US Slangs

antsy adjective US slang

very nervous, worried or unpleasantly excited

It was a long drive and the children started to get antsy.

I always get antsy about meeting my husband's boss.

beat verb beat , beaten or US ALSO beat DEFEAT

2. informal to be more enjoyable than another activity or experience

[ + -ing verb ] Taking the bus sure beats walk ing .

slang Taking the bus beats the hell out of (= is much better than) walking all the way there.

You can't beat (= there is nothing more enjoyable than) a cold beer on a hot afternoon.

blow noun DRUG

6. [ U ] US slang cocaine

bodacious adjective mainly US slang

very large or important, or something that people enjoy or admire

It was a bodacious concert!

booty noun BODY PART

2. [ C ] US slang the part of the body that you sit on; bottom

bootylicious adjective

US slang sexually attractive

bozo noun [ C ] plural bozos mainly US slang

a stupid person

Some bozo on a motorcycle almost ran me over.

bun noun BOTTOM

4. [ C usually plural ] mainly US slang a buttock (= one side of a person's bottom)

bust verb [ T ] bust or US busted , bust or US busted ARREST

2. US slang When the police bust a person, they arrest him or her, or when they bust a building or a place, they arrest people in it who they believe are breaking the law

The police busted him because they think he's involved with a terrorist group.

butt noun BOTTOM

2. [ C ] US slang for bottom

She told him to get off his butt and do something useful.

cheesecake noun WOMEN

2. [ U ] mainly US old-fashioned slang photographs of sexually attractive young women wearing very few clothes, or the women who appear in such photographs

chickenshit noun [ C ] , adjective

US slang disapproving for chicken (= a person who is not brave)

C'mon, don't be such a chickenshit - just go up and ask her to dance.

clinker noun MISTAKE

2. [ C ] US old-fashioned slang a mistake, especially a wrong musical note

cockamamie adjective US slang

stupid or silly

He had some cockamamie idea about turning waste paper into animal food.

corn noun EMOTION

4. [ U ] mainly US slang something which is old-fashioned, boring, or done to cause emotion

Everyone says it's a great movie, but I think it's just corn.

crazy noun [ C ] US slang

a person who behaves in a way that is stupid or not sensible, especially one who is mentally ill

There's some old crazy over there shouting and spitting at people.

crib noun [ C ] HOME

3. US slang Someone's crib is their home or the place where they are living at present.

dame noun [ C ] WOMAN

1. US old-fashioned slang a woman

dis verb [ T ] -ss- US slang

diss

diss -ss- , dis verb [ T ] US slang

to speak or behave rudely to someone or to show them no respect

Don't diss me, man!

dude noun [ C ] mainly US slang

a man

Some dude just asked me if I knew you.

[ as form of address ] Dude, where were you last night?

Jason was one cool dude.

dweeb noun [ C ] US slang disapproving

a person who is physically and socially awkward and has little confidence

What a dweeb! Why doesn't she dump him?

fag noun HOMOSEXUAL

2. [ C ] US slang an offensive word for a homosexual man

faggot noun HOMOSEXUAL

1. [ C ] ( informal fag ) mainly US slang a homosexual man. This word is considered offensive when it is used by people who are not homosexual.

fruit noun PERSON

4. [ C ] US slang a male homosexual. Many people consider this word offensive.

fuzz noun [ U ] POLICE

2. UK and US old-fashioned slang and informal Australian English the police

Watch out! It's the fuzz.

gangbanger noun [ C ] US slang

a member of a violent group of young men, especially ones who use guns and commit crimes

gimme noun [ C usually singular ] US slang

something which is extremely easy to do

That first test question was a gimme, for sure.

gonzo adjective US slang

(especially used of pieces of writing in newspapers) intended to be shocking and exciting rather than give information

gonzo journalism

greenback noun [ C ] US old-fashioned slang

a US dollar

grub verb -bb- TAKE

2. [ T usually + adverb or preposition ] US slang to ask someone for something without intending to pay for it

Could I grub a cigarette off you?

grungy adjective mainly US slang

(of a person) feeling tired and dirty, or (of a thing) dirty

He showed up for the interview wearing some grungy old sweatshirt and jeans.

hit verb hitting , hit , hit ATTACK

8. [ T ] mainly US slang to kill someone

Three drug dealers were hit in the city over the weekend.

hit noun [ C ] ATTACK

6. mainly US slang an act of murder

He was the victim of a mafia hit.

homeboy noun [ C ] ( also homey ) US slang

a boy or man from your own town, or someone who is a close friend or a member of your gang

homey noun [ C ] US slang

homeboy

honky noun [ C ] US slang disapproving

a word used by some black people to refer to a white person

hooch , hootch noun [ U ] US slang

strong alcohol, especially whisky

hood noun [ C ] PLACE

5. ( also 'hood ) US slang a poor neighbourhood

When he started he was just a poor boy from the hood - now he's a multimillionaire.

