up on a photographers section, and Kym Taylor, whose help almost
got enough artistes in my troupe of dancer terms to get it on the show;
The members of Codex and LeeCon 2006, who grokked what I was
doing and who are egoscanning this right now to see if they’ve been
Tuckerized in the quotes. (They haven’t. Sorry.) Nick Roberts, Joy
Marchand, and Kyle Lavalle, who among them helped me sling all
the ink I needed into the tattoo section; Mary Robinette Kowal, to
whom a big vagabond salute for her crucial help in the fi eld of dolly
shaking; Steve Bein, who made his save vs. insanity while he waited
for me to fi nish this tunnel of fun; Rachel Ann Dryden, to whom
gramercy in very sooth for helping me put out my carbon condition;
Cathy Bollinger, who provided pass-along terms and patiently waited
while I forced this manuscript; Linda Swanson, who found elegant
solutions to my timing issues so that I could get this program live; Jud
Roberts, who gave me details from his law enforcement experience
that helped me make game and fi nd the shooters in drug slang; Norma
Jean Almodovar, who gave me the beta to help avoid cratering on sex
worker slang; And you, that wonderful person whose help was invaluable
as I wrote this book but whom I have negligently forgotten to include,
which omission grieves me even now: mad, mad, mad, mad props.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Luc Reid lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife, Jennifer St. John,
and children. He’s a past winner of the Writers of the Future contest and
is the founder of the neo-pro writers’ group Codex (www.codexwriters
.com), which promotes the exchange of information, ideas, and writing
wisdom among pro-level writers, facilitates rapid (seven days or less)
short fi ction critiques, provides a place for a centralized compilation
of writing resources, knowledge, and connections, and sponsors work-
shops and other career- and skill-building events. His short stories
have appeared in Galaxy Press anthologies. He also writes novels and
books for young adults. You can learn more about him at his Web site
www.lucreid.com.
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Introduction
....................................................................1
Americans in Antarctica .....................................................11
Anime and Manga Fans .........................................................15
Astrologers and Astrologists ........................................24
Beekeepers ...............................................................................30
Bicyclists and Mountain Bikers ......................................34
Birders .......................................................................................41
Bodybuilders ..........................................................................45
Carnival Workers .................................................................55
Cat Fanciers .............................................................................65
Cavers and Spelunkers .......................................................69
Circus People ..........................................................................72
Coin and Money Collectors ................................................81
Con Artists and Scammers .................................................87
Cowboys and Rodeo Riders ..............................................102
Drug Pushers and Users ..................................................107
Flyfi shers and Sport Fishermen ...................................119
Furries .....................................................................................122
Gamblers and Poker Players ..........................................127
Gardeners ..............................................................................134
Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered,
and Bisexual People ...........................................................137
Goths ........................................................................................147
Graffi ti Writers ..................................................................152
Gun Enthusiasts ...................................................................156
Hackers and Programmers .............................................159
Ham Radio Operators ........................................................166
Hikers and Backpackers ...................................................171
Historical Reenactors ......................................................176
Hot Rodders ..........................................................................180
Hunters ...................................................................................185
Kayakers, Canoers, and Rafters ...................................189
Magicians ................................................................................195
Mediums, Channelers, and Spiritualists ..................200
Model Builders and Radio-Controlled
Model Enthusiasts ..............................................................207
Model Railroaders and Railfans .................................212
Motorcyclists (Bikers) .....................................................215
Naturists and Nudists .......................................................221
Online Gamers ......................................................................223
Parapsychologists ..............................................................230
Politicians and Politicos .................................................235
Prisoners ...............................................................................243
Pro Wrestling Fans ............................................................248
Prostitutes and Other Sex Workers ...........................257
Punk Rockers and Straight Edgers .............................262
Puppeteers .............................................................................265
Renaissance Fairegoers ....................................................270
Rock Climbers .......................................................................275
Role-Playing Gamers ..........................................................283
RV Owners ...............................................................................288
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fans ......................................................293
Scuba Divers ..........................................................................305
Skateboarders .....................................................................309
Skiers .......................................................................................313