Dictionary of Unconventional English_13 pot

Rhyming slang forBOLLOCKS UK , 1998 oasisnoun1a barUS , 1956.2in motor racing, a refreshment standUS , 1965 oatburner; oatmunchernounin horse racing, a racehorse that does not perform we

allusion to Sherlock Holmes, this based on the US cartoon

detectiveUS , 1981

no shit, Sherlock!used for pointing out that another person has

just made an obvious statement Sherlock Holmes extendsNO SHIT!

US , 1989

no-shownouna non-appearance at an appointed time or placeUS ,

1957

nosh up; noshnouna meal, a period of eating, meal time After

NOSH(to eat)UK , 1964

no sir; nossirused for registering a strong refusal or denialUS , 1856

no siree; no siree, Bobabsolutely noUS , 1848

no soapused for signifying that the deal is off, not a hope, you’re

wasting your timeUS , 1926

no sound, no picturenouna person who does not appear for an

appointmentSINGAPORE , 2002

no squashnounirreparable brain damageUS , 1978

nostrilnounin horse racing, any very short distance between winner

and loser that is shorter even than a noseUS , 1951

no surrendersnounsuspenders Rhyming slangUK , 2003

no sweatno problem; no need to worry Therefore no sweat will be

produced by fear or exertionUS , 1955

no-sweat pillnouna potent anti-bacterial pillUS , 1986

not!used as a humorous cancellation of what has just been said in

jest Coined a hundred years before it was broadly popularised by

Mike Myers in the ‘Wayne’s World’ sketches on Saturday Night Live

US , 1893

not a dry seat in the houseused of a theatre audience that is

helpless with laughter or a male audience that is sexually aroused

A blend of the drama critic’s cliché: ‘not a dry eye in the house’,

andPISS YOURSELF(to laugh uproariously)UK , 1974

not a hundred miles fromadjectivevery close toUK , 1821

no-talent assclownnouna socially inept person From the film

Office Space US , 2002

not all thereadjectiveslightly mad, mentally or intellectually

disadvantagedUK , 1864

not backward in coming forwardnot shyUK , 1830

not badadjectiverather good, or (either patronisingly or with

reser-vations) quite goodUK , 1909

not bloody likelyused as an emphatic negative First used in print

(and, presumably, polite society) in George Bernard Shaw’s play,

Pygmalion, 1914 UK , 1914

notchverbto wound Vietnam war usageUS , 1991

notchbacknouna car with a dent in its boot A play on the

conven-tional ‘hatchback’US , 1992

notch upverbto achieveUK , 1837

not cricketadjectiveunfair From the rigid rules of the game, but

now always in phrases ‘it’s not cricket’, ‘that’s not ’, etcUK , 1978

notenouna one-pound note; the sum of £1 Became obsolete in

Australia after the introduction of decimal currency in 1966 but it

still used in the UKAUSTRALIA , 1863

note from mothernounofficial permission US naval aviator usage

US , 1986

no-tell motelnouna motel with discreet management favoured by

prostitutes and couples seeking privacyUS , 1974

notesnoun< get good notesin Quebec, to get good marks or

gradesCANADA , 2002

not evenno, not at allUS , 1984

not fucking likelyused as an emphatic negativeUK , 1937

not halfadverbused as a very positive intensifier of the verb to

which it is attached Usually as ‘can’t half’, ‘doesn’t half’, ‘don’t

half’, etcUK , 1851

not half!used for registering assent, approval, agreement, etcUK , 1920

not half bad

not having any; not having any ofadjectiverefusing to agreeUK , 1902

nothingnoun1something Also shortened to ‘nothin’ A reversal ofsense on the modelBAD(good); used in hip-hop cultureUS , 2000.

2no more than (the height specified) Used to emphasiseshortnessAUSTRALIA , 1971.< have nothing onto be greatly inferior

to something or someoneUS , 1906.< nothing shakingnothinghappeningUS , 1975.< nothing to write home about; nothing

worth writing home aboutunremarkable Probably military inoriginUK , 1914.< thank you for nothing!; thanks for nothing!

used in refusal or dismissal of help or advice: I owe you no thanksfor that and scorn the offerUK , 1969.< you aint seen nothing

yet!; you ain’t heard nothing yet!no matter how impressive

or extreme something may be there is better or worse yet tocome A catchphrase made famous by the singer Al Jolson in the

first ‘talkie’ film, The Jazz Singer, 1927 Especially popular with

advertising copywritersUS , 1919

nothingadjectiveinconsequentialUS , 1960

nothing!when combined with a (partial) repetition of a statementjust made, used in denial of that statementUS , 1883

nothing-ass bitchnounused as a stern term of contempt for awomanUS , 1972

nothing but a thingnounsomething that is not importantUS , 1993

nothing but the bacon!used as a stock answer when greeted with

‘what’s shakin?’US , 1951

nothing but the bottom of the cup; nothing but the bottom

of the netused as a humorous comment on a job well done or aremark well made Coined by ESPN’s Dan Patrick to describe agreat shot in golf and basketballUS , 1997

nothing doing!used as an expression of rejection or denialUK , 1910

nothing flatadverbvery quicklyUS , 1947

noticenouna contract to do a job, especially an illegal commission

UK , 1970

no tilt!used as a euphemism for ‘no shit!’ in expressing surprise oraffirmationUS , 1983

no time flatadverbvery quicklyUS , 1957

humanitarian and anti-war protesters as a slogan of disavowal ofprevailing attitudes ‘Not In My Name’ (NITM) was adopted, inNovember 2000, as the name of a Chicago-based Jewish peacegroup opposed to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian TerritoriesUS , 1994

not likely!used for registering refusalUK , 1893

not manyyes, a term of emphatic agreementUK , 1998

not many bennya great deal, a lot; an intensifying agreementUK , 1999

not much to look atadjectiveunattractive, uglyUK , 1861

not offadjectiveof a horse – or, more precisely, of a jockey – that isconsidered not to be trying to win a raceUK , 1991

not onadjectiveunacceptable; impossible; not permissibleUK , 1984

not on your life!used for registering emphatic refusal or denialUS , 1896

not on your nellyused as an absolute denial, refusal or rejection.Rhyming slang, ‘not on your Nellie Duff’ forPUFF(breath, hencelife), thusNOT ON YOUR LIFE! UK , 1941

no-topnouna convertible with its top downUS , 1976

not Pygmalion likely!not very likely! Formed on the its-day ‘Not bloody likely!’ in George Bernard Shaw’s play

shocking-in-Pygmalion, first seen in London in 1914 UK , 1948

no-trumpnouna life prison sentence without chance of paroleUS , 1976

not the full quidadjectivelackingNEW ZEALAND , 1984

nottienounan unattractive person A back-formation fromHOTTIE

(an attractive person)US , 2002

not tonight, Josephine!a catchphrase used by a man to defer his

postponement Originally a quotation, apocryphally attributed to

Napoleon dashing his mistress’s hopes In its current sexual

context there is obviously a reliance on jocularity of delivery to

deflect any serious subtext Familiar from a music hall poem: ‘I’ll

tell you in a phrase, my sweet, exactly what I mean: / Not

tonight, Josephine’ (Colin Curzon, ‘Not Tonight, Josephine’)UK , 1960

noughtiesnounthe years 2000 through to 2009UK , 2001

no VERB about it!; there is no VERB about it!by enclosing the

active verb from a preceding statement, an absolute negation of

nowadjectivefashionable, in style, currentUS , 1955

nowadverbsoon; in time; in a vaguely specified time A stereotypical

example of ‘Wenglish’ (a blending of English and Welsh typical of

the valleys of southeast Wales)UK: WALES , 1985

Trade Agreement Back-formation from the agreement’s initials

no way, Joseused as a humorous, if emphatic, denial The catchy

reduplication makes this a favourite early in a young person’s

process of slang acquisitionUS , 1981

now cut that outused as a humorous attempt to end a tease A

signature line of comedian Jack Benny, heard often on The Jack

Benny Show, 1950–65 Repeated with referential humour US , 1954

no whatadverb certainly not Adapted from Afrikaans nee wat SOUTH

AFRICA , 1900

nowhereadjective1unaware of what is happening, extremely naive,

utterly at a lossUS , 1843.2badly defeated in a race; utterly

unsuccessful, to be out of the runningUS , 1853.3without money

Usually in the phrase ‘ain’t nowhere’GUYANA , 1998.< get nowhere

fastto try hard to do something and yet be frustrated in your

endeavourUK , 1984.< the middle of nowhereany place that is

remote, any place that is an inconvenient distance away from

urban ‘civilisation’ or your personal lifestyle requirementsUK , 1960

nowherenessnounthe state of complete unawareness of current

trends or complete lack of grounding in realityUS , 1958

now it’s time to say good-byeused as a humorous farewell A

catchphrase television sign-off on The Mickey Mouse Club (ABC,

1955–59) Repeated with referential and reverential humourUS ,

1956

now-nowadverbin the immediate past; immediately; very soon

Adopted from synonymous Afrikaans nou-nou SOUTH AFRICA , 1948

now nowused as a gentle admonition to ceaseUK , 1959

no worries1do not worry about that; everything is all right

AUSTRALIA , 1969.2you’re welcomeUS , 2001.3yes indeed; certainly

AUSTRALIA , 1986

nowtnounnothing; a worthless person Dialect word from northern

England for conventional ‘naught’; made popular by the televison

programme Coronation Street, and in clichéd phrases such as

‘nowt so queer as folk’UK , 1998

now then!used as a mild rebuke, or a call for attentionUK , 1791

nowtyadjectivemoody, grumpy Manchester dialect into wider use

UK , 1999

no wucking furriesdo not worry about that! An intentional

Spoonerism of ‘no fucking worries’, both euphemistic and jocular

Also, in the shortened forms ‘no wuckers’ and ‘no wucks’AUSTRALIA ,

1996

now what?can you top what I just said?US , 2001

now you’re asking!used in response to a difficult question

now you’re railroading!used on the railways as an all-purposeexpression of praiseUS , 1977

has just been supplied is given too late to be of use A Hebraism

US , 1969

nozzlenounthe penisUS , 1994

NRCadjective (by police) nobody really cares US , 1992

’n stuffused either as a substitute for ‘et cetera’ or to complete asentence that has run out of steamUS , 2001

NTnounin pornography, a scene showing nipple teasing (or torture)

US , 2000

NTBHadjectiveunavailable for sexual encounters; ugly Gay usage.The definition varies with the point of view; either way it derives

from ‘not to be had’ UK , 2002

nuadjectivein rock music, newUK , 2002

nubnounthe clitorisUK , 2002

nubbiesnounshort, matted hair on its way to growing intodreadlocksJAMAICA , 1980

nubbinnoun1the clitoris Making ‘rubbin’ the nubbin’ femalemasturbationUK , 2004.2the penisUS , 1968

nub bushnouna black female A shortened ‘nubian’ and a coarse

BUSH Vietnam war usageUS , 1991

nubiannounin homosexual usage, a black manUS , 1987

nuddyadjectivenude, nakedAUSTRALIA , 1953

nudeadjective(used of a car) stripped of chromeUS , 1977

nudgenounin pinball, subtle physical force applied to the machine

to affect the trajectory of the ball without activating the tilt anismUS , 1979

mech-nudgeverb1to nag; to annoy Yiddish Various transliterationsincluding ‘nudzh’, ‘nudj’ and ‘noudge’US , 1968.2to drink (alcohol)heavilyAUSTRALIA , 1979.3in pool, to touch the cue ball with the cuestick accidentally while preparing to shootUS , 1993

nudge-nudgeadjectivegossipy, especially of gossip with a sexualinference FromNUDGE NUDGE – WINK WINK! UK , 2003

nudge nudge – wink wink!used as an indicator of lust or aninference a lewd sexual behaviour A catchphrase, originally ‘nudgenudge – wink wink – say no more!’, written by Eric Idle for BBC

television comedy Monty Python’s Flying Circus (‘Is your wife

a goer eh? Know what I mean? Know what I mean? Nudgenudge Nudge nudge Know what I mean? Say no more knowwhat I mean?’), 1969UK , 1979

nudgernoun1the penisUK , 2001.2a pickpocketUK , 1996

nudge shownouna safe family comedyUS , 1973

nudienouna performance or film featuring naked women but nosexual activityUS , 1935

nudieadjectivefeaturing naked or near-naked womenUS , 1966

nudie booknouna men’s magazine featuring pictures of nakedwomenUK , 1977

nudie boothnouna private enclosure affording privacy while apaying customer views a nude woman or nude women, usuallythrough a glass partitionUS , 1994

nudie-cutienouna genre of sex film popular in the 1960s, featuringfrolicking, cute, nude womenUS , 1967

nudnik; noodniknouna pest, a foolUS , 1925

nuffadjectiveenough Once abbreviated, ‘enough’ could not be spelt

‘nough’ and understood, hence this phonetic variation UK schooldinner ladies in the 1960s accompanied their service with thequestion, slovened by repetition, ‘nuff ?’ Since the 1980s it hasbeen widely used in the black communityUS , 1840

nuff respectused as a greeting and to register admiration, assent

or approbation Misspelling of ‘enough respect’ West Indian and

nuggetnoun1a fool, an idiot, especially if prone to violent

behaviour or mentally handicapped Figurative use of ‘nugget’ (a

lump) for ‘the head’US , 1990.2a new, inexperienced soldier or pilot

US , 1966.3an attractive girlUS , 1998.4a young enthusiast of heavy

metal musicUS , 1983.5an amphetamine tabletUS , 1994.6a piece of

crack cocaineUS , 1994.7a one-pound coin Prison slang, current

February 2002UK , 2002

nuggetsnounthe testiclesUS , 1963

nuggety; nuggettyadjective1(of a person) compact, strong and

tough; stockyAUSTRALIA , 1856.2(of an animal) small, sturdy and

strongAUSTRALIA , 1893

nugsnoun1female breastsUS , 1994.2great waves for surfingUS , 1991

nuisancenoun< the nuisancethe bleed period of the menstrual

cycle EuphemismUS , 1999

nuisance groundsnouna rubbish dumpCANADA , 2002

nukeverb1to attack with a nuclear bombUS , 1962.2to lay waste, to

ravage, to devastate A metaphorical, if less dramatic, senseUS , 1969.

