American Slang Collection

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 11

AMERICAN SLANG COLLECTION

• ace • bench
• He's an ace reporter. • He was benched during the basketball playoffs.
• MEANING: very good • MEANING: taken out of the game

• action • bent
• Do you know where the action is in this town? • It's OK. Don't get so bent.
• MEANING: excitement • MEANING: angry

• airhead • bent out of shape


• My sister's boyfriend is a real airhead. • Don't get so bent out of shape.
• MEANING: stupid person • MEANING: become upset

• all wet • big gun


• Your ideas about politics are all wet. • The president brought two big guns to the meeting.
• MEANING: completely wrong • MEANING: powerful people

• all-nighter • big mouth


• I almost fell asleep during the test after an • Shut up! You really have a big mouth.
all-nighter. • MEANING: talk too much
• MEANING: after studying all night.
• big stink
• ammo • The citizens made a big stink about the new nuclear
• The gun was useless after the killer ran out of power station.
ammo. • MEANING: big issue
• MEANING: ammunition
• blade
• antifreeze • He carried a ten inch blade with him.
• I really need some antifreeze in me on cold days • MEANING: knife
like this.
• MEANING: liquor • blimp
• I always seem to have a blimp sitting next to me
• armpit when I travel.
• This town is really an armpit. • MEANING: very fat person
• MEANING: undesirable place
• blow
• awesome • I'm going to blow out of here now.
• What an awesome sunset. • MEANING: leave
• MEANING: great
• blow
• bad • He blew all his money gambling.
• Wow, that was really a bad movie. • MEANING: lost
• MEANING: intense
• blow a fuse
• barf • Hey, don't blow a fuse.
• He barfed all over the seat of the airplane. • MEANING: lose your temper.
• MEANING: vomitted
• blow one's cool
• bashed • Calm down. Don't blow your cool.
• The boat was bashed beyond recognition. • MEANING: become angry
• MEANING: crushed
• blown away
• beat • I was blown away by his donation of a million
• After working all day I am really beat. dollars.
• MEANING: exhausted • MEANING: greatly impressed

• beemer • bomb
• He just bought a new beemer to drive to work in. • The movie was a bomb.
• MEANING: B.M.W. car • MEANING: bad

-1 -
AMERICAN SLANG COLLECTION
• bombed
• The driver of the car was bombed. • can
• MEANING: intoxicated • Do you know where the can is?
• MEANING: bathroom
• bonkers
• I think I am going bonkers. • carb
• MEANING: crazy • My motorcycle's carb is out of adjustment.
• MEANING: carburetor
• boo-boo
• If you make another boo-boo like that, you won't • catch some rays
have a job. • I'm going to lie on the beach and catch some rays.
• MEANING: mistake • MEANING: get some sunshine.

