Dictionary of Unconventional English_14 docx

Alteration of French blanc, from vin blanc white wine; occasionally used of other alcoholic drinksAUSTRALIA, 1930.2alcohol, especially beerNEW ZEALAND, 1984.3a woman police constableUK,

piss-headnouna drunk; a habitual drinker A combination ofPISS

(alcohol) with-HEAD(a user)UK, 1961

piss-holenoun1the entrance to the urethraUS, 1996.2a urinalUK,

1959.3an unpleasant locationUK, 1973

piss-hole banditnouna homosexual man who seeks sexual contact

in a public urinalUK, 1977

piss housenouna public toiletUS, 1947

piss inverbto win or achieve something easilyNEW ZEALAND, 1998

pissingadjectiveused as an intensifier, generally denoting disapproval

UK, 1984

pissing contestnouna duel of unpleasantriesUS, 1983

pissing matchnouna dispute based on mutual negative attacks

From the graphic if vulgar image of two men urinating on each

otherUS, 1992

pissing rainnounheavy or persistent rainfallUK, 2000

piss in the handnounsomething that is very simpleNEW ZEALAND,

1984

piss itverbto succeed or achieve very easilyUK, 1982

piss-offnounan annoyance, an irritationUK, 2000

piss offverb1to depart Also used in an exclamatory or imperative

senseUK, 1958.2to irritate or annoy someone First recorded in the

normally slang-free poetry of Ezra PoundUS, 1937.3to get rid of

someoneAUSTRALIA, 1972

piss playnounsexual behaviour involving urination and urineUS,

1999

piss-pooradjectiveextremely poor or feeble Brought into general

usage from British service usage during World War 2UK, 1946

pisspot; piss-potnoun1a vessel for urine Originally conventional;

it slipped into vulgar use during the C18 whilst still being very

much a household necessityUK, 1440.2a terrible thing or placeUS,

1964.3a drunkard; a despicable person Figurative use of the sense

as ‘a chamber pot’AUSTRALIA, 1969.4a US military M-1 helmetUS,

1990

piss-proudadjectivehaving an erect penis as a result of urinal

press-ureUK, 1788

piss-takenounan act of mockery or teasingUK, 1977

piss-takeverbto mock; to tease; to deride; to ridiculeUK, 2002

piss-takernouna mocker; a person who ridicules somethingUK, 1976

piss-takingnounmockeryUK, 1967

piss-to-windwardnounan entirely inept personBARBADOS, 1965

piss tube; pee pipenouna metal tube partially buried in the

ground, into which soldiers urinate Vietnam war usageUS, 1977

piss-upnouna drinking sessionUK, 1952.< couldn’t organise a

piss-up in a breweryused of an inefficient person or

organis-ation Formed onPISS-UP(a drinking session)UK, 1984

piss up; piss up largeverbto drink beer or other alcoholic

beveragesNEW ZEALAND, 1998

piss-weakadjectivepuny and cowardlyAUSTRALIA, 1971

pisswhackernouna type of cicada which releases a liquid when

heldAUSTRALIA, 1981

piss-willienouna despicable cowardUS, 1977

pissynouna heavy drinkerAUSTRALIA, 1979

pissyadjective1unpleasant, distastefulUK, 1997.2puny; insignificant;

weakAUSTRALIA, 1985.3angered, crotchety, fussyUS, 1973.4given to

drinkingAUSTRALIA, 1979.5drunkenAUSTRALIA, 1971

pissyadverbextremelyBAHAMAS, 1982

pissy-assadjectivedirty, inconsequentialUS, 1975

pissy-eyedadjectivedrunkNEW ZEALAND, 1998

pistolnoun1the penisUS, 2002.2a hired gunmanUS, 1964.3a reliable

personUS, 1984.4a lobster that has lost one or both clawsUS, 1975.

5in electric line work, an underground cable terminatorUS, 1980

pistolanouna cigarette enhanced with freebase cocaineUS, 1979

Pistol Pete

pistorically; pistoraticallyadverbvery (drunk)BARBADOS, 1965

pitnoun1the armpitUS, 1965.2the vein at the antecubital site,opposite the elbow, commonly used for drug injectionsUS, 1964.

3Pitocin™, a drug used for inducing labourUS, 1994.

4phencyclidine, the recreational drug known as PCP or angel dust

US, 1994.5the area in a club or concert hall where dancers canslam dance An abbreviation ofMOSH PIT US , 1995.6a bedUK, 1948.

7an inside jacket pocketUS, 1958.< no pitno trouble From

‘armpit’ to ‘pit’ to ‘sweat’ to ‘trouble’US, 1968

pitverbto sweat under the armsUS, 1966

PITAused as Internet shorthand to mean ‘pain in the ass/arse’ US, 1995

pit bullnouna variety of MDMA, the recreational drug best known

as ecstasyUK, 1996

pitchnouna persuasive or exaggerated sales act or talkUK, 1876

pitchverbto play the active sexual role in a homosexual relationship

US, 1966.< pitch a stinkto complain loudlyBAHAMAS, 1982.

< pitch a tentto have an erectionUS, 2001.< pitch it strong; pitch it highto make a forceful case for somethingUK, 1837.

< pitch woo; pitch the wooto commence a courtshipUS, 1867

pitch and tossnouna boss Rhyming slangAUSTRALIA, 1945

pitchernoun1the active partner in homosexual sexUS, 1966.2adealer in a casino card gameUS, 1973

pitchholenouna deep pothole in a roadCANADA, 1962

pitch inverb1to commence work in a vigorous manner; to join inwith another, or others, doing such workUS, 1847.2to start eating;

to eat heartilyUS, 1937

pitch up; pitchverbto arriveUK, 2003

pit cupcakenounin motor racing, a female hanger-on in search ofromance with drivers or members of the pit crewUS, 1992

pit girlnouna female casino employee whose job is to providecompany and encouragement for heavy-betting gamblersUS, 1963

pit guardnounan underarm deodorantUS, 1968

pit lampverbto engage in illegal jacklighting in hunting; also, todismiss someone from employment The first meaning of thisslang term comes from the use of a lamp like a miner’s lamp

CANADA, 1966

pit roomnouna bedroomANTARCTICA, 2000

pitsnounin a hospital, the medical screening areaUS, 1978.< the pitsthe very bottom; the depths; the nadir; the worst Perhaps

from ‘armpits’ US, 1953

pit stopnoun1while driving, a stop at a restaurant, petrol station orrest area to use the lavatory and/or buy food and drink; a visit tothe toiletUS, 1968.2a short stay in prison, especially oneoccasioned by a parole violationUS, 1984.3an underarm deodorant

Pittsburgh feathersnouncoalUS, 1949

Pitt Street farmernoun(especially in New South Wales) a cityperson with a small country property, often run at a loss for taxpurposes From Pitt Street, a principle street in SydneyAUSTRALIA, 1945

pittynouna pit bull dog Formerly known as a Staffordshire Terrier

or an American Pit Bull TerrierUS, 1990

pittyadjectivemessy, dirtyUS, 1975

pity potnounused in twelve-step recovery programmes such asAlcoholics Anonymous as a name for the imaginary place wherethe addict sits feeling sorry for himselfUS, 1995

pivvynouna very small amountBARBADOS, 1965

pixnounphotographs or films An abbreviation of the pronunciation

pixienoun1a male homosexual The term was enshrined in US

popular/political culture during the McCarthy hearings in April,

1954 Joseph Welch, the lawyer for the US Army, demanded to

know the origins of a doctored photograph, asking if it had come

from a ‘pixie’, alluding to a suspected homosexual relationship

involving Roy Cohn, a member of McCarthy’s staff Senator

McCarthy asked Mr Welch to define the term, which he happily

did: "I should say, Mr Senator, that a pixie is a close relative of a

fairy"US, 1941.2a frequent user of marijuanaUK, 1983.3an

amphet-amine tabletUS, 1994.4hair that has been chemically straightened

US, 1972

pixiesnoun< away with the pixiesdaydreamingNEW ZEALAND, 1998

pixilatedadjectivewhimsical, slightly crazy; befuddled; drunkUS, 1848

pizlumnouna pig’s penisUS, 1952

pizzanoun1marijuanaUS, 1965.2a large area of grazed skin

Skateboarders’ slang; from the appearance of the woundUK, 1998

pizza cutternounin drag racing, an extremely narrow front wheel

US, 1993

pizza dudenounthe pizza delivery personUS, 1988

pizzafacenouna person with a bad case of acneUS, 1971

pizza platenounin electric line work, an insulated tool attachment

formally known as a fork suspension attachmentUS, 1980

pizzazz; pizazz; p’zazznounenergy, vim, vigour, excitementUS, 1937

PJnounan unofficial, unlicensed if not illegal, job An abbreviation of

‘private job’ TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1990

PJ’snounpyjamasUS, 1964

PKnoun preacher’s kid Used without regard to denomination or

even religion, applied even to children of rabbis; denotating a

certain bond among those who have grown up in the shadow of

organised religionUS, 2004

placanouna nickname, especially the artistic representation of the

nickname on a public wall Spanish slang used by English-speaking

Mexican-AmericansUS, 1974

placcy; placky; plakky; plaggy; plazzyadjectiveplasticUK, 1999

placenoun< you make the place untidy; you are making the

place untidyused as an ungracious or jocular invitation to be

seatedUK, 1978

placenta pokernounthe penis JocularUK, 2003

plaguenoun< the plague1the bleed period of the menstrual

cycleUK, 1961.2HIVUS, 1990

plagueverbto trouble, torment, tease, bother or annoy someone A

weakening of the conventional senseUK, 1594

plaguedadjectiveinfected with HIVUS, 1990

plaguernouna person infected with HIVUS, 1990

plain Janenoun1an unremarkably ordinary or unattractive woman

UK, 1912.2an innocent looking, performance-enhanced unmarked

motorway patrol carUS, 1992

plait your shit!used for registering dismissal, either of a notion or

a personAUSTRALIA, 1971

plamasnounflattery, exaggerationIRELAND, 1999

planeverbin the language of wind surfing, to hydroplaneUS, 1985

planetnounwhen combined with a personal characteristic or

interest, applied to a person’s narrow or exclusive focus on that

characteristic or interest A remote place that it is hard to contact

UK, 2001.< on another planetvery drug-intoxicatedUK, 1999

Planet Zognouna supremely unrealistic place; the home of

unrealistic ideas; where daydreamers go To be said to have arrived

from Planet Zog is ‘to have no idea what’s going on’UK, 2003

planknoun1a stupid person The phraseTHICK AS TWO SHORT PLANKS

(stupid) gave rise to the adjectivePLANKY(stupid), hence ‘plank’UK,

1999.2an electric guitar From the instrument’s original

construction in the late 1940s, and an insult hurled at early

Fender guitarsUK, 2000.3a heavy surfboard, especially an older

wooden oneUS, 1957.< make the plankin homosexual usage, to

take the passive position in anal sexUS, 1981.< put the plank to

no doubt, ‘stiff as a board’US, 1972.2to conceal somethingUK: SCOTLAND, 1823

plank-spankernouna guitarist FromPLANK(a guitar)UK, 1998

plank-whackernouna guitarist FromPLANK(a guitar)UK, 2001

plankyadjectivestupid FromTHICK AS TWO SHORT PLANKS UK , 1984

plantnoun1a person, such as a magician’s assistant, who has beensecretly placed in an audience, in order to assist whoever isaddressing or manipulating that crowdUS, 1926.2a policesurveillance actionUS, 1984.3a cell used for solitary confinement

US, 1976.4an electrical generatorUS, 1985.5the equipment and workanimals of a drover or other rural worker travelling through thecountrysideAUSTRALIA, 1867

plantverb1to bury a bodyUS, 1855.2to deliver a blow; to drive a ball

UK, 1808.3to station a person for use in an underhand mannerUK,

1693.4to incriminate someone suspected of a crime by hidingevidence where it is certain to be found by the appropriate auth-oritiesUK, 1865.< plant itin motor racing, to accelerate to thefullest extent possibleUS, 1965

plantationnounany small gardenCAYMAN ISLANDS, 1985

plantingnouna burialUS, 1977

plant you now, dig you laterused as a farewellUS, 1947

plaque whackernouna dental hygienistUS, 2001

plaster-casternouna groupie who makes plaster casts of celebrities’penisesUS, 1968

plasteredadjectivedrunkUS, 1912

plaster of Paris; plasternounthe backside, the buttocks Rhymingslang, extending the sequenceARIS–ARISTOTLE–BOTTLE;BOTTLE AND GLASS–ARSE UK , 1998

plasticnoun1a credit card; consumer credit in generalUS, 1979.2aperson who is liable to act in an unpredictable mannerUK, 2003.3acondomUS, 1993.< on the plasticusing stolen credit cards, etc

UK, 1977.< pull plastic(used of a prisoner) to place yourbelongings in a plastic rubbish bag when you are transferredUS, 1997

plasticadjectiveconventional; superficial; shallowUS, 1967

plastic badgenouna private security guardUS, 2001

plastic fantasticnoun1a credit card or credit card transationNEW ZEALAND, 1995.2a yacht with a fibreglass hullNEW ZEALAND, 1986

plastic fantasticadjectivewonderful If not coined, widelypopularised by Jefferson Airplane’s 1967 song, ‘Plastic FantasticLover’US, 1970

plastic gangster; plasticnouna tough guy who is not anywherenear as tough as he pretendsUK, 1996

plastic hippienouna person who assumes the outer trappings ofthe counterculture without fully immersing himself in itUS, 1967

plastic jobnouncosmetic surgeryUS, 1953

plastic moneynouna credit card or cards; consumer credit ingeneralUS, 1974

plasticsnounprison-issue plastic cutleryUK, 1996

platenoun1a plate of food brought by a guest to a party Thenotion of ‘bringing a plate’ to supplement the food laid on by thehost is an Australian social traditionAUSTRALIA, 1961.2a badgeUS,

1949.3a phonograph recordUS, 1935.< on a plate; on a platter

easily acquired; with little or no effort requiredUK, 1935

plateverb1to engage in oral sex Rhyming slang for ‘plate of ham’,

GAM(to perform oral sex)UK, 1968.2to engage in oral stimulation

of the anusUK, 2003

plate and dish

platernoun1in horse racing, a horse that competes in minor,

low-paying races From the practice of awarding a silver plate instead

of a cash prizeUS, 1923.2in horse racing, a farrierUS, 1976

plates and dishes; platesnouna wife Rhyming slang forMISSIS UK ,

1960

plates of meat; platesnounthe feet Rhyming slang, since 1857;

abbreviated to ‘plates’ since 1896UK, 1857

platsnounplatform shoesUS, 1997

platternouna phonograph recordUS, 1931

platter pushernouna radio disc jockeyUS, 1973

platters of meat; plattersnounthe feet Rhyming slang; an

elabor-ation ofPLATES OF MEATsince 1923; the abbreviation ‘platters’ since

1945UK, 1923

playnoun1sexual activityUS, 1995.2a manoeuvre; a tactical moveUS,

1982.3a legitimate scheme or a criminal venture From the

pre-vious senseUS, 2000.4the deception surrounding a confidence

swindleUS, 1940.5in horse racing, a betUS, 1994.< in playfalling

into a confidence swindleUS, 1997

playverbto work as a pimp; to hustleUS, 1977.< play ball1to have

sex Punning onBALL(to have sex) and ‘play ball’ (to cooperate

with)US, 2001.2to stop idling and start workingUS, 1977.3to

cooperate with someone else; occasionally applied to inanimate

objects such as computersUS, 1957.< play bingoto try to

determine the reason for a cash shortage by comparing orders

with receiptsUS, 1996.< play catch-upin an athletic contest, to

try to catch up and surpass an opponent that at the moment is

leadingUS, 1971.< play checkersto move from empty seat to

empty seat in a cinema, looking for a sexual partner Homosexual

usageUS, 1972.< play deadto act dumbUS, 1953.< play for the

other teamto be homosexualUS, 1997.< play handballto

smoke crack cocaine A highly euphemistic codeUS, 1993.< play

hard to getto resist amorous advances (especially while

intending to acquiesce); hence, more generally, to be reluctant to

comply with what is expectedUK, 1945.< play hookey; play

hookyto absent yourself from school or workUS, 1848.< play

inside rightto be mean with money Rhyming slang forTIGHT,

elaborated into football terminologyUK, 1998.< play it by earto

improvise as circumstances dictate As a musician picking up a

tune without sheet music to guideUK, 1984.< play it coolto

remain calm and composedUK, 1942.< play mums and dads;

play dads and mumsto have sex An adult version of a

children’s game ‘Play fathers and mothers’ is also recorded but in

the strongest current usages it seems that the female comes first

UK, 1967.< play past somethingto overcome an obstacle or

impediment to progressUS, 1972.< play silly buggersto be a

nuisance; to cause trouble or disruption; to ‘mess about’UK, 2001.

