Dictionary of Unconventional English_3 docx

From the colour of the note; such currency was in use between 1928–40 and again from 1948–70 and withdrawn from circulation with the onset of decimalisation in 1971UK, 1961 brown bagnoun

Brodie; Brodynoun1a fall or leap from a great height An allusion

to Steve Brodie, a New York bookmaker who in 1886 claimed to

have survived a leap from the Brooklyn Bridge and then opened a

tavern which succeeded as a result of the publicity surrounding his

claimed leapUS, 1899.2a feigned drug withdrawal spasmUS, 1936.3a

failure to perform as expectedCANADA, 1976.4a play that is a

complete failureUS, 1973.5a skid, usually controlledUS, 1953

broformnouna retail discount given to friends Snowboarder’s slang;

conflatesBRO(a friend) with ‘proform’ (a discount given to

pro-fessionals)US, 1995

brogansnounheavy work shoes From the Gaelic During the US

Civil War, the sturdy and durable leather shoes issued to

infantrymen were nicknamed Brogans or Jefferson BootiesUS, 1835

brogesnounwork shoes An abbreviation ofBROGANS US , 1990

bro-ingnounin market research, the testing of fashion prototypes in

inner-city, predominantly black neighbourhoods FromBRO(a

fellow black) in a sense that categorises a target customerUS, 2001

brojanounheroin, 2002

brokverbto depart, to leave Urban youth slang, probably derived

from conventional ‘break’ in a similar sense toSPLIT UK , 2006

brokeadjectivehaving little or no money, bankrupt A variant of

con-ventional ‘broken’ used in this sense from C16UK, 1661.< go for

broketo make the utmost effort to achieve a desired endUS, 1951

broke dicknouna nonfunctioning piece of hardwareUS, 1988

broke-downnouna brawlBAHAMAS, 1995

broke moneynouna small amount of money given to a gambler

who has lost his entire bankrollUS, 1950

brokenadjective1in the bleed period of the menstrual cycleUS, 2001.

2depressed, acting oddlyUS, 1981

broken arrownoun1an accident involving nuclear weaponsUS, 1980.

2in computing, an error code on line 25 of a 3270 terminalUS,

1991

broken arsenouna person who has been completely subjugated

Prison usageNEW ZEALAND, 1999

broken knucklesnounsleeping quarters on a trainUS, 1946

broken railnounan older, physically run-down railway workerUS, 1977

broken wristnounan effeminate male homosexualUS, 1968

brokernouna drug dealerUS, 1962

broketnounon a computer keyboard, the characters <and> A

contraction of ‘broken bracket’US, 1983

brollynounan umbrellaUK, 1874

brolyadjectiveconforming to surfer etiquetteUS, 1991

bro-mannounused as a male-to-male term of addressBAHAMAS, 1982

broncnounin oil drilling, an inexperienced drillerUS, 1954

bronchverbto use a bronchoscope Medical useUK, 1980

bronconouna young male recently initiated into homosexual sexUS,

1967

bronc stompernouna cowboy who specialises in the breaking of

horses, i.e getting them to accept bridle, bit and saddleCANADA,

1954

bronskiverbto sandwich a face between female breastsUS, 1995

Bronsonnouncocaine From the infamous UK criminal Charlie

Bronson (b.1952), withCHARLIEleading to ‘cocaine’UK, 2001

Bronx BullnicknameJake LaMotta (b.1921), a middleweight boxer

who fiercely made his presence felt in the ring in the 1940s and

1950sUS, 1952

Bronx cheernouna combination of booing and a derisory farting

noise, expressing disgustUS, 1922

bronze; bronza; bronzer; bronzonounthe anus; the buttocks

Probably derives as a shade of brownAUSTRALIA, 1953

bronze Johnnounthe sunUS, 1954

Bronzevillenouna city neighbourhood with a largely black

popu-bronze-wingnouna person of part-Aboriginal and part whitedescent From the colour of a bronze-wing pigeonAUSTRALIA, 1956

bronzie; branzynouna sun tan; bronzed skinUK, 1987

bronzie machinenouna tanning machineUK, 2002

broonounthe employment exchange; unemployment benefit TheScots shortened form of ‘bureau’UK, 1998

BrookolinonicknameBrooklyn, New YorkUS, 1982

broomnoun1the person who is assigned to or takes it uponhimself to keep a workplace neat Sometimes embellished to

‘broom man’US, 1973.2a hatUS, 1960

broomverb1to travelUK, 1921.2to run away, to leaveUK, 1821

broomienounin sheep-shearing, a person employed to keep theshearing floor swept clean Extended from a conventional ‘broom’;also known and used by New Zealand sheep-shearersAUSTRALIA, 1895

broom stacknouna truck exhaust stack that is flaming or smoking

US, 1961

broomsticknounin electric line work, a phase spacer used forkeeping phases from contacting each other midspanUS, 1980

broostedadjectiverich; having achieved great wealth Extended from

BREWSTER’S(a great deal of money)UK, 2002

bros before hoesused as a rallying cry for the precedence of malefriendship over relationships with females Sometimes seen as theabbreviation BBHUS, 2004

broski; browskinounused as a male-to-male term of address.Doing toBROwhat was done toBREW US , 1997

brothel creepernouna patron of brothelsUS, 1977

brothel creepersnounsuede-topped, crepe-soled shoes, either ofthe style also known as desert boots or the thick-soled varietyfavoured by Teddy Boys Originally military, from World War 2; theetymology appears to be obvious, certainly the early types of theseshoes allowed for silent movementUK, 1954

brothel spoutnouna prostitute who is physically and emotionallyworn out by her workUS, 1993

brothernoun1a black manUS, 1910.2a fellow member of acountercultural or underground political movementUS, 1968.3incarnival usage, a woman’s husband or loverUS, 1981.4heroin Arare variant on the commonBOY US , 1990

Brother Andre’s Last Erectionnicknamethe Oratory near the top

of the mountain in Montreal Brother Andre was a poor priestwhose charisma made him widely known in Quebec as a healer;

he raised funds to build the mammoth St Joseph’s Oratory, andslept in an anteroom as caretakerCANADA, 1990

brother BennounBenzedrine™ (amphetamine sulphate), a centralnervous system stimulant, or another central nervous systemstimulantUS, 1971

Brother Jonathannicknamethe United StatesCANADA, 1962

brother mannounused as a term of address to establish solidarity,among black menUS, 1974

broth of a boynouna boy or man who represents the absolutequintessence of what a boy or man should be The earliest

recorded instance is in Byron’s Don Juan, 1822; however modern

usage is mainly IrishUK, 1822

brought downadjectivein a sad or suddenly depressed state ofmind, especially after drug useUS, 1946

brownnoun1the anus and/or rectumUS, 1916.2faecesIRELAND, 1991.

3anal sex; an act of anal intercourseUK, 1894.4heroin, especially ifonly partially refinedUS, 1962.5darker coloured hashishUS, 1981.

6an amphetamine tabletUS, 1972

brownverb1to perform anal sex upon someoneUS, 1933.2to forceothers to behave in an obsequious, sycophantic mannerUK, 1998

brownadjective1(of behaviour) obsequious, sycophantic As in

BROWN NOSE(a sycophant); extends from an image of submissivehomage to another’s backsideUK: SCOTLAND, 1988.2used fordescribing sexual activities involving excrementUK, 2002.3(of a

brown Abenouna US penny From the engraving of President

Abraham Lincoln on the coinUS, 1945

brown acidnouna type of LSD At the Woodstock festival in August

1969, there were several public address announcements recording

the ‘brown acid’ that was ‘not specifically good’US, 1969

brown anklesnounan utter sycophant An ordinary sycophant is a

BROWN NOSE; the toady here is even further ensconced in the

nether regionsNEW ZEALAND, 1976

brown-backnouna ten-shilling note From the colour of the note;

such currency was in use between 1928–40 and again from

1948–70 and withdrawn from circulation with the onset of

decimalisation in 1971UK, 1961

brown bagnounan unmarked police carUS, 1976

brown-bagverbto carry lunch to work, especially in a brown paper

lunch bagUS, 1968

brown baggernouna married person From the image of bringing

lunch packed in a brown bag to work; originally military usageUS,

1947

brown barnounin the US Army, a second lieutenant The single

brass bar worn by the second lieutenant was camouflaged in the

field and became a single brown barUS, 1977

brown bombnouna laxativeUS, 1990

brown bombernoun1a large laxative pill, favoured by military

medics since World War 2US, 1941.2a type of LSD From the

colour of the capsuleUK, 1998

brown boot Armynounthe army as it once wasUS, 1968

brown bottlenounbeerUS, 1976

brown bottledadjectivedrunk on beerUK, 1981

brown bottle shopnouna pubUK, 1981

brown boynouna male who derives sexual pleasure from eating the

faeces of othersUS, 1971

brown breadadjectivedead Rhyming slangUK, 1979

Brown Brothersnounthe black communityUK, 1998

brown bucketnounthe rectum and/or anusUS, 1949

brown coatnounin prison or borstal, a prisoner on remand or

awaiting deportation From the colour of the uniform which

differ-entiates this type of prisoner from the majority of inmates who

were, at the time of use, dressed in greyUK, 1950

brown cownounan alcoholic drink made from coffee liqueur and

cream or milk It is identified in Tom Dalzell’s The Slang of Sin as

a ‘barrel of beer’CANADA, 1998

brown crownnouna notional sign of one who has failed miserably

US, 1966

brown crystalnounheroinUK, 1998

brown derbynounduring the Vietnam war, a hot meal that was

flown to the troops in the fieldUS, 1991

brown dotsnouna type of LSDUS, 1975

brown downtownnounbrown heroinUS, 1992

browned offadjective1bored or fed-up with something or

somethingUK, 1938.2depressed, angryUS, 1950

brown eyenounthe anusUS, 1954

brown-eyed cyclopsnounthe anus In Greek mythology the

Cyclops were one-eyed giants; the imagery employed here is clear

UK, 2002

brown eyesnounthe female breasts, especially the nipplesUS, 1932

Brown familynouncollectively, all passive participants in anal sex

US, 1950

brown-hatternouna homosexual manUK, 1950

brown helmetnouna notional sign of one who has been rejected

in romanceUS, 1968

brownienoun1the anusUS, 1927.2a sycophant An abbreviation of

BROWN NOSER US , 1993.3a homosexual, especially one of wealth or

positionUS, 1916.4a notation of bad conduct or poor work

per-.

US sense (a brown-skinned Asian)UK, 2002.6a traffic police officer

US, 1987.7a police radar unit used for measuring vehicle speed Anallusion to the camera brand, a metaphor for radarUS, 1976.8intrucking, a three-speed auxiliary gearbox Originally manufactured

by the Brownolite Transmission Company, hence the diminutive

US, 1971.9marijuanaUS, 1966.10any amphetamine; MDMA, the reational drug best known as ecstasy Originally ‘amphetamines’,from the colour; hence, via confused recreational drug-users,

rec-‘ecstasy’UK, 2001.11an empty beer bottleNEW ZEALAND, 1979

brownie pointnounan imaginary award or credit for a good deed

US, 1953

brownie queennouna male homosexual who enjoys the passiverole in anal sexUS, 1968

browniesnoun1the female breasts, especially the nipplesUS, 1982.

2dice that have had their spots altered for cheating Morecommonly known as ‘busters’, which leads to the cartooncharacter ‘Buster Brown’, which leads to ‘Brown’US, 1950

Browning Sisternouna male homosexual FromBROWN(anal sex)

A term used in the 1940sUS, 1941

brown jobnoun1a soldier From the khaki uniformUK, 1943.2anal sexUS, 1971

oral-brown listnounan imagined list of those in disfavour AeuphemisticSHIT LIST UK , 1998

brown lovernouna person with a fetishistic love of excrementUS, 1996

brownmouthnouna talkative foolIRELAND, 1991

brown-noseverbto curry favour in a sycophantic fashionUS, 1938

brown nose; brown nosernouna toady; a sycophant OriginallymilitaryUS, 1938

Brown NursesnicknameOur Lady’s Nurses (for the Poor), a Catholicorganisation founded in 1913 From the brown uniformAUSTRALIA, 1984

brown one; brown ’unnounon the railways, a distant signalUK, 1970

brownoutnouna near but not complete loss of consciousness Notquite a ‘blackout’US, 1992

brown papernoun1a sycophant A logical extension ofASSWIPE US ,

1968.2a caper in the sense of an occupation or racket RhymingslangUK, 1974

brown-paper rollnouna cigarette hand-rolled in brown paper

brown shoesnouna person who does not use drugsUS, 1970

brown showernounan act of defecation as part of sadomasochisticsex playUK, 2003

brown slimenouna mixture of cola syrup and nutmeg, used as asubstitute for drugs by the truly desperateUS, 1992

brown stuffnounopiumUS, 1950

brown sugarnoun1grainy, poor quality heroinUS, 1971.2a blackwoman, especially a beautiful one Originally black use only, fromthe skin colour and a suggestion of sweetnessUS, 1971.3byextension, a sexually desirable black man Adopted by blackwomenUS, 1996.4a coarse, unrefined personAUSTRALIA, 1989

brown tapenounheroinUK, 2002

brown tonguenounan informer The disdainful image of aninformer licking the anus of authorityUK, 1996

brown trousersnounextreme nervousness, fear From the state ofyour trousers after an involuntary fear-induced evacuationUK, 2005

brown troutnounfaeces, when thrown by prisoners from their cellsonto guardsUS, 1992

brown underpantsnounused as a symbol of extreme fear orcowardice An image of soiled underwear

brown water navynounduring the Vietnam war, the US Navy

presence on rivers and deltasUS, 1961

brown windsornoun 8see:WINDSOR CASTLE

brown wingsnounexperience of anal intercourse, or anal-oral sexual

contact, considered as an achievement Originally Hell’s Angel

usage; ‘brown’ (the colour associated with the anus) plus ‘wings’

(badge of honour)US, 1971

Brucenounused as a stereotype of an effeminate male homosexual

US, 1973

Bruce Leenounan erect nipple Clever but misinformed pun on

San Francisco-born martial arts film actor Bruce Lee as aHARD

(muscular)NIP(a Japanese person); in fact Bruce Lee (1940–73)

was a native of Hong Kong, not JapanUK, 2002

brucknounin western Canada, a combination bus and truckCANADA,

1961

bruckinsnouna noisy, rowdy partyJAMAICA, 1996

bruck-upverbto beat up British Indian (Hindi) urban youth slangUK,

2006

brudnounused as a friendly term of addressNORFOLK ISLAND, 1992

bruisernoun1a rugged physical specimen; a thugUK, 1742.2a club

used for beating sediment out of spongesBAHAMAS, 1982

brukdownnouna noisy, rowdy partyBELIZE, 1996

bruk upverbto thrash someone, to beat someone up Early C21

black youth usage; an elision of ‘break up’ andFUCK UP(to destroy)

UK, 2002

brumbynouna feral horse Origin unknown Various conjectures,

such as an eponymous Major Brumby, or that an Aboriginal

language is the source, are based on no solid evidenceAUSTRALIA,

1880

brummy; brummieadjectivefrom Birmingham, England Both the

city of Birmingham and its inhabitants can be called ‘Brum’ From

Brummagem; the local spelling was a phonetic reflection of the

local pronunciation: ‘Brummagem’ = Bromwichham (after

Bromwich), in turn a corruption of Brimidgeham, the old form of

Birmingham Brummagem has an obsolete sense as ‘counterfeit,

inferior or fake’ (of coins, antiques, etc.) as Birmingham was a

centre of manufacture for such articles in the C17 and C18 Also,

since 1954, used as a nounUK, 1941

brushnoun1female pubic hairAUSTRALIA, 1941.2a moustacheUS, 1824.