3to heat in a microwave ovenUS , 1984.4in computing, to delete

US , 1991

nuke; nooknouna nuclear weaponUS , 1958

nuke and paveverbto reformat the hard drive of a computerUS ,

2001

nuke-and-pukenouna microwave frozen dinnerUS , 1990

nuke-knobnouna bald or shaved headUS , 1997

numbernoun1a person, particularly someone attractive, originally

of a womanUS , 1896.2a prostitute’s client (especially in a male

homosexual context)US , 1967.3a casual sex-partnerUS , 1970.4sex

involving more than two peopleUS , 1973.5a situationUS , 1908.6a

job, a positionUK , 1948.7used as a vague catch-all susceptible of

several meanings, usually related to sex or drugsUS , 1978.8in

prison, a sex offender; a convicted paedophile Such prisoners are

kept apart from the main body of the prison on rule number 43

UK , 1996.9in craps, any roll except the shooter’s point or a seven

US , 1950.10a marijuana cigaretteUS , 1963.11a songUK , 1878.< do a

number on1to use emotional pressure, to humiliateUS , 1971.2to

killUS , 1982.< have your number; get your numberto

understand you, to know your weaknesses, to be in a position to

numbered off; on the numbersadjectivein prison, used of sex

offenders, convicted paedophiles, etc Such prisoners are kept

apart from the main body of the prison on rule number 43 UK , 1996

number four; number 4nounheroinUK , 1998

number onenoun1yourself, your own interestsUK , 1705.2urination

The plural variant ‘number ones’ is also usedUK , 1902.3a closely

cropped haircut Originally mililtary, from the most extreme setting

on the clippers; it is also possible to have a ‘number two’, etcUK ,

1925

number one; numba oneadjectivethe very best Although coined

in the 1830s in a pure English sense, it took on a pidgin or mock

pidgin tone in the C20; very popular in the Vietnam warUS , 1838

numbersnoun1an illegal lottery based on guessing a number

determined by chance each dayUS , 1897.2a telephone numberUS ,

2002.< by the numbersprecisely, correctlyUS , 1918.< do

numbersto urinate or defecateTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO , 1990.< take

the numbers downin horse racing, to disqualify a horse from a

race and announce a new winnerUS , 1947.< the numbersin

prison, Rule 43, which allows a prisoner to be kept apart from the

main prison community for ‘safety of self or others’ Explained by

former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Aitken, describing his prison

experience 1999–2000, Have I Got News for You, 28th November,

non-NUMBER ONE(urination);NUMBER TWO(defecation)UK , 1984

number twoadjectiveapplied to illegal or irregular activity ‘Numberone’ is all things legal and above-boardINDIA , 2003

children’s bathroom vocabularyUS , 1936

number two mannouna skilled card cheat adept at dealing thesecond card instead of the top card in a deckUS , 1979

NumbiesnounPlayers’ Number 6™ cigarettesUK: SCOTLAND , 1988

numbnutsnounan idiotUS , 1960

NumbonounNumber 6, a branded cigaretteUK , 2001

numb outverbto feel or show the effects of crack cocaineUK , 1996

numbskull; numskullnouna dolt; a foolUK , 1742

numerologistnouna person who claims to have devised a winningsystem for an illegal numbers gambling lotteryUS , 1949

numero unonoun1the very best Spanish for ‘number one’US , 1960.

2yourselfUS , 1973

nummynouna fool, a dim-witted person A shortened ‘numbskull’

US , 1902

nummyadjectivedelicious Probably afterYUMMY(delicious)US , 1989

num-numsnounthe female breastsUS , 1993

numpty; numptienouna foolUK: SCOTLAND , 1911

nunce; nincenouna fool Student use; derogatoryUK , 2002

nunganounthe penisAUSTRALIA , 1971

nunu; nuzninounthe vaginaTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO , 1994

nunyanounused for conveying that something is ‘none of yourbusiness’US , 2000

nurdsnounthe testiclesUS , 1981

slang for ‘piles’UK , 1998

nurseverbin a card game, to nervously fondle and adjust your cards

nursery rhymenoun time served in prison Rhyming slang UK , 2000

nursery rhymesnoun the Times Rhyming slang; ironically, perhaps,

suggesting that some content of the esteemed newspaper is of asimilar character to the more newsworthy nursery rhymesUK , 1998

nu-skooladjectiveapplied to a new variation on an old themeUK , 2003

nutnoun1a regular and recurring expenseUS , 1909.2an act of sexualintercourse; sex as an activity Extending back fromNUT(an

US , 1991.5the female breast Usually in the pluralUK , 2002.6the

head; hence, brains, intelligenceUK , 1846.7a crazy person, an

eccentric, a crank Probably by back-formation fromNUTTY(crazy)

US , 1908.8an enthusiastUS , 1934.9a personUK , 1856.10in horse

racing, a horse picked by a racing newspaper to win a raceUS , 1951.

11in horse racing, the tax levied on bets by the track and the state

US , 1990.12a bankrollUS , 1951.13a rugby ballNEW ZEALAND , 1998.

< crack the nutin gambling, to make enough money to meet

the day’s expensesUS , 1961.< do your nut1to explode with

angerUK , 1919.2to go mad, to feign madnessUK , 1959.< make

the nutto sufficeUS , 1966.< nod the nutto plead guilty

Formed onNUT(the head); from bending the head in unspoken

affirmativeAUSTRALIA , 1975.< off your nut1in a state of

drunkenness or drug intoxication Parallel to the sense as ‘mad’;

possibly the original sense, a variation ofOFF YOUR HEAD UK , 1860.

2in a state of madness A variation ofOFF YOUR HEAD UK , 1873.

< on the nutin horse racing, to have lost a large amount of

money bettingUS , 1951.< out of your nutdrunk or

drug-intoxicated A variation ofOUT OF YOUR HEAD UK , 1999

nutverb1to head-butt an opponent’s face Derives fromNUT(the

head)UK , 1937.2to executeIRELAND , 2001.3to have sexUS , 1971.4to

orgasm, especially of a maleUS , 1999

nut and gutadjectivemental and physicalUK , 2002

nutbagnouna mesh restraint used by police to restrain violent

peopleUS , 1997

nutboxnouna mental hospitalUS , 1965

nutcakenounan eccentric or crazy personUS , 1967

nut casenounan eccentric; a madman CombinesNUT(a lunatic)

with conventional medical use of ‘case’AUSTRALIA , 1944

nut-chokersnounmen’s underpants Formed onNUTS(the testicles)

AUSTRALIA , 1971

nutcrackernoun1a stern person; a strict disciplinarian, especially a

woman who crushes a man’s spiritUS , 1977.2a railway roundhouse

mechanicUS , 1977

nutcrackersnounthe testicles Rhyming slang forKNACKERS;

extending, and, possibly deliberately, disguising,NUTS(the testicles)

UK , 1998

nutcrushernouna hard man (or woman); a strict disciplinarian

Crushed nuts are a standard ingredient in many sweet recipes,

hence this readymade pun and variation ofBALLBREAKER UK , 1999

nutcutnounthe critical point in an enterprise or operationUS , 1972

nut-cuttingnounthe most critical and distasteful stage in a project

or operation An image from the West and cattle raisingUS , 1968

nut farmnouna hospital for the mentally illUS , 1940

nut flushnounin poker, a hand with all cards of the same suit and

an ace as the high cardUS , 1979

nut grafnounin journalism, the key paragraph in an articleUK , 2005

nut hatchnouna mental institutionUS , 1942

nuthousenouna mental hospitalUS , 1906

nut hustlenouna swindle involving a prostitute and a confederate

US , 1978

nut jobnounsomeone who is mentally unstableUS , 1972

nut mannouna male homosexualAUSTRALIA , 1985

nut mobnouna group operating three-shell games in carnivalsUS ,

1950

nut nectarnounsemenUS , 1996

nut-nutnoun1a crazy person By reduplication ofNUT(a crazy

person)UK , 2000.2in high-low poker, a hand that is the best

poss-ible hand either high or lowUS , 1996

nut offverbto send a prisoner to a secure psychiatric hospital

FromNUT(a crazy person)UK , 1996

nut outverb1to think out; to work outAUSTRALIA , 1919.2to act

mentally illUS , 1966

nut playernounin poker, a player who only plays a hand that is

excellent as dealt FromNUTS(the best possible hand in a given

nutrientsnounfoodUS , 1993

nut rolenounthe act of feigning eccentricity or mild insanityUS , 1969

nut-role; nut-rollverbto feign mental instabilityUS , 1967

nut-runnernounin car repair, a pneumatic wrenchUS , 1993

nutsnoun1the testicles; the scrotumUS , 1863.2in poker, the bestpossible winning hand at a given momentUS , 1977.3the advantage

in a betUS , 1990.< do your nuts overto become infatuated withsomeoneAUSTRALIA , 1987.< get your nuts offto ejaculateUS , 1932.

< have your nuts in the wringerto be trapped in a very weakpositionUK , 1998.< the nutsexcellent, outstanding, veryimpressive Possibly, a shortening ofMUTT’S NUTS UK , 2000.< the

nuts are running the fruitcakeused of any situation that ismanaged by those who are incapable A neat variation, formed on

NUT(a mad person) andFRUITCAKE(a mad person) ofTHE LUNATICS

ARE RUNNING THE ASYLUM UK , 2001

nutsadjectiveenthusiastic about; having a strong liking for; sexuallyinfatuatedUK , 1785

nuts!used as an expression of defiance From the sense as

‘testicles’, thusBALLS! US , 1910

nut sacknounthe scrotumUS , 1971

nutsonouna crazy person, an eccentric From ‘nuts’ (crazy)US , 1975

nutsoadjectivecrazyUS , 1979

nut splitter; nut busternouna railway machinistUS , 1903

nuts to !when combined with a name, a noun or a pronoun,used for expressing defiance of that person or thing Used as a

euphemism for ‘balls to !’UK , 1984

nutsyadjectiveeccentric, odd, crazyUS , 1923

nuttedadjectivedrug-intoxicatedUK , 1997

nutternouna crazy person; a lunatic; an eccentric Extended from

NUT(a lunatic)UK , 1958

nuttersadjectivecrazy, wildly madUK , 1982

nuttynounany confectionery; used generically for all chocolate andsweets Royal Navy slangUK , 1987

nuttyadjective1crazy, eccentricUS , 1892.2excellent A variation on

‘crazy’US , 1953

nutty as a fruitcakeadjectiveinsane, crazy An elaboration ofNUTTY

UK , 1935

nutty puttynounin electric line work, a compound formally known

as Seal-A-Conn, used for covering connectorsUS , 1980

nut upverb1to lose your composure completelyUS , 1972.2in poker,

to shift into a more conservative mode of bettingUS , 1982

nut wardnounthe psychiatric ward of a prisonUS , 1984

NWABadjective (of a girl) promiscuous, because she will neck with any boy Youth usage US , 1949

n-wordnounthe word ‘nigger’ This clumsy euphemism waspopularised during the 1995 O.J Simpson murder trial by F LeeBaily’s cross examination of Mark Fuhrman about a tapedinterview that Fuhrman had given in 1985US , 1987

nyaffnounan irritating or contemptible person, especially if that

person is short Probably derived from Scots nyaff (of a dog, to

bark)UK: SCOTLAND , 1985

nyamnounfood; something to eat From the verb West Indian,hence UK blackUK , 1828

nyamverbto eat African origins, from ‘yam’ (a sweet potato)JAMAICA , 1790

nylon disgustersnouna pair of men’s close-fitting and revealingnylon swimming trunksAUSTRALIA , 2003

nymphnouna nymphomaniacUS , 1916

nymphetnouna sexually attractive, or sexually adventurous, younggirl First applied to a real, as opposed to mythic, creature by

Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita, 1955 UK , 1999

to disparage a woman whose sexual appetites may threaten tomake the dream come true

Onoun1an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) Used

by civil servants; suggestive of a casual familiarity with the honour

UK , 1961.2opiumUS , 1933.3an ovation Most commonly heard in

the term ‘standing O’US , 1984

Onicknamethe Nuestra Familia prison gangUS , 2000

-osuffixused for making colloquial or slang nouns and nicknames In

Australia, where there was no influence from Spanish, this suffix

originated from early nominal uses of the cries of various street

vendors Thus the milkman used to sing out ‘milk-oh!’ and so

became theMILKO, the rabbit seller cried ‘rabbit-oh!’ and so

became theRABBIT-O It is appended to monosyllablic words or to

the first syllable of polysyllabic wordsAUSTRALIA , 1865

OAEnounanybody who has spent at least one winter in Antarctica

An abbreviation of ‘old Antarctic explorer’ ANTARCTICA , 1960

oafonounan oaf, a socially inferior fool, a lout A conventional ‘oaf’

embellishedUK , 1959

Oak; the Austrian OaknicknameArnold Schwarzenegger (b.1947),

the dominant bodybuilder in the steroid-enhanced 1970sUS , 1984

oak and ashnouncash Rhyming slangUK , 1960

oaktoenounthe numbing of toes by cold water, creating the

sen-sation that your toes are wooden Surfing usageUS , 2004

OAPnounan over-anxious patient Doctors’ shorthand, playing on

the conventional abbreviation for ‘old age pensioner’UK , 2002

oarnoun< put your oar in; put in your oar; shove in your

oarto interfere in someone else’s businessUK , 1730

oars and rowlocksnounnonsense Rhyming slang forBOLLOCKS UK ,

1998

oasisnoun1a barUS , 1956.2in motor racing, a refreshment standUS ,

1965

oatburner; oatmunchernounin horse racing, a racehorse that

does not perform wellUS , 1916

oaternouna cowboy film, story or songUS , 1946

oatienoun< go for an oatieto go to the toilet A darkly

humorous Antarctic euphemism recalling Captain Oates’s heroic

last words to his tent-mates in 1912: ‘I am going outside, and may

be some time’NEW ZEALAND , 1996

oatmealnouna small, mushy waveUS , 1991

oatmeal Chinamannounin mining in the Cariboo, a Canadian

CANADA , 1963

oatmeal savagenouna ScotsmanCANADA , 1954

oatsnoun1sexual gratification Usually in phrases such as: ‘have

your oats’, ‘get your oats’, ‘need’, ‘want’, etc Perhaps from ‘sow

your wild oats’ (to commit youthful indiscretion)UK , 1923.2money

which a carnival worker steals from his bossUS , 1985.3enthusiasm

US , 1831.< off your oatsoff your foodUK , 1890.< on his oats

(used of a racehorse) racing without the benefit of a stimulantUS ,

1994

oats and barley; OatsnounCharley or Charlie Rhyming slang

Ostensibly and rarely a man’s given name but usually in its older

slang senses (a nightwatchman; to make a Charlie of; a ponce; etc)