< play someone cheapto assume that someone is stupidUS,

1947.< play the blocksto idle on a street cornerBAHAMAS, 1982.

< play the chill1to act calmUS, 1920.2to snub someoneUS,

1985.< play the kerbsto sell drugs on the streetUS, 1989.< play

the queensto have sex with a passive, effeminate male prisoner

US, 1984.< play the whaleto vomitAUSTRALIA, 1971.< play them

as they layused as a wisely humorous acceptance of the need to

work with what has been given to youUS, 1992.< play too close

to take advantage of another’s good nature by excessive teasing or

abuseUS, 1992.< play took and banjoto sing or whistle a

secular tune on a Sunday or religious holidayBARBADOS, 1965.

< play up to someoneto humour someone; to flatter

someone, to take your cue from another; to behave according to

expectations Originally in theatrical useUK, 1809.< play with

yourselfto masturbate The earliest usage recorded of this sweet

little euphemism is by James JoyceIRELAND, 1922

play aroundverbto have an extra-marital amorous liaisonUS, 1943

play-awaynouna weekend at someone else’s place in the country

Upper-class society usage; predates BBC television childrens’

programme Playaway, 1984 UK, 1982

playbacknouna scheme by which the odds on a particular horse

race are engineered lower by heavy betting on that horseUS, 1963

Playboynouna tablet of MDMA, the recreational drug best known

as ecstasy .< the Playboya pubic hairstyle

play doughnounbread found in a US Army combat ration Wordplay on the inedible mix of flour, water and salt called ‘play dough’and played with by childrenUS, 1991

playedadjectiveout of moneyUS, 1984

playernoun1a person who takes pride in the number of sexualpartners they have, not in the depth of any relationship; a selfishpleasure-seekerUS, 1968.2a pimpUS, 1972.3a schemer; an import-ant figure in a fieldUS, 1995.4a drug user or drug sellerUS, 1971.

5an active member of a terrorist organisation Used by police,military and other security servicesUK, 1995.6in casino gambling, acraps playerUS, 1974.7a hip-hop artist Also variant ‘playa’US, 1995

player haternounsomeone who is envious or jealous of another’ssocial successUS, 1999

player of the pink oboenouna person who performs oral sex on aman Coined by satirist Peter Cook (1937–95) for a sketch

performed in Amnesty International’s The Secret Policeman’s Ball.

Coined for US television comedy Seinfeld, 1993–98 US, 2003

play-lunchnouna mid-morning break at primary school; also, thefood eaten during this breakAUSTRALIA, 1962

playmatesnounthe testiclesUK, 2002

play outverb1(of a DJ) to perform in public; (of a dance record) to

be included in a DJ’s repertoireUK, 2003.2to escape from mentUS, 1972

confine-play-playadjectivemake-believeBARBADOS, 1965

playtimenouna time in a prison’s schedule when the inmates areout of their cells mixing with each other From school usageUK, 1996

please; per-lease; puh-leaseused for humorously asking please orexpressing scepticism An affectation popularised in any number

of television situation comedies in the mid- to late 1980s andthereafter a staple of US popspeakUS, 1990

pleasure and painnounrain Rhyming slangUK, 1960

plebnoun1an unsophisticated or uneducated person An ation of conventional ‘plebeian’ (a lower-class person)UK, 1865.2anannoying person; a nuisance A generally derogative application ofthe sense as ‘a plebeian’UK, 1981

abbrevi-pleb; plebbie; plebbyadjectiveof a plebeian character; coarse;uneducatedUK, 1962

pleckienoun a plectrum UK: SCOTLAND, 1988

pledgesnouncashUS, 2003

plentyadverbveryUK, 1934

plenty-plentyadverbto a great extentBAHAMAS, 1982

pliernounin a confidence swindle or sales scheme, an agent whofor a commission locates potential victimsUS, 1988

pliersnouna railway ticket inspector’s punchUS, 1946

plimmienouna plimsoll (a rubber-soled canvas shoe)UK, 1994

plingnounan exclamation mark (!) on a computer keyboardUS, 1991

plingverbin circus and carnival usage, to begUS, 1981

plinknouncheap wine Variant ofPLONKwith a change of vowelinfluenced by other couplets such as ‘ding dong, ‘sing song

AUSTRALIA, 1943

plinkernounan inexpensive, simply designed gun marketed forcasual use

plod; plodder; PC Plod; Mr Plod; the plodnouna uniformed

police officer; the police Derives from Mr Plod the Policeman, a

character in the Noddy stories of Enid Blyton (1897–1968),

poss-ibly a pun on ‘plodding the beat’ or, simply, ‘to plod’ (to proceed

tediously)UK, 1977

plodditenouna police officerUK, 2003

plod shopnouna police stationUK, 1996

ploktaverbin computing, to press keys randomly in an effort to

obtain a response from the computer An acronym of ‘press lots of

keys to abort’ US, 1991

plonknoun1cheap wine Alteration of French blanc, from vin blanc

(white wine); occasionally used of other alcoholic drinksAUSTRALIA,

1930.2alcohol, especially beerNEW ZEALAND, 1984.3a woman police

constableUK, 1996.4the surreptitious wagering of a large amount of

moneyAUSTRALIA, 1981

plonkverb1to place something, especially with a lack of finesse

AUSTRALIA, 1942.2(of a male), to have sex In use among National

Servicemen in the 1950sUK, 1984.3to wager moneyAUSTRALIA, 1981

plonker; plonknoun1the penisUK, 1947.2a fool; used (often

humorously) as an everyday form of abuse Euphemistic extension

of the previous sense for name-calling asPRICK Popularised from

the early 1980s by BBC television situation comedy Only Fools and

Horses UK, 1966

plonkieadjectivefoolish; displaying the qualities of a plonkerUK, 2001

plonkonounan alcoholicAUSTRALIA, 1963

plooadjectivea ‘plus’ attached to a gradeUS, 1968

plookyadjectivepimply, spotty Extended fromPLUKE;PLOOK(a spot)

UK: SCOTLAND, 1985

plooteredadjective drunk Probably from Scottish plouter (to splash

in water)UK, 1984

plopnounexcrementUS, 1984

plopverbto fall or to drop heavilyUK, 1839

plop downverbto lay down forcefully; to lie down with abandonUS,

1986

ploppynounan unskilled gambler who describes his systems to all

around himUK, 1996

plot upverb1to establish a singular, group or gang presence in an

area and represent it as the territory of that individual, group or

gangUK, 1999.2to conceal somethingUK, 2001

plotzedadjective drunk From German plotzen (to burst) via Yiddish

plotz (to burst) US, 1962

plownounmarijuana The means by which you becomePLOWED

(drug-intoxicated)UK, 2003.< get your plow cleanedto be killed

in combatUS, 1968

plowverb(used of a male) to have sexUS, 1970.< plow the fieldto

drive off the road at a high rate of speed into a fieldUS, 1962

plowboynouna rustic; an unsophisticated person from the far

reaches of the countryside DisparagingUK, 1569

plowedadjective1drunkUS, 1974.2drug-intoxicated From the

pre-vious senseUS, 1981

plow jockeynoun1a farmerUS, 1951.2a soldier who cannot keep

cadence when marching, who appears to be walking as if behind a

plough with one foot in the furrowUS, 1946

plunounteaAUSTRALIA, 1960

plucknoun1wineUS, 1964.2the recruiting of a prostitute to work for

a pimp; a prostitute recruited to work for a pimpUS, 1973

pluckverb1to recruit a prostitute into the services of a pimpUS,

1973.2(used of a male) to have sex with a virginBAHAMAS, 1982.

< pluck the chickento swindle a victim in a phony investment

or sales schemeUS, 1988

pluckyadjectivebrave, daringUK, 1842

plugnoun1a piece of publicity, a promotional pitchUS, 1902.2a

tampon Understood to be a variation on conventional ‘plug’,

possibly from abbreviation of technical jargon ‘catamenial plug’ (a

tampon) . a bullet hole . a poker player with a

steady, competent and predictable style of playUS, 1988.5a horsethat has seen its best daysUS, 1860.6a temporary workerUS, 1997

plugverb1to support, to endorse, to promoteUS, 1927.2to shootsomeoneUS, 1870.3(of a male) to have sex with someoneUK, 1888.

4to insert contraband items into the anus during a prison visitUK,

1996.5to engage in a fist fight without any weaponsUS, 1992.6onthe railways, to use the reverse gear to help stop a trainUS, 1977.

7to tease or taunt someoneUS, 2002.< plug into help In theusage of counterculturalists associated with the Rainbow NationgatheringsUS, 1997.< plug in both ways(of a male) to bebisexual A play onAC/DC UK , 1980.< plug your mugto stoptalkingUS, 1947

plug away; plugverbto continue doing something or making aneffort, to persist doggedlyUK, 1865

plugged inadjectiveconnected to something fashionableUS, 1989

plugged nickelnounliterally, a five-cent piece that has been altered

by the insertion of a plug of base metal; figuratively, something of

plug-uglynouna violent, rough personUS, 1856

pluke; plooknouna spot, boil or other pus-filled skin blemish

Directly from Scottish dialect plook UK, 1997

plumnoun1the testicle From its shape and fruitfulness Onenotable precursor to its unambiguous sense as a testicle is in theinnuendo-laden song ‘Please Don’t Touch My Plums’ by Sammy

Cahn, 1913–93, written for the film The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox, 1976, in which it was sung in a Golden Globe-

winning performance by Goldie HawnUK, 2003.2a fool; used as ageneral term of abuse From the previous senseUK, 1982.3anexceptional person or thingAUSTRALIA, 1956.4in marketing, amarried man with above-average income who is keen to improvehis pension A specific sense of the general use of ‘plum’ as

‘something desirable’ The opposite is aLEMON UK , 1998.5in pool,the plum-coloured four-ballUS, 1990.6in pool, an easy shotUS, 1970

plumb; plumadverbabolutely; completely; utterly From the earlier,conventional sense (exactly)UK, 1587

plumbaynounthe vulva; a woman’s pubic moundTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003

plumbernoun1a urologistUS, 1961.2a male pornography performer

US, 1995.3in the Royal Air Force, an armament tradesman Still inRoyal Air Force use, 2002UK, 1942.4a golfer who is a good putter.Built on ‘drain’ in the sense of putting into the holeUS, 2000

plumbingnoun1the reproductive systemUS, 1960.2any windinstrumentUS, 1935

plumbing problemnounthe inability of a male pornographyperformer either to maintain an erection or to ejaculate ondemandUS, 1995

plum-in-the-mouthadjectiveupper-class, privilegedUK, 1926

plummernouna pickpocket Misspelling of ‘plumber’ recorded inprison use August 2002UK, 2002

plummyadjectiveused for describing an affectedly upper-classmanner of speech The original meaning was ‘rich, desirable’UK, 1926

plum pud; plum puddnoungood Rhyming slangAUSTRALIA, 1927

plumsnounno sexual contact (when the expectation of intimacy ishigh) Royal Navy slang; derives, possibly, from a ‘plum’

representing the figure 0 (hence 00 = nothing, nowhere).AlternativelyPLUM(the testicle) henceBOLLOCKS(used as a generalnegative) A ‘plums rating’ is a sailor who has little luck with theopposite sexUK, 1989

plunderphonicsnounin music, a style of sampling that alters theoriginal, usually without seeking permission from the copyrightholder A compound of ‘plunder’ (to rob) and ‘phonic’ (of sound).Coinage is credited to electronic music artist John Oswald (b.1953)

plungenoun1a surreptitious wagering of a great amount on a

high-odds horse; a large bet If bookmakers become aware that a great

deal of money is being bet on a horse, they shorten the odds

AUSTRALIA, 1895.2a large cumulative amount of money wagered on

a competitorAUSTRALIA, 1960

plungeverb1to stab someone; to kill someone by stabbingUK, 1996.

2to wager a great deal of moneyAUSTRALIA, 1877

plungernouna heavy bettorAUSTRALIA, 1895

plungeroonouna pinball enthusiastUS, 1945

plunkedadjectivepregnantNEW ZEALAND, 2002

plurryadjectivebloody The Australian Aboriginal English

pronunciation of the wordBLOODY, occasionally used in a jocular

or euphemistic way by non-AboriginalsAUSTRALIA, 1950

plurryadverbbloodyAUSTRALIA, 1988

PL-USnounlike-minded individuals Initialism contrived from

‘people like us UK, 1990s

plus-15snoun(pedestrian) overpasses connecting buildings in

Calgary, AlbertaCANADA, 2002

plushnounstuffed animalsUS, 1985

Plush familynounused as a humorous personification of empty

seats in a theatreUK, 1052

plush outverbto completely refurbish a car’s upholstery and

interiorUS, 1993

plus-minusadverbapproximately, about As the mathematical

for-mula represented by the symbol ±SOUTH AFRICA, 1970

Pluto pupnouna deep-fried battered saveloy on a stickAUSTRALIA, 1986

Pluto waternouna natural mineral water that acts as a strong

laxativeUS, 1972

plutyadjectivewealthy; upscale An abbreviation of ‘plutocratic’NEW

ZEALAND, 1984

Plymouth Argyllnouna file (a tool) Rhyming slang, formed on the

name of a football clubUK, 1992

PMnoun1a post mortem examination of a corpse US, 1989.2in

horse racing, the odds listed before a race Also known as the ‘PM

line’US, 1955

PMJIused as Internet discussion group shorthand to mean ‘pardon

my jumping in’ US, 1997

PMSnounsomething or someone irritating or unpleasant Ascribing

the stereotypical symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome US, 2001

PMSverb (of a woman) to feel the emotions associated with

pre-menstrual syndrome; thus to feel angry, irritable, irrational,

anxious, etc PMS is the recognised abbreviation for ‘pre-menstrual

syndrome’US, 1990

pneumonia holenouna car windowUS, 1973

pneumonia sedannouna truck with no window glass or being

driven with the windows down in cold weatherUS, 1971

ponoun1a chamber pot From the pronunciation of ‘pot’ in French

pot de chambre Survives, mainly, through the efforts of the

antique tradeUK, 1880.2in pool, position A horrid contraction, but

one that is in actual useUS, 1993.3a promiscuous girl, one who will

‘put out’ US, 1963

POnoun a probation officer or parole officer US, 1966

po’ boynouna public assistance chequeUS, 1971

pocautionnouncontraceptionBAHAMAS, 1982

poc docnouna short television documentary An abbreviation of

‘pocket documentary’ CANADA, 1995

pocketnoun< in pocketin possession of drugs to be soldUS, 1989.