• booze • catch some Z's


• I promised to bring two bottles of booze to the • I need to catch some Z's before I go on my trip.
party. • MEANING: get some sleep
• MEANING: alcohol
• cheesy
• bread • That is really a cheesy looking outfit.
• I need some bread to pay for my car. • MEANING: cheap
• MEANING: money
• chicken
• break • Don't be a chicken.
• A lucky break helped him get the job. • MEANING: coward
• MEANING: opportunity
• chintzy
• break it up • That really was a chintzy present you got him.
• Break it up, or I will call the police. • MEANING: cheap
• MEANING: stop
• chow down
• bring-down • I need to find a place to chow down.
• The news of the airplane crash was a bring-down. • MEANING: eat a lot
• MEANING: depressing
• clip
• buck • Watch out or they will clip you at that bar.
• Do you have a buck I can borrow? • MEANING: cheat
• MEANING: dollar
• clunker
• bummed • I can't go on a date in that clunker.
• I was really bummed after I heard the news. • MEANING: old car
• MEANING: depressed
• cold fish
• bummer • My date for the dance was a cold fish.
• My trip to New York was a bummer. • MEANING: dull
• MEANING: bad experience
• collar
• bust • I knew they would collar the robber sooner or later.
• The whole idea was a bust. • MEANING: arrest
• MEANING: failure
• come up for air
• buy it • He has to come up for air or he will die from
• If you don't slow down, you're going to buy it in a exhaustion.
car accident. • MEANING: take a break
• MEANING: die
• con
• call • Don't try to con me.
• The weatherman made a good call about when the • MEANING: deceive
storm would come.
• MEANING: prediction • cool
-2 -
AMERICAN SLANG COLLECTION
• This is a really cool place to work. • dead
• MEANING: good • This disco is really dead tonight.
• MEANING: quiet
• cool down
• Things should cool down in a day or two. • deck
• MEANING: calm down • He was decked in the fight.
• MEANING: knocked down
• cop
• How did you get the road sign? I copped it. • deep pockets
• MEANING: robbed • Her boyfriend has deep pockets.
• MEANING: is a good source of money
• cop
• The cop showed me his badge. • dicey
• MEANING: policeman • Since the weather is a little dicey, I won't go today.
• MEANING: chancy
• couch potato
• He is a couch potato. • dirty
• MEANING: lazy person • I hear that it's a dirty movie.
• MEANING: an obscene
• crack open a bottle
• Let's crack open a bottle for his birthday. • ditch
• MEANING: open • I'll ditch my younger brother with my grandmother.
• MEANING: leave
• cram
• I need more time to cram for the test. • do a snow job on
• MEANING: study hard • Don't try to do a snow job on me.
• MEANING: deceive
• cream
• Our team creamed them badly. • dope
• MEANING: beat • He is such a dope.
• MEANING: stupid person
• croak
• I feel like I am going to croak. • dope
• MEANING: die • There are a lot of dope dealers around here.
• MEANING: drug
• cruise
• The skier was cruising down the hill • dork
• MEANING: going very fast • He is such a dork.
• MEANING: strange person
• cuffs
• He put the cuffs on the killer. • dough
• MEANING: handcuffs • I need some dough before I can go Christmas
shopping.
• cushy • MEANING: money
• He has a really cushy job.
• MEANING: easy • down
• Let's go to a bar and down a few beers.
• cut • MEANING: drink quickly
• Could you cut my whiskey with a little water?
• MEANING: dilute • drag
• Doing homework on the weekend is a drag.
• cut out • MEANING: boring
• It is late. I have to cut out.
• MEANING: leave • dynamite
• This drink is really dynamite.
• damage • MEANING: powerful; great
• Lets get the bill and find out the damage.
• MEANING: cost • earful

-3 -
AMERICAN SLANG COLLECTION
• My grandmother gave me an earful about the
neighborhood. • freebie
• MEANING: a lot of gossip • The pillow was a freebie
• MEANING: free
• easy mark
• The Japanese are an easy mark because they usually • get into something
carry cash. • I got into gardening in high school.
• MEANING: likely victims • MEANING: became seriously interested in

• eat • get it
• The problem is really eating away at me. • I listened to the joke twice, but I still don't get it.
• MEANING: bothering • MEANING: understand

• excellent • get with it


• That's excellent man. • If you don't get with it, we will never finish this
• MEANING: fine work.
• MEANING: hurry up
• face-off
• The two sides were headed for a nasty face-off. • gig
• MEANING: confrontation • I have a gig on Saturday night from 7:00 to 10:00.
• MEANING: job
• far-out
• This music is really far-out. • glitch
• MEANING: great • This computer program has a glitch.
• MEANING: defect
• fix
• The addict needs another fix. • glitzy
• MEANING: dose of drugs • This is a pretty glitzy hotel to be staying in.
• MEANING: fashionable
• flaky
• He is too flaky to do the work. • go
• MEANING: unreliable • Let me have a go at solving the problem.
• MEANING: try
• flashback
• At the wedding he had a flashback of his old • go bananas
girlfriend. • I am going to go bananas if I don't have a vacation
• MEANING: remembered soon.
• MEANING: go crazy
• flick
• I haven't seen a flick in a long time. • go down
• MEANING: movie • What is going down?
• MEANING: happening
• flip out
• He flipped out when he heard that his mother had • goof
been killed. • I am really a goof at times.
• MEANING: lost control • MEANING: fool