UK , 1859

oat sodanounbeer An evolution ofBARLEY POP US , 1994

obbo; obo; obbs; obsnounsurveillance, observation; a lookout

Varying abbreviations for ‘observation’UK , 1933

OBEadjectiveovercome by events; overtaken by eventsUS , 1986

OBE(used of a bettor in debt) owes bookies everywhere AUSTRALIA ,

1989

OBHnounsomeone who smokes marijuana constantly An

abbrevi-obies; OB’snounold brown sherry, a drink especially popularamong students Formed on the initials OBSOUTH AFRICA , 1979

obitnounan obituaryUK , 1874

obliteratedadjectivevery drunkUS , 1987

oblivionnounthe state of complete intoxicationUS , 1984

oboynounmarijuana Presumably this drug is, on occasion, greetedwith an exclamation of delight: ‘Oh boy!’UK , 2001

obsnoun1observation Probably military origin UK , 1999.2in a

hospital, obstetrics UK , 1985

obscureadjectivein computing, completely beyond all understanding

US , 1991

obscuroadjectiveweird, strange (or simply obscure)US , 1997

obzockyadjectivelacking grace and coordinationTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO , 1956

OCnoun1organised crimeUS , 1975.2the synthetic opiate oxycodoneused recreationallyUS , 2001

OCnicknameOrange County, California Immediately south of LosAngelesUS , 2001

ocal; opalnounthe eye Punning variations onOGLE(the eye)UK , 2002

occy; occinounan octopusAUSTRALIA , 1968

occy strap; ockie strapnounan elastic strap An abbreviation of

‘octopus strap’AUSTRALIA , 1981

oceannoun1in pool, the expansive centre of a tableUS , 1993.2in oildrilling, salt water encountered while drillingUS , 1954

ocean linernouna black eye Rhyming slang forSHINER UK , 1992

ocean ramblernouna herring; a sardineUK , 1961

oceansnouna large amount of somethingUK , 1840

-ocentricsuffixused with humour as a suffix attached to a person’sname, suggesting that they believe that the world revolves aroundthemUS , 1996

ocker; Ockernoun1an Australian male who is especially boorishand uncouth; the stereotypical Australian male yob Originally acolloquial nickname for someone named Oscar It became associ-ated with typical male boorishness in the 1970s partly under theinfluence of a character named Ocker in the television comedy

The Mavis Bramston Show (1965 68) AUSTRALIA , 1971.2AustralianEnglishAUSTRALIA , 1979

ocker; Ockeradjectivecharacteristic of an ockerAUSTRALIA , 1972

ockerdomnounthe state of being an ockerAUSTRALIA , 1974

O clubnounin the US armed forces, an officer’s clubUS , 1986

-ocracysuffixwhen linked with a subject, used to designate (andmock) a grouping that may be dominant, or aspiring todominance, or pretending superiority within that subject-area Asarcastic or humorous application of ‘-cracy’ (power, rule), found insuch words as ‘democracy’, ‘plutocracy’, etc The root in all con-ventional senses ends with an ‘o’; in colloquial or journalisticusage the ‘o’ is incorporatedUK , 1860

ocsnounthe synthetic opiate oxycodone used recreationallyUS , 2000

octopusnouna sexually aggressive boyUS , 1932

ODnouna drug overdoseUS , 1959

ODverbto overdose, to take an excessive dose of a drug, usuallyheroinUS , 1966

o-dark-hundrednounvery early in the morning Mock military time

US , 1982

odaynounmoney A Pig Latin construction ofDOUGH US , 1928

oddnoun1a small number over and above a round numberUK , 1845.

oddballnounan eccentricUS , 1948

oddballadjectiveeccentric, peculiarUS , 1957

oddball tricknouna prostitute’s customer who pays for fetishistic

sexUS , 1973

odd bodnoun1an eccentricUK , 1955.2an extra person in a given

situationNEW ZEALAND , 1984

odd-lotnouna police carUK , 1958

oddsnoun1a vague number, as a part of a greater number A

vari-ation onODD UK , 1958.2(of money) small change A shortening of

‘odd coins’UK , 2002.< make no oddsto make no difference, not

better or worse Originally (from 1776) conventional, now

colloquialUK , 1826.< over the oddsmore than is expected; more

than is tolerableUK , 1922.< what’s the odds?what’s the

differ-ence?UK , 1840

oddsverbto risk, to chance; to avoid Perhaps deriving from ‘to bet

against the odds’UK , 1958

odds and sodsnounbits and pieces Now used as a variant of

con-ventional ‘odds and ends’; originally military slang for

‘miscellaneous men or duties’UK , 1935

odds-onadjective1very probable, most likely Adopted from

gambling use to denote any form of actuarial or notional

likelihoodUK , 1888.2in horse racing, said of odds that pay less than

even moneyUS , 1974

o-domnounan odometer (a milometer)US , 2000

OD’snouna drab olive military uniformUS , 1955

OEnounOld English™ malt liquorUS , 1997

Oedipus Rex; Oedipusnounsex Rhyming slang, based on a king

of ancient Thebes used by psychiatrists as a model for the sexual

relationship between a boy and his motherUK , 1979

ofaginzynouna white personUS , 1946

ofaynouna white person Origin unknown Suggestions of a Pig

Latin etymology (foe) are implausible More plausible are

suggestions of a basis in an African language or the French au fait

(socially proper)US , 1925

ofer; o-foradjectiveused to describe a male pornography performer

who either cannot achieve an erection or cannot ejaculate when

needed Borrowing from sports lingo, identifying the performer as

‘oh’ (zero) for however many triesUS , 1995

offnoun1the start of a race; the beginning of something, the start

of a journey From racingUK , 1959.2time off, a day off, etc By

ellipsisSOUTH AFRICA , 1966.3a warning given to an illegal betting

operation by corrupt police of a pending raidUS , 1952.4in

dominoes, a piece that does not contribute to the value of your

handUS , 1959

offverb1to killUS , 1967.2to sell, especially contrabandUS , 1960

offadjective1distant, aloof, negativeUK , about 1555.2having lost

interest in; averse toUK , 1908.3disgusting, revoltingAUSTRALIA , 1987.

4of a street-prostitute, being with a client (and, therefore, off the

street where the service is offered for sale)UK , 1959.5not using

drugsUS , 1952.< be off!; be off with you!go away!

Old-fashioned, but still in useUK , 1842

offbeatadjectiveunconventional, but not uniqueUS , 1938

off-brand cigarettenouna marijuana cigaretteUS , 1980

off-brand studnouna male homosexualUS , 1962

off-by-one errornounin computing, any simple and basic error,

such as starting at 1 instead of 0US , 1991

off colouradjective1applied to jokes that may be considered

impolite or indecentUK , 1875.2unwellUK , 1876

offensive potatoesnouncanned potatoesANTARCTICA , 2003

offerverb< offer someone outto challenge someone to a fight

AUSTRALIA , 1943

officenoun1a warning; a private signalUK , 1818.2any secret signal

used by gambling cheats to communicate among themselvesUS ,

1950.3a hint or tipAUSTRALIA , 1874.< give the officein prison, to

explain the way things are, especially to a new inmate

office bikenouna woman who readily has sexual intercourse withfellow staff in an officeAUSTRALIA , 1945

office hoursnoun1minor discipline issued by a US Marine Corpscompany commanderUS , 1898.2in poker, pairs of 9s and 5s, or astraight from 9 to 5US , 1963

office pianonouna typewriterUS , 1945

officer materialnouna mentally deficient enlisted soldierUS , 1945

office workernouna shirker Rhyming slang, used by manuallabourers, with a subtext of bitter ironyUK , 1992

offie; offynounan off-licence (a shop licensed to sell alcoholic

drinks for consumption off the premises) UK , 1977

off itadjectivedrug-intoxicated A variation ofOFF YOUR HEAD UK , 1998

offshoreadjectiveforeignUS , 1997

offsidernounan assistant Originally (late C19) anassistant/apprentice to a bullock-driver who worked on the ‘offside’AUSTRALIA , 1903

offskiverbto go away, to leaveUK , 2001

someone who has been displaying their ignorance leaves a room

US , 1991

off-trailadjectiveunconventional, eccentricUS , 1954

Offynouna racing engine or any other piece of equipmentmanufactured by Meyer-DrakeUS , 1993

OGnoun1your mother An abbreviation ofOLD GIRL US , 1878.2afounding member of a youth gang An abbreviation ofORIGINAL

GANGSTER US , 1993

ogginnounthe oceanANTARCTICA , 2003

oglenounthe eye Survives mainly as a part of the polari vocabulary;usually in the pluralUK , 1676

ogle; ogaleverbin homosexual use, to look longingly or amorously

at a man From the wider conventional sense first recorded in the1680sUK , 1682

ogle and leernoungonorrhoea Rhyming slangUK , 2003

ogle fake; ogle riah fake; ogle fake riahnouna false eyelash.Polari; literally ‘articles (of hair) made for the eye’UK , 1992

ogle fakesnounspectacles Polari; literally ‘articles made for the eye’

UK , 2002

ogle filtersnounsunglasses Polari; based onOGLE(the eye)UK , 2002

ogle riahsnouneyelashes Polari; a combination ofOGLE(the eye)andRIAH(the hair)UK , 2002

ogle ridersnounthe eyebrows or eyelashesUK , 2002

ogle shadesnounglasses; sunglasses Polari; based onOGLE(the eye)

UK , 2002

Ogopogonouna legendary monster in Okanagan Lake, BritishColumbiaCANADA , 1964

ogoynounheroinUS , 1977

oh, behaveused as a catch-all catchphrase, usually in the context

of a sexual innuendo Wildly popular for several years after the

release of the first Austin Powers film in 1997 US , 1997

oh, fiddle-faddle!used as a non-profane expression of frustration

Used with regularity by the Aunt Bee character on The Andy Griffith Show (CBS, 1960–68) Repeated with referential humour

US , 1963

Ohio bagnounone hundred grams of marijuana Under Ohio’sdecriminalisation laws, this is the maximum amount for a fine forsimple possessionUS , 1982

ohmigod!; omigod!used for expressing surprise or horrorUS , 1982

the second variation is reserved for extreme baldnessUK , 1992

oh my stars!used for expressing frustration Popularised by the

sexy blonde witch Samantha on Bewitched (ABC, 1964–72).

Repeated with referential humourUS , 1966

oh nelly!used for humorously expressing surprise or upset

ohnosecondnounan instant of realisation when you have made a

mistake, especially in computing A punning combination of

‘nanosecond’ and the exclamation ‘oh no!’UK , 2002

oh-shitnouna criticismUS , 1997

oh snap!used as a mild oathUS , 2002

humiliation Coined on the television programme Lost in Space

(1965–68), and then revived and popularised by Keith Olberman

on ESPNUS , 1997

oh yeah?used in questioning veracity or likelihood, or confirming

that a person being addressed has understood or is in agreement

US , 1930

oi!; oy!a meaningless noise used to draw attention or cry in protest

Derives from the obsolete ‘hoy!’, which was a combination of ‘ho!’

and ‘hullo!’UK , 1936

oicerynounthe sleeping quarters of the officer in charge (OIC)

ANTARCTICA , 1959

-oidsuffixused as a suffix that embellishes without changing the

base word’s meaningUS , 1978

oiknounsomeone considered to be a social inferior; a disagreeable

youth Originally a public school coinage used to categorise status:

‘a townee’; then generalised as ‘working-class’; also used within

that circle as general abuse for an unpopular fellow pupil or

someone from a rival school Generated fromHOICK(to hawk and

spit)UK , 1925

oilnoun1alcoholUS , 1912.2a potent distillate of marijuana or

hashishUS , 1996.3heroinUK , 1998.4news; information about

something Metaphorically because oil is essential for the smooth

running of a machineAUSTRALIA , 1915.5in horse racing, confidential

and reliable information about a horseAUSTRALIA , 1989.6in pool,

extreme spin imparted to the cue ball to affect the course of the

object ball or the cue ball after striking the object ballUS , 1912.

< the oilthe complete truth, the lowdownNEW ZEALAND , 1998

oilverb1to inject yourself with a drug, especially heroinUS , 1981.2to

bribeUS , 1982.< oil itto study late into the nightUS , 1975

oil and water kingnounaboard ship, the engineer controlling fresh

water distillationUS , 1986

oil burnernoun1a serious drug addictionUS , 1938.2in trucking, a

diesel engineUS , 1971.3in horse racing, a fast horseUS , 1951

oil-burningadjective(used of a drug addiction) severeUS , 1972

oil cannouna railway tank wagonUS , 1946

oil-canverb(of a boat) to make a hollow booming sound striking

the waterUS , 1990

oiled; oiled upadjective1drunkUS , 1737.2readied; well-preparedUK ,

1999

oiliesnounwork clothesUS , 1954

oil in the cannounin horse racing, a horse believed by its backers

to be a sure winnerUS , 1951

oil leaknouna Sikh Rhyming slangUK , 1998

oil merchantnouna smooth-talking swindlerUS , 1935

oil patchnounthe oil industryUS , 1980

oil slicknouna Spaniard Rhyming slang forSPIC UK , 1992

oil tankernounused as an all-purpose form of abuse Rhyming

slang forWANKER UK , 1992

oil wellnounin a deck of playing cards, an ace From the visual

comparison of an ‘A’ with an oil wellUS , 1988

oilyadjectivemean-spirited, toughUS , 1958

oily ragnoun1a worker’s assistantUK , 1994.2a cigarette Rhyming

slang forFAG(a cigarette) Also shortened to ‘oil-rag’ and ‘oily’UK ,

OJnoun1marijuana Possibly, an initialism of ‘oint-jay’ (JOINT) US ,

1970.2a marijuana cigarette dipped in liquid opium or heroin In

other words, an ‘opium joint’ Popular with US troops in Vietnam

US , 1970.3an online jockey who hosts Internet discussions.

