McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary American Slang

0 (i-xxx) front matter 8/19/05 7:23 Page xiiIntroductionity. 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 arecreated to raise eyebrows and provoke censure. They act as a foil toboth the standard language and standards of behavior.Characteristics of Slang Formation and OriginsIn general slang there are often clues that help the hearer figure out whatis being said. Understanding the patterns of slang formation can allowthe pleasurable “figuring out” of slang terms. Given information aboutthe setting, context, and cultural details, many slang and colloquialexpressions can be understood even on first hearing. Here are some ofthe types of slang formation. Raw coinages, such as moolah (money). A completely new word ismade 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 andsecond 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 aword 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 situationwhere it fits just as well, in this case to a tailgater someone whofollows a car too closely. Back clippings, such as hydro. The back part of a word is left off, inthis case, ponic. Initialisms, such as AWHFY. The letters constitute an abbreviation thatis not pronounced as one word but sounded out one by one. This oneis an abbreviation of Are we having fun yet? Acronyms, such as FISHMO. The letters constitute an abbreviationthat is pronounced as if it were an English word. This one is anxii

0 (i-xxx) front matter 8/19/05 7:23 Page xiiiIntroduction abbreviation of Fuck it, shit happens, move on! Most acronyms are notslang, however.Elaborations, such as Kentucky fried. The well-known brand of friedchicken is used as an elaboration of fried, meaning drunk or drugintoxicated.Suffixations, as with tunage. The suffix, age, is attached to the end ofa word that retains its basic meaning, in this case tune age.Spelling disguises, such as phat. An alternative spelling of a word isused. The respellings follow the English spelling patterns and are veryeasy to decode when seen in print. This is an unusual phenomenonfor a spoken expression.Numerals and letters as words, such as L8, CU, and CU2. Letters ornumbers 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 aslang 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 toSnoop 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 tomake 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 andrude 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 newxiii

0 (i-xxx) front matter 8/19/05 7:23 Page xivIntroductionslang term and figuring out what it means, using context, setting, andour own brain power. This element of social word play is primarilywhat attracts word-wise people to slang and what makes a dictionaryof 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 shouldexemplify some of the characteristics in the previous list. Some slangdictionary compilers stipulate a rigid definition of slang and thenexclude all the words that do not fit the definition. This compiler takesthe somewhat more relaxed and less “scientific” position that expressions that are analogous to slang should be included if people are likelyto look up such expressions in a slang and colloquial dictionary. Considerable pains have been taken to avoid including expressions thatappear 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 expressionsincluded that function similarly to slang. Some of the taboo terminology (sex and scatology) falls into this area. The average person is morelikely to encounter general slang than the many additional slang termsbelonging to the jargon and patter of specialized groups. This dictionary is about general slang, because that is what the reader is likely tohear or read in lunchrooms, bars, movies, streets, hallways, newspapers,books, radio, etc.All slang dictionaries include expressions that are not considered tobe slang by some people, and all these dictionaries also lack expressionsthat 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 moreindicative of spoken language than formal, written language. In fact,some people might consider slang to be a special variety of colloquialxiv

0 (i-xxx) front matter 8/19/05 7:23 Page xvIntroductionspeech. Colloquial expressions tend not to arise from in-group jargonor patter, and they are rarely entertaining conundrums, unlike slang. Aword or expression could be excluded from use in Standard Englishbecause 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 commonplacecolloquial phrases that have fallen through the cracks. The availabilityof old movies opens up a new area for slang and colloquial research.Even more promising is the restoration of tens of thousands of radioprograms 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 commonphrase 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 theboundary between slang and colloquial is, if, in fact, there is one. Inthe past, they have devised titles that include words that hedge the issue,as in Farmer and Henley’s Slang and Its Analogues, Eric Partridge’sA Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, or Barrère andLeland’s A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon, and Cant. This dictionary follows the tradition of naming a “gray area” that allows for the inclusionof expressions that look like slang but might not meet the compiler’spersonal definition of slang. There are dictionaries that deal with colloquial English without regard to whether it is slang or standard. Forgeneral 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 thesequence of individual words in the phrase, such as with sitting on agold mine. This idiom is interesting because its literal meaning leads toxv

0 (i-xxx) front matter 8/19/05 7:23 Page xviIntroductiona 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 simplya phrase that must be interpreted nonliterally. Whereas figuring out themetaphor involved in an idiomatic expression may give the hearer thesame kind of “reward” as figuring out that the slang bacon and pigmean “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, raisedin a barn, and steaming mad. Idioms that are also slang include: spewone’s guts out, dead from the neck up, do a job on someone, and reamsomeone out.Many slang phrases are also idiomatic, but slang and idiom refer todifferent aspects of words and expressions. Slang focuses on informality and the characteristics bulleted previously, whereas idiomatic refersto the nonliteral interpretation of a phrase. Some slang phrases areidioms, but all idioms are not slang. Only a small percentage ofidiomatic expressions, such as open a can of worms, also have literal(mis)interpretations that could be considered entertaining. A goodreference work for increasing understanding of American idioms isMcGraw-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 expressionsmean. This includes students of English as a second language andforeign travelers in the U.S. or those planning to come to the U.S.An effort has been made to include additional cultural informationfor persons who are not steeped in American culture. It is for thisreader that colloquial expressions have been included, especiallyvulgarisms that are used alongside slang in the examples. Anothergroup that needs to know a slang word occasionally is the olderAmerican. Generally, seniors are excellent repositories of establishedslang, 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 whowish to look up a specific word they have heard somewhere. It is forxvi

