Historical Dictionary of American Slang

A • B • C • D • E • F • G • H •  I  • J • K • L • M • N • O • P • Q • R • S • T • U • V • W • X • Y • Z

296 Results in B (You are getting Full results. Get Clean Results for "B")

• babbage
  
  ( adj ) Fake. That Rolex is just babbage.
  1990s
• baby
  
  ( n ) Affectionate term of address for either sex. Come on, baby, let's go home.
  1940s
• baby
  
  ( n ) Sweetheart. She's my baby and I'd do anything for her.
  1920s
• baby-doll
  
  ( int ) Female appellation. Come on, baby doll, let's go home.
  1940s
• bad
  
  ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. Wow, that was really a bad movie; I loved it.
  1970s
• bad business
  
  ( np ) Trouble. You didn't get any financial aid? That's bad business.
  1940s
• bad news
  
  ( np ) Trouble. Stay away from this guy; he's bad news.
  1940s
• badass
  
  ( n ) A tough guy. Fred thinks that he is a badass but underneath he is just a sweetie.
  1950s
• badical
  
  ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. Dude, that move was badical.
  1990s
• bag
  
  ( n ) Favorite thing. What's your bag, man? Let's see if we have anything in common.
  1960s
• bag
  
  ( n ) Problem. What's your bag, man? Get off my back.
  1990s
• bag
  
  ( v ) To miss, to not attend. Let's bag biology today and go to the library instead.
  1970s
• bag
  
  ( v ) To steal, take. Who bagged my bike?
  1980s
• bail
  
  ( v ) To leave. This party's a drag; let's bail.
  1990s
• bail (on)
  
  ( v ) Give up on. I'm not going to bail on you when you are in trouble.
  1970s
• ball
  
  ( n ) Great fun. Her class is a ball.
  1950s
• ball
  
  ( v ) To flaunt money or wealth. Check out his Mercedes; he's just balling.
  1990s
• ball-and-chain
  
  ( n ) Marriage. I'm too young to put on the ball-and-chain.
  1980s
• balled up
  
  ( adj ) Confused. Rodney's all balled up; he doesn't know if he is coming or going.
  1920s
• ballistic
  
  ( adj ) Out of control. Frieda went ballistic when she heard she was rejected from Harvard.
  1980s
• baloney
  
  ( n ) Nonsense! That's a lot of baloney and you know it! None of it is true.
  1920s
• bananas
  
  ( adj ) Crazy, insane. The guy went bananas when I asked him to leave.
  1930s
• bang
  
  ( n ) A party. They had a big bang at his place last night.
  1980s
• bang
  
  ( n ) Fun, pleasure. I get a bang out of bungee jumping.
  1930s
• bang-up
  
  ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. We had a bang-up time at the party last night.
  1810s
• bang-up
  
  ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. We had a bang-up time at the party last night.
  1819s
• banging
  
  ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. Her body was banging! The new Lexus is banging!
  1990s
• bank
  
  ( n ) Money. He has all the bank he needs.
  1990s
• barf
  
  ( v, n ) To vomit. He barfed all over the seat of the airplane.
  1950s
• bark up the wrong tree
  
  ( vp ) Make a mistake, error. If you think I'm going to help you, you're barking up the wrong tree.
  1830s
• barnburner
  
  ( n ) Highly successful event. Boy, that concert last night was a real barnburner.
  1970s
• barnburner
  
  ( n ) A person or organization that overreacts, throws the baby out with the bathwater. That Congress was a barnburner that tried to reduce oppressive regulations by removing them all.
  1840s
• barnburner
  
  ( n ) A highly successful event. The poetry reading turned out to be a real barnburner!
  1970s
• barnstorm
  
  ( v ) To make a tour of rural areas. President Clinton was barnstorming for his wife's presidential campaign.
  1840s
• bash
  
  ( n ) A drunken spree. He went out on a bash last night and is pretty sick today.
  1900s
• bash
  
  ( n ) A party. Melanie had a great bash at her house last night.
  1950s
• bash
  
  ( n ) A try, an attempt. Move back and let me have a bash at it.
  1930s
• baste
  
  ( v ) To insult. Maureen really basted me for no reason at all.
  1990s
• baste
  
  ( v ) To thrash soundly. If you call me a wuss again, I'll give you a basting you'll never forget!
  1530s
• baste
  