Initialism, on the model of DJ (disc jockey)UK , 1998

OKwhen appended to a slogan, used as a strengthening affirmative,

especially when phrased ‘X rule (or rules) OK’ Nigel Rees, Graffiti Lives, OK, 1979, writes: ‘The addition of "OK" to slogans first

became noticeable in Northern Ireland during the early 1970s, as

in "Provos Rule, OK" referring to the Provisional IRA’UK , 2002

OK; okaynoun1consent, approvalUS , 1841.2a bribe paid by anillegal gambling establishment to the authorities to stay inbusinessUS , 1979

OK; okayverbto approveUS , 1988

OK; okayadjective1comfortable, at ease Especially common as ‘OKabout’ or ‘OK with’US , 1978.2safe, unhurtUS , 1839.3decent,mediocre, satisfactory In 1963, the late Allen Walker Readpublished his extensive and definitive research on the term,tracing its coinage to 1839 as an abbreviation of ‘oil korrect’, itself

a then-popular slang termUS , 1839

OK; okayused for expressing assent, approval, understanding, oragreementUS , 1839

OK Corralnouna group of men masturbating while watching afemale An extrapolation of theGUN DOWNimage, alluding to thesite of a famous American gun battle in 1881US , 2002

okenounused as an affectionate or patronising term of address orreference to a man or boy A shortened form ofOKIE SOUTH AFRICA , 1970

okey-dokenoun1a swindle or deceptionUS , 1969.2a wallet,especially its contents Rhyming slang forPOKEused bypickpockets Sometimes shortened to ‘okey’UK , 1961

okey-dokeused for communicating agreement A shortening of

OKEY-DOKEY US , 1936

okey-dokeyadjectiveacceptableUS , 1942

okey-dokeyused for communicating agreement An old-fashioned,affected, still popular perversion ofOK US , 1932

Oki; OkienounOkinawa Coined in World War 2, still used inVietnamUS , 1945

Okienouna poor, white resident or native of rural Oklahoma; a poor,white resident or native of the south-central US Used withderision or pride but not neutrallyUS , 1938

okie; oakienounused as an affectionate or patronising term ofaddress or reference to a man or boy Anglicised form of Afrikaans

outjie SOUTH AFRICA , 1943

Okie blowernounin trucking, an air scoop attached to the intake systemUS , 1971

air-Okie chromenounaluminium paintUS , 1961

Okie trapnouna confusing, complicated traffic interchangeUS , 1962

Oklahoma credit cardnouna hose used to steal petrol bysiphoning it from a parked car Presenting the myth of Oklahoma

as a state filled with poor, crafty and dishonest peopleUS , 1962

‘Texas toothbrush’US , 1994

OK Yardienouna stereotypical Briton of the upper- or middle-classwho lives in west London’s gangland A conflation of ‘OK, yah’ (acatchphrase cliché of the social grouping) andYARDIE(a Jamaicangangster)UK , 1998

-olasuffixa meaningless embellishment of a suffixUS , 1919

olalliechuknoun(on the Pacific coast) a homebrew made fromberries The name comes from Chinook jargonCANADA , 1966

oldnouna dark lager-style beer brewed by the top-fermentationmethod As opposed toNEW AUSTRALIA , 1935

old; ol’; oleadjective1used to intensify some intensifiers A slight

plentiful’ now mainly seen in such constructions as: ‘high old

time’ (1858) and ‘gay old boys’ (1887)UK , 1844.2old The first

headword is, of course, standard English; the second and third

variants are variously colloquial, informal and slang as

circumstances dictateUK , 1844.3used as a signal of familiarity with

the person so described As spoken in the southern US, not

necessarily indicative of affection, cordiality, or good humourUS ,

1984.4tiresomeUS , 1864

old bagnoun1an unattractive or unloveable old woman

Disparaging; possibly a variant ofOLD BAT,cognisant of the

following sense as ‘an elderly prostitute’ which itself may derive

fromOLD BAT UK , 1949.2an elderly, slatternly prostitute; hence

pejorative for a younger prostituteUK , 1961

old bastardnouna man; fellow Used as an ironic form of friendly

personal address, generally amongst males Such is the love for

this expression amongst working-class Australians, a charity

organ-isation was formed in the 1970s under the name the Australasian

Order of Old Bastards Part of the rules of the order is that ‘On

encountering other O.B.’s in a bar one must administer a hearty

slap on the back, accompanied with the cheerful salutation, "Hello

you Old Bastard!" Membership card must be carried at all times

Failure to produce same when challenged by fellow O.B incurs a

penalty of one round of drinks’AUSTRALIA , 1944

old batnouna disagreeable, middle-aged or elderly woman An

elab-oration ofBAT(an ugly woman), originally ‘a prostitute’UK , 1886

old billnoun1the penisUK , 1998.2a signal, by hand or word, asking

‘Are there any other cheaters in this game?’US , 1979

Old Billnouna police officer; the police Original usage was singular,

now mainly collective Feasible etymologies, in no particular order

of likelihood: i) ‘Old Bill’, a cartoon strip character created by

Bruce Bairnsfeather (1888–1959), was a veteran of World War 1

with a distinctive ‘authoritarian-looking’ moustache – a status and

description shared by many pre-World War 2 policemen This

deri-vation may be reinforced by the 1917 UK government’s

advertising campaign, featuring Old Bill dressed as a special

constable, using the heading ‘Old Bill says ’ to disseminate

important wartime information ii) Derived from a blend of

popular song ‘Won’t You Come Home, Bill Bailey’ punning with

‘The Old Bailey’ (London’s Central Criminal Court) iii) ‘Old Bill’

was King William IV (1765–1837), during whose reign (1830–37)

the police force is wrongly thought to have been established iv)

‘Kaiser Bill’, Kaiser Wilhelm I of Prussia (1797–1888), visited

England in 1864 when the police uniform changed to helmet and

tunic v) Constables of the watch were nicknamed for the bills or

billhooks that they carried as weapons vi) In Victorian times the

‘old bill’ was the bill, or account, presented by police accepting

bribes, or for services rendered vii) New laws are introduced as

parliamentary bills viii) The London County Council registered all

public service vehicles (police, fire and ambulance) with number

plates BYL, leading villains to spot unmarked police cars as ‘old

Bill’ ix) Similarly, Scotland Yard’s ‘Flying Squad’ (established 1921)

was reportedly issued with BYL registrations so that the Squad

became known as ‘old Bill’, and hence the police in general x) In

the 1860s, Limehouse police sergeant Bill Smith, of apocryphal

memory, was nicknamed ‘Old Bill’UK , 1958

old birdnouna mature, older or old womanUK , 2003

old birdadjectiveof a prisoner, having traditional valuesUK , 2001

old blind Bobnounthe penisUK , 1974

old blokenounthe penisAUSTRALIA , 1992

Old Blue EyesnicknameFrank Sinatra, US singer (1915–98)US , 1984

old bollocksnounan older manUK , 2000

old boot; bootnounan unattractive woman, a woman with

qual-ities that are considered unattractiveUK , 1958

old boynoun1the penisUS , 1943.2used as a friendly form of address

to another man A colloquial vocative since the C17UK , 2000.3an

old manUK , 1500.4a fatherUK , 1892

old boy network; Old Boy networknouna social and, especially,

business connection between former public school pupils which is

presumed, by those without such a connection, to give unfair

also applied to connections made at university, and at other tutions which may be considered as for the privilegedUK , 1959

insti-old breednounthe First Marine Division, US Marine Corps, whichsaw service in World War 2, North China, Korea and VietnamUS , 1991

old catnounA Morris Minor car Citizens’ band radio slangUK , 1981

old chapnoun1used as a friendly form of address to another man

old countrynoun1to the US armed forces at the end of World War

2, the United StatesUS , 1949.2Beverly Hills, California Used withirony by transplants, especially Jewish transplants, to the SanFernando ValleyUS , 2004

Old CountrynicknameEngland or the United KingdomAUSTRALIA , 1834

old cownouna despicable old womanAUSTRALIA , 1864

old Dnouna mother Initially ‘dear’ or ‘darling’UK , 1996

Old DartnicknameEngland or the United Kingdom; specifically,London First recorded in use in England in 1832 (Wilkes) ‘Dart’represents the pronunciation of the word ‘dirt’ in the Essex dialect,and so ‘Old Dart’ would correlate with ‘old sod’ (one’s nativedistrict or country)AUSTRALIA , 1892

old dearnounan old womanUK , 1958 8see:OUL ONE

old dognouna Rover carUK , 1981

old facenouna chorus dancer whose long tenure makes herunmarketableUS , 1948

old faithfulnounthe bleed period of the menstrual cycleUS , 1954

old fartnounan old or older person, especially one who isunpleasant or disliked Often elaborated as ‘boring old fart.’US , 1971

old-fashioned looknouna glance of quizzical disapprovalUK , 1961

old fellownoun1the penisAUSTRALIA , 1968.2a father (regardless ofage)AUSTRALIA , 1954.3used as a friendly form of address to anotherman; a manUK , 1825

old fogeynouna small lump of dried nasal mucus Rhyming slangforBOGEY UK , 1998

old folksnoun1parents (regardless of age)AUSTRALIA , 1957.2in circusand carnival usage, monkeysUS , 1981

old fruit; my old fruitnounused as a friendly form of address toanother manUK , 2003

old gentnounthe penisUK , 2000

old girlnoun1a mother; a wifeUK , 1887.2an old womanUK , 1791

old gitnounany man who is considered past his primeUK , 2000

old grindernouna promiscuous womanUK , 2000

old handnounan experienced person, an expertUK , 1785

old hatadjectiveold-fashioned, out-of-dateUK , 1911

old headnoun1an older prisonerUS , 2002.2a returning student to aschoolUS , 1963

old horseynounstrong, illegally manufactured whiskyUS , 1999

old housenounon the railways, a warehouse of salvaged partsUS , 1977

oldienoun1an older or elderly personUK , 1874.2a song from thepast that is still popular A shortened form ofGOLDEN OLDIEor

‘oldie but goody’US , 1939

oldiesnounparents (regardless of age)AUSTRALIA , 1964

old iron and brass; old ironnoun2a pass Rhyming slang, inmilitary useUK , 1992

old iron and grass; old ironnoun1grass Rhyming slangUK , 1992

old Joenounany sexually transmitted infectionUS , 1967

old King Colenoununemployment benefit; a government office

forTHE DOLE; formed on the name of a nursery rhyme character –

he was ‘a merry old soul’ so this rhyme may be intentionally

ironicUK , 1960

old kit bagnouna cigarette Rhyming slang forFAG; possibly from

the song by George Asaf and Felix Powell: ‘Pack up your troubles

in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile’, 1915 – but still

fam-iliarUK , 1998

old ladnounused as a friendly form of address to another manUK ,

1588

old ladynoun1a motherUS , 1877.2a wife, common-law or legal; a

girlfriendUS , 1836.3the more passive member of a same-sex

coupleUS , 1937.4any old womanUK , 1824

Old Lady of Threadneedle Streetnicknamethe Bank of England

From a cartoon by James GillrayUK , 1797

old lady white; old white ladynouna powdered drug: cocaine,

heroin or morphineUS , 1942

old lagnoun1a regular prisoner or one who has become

institutionalised, a recidivist FromLAG(a prisoner)UK , 1950.2a

prisoner who has been in jail for a long timeAUSTRALIA , 1950.3a

former prisonerAUSTRALIA , 1812.4a person who has been contracted

to a single employer for a very long time, especially of the armed

services Humorous use of the sense as ‘a convict who has been

imprisoned for many years’UK , 2001

old mannoun1a fatherUS , 1811.2a boyfriend or husbandUK , 1768.

3a commanding officer, military or policeUS , 1830.4a pimp in

relation to a prostituteUS , 1891.5an elder amongst the Australian

AboriginalsAUSTRALIA , 1848.6used as a form of address to another

manUK , 1885.7the penisUK , 1984.8a sharkUS , 1965

old man comfortsnounhigh-top shoes with ankle support and

extra lacesUS , 1973

AUSTRALIA , 1834

old man’s aidnounin pool, a device used to support the cue stick

for a hard-to-reach shot As the terminology suggests, the device is

scorned by skilled playersUS , 1977

old man’s milknouncoconut water mixed with ginTRINIDAD AND

TOBAGO , 2003

old Mickadjectivenauseated, sick Rhyming slangUK , 1967

Old Missnicknamethe University of MississippiUS , 1989

old moneynounan earlier system of measuring, when applied to

anything except moneyUK , 2000

old navynounheroinUS , 2002

Old Nicknounmischief Nearly obsoleteUS , 1817

old oaknounLondon Probably rhyming slang forTHE SMOKE; used

by trainspotters; however, Garth Andrews, a retired deputy head of

Records and Archives at the British Railways Board, wrote to this

dictionary in May 2003, to suggest that ‘this has nothing to do

with rhyming slang for "smoke" Old Oak Common was the

premier engine shed on the Great Western Railway, providing the

motive power for crack expresses out of Paddington It is, of

course, possible that Old Oak Common provided the inspiration

for the rhyme – if rhyme it isUK , 1970

old pairnounparentsIRELAND , 2001

old peoplenounparents (regardless of age)AUSTRALIA , 1941

old person’s friendnounpneumoniaCANADA , 1987

old ragnouna flag Rhyming slangUK , 1992

old reliablenounthe Ninth Infantry Division, US ArmyUS , 1991

oldsnounparentsAUSTRALIA , 1979

old sailornouna Morris Marina car Citizens’ band radio slang; pun

on ‘mariner’UK , 1981

old schoolnouna past generation with an old-fashioned but reliable

way of doing thingsUS , 1970

old shakynouna C-124 long-range transport aircraftUS , 1986

old skool; old schoolnounthe original style of hip-hop music

not be categorised as house music; finally, any style of musicunder the hip-hop umbrella that is not absolutely currentUS , 1989

Oldsmobilenounin hold ’em poker, a nine and an eight as the firsttwo cards dealt to a player An allusion to the Oldsmobile 98, apopular modelUS , 1981

Old Smokeynounthe electric chairUS , 1929

old soak; soaknouna drunkard From the verb sense (to drinkimmoderately)UK , 1820

Old SodnounIrelandUK , 1891

old sortnouna wife, a husband or any partner in a living-togetherrelationshipUK , 2000