0 (i-xxx) front matter 8/19/05 7:23 Page xviiIntroductionthis group that a few devilishly clever but less common expressionshave been included. The enjoyment of the linguistic creativity isencouraged here.3. It is for writers and editors. This includes journalists and variousother writers who are looking for confirmation of the meaning ofa slang term or who are seeking a slang expression to liven uptheir writing. Toward serving this audience, this dictionary has aThematic Index that allows the user to look up a Standard Englishword or phrase that leads to the slang expression for that standardmeaning.Point of ViewThe dictionary is compiled from general, popular sources (observation,video, and print) and not from within the groups that created theexpressions. That means that the compiler did not spend a year in amiddle 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 videogames 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 wordslisted here will not equip you with the vocabulary you need to becomea hip-hop star, succeed as a popular teenager, or allow you to surviveuntil dawn on the streets of a major U.S. city.Usage cautions, such as “Usually objectionable” are made from thepoint of view of polite adults wishing to avoid offending people. Ofcourse, these usage suggestions could not possibly apply to all peoplein all situations. The usage comments are suggestions for readers whorecognize that some people object to scatology as well as racial and sexual epithets and appreciate having these matters pointed out. Theseusage comments are also intended to give guidance to persons learning about American language and culture. On the other hand, readerswho use slang and colloquial terms exclusively and do not recognizethese restrictions will view the usage comments as old-fashioned andstuffy.xvii

0 (i-xxx) front matter 8/19/05 7:23 Page xviiiIntroductionConcerns About “Taboo”“Taboo” as used here refers only to restrictions against using offensivewords 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 wordsare 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 thescope of a general slang dictionary. The subject matter of this dictionary includes both topics and words that many groups of people findobjectionable for a variety of reasons. Personal sexual and excremental matters have long been considered private and not the subject ofpublic discussion. Parallel to that are references to race, women, and agrowing list of human types. There are nicknames and insults for allof 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 harshnessof the words themselves but to the fact that their very use represents aviolation of etiquette. A search for the four-letter words in the HiddenKey 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 negativereferences. Some of the terms were meant to hurt and offend. There isno 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 whateverrudeness is necessary for the purpose of showing how an expressioncan be used.In general, the meaning of an expression will tell a lot about itsappropriateness in a particular situation. If the guidance given is notup to the task, avoid using the expression. In the instances that a termhas obvious malicious intent, that is noted in the entry. It should bexviii

0 (i-xxx) front matter 8/19/05 7:23 Page xixIntroductionpointed out that unfamiliar terms referring to women and minoritiesmay be assumed to have malicious intent even though the term mayonly be teasing or humorous in the mind of the user.Creation, Dispersion, and Life CycleMost of us have heard that language is always changing. Most of thechange that we are aware of, however, is the addition of vocabularyitems. 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 wordplay. 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 expressionsand use them the way that other people seem to be using them. It isreminiscent of the middle school students who eagerly embrace anyslang 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 expandeduses 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 (forexchange), graphic (for explicit violence or sex), build-out (for projectcompletion), and issue (for problem). Whether these will continue tobe used this way or simply fade away, as with the frequent use of reduxin the 1990s, remains to be seen.Slang expressions often spread in waves into wider use as with theword issue mentioned earlier, but they can get a boost from media andentertainment sources, which allow them to leapfrog through the country. Other innovative terms may drift around for decades before eitherdying out or suddenly breaking into more general use. Some slangterms 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 comexix

0 (i-xxx) front matter 8/19/05 7:23 Page xxIntroductionback as strong as ever for another decade or so. How does a newlyinvented expression move into wider usage and even become generalslang? Almost any answer one can conceive of will be correct for at leastone slang expression. There is anecdotal evidence about how a word isfaring in one place, but there is no similar information about how thesame 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 mostlyword play and the intelligent manipulation of sound and meaning forall sorts of social purposes, both worthy and unworthy. There are nostabilizing 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 toobey them if they do consult them. Users are free to innovate, makeerrors, 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 itdisappears almost as quickly as it is created. That is a gross overgeneralization. Much “contemporary” slang was created decades ago. Thefastest changing slang is found among the young. Some youths usewhat can be called fad slang. The rapid replacement of one slang expression with another is typical of an age when children are developingsocially. The need to be like others in the group and do what the others are doing is evidenced in their clothing and hairstyles and theirinformal language also. It would be impossible to write a useful dictionary of only fad slang or just the expressions in style in one place atthe 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 atthe same time. It is possible, however, to compile a dictionary of theslang in general and popular use over the past few decades, and that iswhat has been done here.General slang is not here today and gone tomorrow, however. Oncea word has spread into general usage, it may be around for years. Whenit is recorded in movies that will be watched for decades, novels that

[McGraw-Hill’s dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions] American slang dictionary / the ultimate reference to nonstandard usage, colloquialisms, popular jargon, and vulgarisms / Richard A. Spears — 4th ed. p. cm. Previously published: McGraw-Hill’s dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions, 4th hc ed., 2006.