hoser noun [ C ] US and Canadian slang

a stupid or rude person

ice verb [ T ] KILL

2. US slang to murder someone

jeez exclamation US slang

an expression of surprise or strong emotion

Jeez, don't yell at me - I'm just telling you what she said!

jive noun TALK

2. [ U ] US slang talk which has no meaning or is dishonest

Don't believe a word he says, it's just a bunch of (= a lot of) jive!

jive verb TALK

2. [ T ] US slang to try to make someone believe something that is untrue

Quit jiving me and just tell me where you were!

job noun CRIME

6. [ C ] slang a crime in which money or goods are stolen, or an action or activity which is dishonest or unpleasant

He was put in prison for five years for doing a bank job.

US He really did a job on her, telling her that he would love her for ever and then moving to Fiji with someone else.

john noun [ C ] PERSON

2. US slang a man who is the customer of a prostitute (= a woman who charges men to have sex with her)

juice noun POWER

3. [ U ] US slang power or influence

My cousin Gianni's got all the juice in this neighborhood.

junk noun DRUG

2. [ U ] mainly US slang a dangerous drug, especially heroin

klutz noun [ C ] mainly US slang

a very silly or stupid person, or a person who moves awkwardly

leatherneck noun [ C ] US slang

a soldier in the US Marine Corps

loaded adjective DRUNK

5. [ after verb ] mainly US slang drunk

What a party - everyone was loaded!

loco adjective [ after verb ] mainly US slang

crazy

Man, he just went loco and smashed the place up.

lug noun [ C ] PERSON

2. US slang an awkward or stupid man

lug noun [ C ] PERSON

3. US slang a way of talking to a man you like

Come over here and give me a kiss, you big lug.

lulu noun [ C ] US old-fashioned slang

something which is extremely good or extremely bad

I've seen a few black eyes in my time but that's a lulu!

majorly adverb mainly US slang

very or extremely

Have you seen Chrissie's new leather jacket? It's majorly cool.

mama noun [ C ]

2. US slang a woman, especially an attractive one

There's a good-looking mama sitting at the bar.

moll noun [ C ]

1. US slang a female companion of a gangster (= violent criminal)

mooch verb GET

2. [ I or T ] US slang to get something without paying or working for it, or to borrow something without intending to return it

You're old enough to get a job and stop mooching off your family.

He mooched a ten off me, and I knew right then I'd never see it again.

nark verb TELL POLICE

2. [ I ] ( also narc ) US slang to secretly tell the police or someone in authority about something bad or illegal that someone has done

nark noun [ C ] POLICE OFFICER

2. ( also narc ) US slang a police officer whose job is to catch people who produce, sell or use illegal drugs

number noun PARTICULAR THING

11. [ C ] US slang a person with a particular characteristic

He's a real sexy number, don't you think?

number noun PARTICULAR THING

13. [ C usually singular ] mainly US slang something that is often said

He tried the usual/that old number about how his wife didn't understand him.

OD noun [ C ] plural OD's mainly US slang

off verb [ T ] US slang

to kill someone

They offed him and dumped his body in the swamp.

pack verb CARRY

5. [ T ] US slang to carry something, especially a gun

to pack a gun

Each missile packs several warheads.

figurative This gun packs (= has) a lot of firepower.

patsy noun [ C ] US slang

a person who it is easy to cheat or make suffer

pen noun [ C ] ENCLOSED SPACE

3. US slang for penitentiary

He served nine years in the state pen.

phenom noun [ C ] US slang

someone or something extremely successful, especially someone young in sports who achieves a lot very quickly

In less than a year, the 21-year-old phenom has gone from being a college athlete with great potential to perhaps the best player in baseball.

piece noun [ C ] GUN

8. old-fashioned a gun

an artillery piece

US slang He was carrying a piece when he was arrested.

plug verb [ T ] -gg- SHOOT

2. US slang to shoot someone with a gun

Sure, boss, we plugged the guy (full of lead) .

pot noun DRUG

9. [ U ] US slang or UK old-fashioned slang cannabis

a pot smoker

punk noun CRIMINAL

3. [ C ] mainly US slang a young man who fights and is involved in criminal activities

Listen to me, you little punk - you do that again and I'm gonna break your neck.

putz noun [ C ] US slang

a stupid person

rap noun PUNISHMENT

2. [ C or U ] mainly US slang when someone is accused of of crime, or a punishment

He always said he was jailed on a bum rap (= false accusation) .

The police caught him, but somehow he managed to beat the rap (= escape punishment) .