3an intravenous injection of an illegal drugUS, 1992.4a person

who organises the seating for card playersUK, 2003.5a technique

for introducing altered dice into a game as the dice are passed

from player to shooter Also known as a ‘brush-off’US, 1950

brushverbto introduce marked cards or loaded dice into a gameUS,

1993.< brush your teeth and comb your hairin trucking, to

slow down to the legal speed limit because of the presence of

police aheadUS, 1976

brush apenounan unsophisticated rusticUS, 1920

brusher; brushmannouna casino employee who tries to lure

casino visitors into playing pokerUS, 1988

brush-offnouna rejectionUS, 1938

Brussels sprout; brusselnoun1a Boy Scout, a Scout Rhyming

slang, since about 1910UK, 1960.2a tout, either of the ticket or

racing tipster variety Rhyming slangUK, 1992

brutaladjective1extremely good, intenseUS, 1964.2terrible, very bad

US, 1983

brutallyadverbveryUS, 1995

brutenoun1any large vehicle or vessel that is difficult to handleUS,

1860.2in the television and film industries, a large spotlight used

to simulate sunlightUS, 1960

brute forcenounin computing, a simplistic and unsophisticated

programming styleUS, 1991

brute force and ignorancenounphysicality applied without

thought; also, a deliberate disregard for tact or delicacy A

bruvnouna brother; a friend; used as a friendly form of addressfrom one man to another A phonetic abbreviationUK, 2000

bruznounused as a term of address, man to manUS, 1958

BSnounbullshit, in all its senses A euphemism accepted in politesocietyUS, 1900

BS and bellsnounin firefighter usage, a long period with activityUS, 1954

BSHnounthe average female breast An abbreviation ofBRITISH STANDARD HANDFUL, a play on BSI standards set by the British

Standards InstituteUK, 1977

B-squarednouna brassiere Schoolgirl slang, presumably also written

B2

UK, 1971

BTnoun1the posterior, the buttocks By elision, a euphemism for

‘bottom’UK: SCOTLAND, 1998.2an inhalation of marijauna smoke

filtered through a water-pipe An abbreviation of ‘bong toke’ US, 1997

BT Baracusnouna child who lives in a house without a phone;subsequently a child without a mobile phone Derives from areliance on BT (British Telecom) and a play on the character BA

Baracus played by Mr T in the television adventure series The A Team, 1984–88 UK, 2004

BTInountelevision interference with a citizens’ band signal An

abbreviation of ‘boob tube interference’ US, 1976

BTMnounthe posterior, the buttocks A domestic euphemism for

‘bottom’UK, 1937

BTOnoun an influential and admired person A ‘big-time operator’ –

not without overtones of smarminessUS, 1944

BTWused in computer message shorthand to mean ’by the way’ US, 1991

BUnoun sexual attraction An abbreviation of ‘biological urge’ US, 1934

Bu; the Bu; Mother BunicknameMalibu, CaliforniaUS, 1991

BUAGnoun a simple drawing made with computer characters A ‘big ugly ASCII graphic’ US, 1995

bubnoun1used as a term of address, usually to a stranger andusually in a condescending toneUS, 1839.2the female breastUK,

1826.3a babyAUSTRALIA, 1992.4a blue flashing police car lightUS, 1987

bubbanoun1a stereotypical white, southern maleUS, 1982.2a friend,especially as a term of address A variation ofBROTHER US , 1983.

3marijuanaUS, 1997

bubbie circusnouna chorus line or other display of multiplewomen with large breastsUS, 1967

bubbies and cuntnouna poor woman’s dowryUS, 1967

bubblateverbto idle, to pass time with friendsUS, 2004

bubblenoun1an informer From rhyming slangBUBBLE AND SQUEAK

(to inform)UK, 1996.2a glass-enclosed control panel on a vehicle ofany sortUS, 1983.3an aeroplane cockpitUS, 1986.4in motor racing,

a clear plastic dome that covers the driverUS, 1965.5in thetelevision and film industries, an incandescent electric light bulb

US, 1960.6a specialisationUS, 1997.7an instance of weepingUK: SCOTLAND, 1985.< on the bubble1engaged in swindling as acareerUS, 1997.2in motor racing, in one of the lower spots in thequalifying stage of an event, subject to being displaced by a betterperformance of another carUS, 1993.3in motor racing, the mostfavourable starting position (the pole position)US, 1948

bubbleverb1to weepUK: SCOTLAND, 1985.2to kill someone byinjecting air into their veinsUS, 1982

bubble and squeaknoun1an act of urination Rhyming slang for

LEAK AUSTRALIA , 2002.2a week Rhyming slangUK, 1979.3a Greek.Rhyming slang; derogatory Can be shortened to ‘bubble’, or used

in the plural form ‘bubbles and squeaks’ to refer to Greeks andCypriots, collectivelyUK, 1938

bubble and squeak; bubble; bubble upverbto inform onsomeone The original rhyming slang meaning was ‘to speak’;hence ‘to speak about’, ‘to inform’UK, 1961

Bubbleberrynounin British Columbia, a hybrid variety of marijuana

CANADA, 2002

bubble brain

bubble-burnernounin trucking, an engine run on propane gasUS,

1971

bubble chasernouna bombardier on a bomber aircraft A reference

to the bubbles in the levelling device usedUS, 1945

bubble danceverbto wash dishesUS, 1947

bubble-dancernouna person employed as a dishwasherUS, 1960

bubblegumnoun1the posterior, the buttocks, especially of a

curvaceous woman Rhyming slang forBUM UK , 1998.2cocaine;

crack cocaine Probably a play on Bazooka™, a branded

bubble-gum, andBAZOOKA(cocaine; crack)UK, 1998.3a hybrid marijuana

with a sweet ‘pink’ tasteUK, 2002

bubblegumadjectiveunimaginative, highly commercial, insincere

Usually used to describe musicUS, 1963

bubble gum machinenoun1a vehicle with flashing lights

especially a police car Sometimes shortened to ‘bubble machine’

US, 1968.2the H-13 army helicopter Vietnam war usageUS, 1968

bubblegummernouna pre-teenager or young teenagerUS, 1970

bubbleheadnoun1a person whose thinking is not grounded in

realityUS, 1945.2a submarinerUS, 1986

bubblernouna water tank or cooler Korean war usage Also heard in

New South Wales and QueenslandUS, 1961

bubble teamnouna sports team that might or might not make a

play-off or be invited to a tournamentUS, 1989

bubble-topnounan OH-13 Sioux helicopter, used for observation,

reconnaissance, and medical evacuation in the Korean war and the

early years of the war in Vietnam So named because of the

distinctive plexiglas canopyUS, 1984

bubble troublenouna flat tyre or other tyre problemUS, 1976

bubblingadjective(of an event) beginning to get excitingUS, 2002

bubbling bundle of barometric brilliancenounused as the

introduction for Bobbie the weather girl on AFVN television,

Saigon, during the Vietnam war Officially she served as a secretary

for the US Agency for International Aid in Saigon from 1967 to

1969 Her unpaid weather broadcasts, which always ended with

the benediction of wishing ‘everyone a pleasant evening

weather-wise and good wishes for other-weather-wise,’ were greatly appreciated by

the men in the fieldUS, 1990

bubblynounchampagneUK, 1920

bubblyadjective1cheerful, full of spiritUS, 1939.2tearful, sulkyUK:

SCOTLAND, 1985.3(used of the ocean) roughTRISTAN DA CUNHA, 1993

bubbynounthe female breast Usually in the pluralUK, 1655

bubonicnounpotent marijuanaUS, 2001

bubonicadjectivepotent, extreme, intenseUS, 1993

buccaneernouna homosexual Rhyming slang forQUEER UK , 1998

buccaneeradjectivehomosexual Rhyming slang forQUEER UK , 1998

bucknoun1a dollar Originally US but applied in Hong Kong and

other countries where dollars are the unit of currencyUS, 1856.

2one hundred dollars; a bet of one hundred dollarsUS, 1973.3in

motor racing, 100 miles per hourUS, 1993.4a young black man

Overtly racist; an unfortunate favourite term of US President

Ronald Reagan when speaking unscriptedUS, 1835.5used as a term

of address The racist implications of the word from the US are

not present in the BahamasBAHAMAS, 1982.6a male Australian

Aboriginal Now only in racist or historical useAUSTRALIA, 1870.7a

male homosexualUS, 1984.8a criminal; a hoodlum; a young

ruffian Originally Liverpool use, where it survivesUK, 2001.9a type

of homemade alcoholic drinkUS, 1991.10an attemptNEW ZEALAND,

1941.11in prison, a sit-down strike by the prisonersUS, 1972.12a

used car that is in very poor conditionUS, 1980.< pass the buck

to avoid responsibility by shifting the onus to someone else

Deriving from the game of pokerUS, 1912.< the buck stops

herethe ultimate responsibility for whatever may be avoided by

others is accepted here, or by me, or by this office A popular

catchphrase, originally coined in 1952 by US president Harry S

Truman who had it as a personal motto and displayed on his desk,

buckverb1to fight your way through a difficult surfing situationUS,

1965.2in electric line work, to lower voltageUS, 1980 8see:BUCK IT.

< buck the clock; buck the calendarin oil drilling, to workhard in the hope of finishing a job by quitting timeUS, 1954.

< buck the tigerto play faro, a game of chance that wasextremely popular in the C19 and only rarely seen in moderntimesUS, 1849

buckadjectivenewly promoted, inexperienced Military; a back-form

-ation from now conventional ‘buck private’, also ranked in suchcompany as ‘buck sergeant’ and ‘buck general’US, 1917

buck and doenounsnow Rhyming slang, generally as a completerhyme on ‘fuckin’ snow’UK, 1992

buckaroo; buckeroonouna proud, manly man of the Western sort,likely a cowboyUS, 1827

buck copnouna new constable in the Royal Canadian MountedPoliceCANADA, 1953

buckernouna lumberman who works on felled treesCANADA, 1989

buckeroonounone dollar An embellishment ofBUCK US , 1942

bucketnoun1a jailUS, 1894.2a cell used for solitary confinementUS,

1989.3the vaginaUK, 2001.4the buttocks; the anusUS, 1938.5a car

US, 1939.6a small carUS, 2000.7a truck with a non-roofed container

UK, 1981.8in hot rodding, the body of a roadster, especially onefrom the 1920sUS, 1965.9an engine cylinderUS, 1971.10in pool, apocket that appears receptive to balls droppingUS, 1988.11animpressive quantity of alcoholic drinks From the original sense (asingle glass of spirits)UK, 1985.< have a bucketfullsaid of aracehorse that has been fed heavily before a race to decrease itschances of winningUS, 1951

bucketverb1to denigrate someone or somethingAUSTRALIA, 1974.2tothrow something out, to throw something in the binUK: SCOTLAND, 1988

bucket-a-dropadverb(of rain) falling heavilyGRENADA, 1996

bucket and pail; bucketnouna jail Rhyming slangUS, 1894

bucket bong; bucketnouna water-pipe improvised using a bucket

of water and a plastic bottle used for smoking marijuana A bination of conventional ‘bucket’ andBONG(a water-pipe)AUSTRALIA, 1994

com-bucket gunnernounin carnival usage, a person who from a hiddenlocation operates the mechanisms that determine a game’soutcomeUS, 1981

bucket headnouna socially inept personUS, 1906

bucket jobnounan intentional loss in an athletic contestUS, 1955

bucketloadnouna great amountUK, 1994

bucket mouthnounin trucking, a trucker who monopolisesconversation on the citizens’ band radioUS, 1976

bucket of bloodnouna bar or dance hall where hard drinking andhard fighting go hand in handUS, 1915

bucket of boltsnouna dilapidated car, truck, boat or planeUS, 1942

bucket of steamnouna mythical task for a newly hired helper on ajobUS, 1963

bucket shopnounan investment office that swindles its clientsUS, 1879

bucket workernouna swindlerUS, 1949

buck fevernounin shuffleboard, the anxiety often experienced onthe last shotUS, 1967

buck forverbto energetically strive towards promotion, honours orsome other target of personal ambition or recognitionUK, 1979

buck generalnouna brigadier generalUS, 1947

buck it; buckverbin craps, to roll a number that has previouslybeen rolledUS, 1974

buckleverb< buckle for your dustin the Vietnam war, to fightwith spirit and determination, thus winning the respect of fellowsoldiersUS, 1991

buckle bunnynouna woman who seeks short-term sexual liaisons

bucklebusternouna line in a performance that is guaranteed to

produce loud laughterUS, 1973

buckledadjective1uglyUS, 1993.2drunkUK, 2002

buckle my shoenouna Jewish person Most rhyming slang for ‘Jew’

uses ‘two’; this term takes a traditional nursery-rhyme: ‘one, two /

buckle my shoe’UK, 1977

Buckley’s chance; Buckley’s hope; Buckley’snounno chance at

all Thought to be named after William Buckley, an escaped

convict, but the fact that he evaded capture by living with

Aboriginals for 32 years would rather imply that Buckley’s chance

should be very good The ironic phrase ‘You’ve got two chances:

Buckley’s and none!’ is perhaps punningly connected with the

name of a former Melbourne firm ‘Buckley and Nunn’AUSTRALIA,

1895

buckonoun1a man, especially an unrefined or crude manUS, 1883.

2used as a term of address to a man Slightly derisive, or at least

kidding From the C19 sense (a blustering bully)UK, 1890

buck-passernounanyone who avoids a personal responsibilty by

shifting the onus onto someone else FromPASS THE BUCK US , 1933

buck-passingnounan avoidance of responsibility by shifting the

onus to someone else FromPASS THE BUCK US , 1933

buckranouna white personUS, 1787

buck ratnounthe epitome of physical fitnessNEW ZEALAND, 1958

Buck Rogers gunnounan M-3 Tommy gunUS, 1947

bucksnoun< the bucksa lot of moneyUS, 1992

BucksnounBuckinghamshire A spoken form of the conventional

written abbreviation, considered colloquial when used in speech as

a genuine equivalent of the original nameUK, 1937

bucksheenounsomething above a usual amount that is given for

free Originally from the British Army in Egypt and India,

ulti-mately from Persian Occasionally used in the plural Variant

spellings include ‘bucksheesh’, ‘buckshish’, ‘backsheesh’,

‘backshish’, ‘bakshee’, ‘baksheesh’ and ‘bakshish’UK, 1916

bucksheeadjective1free, spare, extraUK, 1916.2worthlessCANADA, 1995.

3of a local non-commissioned officer, with rank but no additional

payAUSTRALIA, 1959

buck slipnouna form used for intra-office handwritten

communi-cations; officially a Routing and Transmittal Slip, Optional Form 41

US, 1986

buck’s partynouna party or outing that is exclusively male; now

especially an all-male pre-wedding party thrown for the groom

AUSTRALIA, 1918

bucks upadjectivein drag racing, winning and making moneyUS, 1968

buckwheatnoun1an unsophisticated rusticUS, 1866.2a black male

US, 1978

buckwheat farmernounan unsuccessful, incompetent farmer

CANADA, 1944

buckwheatsnoun1abuse, persecutionUS, 1942.2diminution of

power or standing in an organised crime enterpriseUS, 1964

buck willyadjectiveuninhibited, rowdy, drunkUS, 2002

buckynoun1a shotgunUS, 1995.2a home-made gunJAMAICA, 2000

budnoun1the flower of the marijuana plant; hence marijuanaUS,

1978.2a girlUS, 1965.3the female nippleUS, 1990.4a friend, a buddy

US, 1935.5used as a term of address, usually male-to-maleUK, 1614.