  ( v ) To beat soundly. Manly basted Ben Dover one up beside the head.
  1530s
• bats
  
  ( adj ) Crazy, insane. You're completely bats if you think I'll lend you $5.
  1930s
• be history
  
  ( vp ) Defunct, gone, finished. If you are late for work one more time, you are history.
  1970s
• be-bop
  
  ( n ) A dance to fast big band jazz. Harry James was playing and everyone be-bopped till midnight.
  1940s
• bear
  
  ( n ) A patrolman or security guard. Something is going on in Ferket Hall; I just saw two bears go in.
  1970s
• bearcat
  
  ( n ) A sexy or seductive woman. Man, that Cindy Lou is a lot of fun! What a bearcat that woman is!
  1920s
• beat
  
  ( adj ) Bad or in bad condition. That party was kind of beat, don't you think.
  1990s
• beat
  
  ( adj ) Tired, exhausted. After working all day I am really beat.
  1940s
• beat
  
  ( adj ) Turned off, exiled, underground. The Beat Generation and its beatniks withdrew from society because they were beat.
  1950s
• beat
  
  ( n ) Policeman's patrol area. My old man walked a beat for 20 years.
  1720s
• beat
  
  ( v ) Stump, be incomprehensible. It beats me how Snerdley pays for the gas for that car of his.
  1910s
• beat all
  
  ( vp ) Be outrageous. Doesn't that beat all?
  1930s
• beat feet
  
  ( vp ) To leave. Let's beat feet out of here.
  2000s
• beat it
  
  ( v ) To leave. When the cops drove up, we had to beat it.
  1910s
• beat one's gums
  
  ( vp ) To talk. We were just sitting around, beating our gums about nothing.
  1920s
• beatnik
  
  ( n ) Member of the counterculture. He is a beatnik who hangs around the underground coffee shops downtown.
  1950s
• bee
  
  ( n ) A frisbee. Hey, let's hit the quad and throw the bee.
  1980s
• bee's knees
  
  ( np ) Something excellent, outstanding. Mavis, that new perfume you got is the bee's knees!
  1920s
• beef
  
  ( n ) A disagreement, argument. After we ignored Jim we had a beef with his whole crew.
  1940s
• beef
  
  ( n ) A complaint. Why are you complaining? What's your beef?
  1920s
• beef
  
  ( v ) To complain. Stop beefing about the curfew; you can't do anything about it.
  1920s
• beefcake
  
  ( n ) Well-proportioned male. Alan Ladd was considered beefcake in his time.
  1950s
• Beemer
  
  ( n ) A BMW car. He just bought a new Beemer to drive to work in.
  1980s
• beeswax
  
  ( n ) Business. What's my name? None of your beeswax.
  1920s
• behind the 8 ball
  
  ( pp ) In trouble; disliked by someone. I forgot Mavis's birthday and now I'm behind the 8 ball.
  1930s
• bell-bottom
  
  ( n ) A sailor. She has dated every bell-bottom in San Diego.
  1920s
• bell-bottomed
  
  ( adj ) Flared at the end (pants). In those days all sailors wore bell-bottomed trousers.
  1890s
• bench
  
  ( v ) Remove from action. He was benched during the basketball playoffs.
  1950s
• bender
  
  ( n ) A drinking spree. Every Monday Lucien comes home from a weekend bender.
  1940s
• Benjamin
  
  ( n ) A one-hundred dollar bill. Hey, loan me one of those Benjamins until payday.
  1970s
• bent
  
  ( adj ) Angry, mad. Calm down; don't get so bent (out of shape).
  1970s
• bent
  
  ( adj ) Drunk or high on drugs. Jack got bent last night at that party.
  1990s
• bent
  
  ( adj ) Upset, angry. After being bent for so many years, Barry is now a broken man.
  1930s
• bent eight
  
  ( np ) A V-8 engine. He thinks he's hot in his new bent eight.
  1960s
• bent out of shape
  
  ( ap ) Upset, angry. Don't get so bent out of shape.
  1960s
• betty
  
  ( n ) A girl. Elizabeth is nothing special; just another betty.
  1990s
• betty
  
  ( n ) A man who does a woman's work. Aw, you don't want to take a betty like him to the fights.
  1850s
• bi
  
  ( adj ) Bisexual. I don't think he's gay; just bi.
  1960s
• big cheese
  
  ( np ) An important person. He thinks that he is a big cheese just because he has a new Oldsmobile.
  1920s
• big daddy
  
  ( np ) An older person. Preston is the big daddy I tell my troubles to.
  1950s
• Big deal!
  