I'm not going to take the rap for you (= be punished for something you did) .

rap noun JUDGMENT

3. [ C ] US slang a judgment or a reaction

The new show got a bum/bad rap (= was severely criticized) in all the papers.

rhubarb noun ARGUMENT

2. [ C ] US old-fashioned slang a loud argument

rubber noun SUBSTANCE

3. [ C ] US slang for a condom

sauce noun THICK LIQUID

2. [ U ] US slang alcohol

Gran's been on the sauce again - she's passed out in the den.

slattern noun [ C ]

2. US slang disapproving a woman who has many sexual partners, for pleasure or payment

sneak verb sneaked or US ALSO snuck , sneaked or US ALSO snuck TELL SECRETLY

2. [ I ] UK slang disapproving to secretly tell someone in authority, especially a teacher, that someone else has done something bad, often in order to cause trouble

She was one of those dreadful children who was always sneaking on other kids in the class.

snoot noun [ C ] US slang

a nose

Keep your big snoot out of my business!

squat noun ANYTHING

3. [ U ] US slang anything

She shouldn't talk - she doesn't know squat about it.

His opinion isn't worth squat.

stacked adjective

2. US slang (of a woman) having large breasts. This sense is considered offensive by many women.

sting noun GETTING STH

4. [ C ] mainly US slang a clever and complicated act of stealing

A bank employee was involved in the sting in which $5 million was stolen.

sting noun GETTING STH

5. [ C ] mainly US slang a police action to catch criminals in which the police pretend to be criminals

a sting operation

suck verb BE BAD

3. [ I ] mainly US slang If someone or something sucks, they are bad or unpleasant

Man, this job sucks!

While my brother was sick, I had to do all of his chores and it sucked.

swish noun [ C ] LIKE A WOMAN

2. US slang disapproving a man who behaves or appears in a way that is generally considered more suited to a woman, and who does not have traditional male qualities

swishy adjective LIKE A WOMAN

1. US slang disapproving describes a man who behaves or appears in a way that is generally considered more suited to a woman

tightwad noun [ C ] US slang disapproving

a person who is not willing to spend money

There's no point in asking Joe to pay for it - he's a real tightwad.

tramp noun WOMAN

2. [ C ] US slang disapproving a woman who has sex often, with a lot of different partners

tush noun [ C ] US slang

the part of your body that you sit on; bottom

I slipped on the ice and landed right on my tush!

waste verb [ T ] KILL

2. US slang to kill someone

wasted adjective DRUNK

3. mainly US slang very drunk or ill from drugs

He was too wasted to drive.

Paula was completely wasted after only one drink.

ˈ barf ˌ bag noun [ C ] mainly US slang

a waterproof paper bag provided for each passenger on an aircraft in case they need to vomit

Bronx cheer noun [ C ] US slang

a rude sound made by sticking the tongue out and blowing

ˌ butt ˈ naked adjective US slang

completely naked

C-note noun [ C ] US slang

a piece of paper money with the value of 100 dollars

ˈ fall ˌ guy noun [ C usually singular ] mainly US slang

a person who is falsely blamed for something that has gone wrong, or for a crime that they have not committed

The governor was looking for a fall guy to take the blame for the corruption scandal.

G-man noun [ C ] US slang

a government official in the US, especially one who works for the FBI

ˈ grease ˌ monkey noun [ C ] mainly US old-fashioned slang

someone whose job is repairing car or aircraft engines

ˈ hot ˌ button noun [ C ] US slang

a subject that is important to people and which they feel strongly about

Gender issues have become something of a hot button.

Abortion has become a hot button issue .

lily-white adjective RACE

2. US slang disapproving Caucasian

a lily-white suburb

ˈ mall ˌ rat noun [ C ] US slang

a young person who goes to shopping malls (= large covered shopping areas) to spend time with their friends

no-good adjective [ before noun ] US slang disapproving

describes someone who does nothing useful or helpful and is therefore considered to be of little value

a no-good son of a bitch

no-lose adjective US slang

describes a set of conditions in which there will be a happy and successful result whatever happens

For him this is a no-lose campaign - he will become either vice president-elect or a much stronger presidential contender for the next election.

pork-barrel adjective [ before noun ] US slang disapproving

involving the spending of large amounts of money in an area in order to become more popular with local voters

pork-barrel projects/spending

ˈ shooting ˌ gallery noun [ C ] DRUGS

2. US slang a place where people go to inject illegal drugs

Police raided a well-known shooting gallery on Thursday night.

ˈ skin ˌ flick noun [ C ] US slang

a film that shows sexual acts in a way that is intended to cause sexual excitement but that would be considered unpleasant and offensive by many people

It's a cheap movie house that only shows skin flicks.