6the penisBAHAMAS, 1982

Budnoun Budweiser™ beer; a Budweiser™ beer US, 2000

budverbto subject a boy to his first homosexual experienceUK, 1987

budded; budded outadjectiveintoxicated on marijuanaUS, 1997

buddhanoun1a type of LSD identified by a representation of

BuddhaUK, 2004.2a marijuana cigarette embellished with crack

cocaineUS, 1989.3potent marijuana, usually of Asian origin Also

spelt ‘buddah’ or ‘buda’US, 1988

buddhaedadjectiveintoxicated on marijuanaUS, 1997

Buddha grassnounmarijuana Vietnam war usageUS, 1975

buddynoun1a companion, a friend A colloquial usage that is ably derived from ‘brother’US, 1850.2a fellow citizens’ band radiouser Citizens’ band radio slang, adopted from the more generalsense as ‘a fellow, a man’; often used as ‘good buddy’US, 1976.3inhomosexual culture, a good friend who may or may not be a lover

prob-US, 1972.4a volunteer companion to a person with AIDSUS, 1984.5amarijuana cigaretteUS, 1991.6a beerUS, 1994

buddy-buddyadjectivefriendlyUS, 1944

buddy checknouna last-minute inspection of a parachutist’s gear

by his jump partnerUS, 2000

buddy-fuckverb(of a male) to steal a friend’s dateUS, 1966

buddy geenouna close friendUS, 1973

Buddy Hollynounmoney Rhyming slang forLOLLY, formed fromthe name of the US singer, 1936–59UK, 2004

buddy pokernouna game of poker in which two friends are playing

as partners, but not in collusionUS, 1968

buddyro; buddyroonouna pal; used as a term of address for afriendUS, 1951

buddy systemnounduring the Korean war, a plan teamingAmerican and Korean soldiers in the hope of providing one-on-onementoring and trainingUS, 1968

buddy windownouna hole between private video booths in apornography arcade designed for sexual contact where none isofficially permittedUS, 1996

budgenounin the language of pickpockets, the front trouser pocket

US, 1949

budgetadjectivebelow expectations, disappointingUS, 1986

budgienoun1a budgerigar, a small parrot native to inland Australiaand a common cage birdAUSTRALIA, 1935.2a talkative man,especially one of small stature; a small-time police-informer From

a passing similarity to a budgerigar’s characteristics The television

drama Budgie, 1971–72, starred Adam Faith as the epitome of all

of the above definition It is difficult to tell whether the televisionprogramme created or popularised this usageUK, 1977.3the time.Used by miners, usually in the form of a questionUK, 1970.4ahippie who moved back to the land in Slocan Valley, BritishColumbiaCANADA, 1989

budgie-smugglersnouna pair of men’s close-fitting and revealingnylon swimming trunksAUSTRALIA, 2002

budgie’s tonguenounthe clitoris, especially when erect From thevisual similarityUK, 2002

budgyadjectivechubbyUS, 1971

bud headnoun1a beer drinker Not confined to drinkers ofBudweiser™ beerUS, 1972.2a frequent marijuana userUS, 1997

budli-budlinoun1anal sex From Urdu badli (to change) INDIA, 1961.

2a homosexual manUK, 1998

bud mudnoundiarrhoea from drinking too much beer An allusion

to Budweiser™ beerUS, 1997

budsnoun1small female breastsUS, 1967.2marijuana, especially themost psychoactive part of the plant Also spelled ‘budz’US, 1997

bud seshnounan informal gathering for the social consumption ofmarijuana Punning onBUDDY/BUDplus ‘session’US, 2005

budskynounused as a term of address A meaninglessly decorative

Stratofortress An abbreviation of ‘big ugly fat fucker’ or, in polite

company, ‘fellow’ US, 1968

BUFE; buffynouna ceramic elephant, ubiquitous in souvenir shops

in Vietnam during the war An initialism and acronym created

from ‘big ugly fucking elephant’ US, 1973

buffnoun1an enthusiast, especially a knowledgable enthusiast, a

specialist Originally ‘an enthusiast about going to fires’, Webster,

1934, from the buff uniform of New York’s volunteer firemen The

sense has gradually generalised until the field of interest has, in all

cases, to be specifiedUS, 1903.2a fart EchoicUK, 1965.3a workout

with weightsUS, 1989.4a water buffaloUS, 1977.< in the buff

nakedUK, 1602

buffverb1to erase graffitiUS, 1995.2in hospital usage, to make

notations in a patient’s chart that makes the patient look better

than they are and ready for the next stage of their careUS, 1994.

< buff the banana(of a male) to masturbateUS, 2001

buffadjective1handsome, excellentUS, 1982.2(of a young woman)

sexually attractive Current in south LondonUK, 2003.3(used of a

body) well-toned, well-exercisedUS, 1982

buffalonoun1an American Indian male with especially long hairUS,

1963.2a five-cent piece From the engraving on the coinUS, 1945.

3the CV-7, a military transport aircraft built by DeHavilland

Aircraft of CanadaUS, 1991

buffaloverbto confuse someone, to intimidate someoneUS, 1960

buffalo bagels!used for expressing disapproval A signature line of

Colonel Sherman Potter on M*A*S*H (CBS, 1972–83) Repeated

with referential humourUS, 1972

buffalo gunnouna large calibre gun Korean war usageUS, 1989

buffarillanounan ugly girl A blend of ‘buffalo’ and ‘gorilla’US, 1968

buff booknouna magazine catering to enthusiasts of a particular

hobby or pastimeUS, 1993

buffed; buffed upadjectivemuscular; in very good physical

con-ditionUS, 1995

buffernoun1a pleasant, foolish old man; a man From French

bouffon (a jester) As ‘buffer’ since 1749 but in the latter-half of

C20 it seems to survive only as ‘old buffer’ Modern usage implies

a tolerant attitude to the subjectUK, 1749.2in the world of crack

cocaine users, a woman who will perform oral sex in exchange for

crack cocaine or the money to buy itUS, 1992

buffersnounthe female breastsUS, 1964

buffet flatnouna party held to raise rent moneyUS, 1982

buff upverbto engage in strenuous exercise with a goal of body

conditioningUS, 2000

bufunouna male homosexual An abbreviation ofBUTTFUCKER US , 1982

bugnoun1a hidden microphone or listening deviceUS, 1956.2in the

television and film industries, a small earphone used by a sound

mixerUS, 1977.3any unspecified virusUK, 1919.4a malfunction in

design, especially of a computer or computer softwareUS, 1878.5a

sociopathic criminalUS, 1987.6a burglar alarmUS, 1926.7an illegal

numbers lotteryUS, 1963.8in poker, a joker played as an ace or a

wild card to complete a flush or straightUS, 1967.9an enthusiastic

interest; a popular crazeUK, 1902.10a Bugatti sports carUS, 1965.

11a Volkswagen car A VWBEETLEis the eponymous hero of the

Disney film The Love Bug, 1969 US, 1976.12a chameleon Circus

and carnival slangUS, 1973.13in horse racing, a weight handicapUS,

1941.14in electric line work, a transformerUS, 1980.15a torch

Circus and carnival usageUS, 1980.< have a bug up your assto

be annoyed or angryUS, 1949.< put a bug in someone’s earto

hint at somethingUS, 1905.< the bugmalariaUS, 1947

Bugnicknamethe Green Hornet Tavern in Pointe Claire, Quebec

CANADA, 2002

bugverb1to bother someone, to annoy someoneUS, 1947.2to panic,

to be anxiousUS, 1988.3to watch somethingUS, 1952.4to talk and

act in a disassociated, irrational way while under the influence of

crack cocaineUS, 1992.5to confine someone in a psychiatric ward

US, 1992.6to arm something with an alarmUS, 1919.7to attach or

install a listening deviceUS, 1919.8among vagrant alcoholics, to

attack someone with bricks, bottles and bootsUK, 1966.9to dance

bugaboonounan imagined object of terrorUK, 1740

bugaboosnounnasal mucusBARBADOS, 1965

bugasnouna pair of trainers (sneakers)JAMAICA, 1998

bug bagnouna sleeping bagCANADA, 1957

bug boynounin horse racing, a jockey who has not yet won a raceand who is given a five-pound weight allowance Because of the

‘bug’ or asterisk denoting the jockey’s status in the racingprogrammeUS, 1968

bug busternouna physician specialising in infectious diseasesUS, 1985

bug catchernounin drag racing, an air scoop that forces air intothe carburettorUS, 1970

bug collectorsnounin motorcyle racing, unbreakable gogglesUS, 1973

bug doctornouna psychiatristUS, 1951

bug dopenouninsect repellantUS, 1993

bug eyenoun1in television and film-making, a fisheye lensUS, 1987.

2an Austin-Healy SpriteUS, 1992

bug fleanounan epidemiologist specialising in infectious diseases

US, 1994

bugfuckadjectivederanged, out of controlUS, 1994

buggalugsnounused as a term of address A variation of

BUGGERLUGS NEW ZEALAND , 2002

buggedadjective1angryUS, 1956.2mentally unbalanced, crazy Oftenused as ‘bugged-out’UK, 2001.3covered with sores and abscessesfrom septic injection of a narcotic Drug addicts’ useUK, 1978

bugged upadjectiveanxious, nervousUS, 1949

buggernoun1a person who takes part in anal sex A perfectlycorrect usage in legalese, otherwise considered vulgarUK, 1555.2adisagreeable person; often used as a term of abuseUK, 1719.3aperson, a regular fellowUK, 1830.4an unpleasant, very difficult ordangerous thing, project, episode, circumstance; a nuisanceUK,

1918.< give a buggerto care, generally in a negative contextUK, 1922

buggerverb1to play the active role in anal sexUK, 1598.2to bunglesomething, to ruin somethingUS, 1847.< be buggeredused fordismissing the sense of a word repeated from a precedingstatementUK, 2001

bugger!used as an expletiveUK, 1923

bugger about; bugger aroundverb1to waste timeUK, 1923.2tomeander, to wander pointlessly aroundUK, 1923.3to inconvenience

or make difficulties for someoneUK, 1957.4to be unfaithful to yourwife, or husband, etc Whilst the act may well remain the samethe sense here is not to commit adultery with someone but,rather, is defined in terms of the person spurnedCANADA, 1980.5tofiddle with something or someone; to caress or interfere withsomeoneUK, 1937

bugger all; sweet bugger allnounnothing whatsoeverUK, 1918

buggerama!used for expressing self-deprecating distressNEW ZEALAND, 1998

buggeration!used as an expletive An elaboration ofBUGGER! UK , 1988

buggeration factornounany unforeseen hazard that complicates aproposed course of action Originally militaryUK, 1981

bugger-bafflersnounside-vents at the bottom rear of a man’sjacket Tailors’ usageUK, 1971

buggeredadjective1damnedUK, 1937.2very drunkUK, 2005 8see:

BUGGERED UP; BUGGERED

buggered if I know!used as a profession of absolute ignoranceUK, 1984

buggered up; buggeredadjectiveexhausted, brokenUK, 1923

bugger fornouna person who is energetically committed to asubject noun, e.g ‘a bugger for work’, ‘a bugger for women’UK, 1970

bugger-grips; bugger’s gripsnounside-whiskers, especially when

venient pair of grips for a sodomiser to hold on to during anal sex

UK, 1967

bugger-in-a-bagnounaround Cascapedia Bay, a fruit pudding in an

oiled, floured bag to make it waterproofCANADA, 1998

buggerise about; buggerise aroundverbto fool aboutAUSTRALIA,

1953

bugger it!used as an expletive A variation ofBUGGER! UK , 1961

buggerlugsnounused as a form of friendly address Originally

nautical, used between menUK, 1934

bugger me!used as an expletiveUK, 1981

bugger me backwards!used for registering surprise or

exasper-ation An elaboration onBUGGER ME! UK , 2000

bugger me dead!used for registering surpriseAUSTRALIA, 1971

bugger me gently!used for registering surprise In the late 1980s

and early 90s, this exclamation was very much associated with the

character Lizzie Birdsworth in the Australian television drama

series, Prisoner Cell Block H UK, 1984

bugger offverbto leave, to goUK, 1922

bugger sidewaysverbto defeat someone, to confound someone

Often used as a personal exclamation: ‘bugger me sideways!’UK,

2002

bugger sugarnouncocaineUK, 2003

bugger that for a joke!used as an expression of disbeliefNEW

ZEALAND, 1949

bugger this for a game of soldiers!; bugger that for a game

of soldiers!‘no chance’; used as an emphatic dismissal of any

activity or notion that you have no wish to subscribe to A

vari-ation ofSOD THIS FOR A GAME OF SOLDIERS!, FUCK THIS FOR A GAME OF

SOLDIERS!, etcUK, 1998

bugger upverbto spoil something; to ruin something; to exhaust

somethingUK, 1937

buggerynounhell A substitute for ‘hell’ in strong phrases of

rejection, ruination and disapproval Used in phrases such as ‘like

buggery’ (vigorously: 1937), ‘go to buggery!’ (go away!: 1966) or ‘is

it buggery!’ (not likely!: 1984)UK, 1898.< to buggery; all to

buggeryin a state of ruination or destructionUK, 1923.< will I

buggery!used as an expression of strong disagreement Often

applied in the third person: ‘will he buggery!’, ‘will they buggery!’

UK, 1961

buggeryadjectiveused as an intensifier On the model ofBLOODY UK ,

1992

buggery bollocks!used for registering annoyanceUK, 1992

bugger you!used for registering anger towards someoneUK, 1887

buggingnounan instance of attacking someone with violenceUK,

1966

buggingadjective1disappointed, let downUS, 1996.2crazyUS, 1995

buggynoun1a car Unavoidably, if not deliberately, folksyUS, 1926.2a

brakevan (caboose)US, 1899

buggyadjectivesilly, insane, or inbetweenUS, 1902

buggy whipnouna long radio antenna on a car or truckUS, 1962

bug holenouna run-down, disreputable theatreUS, 1952

bughousenouna mental hospitalUS, 1899

bughouseadjectiveinsane, madUS, 1894

bug jointnouna premises that is infested with insectsUK, 1966

bug juicenoun1an insect repellant The term was coined in World

War 2 and has been used since In Vietnam, there was no shortage

of bugs or ‘bug juice’, which was also used to light fires, clean

weapons and heat cans of c-rationsUS, 1944.2Kool-Aid™ (a fruit

drink made from a powder to which you add water), or a sugary,

powdered, artificially flavoured Kool-Aid-like drink Coined in World

War 2, popular in Vietnam, and the title and subject of a rousing

Girl Scout song sung to the tune of ‘On Top of Old Smokey’US,

1946.3medication given to those with mental disordersUS, 2002.

4any antibioticUS, 1985.5an opiate or other depressant used as

1997.3the erect penisIRELAND, 1991

bug off; bugg offverbto go away A broadcastable euphemism for

BUGGER OFF UK , 1976

bug-outnoun1any hasty retreat; a dramatic evasive manoeuvreused by fighter pilotsUS, 1957.2a lively, wild timeUS, 1995

bug outverb1to fleeUS, 1950.2to go insaneUS, 1961

bugout unitnouna military unit with a reputation for runningunder fire Korean war usageUS, 1982

bug rakenouna comb Juvenile; certainly since the 1950s, probablyearlierUK, 1983

bug roostnouna hotel catering to oil field workersUS, 1954

bug runnouna parting in the hairUK, 1948

bugsnounbiology School useUK, 1963

bugsadjectivecrazyUS, 1903

Bugs Bunnyadjectivefunny Prison rhyming slangNEW ZEALAND, 1997

Bugs Bunny; bugs; bugsynounmoney Rhyming slang, based onthe name of the Warner Brothers’ animated cartoon character

bug splatnounthe limited devastation of targeted bombingUS, 2003

bug testnouna psychological fitness testUS, 1992

bug torchnouna railway lanternUS, 1975

buh-byegoodbye From a Saturday Night Live skit teasing the

formulaic way in which flight attendants wish farewell to airpassengers as they leave the planeUS, 1996

buildverb1to serve time in prisonUS, 1967.2to construct amarijuana cigarette A variant is ‘build up’UK, 1994.< build a fire

to operate a diesel truck at top speedUS, 1971.< build that bridgeto get over something that took place in the pastUS, 1995

buildernouna bodybuilderUS, 1984

buildingnoun< on the buildingin the building tradeUK, 1959

build-upnounin horse racing, betting at the track designed toincrease the odds on a bet made away from the trackUS, 1960

bukkakenouna photograph or video depicting multiple menejaculating onto a single woman Japanese slang meaning ‘splash’used by English-speakers with no further knowledge of Japanese; apopular fetish in the US and UK The prototype video shows apretty young girl kneeling at the centre of a room with many men(up to several hundred) masturbating off camera and ejaculating

on her with no further sexual contactUS, 2000

bukuso’clocknounin the eveningSOUTH AFRICA, 2003

bulbnounthe core of a capsule of drugsUS, 1971

bulb snatchernounan electrician, especially one engaged in bulbreplacementUS, 1974

bulgenoun1the male genitals, especially as may be hinted at orimagined when dressedUK, 2002.2a lead Sports usage, describingteam standingsUS, 1951

bulknoun< in bulk; in baulk; in balkunable to do anything,especially as a result of laughter; disabled From ‘baulk’ (an area of

a snooker or billiards table) suggesting ‘out of play’UK, 1937

bulkadjectivelarge in amount or quantityAUSTRALIA, 1977

bulkadverbmany; much, 1987

bulkheadverbto speak disparagingly in a voice intended to beoverheardUS, 1863

bulkie in Boston, a sandwich roll

bullnoun1nonsense An abbreviation ofBULLSHIT US , 1902.2a police

officer, especially a detective; a prison guardUS, 1893.3an

aggressive, mannish lesbianUS, 1967.4in prison, a person who can

withstand physical hardshipUS, 1990.5a wharf labourer unfairly

favoured for employmentAUSTRALIA, 1957.6an aggressive poker

bettorUS, 1988.7in the circus, an elephant, male or femaleUS, 1921.