  ( int ) An interjection of dismissal. You sold your car for $500. Big deal! I got $750 for mine.
  1950s
• big gun
  
  ( np ) An important person. The president brought two big guns to the meeting.
  1830s
• big mouth
  
  ( np ) A talkative person. Shut up! You really have a big mouth.
  1880s
• big shot
  
  ( np ) An important person. He thinks that he is a big shot just because he drives around in a Caddie.
  1920s
• big six
  
  ( np ) A strong man. He's a big six in my book any day.
  1920s
• big wheel
  
  ( np ) An important person. Stan thinks that he is a big wheel just because his dad owns the bank.
  1950s
• biggie
  
  ( n ) Something important. It's just ice cream you spilled on my blouse, Marge, no biggie.
  1980s
• bilk
  
  ( v ) To swindle or cheat. The corporate executives bilked their employees out of millions of dollars.
  1670s
• bill and coo
  
  ( v ) To hug and kiss. Don't you just love to bill and coo with your girl on the beach?
  1930s
• bimbo
  
  ( n ) A mistress. Estelle's mother left her dad when she found him fooling around with some Italian bimbo.
  1960s
• bimbo
  
  ( n ) A tough guy. Max is just another bimbo who goes around trying to pick fights in bars.
  1910s
• bird
  
  ( n ) An eccentric. You never know what that old bird is going to do next.
  1920s
• biscuits
  
  ( n ) Dirty, worn-out shoes. Look at that boy's biscuits.
  1990s
• bit
  
  ( n ) An act, a part in something. I did my bit for the recovery effort when I helped clean out flood victims' houses.
  1960s
• bitching
  
  ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. She just got a real bitching car.
  1980s
• bite
  
  ( v ) To be bad. This job bites.
  1990s
• biz
  
  ( n ) Business. Well, that's show biz.
  1940s
• blab
  
  ( v ) To inform or tattle. Fritz blabbed to my parents about the other night.
  1600s
• blabbermouth
  
  ( n ) Someone who talks too much. That blabbermouth told my girlfriend that he saw me with another girl.
  1930s
• black-and-white
  
  ( n ) Police car. He was surprised to see his house surrounded by black-and-whites when he arrived home.
  1940s
• blackhead
  
  ( n ) Pimple. His beard is coming out now and his blackheads are going away.
  1950s
• blah
  
  ( adj ) Apathetic, indifferent. I feel so blah after taking five midterms in one day.
  1940s
• blamed
  
  ( int ) Emphatic adjective. Hey, get your blamed hand off me!
  1830s
• blamed
  
  ( adj ) Emphatic adjective (substitute for damn). Don't give me none of your blamed lame-brained excuses.
  1840s
• blast
  
  ( n ) A great time, something hilarious. We had a blast at Harriet's last night.
  1970s
• blast
  
  ( v ) To shoot. I don't have anything to do with the mob; that's a good way to get yourself blasted.
  1940s
• blasted
  
  ( adj ) Accursed. That blasted car of his never starts when he needs it.
  1680s
• blasted
  
  ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. She was so blaster she couldn't tell her right hand from her left.
  1970s
• blasted
  
  ( adj ) Emphatic adjective (substitute for damn). I wish Alonzo would keep his blasted nose out of my business.
  1680s
• blessed
  
  ( adj ) Emphatic adjective. He didn't say a blessed word all night.
  1800s
• blimp
  
  ( n ) A very fat person. I hate to have a blimp sitting next to me when I fly.
  1930s
• blind date
  
  ( np ) A date you have never met before. The bonehead never went out on blind dates because he thought they were with girls who couldn't see.
  1920s
• bling
  