Old Sparkynounan electric chair, especially Florida’s electric chair

US , 1971

old stagernouna person of considerable age or experienceUK , 1570

oldsternounan older personUK , 1848

old StevenounheroinUS , 1936

old stylenounfashion sense that is excessive to the point of ridicule

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO , 1956

old sweatnounan old soldier; a veteran police officerUK , 1919

old thing; dear old thingnounused as a term of address, usually

as an endearmentUK , 1864

oldtimer’s diseasenounAlzheimer’s diseaseUS , 1988

old Tomnounan aggressive, ‘mannish’ lesbianUS , 1978

old womannoun1a wife; a woman you cohabit withUK , 1775.2amotherUK , 1829.3a male who behaves like an old woman

AUSTRALIA , 1963

ole galnouna male roommateUS , 1947

o-levelsnounoral sex, especially when advertised as a service offered

by a prostitute A play on the name given to ‘ordinary-level’ inations in the British education systemUK , 1978

exam-olive oil; exam-olivenounsilver foil (used in the preparation of heroin).Rhyming slangUK , 1996

Olivernounin circus and carnival usage, a police officerUS , 1981

Oliver Reed; Ollie; Ollynoun1tobacco; marijuana Rhyming slangforWEED(tobacco/marijuana), based on the name of actor OliverReed, 1938–99UK , 1992.2amphetamine Rhyming slang forSPEED

(amphetamine), based on the name of actor Oliver Reed, 1938–99

Ollie Beaknouna Sikh Rhyming slang, formed from a puppet – aLiverpudlian owl – that used to introduce children’s televisionprogrammes in the 1960sUK , 1998

Ollie, Molly and Dollynounin poker, three queensUS , 1948

olly; ollienounin skateboarding, a jumping manoeuvre, the basis ofmost skating tricksUS , 1989

OlynicknameOlympia, WashingtonUS , 1997

omnounMDMA, the recreational drug best known as ecstasy.Possibly from the Buddhist mantra ‘Om’, playing on the drug’sassociation with ‘trance’ (a contemporary dance music genreformed on repetitive rhythms), or, perhaps, an abbreviation of

OMEGA UK , 1996

OMnouna male; a partner; a husband An abbreviation of ‘oldman’ Frequent usage by shortwave radio operators, carried overinto citizens’ band radio slangUS , 1976

-omaticsuffixused as an embellishment that adds nothing to themeaning of the word embellishedUS , 1982

man; a master; a landlord Polari, from Italian uomo (a man) UK ,

omee-palone; omee-paloney; ome-palone; homee-palone;

combination ofOMEE(a man) andPOLONE; PALONE(a woman)UK ,

1966

omeganounMDMA, the recreational drug best known as ecstasy

Possibly a play on ‘the end’ or, perhaps, an elaboration ofOM UK ,

1996

omennounlow grade phencyclidine, the recreational drug known as

PCP or angel dustUS , 1993

omo; OMOadjectiveused for signalling that a woman’s husband is

not at home: old man out OMO™ is an established branded soap

powderUK , 1995

omygodnouna Plymouth OmegaUS , 1992

onadjective1in the bleed period of the menstrual cycle

Euphemistic abbreviation of, or an alternative to,ON THE RAGor ‘on

(your) period’UK , 1971.2ready and willingUK , 1888.3willing to take

partAUSTRALIA , 1880.4willing to take part in an amorous liaison

AUSTRALIA , 1907.5datingAUSTRALIA , 1945.6(of a fight or dispute)

begun in earnestAUSTRALIA , 1945.7persistently askingAUSTRALIA , 1969.

8of a criminal enterprise, under wayUK , 1969.9possible, feasible,

worthy of an attempt Originally recorded in use among billiard

and snooker playersUK , 1935.10having secured a betAUSTRALIA , 1903.

11protected from policy action by bribesUS , 1973.12of a food dish,

on the menuUK , 1949.13drug-intoxicatedUS , 1946.< not onnot

going to happen; forbiddenAUSTRALIA , 1972

onpreposition1(used of a drug) under the influence ofUS , 1925.2so

as to affect or disadvantageIRELAND , 1880.3to the detriment of, or

the disadvantage of, or the ruin of, etcUK , 2000.4at or in (a place)

AUSTRALIA , 1853.5to be paid for byUS , 1871.< be on aboutto talk

in such a manner that the speaker is not entirely understood or

listened to by the auditor As in, ‘What’s he on about now?’UK ,

1984.< be on atto nag, to constantly reproveUK , 1974.< go on

about; be on aboutto grumble; to complain, especially loudly;

to talk on a subject for far too longUK , 1863

on and offnouna cough Rhyming slangUK , 1998

on bobadjectivehappy Variation ofBOB(pleasant)UK , 2001

once a weeknoun1a magistrate Rhyming slang forBEAK UK , 1960.

2impudence Rhyming slang forCHEEK UK , 1925

once in a blue moonvery rarelyUK , 1959

once-overnouna brief look that assesses something or someoneUS ,

1913

oncernoun1something or someone uniqueAUSTRALIA , 1966.2a

person who has sex only once with any given partnerUS , 1959.3a

one-pound noteUK , 1931.4an impudent person Derives from

rhyming slangONCE A WEEKforCHEEK UK , 1992

onenoun1an eccentric, amusing or outrageous personUK , 1880.2a

devotee, or an adherent, or a champion, of somethingUK , 1888.3a

grudge; a score; a blow; a kiss; a drink; an act of sexual

intercourse; any non-specified noun By ellipsis of the specific

nounUK , 1830.4a lie; a joke or an anecdoteUK , 1813.5an act of

urination An abbreviation ofNUMBER ONE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO , 1987.

< do one for me; have one for mea jocular catchphrase

addressed to someone on the way to the lavatoryUK , 1984.< in

onein bar dice games, to make a hand in one roll of the diceUS ,

1971.< on onein a state of intoxication as a result of use of

MDMA, the recreational drug best known as ecstasyUK , 1999

oneadjectiveused as an emphatic indefinite articleUK , 1828

onegoodbye An abbreviation ofONE LOVE US , 2002

one and a halfnouna prison sentence of eighteen monthsUK , 1961

one and eightnouna plate (in all uses, conventional or slang)

Rhyming slangUK , 1992

one and halfnouna scarf Rhyming slangUK , 1992

one and onenoun1an inhalation of cocaine using both nostrilsUK ,

2003.2a dose of heroin accompanied by a dose of cocaineUS , 1997.

3a bag of deep-fried cod and chipsIRELAND , 1963

one and t’othernoun1a brother Rhyming slangUK , 1981.2a

one-armed banditnoun1a slot machine gambling deviceUS , 1938.

2a petrol pump From a vague similarity in appearance to a fruitmachineUK , 1981.3that part of an automatic warning systemmounted in a diesel locomotive’s cabUK , 1970

one away!used by prison officers to raise the alarm when aprisoner escapesUK , 1950

one day for thief, one day for policeused for expressing theconviction that wrongdoers will eventually be caughtTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO , 1990

one day jobnouna car that can be disassembled and sold in oneday after being stolenUS , 1992

One Day of the YearnounAnzac DayAUSTRALIA , 1962

one day, one day, congotayone day there will be justiceTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO , 2003

one-digit midgetnounduring the Vietnam war, a soldier with lessthan 10 days to serve before his date of expected return fromoverseasUS , 1984

one ’emverbin the gambling game two-up, to throw a head and atailAUSTRALIA , 1966

one-eyenoun1the penis A variation of the ‘one-eyed bestiary’US ,

1961.2in a deck of playing cards, a face card drawn in profile, thejack of hearts, the jack of spades or the king of diamondsUS , 1967.

3a car with only one headlight workingUS , 1962

one-eyedadjectiveused in combination with a variety of suitablyshaped or characterised nouns to depict the penisUK , 1775

one-eyed jacknouna car with only one headlight workingUS , 1998

one-eyed monsternounthe penis Neither Cyclops nor the

character from the film Monsters Inc US , 1972

one-eyed snakenounthe penis A short ‘one-eyed trouser snake’

US , 2001

one-eyed trouser snakenounthe penisAUSTRALIA , 1971

one foot in the graveadjectiveold, perhaps very old Used as thetitle of a popular BBC situation comedy about an ageing (but notelderly) couple, written by David Renwick and broadcast from1990–2000UK , 1632

one for his nobnouna shilling Rhyming slang forBOBthat fell intodisuse following decimalisation in 1971UK , 1961

one for Ronnounan extra cigarette taken when one is offered.Typically the person cadging cigarettes says they’ll take one ‘andone for Ron’, when the person giving the cigarettes asks ‘Who isRon?’ the answer given is ‘one for later on’AUSTRALIA , 1966

one for the boynounin horse racing, a bet placed on a horse bythe owner and given to the jockey before the raceUS , 1951

one for the roadnouna final drink before leaving a barUS , 1943

one goernouna race in which only one horse is being run to win

AUSTRALIA , 1966

one-hand magazine; one-handed magazine; one-handed literaturenouna pornographic magazine The image of one handfreeUK , 1978

one hitternouna device designed for holding a single inhalationworth of marijuanaUS , 2003

one hitter quitter; one hitta quittanouna powerful variety ofmarijuana It takes just oneHIT(an inhalation) to get anintoxicating effectUK , 1995

one-hit wondernouna recording artist or group with a single hitsongUS , 1994

one-holed flutenounthe penis Variation ofFLUTE(the penis)UK , 1984

one-horseadjectiveof little consequence, unimportant, inferior, small

US , 1853

one hundrednouna marijuana cigarette dipped in an opium utionUS , 1991

to be humorous, as in the imagined book title ‘The Rupturedomee-palone; omee-paloney; ome-palone; homee-palone; omi-palome; omie-palome | One Hung Low 472

one loveused as a farewellUS , 2002

one lungernouna single cylinder motorcycle Motorcyclists’ slang,

noted by Partridge, 1979US , 1908

one mannounfirst degree manslaughterUS , 1982

one-nighternouna sexual relationship lasting a single nightUS , 1969

one-night standnouna sexual relationship lasting a single nightUK ,

1937

one-offnouna unique person, object or event From manufacturing

jargonUK , 2000

one off the wrist; quick one off the wristnoun(of a male) an

act of masturbation The adjective ‘quick’ (or occasional variations)

does not denote an especially speedy endeavour, its purpose is to

elaborate the basic termUK , 1973

one of the original twelvenounan extremely high-ranking officer

US naval aviator usageUS , 1986

one of these fine daysat a vague point in the future Minor

vari-ations abound: ’some fine day’, ‘one of these fine mornings’, etc

UK , 1846

one of those; one of themnouna homosexualUK , 1933

one of those daysnouna day when everything seems to go wrong,

or is more hectic than usualUK , 1936

one of usnouna male homosexual Especially in the phrase, ‘he’s

one of us’UK , 1961

one on!used as a shouted warning that a train is approachingUK ,

1970

one-onenounin horse racing or harness racing, the position one off

the rail and one behind the challenger A favoured position, close

enough to challenge the lead and benefiting from the wind

broken by the challengerUS , 1997

one-on-one housenouna place where cocaine and heroin can be

boughtUK , 1998

one-o-oneadjectivebasic Alluding to basic college courses such as

‘English 101’US , 1993

one outby oneself; on one’s own; aloneAUSTRALIA , 1950

one over the eightadjectivedrunk; the final drink that makes you

drunkUK , 1925

one over the pocketnouna woman who is easily available for sex

Adopted from snooker terminologyUK , 2002

one penused by small children to ask foreign tourists for money A

request, sometimes a demand Derives, perhaps, from a 1961 visit

to India by US Vice President Lyndon B Johnson who handed out

ballpoint pens marked with his nameINDIA , 2003

one-percenter; two-percenternounused as a self-identification by

members of outlaw motorcyle clubs When the president of the

American Motorcyle Association proclaimed that 99% (or later

98%) of motorcylists are ‘decent, hardworking, law-abiding citizens’,

outlaw bikers did the maths and proclaimed themselves the

remainderUS , 1966

one-piece overcoatnouna condomUK , 1984

one-pipper; one pipnouna second lieutenant Army, from the

sleeve or shoulder insigniaUK , 1915

one-plus-one salenounheroin and cocaine sold togetherUK , 2002

one-pubadjective(of a town) small enough to have only one public

hotel; inconsequentialAUSTRALIA , 1901

onernouna one-pound noteUK , 1889

onesnoun1the first landing or floor level in a prisonUK , 1996.2in

the gambling game two-up, a throw of a head and a tailAUSTRALIA ,

1911.< all the oneseleven In Bingo, House or Housey-Housey

calling, the formula ‘all the’ announces a double numberUK , 1943.