8a battle tankUS, 1976.9in a deck of playing cards, an aceUS, 1963

8see:BULLDYKE

bullverb1to polish something, especially boots; hence, to clean a

uniform, kit or quarters A variant is ‘bull up’ Services usage since

1950, possibly earlierUK, 1950.2to lie; to pretend; to distort the

truth or exaggerate; to tell tall storiesAUSTRALIA, 1954.3to take the

active role in homosexual anal sex; to be a homosexualBARBADOS,

1987.4in poker, to bluff repeatedly, betting in amounts designed to

drive other players out of hands simply by virtue of the size of the

betUS, 1963

bulladjectivewhen describing a military rank, full Korean war usage

US, 1973

bull!used as an expression of utter disbelief, often surprised or

contemptuous disbelief A euphemistic shortening ofBULLSHIT

AUSTRALIA, 1964

Bullamakankanounan imaginary remote placeAUSTRALIA, 1953

bull and cownounan argument, a disturbance Rhyming slang for

‘row’UK, 1859

bull and pantsnountrousers Rhyming slang for ‘pants’AUSTRALIA,

1961

bull artistnouna person who habitually lies or exaggeratesUS, 1918

bullcrapnounnonsense A slightly euphemisedBULLSHIT US , 1935

bulldagverbto perform oral sex on a womanUS, 1954

bulldaggernouna lesbian with masculine affectations and

mannerisms A variant ofBULLDYKE US , 1929

bull dermnounany low grade of tobacco issued by the state to

prisoners A corruption of Bull Durham™, an RJ Reynolds tobacco

brandUS, 2001

bulldognoun1the earliest edition of a morning newspaperUS, 1986.

2a Mack™ truck From the company’s logoUS, 1971.3in electric

line work, a wire grip used for holding a conductor under tension

US, 1980

bulldogverb1to turn a safe upside down and use an explosive to

open it from the bottomUS, 1949.2(used of a professional insider

in horse racing) to falsely claim to have given good information in

a completed raceUS, 1968.3in the illegal production of alcohol, to

sweat whisky out of used barrel stavesUS, 1974.4to intimidate

someone verbally and/or physicallyUS, 1992

bulldog nosenouna severe case of gonorrhea A truly hideous

imageUS, 1967

bulldozeverbto coerce, to bully or to intimidate someone,

especially to further political ends By back-formation from

con-ventional ‘bulldozer’ (a heavy caterpillar tractor for removing

obstacles)US, 1876

bulldozernouna poker player whose aggressive betting is not

contingent upon holding a good handUS, 1988

bull dustnounnonsense, rubbish A euphemism forBULLSHIT, but

based on the Australian English term ‘bulldust’ (fine powdery dirt

or sand as found in a stockyard)AUSTRALIA, 1951

bulldustverbto lie; to pretend; to distort the truth or exaggerate; to

tell tall storiesAUSTRALIA, 1967

bulldyke; bulldike; bullnouna lesbian with masculine affectations

and mannerismsUS, 1931

bulldyker; bulldikernouna lesbian with masculine affectations and

mannerisms A variant ofBULLDYKE US , 1906

bullernouna male homosexualBARBADOS, 1996

bulletnoun1one year of a prison sentenceUS, 1967.2in cards, an

aceUS, 1807.3a portion of marijuana wrapped in plastic or tinfoil

NEW ZEALAND, 1979.4a quart bottle of beer, especially of Budweiser™

beerUS, 1967.5a capsule of secobarbital sodium (trade name

Seconal™), a central nervous system depressantUS, 1972.6a device

UK, 1999.7a narcotic suppositoryUS, 1984.8a rivetUS, 1960.9a shortsurfboard with a rounded noseUS, 1991.10in skateboarding, ariding position: crouching low on the board with armsoutstretchedUS, 1976.11a single spurt of semen during maleejaculation Plays onSHOOT(to ejaculate)US, 1966.12dismissal fromemploymentUK, 1841.13a rejection letterUS, 1982.< put a bullet

in Roverto stop talking and start listeningUS, 1992.< with a bulletadvancing up the popular music charts From thetypographical symbol that indicates the tune’s progressUS, 1980

bullet bagnouna condom CombinesBULLET(an ejaculation ofsemen) with a suitable carrier/containerUK, 1998

bullet lanenounthe passing lane on a motorwayUS, 1976

bulletproofadjective1invulnerable, irrefutableUK, 1961.2incomputing, able to withstand any change or external stimulusUS, 1991

bullet-stoppernouna soldier in the infantryUS, 1998

bull feathersnounnonsense A euphemism forBULLSHIT US , 1971

bullfighternounan empty railway carriageUS, 1946

bull friesnounthe cooked testicles of castrated bulls Morecommonly known in the US as ‘prairie oysters’CANADA, 1987

bullfrogverbin craps, to make a bet on a single roll of the diceUS, 1983

bullfuckernouna liar; used as a friendly form of address to a fellow.BlendsBULLSHITTER(a liar) andMOTHERFUCKER(a person)US, 1979

bull gangnouna large work crew, especially of unskilled workersUS, 1954

bull goosenoun1a railway yardmasterUS, 1977.2by extension, theperson in charge of any situationUS, 1932

bullheadnounan extremely large penisUS, 1973

bull horrorsnounthe terror of the police felt by a drug addicitUS, 1927

bullia capitalnouncrack cocaineUK, 1998

bullingadjective1very goodUS, 1953.2enragedIRELAND, 1998

bullionnouncrack cocaineUK, 1998

bull it throughverbto accomplish something by sheer strengthrather than by skill and planning, especially of an outdoor task

CANADA, 1961

bull jivenoun1insincere talkUS, 1971.2marijuana that has beenadulterated with catnip or another leaf-like substanceUS, 1973

bull juicenouncondensed milk Mainly nautical useUK, 1961

bull-moosenouna huge, powerful man; hence, a foremanUS, c.1940

bull nightnounan evening on which recruits and trainees areconfined to barracks to prepare for an inspection the followingday Military, based onBULL(to polish, to clean)UK, 1984

bull nunnouna monkCANADA, 1960

bullonounnonsense An elaboration ofBULL AUSTRALIA , 1942

bullockverb1to work tirelessly Adopting the characteristic from thebeastAUSTRALIA, 1875.2to use an inner strength and determination

in order to get your way or follow your ambition A figurative use

of the previous senseAUSTRALIA, 1930

bullockingadjectivestrong and aggressive in attack From an earliersense of the word (hard physical work)NEW ZEALAND, 1959

bullock’s bloodnouna drink of rum mixed in strong aleUK, 1949

bullockynounbeef PidginAUSTRALIA, 1839

bull of the woodsnoun1a college official such as a deanUS, 1947.

2in oil drilling, an important company officialUS, 1954.3on therailways, a carriage shop foremanUS, 1968

bullpennoun1a holding cell in a courtroom or a jailUS, 1880.2anopen area in an office with desksUS, 1983.3in a nightclub, chairswithout tables for patrons who want only to listen to the musicUS,

1956.4a room where a work crew congregatesUS, 1946

bull prick

bullpupnoun1a target pistol, especially one with an elaborate stock

US, 1957.2the air-to-ground missile (AGM) carried on fighter jetsUS,

1991

bull ringnoun1a strongly-muscled anus; in terms of anal

intercourse, a virgin anus Homosexual useUK, 2003.2in motor

racing, an oval trackUS, 1965.3in horse racing, a small trackUS, 1976

bullring campnouna homosexual male brothelUK, 1987

bullringernounon the railways, a yard pointsmanUS, 1990

bullsnounnonsense A shortening ofBULLSHIT AUSTRALIA , 1969

bull-scareverb(used of the police) to frighten or intimidate

someone without arresting themUS, 1971

bull sessionnounan informal group discussionUS, 1919

bull’s eyenoun1a powerful, focused torchUS, 1992.2fifty pounds

(£50) From the score at dartsUK, 1997

bullshnounnonsense, rubbish A euphemistic shortening of

BULLSHIT AUSTRALIA , 1919

bullshippernounan oilfield worker from OklahomaUS, 1954

bullshitnounnonsenseUS, 1914

bullshitverbto deceive someone, to fool someoneUS, 1937

bullshit!nonsense!, rubbish!AUSTRALIA, 1985

bullshit artistnouna person who habitually lies or exaggeratesUS,

1942

bullshit-assadjectiverubbishy, awful Combines bullshit (nonsense)

with-ASS(an intensifier for the preceding adjective)US, 2002

bullshit baffles brainsused to describe the defeat of logic by a

convincing argument Originally military, probably from World War

2, this catchphrase even gave rise to the Pig Latin excrementum

vincit cerebellum UK, 1995

bullshit blacknounthe flat black paint often found on a used car’s

Bullshit Taxnicknamethe Canadian Blended Sales Tax (BST), as the

Goods and Services Tax was known at first in the Maritime

provinces The introduction of this national tax in 1990 provoked

protests, and the parody of the acronym BST in the Maritimes

actually caused the government to change it to the HST

(Harmonized Sales Tax)CANADA, 1990

bullshitternouna liar, a braggart, a blufferUS, 1933

Bullshit Towersnounthe control tower of an aerodromeCANADA, 1995

bullskateverbto pretend, to deceive someone, to brag A

euphemism forBULLSHIT US , 1947

bull’s nosenounon the railways, a goods wagon couplerUS, 1975

bull’s woolnounany stolen goodsUS, 1945

bullsworthnounin circus usage, a lieUS, 1981

bullynouna bulldozerNEW ZEALAND, 1981

bullyadjectiveexcellentUK, 1599

bully beefnouna senior prison-officer; a prison officer Rhyming

slang for ‘chief’UK, 1958

bully beefadjectivedeaf Rhyming slang, depending on Scottish

pronunciationUK, 1961

bully clubnouna police batonUS, 1963

bully for you!excellent; good for you! Originally sincere, now ironic

or jocularUS, c.1788

bullyonnouncannabis resin and herbal marijuana A misspelling of

‘bouillon’, a thin clear soup similar in appearance to marijuana

tea, commercially available as small cubes which resemble blocks

ofHASH UK , 2003

bully sticknouna police batonUS, 1990

bullywhackverbto lie or at least exaggerateCANADA, 1987

bulrush

bulynoun an ambulance UK, 1988

bumnoun1the buttocks; occasionally and specifically, the anus, therectum A good Middle English word that survived in conventionalusage until the late C18 The etymology is very uncertain; possibly

from Italian bum (the sound of an explosion), and it is suggested

(elsewhere) that ‘bum’ is echoic of buttocks slapping a flat surface.What is certain is that it is now in semi-conventional currency It isnot an abbreviation ofBOTTOMwhich is a much later coinageUK,

1387.2a bag in which classified documents which are to bedestroyed are placedUS, 1986.3a lazy person; a beggar; a vagrant

US, 1864.4a boaster, a braggartUK: SCOTLAND, 1985.< give your bum an airingto use the lavatoryUK, 1984.< on the bum

1living as a beggarUS, 1907.2(of machinery) not working, broken,not operating correctlyCANADA, 1961.< take it up the bumtotake the passive role in anal intercourseUK, 2003

bumverb1to engage in anal intercourse FromBUM(the buttocks,the bottom); possibly playing on the phrase ‘bum a fag’ (toscrounge a cigarette) which can be understood to mean ‘sodomise

a gay man’UK, 1999.2to beg; to borrow something without theexpectation of returning itUS, 1857.3to feel poorly or depressedUS,

1989.4to have a bad experience with a hallucinogenic drugUS, 1972.

5in computing, to improve something by removing or rearranging

itUS, 1983.6to wander, to idle, to live as a vagrantAUSTRALIA, 1933.

7to boast, to brag Also used as ‘bum up’UK, 1937.< bum your chaff; bum your chat; bum your loadto tell a tall story toimpress or convince someoneUK, 1937

bumadjective1injured, damaged, faultyUS, 1902.2inferior, bad, ofpoor-qualityUS, 1859

bum about; bum aroundverbto wander or live idlyUS, 1926

bumba; bumbonounthe anus or vaginaJAMAICA, 1980

bum banditnouna male homosexualUK, 1983

bum-beefverbto frame an innocent personUS, 1968

bum bendnounan unpleasant experience under the influence of ahallucinogenUS, 1971

bumbershootnounan umbrellaUS, 1896

bumble beenoun1a motor cycle, especially a two-stroke model.Citizens’ band radio slang, after the US sense (1976) as a ‘two-stroke/two-cycle engine’; in both cases an allusion to the sound ofthe motorUK, 1981.2any two-cycle engineUS, 1971.3an amphet-amine tabletUS, 1980

bumbled upadjectivedrunk to the point of passing outUS, 1968

bumbleenoun1a small car not built in the US Dismissive, vaguelyjingoistic; of the era when American-made cars dominated themarket in the US but the influx of foreign-made cars had begun

US, 1968.2in Passaic, New Jersey, a police officerUS, 2000

Bumblefucknounany remote, small townUS, 1989

bumblepuppynounin poker, an inexperienced and/or unskilledplayer Originally from the game of whistUK, 1884

bumbonounwhiskyAUSTRALIA, 1942 8see:BUMBA

bumboclot; bumboclaat; bamb’clat; bumbaclaatnoun1asanitary towel; a cloth for wiping faeces West Indian and UK blackpatois, literally ‘bottom-cloth’ There is a, possibly disingenuous,belief amongst some Jamaicans that Bumbo was a king of Africa