< in the pocketin poker, dealt face-downUS, 1990.< in your

pocketof someone else, under your control or directionUK, 1851.

< out of pocketout of line; inappropriateUS, 1972

pocketverb< pocket the redto put the penis in the vagina A

pun from the game of billiards Snooker offers a wider choice of

puns with and

pocket billiardsnounthe manipulation of your testicles formasturbation or comfort, performed by your hand hidden in yourtrouser pocket Often in the phrase ‘play pocket billiards’UK, 1940

pocket changenouna small amount of drugs when that is all that

is left From private correspondence with rock musiciansUK, 2001

pocket clubnouna police truncheonUS, 1962

pocket enginenouna large pocket watchTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1939

pocket mannounin a functionally compartmentalised criminalenterprise, the person who holds the cashUS, 1987

pocket pistolnouna roasted cob of cornBARBADOS, 1965

pocket polenounthe penis Plays on branded Pocket Pals™, a range

of collectible ‘whimsies’US, 2001

pocket poolnounused of a man, self-stimulation or masturbationwhile clothed Word play based on ball play; the title of a song byKiller Pussy on the ‘Valley Girl’ soundtrackUS, 1960

pocket rocketnoun1the 1973–74 Oldsmobile Cutlass, the firstsmall car from OldsmobileUS, 1992.2any small, fast, imported car

US, 1994.3an improvised syringe filled with a drug and ready forinjectionUS, 1989.4marijuanaUK, 1998

poco locoadjective crazy; eccentric Directly from Spanish poco (little) and loco (mad) UK, 2003

podnoun1marijuanaUS, 1952.2a marijuana cigaretteCANADA, 1958.

3the headUS, 1960.4an orthopaedistUS, 1994.5the tail of asurfboardCANADA, 1977

PO’dadjective angry; pissed off US, 1957

poddleverbin bowling, to roll the ball into the gutterUS, 1962

poddynoun1a user of an iPod™ branded digital music player; oftenused as a nickname for an iPodUK, 2004.2a young, unbranded calf

From British dialect poddy (obese) AUSTRALIA, 1872

poddyverbto handfeed a young calf, lamb or foalAUSTRALIA, 1960

poddy-dodgeverbto steal unbranded cattleAUSTRALIA, 1919

poddy-dodgernouna person who steals unbranded cattleAUSTRALIA, 1919

poddy-dodgingadjectivethe theft of unbranded cattleAUSTRALIA, 1919

podgenouna short and fat person; fatness From conventional

podgyadjectivefatUK, 1846

podnernounused as a jocular term of address Approximating aWestern drawl of ‘partner’US, 1986

podsnounthe female breastsUS, 1968

Podunknounany remote, small townUS, 1977

podunkadjectiveworthless, remoteUS, 1968

poegaaiadjectiveexhausted; drunkSOUTH AFRICA, 1942

poepnouna fart; faeces; hence, contemptuously, of a personSOUTH AFRICA, 1969

poepverbto fart From Afrikaans into impolite South African English

SOUTH AFRICA, 1983

poepadjectivebad, unpleasant From the noun sense as ‘faeces’

SOUTH AFRICA, 1970

poeticaladjectivedrunkUK, 2001

poets’ daynounFriday, especially when used as an excuse to finish

work early on a Friday An acronym for ‘piss off early – tomorrow’s Saturday’ or ‘push off early – tomorrow’s Saturday’ UK, 1984

po-facedadjectivehaving an impassive expression Influenced by

POKER FACE, but most likely to derive fromPO(a chamber pot) or

‘poh!’ (an old exclamation of rejection)UK, 1934

pogeynoun1a male homosexual who prefers the passive role inanal sex . unemployment insurance or welfare

pogey baitnounany food with high calorific, low nutritional

content In prison, sweets, cigarettes or other inducements given

to men willing to play the passive role in anal sexUS, 1950

poggledadjectiveof a car, having had crash damage repaired A car

dealers’ termUK, 1968

pogglernoun1a purse; a walletUK, 1977.2a motor vehicle that has

had crash-damage repaired A car dealers’ termUK, 1977

pogonoun1a form of dancing (essentially wildly jumping up and

down on the spot) associated with punk rock musicUK, 1978.2a

contemptible person In army use, a member of the

administrative personnel, anyone not in the arms corps From

POGO STICK, rhyming slang forPRICKbut influenced by imagery of

aimlessly bouncing around as one does on a pogo-stickAUSTRALIA,

1972

pogo-pogonouncocaineUS, 1970

pogo sticknoun1the penis Rhyming slang forDICKorPRICK,

influenced by apt imageryUK, 2003.2a Chinese rocket launcher,

used in Vietnam by the Viet CongUS, 1966.3in electric line work,

any telescoping insulated line toolUS, 1980.4in poker, a player with

wildly fluctuating play and successUS, 1996

poguenoun1a homosexual male who plays the passive role during

anal sex, especially if young Deriving perhaps from Irish Gaelic

pogue (to kiss) US, 1941.2a member of the armed forces assigned

to the rear echelon, safely away from combat; a soldier newly

arrived in combat Seemingly unconnected to the C19 sense as

‘purse’ with ‘pogue-hunter’ as ‘pickpocket’US, 1975

pogynouna jail or prisonUS, 1970

poindexternouna serious studentUS, 1981

pointnoun1a hypodermic needle and syringeUS, 1961.2a pen; a

pencil Gay slangUK, 1971.3a percentage pointUS, 1981.4a man

who ensures that order reigns at a brothelUS, 1987

pointverb< point Dennis at the Doulton(of a male) to urinate

Doulton is a manufacturer of chinaAUSTRALIA, 1971.< point Percy

(of a male) to urinate A familiar shortening ofPOINT PERCY AT THE

PORCELAIN AUSTRALIA , 1971.< point Percy at the porcelain(of a

male) to urinate Conventionally ‘pointPERCY(the penis) at

porcelain (the china of a lavatory) Popularised in the UK in the

late 1960s and early 70s via a Private Eye magazine cartoon strip

and two films featuring Barry Mackenzie, anOCKER(a loutish

Australian) created by Barry Humphries (b.1934) Coincidentally,

the famously Australian Mr Humphries appeared in a 1974 film

called Percy’s Progress, about a man who had a penis transplant.

All of which lends credence to the unproven assertion that this

phrase is an Australian coinageAUSTRALIA, 1968.< point the bone

to point blame at someone; to accuse someone Figuratively

recalling the Australian Aboriginal ritual practice of pointing a

bone at a person in order to wish death upon themAUSTRALIA, 1943.

< point the fingerto testify on behalf of the prosecutionNEW

ZEALAND, 1982.< point the finger atto identify someone or

something as having a specific responsibilityUK, 1833

pointernoun1a criminally inclined youth, especially a youth gang

memberUS, 1963.2a large facial blemishUS, 1976

pointersnounfemale breasts with prominent pointed nipplesUS, 1983

point-fivenouna homosexualFIJI, 1995

point-outnouna member of a confidence swindle who introduces

the intended victim to someone whom he identifies as a former

acquaintance with good connections, who then lures the victim

further into the swindleUS, 1997

pointy-headnounan intellectual DerogatoryUS, 2000

pointy-head; pointy-headedadjectiveintellectual, if at the expense

of common sense DerogatoryUS, 1972

Poirotnouna Belgian police officer After Hercule Poirot, Agatha

Christie’s famous fictional detectiveUK, 2002

poisonnoun1a narcotic or an alcoholic drink, especially a person’s

favourite Used in a jocular toneUS, 1805.2narcotics, especially

heroinUS, 1984

poisonernouna cook to a group of rural workers, especially shearers

poison shopnouna pharmacyUS, 1988

pokenoun1a wallet or purseUS, 1859.2money; a roll of moneyUS,

1926.3the stomachUS, 1975.4power, especially horsepowerUK, 1965.

5a punch; a hard hitting verbal thrust Both uses derive from theconventional sense (a thrust, a push)UK, 1788.6an inhalation ofmarijuana or opium smokeUS, 1955.7marijuana From ‘pokeweed’,

Phytolacca americana, a strong smelling shrub native to North

AmericaUK, 2001.8a woman sexually objectifiedUK, 1937.9a poorperson who attempts through demeaning behaviour to beaccepted by upper-class peopleBAHAMAS, 1982

pokeverb1(from a man’s point of view) to have sex with a woman

UK, 1868.2used as an emphatic rejection Synonymous withSTUFF

orFUCK IT!UK, 2003.3to smoke marijuanaUS, 1982.4to inject a drug

UK, 2003.< poke borakto make fun of someone or something;

to deride someone or something; to ridicule someone orsomething Contextually in this phrase ‘borak’ means ‘rubbish;nonsense’ It has its origins in the Australian Aboriginal languageWathawurung where it expressed negationAUSTRALIA, 1873.< poke mullock atto deride someone; to make fun of someone

AUSTRALIA, 1916.< poke squid(of a male) to have sexUS, 1982

pokedadjectiveexhaustedNEW ZEALAND, 1978

pokeenounthe vagina Children’s vocabularyTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1974

pokernoun1the erect penisUS, 1969.2in fencing, any weapon with astiff, heavy blade A derisory term, from the similarity to a conven-tional pokerUK, 1988

pokerarsenounsomeone who is not relaxed or easy goingIRELAND, 1992

poker facenouna blank expression that gives nothing awayUS, 1885

poker voicenounan even speaking tone that does not reveal anyunderlying emotionUS, 1986

pokeynouna jailUS, 1919

pokeyadjective1of an enclosed space, small and dark; inadequate

UK, 1849.2dawdling, slow FromSLOWPOKE US , 1991

pokienounan electronic poker machineNEW ZEALAND, 2002

polnouna politicianUS, 1942

Polack; Polaknouna Polish immigrant or a Polish-American.DisparagingUS, 1898

Polack; PolakadjectivePolishUS, 1964

Polack fiddlenouna bucksaw, a one-man tool Because of the skillattributed to Polish loggers in handling a bucksawUS, 1975

Poland-and-Chinanouna black and white police carUS, 1962

polari; palare; parlarenouna slang vocabulary used by theatricalsand homosexuals Variants include: ‘polare’ and ‘parlaree’

Probably from Italian parlare (to talk) This ‘language’ itself derives

in great part from Italian and Romany roots, incorporating backslang, Cockney rhyming slang and Yiddish among its influences.The earliest form, known as ‘parleyaree’, was used by C17 actorswho, as a despised section of society, needed a discreet means ofcommunication; as theatricals achieved a degree of respectability

so the use of the language changed and polari emerged By thelate 1930s the tolerance of theatre-life had attracted many homo-sexuals who, as a despised section of society, needed a discreetmeans of communicationUK, 1966

polari; palare; parlareverbto talk, especially to talk in polariUK, 1997

polari lobenounthe earUK, 2002

polari pipenouna telephoneUK, 2002

Polaroidnouna police radar unit used for measuring vehicles’ speed

US, 1976

polenoun1the penisUK, 1972.2an aircraft’s control columnUK, 1981.

3in planespotting, a telescopeUK, 2003.< up the pole1pregnant

IRELAND, 1922.2in a bad way; at a disadvantageAUSTRALIA, 1906.

poleaxeverbto shock someone into helplessness; to stupify

someone From the antique weapon that combines an axe and a

hammerUK, 2003

poleaxedadjectivedrunk From the sense ‘to render helpless; to

stupify’UK, 2002

pole buddynounin electric line work, a transformer ginUS, 1980

polecatnoun1a police car From the animal’s black and white fur

US, 1976.2in the television and film industries, a lamp supportUS,

1990

poleclimbersnounheavy work boots with steel-reinforced toes and

archesUS, 1995

poledadnounan annoying, new-to-the-sport skateboarderUS, 1964

pole dancenouna sexual dance performed with a vertical pole as a

main propUS, 2000

pole daynounin motor racing, the first day of qualifying heats

when the pole position is decidedUS, 1973

pole hognounin Canadian military aviation, a pilot who tries to

keep his hand on the control columnCANADA, 1995

pole in the holenicknamethe Spire monument in O’Connell Street,

DublinIRELAND, 2003

pole jockeynouna telephone or power linemanUS, 1960

pole orchardnounthe half-acre of utility poles at the Fort Gordon,

Georgia Signal Corps School where linemen are given climbing

instructionUS, 1968

polesnountrousers Vietnam war slangUS, 1991

pole worknounutilisation of a pole by a dancer in a sex clubUS, 2001

poley; polynouna hornless cow or bullAUSTRALIA, 1843

poleyadjective1of a beast, hornless From British dialect poly, polly,

poll, variant of polled (de-horned) AUSTRALIA, 1843.2of a container,

missing a handleAUSTRALIA, 1901

polgarizeverbduring the Vietnam war, to give unrealistic and

optimistic reports of the US progress in the war Named after

Thomas Polgar, CIA station chief in Saigon in the early 1970sUS,

1990

po-licenounthe police By stressing the first syllable, the

conven-tional term becomes unconvenconven-tionalUS, 1970

police discountnouna great, if not complete, reduction in the price

of goods or services provided to police in their area of dutyUS, 1975

policemannounin horse racing, a horse entered in a claiming race

solely for the purpose of permitting the owner to claim another

horse in the raceUS, 1951

policeman lesionnounin an x-ray, a lesion that is unmissable

Medical wit; the lesion must be so obvious that a policeman

would spot itUK, 2002

policeman’s helmetnounthe glans of the erect penis From a

similarity in shape to the traditional headwear of the British

constableUK, 1961

police pimpnounan informer to the policeAUSTRALIA, 1956

police psychologynounbrute physical forceUS, 1973

policynounan illegal lottery Better known as theNUMBERSracketUS,

1843

policy bankernounthe operator of an illegal numbers racket or

lotteryUS, 1975

polio weednounextremely potent marijuana Marijuana so strong

as to reduce the user to a ‘polio-like’ conditionUS, 1982

polisnounthe police; a police officer Mainly Scottish and Irish use

UK, 1878

poli scinounpolitical science College shorthandUS, 1971

polishnounoral sex performed on a manNEW ZEALAND, 1998

polishverb< polish the mugto wash your faceUS, 1962

polish and gloss; polishverb(of a male) to masturbate Rhyming

slang forTOSS UK , 1992

polishernounan alcoholic who drinks metal polishUK, 1966

Polish jew a firecracker

Polish martininouna shot of whisky and a glass of beerUS, 1982

Polish matched luggagenountwo shopping bags from Goldblatt’s,

a low-end Chicago department store chainUS, 1982

polish offverbto defeat someone; to finish or get rid of something;

to eat something without leaving anything (especially with gusto)

political holy waternounalcoholCANADA, 1999

politiciannounin prison, a trusted prisoner given responsibilitiesand liberties exceeding those of normal prisonersUS, 1946

politico; politickonouna politican either ambitious orunscrupulous, or both From the Italian or SpanishUK, 1893

pollakaunnouna hoard of money; savingsIRELAND, 2000

Pollard’s cellarnouna notional representation of homelessness

BARBADOS, 1965

pollaticadjectivedrunkUK, 2002

pollienouna politicianAUSTRALIA, 1967

pollutantnounamphetamine; MDMA, the recreational drug bestknown as ecstasy It makes youPOLLUTED(intoxicated)UK, 2003

pollutedadjective1drunkUS, 1976.2warped, perverseUS, 1988

pollynouna politicianUS, 1974

Polly Flindernoun1a window Rhyming slang, noted as a ‘shiner’s(window cleaner’s) term’UK, 1961.2a cinder, especially when used

to describe over-cooked food Rhyming slang, formed from thenursery rhyme character Polly FlindersUK, 1992

polly parrotnouna carrot Rhyming slangUK, 1992

polonouna mixture of heroin and a motion-sickness drug From the

middle syllables in ‘scopolamine’ UK, 2002

polo mintnoun1without money Rhyming slang forSKINT, based onthe famous ‘mint with the hole’UK, 2002.2a girlfriend; a youngwoman Rhyming slang forBINT Also based on the branded mintsweetUK, 2003.3a traffic roundabout Citizens’ band radio slang,from the similarity of shape with Polo™ branded peppermintsUK, 1981

polone; pollone; polony; polonee;nouna woman; a girl; aneffeminate man Polari Also variants with an ‘a’ to include

‘palone’, ‘paloney’ and ‘palogne’UK, 1934

Polskinouna Polish immigrant or Polish-AmericanUS, 1997

polvonoun1phencyclidine, the recreational drug known as PCP orangel dustUS, 2001.2powdered drugs; heroin; cocaine Directly

from Spanish polvo (powder):POWDER(heroin) Also variant

‘polvito’UK, 1980

polvo blanconouncocaine From Spanish for ‘white powder’UK, 1998

polynoun1a person who loves and has sex with multiple partners

An abbreviation of ‘polyamorous’ US, 2000.2a polytechnic UK, 2002.