• flip side • goof up


• What kind of music do you have on the flip side of • I really goofed up when I painted my room green.
the tape? • MEANING: made a serious mistake
• MEANING: other side
• goofy
• fox • You are always acting goofy these days.
• His older sister is a fox. • MEANING: silly
• MEANING: very attractive
• gourd
• foxy • Use your gourd to figure out what is happening.
• She is a foxy lady. • MEANING: head
• MEANING: sexy
-4 -
AMERICAN SLANG COLLECTION
• grand
• His salary is twenty grand. • hang it up
• MEANING: thousand dollars • I have decided to hang up my teaching job.
• MEANING: quit
• grass
• Lots of students smoke grass in the dormitory. • hang loose
• MEANING: marijuana • Just hang loose for another few days.
• MEANING: relax
• gravy
• This job is pure gravy. • hang tough
• MEANING: easy money • We need to hang tough on our decision.
• MEANING: stick with
• groovy
• This music is groovy. • hardware
• MEANING: pleasant • The police were surprised by all the hardware the
gang members had.
• gross • MEANING: weapons
• Picking your nose is really a gross habit.
• MEANING: disgusting • have a buzz on
• I had a buzz on after the third martini.
• gross-out • MEANING: was slightly intoxicated
• The party was a gross-out.
• MEANING: digusting time • have good vibes
• I have good vibes about our new secretary.
• grub • MEANING: feel good about
• Where is the best place to get some grub around
here? • have it all together
• MEANING: food • Recently I don't have it all together.
• MEANING: feel mentally all there.
• grubby
• Those clothes are too grubby to wear to the party. • heave
• MEANING: unclean and untidy • I heaved up on the floor.
• MEANING: vomited
• grungy
• That is a really grungy jacket. • high
• MEANING: dirty • The teenagers look high to me.
• MEANING: intoxicated on drugs or alcohol
• gut
• He got shot in the gut. • hip-shooter
• MEANING: stomach. • He is such a hip-shooter.
• MEANING: always talking without thinking
• gut
• The gut issue is about what we are going to do now. • history
• MEANING: basic • I don't have any idea where my old boyfriend is.
He's history.
• guts • MEANING: something in the past
• It takes a lot of guts to give the boss your true
opinion. • hit
• MEANING: courage • Your proposal was a hit with the boss.
• MEANING: successful
• hairy
• That was a hairy plane trip. I am glad the storm is • hole up
over. • I had to hole up for three days because the police
• MEANING: dangerous were looking for me.
• MEANING: hide
• hammer
• Put the hammer to the floor or we will be late for • honcho
the wedding. • The honcho says that we are going to have to give
• MEANING: accelerator up two days of our vacation.
-5 -
AMERICAN SLANG COLLECTION
• MEANING: boss • Recently it seems like everyone is jerking me
around.
• hooker • MEANING: wasting my time and causing me
• Her clothes make her look like a hooker. trouble
• MEANING: prostitute
• jock
• hot • My roommate is a jock for the basketball team.
• The police stopped them because they though the • MEANING: an athlete
car was hot.
• MEANING: stolen • john
• The john really smells.
• huffy • MEANING: bathroom
• I will do it soon so please don't get huffy.
• MEANING: angry • joint
• Where is the closest joint to here.
• hungry • MEANING: cheap bar
• If you are not hungry, you won't get ahead in the
business. • joint
• MEANING: eager to make money • He is good at rolling joints.
• MEANING: marijuana cigarettes
• hustle
• If you don't hustle, we will be late again. • junkie
• MEANING: hurry up • Sam is a junkie.
• MEANING: rug addict
• hyped
• The fans were all hyped up for the football game. • just off the boat
• MEANING: excited • He acts like he is just off the boat.
• MEANING: naive
• hyper
• Don't get hyper about what she told you. You know • keep one's cool
it isn't true. • He kept his cool when his house burned down.
• MEANING: over excited • MEANING: remained calm

• I.D. • kegger
• Can you show me some I.D. please? • I hear there is a kegger at John's house tonight.
• MEANING: identification • MEANING: beer party

• in • kick
• The tie you are wearing is really in. • I get a kick out of watching him paint.
• MEANING: fashionable • MEANING: enjoy

• in deep • klutz
• They are really in deep with each other. • He is a real klutz.
• MEANING: deeply involved • MEANING: stupid and clumsy person

• in the bag • knock


• Everything is in the bag. There is nothing to worry • Don't knock it if you can't do it any better.
about. • MEANING: criticize
• MEANING: settled
• knocked up
• intense • My dog gets knocked up once a year.
• This is a very intense situation we are discussing. • MEANING: pregnant
• MEANING: serious
• knockout
• jam • Who was that knockout I saw you with last Friday?
• I am glad you got yourself out of that jam. • MEANING: stunning person
• MEANING: trouble
• knuckle sandwich
• jerk someone around • Shut up or I'll give you a knuckle sandwich.
-6 -
AMERICAN SLANG COLLECTION
• MEANING: punch in the mouth • MEANING: total collapse