JAMAICA, 1980.2used as direct abuse or as an intensifier West Indianand UK black patois Can also be used as an exclamation toregister shock, surprise or angerUK, 1994

bum boynoun1a homosexual male, especially a youthful, sexuallyinexperienced male who is the object of an older homosexual’sdesireUK, 1929.2a sycophantUK, 1929

bumbrellanounan umbrellaUS, 1896

bum budnouninferior marijuanaUS, 1993

bum-bumnounthe buttocksTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003

bum-bustverbto arrest someone on false or non-existent charges

bum crumbnouna small lump of excrement that clings to the anal

hairUK, 2003

bum doughnouncounterfeit moneyUS, 1992

bumf; bumphnoun1paperwork; official papers An abbreviation of

BUM FODDER(toilet paper)UK, 1889.2toilet paper An abbreviation of

BUM FODDER The elaboration, ‘bog bumf’, not recorded until 1984,

is tautological but pleasingly alliterative.UK, 1889

bum-facenounused as a derogatory form of addressUK, 1972

bum-fluffnoun1the soft facial hair of an adolescent boy The

image of sparsely spread hair on a backsideUK, 1949.2empty talk;

nonsenseAUSTRALIA, 1945.3a contemptible man, especially one who

is younger than, or of junior status to, the speakerUK, 2000

bum-flufferiesnoundetails; the small print An extension ofBUMF

(paperwork) but noteBUM-FLUFF(nonsense)UK, 2001

bum foddernountoilet paper Around 1660 an anonymous author,

now presumed to be Alexander Brome (1620–66), wrote

‘Bumm-foder: or Waste-Paper Proper to Wipe the Nations Rump with’UK,

1660

bum freezernouna short coatUK, 1932

bum fucknouna digital massage of the prostate via the anus and

rectum as a diagnostic and therapeutic procedureUK, 1961

bumfuckverbto have anal intercourse, to sodomise someone

CombinesBUM(the posterior) withFUCK(to have sex)US, 1866

Bumfuck, Egyptnouna mythical town that is the epitome of

remoteness With variantsUS, 1972

bum funnounan intimate fondling of another’s bottomUK, 2000

bum gravynounliquid excreta, diarrhoeaUK, 2002

bum-holeadjectiveinferior, badUK, 1984

bumhole; bum-holenounthe anus Logically followsBUM(the

pos-terior)UK, 1979

bum jacketnouna short, everyday jacketUS, 1967

bum-kickedadjectivedepressedUS, 1974

bum-knucklenounthe coccyx; hence, also used as a generalised

insultUK, 2003

bumlickernouna sycophant, a toady CombinesBUM(the buttocks,

the anus) with ’someone who licks’; as a demonstration of

subservience this image is far older than the term and can be

seen in C16 woodblocks of devil-worshippers pledging their service

to the hindquarters of a goatUK, 2000

bum liftnouna procedure in cosmetic surgery to firm up the

buttocksUK, 1992

bum mannouna man who is especially fond of female buttocksNEW

ZEALAND, 1998

bummedadjectivedepressed, irritatedUS, 1973

bummernoun1a male homosexual Also known as a ‘bummer boy’

UK, 1967.2a disappointing or depressing eventUS, 1965.3a bad

experience with LSD or another hallucinogenUS, 1966.4a beggar, a

tramp, a bumUS, 1855

bummynouna transient, penniless, dirty personUS, 1923

bummyverbto intimidate someone Current among UK Yardies and

other West Indian communitiesJAMAICA, 2000

bummyadjectivedirty, wretchedUS, 1896

bummy-assadjectivelow, disreputable, shoddyUS, 1990

bum-numbingadjectiveused to describe any tedious activity that

keeps a participant seated until the posterior has lost any sense of

feelingUK, 1976

bum of the monthnouna person identified as a poor performer A

term coined in connection with heavyweight boxer Joe Louis, who

fought against a series of unworthy contendersUS, 1970

bum outverbto depress someone; to disappoint someoneUS, 1970

bumpnoun1in a striptease or other sexual dance, a forceful pelvic

thrustUS, 1931.2in professional wrestling, a fall to the mat or floor,

embellished with grunts, shakes and body spasms that create the

impression that the opponent has truly hurt the victimUS, 2000.3a

dose of cocaine . a single dose of the recreational drug

ketamineUS, 1995.5a single dose of crystalised methadrineUS, 1985.

6crack cocaine; also counterfeit crack cocaineUK, 1998.7a fataloverdose of a drug A nuance of the sense as ‘a single dose of adrug’, possibly influenced by the sense ‘to kill’UK, 2001.8anassassination; a murderUS, 1919.9in poker, an increase in the bet

on a handUS, 1988.10in betting, a doubling of the bet in effectUS,

1986.11a promotion in pay or responsibilityUS, 1949.12incomputing, an incrementUS, 1991.13in volleyball, an underhandforearm pass to a team mateUS, 1985.< the bumpdismissal fromemploymentUK: SCOTLAND, 1988

bumpverb1to kill someoneUS, 1914.2(of a prisoner) to let it beknown that a debt owed to another inmate cannot be repaidUK,

1996.3to give an employee a promotionUS, 1957.4to slide a largestack of gambling chips up next to a player’s bet to size theamount of chips for a payoffUS, 1991.5in poker, to increaseanother player’s betUS, 1961.6to talk a customer into a higherpriceUS, 1980.7to defraud someone, to swindle someoneUK, 1988.

8in professional wrestling, to fall to the mat in feigned painUS,

1999.9to boost a state of drug intoxicationUK, 1998.10in astriptease or other sexual dance, to thrust the hips forward as ifcopulatingUS, 1936.11in hot rodding and low riding, to drive slowly

in a lowered vehicle, especially one with a hydraulic suspensionsystem that will bounce the car up and downUS, 1993.12todevelop breastsBAHAMAS, 1982.13to play music loudlyUS, 1998.

< bump fuzz(used of a female) to have sex with anotherwomanUS, 1997.< bump gumsto speak without saying muchUS,

1945.< bump headsto fightUS, 1971.< bump pussies; bump donuts; bump fur(used of lesbians) to have sex, especially byengaging in vulva-to-vulva frictionUS, 1967.< bump the blanket

to masturbate in bedUK, 2000.< bump tittiesto fightUS, 1985.

< bump ugliesto have sexUS, 1989

bump and boreverb(of a racehorse) to veer off course and bumpinto an opponentUK, 2003

Bump CitynicknameOakland, California The title of a 1972 recordalbum by the group Tower of Power, as well as a 1979 book byJohn KrichUS, 1972

bumpernoun1the buttocksUS, 1963.2the female breast Generally inthe pluralUS, 1947.3a person who enjoys performing oral sex onwomenUS, 1950.4a lesbianUS, 1982.5in pool, the cushion on theside of the tableUS, 1990.6in horse racing, a (National Hunt) flatraceUK, 1965.7any alcholic beverageBERMUDA, 1985.8crack cocaine

UK, 2003.9a cigarette buttAUSTRALIA, 1899

bumperverb1to make a whole cigarette from collected butts From

BUMPER(a cigarette butt)AUSTRALIA, 1968.2to extinguish a cigaretteand save the butt for smoking later FromBUMPER(a cigarette butt)

AUSTRALIA, 1978

bumperadjectiveespecially large or enlargedUK, 1759

bumper jumpernouna vehicle that is too close behind another.Citizens’ band radio slangUK, 1981

bumper kitnounthe female buttocksUS, 1995

bumper shineverb 8see:BUM SHINE

bumper-shooternounsomeone who picks up cigarette ends

AUSTRALIA, 1953

bumper tagnoun1a slight collision between cars, especially a rearend collisionUS, 1980.2in pool, a shot that is made off twocushions on the side of the table Punning on a term commonlyused to describe a traffic jamUS, 1990

bumper-to-bumperadjective(used of car traffic) moving slowly andclose togetherUS, 1938

bumper-up; bumper-uppernouna prostitute’s handymanAUSTRALIA, 1953

bumpingadjectiveexcellentUS, 1985

bump listnouna list of murder targetsUS, 1963

bumpmannounin a pickpocket team, a confederate who bumpsand distracts the targeted victimUS, 1940

bump offverbto kill someoneUS, 1907

bumpsnoun1cocaine FromBUMP(a dose of cocaine)US, 1997.2loudbass notes as amplified on a stereoUS, 1997

bump shop

bump spotnounin drag racing, the elapsed time of the driver in the

final spot of the qualifying field, subject to being displaced by a

better performance of a car yet to qualifyUS, 1968

bump sticknounin drag racing, a camshaftUS, 1968

bum punchernouna male taking the active role in anal sex,

especially when finesse is not an issueAUSTRALIA, 1985

bump upverbto increase somethingUK, 1940

bumpynounthe buttocksBERMUDA, 1985

bum rapnoun1an unfair or false accusation or reputationUS, 1952.

2a false criminal accusation; an unfair convictionUS, 1926

bum-rapverbto arrest someone without proof of guiltUS, 1947

bum robbernouna male homosexual An exact synonym ofASS/ARSE

BANDIT UK , 1972

bum-rushverbto swarm someone; to attack someoneUS, 1987

bumscareverbto drop your trousers, bend over and expose your

buttocksAUSTRALIA, 1985

bum shine; bumper shineverbto hang onto the rear bumper of a

car and slide behind it in icy weatherCANADA, 1987

bumsiclenouna hypothermic alcoholicUS, 1994

bums-on-seatsnouna theatrical audience seen as a source of

incomeUK, 1982

bum steernouna piece of bad advice A combination ofBUM

(inferior) and obsolete, except in this connection, ‘steer’ (direction)

US, 1924

bumstersnountrousers designed to be worn very low on the hips A

play on the more familiar ‘hipsters’ andBUM(the buttocks)UK, 2003

bumsuckernouna sycophantUK, 1950

bum-suckingadjectivesycophanticUK, 1949

bum tagnouna piece of faecal matter in the hair about the anusUK,

1961

bum tripnoun1a bad experience with LSD or another hallucinogen

US, 1966.2any bad experienceUS, 1965

bum trippernouna person experiencing a psychotic break while

using a hallucinogenic drugUS, 1967

bumwadnountoilet paper, or any material used in place of toilet

paperUS, 1896

bum-waggleverbto power-walk From the exaggerated motions of

those who practise the sportAUSTRALIA, 1984

bum warmernouna car coatUS, 1961

bunnoun1the vaginaUS, 1970.2a woman who has sexual intercourse

with multiple male partnersAUSTRALIA, 2003.3marijuanaUK, 1998.

4the headNEW ZEALAND, 1984.< do your bunto lose your temper

NEW ZEALAND, 1960.< have a bun onto be drunkUS, 1960

bunverbto take the active role in anal sexAUSTRALIA, 1992

bun banditnounthe active male in male-on-male anal sexUS, 1964

bun-biternouna sycophant or toady School usageUS, 1961

bun boynoun1a male homosexual prostitute whose prominent

feature is his buttocksUS, 1983.2a sycophantic assistantUS, 1988

bunceverbto overcharge someone, especially if obviously rich or

eagerUK, 1979

bunce; bunts; bunsenounmoney; profit; extras Possibly a

corruption of ‘bonus’UK, 1812

bunce upverbto pool your financial resourcesUK: NORTHERN IRELAND,

1996

bunchnouna non-specific amount of somethingUS, 1996.< the

bunchin a race, the main body of competitors A specialised

vari-ation of the conventional sense (a group of people)UK, 1961

bunchverb1to gather a deck of playing cards to shuffleUS, 1988.2to

quit a jobUS, 1927

bunchedadjectivephysically exhaustedIRELAND, 1989

bunch of bananasnounin a car, an exhaust system with individual

headers that intertwineUS, 1965

bunch of bastards

bunch of fivesnounthe fist; a punch; a series of blows deliveredwith the fistUK, 1821

bunch of flowersnounin horse racing, used by jockeys to describe

a very small tip, or no tip at all, from an owner after winning araceAUSTRALIA, 1989

bunch of grapesnouna large mess of knots in a fishing line

AUSTRALIA, 1982

bunch punchnoun1sex involving multiple males and a singlefemaleUS, 1975.2by extension, any chaotic situation in which it isnot clear who is doing what to whomUS, 1975

bunconoun1fraud; an act of fraud, especially a swindle by means ofcard-trickery; a confidence trickUS, 1914.2a squad of policeassigned to confidence swindlesUS, 1947

buncoverbto swindle someone, to cheat someoneUS, 1875

bunco artistnouna professional swindlerUS, 1945

bunco booternounan infrequent smokerUS, 1996

bundienouna hamburger bunIRELAND, 1991

bundlenoun1a good deal of money From an earlier sense (a roll ofmoney)US, 1903.2a long prison sentenceUS, 1950.3a bundle ofpackets of heroin; heroinUS, 1986.4a sexually appealing womanUS,

1993.5a fightUS, 1937.< go a bundle onto highly regardsomeone or somethingUK, 1957

bundleverb1to fightUK, 1958.2to make someone incapable ofactionUS, 1976

bundle buggynouna small delivery truckUS, 1971

bundle of socksnounthe head Rhyming slang for ‘thinkbox’

bun flossnouna thong-backed bikini bottomUS, 1991

bungnoun1a bribeUK, 1950.2a tip, a gratuity Glasgow slangUK, 1985.

3the anusUK, 1788.< on the bungbeing in regular receipt ofbribes, or receiving benefits in exchange for briberyUK, 2001

bungverb1to throw; to put; to send, especially with use of forceUK,

1825.2to tip; to pay a financial gratuityUK, 1958.3to bribe someone

UK, 1950.4to pay protection money to someone in authority Aspecialisation of the previous senseUK, 1968.5to hit someoneUK,

1984.< bung it onto behave pretentiously; to give oneself airsand gracesAUSTRALIA, 1942.< bung on an actto give an exagger-ated performance; to indulge in histrionicsAUSTRALIA, 1962.< bung

on sideto behave pretentiously; to give oneself airs and graces

AUSTRALIA, 1967.< bung on the bullto behave pretentiously

AUSTRALIA, 1973

bungadjectivebroken, ruined, wrecked Originally Aboriginal pidginEnglish meaning ‘dead’, from the Australian Aboriginal languageJagaraAUSTRALIA, 1897 8see:BONG.< go bungto failAUSTRALIA, 1885

bungalownouna dormitory roomUS, 1992

bungedadjectivetipsySOUTH AFRICA, 1946

bungernoun1a bruised and discoloured eyeUS, 1949.2an explodingfireworkAUSTRALIA, 1929.3a cigaretteAUSTRALIA, 1995

bung-fulladjectiveabsolutely full, especially as a result of eating anddrinking Full up to the point where a stopper should be necessary

to contain it allUK, 1984

bungholenoun1the anusUK, 1611.2by extension, a despicable,unlikeable personUS, 1968.3a pastry treat made from leftover piedough spread with brown sugar, cinnamon and butterCANADA, 1992.

4cheeseAUSTRALIA, 1919

bungholeverbto sodomise someone From the nounBUNGHOLE

bungiverbto have anal sexCANADA, 2002

bungienouna mildly left-wing white student in South Africa during

the struggle against apartheidSOUTH AFRICA, 1996

bungie-holeverbto sodomise someone A variation ofBUNGHOLE US ,

1997

bung navelnouna protruding navelBARBADOS, 2003

bungonouna very black, ugly and stupid rusticJAMAICA, 1979

bung onverb1to put on an article of clothing, especially carelessly

FromBUNG(to throw, to put)UK, 1984.2to stage a party, event, etc

AUSTRALIA, 1972

bungo-toughynouna young child who behaves poorly; a little

ruffianGUYANA, 1996

bunheadnouna dolt; an outcastUS, 1988

bun-huggersnountight-fitting trousersUS, 1964

bunjee; bunjie; bungeenounan India-rubber eraser; India rubber

More familiar in later use as ‘elasticated rope’ and, since 1979, in

an extreme sports context (bungee jumping)UK, 1928

bunknoun1nonsenseUS, 1900.2a weak drug, especially heroinUS,

1992.3a hiding placeUS, 1950.4a prisoner’s cell or the area

immediately around his bed in a dormitory settingUS, 1998.< do

a bunk; pull a bunkto abscond, to run awayUK, 1870

bunkverb1to abscond or play truant, usually from school or work

Also to ‘bunk off’UK, 1934.2to sleep, to stay the night Introduces a

military or Western feelUS, 1840.3to travel without a ticketUK, 1996.

4to carry a passenger on the cross-bar of a bicycleAUSTRALIA, 1959.