3marijuana of a supposedly Polynesian origin UK, 1997.4a

surfboard manufactured with polyurethane US, 1963 8see:POLEY

polyster queennouna girl or woman with no fashion senseUS, 1985

Pom; pomnounan English person, or more loosely, a person fromBritain Shortening ofPOMMY AUSTRALIA , 1912

Pom; pomadjectiveEnglish, or more loosely, BritishAUSTRALIA, 1960

PomlandnicknameEnglandAUSTRALIA, 1984

Pommifiedadjectivehaving taken on an English characterAUSTRALIA, 1936

Pommy; Pommienounan English person, or more loosely, a personfrom Britain Originally used of English immigrants to Australia, it

is a shortening of the now obsolete ‘Pomegranate’, rhyming slangfor ‘immigrant’ The rhyming slang term and the shortenedvariants ‘Pom’ and ‘Pommy’ all appear in the lexical record at the

rhyming pronunciation Although this word carries a definite

nega-tive connotation, it also can be used as a term of affectionate

abuse (seePOMMY BASTARDandWHINGEING POM) The suggestion

that Pommy is actually a respelling of P O.M.E., standing for the

reputed term Prisoner Of Mother England, or P O.H.M.I.E,

standing for Prisoner Of Her Majesty In Exile, and other variations

on this theme, are implausible on phonetic grounds and are in

themselves anachronistic as acronyms were not a common feature

of English in the early part of C20AUSTRALIA, 1912

Pommy; PommieadjectiveEnglish, or more loosely, BritishAUSTRALIA,

1915

Pommy bastardnounan English person (stereotypically viewed as

noisome to the Australian)AUSTRALIA, 1951

pommy cocknounan uncircumcised penisAUSTRALIA, 1985

PommylandnicknameEngland or the British IslesAUSTRALIA, 1915

po-mo; postienoun a postmodernist philosopher UK, 2003

pomosexualnouna person who will not be defined by his or her

sexuality A contrived play on ‘post-modern’ and ‘homosexual’.

‘Pomosexuality’ is first recorded in 1995US, 1997

pom-pomnounsex Used by US soldiers in Japan and the Phillipines

US, 1947

poncenoun1a pimpUK, 1872.2a despised or unpleasant personUK,

1953.3an effeminate maleAUSTRALIA, 1971

ponceverb1to obtain something by poncing, usually moneyUK,

1938.2to live on the earnings of another’s prostitution; to act as a

pimp (a prostitute’s manager)UK, 1932.3to scrounge; to sponge A

general sense of acquiring something for nothing extended from

the previous senseUK, 1915.< go out poncing(of the police) to

search for pimpsUK, 1996.< ponce off; ponce onto live on the

earnings of another’s prostitution, but not taking any active part in

the tradeUK, 1936

ponce about; ponce aroundverb1to behave in an exaggeratedly

camp mannerAUSTRALIA, 1978.2to act the fool; to show offUK, 1996

ponce upverbto dress up smartly; to decorate something Originally

militaryUK, 1965

ponceyadjective1affectedly stylishUK, 1964.2blatantly, affectedly

homosexualNEW ZEALAND, 1984

Ponchonicknamea Pontiac carUS, 1965

poncifiedadjectiveaffectedly stylish; effeminate FromPONCE UK , 2001

pondnoun< the ponda sea, especially the Atlantic Ocean An

ironic understatement of the distance between the UK and the

US, shortened from earlier ‘great pond’ which it replacesUK, 1780

pond lifenounan unintelligent person or peopleUK, 1998

pond scumnouna person with no redeeming featuresUS, 1997

ponenounin a card game, the player immediately to the right of

the dealerUK, 1901

pongnounan unpleasant smellAUSTRALIA, 1919

pongverb1to stinkUK, 1927.2in the theatre, to substitute lines when

the correct lines are forgottenUK, 1952

ponganounthe vaginaBAHAMAS, 1982

Pongo; Percy Pongo; Percenouna member of the British Army

The Royal Navy perpetuate the wicked myth that this derives from

PONG(a smell) suggesting that soldiers smell and sailors don’t

‘Percy’ appears to be merely alliterativeUK, 1987

Pongo PetenicknameGeneral Sir Peter de la Billiere (b.1934),

commander of British armoured forces during the Gulf warUK, 1991

pongyadjectivesmellyUK, 1936

poniesnoun1horse races held for poniesAUSTRALIA, 1950.

2horsepowerUS, 1993.< push poniesto work as a pimpUS, 1987.

< the ponieshorse racingUK, 1961

Ponsford oddsnounin horse racing, odds of 100–1 or greater An

allusion to Bill Ponsford, a high scoring cricket legendAUSTRALIA, 1989

pontverbin the harsh climate of Antarctica, to pose for a

photo-graph, especially in an uncomfortable position Eponym from

Herbert George Ponting, photographer on Scott’s 1910–13

PONTI; pontinoun in military terms, a person of no tactical

import-ance An acronymUK, 2002

pontoonnouna period of twenty-one months’ imprisonment; alsotwenty-one years in prison or in military service From the cardgame ‘pontoon’ in which the winning hand scores twenty-oneUK, 1950

PontynicknamePontypridd, Pontypool, Pontefract in West Yorkshire,

or any town so constructed From Welsh pont y (bridge of ) UK: WALES, 1937

ponynoun1twenty-five poundsUK, 1797.2in betting, odds of 25–1.Adapted from the previous senseUK, 1991.3a racehorse Usedespecially in the phrase ‘play the ponies’US, 1907.4a chorus girl ordancer, especially a small oneUK, 1908.5a female who movesquickly from sexual relationship to sexual relationship,manipulating and using her partnersUS, 1999.6crack cocaineUS,

1994.7a Pontiac carUS, 1967.8in Western Australia, a small glass ofbeer Now generally 5 fluid ounces, though formerly 4 , or even 2fluid ounces ObsolescentAUSTRALIA, 1895.9dried nose mucus

BAHAMAS, 1982.10a literal, line-by-line translation of a work in aforeign (usually classical) languageUS, 1827

ponyverbin horse racing, to send a stable pony out with aracehorse to limber upUS, 1947

pony and trap; ponynounan act of defecation; hence excreta;rubbish, nonsense Rhyming slang forCRAP(excrement); it cansubstitute for any sense of ‘crap’UK, 1960

pony and trap; ponyverbto defecate Rhyming slang forCRAP;usually reduced to ‘pony’UK, 1984

pony and trap; ponyadjectiverubbishy, trashy, valueless Rhymingslang forCRAP UK , 1979

pony peckernounsausage; unidentified pressed meatUS, 1968

ponyplaynounan animal transformation sexual fetish, in which thedominants train, ride and groom people who dress and act likeponiesUS, 2000

pony upverbto contribute your share of a bet or collectionUS, 1979

poonoun1faeces, excrement; the act of defecation Childish orjocular Many variant forms, including ‘pooh’, ‘poo poo’ and ‘poohpooh’UK, 1960.2the buttocks; the anusBAHAMAS, 1982.< in the pooin trouble Euphemistic forIN THE SHIT AUSTRALIA , 1961

poo; poohverbto defecateUK, 1963

-poo; -poossuffixused for creating an informal elaboration of aperson’s nameUK, 2000

poo and spew syndromenounamoebic dysentery or similarcomplaintAUSTRALIA, 1988

poo buttnouna coward Black street gang terminologyUS, 1995

poochnoun1a dog Also used as a term of address for an unknowndogUS, 1924.2the buttocksBARBADOS, 1965

Poochnouna Porsche carUS, 1965

poochinounthe vagina Sounds more like a dog – (aPOOCH) – thanthe traditionalPUSSY(the vagina); probably a play on Poochi™, anelectronic toy dog promoted with such phrases as: ‘The more youplay with me the happier I will be!’ and ‘Feed me my special dogbone whenever I get hungry’US, 1998

pooch outverbto purse your lipsUS, 1989

poodle; pootleverbto travel or move forward without urgencyUK, 1999

poofadjectiveof a male homosexualAUSTRALIA, 1992

poof; pouf; pouffnouna male homosexual In origin probably

connected with French slang poufiasser, which Barrère (Argot and Slang ,1889) defines as a person ‘of either sex whose fondness for

the opposite sex leads them into a life of questionabledescription’, that is, presumably, a life of prostitution including

homosexual prostitution, and pouffiace or pouffiasse ‘a low

prostitute’AUSTRALIA, 1833

poof-juicenounafter-shave lotion, eau-de-cologne for menUK, 1997

poofsternouna homosexual man; an effeminate man Variation of

poofteenthnouna very small amount; an umpteenthAUSTRALIA, 1996

poofternoun1a homosexual male Variants include ‘pooftah’ and

‘poofdah’AUSTRALIA, 1903.2an effeminate looking man, not

necess-arily homosexual Also variant ‘poofta’AUSTRALIA, 1903.3a

contemptible person Used as a general term of abuseAUSTRALIA,

1986.4a braggartNEW ZEALAND, 1990

poofteradjective1(of a male) homosexualAUSTRALIA, 1964.2befitting

or suitable for an effeminate homosexual manAUSTRALIA, 1984

poofter bashverbto beat up a male homosexualAUSTRALIA, 1983

poofter bashernouna man, usually as part of a group, who beats

up homosexual menAUSTRALIA, 1974

poofter bashing; poofter-bashingnounthe practice of physically

assaulting male homosexualsAUSTRALIA, 1978

poofterismnounmale homosexualityAUSTRALIA, 1971

poofter rorternoun1in a men’s prison, a prisoner who induces

another inmate into homosexual relationsAUSTRALIA, 1945.2a

person who entices a male homosexual, especially a prostitute, to

a secluded place and then robs themAUSTRALIA, 1938

poofyadjectiveovertly homosexual Also variant ‘poufy’AUSTRALIA, 1962

poohnounan act of defecation Children’s vocabularyNEW ZEALAND,

1984

pooh bahnounan important person The name of a character in

the Gilbert and Sullivan light opera The Mikado UK, 1888

pooh-bumnouna female fan of a rock band who is willing to have

sex with band membersUK, 1985

pooh-buttnouna despicable personUS, 1994

pooh-poohverbto belittle someone or something; to dismiss

someone or something as inconsequentialUK, 1827

poo-jabbernoun1a male homosexualAUSTRALIA, 1994.2a

contemptible person Used as a mild insult, especially amongst

childrenAUSTRALIA, 1996

pookernoun a signpost English gypsy use from Romany pûkinger (to

tell)UK, 2000

pookey; pookienounused as a term of contemptIRELAND, 1989

pookinounthe vaginaUS, 1998

pookynounmarijuanaUS, 2001

poolnounin horse racing, the total amount bet in the win, place

and show bets for a raceUS, 1947

Poolnoun< the PoolLiverpoolUK, 1962

pooleynounurineIRELAND, 1995

poolhall cowboynouna pool player who has perfected a reckless

mannerUS, 1976

pool harpynouna pool player who plays for money, relying on a

combination of skill and deceptive behaviourUS, 1966

pool sharknounan expert pool player who makes a living by

feigning a lack of expertise and convincing strangers to play

against himUS, 1908

poomverbto fartTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1992

poomanouna delapidated carBARBADOS, 1965

poom bagnounlarge buttocksTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1987

poompnounto fartBAHAMAS, 1982

poonnoun1the vagina; a woman; a woman as a sex object; sex

with a woman A shortened form ofPOONTANG US , 1957.2a fool; a

contemptible person Used as a mild insultAUSTRALIA, 1940

pooncenounan effeminate maleAUSTRALIA, 1941

poonera male with sexual experience and apparent expertiseUS,

1968

poon lightnounin the pornography industry, a light used to

illuminate the genitals of the performersUS, 1995

poontangnounthe vagina; sex; a woman regarded as a sexual

object Suggestions that the term comes from an American Indian

language, Chinese, Bantu, Peruvian or a Filipinio dialect

notwithstanding, it almost certainly comes from the French putain

poon upverbto dress in a flashy manner in order to impress

AUSTRALIA, 1972

poonynounthe vagina; women as sexual objects A variation of

PUNANI UK , 1994

poopnoun1information, news Probably from the sense as

‘nonsense’ (SHIT)US, 1942.2the buttocksBAHAMAS, 1982.3faeces; anact of defecation Children’s toilet vocabularyUS, 1948.4rubbish,nonsenseUK, 2003.5a pledge to a college fraternityUS, 1955.< in the poopin troubleAUSTRALIA, 1971

poopverb1to defecateUK, 1927.2in poker, to raise a betUS, 1951

poopadoopnounthe rectumUS, 1977

poop-buttnouna lazy personUS, 1972

poop chute; poop shute; poop shooternounthe rectum andanusUS, 1970

poopedadjectiveexhaustedUS, 1932

poopelunounthe vaginaUS, 1998

poopernounthe rectum and anus FromPOOP(excrement)US, 1997

pooper-scoopernounan implement for gathering canineexcrement, designed to meet the social responsibilities or legalrequirements placed upon dog owners CombinesPOOP(faeces)with a conventional tool Also shortened forms ‘pooper-scoop’ and

‘poop-scoop’US, 1972

poop filenouna collection of (school, college, university) ations given in the pastUS, 1976

examin-poopheadnouna boring, conventional personUS, 1955

poopinounthe vaginaUS, 1998

poo-poo headnounan objectionable person A variation of

SHITHEAD, perhaps more insulting by the use of childish, ‘poo-poo’,(excrement)US, 1995

poop-poopnouna slow motorboatBAHAMAS, 1982

poop pushernouna male homosexualUK, 1983

poopsverbto fartTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1987

poop sheetnouna bulletin or other document containing news andinformationUS, 1964

poopyadjective1filthy with excrement FromPOOP(faeces)US, 2003.