  ( n ) Glitter from so much jewelry. Check you out all the bling on David tonight.
  1990s
• bling-bling
  
  ( n ) Lots of jewelry or luxury in general. Did you see all the bling-bling in Donald Trump's house on TV?
  1980s
• blitzed
  
  ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. He was so blitzed he couldn't find his shoes.
  1950s
• blivet
  
  ( n ) Something unimportant or indescribable. We need a blivet to get this thing to work and I have no idea what kind.
  1940s
• blizzie
  
  ( n ) Marijuana cigarette. Fire up that blizzie, man.
  1970s
• block baller
  
  ( np ) Big time dealer. He faces a long term; he was a block baller.
  1990s
• blockhead
  
  ( n ) A stupid or foolish person. Don't let that blockhead hold the money; he'll lose it for sure.
  1550s
• blog
  
  ( n ) A web log, a web journal. He keeps a blog on his website.
  1990s
• blonde moment
  
  ( np ) A stupid act or move. Don't mind me, I'm having a blonde moment.
  1990s
• blood
  
  ( n ) Friendship. I don't do anything without him; we're blood.
  1980s
• blow
  
  ( v ) To leave. I'm going to blow out of here now.
  1950s
• blow
  
  ( v ) To waste, lose. He blew all his money gambling.
  1940s
• blow a fuse
  
  ( vp ) Lose your temper. Hey, don't blow a fuse.
  1940s
• blow away
  
  ( v ) Greatly impress someone. I was blown away by his donation of a million dollars.
  1960s
• blow away
  
  ( v ) To defeat roundly. We blew the competition away.
  1970s
• blow off
  
  ( v ) To defeat in competition. We blew off the other team 98-54.
  1970s
• blow off
  
  ( v ) To fail miserably. I hear she blew off Chem 374.
  1960s
• blow off
  
  ( v ) To skip, to not attend. I think I blew off bio a few times too many.
  1980s
• blow the doors off
  
  ( vp ) To easily beat another car in a race. He blew the doors off that stone of Benny's.
  1970s
• blow your cool
  
  ( vp ) Get angry, mad. Calm down, girl, don't blow your cool.
  1960s
• blowhard
  
  ( n ) A talkative braggart. That old blowhard thinks he won the Korean War single-handedly.
  1850s
• blue
  
  ( adj ) Sad, depressed. What's wrong, Meg? You look a little blue.
  1550s
• bluenose
  
  ( n ) A puritanical person, a prude. The party was filled with so many prudes and bluenoses nobody had any fun.
  1920s
• blues
  
  ( n ) Depression, melancholy. Her boyfriend left her singing the blues
  1910s
• bob
  
  ( adj ) To shorten. Why to they bob the tails of some dogs?
  1750s
• bobo
  
  ( n ) Bad, of poor quality. Not up to standard. That shirt is bobo.
  1980s
• boff
  
  ( v ) To have sex with. [Use your imagination].
  1970s
• boff
  
  ( v ) To hit. He gets into trouble at home when he boffs his brother.
  1930s
• bogart
  
  ( v ) To hog something. Don't bogart that joint, my friend.
  1970s
• bogus
  
  ( adj ) Bad, unfair. That exam was totally bogus.
  1970s
• bogus
  
  ( adj ) False, fake. They caught him passing bogus money.
  1830s
• bojangle
  
  ( v ) To act crazy. She's straight bojangling when she tries out for modeling jobs.
  1990s
• bomb
  
  ( n ) Something bad or cheap. The movie was a bomb.
  1990s
• bomb-diggity
  
  ( adj ) Extremely cool or interesting. The bomb-diggity chick walked by my locker.
  1980s
• bombed
  
  ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. The driver of the car was bombed.
  1950s
• bomby
  
  ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. It was a bomby party, man.
  1990s
• bon-diggity
  
  ( adj ) Attractive; good-looking. You are so bon-diggity.
  1990s
• bone
  
  ( v ) To have sex with. [Use your imagination].
  1980s
• bone (up)
  
  ( v ) To study hard. I can't go anywhere tonight; I have to bone (up) for my chemistry test.
  1849s
• bone yard
  
  ( np ) A junk yard. I found a good set of mud flaps at the bone yard.
  1960s
• bonehead
  