5to hide somethingUS, 1950

bunkadjectiveworthlessUS, 1990

bunkernoun1anal sexUS, 1949.2a premises used by a criminal gang

as a base from which to conduct violent robberiesUK, 1982

bunkeredadjectivein a situation from which it is difficult to escape

A figurative application of golfing terminologyUK, 1894

bunk fatiguenounsleepUS, 1915

bunk feenounthe amount charged to smoke opium in an opium

denUS, 1992

bunk flyingnoundramatic, on-the-ground discussions of flying

exploitsUS, 1933

bunk inverbto sneak into an entertainment venue without paying

Schoolboy reversal of ‘bunk off’UK, 2000

bunk patrolnouna nap while off duty Mounted Police usage

CANADA, 1953

bunkumnounnonsense In or around 1820 the Congressman

representing Buncombe County in North Carolina, USA, in seeking

to impress his constituents, made a pointless speech to Congress;

over time ‘Buncombe’ became ‘bunkum’US, 1862

bunk-upnoun1an act of sexual intercourse Originally military,

post-World War 2UK, 1958.2a lifting-up as assistance in climbing or

reachingAUSTRALIA, 1919

bunkynounin jail or prison, a cellmateUS, 1858

bunnitnoun< do your bunnitto lose your temper Glasgow slang

UK, 1985

bunnynoun1a Playboy Club hostess; a nightclub hostess dressed in

a costume that is representative of a rabbit A shortening of the

official job-description: Bunny GirlUS, 1960.2a woman blessed with

few if any sexual inhibitionsUS, 1971.3a female surfer or a male

surfer’s girlfriendUS, 1936.4a homosexual male prostituteUS, 1967.

5the rectumUS, 1977.6a conversationUK, 1958.7a person who talks

too much, especially stupidlyUK, 1954.8a fool, a dupeAUSTRALIA,

1943.9a pilotmanUK, 1970.10in shuffleboard, the disc on a

number representing the winning scoreUS, 1967.11in the sport of

field archery, a 15 cm target face Derives from the small face of a

‘bunny’ (rabbit) which, along with faces of other small creatures, is

used as a targetUK, 1988

bunnyverbto talk, to chat The childish word for a ‘rabbit’ replaces

bunny boilernounan obsessive, possessive woman From the

action in the film Fatal Attraction, 1987, in which actress Glenn

Close put the fear of God into adulterous menUK, 2002

bunny boileryadjectiveof a woman scorned, unhealthily obsessedwith her (ex-)lover FromBUNNY BOILER UK , 2003

bunny booknouna sexually explicit magazine From the Playboybunny.US, 1967

bunny bootnouna large white felt boot, now usually made ofrubber with an inflatable air layer for insulationUS, 1954

bunny capnouna fur-lined pile cap Vietnam war usageUS, 1968

bunny chownouna hot Indian or Malay curry served in a hollowedout loaf of bread Created and coined by Hindi Indians in Durban

SOUTH AFRICA, 2001

bunny dipnouna method of serving bar customers drinkscalculated to keep a woman’s breasts from spilling out from a low-cut, tight bodice A technique perfected by and taught to PlayboyBunniesUS, 1985

bunny fuckverbto have sex quickly, if not franticallyUS, 1971

bunny holenounan excavation in a fox hole to provide protectionfrom a mortar attack Korean war usageUS, 1957

bunny hopnounthe act of bouncing both wheels of a bicycle offthe ground into the airUS, 1953

bunny hugnouna girl’s hooded sweatshirt Especially inSaskatchewan, where it gets very cold in winter, this term is usedfor a key warm layer of clothingCANADA, 2004

bunny suitnouna thick flight suit worn by an aircrew member over

an anti-gravity suitUS, 1966

bunsnoun1the buttocksUS, 1877.2the feetUS, 1973

buntnounthe buttocks A blend of ‘buttocks’ and ‘cunt’US, 1967

bunternouna prostituteUS, 1973

buntynoun1semenUK, 2000.2an affectionate term for a smallperson, especially a small middle-aged woman From Scottish/IrishdialectUK, 1977

buoynouna surfer who lingers in the water, rarely catching a wave

US, 1991

bupkes; bupkisnounnothing – used for expressing scorn atsomething deemed foolish or trivial From the Russian for ‘beans’

US, 1942

buppverbto strike your head against somethingBARBADOS, 1965

buppie; buppy; bumpienoun a (young) black urban professional; a (young) black upwardly mobile professional A socio-economic

acronym on the model ofYUPPIE; as forced as ‘yuppie’ seemednatural and only a marginal term in the vernacularUS, 1986

buppiesnounbread and butter; a slice of bread and butter Afterearlier variations: ‘bupper’, ‘buppie’, ‘bups’, ‘bupsie’; derived byinfantile reductionUK, 1978

’burbnoun a suburb Often in the plural US, 1971

burbleverbin computing, to post an inflammatory message thatdisplays the person’s complete ignorance on the subject in

question From Lewis Carroll’s 1871 Through the Looking Glass, in

which the Jabberwock ‘burbled’ (spoke in a murmuring orrambling manner)US, 1991

bureau-drawer specialnouna small, inexpensive handgunUS, 1962

burgnoun1a city or townUS, 1835.2a burglaryUS, 1983

burgernoun1a variety of MDMA, the recreational drug best known

as ecstasyUK, 1996.2a shapeless, uneven wave An abbreviation of

MUSHBURGER US , 1991.3a scrape or raw bruise suffered whileskateboardingUS, 1976

burglarnoun1a prison officer doing a surprise cell-search, especially

of an officer who is considered an expert in this business HeavilyironicUK, 1980.2the operator of a dishonest carnival gameUS, 1950

buriedadjective1of food, cannedJAMAICA, 1979.2in new car sales,owing more on a loan than the car securing the loan is worthUS,

buried treasurenounin computing, an unexpected and usually

poorly written piece of code found in a programUS, 1991

burkverbto vomitUS, 1960

burk; burkenoun 8see:BERK

burlnoun1an attempt, try or go at anythingAUSTRALIA, 1917.2in

horse racing, odds of 5–1 Rhyming slang, abbreviated from ‘Burl

Ives’ for ‘fives’AUSTRALIA, 1989

burlapnoundismissal from employment An elaboration of the

more common term, ‘getting theSACK’US, 1951

burley; burlynounburlesqueUS, 1934

burleycuenounburlesqueUS, 1923

burlinadjectivedrunkUK, 2002

Burlington huntnoun1the vagina Rhyming slang forCUNT A

lesser-known variation of Berkshire hunt and Berkeley huntUK, 1960.

2a fool Rhyming slang forCUNT UK , 1960

burlynoun1something which is not easily accomplishedUS, 1993.

2in foot-propelled scootering, a difficult trick or stunt which has

pain or injury as the price of failure; a scooter-rider who specialises

in such tricksUK, 2000

burlyadjective1intimidating A surfer term used to describe a wave,

brought into broader youth usageUS, 1993.2very coldUS, 1991

burly shownounin carnival usage, a burlesque showUS, 1981

BURMAwritten on an envelope, or at the foot of a lover’s letter as

lovers’ code for ‘be undressed (or upstairs) and ready my angel’.

Widely-known, and well-used by servicemen Now a part of the

coded vocabulary of textingUK, 1960

Burmese Fuckin’ Incrediblenouna variety of marijuana seed from

British ColumbiaCANADA, 2002

burnnoun1tobacco; a cigaretteAUSTRALIA, 1960.2a swindleUS, 1960.

3an exhibition, a display FromBURN(to spray graffiti)US, 2002.4a

thrill-seeking act of fast drivingAUSTRALIA, 1965.5the initial flooding

of sensations after injecting heroinUS, 1973.6a caustic chemical

treatment of the skinUS, 1997

burnverb1to put someone to death by electrocutionUS, 1927.2to

kill someoneUS, 1933.3to shoot a gun at someone, either just

grazing them or making them jump to avoid being hitUS, 1953.

4to cheat, swindle someoneUK, 1698.5to put someone under an

unfair obligationUK, 1997.6to expose the identity of a person or

placeUS, 1959.7to completely cover another graffiti artist’s work

with your ownUS, 1995.8in private dice games, to stop the dice

while rolling, either as a superstition or to check for cheatingUS,

1950.9while playing blackjack, to place an unplayed card into the

discard card holderUS, 1982.10to smoke marijuanaUS, 1964.11to

infect someone with a sexually transmitted diseaseUS, 1967.

< burn an Indianto smoke marijuanaUS, 1992.< burn logsto

smoke marijuanaUK, 2001.< burn paint(used of a car or truck)

to be engulfed in flamesUS, 1977.< burn someone’s buttto

annoy, to irritate someoneUS, 2001.< burn the breezeto drive

fastUS, 1971.< burn the lot(used of a carnival) to cheat a town

so badly that no carnival will be able to come to that town for

some timeUS, 1989.< burn the main lineto inject a drug

intravenouslyUK, 1998.< burn the road upto leaveUS, 2002.

< burn the yellowto race through a yellow traffic light Used in

Montreal, translated and borrowed from the FrenchCANADA, 1992.

< burn up the wiresto spend a great deal of time on the

telephone Originally a term applying to the telegraph As

telephones become increasingly independent of wires, it will be

interesting to see if the phrase survivesUS, 1954.< enough

money to burn a wet mulea great deal of money Slang

synonyms for ‘money’ are found in variants of the phraseUS, 1895

burn and smouldernounthe shoulder Rhyming slang, perhaps in

reference to a sunburnt shoulderUK, 1992

burn artistnouna cheat, a conman, especially in dealings with

drugsUS, 1968

burn, bash, buryused as the rubbish disposal creed of Australian

troops in VietnamAUSTRALIA, 1990

burn cardsnounin blackjack played in casinos, a few cards taken

burn downverb1to overuse and thus ruin somethingUS, 1953.2toshoot and kill someoneUS, 1932

burned out; burnt outadjective1recovering from drug dependence

UK, 1978.2exhausted beyond mental or physical capacityUS, 1980

burnernoun1a criminal who specialises in breaking into safes using

an acetylene torchUS, 1950.2a handgunUS, 1926.3a very fastrunnerUS, 1978.4an extraordinary personUS, 1952.5a marijuanasmokerUS, 1985.6a drug addictionUS, 1992.7a complete piece ofgraffiti artUS, 1997

Burnese; burnienouncocaine A variation on Berni, Bernice orBernieUS, 1933

burn headnounany Rastafarian who defies the norms and shaves

JAMAICA, 1980

burnienouna partially smoked marijuana cigaretteUS, 1952

burning and turningadjectiveof a helicopter, with engine runningand blades rotatingUK, 1978

burn offverbto drive very fast, especially if showing offAUSTRALIA, 1984

burnoutnoun1a person whose mental capacity has beendiminished by extended drug or alcohol useUS, 1973.2anuninhabitable, ruined tenement, whether it has been burnt or not

US, 1987.3in drag racing, the pre-race spinning of the car’s reartyres to clean and heat the tyres, producing crowd-pleasing smokeand noiseUS, 1988.4in the youth trend for ‘souped-up’ motor-scootering, any achievement of a daring, risk-taking riderUK, 2004

burn outverbto make a fire in a prisoner’s cell as retaliation for real

or perceived cooperation with prison authoritiesUS, 1974

burnout boxnounin drag racing, the area where tyres are heatedand cleaned before a raceUS, 1993

burn rubber!leave me alone!US, 1996

burntadjectiveexhaustedUS, 1995

burnt cheesenouna fartAUSTRALIA, 1998

burnt cinder; burntnouna window Cockney rhyming slang, relying

on the accent for an accurate rhymeUK, 1958

burnt endnounin bowls, a stage of play that has to be replayedwhen the jack is driven out of boundsUK, 1990

burn-throughnounthe process of cleaning tyres on a dragster withbleach poured on the ground over which the tyres are spunUS, 1970

burnt moneynouna bet in a dice game lost because of a ruleviolationUS, 1997

burnt offeringnounovercooked food, especially meat Adopted,ironically, from the conventional religious senseUK, 1937

burn-upnounthe act of racing or riding fast on a motorcycle To

‘burn-up’ the tyre-rubber and leave scorch-marks on the roadUK, 1971

burn upverbto fall silent; to stop talking Often as an imperative

AUSTRALIA, 1971

burpnoun1an act of vomiting; vomitAUSTRALIA, 1967.2a belch.EchoicUS, 1932.3any alcoholic beverageBERMUDA, 1985 8see:

BOTTOM BURP

burpverbto belch; to cause a baby to belch The variant spelling,

‘birp’, has been recordedUS, 1932.< burp the worm(of a male)

to masturbateUS, 2001

burp gunnouna submachine gunUS, 1946

burp ’n’ blownounan act of burping into your cupped hands thenblowing the retained air at a chosen victimUK, 2004

burqanounan out-of-style fashion garment The conventional

‘burqa’ is a complete head and body shroud worn by women inthe strictest Muslim societies This teenspeak reflects the end offundamentalist Taliban rule in AfghanistanUS, 2002

burrnounthe recurring operating expenses in a circus or carnivalUS, 1980

burrheadnouna black personUS, 1902

burritoadjectivecold From ‘brrrr’ as a vocalisation of feeling coldUS,

burrito bagnouna mesh restraint used by police to contain a

violent personUS, 1997

burrito ponchonouna condomUK, 1998

burronouna racehorse that does not perform wellUS, 1947

burroo; brew; buronounan unemployment exchange; the

Department of Social Security From a Glasgow pronunciation of

‘bureau’ as in ‘Employment Bureau’UK, 1937

burrowernouna researcher Security service jargonUK, 1977

burr under your saddle blanketnounan unexplained irritability

CANADA, 1987

burr up your assnouna person with a displeased focus on

somethingUS, 1960

burstnoun1a period of re-enlistment in the military A ‘burst of six’

would thus be re-enlistment for six yearsUS, 1968.2a drinking

bingeNEW ZEALAND, 1998

burstverb1to strike someone violently This usage is common all

over Ireland, and is used in a rhetorical sense, rather than literally

IRELAND, 1987.2to pay for something that costs relatively little with

a banknote Literally ‘to burst the completeness of the banknote’;

a variation of conventional ‘break’UK, 1988.3to ejaculateBAHAMAS,

1971.< burst out in fairy lightsto show an expected level of

enthusiasmUK: SCOTLAND, 1996

burster; busternounanything of superior size or astounding nature

US, 1831

bursting at the seamsadjectiveoverfullUK, 1962

Burton-on-Trent; Burtonnounrent Rhyming slang, based on an

East Midlands’ townUK, 1932

Burton-on-Trent; Burtonadjectivehomosexual Rhyming slang for

BENT(homosexual)UK, 1996

burwashnouna swindle, for fun or profitUK, 1983

buryverb1to sentence a criminal to a long or life term in prisonUS,

1904.2in casino gambling, to place a card in the middle of a deck

or in the discard pileUS, 1991.< bury the stiffyfrom a male

perspective, to have sexUS, 1994.< bury the tachto rev an

engine up beyond what would be considered a prudent

revolutions per minute level The tachometer measures the

revolutions per minuteUS, 1992

busnoun1an ambulanceUS, 1992.2a wheelbarrowTRISTAN DA CUNHA,

1906.3a planeUK, 1913.4a carUK, 1921.5a large touring motorcyle

Biker (motorcycle) usageUS, 2003.< more bus than Battoo

big-breasted Battoo is the owner of a bus companyTRINIDAD AND

TOBAGO, 2003.< on the buspart of a countercultural movement

From the language of Ken Kesey, Neal Cassady and the Merry

PrankstersUS, 1994

busverbto shoot a gun at someoneUS, 1995.< bus oneto leaveUS,

1993

bus and tramnounjam Rhyming slang, possibly punning on the

constituent parts of a traffic jamUK, 1978

bus and truckadjectivesaid of a travelling show, with the cast and

crew travelling by bus, with the props and wardrobe in a truckUS,

1973

bus drivernoun1in poker, the player in a given hand who controls

the bettingUS, 1996.2a pilot, especially the pilot of a military

transport aircraftUS, 1944

buseverbto swear at someone An abbreviation of ‘abuse’BARBADOS,

1965

bus facenounthe worn-out look gained from sleeping on a bus

overnightUS, 1997

bushnoun1pubic hair, especially a woman’s pubic hair A source for

endless punning during the US presidential election of 2000;