2bad, awful; of poor quality A euphemistic synonym forSHITTY US ,

2002.3in a bad mood A euphemistic form ofSHITTY US , 1990.

4afraidSOUTH AFRICA, 1963

poopy suitnounin the Canadian military, any bulky official garment

CANADA, 1995

pooradjectivecruel, heartless; lacking good tasteUS, 2003

poor-assadjectivewretched, unimportantUS, 1998

poorboynouna small bottle of alcoholUS, 1952

poor-donkeynouna sandal of plaited rope or one cut from a piece

of tyre or woodBARBADOS, 1996

poor-greatadjectivefoolishly pompousGUYANA, 1996

poor-man blanketnounthe sunBAHAMAS, 1982

poor man’sadjectivedescribes the lesser status or inferior quality ofsomeone by comparison and reference to the greater name withwhich it is combined Only colloquial when applied to peopleUK, 1984

poor man’s roulettenounthe game of crapsUS, 1953

poor man’s velvetnouna drink of mixed stout and cider An omic variation ofBLACK VELVET(stout and champagne);

econ-remembered from the 1970s, notwithstanding the drink’samnesiac effectsUK, 2001

poor man’s weather glassnounseaweed, especially kelpCANADA, 1974

poor pearlnounan unpopular girlUS, 1960

poor-rakeynounthin, gauntBARBADOS, 1965

pootnoun1faeces Children’s vocabulary; a variation of poopUS,

1981.2anything which is considered to be contemptibleUS, 1989.3avery small thing; anything at all Usually heard in the negative, as

pootverb1to defecateUS, 1945.2to fartUS, 1972.3(used of a hospital

patient) to become suddenly more ill, especially without hope of

reversing the courseUS, 1989

poot-buttnouna lazy foolUS, 1972

pootenanny; pootiesnounthe female buttocks Probably derived

from JamaicanPUNANI(the vagina)US, 1997

pootienounthe vaginaUS, 1999

pootleverb 8see:POODLE

poov; poovenounfood, especially grass for grazing Circus and

English gypsy useUK, 1933

poov; pooveverb< poov the gry; poov the greyto graze a

horse, especially without permission from the land’s owner

English gypsy use; a combination ofPOOV(grass) – thus ‘pooving’

(grazing) – andGRY(a horse)UK, 1968

poove; pouvenouna homosexual Variations ofPOOF UK , 1967

poozenounthe vaginaUS, 1975

poozlenouna scavenged objectNEW ZEALAND, 1971

poozleverbto strip fixtures from buildings scheduled for demolition

NEW ZEALAND, 1984

popnoun1an instance or occurrenceUS, 1868.2an attempt, a tryUK,

1929.3an arrestUS, 1972.4an attack Combination and variation of

the senses ‘attempt’ and ‘go’UK, 2001.5an ejaculationUS, 1986.

6one event of sexual intercourseUS, 1982.7in prison, an escape

attemptUK, 1996.8a father, especially as a term of addressUS, 1838.

9the ‘masculine’ or ‘active’ member of a lesbian relationshipUS,

1957.10a musical genre, characterised as trivial and without

serious artistic intent Originally widely used to cover the opposite

of ‘classical music’, now denotes just a particular type of popular

music: carefully crafted, packaged or manufactured for

mass-market appealUS, 1935.11any non-alcoholic sparkling drink From

the sound of a bottle being openedUK, 1812.12champagneUK, 2000.

13a drink, usually at a barUS, 1977.14cough syrup containing

codeineUS, 1970.15an injection of a drugUS, 1952.16a strong crowd

reaction Professional wrestling usageUS, 2000 8see:POP GOES THE

WEASEL.< go off popto lose your temperNEW ZEALAND, 1946.

< have a pop atto attack verballyUK, 1999.< on the pop

drinking alcoholUK, 2000

popnicknameused as a nickname for any male stagedoor manager

US, 1952

popverb1to ejaculate; to experience orgasmUS, 1961.2to have sex

with someoneUS, 1965.3(used of a male) to have sex with a virgin

BAHAMAS, 1982.4to give birthUS, 1990.5to fart Childish; used in the

US, UK and Australia Also phrased as ‘pop off’ and ‘pop a whiff’

UK, 1998.6to administer medicationUK, 1991.7to inject a drugUS,

1952.8to take a pillUS, 1968.9when using amyl nitrate, to break the

glass ampoules containing the gasUS, 1995.10to inhale a powdered

drug UK , 1998.11to steal something Originally in black useUS, 1994.

12to obtain confidential or classified information about someone

as part of an investigationUS, 1997.13to arrest someoneUS, 1975.

14to fire a gunUK, 1725.15to hit someoneUS, 1980.16to kill

someoneUS, 1952.17to pay for somethingUS, 1958.18to praise or

promote someone or somethingUS, 1984.19to applaud and cheer

enthusiastically Professional wrestling usageUS, 2000.20to send an

e-mail to someoneUK, 2004.21to go to or from somewhere,

especially swiftly or suddenly Usually used with ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘in’,

‘out’, ‘over’, ‘about’, ‘off’, ‘between’, etcUK, 1530.22in pinball, to

win a replay or additional ball, activating the sound effect known

as a knockerUS, 1977.23(of a car boot or bonnet) to open remotely

US, 2000.< pop a capto shoot a gunUS, 1965.< pop a topto

open a can of beer An inevitable reduplication with the advent of

aluminium cans with pull-tabs in the early 1970sUS, 1967.< pop

cornto engage in a swindle or dishonest schemeUS, 1995.< pop

junkto gossipUS, 1990.< pop smoketo detonate a smoke

grenadeUS, 1982.< pop the chutein sailing, to release the

spinnakerUS, 1990.< pop ya collarto respect yourselfUK, 2003.

< pop your clogsto die Literally, ‘to put your shoes in the

pawnbroker’s’ (because you have no further use for them)UK, 2000.

< pop your nutsto ejaculateUS, 1970.< pop your pumpkinto

lose your temperUS, 1954.< pop your rocksto ejaculateUS, 1977.

< pop your waterto ejaculate

pop bumpernounin pinball, a bumper that scores and kicks theball on contactUS, 1977

popcorn; poppynounan erect penis Rhyming slang forHORN UK , 1992

popcorn pimpnouna small-time pimp; a pimp who fails to live up

to pimp standardsUS, 1972

popenoun< for the popeused of work without payUS, 1963

Popenoun< The PopeFrank Sinatra, US singer (1915–98)US, 1963

Pope’s phone numbernounVAT 69™ Scotch whisky Dating from atime when telephone exchanges were given as the first threeletters of the area nameUK, 1961

popeyenouna car or truck with only one headlight workingUS, 1977

Popeye the sailornouna tailor Rhyming slang, formed on thecartoon characterUK, 1992

pop goes the weasel; popnoundiesel Rhyming slang, formed,possibly with an ironic regard to the high costs of motoring, onthe traditional rhyme: ‘That’s the way the money goes, / Pop goesthe weasel’UK, 1992

poplanounbeerSOUTH AFRICA, 1977

po-ponounthe police; a police officerUS, 1995

pop-offnounsomeone who talks too muchUS, 1951

pop offverb1to dieUK, 1764.2to brag, to boast; to speak out whendiscretion would suggest silenceUS, 1940.3to kill someoneUK, 1824.

4to ejaculateUS, 1969

pop-outnouna mass-produced surfboard with little or no handworkinvolved in the makingUS, 1964

poppanounin prison, a lesbianUS, 1953

poppa-loppernounused as a euphemism for ’motherfucker’US, 1977

pop partynouna party where drug users inject drugsUS, 1971

popped outadjectivedrug-intoxicatedUS, 1954

poppernoun1a fingerUS, 1947.2a pistolUS, 1976.3a popcorn wagon

US, 1985.4a pneumatic drill Mining slangNEW ZEALAND, 1986.5a fart

UK Childish, descriptive Also called ‘multipopper’, 1998.6a capsulecontaining vapours of amyl nitrate or (iso)butyl nitrate inhaled as astimulant Often used in the plural formUS, 1967.7any drug addict

A very loosely defined, or understood, usageUK, 1967

poppetnoun1used as an endearment A ‘puppet’, hence a ‘doll’UK,

1729.2the object of ridiculeBARBADOS, 1965

popplinnounkindling wood, used to start a fireCANADA, 1984

poppynoun1opium Earlier pharmaceutical usage into slangUK, 1935.

2heroinUK, 1998.3moneyUK, 1977 8see:POPCORN

poppyverbto payUK, 1979

poppycocknounnonsenseUS, 1857

poppy lovenounan older Jewish manUS, 1987

poppy padnouna room or apartment where heroin userscongregateUS, 1959

popsnoun1used as a term of address for a man, especially an oldermanUS, 1844.2fatherUS, 1989

pop shopnouna place where criminals sell stolen goodsUS, 1949

pop shotnouna scene in a pornographic film or photographdepicting a man ejaculatingUS, 1991

popsiclenounused as a term of abuseUS, 1984

popsienounan ampoule of amyl nitriteUS, 1971

popskullnounstrong, homemade whiskyUS, 1999

popsy; popsienouna young woman who is the object of aromantic or sexual attractionUK, 1862

poptasticadjectivefantastic Created for the BBC television

programme Harry Enfield’s Television Programme, 1990, written by

Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse for the comedy charactersSmashie and NiceyUK, 2003

pop topnouna truck carrying bottled soft drinks Citizens’ bandradio slang, elaborated onPOP(a carbonated drink)UK, 1981

population the general population in a prison

pop-upnoun1an electronic advertisement delivered to a computer

via the Internet that is superimposed over the original browser

windowUS, 1996.2any mushroom with an hallucinogenic effectUK,

2000

pop-up hellnounan unfriendly web-surfing environment

character-ised by multiple console advertisements in pop-up windows A

term used frequently on the web but not in conventional print

sourcesUS, 2004

porcelain godnouna toiletUS, 1986

porcelain king; porcelain queennounsomeone who habitually

drinks alcohol to the point of vomitingUS, 1993

porch climbernounhomemade alcohol or cheap British Columbia

winesCANADA, 1989

porch monkeynouna black person Offensive, slurring the

stereotype of laziness (porch) and the African jungle (monkey)US,

1981

porcupine headnounin hot rodding and motor racing, the cylinder

head on the big-block engines manufactured by Chevrolet John

Edwards, Auto Dictionary, 1993, gives a neat etymology: ‘When the

valve covers are removed, the valve stems appear to stick out at

odd angles, like the needles on a porcupine’US, 1993

Po’ RicannounPuerto RicanUS, 1975

porknoun1flesh, especially in a sexual contextUK, 1996.2the

genitals, male or femaleBAHAMAS, 1982

porkverbto have sex with someoneUS, 1968

pork and beannouna male homosexual Rhyming slang forQUEEN

AUSTRALIA, 1944

pork chopnounin electric line work, a wire grip used for holding a

conductor under tensionUS, 1980

Pork Chop Hillnouna hill which was the site of extensive fighting

in the final months of the Korean war, from 16th April to 18th

April and again from 6th July to 10th July, 1953US, 1964

pork chop in a synagogueused as a simile for anything that is

badly, especially embarrassingly, out of place or unwelcomeUK, 1984

pork-dodgernouna Jewish person From the dietary restrictions of

observant JewsUS, 1997

porkernoun1a fat personUS, 1959.2a police officer An extension of

PIG US , 1998

pork-mannouna white manUK, 2000

pork patrolnouna police carUS, 1993

pork pienoun1a lie Rhyming slang Now stands alone in the

reduced formPORKY UK , 1984.2a serious bruiseNEW ZEALAND, 1998

pork pies; porkie pies; porkiesnounthe eyes Rhyming slangUK,

1999

pork scratchnouna match Rhyming slang, contrived from the

savoury snack pork scratchingsUK, 1996

pork swordnounthe penisUS, 1966

porkynoun1a lie Abbreviated from rhyming slangPORK PIE UK , 1992.

2the vaginaBAHAMAS, 1982.3a police officerUS, 1973

porkyadjectiveobeseUK, 1852

Porky Pigadjectivebig; generous Rhyming slang, from the name of

a Warner Bros’ cartoon character The sense of ‘big’ is often

heavily ironicUK, 1992

porn; pornonounpornographyUK, 1962

porn and prawnadjectiveof a party, arranged for the purpose of

showing pornographic films and catered for with epicurean food

including prawnsAUSTRALIA, 1996

pornbrokernouna seller of pornographic literature A pun on

‘pawnbroker’UK, 1967

pornflakesnouncrusty, dried semen A pun on the branded name

of a popular breakfast cereal, Corn Flakes™AUSTRALIA, 2003

porn flicknouna pornographic filmUK, 1970

porn mag; porno magnoun a pornographic magazine UK, 1972

porno

pornoadjective pornographic US, 1952

pornographicallyadverbused in a sexual context for more thanaveragelyUK, 2002

pornshopnouna shop where pornography is sold A pun on

‘pawnshop’UK, 1984

porn weed; horny weednounmarijuana with, allegedly,aphrodisiac properties CombinesWEED(marijuana) with sexualpossibilities,HORNY(sexually stimulating),PORN(pornography) and

‘love’UK, 1999

pornyadjectivepornographicUS, 1969

porpoisenouna landing by an aeroplane in which the planebounces from the main gear to the nose gearUS, 1963

porpoiseverbin mountain biking, to ride responding to, instead ofcontrolling, the bikeUS, 1992

Porra; porranouna person of Portuguese descentSOUTH AFRICA, 1975

porridgenoun1a sentence of imprisonment; the time served inprison Possibly puns onSTIR(prison) and the staple prison diet ofporridge The term settled in the wider public conciousness during

the 1970s with BBC television prison situation comedy Porridge UK,

1955.2the brain A visual link between varying consistencies ofgrey matterUK, 1997.3sludge removed from drainsUK, 1970

porridge gunnounthe penisUK, 2003

porridge potnounin motor racing, a crash helmet that covers onlythe top of the headUS, 1965

porridge wognouna Scot CombinesWOG(a foreigner) with astereotypical Scottish dishUK, 2002

portnoun1in New South Wales and Queensland, a suitcase orschoolbag From ‘portmanteau’AUSTRALIA, 1898.2a railway porterUS, 1977

portablenouna foot-patrol police officerUS, 1987

Portageenouna person from Portugal, or of Portuguese heritageUS,

1978.< go Portagee on meto back out of an agreement.Portuguese immigrants, mostly fishermen, fishbuyers and sailors,settled near where this phrase is currentCANADA, 1999

Portagee beernounany beer in a quart bottleBERMUDA, 1985

Portagee chromenounaluminium paintUS, 1961

Portagee lawnmowernouna goatUS, 1989

Portagee liftnounin manual labour, said when one worker doesnot carry his fair shareUS, 1960

Portagee overdrivenounto coast down a hill while drivingUS, 1961

port and brandyadjectivesexually aroused; feeling lecherous.Rhyming slang forRANDY UK , 1992

portapottynouna portable toilet, transported to construction sites,campgrounds, outdoor concerts, etc.US, 1993

porthole duffnounhomosexual anal sex A naval use – anotherdish on theNAVY CAKEmenu; the ‘porthole’ may refer to the anus

or, in specialised use, mean that the passive partner has his ‘headout of a porthole’UK, 1961

portionnounan act of sexual intercourse as something given to awomanUK, 2000

portnoynoun a male masturbator A reference to Portnoy’s Complaint, a novel by Philip Roth, 1969 UK, 1970

Port of Spaniardnouna resident of Port of Spain, TrinidadTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1990

portrait painternounspeed radar; a police officer operating aspeed cameraUS, 1976

port-sidernouna left-handed personUS, 1971

Portuguese parliamentnouna meeting where everybody talks andnobody listensUS, 1951

Portuguese shopnouna small grocery shop attached to a rumshop, whether or not it is owned by Portuguese peopleTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1989

Portuguese straightnounin poker, a straight formed with different

portynouna portable telephoneUS, 1996

posnounpositionUS, 1986 8see:POSS

POSnoun a patient regarded by hospital personnel as a piece of shit

US, 1978

poseverbto pretend a station in life that has yet to be achievedUS,

1946

posernouna person who imitates that which he is notUS, 1990

poshadjective1being stylish, smart; of the best class; elegant and

sophisticated In popular folk etymology, reinforced by the song

‘Posh’ in the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, ‘posh’ is an

acronym of port out starboard home, supposedly the location of

the ‘best’ cabins on an England to India P&O line cruise;

unfortunately P&O has no record of such a phrase ever being

used Other suggested derivations: a contraction of ‘polished’, an

earlier sense as ‘money’, and a corruption of Scottish tosh (smart).