< on the ones and twosin prison, used of a sex offender,

convicted paedophile, etc A variation ofNUMBERED OFF ; ON THE

NUMBERS UK , 1996

ones and twosnounshoesUS , 1928

one-shot wondernouna man who is unable to achieve a second

one-sideverbto hit without warningFIJI , 1995

one singer, one song; wan singer, wan songused as a call fororder when many people are contributing to a debate at the sametime Originally shouted at people who, uninvited, join in asinger’s song, and, inevitably, fail to add a pleasing harmony.Popularised by Glaswegian actor, comedian and folk-singer, BillyConnolly (b.1942)UK: SCOTLAND , 1996

one-skin jointnouna marijuana cigarette made with just one rette paperUK , 2003

ciga-one-skinnernouna marijuana cigarette made with just one rette paperUK , 1999

ciga-one-spotnouna prison sentence of one yearUS , 1949

one star artistnouna second lieutenant Military, from the sleeve

or shoulder insignia In World War 1 one star – ‘one stunt’ was anarmy catchphrase that reflected the frequency with which secondlieutenants got killed in their first battleNEW ZEALAND , 1984

onesynounan act of urinationAUSTRALIA , 1995

one-timenounthe policeUS , 1990

one toke no jokepowerful marijuana Rhyming elaboration on

TOKE(to smoke marijuana)UK , 2000

one-toke weednounmarijuana of such potency that only a fewinhalations induce intoxicationUS , 1982

one to onenounin betting odds, evensUK , 1991

one-track mindnounan overwhelming interest in a single topic,especially sex Especially familiar, to some, in the catchphrase

‘you’ve got a one-track mind’, and various elaborations along thelines of ‘and it’s a dirt-track’UK , 1984

one waynounLSD Possibly plays on the type of ticket you wouldpurchase for a conventional ‘trip’;TRIP(a hallucinatory drug experi-ence)US , 1970

one-wayadjectiveheterosexualUS , 1964

one-way taxinouna hearseUK , 1981

one-wirenounan electrician US Navy usageUS , 1998

one-woman shownoun(of a female) an act of masturbation.Figurative sense of a theatrical presentation that itself is oftencritically described as ‘intellectual masturbation’US , 2001

commands With various pronominal variations Especially popularamongst parents and pet-ownersUK , 1977

oneynounoneUK , 2002

on for young and oldadjectivehaving begun in earnestAUSTRALIA , 1951

onionnoun1one hundred dollarsUS , 1988.2crack cocaineUK , 2003.3anative BermudianBERMUDA , 1985.4a Ford Orion car Motor tradeslangUK , 2004.5an absolutely unskilled skateboarder Teen slang;because ‘it makes you cry to watch’UK , 1978

onion balladnouna painfully sad song An allusion to the ship between onions and tearsUS , 1981

many Greek Orthodox churchesUS , 1997

onion hotelnouna boarding house used by oil field workersUS , 1954

onion peelernouna switchblade knifeUS , 1973

onionsnoun< get up your onionsto irritate, to anger A variation

ofGET UP YOUR NOSE UK , 1988.< pain in the onionsan irritation;

an annoying personUK , 1988

on itadjectiveprepared and readyUS , 2000

onknounthe noseUK , 2002

onkaparinga; onkanouna finger Rhyming slang, fromOnkaparinga, a steeplechase track in AustraliaAUSTRALIA , 1967

onkusadjectiveno good Origin unknownAUSTRALIA , 1918

onliestadjectiveonlyUS , 1907

only very Hawaiian youth usage

only suckers beefused as a catchphrase in Chicago to affirm a

guiding principle of that city, that losers should not complainUS ,

1982

pledge On the US children’s television programme Rod Brown of

the Rocket Rangers (CBS, 1953–54), the children in the television

audience were asked to pledge on their honour, among other

things, ‘to chart my course according to the Constitution of the

United States of America’ Used in following years with irony by

those who had been children during the dark years of the early

on offeradjectiveavailableUK , 2000

on pointadjectivealert, ready for anything Military; the man ‘on

point’ leads a patrolUK , 2001

THE DOOR

on the hobnounthe penis Rhyming slang forKNOB UK , 2003

on the inin prisonUK , 2000

on the strength!seriously!US , 1989

on timeadjectiveexcellentUS , 1992

on topadjective1about to happenUK , 1978.2wrong; destroyed or

defeatedUK , 1999

on top!used as a warning that a prison officer is close From the

sense ‘something is about to happen’UK , 1996

onyaused as praise for a job well doneAUSTRALIA , 1948

on your bike!go away!UK , 1967

o-onoun a quick inspection, a once-over US , 1913

oo-ahverb(used of a woman) to sit or lie with legs spread

immodestlyNORFOLK ISLAND , 1992

oodlesnouna large number; a large amountUS , 1867

oo-er!; ooo-er!used for expressing surprise, disgust or

embarrassmentUK , 1912

oo-er missus!used for stressing a sexual innuendo, or as a

catchphrase-response to such a double-entendre A narrowing of

the senses used forOO-ER! UK , 2001

ooga-booga-landnouna non-specific African location A racist

notion based on the presumed phonetics of African tribal chants,

probably filtered through a Hollywood realityUK , 1998

oogleyadjectivegood, excellent Teen slangUS , 1955

ooh and aahverbto express admirationUS , 1957

ooh la lanouna brassiere Rhyming slang for ‘bra’UK , 1998

ooh-la-laused as an expression of admirationUS , 1957

oojah; oojar; oojamaflip; oojah-ma-flipnouna gadget; a

non-specific thing Etymology is unknown, however it has been

theorised that it may come from Hindustani, or derive as a

corruption of the nautical term ‘hook-me-dinghy’; earlier

vari-ations include ‘ooja-ka-piv’ and ‘ooja-cum-pivvy’UK , 1917

Ookpiknouna doll that looks like an owlCANADA , 1964

ooliesnounmarijuanaUK , 2003

ooloonouna knife used by Eskimo womenCANADA , 1966

oomphnounthe quality of sexual attraction; hence enthusiasm,

vigour, energy Echoic, from the mating bellow (perhaps of a bull)

US , 1937

oonocknounan Eskimo implement for harpooning sealsCANADA , 1941

oop northadjectivein the North of England A parodic use of a

non-specific northern accentUK , 2002

oop-pa-a-daused as a greeting by bebop musicians and followers

A highly stylised greeting, widely publicised in the early years of

oops!used in response to an accident or mistake, suggesting anacknowledgement of faultUS , 1989

ooroogoodbye Variant ofHOOROO AUSTRALIA , 1967

oozeverbto move, especially slowly, carefully, without enthusiasm

US , 1929

opnoun1a surgical operation UK , 1925.2an operator US , 1930.3a

private detective; a private operator US , 1947.4a military operation

UK , 1996

opverbto operate; to do; to set upUS , 1953

OPadjective other people’s US , 1972

OPBnoun used as an initialism for other people’s brand, a mythical

and humorous brand of cigarettesUS , 1970

openounopium; heroin An abbreviation of ‘opium’UK , 1929

opennounin computing, a left parenthesis – the (US , 1991

openverb1used of a film actor who is a big enough box officeattraction that success of a film project is almost guaranteed, tostart and carry such a film productionUS , 2003.2to turn onCANADA ,

2002.< open the kimonoof a business, to reveal companyaccounts, to publish business information Business slangUK , 1998.

< open the lunchboxto fartUS , 1997

openadjective1excited; drunk or drug-intoxicated; infatuated From

HAVE YOUR NOSE OPEN US , 1995.2in organised crime, safe for anyonewithout fear of violenceUS , 1963

open at both endsadjectivein poker, four cards in sequence thatcould form a five-card straight with a draw at either end of thesequenceUS , 1988

open doornounin surfing, a wave that breaks such that the surfercan ride away from the peak onto the shoulderUS , 1963

openersnoun< for openersto begin with; for startersAUSTRALIA , 1969

open gonouna total lack of restrictionAUSTRALIA , 1940

open heifernouna woman looking for a mateCANADA , 1987

open-kimonoadjectivecharacterised by complete honesty and fulldisclosure Sometimes formulated asOPEN THE KIMONOor a vari-ation thereon Ronin International, a computer consulting firm,promises ‘open-kimono’ in its published mission statement,explaining that the term ‘stems from feudal Japanese times wherethe term signified that the party will hide nothing within hisclothing (the kimono was the dominant clothing of that era) thatcould conceivably be used as a weapon’US , 1974

open-mikeadjectivesaid of a club where anybody may performbriefly and without paymentUS , 1999

open roomnounan establishment where it is possible to bet onsporting events and listen to or watch the event as it takes place

open slathernoununrestrained freedom From British dialect

slather (to spill, to squander) AUSTRALIA , 1919

open worknounsafecrackingUS , 1949

operanouna travelling showUS , 1980

Operation Big Switchnounthe final exchange of prisoners of war

operatornoun1someone who is popular, crafty and perhaps

manipulativeUS , 1944.2a drug dealerUS , 1952

opie switchnounin car repair, an oil pressure switchUS , 1992

OPMnoun other people’s money US , 1901

opponoun a friend, a pal Short for ‘opposite number’ UK , 1939

oppositeadjectiveobscene, especially of languageSOUTH AFRICA , 1946

op shopnoun a charity store From ‘opportunity shop’ AUSTRALIA , 1976

opticnoun1an eyeUK , 1600.2a look Short forOPTIC NERVE AUSTRALIA ,

1974

optical illusionsnounLSD From the effect of the drugUK , 1998

optic nervenouna look Rhyming slang forPERV AUSTRALIA , 1977

oracenounan offensive, despicable person; a clumsy person; a

socially awkward person Recorded in contemporary gay useUK , 2003

oralnounoral sex A 2002 Incident Report from the Sausalito

(California) Police Department describes the activities at a local

massage parlour as follows: ‘Only a few girls will do full service

(sexual intercourse) and oral (oral copulation) massages’US , 2002

oralehello Border Spanish used in English conversation by

Mexican-AmericansUS , 1950

orangenouna tablet of dextroamphetamine sulphate (trade name

Dexedrine™), a central nervous system stimulantUS , 1967

orange barrelnouna type of LSDUK , 2003

orange budnounmarijuana From the colourUK , 2001

Orange Crushnounin Canadian prisons, a special squad used to

restore calm after a disturbanceCANADA , 2002

orange cubenouna dose of LSD given on a sugar cubeUS , 1975

orange hazenouna type of LSDUK , 2003

orange linenounheroinUK , 2002

orange magicnouna type of LSDUK , 1996

orange micronouna type of LSDUK , 2003

orange peelnouna highly visible orange jacket worn by railway

orange sunshinenouna type of LSDUS , 1988

orange wedgenouna type of LSDUK , 2003

orbitverbto engage in oral sexUS , 1985

orbitalnoun1a person who lives permanently in the vicinity of one

travellers’ settlement Used by late 1980s – early 90s

counterculture travellersUK , 1999.2a breast Recorded in

contemporary gay usageUK , 2003

orchestra stalls; orchestras; orchestrals; orksnounthe testicles

Rhyming slang forBALLS, based on the front seating in a theatre

auditorium Probably late C19 or early C20 but not recorded until

1960UK , 1979

orchidnouna beautiful womanUS , 1948

order; orderlyverb1to go, to leaveUK , 1997.2to orgasm From an

earlier sense as ‘leave’, thus ‘to come’ (to orgasm)UK , 2002

orderly daughtersnounthe policeUK , 2002

order of the bootnoundismissal from work; the sackUK , 1917

ordinaryadjective1not very good; below standardAUSTRALIA , 1992.

2used by bookmakers for describing a losing dayAUSTRALIA , 1989

Oregon bootsnounleg ironsUS , 1949

or elseused for indicating consequences that will be unwelcomeUK ,

1833

Oreonouna black person whose values are seen as white values

Borrowed from a trade name of a chocolate biscuit with a white

orftadverboff A deliberately illiterate pronunciation for joculareffect; especially familiar in ‘orft we jolly well go’, a catchphrase ofbroadcaster Jimmy Young (b.1923)UK , 1980

organnoun1a car radio From the language of used car salesUS ,

1978.2the penis EuphemisticUK , 1903

organ-arsenouna person who deliberately farts in company

orgasm!used for registering any transitory pleasureUK , 2001

orgasmicadjectivegreat, excellent Hyperbole, probablyUS , 1999

orgeverbto indulge in an excess of ‘sinful’ pleasures, especially offood, drugs, shopping or sex Based on ‘orgy’, informed by ‘gorge’

UK , 1999

orgy roomnouna room designated for group sexUS , 1969

Oriental dancernounin circus and carnival usage, a sexuallyexplicit female dancerUS , 1981

Orient Expressnoun1any route used to smuggle opiates fromSoutheast Asia to Europe, especially via Amsterdam An allusion tothe famed Paris-to-Istanbul trainUS , 1982.2the #7 subway line toFlushing, Queens, New York An allusion to the large number ofAsian-Americans who commute on this lineUS , 1997

orificenoun1an office JocularUK , 1984.2a (police) officer Jocular;certainly since the late 1990sUK , 1996

originalnoun1an unconventional or eccentric personUK , 1824.2amale prisoner who selects and maintains a primary sexual partner

in jailUS , 1972

original gangsternouna member of the founding generation of ayouth gang; somebody who is so committed to a gang that heremains a gang member at all costsUS , 1995

originalsnounthe clothes worn by a member of Hell’s Angels when

he is initiated into the gang, and worn thereafter in perpetuityUS , 1966

or, in Englishused as a humorous bridge between a butcheredattempt at verbalisation and an attempt to correct Coined as aself-parody by ESPN’s Keith OlbermanUS , 1997

O-ringnouna novice surfer; a doltUS , 1992

orinoco; orinokonoun1cocoa Rhyming slang Also shortened to

‘ori’UK , 1992.2a poker Rhyming slang Also variant ‘orinoker’UK , 1992

or is he?; or am I?; or are you?a catchphrase added to astatement for rhetorical effectUK , 1984

o’rivergoodbye An intentional mispronunciation of the FrenchUS , 1991

ornamentnounon the railways, a stationmasterUS , 1977

orneryadjectiveill-humoured and uncooperativeUS , 1816

orphannoun1in craps, a bet on the table that a gambler hasforgotten belongs to himUS , 1981.2a computer that has beenphased out due to technological advancesUS , 1986

orphan Annie; orphannounthe vagina Rhyming slang forFANNY,formed from the character Little Orphan Annie, introduced to the

US in comic strip form in 1924, but best known to British

audiences from Annie the stage-musical, 1977, and film, 1982 UK , 1998

or somethingused as a final tag, a vague et ceteraUK , 1961

ortnounthe anus Origin unknownAUSTRALIA , 1952

orthopodnounan orthopaedistUK , 1960

or what!?used as an all-purpose, sentence-ending intensifier

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO , 1983

or whateverused as a non-specific alternative to a previously

or what-have-youused as a non-specific continuation of a list or

suggestion of further detailsUK , 1948

Osama yo mamaused as a general-purpose insult Teen slang;

combines ‘yo mama!’ (a general-purpose insult) with the name of

Osama bin Laden, presumed to be ultimately responsible for the

atrocities of 11th September 2001US , 2002

Oscarnoun1a male homosexual Surely a reference to Oscar Wilde

US , 1967.2an offensive, unlikeable personUS , 1905.3a prejudiced,

narrow-minded personUS , 1973.4a handgunUS , 1949

Oscar Asche; Oscar Ash; oscarnouncash; money Rhyming slang,

formed on the name of Australian actor, producer and director,

Oscar Asche (1871–1936)AUSTRALIA , 1905

Oscar Slateradverblater Glasgow rhyming slang, formed from a

man who, in 1909, was wrongly convicted of murder in a famous

and scandalous travesty of justice; Arthur Conan Doyle, author of

the Sherlock Holmes stories, took an interest and caused uproar by

publishing The Case of Oscar Slater in defence of the man UK:

SCOTLAND , 1985

O-signnounthe open mouth of a very sick hospital patient Medical

wit; an especially humorous image when the ‘O-sign’ becomes the

Q-SIGN(as above but with the tongue hanging out)US , 1980

Ossie Potternounwater Rhyming slang, from the name of a

prominent Australian racehorse owner of the 1950sAUSTRALIA , 1989

ossifer; occifernouna police officer An intentional metathesis,

spoken in imitation of the slurred speech of intoxicationUS , 1819

ossifiedadjectivevery drunkUS , 1901

OT and Eadjective over-tired and emotional Upper-class society

usage to describe children who are behaving unsociably To be

TIRED AND EMOTIONAL(drunk) is usually a condition for older family

membersUK , 1982

othernounsexual intercourse, especially heterosexual but also

homosexual Mainly used as aBIT OF THE OTHER Partridge, in the

1st edition of his Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English,

1937, suggests that the unqualified term indicates ‘homosexuality

as a criminal offence’ and that the other alternative is

‘prostitution’UK , 1937

other halfnouna significant other, husband or wifeUK , 1976

other lotnounthe policeUK , 2001

Other Peoplenounamong criminals, the policeUK , 2000

othersnounhomosexualsFIJI , 1996

other sidenounhomosexuality Usually in a phrase such as ‘gone

over to the other side’ Collected in 1960BARBADOS , 1960

other thingnoun< do the other thing!used as an expression of

contemptuous dismissal: do as you please!UK , 1848.< the other

thing1the penis EuphemisticUK , 1923.2sexual intercourse

OTRadjectiveliterally, experiencing the bleed period of the menstrual

cycle; figuratively, complaining An initialism ofON THE RAG US , 1968

OTTadjectiveto excess; beyond the boundaries of conventional

expectations; exaggerated Ultimately from World War 1 troops

leaving the trenches to attack the enemy; ‘going over the top’UK ,

1999

otto; otter; ottaadjectiveeight; eight (pre-decimal) pence Polari,

from Italian octo via parleyaree UK , 1893

ouchnounan injuryUS , 1962

ouch!how unfortunate!US , 1997

ouchyadjective(used of a racehorse) soreUS , 1976

oudishadjectiveused for expressing approvalUK , 2003

ought holenounin trucking, the shifting position for the lowest

gearUS , 1971

oughties

ouija boardnounin horse racing, the official odds board at theracetrackUS , 1951

oul fellanouna fatherIRELAND , 1989

oul one; auld wan; old dearnouna motherIRELAND , 1989

ounce mannouna drug dealer at the wholesale level, buying andselling in ouncesUS , 1966

ounce of baccy; ouncernouna Pakistani Rhyming slang forPAKI,formed from a measurement of tobaccoUK , 1992

our concrete brethrennounmembers of the US Air Force USArmy usageUS , 1998

our friend with the talking broochnouna uniformed policeofficer A reference to the police radio worn on the uniform’sbreastUK , 1992

outnounan excuse, an alibi, a means of avoiding responsibility ordifficultyUS , 1910.< on the outused of a prisoner when notimprisonedUK , 1984

outverb1to disclose another person’s homosexuality Usually done

to a public figure, and most commonly to one who is publiclyanti-homosexual, such as J Edgar Hoover or the cadre of gay menwho surrounded Lt Col Oliver North in the Reagan White House

US , 1990.2to suspend or ban a player or competitorAUSTRALIA , 1962.

< out someone’s lightto kill someoneTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO , 1987

outadjective1publicly and openly homosexual An abbreviation ofthe full ‘out of theCLOSET’UK , 1979.2unfashionable; no longerfashionableUK , 1966.3no longer imprisonedUK , 1974.4experiencingthe bleed period of the menstrual cycleUS , 2000

outused in farewellUS , 1993

outa here; outta hereadjectiveabout to leaveUS , 1980

out-and-outadjectivecomplete, absolute, thorough-goingUK , 1813

out-and-outernouna thorough-going person or thing; an absolutelieUK , 1812

outbacknounthe remote regions of AustraliaAUSTRALIA , 1893.< go

outbackto go to the toilet for the purpose of defecation

AUSTRALIA , 1979

outbackadjectivesituated in a remote country areaAUSTRALIA , 1893

out-countrynounduring the Vietnam war, used for reference to anyother country in Southeast AsiaUS , 1991

outdoorsadverb< all outdoorsa great amountUS , 1830

outernoun< on the outerexcluded from the mainstream; out offavour; ostracisedAUSTRALIA , 1902

outerlimitsnouna combination of crack cocaine and LSDUK , 1998

outersnounan excuse, an alibi; a means of escape, or of avoidingresponsibilityUK , 1977

outersadjectivedrug-intoxicated From a number of phrases thatcommence ‘out of’UK , 2000

outfitnoun1a criminal organisationUS , 1933.2a still used in theillegal production of alcoholUS , 1974.3heroinUK , 2003.4the needleand syringe used to inject a drugUS , 1951.5a vehicle Idaho usage

US , 1997

out for the countadjectivefast asleep From boxingUK , 1984

out frontadjectivedirect, honestUS , 1968

outgribingnouna written contribution to a single-interest fanmagazineUS , 1982

outholenounin pinball, the hole beneath the flippers throughwhich a ball leaves playUS , 1977

outhousenounin poker, a full house (three of a kind and a pair)that is inferior to another full house handUS , 1996

outienounan outward-turned navelUS , 1966

outieadverb< be outieto leaveUS , 1995

outlawnoun1a prostitute working without the services of a pimp

US , 1935.2a worker who has been identified as an activisttroublemaker and thus blacklistedUS , 1977.3a horse that cannot be

outlawverbon the railways, to exceed the 16-hour maximum legal

work limitUS , 1968

outlawadjectivein roller derby, outside the official Roller Derby

LeagueUS , 1999

outletnouna bootlegger’s houseCANADA , 1999

out like a lightadjectivesuddenly and deeply unconsciousUK , 1944

out of hereused as a farewellUS , 1991

out of itadjective1crazy, mentally illUS , 1979.2in an advanced a

state of drug- or drink-intoxicationUS , 1963

out of order; bang out of orderadjectiveused to describe

behaviour that is unacceptableUK , 1979

out of sight; outasightadjectiveexcellent, amazing Nearly a

hundred years old before being swept up as a core adjective of the

1960s hippie lexiconUS , 1876

out of the moneyadjectivein horse and dog racing, finished below

third placeUS , 1988

out of this worldadjectiveextraordinaryUS , 1928

out of townadjectiveused to describe behaviour that is

unacceptableUS , 1942

out of whackadjectiveout of tune, malfunctioningUS , 1885

out-outverbto put outBARBADOS , 1965

outronounthe concluding section, especially of music or

broadcast-programmes The opposite ofINTRO(introduction)UK , 1967

outrunverb< outrun the note(of a car) to last longer than it

takes to pay off the loan incurred to buy itUS , 1992

outsnounin poker, the playing of a weak hand in the hope of a

drastic improvement in drawingUS , 1979

outsidenoun1in Alaska, anywhere in the US other than AlaskaUS ,

1900.2the world outside the armed forcesUS , 1898

outsideadjective1out of the ordinaryUS , 1969.2(of a child)

illegitimateTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO , 1952.3(of a lover) adulterous

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO , 1971.4in surfing, seaward of the swellUS , 1963

outsideadverbnot in prisonUS , 1871.< get outside ofto eatUS ,

1869

outside!used for calling to the attention of other surfers the

presence of an approaching series of waves seawardUS , 1964 8see:

COME OUTSIDE!

outside childnounan illegitimate childCAYMAN ISLANDS , 1985

outside worknounany external alteration of dice for cheatingUS ,

1963

outstandingadjectiveexcellent Conventional English converted to

slang by attitude and a drawn-out pronunciationUS , 1964

out thereadjective1in a state of extreme marijuana-intoxicationUS ,

1977.2in the alternative society; out of the mainstreamUS , 1975.

3crazy, mentally illUK , 1996

out ticketnounin horse racing, a winning bet not presented for

payment on the day of the raceUS , 1982

out to lunchweird, being in a state that does not conform to

peer-group expectations; distracted;crazyUS , 1955

ovennoun< in the ovenpregnant Especially in the phrase ‘bun

in the oven’UK , 1937

overadjective1popular with the audience Professional wrestling

usageUS , 1999.2disgusted by; done withUS , 1983

overampverbto overdose on narcoticsUS , 1967

over-and-undernoun1a capsule containing both a barbiturate and

an amphetamineUS , 1973.2an M-16 rifle with an M-79 grenade

launcher tube under the rifle barrelUS , 1972

overboardadjectivedrunkUS , 1948.< go overboard1to be

over-enthusiastic about something, to exaggerateUS , 1931.2to refuse or

fail to pay a gambling debtUS , 1947

over-boogieverbto over-indulge in the pleasures of viceUS , 1982

overbrokeadjectiveused of betting with no profit margin for the

overdueadjectiveused of a criminal who, not having been convicted

of a crime, is statistically likely to, or should, be found guilty ofsomething (if there is any justice) Police useUK , 1984

overfixverbto overdose using a drugUS , 1972

overgroundnouna commercialised milieu for a previouslyunderground cultureUK , 2001

overjoltnouna drug overdoseUS , 1959

overjoltverbto suffer a drug overdoseUK , 1983

overland routenoun< to take the overland routein horseracing, to race on the outside portion of the track because a horseprefers passing around a pack to accelerating through itUS , 1947

overlaynounin horse racing, a situation where a horse that shouldwin a race is given higher odds than it shouldUS , 1965

over-muchadjectiveastonishing, difficult to believeUS , 1968

over my dead bodyused as an expression of the strongest will toresist HyperboleUK , 1936

overpartedadjective having been cast in a part that demands more

of an actor than he or she is capable ofUK , 2003

overripe fruitnounan older homosexual manUK , 1979

over-roundadjectiveused of betting when the probable or actualprofit margin is entirely in a bookmaker’s favourUK , 1991

oversnoun1more money than you needUK , 2000.2surplus orundivided profits from a crimeUK , 1977.3money a bookmaker hasoverpaidUK , 1991.4a wager at odds better than those prevailingelsewhere; any extravagenceAUSTRALIA , 1989.5in a game of poker,the small amount of money left in the centre of the table after apot is divided among two or more players, held over for the nexthandUS , 1988

over therenounin Europe Originally used of the military duringWorld War 1AUSTRALIA , 1967

over the shoulder boulder holdernouna brassiereUK , 1998

oviesnounovertime payUK , 2002

ownoun< on the ownot in prison A shortening of ‘on theoutside’UK , 2002

OWnouna wife, a girlfriend Citizens’ band radio slang, abbreviatedfromOLD WOMAN UK , 1981

owf; owffverbto stealUK , 2003

owienounany minor injury Children’s vocabularyUS , 1988

o-withoutnounan act of oral sex performed without the protection

of a condom, especially when advertised as a service offered by aprostitute FromO-LEVELS(oral sex)UK , 2003

owlnoun1on the railways, anything related to the night, such as alate-night trainUS , 1946.2marijuana A possible play onHOOTER(alarge marijuana cigarette)UK , 2003

owlheadnouna revolver Originally referred to a revolvermanufactured by Iver Johnson Arms, featuring an owlhead logo;later applied to any revolverUS , 1927

Owl Shit Junctionnounany extremely remote townUS , 1977

ownverbto dominate; to command complete deferenceUS , 1997

ownioadjective< on your ownioaloneIRELAND , 1922

ownsomeadjective< on your ownsomealoneUK , 1939

own upverbto admit, to confessUS , 1853

own-wayadjectiveobstinate, mulishBARBADOS , 1965

Owsley; Owsley acid; owsleynounhigh quality LSD From thename of legendary LSD manufacturer Augustus Owsley Stanley III.Other variations include: ‘Owsley blue dot’; ‘Owsley blues’; ‘Owsleypower’; ‘Owsley purple’;PURPLE OWSLEY‘pink Owsley’; ‘whiteOwsley’; ‘Owsley’s stuff’; ‘Owsleys’US , 1967

owtnounsomething, anything A dialect word from northern

programme Coronation Street, and in clichéd phrases such as ‘you

don’t get owt for nowt’UK , 1847

owzat?; zat?as an appeal to a cricket umpire, how’s that?UK , 1934

Oxfordnouna dollarAUSTRALIA , 1990

Oxford bagnouna cigarette Rhyming slang forFAG UK , 1998

Oxford scholar; Oxford; scholarnoun1(of pre-decimalisation

currency) five shillings; (post-1971) 25p Rhyming slang forDOLLAR

(five shillings) The Oxford English Dictionary notes reported usage

in southwest England in the 1870sUK , 1938.2a dollar Rhyming

slangAUSTRALIA , 1937

Oxo cubenounthe London Underground Rhyming slang forTHE

TUBEbased on the branded beef extract, manufactured in cube

form since 1909UK , 1960

oxynounthe synthetic opiate oxycodone used recreationally; a

capsule of OxyContin™US , 2000

oxyadjectivehaving a second-hand or dated appearance Derives

from the appearance of goods sold in the charity shops of Oxfam

UK , 2003

oxygen sectionnounseats in a stadium or coliseum that are high

up and far from the actionUS , 1993

oy gevalt!used for expressing a lament, protest, dismay or delight

Yiddish from GermanUS , 1968

oysternoun1the vagina From an image of the labia, but note also

the following sense as ‘the mouth’UK , 1707.2the mouth, especially

as an instrument of homosexual oral sex Following from the

previous senseUK , 2002.3a gob of thick phlegm From the

appearance First recorded in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, Francis Grose, 1785, with the further observation ‘spit by a

consumptive man’UK , 1785

oyster stewnouncocaineUK , 2002

oy vey!used for expressing surprise YiddishUS , 1992

OznicknameAustralia Although the pronunciation would always havehad a final ‘z’ (the ‘s’ becomes voiced) it was first recorded as ‘Oss’

in 1908 (Australian National Dictionary), and not as ‘Oz’ until

1944, which spelling is partially influenced by the immensely

popular 1939 film The Wizard of Oz Became common in the

1970sAUSTRALIA , 1908

OzadjectiveAustralianAUSTRALIA , 1974

OZ; oh-zeenounan ounce of marijuana or other drugs Spelling outthe standard abbreviation for ‘ounce’US , 1933

ozonenoun1the highest seats in a stadium or auditorium, farthestfrom the actionUS , 1980.2a state of drug or alcohol intoxicationUS ,