President Bush Jr’s lack of gravitas opened him up to ‘bush’ puns

to an extent that his father did not have to endureUK, 1650.2a

sexually active femaleUS, 1966.3a bushy hairstyle, especially on a

black personUS, 1972.4marijuanaUS, 1951.5cocaineUK, 1998.6the

woodsUS, 1997.7the suburbs An urban sneer; from the

conven-tional Australian sense of ‘bush’ (country in its natural state)

AUSTRALIA, 1942.< go bushto move to or visit the countyAUSTRALIA,

.< take the bush; take to the bushto escape; to run wild;

to leave the town for the country Originally of escaping convicts;but also carrying the sense of an Aborigine returning to traditionallifeAUSTRALIA, 1804

BushnicknameFlatbush, Brooklyn, New YorkUS, 1995

bushverb1to ambush someoneUS, 1947.2in the used car business,

to extract through any of a series of questionably ethical meansmore from a customer than originally contemplated by thecustomerUS, 1953.3to deceive someoneUS, 1971

bushadjective1second-rate, amateurishUS, 1959.2rough and ready

bush blasternounthe penisUS, 2001

bush bunnynouna woman from a remote area; a naive,unsophisticated womanFIJI, 2004

bush captialnicknameCanberra, the capital city of Australia called because it was a new city built in the ‘bush’ (countryside)halfway between the two major cities of Sydney and Melbourne

So-AUSTRALIA, 1906

bush childnounan illegitimate childCAYMAN ISLANDS, 1985

bush dancenounan Australian-style country danceAUSTRALIA, 1983

bush dinnernounoral sex on a womanUS, 1967

bus headnounhair that is in complete disarray after a long bus ride

US, 1988

bushedadjective1very tiredUS, 1879.2showing adverse psychologicaleffects from having to live in bad weather Confinement and iso-lation, especially in the north of North America, give this widelyused term a special meaning, different from ‘going native’CANADA,

1952.3lost in bushlandAUSTRALIA, 1844.4lost, but not in the bush

AUSTRALIA, 1963

bushelnoun1in trucking, a load of half a tonUS, 1976.2the neck,the throat The full form is ‘bushel and peck’ Rhyming slang,based on imperial units of volumeUK, 1979

bushel-cuntedadjectivepossessing a slack and distended vaginaUS, 1980

bushel of cokenouna man Rhyming slang for aBLOKE UK , 1960

bushesnounany place where sexual activity takes place, whether ornot an actual bush is involvedUS, 1975

bushfirenounused as a comparison for something that isexceedingly fastAUSTRALIA, 1962

bushfire blondenouna red-headed womanAUSTRALIA, 1943

bush gangnouna prison work gang working without the traditionalchainsCANADA, 1987

bush herbnoununremarkable marijuanaUK, 1994

bushienoun1a rough, tough, unattractive or otherwise unappealingwoman FromBUSHPIG AUSTRALIA , 1987.2a person who lives in thebush Can be used negatively to mean a ‘country bumpkin’, orpositively to refer to someone skilled at surviving in the harsh con-ditions of the Australian outbackAUSTRALIA, 1887

Bushienouna supporter or a member of the administration of USPresident George W BushUS, 2002

Bush is another word for cuntused as a slogan that registersabsolute contempt for US President George W Bush Punning onthe sense ofBUSHas pubic hair andCUNT(the vagina) as

‘despicable individual’US, 2003

bush lawyernouna person with some knowledge of law but noactual qualificationsAUSTRALIA, 1835

bush-leagueadjectivepetty, mediocre, trivial, inconsequential,second-rateUS, 1908

bush lightnounin the pornography industry, a light used toilluminate the genitals of the performersUS, 1995

bushlinenoun< put out the bushline on the icein Cape

Breton, to set out the small evergreen trees on solid ice to mark a

trail for skating or skimobiling on a road The term, by extension,

seems to apply to a variety of metaphorical situations, involving

fitnessCANADA, 2000

bush magnouna magazine featuring photographs of naked women,

focusing on their pubic hair and vulvasUS, 1972

bushman’s breakfastnouna yawn, a stretch, urinating and a look

around, or some variation thereofNEW ZEALAND, 1998

bushman’s clocknouna kookaburra, a native Australian bird with a

loud laughing territorial call frequently heard at dawn and dusk

AUSTRALIA, 1846

bushman’s hankynounthe act of blowing nasal mucus from one

nostril while holding the other closedAUSTRALIA, 1996

bush mechanicnouna mechanic with no formal training and,

often, no special skillBAHAMAS, 1982

Bush-munchernouna proponent of US President George W Bush’s

points of view Derogatory; a play onBUSH(the pubic hair, hence

the vagina) andCARPET-MUNCHER(a cunnilinguist), which leads to

an obvious parallel withARSE/ASS-LICKER(an obsequious sycophant)

US, 2003

bush orchestranouna morning chorus of indigenous New Zealand

song birdsNEW ZEALAND, 1982

bush padnouna motorcyle’s passenger seat Biker (motorcycle)

usage, coarsely identifying a woman passenger in terms of her

genitalsUS, 2003

bush parolenounescape from prisonUS, 1960

bush patrolnounsex with a woman TheBUSHin question here is

the woman’s pubic hairUS, 1964

bushpignouna rough, tough, unattractive or otherwise unappealing

womanAUSTRALIA, 1985

bush-popverb(of cowboys) to ride in the bush to round up cows

CANADA, 1964

bushrangernouna person who commits petty crime; a swindler or

cheat Figurative use of the usual sense as ‘an escaped convict

who lives by highway robbery’, common during Australia’s colonial

eraAUSTRALIA, 1855

bush shavenouna shave without the benefit of water or shaving

creamUS, 1990

bush telegraphnounan information network utilising word of

mouth; the grapevineAUSTRALIA, 1962

bush timenounduring the Vietnam war, the amount of time spent

in combatUS, 1987

bush tuckernounfood consisting of native Australian flora and

fauna Originally used to refer to food making up the diet of

Australian Aboriginals, nowadays also for items of restaurant

cuisineAUSTRALIA, 1895

Bush Weeknouna putative week during which country folk visit the

city and the normal rules of society are laid aside Always in the

formulaic rhetorical question ‘What do you think this is? Bush

Week?’AUSTRALIA, 1919

bushwhackernoun1an outlaw who attacks by ambushUS, 1926.2a

rapist Playing on the sexual meaning ofBUSH US , 1976.3a man

who enjoys sex in park bushesUS, 1966.4a person from the

country; a country bumpkinUS, 1809

bush whiskeynounstrong, homemade whiskyUS, 1999

Bushy Parknoun1a lark, a spree Rhyming slang, formed on the

name of a park close to Hampton CourtUK, 1859.2a woman’s

pubic hair By extension, the shortened form ‘bushy’ is a pet

name for ‘the vagina’, deriving fromBUSH(pubic hair); possibly a

play on the outer London beauty spot Bushey Park, source of the

similar, now obsolete C19 phrase ‘take a turn in Bushey Park’ (to

have sex)US, 1980

businessnoun1sex with a prostitute; prostitution From a sense,

originating in C17, as ‘sexual intercourse’; in 1630 the described

cost was ‘one hundred crownes’UK, 1911.2the genitals, male or

femaleUS, 1949.3a syringe employed by intravenous drug usersUS,

.4the actual cheating move of a card cheat .5used as

a deliberately vague reference to any matter that is of concern orunder consideration; later use tends to describe the matter (inphrases such as ‘a bad business’) without being any more specific

UK, 1605.6when combined with an indefinite intensifier in phrasessuch as ‘what a business’, ‘quite a business’, etc, somethingunexpectedly difficult to do or getUK, 1843.< do business1toengage in an illegal activity such as briberyUS, 1984.2in pool, tointentionally lose a game or other competitionUS, 1989.3in horseracing, to cooperate in the fixing of a raceUS, 1951.< do the businessto settle the matterUK, 1823.< do your businesstodefecateUK, 1645.< give someone the business; do the businessto have sexUS, 1942.< on the businessengaged inprostitutionUK, 1961.< the business1the finest, the mostperfect, the most complete; anything particularly goodUK, 1982.

2prostitutionUS, 1952

business endthe operative part of something, the part thatmattersUK, 1878

business girlnouna prostituteUK, 1888

businessmannoun1any official or witness who will accept a bribe

US, 1950.2in horse racing, a jockey who may be persuaded to lose

a race intentionallyUS, 1951

businessman’s special; businessman’s lunchnounDMT(dimethyltryptamine), a powerful but short-lasting hallucinogen Anallusion to the fact that it can be taken, experienced and recoveredfrom in short orderUS, 1967

bus jockeynouna bus driverUS, 1954

buskverbto work as a street entertainer The earlier sense fromwhich this derives means ‘to offer goods and entertainment forsale in bars’US, 1920

buskernounan itinerant purveyor of entertainment to passers-by inthe street, or on the London Underground, or other informallocations Possibly from ‘buskin’, a short boot worn by entertainersfrom C16–19UK, 1859

bussienouna bus driver Common among professional baseballplayers in the days when bus travel dominated travel betweencitiesUS, 1967

bustnoun1a police raid, especially for suspected drug offencesUS,

1938.2an arrestUS, 1953.3a burglaryUK, 1857.4a complete failureUS,

1842.5in poker, a worthless handUS, 1963

bustverb1to arrest someoneUS, 1940.2to catch someone withevidence of guilt; to report on someoneUS, 1960.3to reducesomeone in rank or standingUS, 1878.4to inform the police; inlater use especially, to inform the police about illicit drugsUK, 1859.

5to inform on a fellow prisonerUK, 1980.6to insult someoneUS,

1985.7to praise and promote somethingUS, 1997.8to give someonesomething, to lend someone somethingUS, 1990.9in pontoon(blackjack, vingt-et-un), to exceed 21 pointsUK, 1939.10in pool, tobreak to start a gameUS, 1990.11when driving, to turn in a newdirectionUS, 1993.12in the used car business, to reduce a car inpriceUS, 1975.13to smoke a marijuana cigaretteUK, 1998.< bust a boxto break into a safeUS, 1966.< bust a cap1to shoot a gun

US, 1965.2to use drugsUS, 1971.< bust a fewto surfUS, 1997.

< bust a grapein prison, to commit a foolish act as a result of

a sense of intense desperationUS, 1990.< bust a gutto make agreat effort Originally a dialect termUK, 1912.< bust a move1tomake a move; to take action; to danceUS, 1984.2to move quickly

US, 1991.< bust a stop signto ignore a stop signUS, 1973.< bust

a trickin foot-propelled scootering, to achieve success in adifficult manoeuvreUK, 2000.< bust jungleto break through ajungle with a tank or armoured carrier Vietnam war usageUS, 1977.

< bust laughto laugh out loud Hawaiian youth usageUS, 1982.

< bust someone’s ballsto tease someone relentlessly,provoking their angerUS, 1955.< bust someone’s drawerstohave sex, seen as a conquestUS, 1990.< bust sudsto wash dishes

US, 1971.< bust the mainlineto inject a drug into a veinUS, 1938.

< bust the rut; bust a rutto blaze a trail From the NorthernTerritoryAUSTRALIA, 1951.< bust your boilerto over-exert yourself

NEW ZEALAND, 1946.< bust your bunsto exert yourself; to try hard

US, 1964.< bust your chopsto harass or provoke someoneUS,

1953.< bust your conkto feel very happy, especially under theinfluence of a drugUS, 1973.< bust your guts outto over-exert

yourselfNEW ZEALAND, 1959.< bust your humpto work extremely

hardUK, 2001.< bust your nutto experience an orgasmUS, 1964

bustadjectivewithout fundsUS, 1990

bustanoun1a person who informs on anotherUS, 2000.2a social

outcastUS, 1998

bust developernouna singer who performs during a striptease act

US, 1981

bustedadjective1without, or very short of, money; bankrupt, ruined

US, 1837.2uglyUS, 2002

busternoun1pleasure, especially sexual pleasureUS, 1973.

2something that is excellentUS, 1973.3used as a term of address

Lends a self-conscious, old-fashioned toneUS, 1866.4a foolUS, 1995.

5in circus usage, a bad fall An allusion to comic actor Joseph

‘Buster’ KeatonUS, 1981.6a heavy fall from a horseAUSTRALIA, 1878.

7a firecrackerUS, 1952.8a hard roll of bread Trawlermen’s termUK,

1969.9any of several tools used by burglars or as weaponsUS, 1949.

10in poker, a card that does not improve a handUS, 1961.11a

shoplifterCANADA, 1984.12a strong wind from the south A

shortening ofSOUTHERLY BUSTER AUSTRALIA , 1873.13on a plane, full

powerUS, 1991 8see:BURSTER

bustersnoundice that have had their spots altered to aid cheating

US, 1962

bust handnounin bar dice games, a roll that produces no points for

the playerUS, 1971

bust-headnounpotent whisky or beer, especially if manufactured

illegallyUS, 1857

bus therapynounkeeping a problem prisoner in transit in prison

transport between prisonsUS, 1996

busticateverb1to breakUS, 1916.2to leaveUS, 2002

bus ticketnouna transfer from one prison to anotherUS, 1989

bust inverbin a dice cheating scheme, to introduce altered dice

into a gameUS, 1963

bustle-punchingnounfrottage; an act of unwanted intimacy,

usually in a crowded place, when a man rubs his penis against the

hindquarters of an unsuspecting womanUK, 1977

bustle racknounon a tank, welded pipe framework on the turret

used as a sort of roof rack, storing food, drinks and suppliesUS, 1991

bust offverbto experience orgasm Derives fromBUST YOUR NUT US ,

1996

bust onverb1to criticise someone, to tease someoneUS, 1986.2to

shoot someoneUS, 2001

bust-outnouna bankruptcy forced upon a business by organised

crime, usually a lending enterprise owed money by the head of

the businessUS, 1988

bust outverb1to take over a legitimate business, exploit its credit

to the maximum, and then liquidate all assetsUS, 1962.2in a dice

cheating scheme, to remove altered dice from a game and

reintroduce the legitimate diceUS, 1963

bust-outadjective1in gambling, dishonest or part of a cheating

schemeUS, 1937.2without money, brokeUS, 1965

bust-out jointnouna casino or gambling establishment that cheats

gamblersUS, 1979

bust-out mannounin a dice cheating scheme, the confederate

whose special skill is the switching of tampered dice with the

legitimate diceUS, 1950

bust-out mobnouna group of confederates gambling with altered

diceUS, 1972

bust-upnounan altercation; a serious argument or disagreement

From the earlier sense (an explosion)UK, 1899

busty substancesnounthe female breasts A jocular coinage by

comedian Peter CookUK, 1966

bus’ upverbto wreak havoc Hawaiian youth usageUS, 1981

bus-whargusadjectiveextremely uglyNORFOLK ISLAND, 1992

busyadjective1actively searching for, or engaged in, a sexual liaison

Homosexual usage . (used of a card in poker) producing a

pair or otherwise improving a handUS, 1988.< get busy1to havesexUS, 1989.2to rob someoneUS, 1987

busy; bizzy; busienounpolice; a police officer, originally adetective From earlier ‘busy fellow’ – a suggestion that plainclothes officers are busy while their uniformed colleagues ‘plod’

UK, 1904

busy as a one-armed paper-hanger in a galeadjectiveextremelybusy First recorded in the US and New Zealand, but also known inCanada where it may be lengthened by ‘with the itch’, and inAustralia and UK with the elaboration ‘with crabs’ or ‘with thecrabs’US, 1939

busy beenounphencyclidine, the recreational drug known as PCP orangel dustUS, 1994

busylickumnouna nosey personBARBADOS, 1965

butnouna halibut Trawlermen’s useUK, 1980

butadverbthough, however Used at the end of a statement This isone feature of Australian English that parents and teachers havelong sought to wipe out via the correction of any youth saying it.Typically the argument ‘you can’t end a sentence with apreposition/conjunction’ is put forward, but clearly ‘but’ is anadverb here, modifying the verb of the statement (not to mentionhighlighting the grammatical ignorance of the would-be corrector).Speakers of US and British English are often confused when firstmeeting this regionalism, and will patiently wait for the continu-ation of the sentence following what they hear as a conjunction –