However, this is slang and ‘port out starboard home’ is the more

entertaining etymolology and therefore likely to continue as the

popular favouriteUK, 1918.2being in possession of drugsUK, 2002

Posh and Becks; Posh ’n’ BecksnounsexUK, 2003

Posh and Becks; Posh ’n’ Becksnicknamesinger Victoria

Beckham and her husband, footballer David Beckham, considered

as a single celebrity iconUK, 2000

poshienouna posh personIRELAND, 1997

poshonouna member of the middle- or upper-classesUK, 2001

posh tottynouna sexually attractive upper-class womanUK, 2001

posh wanknoun1an act of male masturbation while the penis is

sheathed in a condom CombinesPOSH(upper-class) withWANK(to

masturbate)UK, 1999.2used as abuse of a contemptible person,

especially one you consider to be of a superior status A

combi-nation ofPOSH(upper-class) withWANK(an act of masturbation);

informed by contemporaneous ‘posh wank’ (the act of

masturbation in a condom)UK, 1999

poshyadjectiveelegant and sophisticated Later variation ofPOSH UK ,

2000

poshy-poshyadjectiveextremely elegant and stylish Reduplication of

POSHYfor emphasisUK, 2002

positoryyes, affirmative Citizens’ band radio slangUS, 1976

poss; posadjectivepossibleUK, 1886

poss; posnouna possibilityUK, 1964

possenoun1a group of close friendsUS, 1985.2a gangUS, 1994

possiblenoun1the vagina A probably Freudian etymologyUS, 1998.

2in target shooting, a perfect scoreUS, 1957.3in poker, any hand

that can be completed with the draw of one card Variant

‘possibulletee’US, 1951

possie; possy; pozzie; pozzynouna position Originally in World

War 1 a soldier’s chosen position from which to snipe, observe, etc

AUSTRALIA, 1915

possumnoundarling A term of affectionate addressAUSTRALIA, 1894

Possum; Ole PossumnicknameGeorge Jones, a country singer and

songwriter (b.1931)US, 1995

possum bellynounthe tool box located on the underside of a

brakevan (caboose).US, 1946

postnounan autopsy From the more formal ‘post mortem’US, 1942.

< left at the post(of a horse in a race) to lose badlyAUSTRALIA,

1895

postverbto leave someone in the lurch, especially during the

commission of a crimeAUSTRALIA, 1975.< post a flyerto use

coded language in a conversation to advertise your homosexuality

and sexual availabilityUK, 1987.< post a letterto go to the toilet

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003

postage stampnoun1a woman Citizens’ band radio slang,

etymology unknown, although licking is almost certainly a

com-ponentUS, 1976.2a public house bar counter Rhyming slang for

RAMP.Shortened to ‘postage’UK, 1992.3in horse racing, a very small

postaladjectiveextremely angry; furious to the point of violence.From a series of highly publicised workplace shootings byfrustrated and furious employees of the US Postal ServiceUS, 1994

postcodeadjectiveused for describing any matter in which estic, economic or political status may be defined by geographiclocation; where your postal address affects the provision of medi-cal care, education and publicly funded services, or insurance, orcredit rating; especially as ‘postcode lottery’, ‘postcode prescribing’and ‘postcode discrimination’UK, 1999

dom-poster boynouna very good example of an attitude or condition.Used facetiouslyUS, 1993

posteriorsnounthe penis and testiclesBAHAMAS, 1982

postienoun1a postman or postwomanUK, 1887.2The Royal Mail,the Post OfficeUK, 2001 8see:PO-MO

postmannounin horse racing, someone who can be counted on forinside tips on horses and races A term built onMAILas ‘insideinformation’AUSTRALIA, 1989

postman’s knocknoun1a lock Rhyming slang, ascribed to burglarswhen used by lockmakers Chubb’s in an advertisementUK, 1962.2aclock Rhyming slang, sometimes seen in an abbreviated form as

‘postman’s’UK, 1992.3in pool, a shot in which the cue ball hits theobject ball twice in rapid succession, producing a knock-like sound

US, 1993

post-mortemnounin poker, an analysis of a hand after it has beenplayedUS, 1988

postopnouna transsexual who has undergone all surgery necessary

to complete a sex changeUS, 1995

post upverbto idleUS, 1998

potnoun1marijuana The most popular slang term for marijuana inthe 1950s No agreement on the etymology, with competingconjectures and little supporting evidenceUS, 1938.2heroin us , 1999.

3in Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania, a 10 fluid ounce glass ofbeerAUSTRALIA, 1915.4a tooth Polari; usually in the pluralUK, 1992.

5in poker, all of the chips or money bet on a single handUS, 1947.

6the jack in a game of bowls In Midlands’ use The southernequivalent is ‘kitty’UK, 1979.7in electric line work, a transformer

An abbreviation of ‘potential transformer’US, 1980.8a carburettor

US, 1941.9a hospital patient with many trivial complaintsUS, 1980.

< not have a pot to piss in; not have a pot to pee into beextremely poorCANADA, 1961

potverb1to shoot or kill someoneUS, 1860.2to put a baby on apotty (a chamber pot)UK, 1961.< pot the whiteto have sex Anallusion to billiardsUK, 1955

-potsuffixa person of a type defined or suggested by the word towhich it is joined The best known current forms areFUSSPOTand

SEXPOT UK , 1880

pot Anouna prisoner who has received a minimum of ten years is

regarded as a potential Category A prisoner UK, 1996

potablenoundrinking waterUS, 1968

pot and pan; old pot and pan; old potnouna man; a husband;

a father Rhyming slangAUSTRALIA, 1905

potater juice; potato juice; potata juicenounvodkaUS, 1976

potatonoun1marijuana An elaboration ofPOT UK , 1999.2LSDUK,

1998.3a woman Short forPOTATO PEELER AUSTRALIA , 1959

potato diggernounan amphibious tracked personnel carrier fittedwith a dozer blade used for clearing mines during the VietnamwarUS, 1991

potatoedadjectivesluggish; in a non-responsive state (possibly as aresult of drug use)UK, 1999

potatoesnounmoney One of life’s basicsUS, 2001

potato hooknounin electric line work, an insulated line tool mally known as a fixed prong tie stickUS, 1980

for-potato-mashernouna German fragmentation hand grenade.Korean war usageUS, 1982

potato patchnouna group of neurologically depressed patientsUS,

potato peelernouna woman Rhyming slang forSHEILA AUSTRALIA ,

1971

potato soupnounvodkaUS, 1970

potato wagonnouna police vanUS, 1970

pot bellynounin trucking, a trailer with a dropped frame middle

used for hauling cattle or hogsUS, 1971

potchverbto spank or smack someoneUS, 1969

potchkehverbto dawdle; to spend time inefficiently Yiddish from

German Also variants ‘potchee’ and ‘potchky’US, 1954

pot headnouna user of marijuanaUS, 1959

pot hooknounin a deck of playing cards, a nineUS, 1967

pot houndnouna despised, inferior personTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1956

pot housenouna mad or psychotic personUK, 2000

Pot Kettle Black.used as Internet shorthand to criticise someone

for engaging in precisely the same conduct or reasoning that they

are attacking in anotherUS, 1995

potlessadjectivewithout moneyUK, 1984

pot-lickernounan older dogNEW ZEALAND, 1981

pot likker; pot liquornoun1tea brewed with marijuana leaves

The intentional spelling error gives a rustic, moonshining feel to

the termUS, 1967.2strong, homemade whiskyUS, 1972

pot lotnouna used car business specialising in old, inexpensive cars

US, 1975

pot of gluenoun1a Jew Rhyming slang Also shortened form

‘potter’UK, 1992.2a clue Glasgow rhyming slang Shortened forms

include ‘pot‘ and ‘potter‘UK: SCOTLAND, 1988

pot of honey; honeynounmoney Rhyming slangUK, 1961

pot pignouna marijuana user who takes more than a fair shareUK,

2001

potsnouna large amount of moneyUK, 1871

POTSnoun plain old telephone service US, 1997

pots and dishesnounwishes Rhyming slangUK, 1979

pot shotnounin poker, an early and aggressive bet designed to drive

other players from the field of play Borrowed from hunting and

punning on ‘pot’ as the collective betsUS, 1951

potsynouna firefighter’s or police officer’s badgeUS, 1954

pottedadjective1tipsy, drunkUS, 1924.2in a state of marijuana

intoxicationUS, 1955

potten bushnounhashishUS, 1977

pottit heidadjectivedead Glasgow rhyming slang, ‘deid’ in the local

accent, formed from local dialect for ‘potted meat’UK: SCOTLAND,

1996

pottsvillenouna notional location or state of consciousness

imagined by marijuana smokers Compared to Utopia, Nirvana

and XanaduUS, 2001

pottynoun< go pottyto use a toilet Children’s toilet vocabulary

US, 1942

pottyadjectivecrazy; silly; eccentric From ‘pot’ (a tankard), hence to

be inebriated and to have the characteristics of drunken logicUK,

1920

potty aboutin love, infatuated or obsessed (to some degree) with

something or someoneUK, 1923

potty mouthnouna person prone to use profanity; profanityUS, 1968

potty talknounspeech that is considered obscenely offensive From

childish ‘potty’ (a chamber pot or toilet); an almost euphemistic

variation ofTOILET TALK US , 2002

pot-wallopernouna person employed to wash dishesUS, 1975

pot-wrestlernouna restaurant cook or dishwasherUS, 1860

poulticenouna large sum of money, especially a large wager

AUSTRALIA, 1904

poundnoun1a five-dollar noteUS, 1935.2a five-year jail sentenceUS,

1967.3an ‘s’ unit (five decibels) in measuring the level of a

.

five dollarsUS, 1982.5a prison cell used for solitary confinement

AUSTRALIA, 1950.6a jail or prisonUS, 1977.7in poker, a heavy betUS,

1988.< have a pound on yourselfto be conceited; to thinkvery well of yourself From betting terminologyUK, 1959

poundverbto drink (alcohol)US, 1995.< pound cottonto strain theresidue of a narcotic from a bit of cotton used to strain the drugfor a previous injectionUS, 1990.< pound groundto marchUS,

1977.< pound her pee-holefrom the male perspective, to haveenergetic sexUS, 1994.< pound sandto engage in futilebehaviour Usually used as a command, where the term takes on ameaning not unlike ‘go fuck yourself’US, 1981.< pound the bishop(used of a male) to masturbateUS, 1977.< to get poundedwhile surfing, to be knocked from your surfboard andthrashed by the waveUS, 1988

poundagenounweight that should be lostUS, 1972

pound and crownnouna lot of moneyTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1993

poundernoun1a police officer assigned to foot patrolUS, 1945.2apowerful, hard-breaking waveUS, 1964.3a 16-ounce can of beerUS, 1997

pound notenouna coat Rhyming slang, now fallen into disuse, avictim of the pound coin introduced in 1983UK, 1992

pound of butternouna crazy person; a lunatic; an eccentric.Rhyming slang forNUTTER UK , 1998

pound offverb(used of a male) to masturbateUS, 1969

poundsnounmoneyUS, 1971

pounds and pencenounsense Rhyming slang, an updated form of

SHILLINGS AND PENCE UK , 1992

pound to a pennya certainty, a sure thing A ludicrously confidentwagerUK, 2001

pourverbto move or place a drunkUK, 1948.< pour on the coaltothrottle up an engine A borrowing from steam-powered trainenginesUS, 1956.< pour on the coalsin trucking, to drive fastUS,

1971.< pour the pork(from the male point of view) to have sex

US, 1973

poured intoadjectivesaid of someone wearing very tight clothing,usually of a woman, and generally complimentaryUK, 1960

pour (it) outverbto urinateUS, 1990

pouvenoun 8see:POOVE

povnouna person who is judged to be less well off than the speaker

Shortened from poverty or impoverished UK, 2006

poverty pimpnouna person who makes their living from thepoverty of others, especially by working for government-fundedprogrammes for the poor The Coalition on Homelessness in SanFrancisco presents a Poverty Pimp Award each yearUS, 1979

poverty pokernouna style of poker in which a player who losestheir bankroll may play for free until they win a handUS, 1988

povoadjectivecheaply produced for a poor marketplace Derivesfrom ‘poverty’UK, 2001

pow!used as a register of instant excitementUK, 1881

powdernouna powdered narcotic, usually heroin or cocaineUS, 1975.

< take a powder1to leaveUS, 1934.2to inhale or ingestpowdered drugsUS, 1982

powderverb< powder your nose1to sniff cocaineUS, 1983.2touse the lavatory A euphemismUK, 1984.< powder your schnoz

to inhale cocaine Variation ofPOWDER YOUR NOSEwithSHNOZ; SCHNOZ(the nose)UK, 2000

powderboxnounthe vaginaUS, 1998

powder diamonds; powdered diamondsnouncocaine From thecrystalline appearance, and the costUS, 1977

powderedadjectiveunder the influence of cocaineUS, 1986

powdered chalknouna walk Rhyming slangUK, 1992

powder monkeynoun1an explosives expert on a work crewUS, 1949.