• kook • mickey mouse


• Watch out for all the kooks in this neighborhood. • The homework the teacher gave us was mickey
• MEANING: strange people mouse.
• MEANING: nonsense and a waste of time
• laid-back
• You need to be more laid-back. • move on someone
• MEANING: calm and relaxed • I am going to try to move on Sarah next Saturday.
• MEANING: pick up and seduce
• lame
• That is really a lame excuse. • mush
• MEANING: an inadequate • That is total mush and you know it.
• MEANING: nonesense
• line
• I have heard that line a million times. • nark
• MEANING: story • Watch out for the narks in the airport.
• MEANING: drug police
• loser
• John is a loser. • neat
• MEANING: annoying and useless • That was a neat idea that you had.
• MEANING: good
• love handles
• I exercise every day, but I can't get rid of these love • negative
handles. • There are too many negatives about the company
• MEANING: rolls of fat around my stomach merger.
• MEANING: bad things
• make waves
• Try not to make waves around the office. • nick
• MEANING: cause trouble • The police nicked the shoplifter as he was leaving
the store.
• maxed out • MEANING: arrested
• I am maxed out at my work and need to rest.
• MEANING: exhausted • nip
• He took a nip out of the bottle.
• mean • MEANING: a quick drink
• He plays a mean violin.
• MEANING: performs well on • no sweat
• It's no sweat to have the report in to you by
• mega Monday.
• I have mega amounts of tomatoes in my garden this • MEANING: no problem
summer.
• MEANING: large • nuke
• I'll nuke our dinner in a few minutes.
• megabucks • MEANING: heat up in the microwave
• He made megabucks when he sold his company.
• MEANING: a lot of money • nuke
• Does that attack plane have any nukes?
• knock • MEANING: nuclear weapons
• Don't knock it if you can't do it any better.
• MEANING: criticize • nut
• I think that he is a nut.
• mellow • MEANING: crazy person
• You need to mellow out and enjoy life.
• MEANING: calm down and relax • nuts
• You are completely nuts if you think I will go with
• meltdown you.
• There has been a meltdown in the relationship • MEANING: crazy
between my parents and I.
-7 -
AMERICAN SLANG COLLECTION
• pad • Shut up or I will pop you.
• Have you found a pad yet? • MEANING: hit
• MEANING: a place to live
• pop for something
• pain in the neck • It is my turn to pop for the doughnuts.
• My wife's best friend is a pain in the neck. • MEANING: buy
• MEANING: annoying
• pro
• paper-pusher • He is really a pro at his work.
• My office is filled with paper-pushers. • MEANING: professional
• MEANING: bureaucratic office workers
• prod
• party animal • Can you give me a gentle prod next week so I won't
• You're too old to be a party animal. forget?
• MEANING: love parties • MEANING: reminder

• party-hearty • psyched up
• We need to party-hearty because we just got a raise • The players are really psyched up for the game on
in salary. Friday.
• MEANING: celebrate • MEANING: mentally ready

• paw • psycho
• Get your paws off of my body. • She is a psycho. She should be in a hospital.
• MEANING: hands • MEANING: mentally ill

• peanuts • puke
• I am not going to work for peanuts. • I feel like I am going to puke.
• MEANING: practically no money • MEANING: vomit

• pickled • push off


• He gets pickled after only one beer. • I am going to push off now.
• MEANING: intoxicated • MEANING: leave