‘it isn’t coming, but!’ The first undeniable example dates to 1938,and it was common by the 1950s Also heard among HawaiianyouthAUSTRALIA, 1938

butconjunction1used for expressing surprise or recognition ofsomething unexpectedUK, 1846.2used for emphasizing thefollowing word or wordsUK, 1887

butchnoun1the person fulfulling the masculine role in a ual relationshipUS, 1954.2a very short haircutUS, 1982

homosex-butchadjective1overtly masculineUS, 1936.2fulfilling the masculinerole in a male or female homosexual relationship Originallyapplied to male and female homosexuals, but later predominantly

to lesbiansUS, 1941.3heterosexualUS, 1949.4unafraid, unabashed Anuance of the ‘overtly masculine’ sense used in contemporary gaysocietyUK, 2003

butch broadnounan aggressive lesbian with masculine affectations

US, 1966

butch dikenounan aggressive, mannish lesbianUS, 1969

butchernoun1a beer glass of 170 ml capacity; also, a serving inone of these glasses Used only in the state of South Australia, the

‘butcher’ was originally a long thin glass holding over a pint; thesize has gradually diminished over the years Said by some to be

derived from the German becher (C19 South Australia had a large

German migrant community), but this doesn’t sound remotely like

‘butcher’ Other folk etymologies about butchers requiring acertain type of beer glass aboundAUSTRALIA, 1889.2a surgeonUS,

1849.3a medical student Used by undergraduates of the University

of SydneyAUSTRALIA, 1984.4a prison dentistUK, 1996.5a prison guardcaptainUS, 1983.6in a pack of playing cards, a kingUK, 1937

Butcher Brigadenicknamethe 11th Infantry Brigade of the AmericalDivision, US Army So named after the Brigade’s role in themassacre at My Lai became knownUS, 1991

butcher chartsnounlarge pieces of paper used during a briefing orbrainstorming session Named because the paper used is similar

to the paper used by butchers to wrap meatUS, 1986

butcher’s apronnicknamethe ribbon of the United Nations’ medalfor active service in Korea From the narrow vertical white stripesand washed-out blue background The nickname was alreadycurrent in 1954UK, 1954

butcher’s hook; butcher’snouna look Rhyming slangUK, 1936

butcher’s hook; butcher’sadjective< go butcher’s hookto getangry or upsetAUSTRALIA, 1918.sick, ill, unwell Rhyming slang for

butcher’s overallnouna surgeon’s white protective overall Royal

Navy useUK, 1964

butch it upverbto act in an aggressive, manly manner Homosexual

usage, male and femaleUS, 1963

butch kicknounin the usage of pickpockets, a hip pocketUS, 1949

butch numbernouna manly homosexual man desired by others as

a partner in sexUS, 1967

butch outverb(used of a woman) to affect a mannish appearance

US, 1999

butch padnounan apartment or house where lesbians congregate

US, 1973

butch queennouna decidedly masculine male homosexualUS, 1966

butch tradenouna seemingly heterosexual man who consents to

homosexual sex in the male role, receiving orally or giving anally

US, 1970

butchyadjectiveovertly masculine in affectation and mannerismsUS,

1956

butenounbutazolodin, a pain-killerUK, 1981

but, I digressused as a humorous end to a wandering thought A

catchphrase attrbitued to author Max Shulman in cigarette

advertisements of the 1950sUS, 1961

butlernouncrack cocaineUK, 2003

butler’s revengenounan inaudible fart A public school coinage,

commenting on the dignified restraint of senior male servants; not

an eponymUK, 1984

but mine is worth used as a bragging description of a BMW car

CANADA, 2002

buttnoun1the buttocks, the posterior; used in many senses and

phrases as a replacement for ‘arse’ or ‘ass’UK, 1720.2by extension,

the tail end of anythingUS, 1970.3the tail end of a prison sentence

US, 1949.4a cigaretteUS, 1902

buttverbin tiddlywinks, to knock a wink off a pileUS, 1977

buttadverbveryUS, 1990

butt boardverbto ride a skateboard sitting downUS, 1997

butt boynouna sycophant; a toadyUS, 1950

butt cannounany improvised ashtrayUS, 1968

butt-checkverbin snowboarding, to maintain balance by making

brief contact between buttocks and snowUK, 2002

butt dropnouna backwards fall while snowboardingUS, 1990

butt endnounthe discarded end of a cigarette or marijuana

ciga-retteUK, 2000

buttendskinounthe buttocksNEW ZEALAND, 1998

butternoun1insincerityUS, 1945.2crack cocaineUS, 1998

butter; buttersadjectiveugly, unattractive Perhaps a play onBUTT

UGLY.Current in south LondonUK, 1998

butter-and-egg mannounan unsophisticated free spender Coined

by 1920s nightclub performer Texas Guinan for a shy, middle-aged

man so flattered by her friendliness that he paid the steep cover

charge for every guest in the house and pressed $50 notes on all

the entertainers When he said he was in the dairy business, she

introduced him as ‘the big butter-and-egg man’US, 1924

butter and eggsnounan illegal lottery Most commonly known as a

NUMBERSgameUS, 1973

butterballnoun1a fat person or animalUS, 1941.2an idiotUK, 1981

butterbarnouna second lieutenant in the US Army Vietnam

coinage, from the gold-bar insignia.US, 1973

butterboxadjective(of a man) effeminate From an earlier sense

(fop)UK, 1971

butter boynouna very young police officer After an earlier senses

as ‘novice’ applied to sailors and taxi driversUK, 1977

buttered breadadjectivedead Rhyming slangUK, 1998

buttered bunnouna prostitute, or, less specifically any woman, who

has already had sex with several customers/men; sex with this

butter-fingeredadjectiveprone to dropping thingsUK, 1615

butterfingersnouna clumsy person, prone to dropping things.After the adjectiveUK, 1837

butterflies in your stomach; butterfliesnounthe feeling ofqueasiness that accompanies fear or nervousness The fluttering ofbutterflies as a metaphor for the unsettled sensations oftrepidationUS, 1940

butter flowernounmarijuana From the appearance of cannabisresinUS, 1971

butterflynoun1a person who is romantically fickleUS, 1947.2a notethrown from a train to a repair crewUS, 1946.3in electric line work,

a conductor take-up reelUS, 1980.4in television and film-making, alarge screen used to direct or diffuse lightUS, 1987

butterflyverb1to engage in promiscuous sexUS, 1946.2in thegambling game two-up, to toss the coins so that they flutter in theair and appear to be actually spinning The object of butterflying is

to make the coins fall the way the tosser wishes and isconsequently illegal in the gameAUSTRALIA, 1949.3to leave someone

buttering-upnounan act of persuasive flatteryUK, 1819

butter legsnouna promiscuous woman Because, like butter, herlegs are ‘easy to spread’AUSTRALIA, 1985

buttermilknounbeerUS, 1977

butter upverbto flatter someone with an intent to persuade them

UK, 1819

butter would not melt in someone’s mouthan appearance ofinnocence Usually contemptuous in the phrase ‘as if butter wouldnot melt in his/her mouth’ occasionally shortened to ‘butterwould not melt’UK, 1530

butt flossnouna thong or string bikini with only a slender piece offabric passing between the cheeks of the buttocksUS, 1991

butt-fuckverb1to copulate anallyUS, 1968.2to light one cigarettewith the burning butt of anotherUS, 2001.3since the Vietnam war,

to attack from the rearUS, 1991

buttfuckernouna homosexual maleUS, 1997

butt fuckingnounanal sexUS, 1999

Butt Fucking Nowherenounany remote placeUS, 2002

butt hairnouna parting down the centre of the headUS, 1991

buttheadnouna generally unlikeable, disagreeable, dim-wittedpersonUS, 1973

buttholenoun1the anusUS, 1951.2by extension, a despicable oroffensive personUS, 1962

buttienouna walk in the company of a friend Possibly extendedfrom ‘butty/buttie’ (a friend)UK: SCOTLAND, 1988

butt inverbto intrude into another’s business or conversationUS, 1899

buttinski; buttinskya meddler; a person who interferes in theaffairs of othersUS, 1902

buttkissnounnothing at all Variation ofBUPKES; BUPKIS US , 1997

butt kitnounan ashtrayUS, 1958

buttleggernouna person who smuggles cigarettes from states withlow or no cigarette taxes to states with high cigarette taxesUS, 1976

buttleggingnounthe smuggling of cigarettes from states with low

or no cigarette taxes to states with high taxesUS, 1977

buttloadnouna large amountUS, 1991

buttlyadjectivevery ugly A blend of ‘butt’ and ‘ugly’US, 1989

buttmunch

buttonnoun1a police badgeUS, 1929.2by extension, a police officer

US, 1953.3a person who acts as lookoutUS, 1992.4in organised

crime, a person who kills on the orders from above Sometimes

expanded as ‘button man’ or ‘button guy’US, 1966.5a small

quan-tity of an item to be smuggledUS, 1956.6the edible, psychoactive

portion of a peyote cactusUS, 1953.7opiumUK, 1996.8a tablet of

Mandrax™, a branded tranquillizerSOUTH AFRICA, 2002.9the clitoris

UK, 1900.10the chin Boxing jargon, usually in the phrase ‘on the

button’, describing a blow right on the chinUS, 1920.11in poker, a

marker on the table that signifies the dealer; the dealerUK, 2003.

12a Chrysler car equipped with push-button automatic

trans-missionUS, 1968.13in the television industry, a dramatic or funny

climax to a sceneUS, 1990.< not have a buttonto have no

moneyIRELAND, 1992.< on the buttonexactly; precisely Possibly

from boxing jargon, ‘on theBUTTON’ (on the chin)US, 1903

buttonverb< button your lip; button your lips; button your

face; button it; button upto stop talking Often as an

injunction or exclamation Used since 1836; and ‘button it’ first

recorded in 1980US, 1947

button Badjectivevery short of money From the 1920s until the

60s, in a UK telephone box you would press button B to get your

money back, hence this pun on ‘pressed for money’UK, 1961

button-dickedadjectivepossessing a small penisUS, 1994

buttoned upadjective1of a reserved or uncommunicative nature A

figurative imageUK, 1936.2silent, refusing to answer questions In

line with the injunction toBUTTON YOUR LIP UK , 1959.3(of persons)

alert, well-preparedUK, 1967.4(of a plan or a situation) successfully

organised or well-prepared A variant is ‘buttoned’UK, 1940

button-holenoun a button-hole flower; a bouquet UK, 1879

buttonhole makernouna person who has only females as children

US, 1954

button mobnoununiformed police officers, especially in large

numbers when present at a political demonstration or similar

gathering Used by those in whom the police seem interestedUK,

1977

buttonsnoun1a page (a domestic servant) Survives mainly as

Buttons, a character in the pantomime of Cinderella UK, 1848.2a

messengerUS, 1962

button upverbto close completelyUS, 1941

butt outverbto extricate yourself from the interference in which

you are engaging Generally as an imperativeUS, 1906

butt plantnouna backwards fall while snowboardingUS, 1993

butt platenounused as a friendly if derisive term by the marines to

describe the army infantry, and by the army infantry to describe

the marines In the literal sense, a ‘butt plate’ is the metal or

rubber covering of the end of the stock on a rifleUS, 1991

butt plugnoun1a device that is inserted into the anus during sex,

sometimes to retain an enema and sometimes simply for the

sen-sationUS, 1989.2an offensive, unlikeable personUS, 1993

buttroseadjectivevery badUS, 2002

butt slutnouna male homosexual who takes a passive sexual role

butt uglyadjectivevery uglyUS, 1986

buttwipenoun1toilet paperUS, 1971.2a despicable or offensive

personUS, 1991

buttynoun1a sandwich Also spelt ‘buttie’ Originally used in

northern England, especially Liverpool, as a dialect elision of

‘buttery’; now widespread, especially as ‘jam butty’, ‘chip butty’,

etcUK, 1855.2a non-powered, towed canal boat that is part of a

working pair Also known as a ‘butty boat’UK, 1944.3a friend, a

workmate; also used as a form of address Variants are ‘butt’ and

‘buttie’ Either from mining where ‘butty’ was ‘a middleman’, or

from Romany booty-pal (a fellow workman) or, most probably,

Warwickshire dialect butty (a fellow servant or labourer) Modern

use may be influenced byBUDDY UK , 1859

buttyboynouna friend; a workmate; also used as a form of address

An elaboration ofBUTTY UK: WALES , 2002

butunounheroinUK, 1998

buturakieverbto jump on a person in order to rob them or beat

them up From Fijian buturaka, the equivalent of and perhaps

playing onSTICK/PUT THE BOOT IN Picked up from Fijian sailors on

the waterfronts of Sydney and AucklandAUSTRALIA, 1958

but why?used humorously with varying meanings For example, ateacher might ask the class to pass in their homework, whereupon

at least one member of the class will mutter, ‘But why?’US, 1963

buvarenounanything drinkable Originally C19 theatrical slangUK, 2002

buynoun1a purchase of illicit merchandise, especially drugsUS, 1906.

2a purchaseAUSTRALIA, 1987

buyverb1to gamble on a result higher than the bookmaker’sfavoured spreadUK, 2001.2to accept a fiction as truthUK, 2000.3inpoker, to draw a card or cards after the initial dealUS, 1967.< buy

a homesteadto be thrown from your horseCANADA, 1987.< buy

a potin poker, to win a hand by betting so excessively as to driveall other players from the handUS, 1963.< buy a pupto be thevictim of a swindleUK, 1996.< buy a suitto kill someone.Referring to funeral attireUS, 1997.< buy an orchardin trucking,

to drive off the road into trees or brushUS, 1971.< buy some new shoesto flee while released from custody on bailUS, 1949.

< buy someone a suitto bribe someoneUS, 1984.< buy the dickto dieUS, 1971.< buy the farmto dieUS, 1958.< buy the rackin horse racing, to bet on every possible combination ofwinners in a Daily Double betUS, 1947.< buy the ranchto die Aprimary euphemism used by US soldiers in VietnamUS, 1976

buy-and-bustnouna police operation in which an undercoverofficer buys an illegal drug and then immediately arrests the seller

US, 2000

buy-downnouna bribe paid to a police officer to release a criminal

or to reduce the severity of the charges against himUS, 2001

buyernouna gambler who bets on a result higher than thebookmaker’s favoured spreadUK, 2001

buy-Inounan East Indian An English adaptation of the Hindi

Niyabingi (merchant) JAMAICA, 1979

buying-and-selling cordnouna rough measure of wood depending

on the bargaining skill of the buyer and seller When you’re buying,it’s more; when you’re selling, it’s lessCANADA, 2001

buy intoverbto involve yourself in something, to believe insomething Originally a gambling term, ‘to buy into a game’

AUSTRALIA, 1943

buy itverb1to accept an answer or punch-line; especially in thecatchphrase that signals resignation: ‘I’ll buy it’UK, 1937.2to die; tobecome a casualty World War 1 and 2UK, 1825

buy moneynounthe money used to buy contrabandUS, 1981

buy-upnounin prison, a purchase of groceries, toiletries, etc, made

by prisoners ‘Buy-ups’ are restricted to a certain small amount foreach prisoner, often consisting of wages earned for prison work

buzznoun1a rumour; gossip; newsUK, 1821.2an immediate sation of a drug or alcoholUS, 1849.3a thrilling sensationUS, 1937.

sen-4a telephone callUS, 1930.5a police carUS, 1973.6x-ray therapyUS, 1994

buzzverb1to telephone someone; to summon someone by buzzer

US, 1929.2to call for someoneUS, 1946.3to leave A variant is ‘buzzoff’UK, 1914.4to kiss someoneUS, 1945.5to feel pleasurable sen-sations resulting from drug useUK, 1992.6to engage in solventabuseUK: SCOTLAND, 1985.7to pick pocketsUK, 1812.8to snatch a