1971.3phencyclidine, the recreational drug known as PCP or angeldustUS , 1994.4marijuanaUK , 2003

ozonernounan outdoor cinemaUS , 1948

ozone rangernouna person who appears to live in an inner-world,not necessarily as a result of drug or alcohol consumptionUS , 1978

ozone theatrenounan outdoor cinemaUS , 1957

OzzieadjectiveAustralian Variant spelling, representingpronunciation, ofAUSSIE AUSTRALIA , 1918

Pnoun1pure or nearly pure heroinUS , 1971.2a Vietnamese piastre

US , 1965

Padjective1pretty Hawaiian youth usageUS , 1982.2a priceUK , 1997

-psuffixused for turning a word into a questionUS , 1981

P-38noun1a police-issue 38 calibre revolverUS , 1976.2in Vietnam

war usage, the small can-opener included with individual field

rations A humorous application of bureaucratic nomenclatureUS ,

1968

P45noun< give someone their P45to break off a romantic

relationship with someone A P45 is the form given by an

employer to a dismissed employeeUK: SCOTLAND , 1996

panouna father; used to address your father An abbreviation of

‘papa’UK , 1811

PAa prosecuting attorneyUS , 1992

Pablonouncocaine In memory of Colombian Pablo Escobar

(1949–93) of the medellín CartelUK , 1996

Pachuconouna young Mexican-American, especially a tough or

gang member A highly stylised fashion sense, a private language

and a rage against white oppression of the 1940sUS , 1943

Pacific steroidnounthe Southeast Asian plant, taro Common in

conversation in New Zealand since the 1990sNEW ZEALAND , 2002

packnoun1a package of illegal drugs, especially heroin Also variant

‘packet’US , 1952.2marijuanaUK , 2003.3in the used car business, a

fixed amount that is added to the price the dealer has paid for the

carUS , 1975.< go to the packto deteriorateAUSTRALIA , 1919

packverb1to carry a weapon, usually a concealed oneUS , 1949.2to

tuck the male genitals into the left or right trouser legUS , 1972.3to

be fearful A shortening ofPACK SHIT AUSTRALIA , 1988.4while

snowboarding, to hit the snow hardUS , 1990.5to take someone

along on a motorcyle cruiseUS , 1966.< pack a punchof a thing,

to be powerful A figurative use of the pugilistic senseUS , 1938.

< pack a rodto carry a gun In literature by 1940US , 1940.

< pack a sadto break off a relationshipNEW ZEALAND , 1994.

< pack a shitty1to sulkAUSTRALIA , 1985.2to become angryNEW

ZEALAND , 1998.< pack deathto be fearfulAUSTRALIA , 1975.< pack

doubleto carry a passenger on a motorcyleUS , 2000.< pack

fudgeto play the active role in anal sexUS , 1987.< pack heatto

carry a gunUS , 1930.< pack itto be fearful Euphemistic forPACK

SHIT AUSTRALIA , 1945.< pack shit; pack the shitsto be fearful

The metaphor is of one so scared that they are straining not to

shit themselvesAUSTRALIA , 1971.< pack the cracksto endure

injections of collagenUS , 1997.< pack the paymentin new car

sales, to make a sale for a price slightly below what the customer

has said they are willing to spendUS , 1989.< pack’em; pack

themto be fearful Euphemistic forPACK THE SHITS AUSTRALIA , 1944

packagenoun1a man’s genitals as seen through trousersUS , 1997.

2a good-looking womanUS , 1945.3the female posteriorUS , 2001.4a

sexually transmitted infection, especially gonorrhoeaUS , 1950.5AIDS

or HIVUS , 2002

package of troublenounthe bleed period of the menstrual cycle

US , 1999

pack awayverbto consume food or drink with gustoAUSTRALIA , 1972

Packer-backer-makinouna beer-drinking, snow-suit wearing,

Skoal-chewing, snowmobile-riding fan of the Green Bay Packer

pro-fessional football team Michigan Upper Peninsula usageUS , 2004

packetnoun1the genitals, especially as may be hinted at or

imagined when dressed, usually male Gay slangUK , 2002.2a large

sum of moneyUK , 1922

packet of three; pack of threenouna packet of three condoms

A dated semi-euphemism that was widespread before the onset of

pack horsenouna person, usually a guard, who brings contrabandinto prisonUS , 1984

packienounan off-licence From US states where off-licences areknown as ‘package stores’US , 1991

pack in; pack upverbto stop; to cease an activity; to retireUS , 1942

pack of rocksnouna packet of ready-to-smoke marijuana fashioned

in the manner of cigarettes An abbreviation of ‘pack of rockets’

UK , 2003

pack outverbto unpackSOUTH AFRICA , 1969

pack-rapenounrape by a gang of men in successionAUSTRALIA , 1969

pack-rapeverb(of a gang of men) to serially rape a woman

AUSTRALIA , 1965

pack-rapistnouna person who commits pack-rapeAUSTRALIA , 1972

pack-sack citizennouna short-term resident of any place, living, as

it were, out of a packsack (backpack or rucksack)CANADA , 1966

pack upverbto cease doing something; to retire from work (of amachine, etc) to stop working because of a faultUK , 1925.< pack

up shopto cease tradingUK , 2003

pacoteenouna sexually available woman From the French andSpanish for ‘inferior goods’, at times corrupted back into English

as ‘pack o’ tea’TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO , 1950

pacy; paceyadjectivefast, speedyUK , 1906

padnoun1an apartment or house; a room, especially a bedroom Inthe C18 ‘pad’ referred to a bed By the 1930s, it took on the newmeaning and was spread by jazz musicians Still heard, with a retrofeelUS , 1938.2a bedUK , 1718.3a prison cellUS , 1943.4a padded cell

UK , 1996.5the bribery paid by a criminal enterprise to policeUS ,

1970.6an animal trackAUSTRALIA , 1893.< on the padbribedUS , 1971

padverb1to resideUS , 1963.2(used of police) to add to the narcoticsconfiscated from a suspect in order to render the charge againstthem more seriousUS , 1972.< pad the ringin horse racing, toplace many small bets on several horses in a race while placing alarge bet on one horse away from the track, hoping that the smallbets on other horses will drive the odds on your horse upUS , 1951

paddlenounon the railways, a semaphore signalUS , 1977

paddleverbin horse racing, to try hard without successAUSTRALIA ,

1989.< paddle the pickle(of a male) to masturbateUS , 1967.

< paddle the pink canoe(of a female) to masturbateUK , 2004

paddle bullnouna young male moose, whose unbranched antlerslook like table tennis batsCANADA , 1989

paddle popnouna block of ice Rhyming slangNEW ZEALAND , 1998

paddock-bashernouna worn-out old vehicle used to drive around acountry propertyAUSTRALIA , 1983

pad downverbto go to sleepUS , 1993

paddynoun1a white personUS , 1945.2a police officerUS , 1946.3atemper, a rageUK , 1894

Paddynounan Irish personUK , 1780

Paddynicknameused as a nickname for any Irishman Diminutive ofthe name PatrickUK , 1959

Paddy and Micknoun a pick-axe Rhyming slang, drawing on the

stereotype of Irish labourersUK , 1998

Paddy and Mickadjectivestupid Rhyming slang forTHICK, drawing

on an lrish stereotypeUK , 1992

paddy hustlernouna criminal who targets white people as victims

US , 1970

Paddy McGuigannoundancing, jigging Glasgow rhyming slang for

‘jiggin’, formed on no Irishman in particular

Paddy McGuirenouna fire Glasgow rhyming slang, formed on no

Irishman in particularUK: SCOTLAND , 1988

Paddy O’Rourkeverbto talk Rhyming slang; derivation unknown

UK , 1998

Paddy’s DaynicknameSt Patrick Day A national holiday in Ireland

to celebrate St Patrick, Ireland’s patron saintIRELAND , 2003

Paddy’s pignounthe epitome of ignoranceNEW ZEALAND , 1974

Paddy’s taxinouna police ‘Panda’ carUK , 1969

paddy strengthnounin the Vietnam war, the combat strength of a

unit, measured by the actual number of troops in the fieldUS , 1974

Cathedral in Liverpool ‘Wigwam’ is an obvious simile for the

shape of the 1960s building,PADDY(an Irishman) reflects a cultural

perception of Roman CatholicsUK , 2003

paddy wagonnouna police transport vanUS , 1909

Paddy waternounGuinness™ Irish stout FromPADDY(an Irish

person)UK , 2000

paddywoodnouna white person Not used kindlyUS , 1980

padiddlenouna car with only one headlight functioning A childish

word for the childish activity of spotting cars with one broken

headlightUS , 1976

padlocknounthe penis Rhyming slang forCOCK UK , 1972

pad matenounin prison, the inmate with whom a cell is shared

FromPAD(a cell)UK , 1996

pad rollnouna controlled roll of the dice by a skilled cheat, best

made on a blanket spread on the groundUS , 1950

pad-rollverbto roll dice in a controlled fashion So called because it

can best be made on a blanket, rug or other soft padUS , 1950

padrone; padroninouna boss (especially in a gangster-related

context) From Italian padrone (an owner, master), via films about

the mafia The plural is ‘padroni’ITALY , 2000

padsnountyres Biker (motorcyle) usageUS , 2003

pad sharknouna prisoner who steals from others’ cells FromPAD(a

cell)UK , 1996

paedie-pumpnouna prison-issue training shoe worn by sex

offenders Based on an abbreviation of ‘paedophile’ In use August

2002UK , 2002

paedonounused as a short form of paedophilia, paedophile and

related terms The Greek for ‘child’, used as the root for many

conventional terms, has lately been been associated in the public

imagination with the worst of its usesUK , 2002

Pagnoun the short opera Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo UK , 1987

pagenounone thousand doses of LSD soaked into paperUS , 1999

page biznounthe publishing business CombinesBIZ(a business)

with a small exampleUS , 2002

page onernouna screenplay in need of a complete rewriteUS , 1997

page three girlnouna girl whose scantily clad, or nude, picture

appears as a newspaper pin-up From a ‘Page Three’ feature in The

Sun but applied far more widely UK , 1975

paggerverbto break or smash; to wreck Market traders’ use;

influenced byBUGGER(to ruin)UK , 1979

paggeredadjectivedrunk FromPAGGER, hence ‘smashed’ (drunk)UK ,

paidadjectivefinancially stable if not wealthyUS , 1998

pailnounthe stomach An abbreviation of ‘lunch pail’ (a container)

US , 1945

painnounan irritation; an annoying personUK , 1933

PainnounMain Street in Winnipeg, which at its crossing of Portage

is the exact centre ‘Pain’ for ‘Main’ at the intersection of Portage

Street is evocative of windy, very cold winter weather

pain in the ass; pain in the arse; pain in the backsidenounagreat nuisanceUS , 1934

pain in the necknoun1an irritating nuisanceUK , 1941.2a cheque.Rhyming slangUK , 1992

pain in the netnouna person who posts inflammatory attacks onInternet discussion groupsUS , 1991

pain slutnouna person who derives sexual satisfaction from cal and verbal abuseUK , 1996

physi-paintnoun1make upUK , 1660.2the inside rails of a horse racingtrackAUSTRALIA , 1965.3in card games, a face card or a tenUS , 1985.

< come round on the paintof a racehorse, to take a bend onthe insideAUSTRALIA , 1953

paintverb1to apply make upUK , 1382.2in lowball poker, to draw aface card to a hand of four low cardsUS , 1967.3in hearts, to play aheart on a non-heart trickUS , 1987.4to mark a target with laserbeams Gulf war usageUS , 1991.< paint the barnto applymakeupCANADA , 2002.< paint the busto change something’sappearance without changing its basic foundationsUS , 1974.

< paint the town redto have a raucous time on the townUS , 1884

painted ponynounin circus and carnival usage, a zebraUS , 1981

painternoun1a card cheat who marks cards for identification inanother player’s handUS , 1993.2a firefighter assigned to a hook-and-ladder truck Owing to the ladderUS , 1954

paintersnoun< have the painters in; painters are into be inthe bleed period of the menstrual cycle A euphemistic fact of life

UK , 1961

paint-strippernouncheap and nasty alcoholUK , 1999

paipseyadjectiveuglyBARBADOS , 1965

pairnoun1a pair of female breastsUS , 1957.2a pair of testicles,hence manliness or courageUS , 1985

pair of ducks; pairnounin cricket, the score of a batsman who isout for no score in each leg of a match FromDUCK(zero)UK , 2003

pair of fives; pair of nickelsnounfifty-five miles an hour, thenearly uniform road speed limit in the US in the mid-1970sUS , 1976

pair of nostrilsnouna sawn-off shotgun From the appearance ofthe gunUK , 2002

pair of pantiesnoun paragliding From the French term parapente

(paragliding)US , 1992

paisan; paisanonounan Italian-American; used as a term ofaddress that evokes a common heritage, especially ItalianUS , 1947

pajamanounthe vagina Something you slip into at bedtimeUS , 1998

pajama wagonnounin trucking, a truck cab with a manufactured sleeping compartmentUS , 1971

factory-PaknounPakistanUK , 2004

pakalolonouna variety of marijuana from HawaiiUS , 1981

pakapoo ticketnounsomething indecipherable or overlycomplicated Pakapoo is a Chinese gambling game that appears tooutsiders to be quite complicatedAUSTRALIA , 1951

PakiadjectivePakistaniUK , 1984

Paki; paki; pakki; Paknouna Pakistani; any Asian or Afro-Asianimmigrant; loosely, any native of the Indian subcontinent;Pakistan Derogatory or patronisingUK , 1964

Paki-basher; Pakki-bashernouna violent racist who, usually aspart of a group, attacks members of the Asian communityUK , 1970

Paki-bashing; Pakki-bashingnounan organised or opportunisticassaulting of Asian immigrants by gangs of white youths Politicaland racist agenda are claimed in an attempt to dignify theseattacks by thrill-seeking youths; however, it is worth noting that anaveragePAKI-BASHERis unable to draw a distinction betweentargeted races This social phenomenon seems to have originated

in London and continues, sporadically, nationwideUK , 1970

Paki poxnounsmallpox From ill-informed racist opinionUK , 1984

Pakistaner a big-breasted girl Teen slang