• piece of cake • put the moves on


• Working on a computer for me is a piece of cake. • You should give up trying to put the moves on her.
• MEANING: easy to do She is married.
• MEANING: seduce
• pig
• He is a pig at parties. • put-on
• MEANING: eats too much • It was an elaborate put-on which I almost believed.
• MEANING: deception
• pig out
• Let's go to the restaurant and pig out. • quarterback
• MEANING: eat a lot or overeat • Who is going to quarterback the meeting?
• MEANING: lead
• pit stop
• Let's make a pit stop at the next rest area. • quick buck
• MEANING: stop and go to the bathroom • I need to make a quick buck.
• MEANING: some easy money
• plastered
• He drinks too much and is always plastered on the • rack
weekend. • I have to hit the rack by ten or I'll be tired in the
• MEANING: intoxicated morning.
• MEANING: bed
• pooped out
• He pooped out after we started to do the hard work. • rack out
• MEANING: quit • I am going to rack out for two hours.
• MEANING: sleep
• pop
-8 -
AMERICAN SLANG COLLECTION
• racket • MEANING: children
• There sure was a lot of racket outside last night.
• MEANING: noise • rule
• My wife rules the house.
• rag • MEANING: dominates
• I can't believe we still get this same old rag.
• MEANING: newspaper • run off at the mouth
• He is always running off at the mouth.
• rap • MEANING: talking too much
• We need to sit down and rap about a few things.
• MEANING: talk about • run out of gas
• The politician ran out of gas during the campaign.
• rathole • MEANING: lost interest or momentum
• When are you going to be able to move out of that
rathole. • sack
• MEANING: run down place • When did you hit the sack last night?
• MEANING: go to bed
• raw
• The raw office workers were not getting much done. • scam
• MEANING: new • Don't lose your money in some kind of scam.
• MEANING: swindle
• ream someone out
• The boss really reamed him out for his bad report. • scarf
• MEANING: got angry with him • Since he hadn't eaten in a week, he scarfed down
everything on his plate.
• red hot • MEANING: ate quickly
• Your idea is really red hot.
• MEANING: important • schmuck
• What a stupid schmuck.
• repo • MEANING: jerk
• Hey, don't repo my car. I will pay next week.
• MEANING: repossess • screw around
• If you screw around all day at this work, you will
• rinky-dink have to come back again.
• The circus was really rinky-dink. • MEANING: waste time
• MEANING: inferior
• screw up
• riot • If you screw up one more time, I will fire you.
• The comedy program was a real riot. • MEANING: make a mistake
• MEANING: funny
• sharp
• road hog • He is very sharp with numbers
• That driver is a road hog. • MEANING: intelligent
• MEANING: takes up too much of the road
• shot
• rocks • I'll give the puzzle another shot.
• Would you like your whiskey on the rocks? • MEANING: try
• MEANING: with ice
• shot down
• rough time • Everyone shot down my idea at first, but later
• We have had a rough time this winter. agreed that it was a good idea.
• MEANING: hard time • MEANING:
• disagreed with
• rug
• Is that a rug on his head? • slammer
• MEANING: wig • The police threw them both in the slammer.
• MEANING: jail
• rug rat
• My sister has three rug rats. • smashed
-9 -
AMERICAN SLANG COLLECTION
• Try not to get smashed at the beer party. • Those look like expensive threads he is wearing.
• MEANING: intoxicated • MEANING: clothes

• smoke eater • tool around


• My father is a smoke eater. • I don't want to tool around all night. It is time to go
• MEANING: fireman home.
• MEANING: drive around
• split
• It is time to split and go see the movie. • totaled
• MEANING: leave • My car was totaled in the accident with the garbage
truck.
• spook • MEANING: completely wrecked
• The cows were spooked by the howling of the
wolves. • up
• MEANING: frightened • He has been up ever since he met his new girlfriend.
• MEANING: happy and cheerful
• spud
• Do you want rice or spuds for dinner? • up for grabs
• MEANING: potatoes • This is a sale. Everything is up for grabs.
• MEANING: available.
• square
• My father looks square in his jacket. • veg out
• MEANING: old-fashioned • I want to veg out in front of the television this
evening.
• steamed up • MEANING: relax and do nothing
• Don't get so steamed up over the issue.
• MEANING: angry • vibes
• He really gives off good vibes.
• stink • MEANING: feelings
• This whole operation stinks.
• MEANING: is repulsive • wad
• You don't want to carry a wad like that with you in
• straight the big city.
• I want you to give me a straight answer. • MEANING: bundle of money
• MEANING: honest
• waste
• stressed • After you waste him, throw the body in the river.
• I am really stressed by all the recent world events. • MEANING: kill
• MEANING: upset
• wheels
• sucker • If you let me borrow your wheels, I'll go out and
• Don't be a sucker. buy a pizza.
• MEANING: be deceived • MEANING: car

• take a hike • whiz


• I am tired of all your complaining. Take a hike. • He is a whiz at the computer.
• MEANING: • MEANING: talented person
• leave
• wired
• taken • I am really wired after drinking five cups of coffee.
• He was taken for all his money at the casino. • MEANING: alert
• MEANING:
• cheated out of • wussy
• Don't be such a wussy all the time. Say what you
• taking care of business are thinking.
• I have been taking care of business. • MEANING: weak person
• MEANING: doing what I have to do
• yukky
• threads • This food tastes yukky
- 10 -
AMERICAN SLANG COLLECTION
• MEANING: bad

• zapped
• I am too zapped to help you right now.
• MEANING: exhausted

• zip
• He knew zip about running the company.
• MEANING: Nothing

- 11 -

You might also like