ˌ wiped ˈ out adjective [ after verb ] DRUNK

2. US slang suffering from the effects of drinking alcohol or taking drugs

condom noun [ C ] ( UK also sheath , US slang also rubber )

a thin rubber covering that a man can wear on his penis during sex to stop a woman becoming pregnant or to protect him or his partner against infectious diseases

diss -ss- , dis verb [ T ] US slang

to speak or behave rudely to someone or to show them no respect

Don't diss me, man!

dosshouse noun [ C ] ( US flophouse ) slang

an extremely cheap hotel for poor people who have no home in a city

faggot noun HOMOSEXUAL

1. [ C ] ( informal fag ) mainly US slang a homosexual man. This word is considered offensive when it is used by people who are not homosexual.

homeboy noun [ C ] ( also homey ) US slang

a boy or man from your own town, or someone who is a close friend or a member of your gang

hooch , hootch noun [ U ] US slang

strong alcohol, especially whisky

hood noun [ C ] PLACE

5. ( also 'hood ) US slang a poor neighbourhood

When he started he was just a poor boy from the hood - now he's a multimillionaire.

nark verb TELL POLICE

2. [ I ] ( also narc ) US slang to secretly tell the police or someone in authority about something bad or illegal that someone has done

nark noun [ C ] POLICE OFFICER

2. ( also narc ) US slang a police officer whose job is to catch people who produce, sell or use illegal drugs

noddle noun [ C ] ( US noodle ) old-fashioned slang

the head of a person, or their ability to think

Did that hit you on the noddle?

Use your noddle - clear the shelves before you paint the cupboard!

perpetrator noun [ C ] ( US old-fashioned slang perp ) formal

someone who has committed a crime, or a violent or harmful act

The perpetrators of the massacre must be brought to justice as war criminals.

ˈ traffic po ˌ lice plural noun ( US slang traffic cops )

police officers whose job is to direct the movement of vehicles on a road or to stop drivers who are breaking the law and give them an official notice of their offence

fink on sb phrasal verb US old-fashioned slang

to tell other people secret and damaging information about someone

fink out phrasal verb US slang

to fail to do something, especially something promised

We'd planned to go camping but at the last minute Ron finked out.

get (sb) off phrasal verb PLEASURE

2. mainly US slang to have or give someone an orgasm

They got off at the same time.

go down phrasal verb HAPPEN

8. US slang If an event such as a crime or a deal goes down, it happens

I tried to tell Tyrell what was going down, but he wouldn't listen.

hit on sb phrasal verb US slang

to show someone that you are sexually attracted to them

Some guy hit on me while I was standing at the bar.

knock sth off phrasal verb [ M ] STEAL

1. ( US knock sth over ) slang to steal something

He has a stack of computer equipment he's knocked off from various shops.

Terrorist groups are knocking off ( US also knocking over ) banks to get money.

He was caught selling knocked-off car radios in the pub.

knock sth off phrasal verb [ M ] STEAL

1. ( US knock sth over ) slang to steal something

He has a stack of computer equipment he's knocked off from various shops.

Terrorist groups are knocking off ( US also knocking over ) banks to get money.

He was caught selling knocked-off car radios in the pub.

lay sth on phrasal verb [ M ] TELL

2. mainly US slang to tell someone something they did not know

I hate to be the one to lay this on you, but your girlfriend has just left with another guy.

make with sth phrasal verb US old-fashioned slang

to give, bring or do something

He pointed a gun and said "Make with the money bags, baby!"

mess sb up phrasal verb INJURE

2. US slang to hit someone repeatedly so that they are badly injured

put out phrasal verb US slang

(especially of a woman) to agree to have sex

I wasn't going to put out just because he'd paid for dinner.

ream sb (out) phrasal verb [ M ] US slang

to tell someone off severely because you strongly disapprove of their behaviour

The boss reamed them out for sleeping on the job.

rub sb out phrasal verb [ M ] US slang

to murder someone

He was rubbed out by the Mafia.

snuff sb out phrasal verb [ M ] US slang

to kill someone

chops

b. [ plural ] US slang the way you hold your mouth when playing a wind instrument such as a saxophone , or more generally, your ability to play a musical instrument

She's got great chops for a 14-year-old.

hooters

[ plural ] US slang a woman's breasts. This sense is considered offensive.

the man

US slang the police

the poop US old-fashioned slang

information

Did you get the poop on all the candidates?

that beats everything ( US also that beats all ) slang

expression showing great surprise

You mean she just left her job without telling anyone she was going? Well, that beats everything!

cop a feel US slang

to touch someone in a sexual way without their permission

cop a plea slang US

to admit to having committed a crime in order to avoid being punished for a more serious crime

do a number on sb US slang

to hurt, defeat or embarrass someone

She really did a number on her old boyfriend, making him beg her to come back and then turning him down.

put the squeeze on sb ( US also put the bite on sb ) slang

to ask someone to give you money

She put the squeeze on her mother for a hundred bucks.

The insurance company put the bite on me for a huge increase in my premium after I crashed the car.

get off your tail US slang

to stop being lazy and start doing something

You've just got to get off your tail and start looking for a job.