2a cocaine user Plays onPOWDER(cocaine)UK, 2002

powder puffnoun1an effeminate homosexual maleUS, 1997.2intrucking, a small convex mirror mounted on the outside of the

powder puffadjectivein various sports, describing an event limited

to female competitorsUS, 1973

powder trainnouna US Navy SEALS diver with expertise in

underwater explosivesUS, 1991

powernouna charge of explosivesUS, 1949

poweradjectivein a concentrated, intense manner Almost always

used mockinglyUS, 1989

powerdykenouna militant feminist, whether she is a lesbian or not

US, 2003

power hitnounthe act of inhaling marijuana smoke and then

exhaling it into another’s mouth as they inhaleUS, 1970

power lunchnouna lunch meeting where business or deals, not

eating, is the central focusUS, 1986

power pillnouna tablet of any variety of MDMA, the recreational

drug best known as ecstasyUK, 1996

powerplantnouna variety of marijuanaSOUTH AFRICA, 2003

power rangersnouna variety of LSD Named after the fantasy

television programmeUK, 1996

power tablenouna prominent table at a restaurant, seating at

which is a recognition of fame or power Used in the

entertainment industryUS, 1984

power tripnounany activity that is motivated by a desire for power

US, 1967

pow-pownounpowder snow Snowboarders, usageUS, 1995

pow-wownouna meeting Originally an Algonquin word for an

‘Indian priest’ or ‘ceremony’US, 1812

poxnoun1syphilis; hence any sexually transmitted infection Altered

spelling of ‘pocks’, originally applied to the pustules of any

eruptive diseaseUK, 1503.2marijuana; hashishUK, 1996.3opium;

heroinUS, 1942

poxverbto spoil something From an earlier sense, ‘to infect with

syphilis’UK, 1802

poxbottlenouna despicable personIRELAND, 1991

pox docsnoundoctors at a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases A

happy rhyme enjoyed in the medical professionUK, 2002

pox doctor’s clerknounused as the epitome of someone dressed

in a flashy mannerAUSTRALIA, 1950

poxyadjectiveloathsome, objectionable, disgusting FromPOX

(syphilis), equating the target of the adjective with venereal

diseasesUK, 1922

pozzienouna locationNEW ZEALAND, 1984

pozzlenounthe vaginaUS, 1962

pozzynoun 8see:POSSIE

PPnoun1a person whose regular apperance in a hospital casualty

department has earned him the label professional patient US, 1978.

2influence within a prison A shortened form of ‘penitentiary pull’

US, 1985

PP nineverbto attack someone with a weapon improvised with a

PP9 battery, often by concealing the battery in a sockUK, 1996

PPPnoun a severely debilitated hospital patient, with piss-poor

protoplasm US, 1978

PQnoun a half-pint of rum An abbreviation of ‘petit quart’ TRINIDAD

AND TOBAGO, 1987

PRnoun1Puerto RicoUS, 1909.2a Puerto Rican Also attributed as an

adjectiveUS, 1957.3panama red, a variety of marijuana cultivated

in PanamaUS, 1969

practice bleedingnounengaging in night-training flights off an

aircraft carrierUS, 1986

pradnoun a horse From Dutch paard (a horse) Not recorded

separ-ately before 1799 but implied in ‘prad-lay’ (to steal property from

horses), now obsolete, noted in Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar

Tongue, 2nd edition, 1788 UK, 1953

prairie chickennouna grouse, or a newcomer to the prairies

prairie niggernouna native American IndianUS, 1989

prairie oysternounan anti-hangover tonic: an unbroken raw egg in

a glass of dry red wine, or an unbroken raw egg in WorcestershireSauce and sherryUS, 1883

praiseverb< praise the porcelain godto vomitUS, 1986

pramnoun< get out of your pramto become very angry or excitedUK, 1970.< throw your toys out of the pramto becomeangry; to lose your temper; to become over-excitedUK, 2002

over-prangnouncar accident or collisionUS, 1959

prangverb1in aviation, to crash-land an aircraftUK, 1941.2to crash acarUK, 1952.3to make a short call to a mobile telephone with thesole purpose of registering yourself on the receiving phone’s ‘callerID’ (thus delivering a private signal but avoiding the cost of aconnection)UK, 2003

prangadjectivescared Urban youth slangUK, 2005

prannet; prannie; prannynouna fool; a general term of contempt.After an obsolete sense of ‘prannie’ (female genitals, henceCUNT)

UK, 1977

pratnoun1used as a general insult with no particular meaningbeyond the derogatory tone; a fool Variant ‘pratt’ From theearlier use as ‘buttocks’UK, 1968.2the buttocksUK, 1567.3thevagina From the earlier sense as ‘buttocks’UK, 1937.4in horseracing, interference during a raceAUSTRALIA, 1989

pratverbto engage in coy or fawning behaviourUS, 1969

prat aboutverbto mess about; to play the fool FromPRAT(a fool)

pratt boynouna weak or effeminate person; an outcastUS, 1952

prattyadjectivestupid, foolish FromPRAT(a fool)UK, 1998

prawnnoun1a fool; a worthless individualAUSTRALIA, 1893.2an uglyperson with an attractive bodyUK, 2004

prawnheadnouna fool; a worthless individualAUSTRALIA, 1961

prawn-headedadjectivestupidAUSTRALIA, 1962

prayverb< pray to the porcelain god; pray to the enamel godto vomit into a toiletUS, 1980

prayer bonesnounthe kneesUS, 1946

prayer meetingnoun1a private dice gameUS, 1949.2a propagandasession conducted by Viet Cong with South Vietnamese villagers

preacher’s pasttimenounthe shell gameUS, 1966

preciousadjectiveegregious, arrant; very, exceedingly; especially as anintensifier of something bad or worthlessUK, 1430

pre-cumnounpenile secretions prior to orgasm A refinement of

COME(orgasm/semen)UK, 1995

predatornounheroinUK, 1998

preemie

preesh!I appreciate that!US, 1987

prefabnouna prefabricated house, specifically a temporary dwelling

(usually a bungalow) that served as a stop-gap measure in the

years immediately following World War 2 Some are still in use

nearly 60 years laterUK, 1942

prefabadjectiveprefabricatedUS, 1937

preggersadjectivepregnantUK, 1942

preggoadjectivepregnantAUSTRALIA, 1951

preggy; preggieadjectivepregnantUK, 1938

pregnant ducknounthe B-24 Liberator bomber A nod to the

plane’s clumsy appearanceUS, 1946

pregnant rollerskate; pregnant skateboardnouna Volkswagen

‘Beetle’ car Citizens’ band radio slangUS, 1976

prelimnouna preliminary sporting matchUK, 1923

prelliesnounPhenmetrazine, a chemical stimulant marketed as

Preludin™, used in the US as a diet drugUK, 2002

premienouna premature sexual ejaculation; a man who is subject

to such a thingUS, 1975

premiumnouna brand name manufactured cigaretteUS, 1992

prenupnounan agreement entered into before marriage concerning

the division of property in the event of divorce Shortened from

‘prenuptial’US, 1983

pre-opnouna transsexual who has yet to undergo all surgery

necess-ary to complete a sex changeUS, 1986

pre-opadjectivein a hospital, pre-operativeUS, 1997

prepverbto prepare someone or somethingUS, 1927

pre-papiernounin Quebec, advance publicity about cultural events

(production teams, casts and plays) prior to reviews This word is a

French term adapted fully into EnglishCANADA, 2002

pre-partyverb 8see:PRE

preponeverbto rearrange something for a future date A definite

variation of ‘postpone’INDIA, 2003

preppy; preppienouna well-groomed, well-heeled, conventional

young person with upper- class prep-school valuesUS, 1968

Presbonouna presbyterianAUSTRALIA, 1965

Presbyterian pokernounlow-key, low-limit, friendly pokerUS, 1996

prescriptionnouna marijuana cigarette An assertion that

marijuana is just what the doctor orderedUK, 1998

prescriptionsnouncommercially manufactured drugs used for

non-medicinal purposesUS, 1980

presencenounMDMA, the recreational drug best known as ecstasy

US, 1989

presentonounduring the Korean war, a piece of merchandise used

by US servicemen to trade with Koreans for servicesUS, 1960

preshadjectivegood, pleasing An abbreviation of the conventional

‘precious’US, 1986

presidentnounan established, respected graffiti artist, often the

leader of a groupUS, 1997

PresidentnicknameLester Young (1909–59), jazz saxophonistUS, 1949

pressnoun1in betting, a doubling of the bet in effectUS, 1962.

2cocaine; crack cocaineUK, 1998

pressverb1to pursue criminal chargesUS, 1993.2to dress upUS, 1974.

< press the blocksto idle on a street cornerBAHAMAS, 1982.

< press the bricksto walkUS, 1949.< press the fleshto shake

hands, especially in a political contextUS, 1926.< press the meat;

press the sausagewhile gambling, to continue betting your

winnings after several consecutive winsUS, 2003.< press the

sheetsto sleep in a bedUS, 1976

pressedadjective1worried, stressedUS, 1989.2dressed stylishlyUS, 1980

pressed ducknouna human corpse that has been flattened by

traffic A truly grim comparisonUS, 1962

pressed hamnounthe bare buttocks pressed against a car window

pressie; prezzienoun a gift, a present UK, 1937

pressure cookernouna sports car Citizens’ band radio slangUK, 1981

pressure outverbto lose your composure completely under ure Hawaiian youth usageUS, 1981

press-pressurizeverbto intimidate; to threaten; to coerceUS, 2001

pre-stiffnouna patient close to deathUS, 1994

pretender to the thronenouna heterosexual who is attempting topass as a homosexualUS, 1980

pretendicanounpoor quality or counterfeit marijuana A play on

‘pretend’ mixed with cannabis indica (a major genus of marijuana)

prettynouna youthful, sexually inexperienced male who is theobject of an older homosexual’s desireUS, 1979

pretty boynoun1an effeminate young manAUSTRALIA, 1942.2asexually active young manUS, 2003

pretty facenoun< not just a pretty faceused, often ironically,when claiming to be intelligentUK, 1968

pretty picturesnounin computing, graphical representations ofstatisticsUS, 1991

pretty pleasean emphatic or wheedling intensification of please

previousadjectivepremature; early; hastyUS, 1885

PreznicknameLester Young (1909–59), jazz saxophonist Singer BillieHoliday nicknamed Young ‘Prez’ as a shortened form of ‘President

of the Tenor Saxophone’US, 1957

prez; presnounpresidentIRELAND, 1922

prezziesnounpaper money An abbreviation of the commonDEAD

PRESIDENTS US , 1997

prezzonouna gift or presentAUSTRALIA, 1968

pricenoun1a chance Sporting slang, from bookmakers quoting a

‘price’ (betting odds)UK, 1977.2in betting on horse racing, theapproximate equivalent odds to $1US, 1951.3a discount Aeuphemism that saves face for both the seller and buyerUS, 1991

priceyadjectiveexpensiveUK, 1932

pricknoun1the penis From the basic sense, ‘anything that pricks

or pierces’; in conventional English until around 1700 WilliamShakespeare (1564–1616) played word games with it, Robert Burns(1759–96) used it with vulgar good humour and the Victoriansfinally hid it awayUK, 1592.2a despicable man; a fool; used as ageneral term of offence or contempt, often as an abusive form ofaddress, always of a male or an inanimate object Since the 1940s,when qualified by the adjective ‘silly’, the sense need not bederogatory or contemptuous, as ‘you silly prick’, ‘the silly prick’etc An unembellished prick, however, is considered very offensive

US, 1929.3a marijuana cigarette Presumably based on phallicimageryUK, 1984

pricked offadjectiveannoyed, angryUS, 1968

prickfacenouna contemptible personAUSTRALIA, 1971

pricklicknouna homosexual maleUS, 1972

prick paradenouna group inspection by a military doctor or medic

pricksmithnouna military doctor or medic who inspects male

recruits for signs of sexually transmitted diseaseUS, 1967

prick-teasernouna woman who invites sexual advances but does

not fulfil that which she seems to promiseUS, 1970

pride and joynouna boy, especially a new-born son Rhyming slang

UK, 1992

pride of Deadwoodnounin poker, a hand consisting of aces and

eights From the belief, true or legendary, that when Wild Bill

Hickock was shot and killed in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, he was

holding a hand consisting of aces and eights, all blackUS, 1988

pride of the morningnounthe erection experienced by a man

upon awakening in the morningUS, 1972

priest’s dicknounsomething of little or no worthUK, 2000

primverb(used of a female) to walk in a sexually inviting fashion

BAHAMAS, 1982

primeverb< prime the spunk gun(used of a male) to

masturbateUK, 2003

primedadjectivedrunk or under the influence of drugsUS, 1950

prime timenoun1time spent with a spouse or lover Trucker slang,

punning on television terminologyUS, 1976.2cocaine; crack

cocaineUK, 2003

primonoun1a very high grade of marijuana, consisting of a high

degree of potent flowering tops of the plantsUS, 1971.2marijuana

mixed with crack cocaineUS, 1995.3a conventional tobacco

ciga-rette laced with cocaine and heroinUK, 1998.4heroinUK, 2002

primoadjectiveexcellentUS, 1977

Prince Albert; PA; Albertnouna piece of jewellery for a penile

piercing; also applied to the piercing itself This etymology is the

stuff of romantic myth: the procedure and bejewelling is named

after Queen Victoria’s consort who, it is claimed, endured the

embellishment of his member to enhance his Queen’s pleasure

UK, 2001

Prince Alberts; Albertsnounrags worn by tramps in the place of

socks Folk etymology suggests the alleged poverty of Prince Albert

before marriage to Queen VictoriaAUSTRALIA, 1888

Prince Charmingnicknameused ironically of someone who is

anything butUK, 1998

Prince of DarknessnicknameJoseph Lucas, British electrical

equipment manufacturer of unreliable headlight systemsUS, 1997

Princess Dinouna pie Rhyming slang, formed on a familiar name

for Diana, Princess of Wales, 1961–97; recorded in use before and,

following a respectful pause, after her deathUK, 1998

Princeton rub; Princeton stylenounthe rubbing of the penis

between the thighs of another boy or man until reaching orgasm

Princeton is a prestigious and cultured East Coast universityUS, 1971

pringlenounmultiple orgasms From the advertising slogan for

Pringles™, a savoury snack: ‘once you pop you can’t stop’UK, 2001

printverbto take the fingerprints of a prisoner during the

after-arrest processUS, 1939

priornouna prior arrest or prior convictionUS, 1985

Priscillanouna police officer Gay slang, using a female name,

prob-ably elaborating the initial ‘p’ for ‘police’SOUTH AFRICA, 2000

prison air conditioningnouna wet towelCANADA, 2002

prison bent; prison gayadjectiveused of a heterosexual prisoner

who adopts a homosexual or lesbian lifestyle for the duration of

his or her sentenceUK, 1996

prissyadjective1prudish, 2001.2effeminate Perhaps a blend of

‘prim’ andSISSY US , 1946

prissy ladnouna homosexual manUS, 1954

privnoun a privilege UK, 1996

private dancenouna one-on-one sexual performance by a woman

for a manUS, 1991

private dicknouna private detective Conventional use of ‘private’

combined withDICK(detective)US, 1912

private eye

privatesnounthe genitals of either sexUK, 1602

private slicknouna physician in private practiceUS, 1994

private starnouna private detectiveUS, 1958

privy queennouna homosexual male who searches for sexualpartners in public toiletsUS, 1941

prizeadjectivedescribes a prime example (of whatever it is appendedto); complete, utterUK, 1976

prize jewels carriernounthe scrotumUK, 2002

pronoun1a professional, especially in a field of endeavour that isalso enjoyed by amateurs (such as sport or theatre); also used as

an Internet domain name for a professional practitionerUK, 1866.

2a professional prostituteUK, 1937

probnouna problemUS, 1992

probatenounin a criminal case, a sentence of probation A personwho is arrested for the illegal production of alcohol and issentenced to probation is said to ‘get probate’US, 1974

probienouna probationary employeeUS, 1973

proceshnouna procession or graduation paradeNEW ZEALAND, 1977

processnouna chemical straightening of curly hairUS, 1967

proconnoun a professionally run fan convention US, 1978

procureverb< procure for a causeto steal somethingUS, 1970

prodnoun1the penisUS, 1975.2in horse racing, an illegal, powered device used to impart a shock to a horse during a race

battery-US, 1976.< on the prodlooking for something; on the offensive;provokedUS, 1904

Prod; Protnouna Protestant Mainly Catholic use across the UKUK, 1942

Proddie; ProddyadjectiveProtestant; a Protestant Mainly Catholicuse across the UKUK, 1954

Proddy dognouna ProtestantAUSTRALIA, 1979

proddywhackadjectiveProtestantUK, 1998

prodigal boynouna person who excels at the game of footbagging

US, 1997

producenounfoodUS, 1957

producernoun1an official requirement that you produce your

driving licence, motor insurance and any other necessary mentation for police scrutiny In police use, form HO/RT/1 (HomeOffice/Road Traffic/1)UK, 1994.2a serious gambler who, like mostgamblers, usually losesUS, 1963

docu-productnounillegal drugsUS, 1982

profnoun a professor; also as a form of address US, 1838

professional scenenouna sado-masochistic encounter for payUS, 1979

professornoun1a diligent studentUS, 1955.2a piano player in abrothelUS, 1939.3a skilled and experienced poker playerUS, 1979

proffingnounstealingUK, 2002

profileverb1(used of the police) to stop, question and searchsomeone based on their race and ageUS, 1992.2to act in anarrogant and conceited fashionUS, 1997

profilesnounin a deck of playing cards, the king of diamonds, jack

of spades and jack of hearts, all one-eyed and drawn in profileUS, 1963

pro from Dovernounan expertUS, 1970

prognouna radio or television programme Particularly associated

with the JY Prog presented by Jimmy Young, a BBC radio DJ and

presenter from 1959, especially on Radio 2, which he joined in

1973 until his retirement in 2001UK, 1975

progadjective progressive, as used of a school or method UK, 1969

proggyadjectivehaving the characteristics of progressive housemusicUK, 2002

programmenounthe twelve-step Alcoholics Anonymous programmefor recovery from alcoholism

programmeverbin prison, to follow the rules and avoid trouble in

hope of an early releaseUS, 1981

prohinouna federal law enforcement official Used by those in the

illegal production of alcoholUS, 1974

prolenouna member of the proletariatUS, 1887

proleadjectiveproletariat; of the working-classUS, 1965

promnouna dance at a school or collegeUS, 1894

promisenoun< on a promisehaving been promised sexual

intercourseAUSTRALIA, 1960

prommernouna member of the audience, especially a promenader,

at a Henry Wood Promenade Concert (now branded the BBC

Proms) So named by James Loughran, in the conductor’s

tra-ditional last-night-of the-Proms speech, 11th September 1982UK,

1982

promonounpublic relations; promotional item(s); in the music

business, an advance copy of an unreleased tune sent to an

influ-ential DJUS, 1966

promoadjectivepromotionalUS, 1963

promoteverbin the circus or carnival, to obtain illegally something

that is badly neededUS, 1980

prongnounthe penisUS, 1968

prongernounthe penisUS, 1977

prong me!used for registering disbelief, despair, surprise, or

satisfac-tion FromPRONG(the penis), in the manner and sense ofFUCK

ME!, suggesting that ‘prong’ is also used forFUCK(to have sex, etc)

US, 1962

prontoadverbimmediately From the SpanishUS, 1911

proofnounan identification card establishing you as old enough to

buy alcoholUS, 1983

proofverbto show identification proving that you are old enough to

be where you are, buying what you are buyingUS, 1987

proof shotnouna photograph, or a scene in a pornographic film, of

a man ejaculating.US, 1995

propnoun1a propositionUK, 1871.2any portable article used in

acting An abbreviation of ‘property’: theatrical, film-making,

television, etc also used by those seeking to create an impression

UK, 1864.3in casino gambling, a casino employee who poses as a

player to draw interest to a game An abbreviation of ‘proposition

player’US, 1996.4the legUS, 1969.5a prisoners’ strikeNEW ZEALAND,

1985

propverb1to organise a criminal enterpriseUK, 1956.2to take part in

a prison strikeNEW ZEALAND, 1982

propellerheadnounan expert computer enthusiastUS, 1997

propeller keynounthe command key on an Apple Macintosh™

computer keyboardUS, 1991

propernounproper respectUS, 1974

properadjective1excellent, complete, perfect In conventional use

until during the C19UK, 1375.2of a criminal, respectedUK, 2001

properadverbexcellently, superbly; without subterfuge; handsomely

An intensifierUK, 2000

proper little madamnoun 8see:LITTLE MADAM

proper lushadjectivegreat, excellent, wonderful An intensified

vari-ation ofLUSH UK , 1999

propper; propnounin youth-oriented holiday resorts, a person who

encourages custom into clubs and bars Probably adapted from a

reduction of ‘proposition’UK, 1997

propsnoun1proper respect; due credit Variant ‘propers’US, 1993.

2false breastsUS, 1967

prop upverbto suggest or arrange a story or an explanation,

especially through a third person.UK, 1977

prosnounin circus and carnival usage, a prosecutorUS, 1981

Prosecute Coppers Associationnounthe Police Complaints

Authority A cynical alternative meaning for the PCA; in police use

prospectnouna prospective member of a club or gangUS, 2000

prospectverbover a period of time, to prove yourself to be aworthy recruit before initiation as a full member of a motorcycleclubUS, 1971

pross; prosnouna prostituteUK, 1905

pross collarnounan arrest of a prostitute for a direct solicitationUS, 1973

prossie; prossy; prozzynouna prostituteAUSTRALIA, 1941

prossonouna prostituteAUSTRALIA, 1965

pross vannouna police van used in mass arrests of prostitutesUS, 1973

prosty; prostienouna prostituteUS, 1930

protectionnoun1contraception, especially a condomUS, 1967.2anextortion scheme in which the victim pays the extorting party toprotect him from crime, especially crime committed by theextorting partyUS, 1999

protein shakenounin the pornography industry, semen that isswallowedUS, 1995

protonounprotection from prosecution by law enforcementUS, 1945

proverbial; proverbialsnounused as a general-purposeeuphemism Always reliant on context for senseUK, 1984

provonoun1a 1960s Dutch counterculture revolutionary

NETHERLANDS, 1970.2a military police officer From provost marshall.

Can be used with a capital: ‘Provo’AUSTRALIA, 1943

Provo; Provie; Provvienoun a member of the Provisional wing of the IRA, subsequently Provisional IRA More than a simple abbrevi-

ation, Provo is probably influenced by ‘Provo’ (a member of agroup of 1960s Dutch political activists) derived from French

provocateur (an aggressor) UK: NORTHERN IRELAND, 1971

provvynounan approved school (for juvenile offenders)UK, 1974

prozienouna branded antidepressant Prozac™ tabletUK, 2001

prozinenouna professionally published fan magazineUS, 1978

prozzynouna girl who is (allegedly) sexually available Derogatory;shortened from ‘prostitute’UK, 2002

Prunoun< the Pruthe Prudential Insurance CompanyUK, 1927

prunenounthe anus An allusion to the wrinkles found on eachUS, 1967

pruneverbto out-race someone in a car race from a stationary itionUS, 1962

pos-prune and plum; pos-prunenounthe buttocks; occasionally andspecifically, the anus, the rectum Rhyming slang forBUM UK , 1998

prune pushernounthe active participant in anal sexUS, 1979

prunesnountesticles; courageUS, 1984

prunonouna potent, homemade alcohol, often made withfermented prune juiceUS, 1990

Prussiannouna male homosexual who prefers the active role inanal sexUS, 1950

P’snounparentsUS, 1989

PSnoun penal servitude An abbreviation This type of prison

sentence was ordered from the C19 until 1948UK, 1923

p’s and q’snounshoes Rhyming slangUK, 1992.< mind your p’s and q’sto be careful, exact, prudent Perhaps from the oldcustom of alehouse tally, marking ‘p’ for pint and ‘q’ for quart,care being necessary to avoid over- or under-charging Whether thesource is in printing, or ‘pints and quarts’, or learning to read, isunknownUK, 1779

pseudnouna pretentious, image-conscious person Usage

popularised by ‘Pseud’s Corner’ in Private Eye magazine UK, 1954

pseudoadjectivepretentious From the conventional prefixUK, 1945

pseudyadjectivepretentious A variation ofPSEUDO UK , 1989

psst; psst!used for attracting someone’s attention discretely

IRELAND, 1922

psychnoun1psychology; psychiatryUS, 1895.2a psychiatrist or

psychadjectivepsychedelic, when used in combination with a type

of music or musicans, e.g ‘psych rock’ or ‘psych band’UK, 2003

psych; psych upverb to use psychological techniques to stimulate,

to enthuse, to exciteUS, 1957

psyche!I fooled you!US, 1990

psychedadjectiveexcited, enthusiasticUS, 1970

psychedelic martininounDMT, a short-lasting hallucinogenUS, 1970

psycher; neo-psychernouna musician or fan of psychedelic rock

or neo-psychodelia FromPSYCH UK , 2003

psychic energizernounan amphetamine or other central nervous

system stimulantUS, 1967

psychonouna psychopath, or someone who is otherwise

psychologically disturbedUS, 1942

psychoadjective1psychiatric or psychologicalUS, 1927.2crazy An

abbreviation of ‘psychopathic’US, 1936

psychobabblenounpsychological and pseudo-psychological jargon

Derogatory Popularised, but not coined, by R.D Rosen in

Psychobabble, 1977 US, 1976

psycho blocknounan area in a prison where the most violent

prisoners are heldUS, 1985

psychopathicnountraffic Rhyming slang, inspired, perhaps, by the

state of mind that you (or the driver behind you) get into when

stuck in trafficUK, 1998

psych outverb1to intimidate someone completely on a

psychologi-cal levelUS, 1994.2to lose your mental composure or stabilityUK,

1971.3to figure out or discover somethingUS, 1978

PTnoun1a woman who promises more sex than she delivers An

abbreviation ofPRICK-TEASER US , 1958.2in sports, playing timeUS, 2001

PTAnouna hasty washing by a female The most common

associ-ation with PTA is the school-support Parent-Teacher Assocassoci-ation

The PTA in question here refers to the woman’s pussy, tits and ass

US, 1971

ptomaine palacenouna restaurant serving inexpensive, low quality

foodUK, 1952

ptomaine wagonnouna catering truckUS, 1937

P-townnicknameProvincetown, MassachusettsUS, 1980

PU!used for registering disgust of anything that smells A jocular

spelling (pronounce each letter) of the two syllable stretching of

‘phew’US, 1960

pubnoun a public house, an inn, a tavern UK, 1859

pub bandnouna band of musicians who play principally in public

hotels Pub rock, an umbrella genre for such bands and their

music, was popular in the UK in the mid-1970s and is seen as the

precursor toPUNK ROCK AUSTRALIA , 1988

pubbernouna publisher, especially of a single-interest fan magazine

US, 1982

pub-crawlnouna drinking session that moves from one licensed

premises to the next, and so on CombinesPUB(a public house,

licensed for the sale of alcohol) with a less-and-less figurative sense

of ‘crawl’UK, 1915

pub-crawlverbto move in a group from one drinking establishment

to the next, drinking at eachUK, 1937

pub dog sexnounan act of sex performed under a pub tableUK, 2001

pubenouna high school girlUS, 1969.< get pubein the

categoris-ation of sexual activity by teenage boys, to touch a girl’s vulvaUS,

1986

pubeadjective pubescent US, 1995

pubesnounpubic hairUS, 1970

pubiesnounpubic hairsUS, 1968

public relationsnouna member of a swindling enterprise who

promotes the swindleUS, 1977

pub petnouna two-litre plastic container for draught beerNEW

pucknoun1in a number of casino games, a disc used to mark apoint or positionUS, 2003.2car brake padUS, 1993

puckernounthe anusUS, 1995

pucker factornounthe degree of fear or anxiety From the image ofthe sphincter tightening in a frightening situationUS, 1982

puckerooadjectiveuseless, brokenNEW ZEALAND, 2002

pucker paintnounlipstick Teen slangCANADA, 1946

pucker palacenouna drive-in cinema High school student usage

US, 1961

pucker upverb1to tighten your rectal and anal musclesUS, 1972.

2to behave sycophanticallyUK, 2000

pudnouna puddingUK, 1943.< pound your pud; pull your pud; pull your pudding(of a male) to masturbateUK, 1944

puddingnoun1moneyUS, 1993.2the penis The abbreviation ‘pud’does not appear until the 1930sUK, 1719

pudding and gravy; the puddingnounthe Royal Navy RhymingslangUK, 1961

pudding-basinnouna hairstyle that looks as though a basin hasbeen inverted over the head and the hair cut up to the rim of thebasinUK, 1951

pudding clubnoun< in the pudding clubpregnantUK, 1890

pudding wagonnounin circus and carnival usage, a frozen custardtruckUS, 1981

puddlenouna generous dose of liquid LSDUS, 1994

puddle aboutverbto busy yourself doing nothingNEW ZEALAND, 1984

puddle-jumpernoun1a small plane making a relatively shortjourneyUS, 1961.2in trucking, a lightweight truckUS, 1971

puddy tatnouna cat From the Looney Tunes cartoons withSylvester the cat and Tweety Bird, with Tweety Bird’s constantmantra of ‘I taut I taw a puddy-tat’ (I thought I saw a pussy cat)US, 1986

pudgenouna short squat person; anything short and thick;someone who is overweight A probable variant ofPODGE(a shortand fat person)UK, 1999

pudgyadjectiveshort and fatUK, 1836

pud pullernouna male masturbatorUS, 1990

pudwappernouna male masturbator; hence, a despicable person.Combines ‘pud ’(the penis) with ‘W(h)ap’ (to hit)US, 1988

puffnoun1a homosexual man; a weak, effeminate man Pejorative;probably a variation ofPOOF UK , 1902.2marijuana FromPUFF(tosmoke marijuana) Also variant ‘puffy’UK, 1987.3breath A puff ofwindUK, 2001.4existence; life-spanUK, 1921.5a charge of explosives

US, 1949.< on your puffon your own, aloneUK, 1995

puffverbto smoke marijuanaUK, 1996.< puff the dragon; puff the magic dragon1to smoke marijuana ‘Puff, The MagicDragon’, 1963, a song by Peter, Paul and Mary, is, according to apopular myth, about smoking marijuana or a weapon of war –nothing in the lyric sustains this but nevertheless the songinspired this term, 1998.2to perform oral sex on a man Plays on

DRAGON(the penis) and the song ‘Puff, The Magic Dragon’US, 2001

puffa; puffa jacketnounan extravagantly bulky jacket generallymade of lightweight synthetic materials Surely coined bymarketing experts to account for the fashion-garment’s puffed-upappearanceUK, 1991

puff and dartnounin the dice game crown and anchor, a heart.Rhyming slang, probably dating from about 1860 but first recorded

in 1936UK, 1936

puff and dragnouna cigarette Rhyming slang forFAG UK , 1992

puffedadjectiveexhaustedNEW ZEALAND, 1984

puffernoun1a marijuana smokerUK, 2002.2a crack cocaine userUS,

1994.3in drag racing and hot rodding, a superchargerUS, 1968

puff-juicenounmen’s toiletries Based onPUFF(a male homosexual)

UK, 2001

Puff the Magic Dragon; Puffnicknamea C-47 aircraft modified as