  ( n ) A stupid or foolish person. That bonehead let the air out of his own tires!.
  1900s
• boner
  
  ( n ) A mistake, an error I must have pulled a real boner on the test; I flunked it.
  1910s
• boner
  
  ( n ) An erection. I get a boner every time Maureen comes into the room.
  1960s
• boner
  
  ( n ) A mistake, an error I think buying part interest in the Brooklyn Bridge was the biggest boner you've ever made.
  1910s
• boner
  
  ( n ) An erection. Roscoe can't help getting boners in chemistry.
  1960s
• bones
  
  ( n ) Dice. Seven come eleven! Throw those bones, man!
  1620s
• bones
  
  ( n ) Money. I don't have enough bones to go anywhere.
  1990s
• bong
  
  ( n ) A marijuana pipe. He either has either been puffing his bong or someone has gone bong! with something on his head.
  1960s
• bonkers
  
  ( adj ) Crazy, insane. That noise they call music is driving me bonkers.
  1940s
• boo
  
  ( n ) A boyfriend or girlfriend. Keep your hands off my boo , girl!
  1990s
• boo
  
  ( n ) Marijuana. He just came back from Mexico with a load of boo.
  1950s
• boo
  
  ( n ) Nothing. That threat of his doesn't mean boo.
  1960s
• boo-boo
  
  ( n ) A mistake, error. If you make another boo-boo like that, you won't have a job.
  1950s
• boocoo
  
  ( adj ) Much, a lot. I don't have boocoo time to help you with that.
  1920s
• boocoos
  
  ( n ) A large amount. I had boocoos of money before the market crashed.
  1920s
• booger
  
  ( n ) A bit of dried nasal mucus. Hey, Jeremiah, you have a booger hanging from your nose.
  1920s
• booger
  
  ( n ) A brat, a rascal. I gave the little booger $5 to put gas in my car and he spent it on his girl.
  1940s
• booger
  
  ( n ) A disgusting female. I can't believe you went out with that booger.
  1980s
• boogie
  
  ( v ) To dance wildly to the late 60s style of rock (from the boogie-woogie of the late 30s and 40s). I love this music; let's boogie.
  1960s
• boogie
  
  ( v ) To leave. The witching hour is coming up; let's boogie to it.
  1980s
• boogie-woogie
  
  ( n ) Jazz of the 30s and 40s. Boogie-woogie is really cutting the rug!
  1930s
• book
  
  ( v ) To drive fast. He was booking over a 100 when they caught him.
  1980s
• book
  
  ( v ) To leave. I've got to get home; let's book.
  1990s
• book
  
  ( v ) To register an arrest. They just booked Rusty for forging checks.
  1940s
• book
  
  ( v ) To study hard. I have to get to the library and book the rest of the night.
  1960s
• boondocks
  
  ( n ) An isolated place in the country. He lives somewhere out in the boondocks.
  1940s
• boondoggle
  
  ( n ) A con game, a deceitful transaction. Government contracts are often thinly veiled boondoggles.
  1930s
• boondoggle
  
  ( n ) A gadget, especially something braided from leather. Cowboys often spent their free time making boondoggles for their saddles.
  1850s
• boondoggle
  
  ( v ) To swindle or cheat. Heathcliff was boondoggled into selling his car for half of its value.
  1930s
• boone
  
  ( v ) To swindle or betray. Don't trust him; he'llboone you every time.
  1990s
• boone
  
  ( n ) Traitor, betrayer. Don't trust him; he's a boone.
  1990s
• boost
  
  ( v ) To make happy, pleasantly surprise. He was boosted when he got an A on math.
  1990s
• boost
  
  ( v ) To steal. I think he boosted those sneakers.
  1950s
• booster
  
  ( n ) A strong supporter. She is a big booster of the high school football team.
  1890s
• boot
  
  ( n ) Dismissal from work. I hear Ken got the boot at work today.
  1880s
• boot
  
  ( n ) Someone of legal age who buys liquor for minors. Francis is my regular boot but I know others when I'm thirsty.
  1990s
• boot
  
  ( v ) To fire. They booted Ken today; he is out of a job.
  1880s
• boot
  
  ( v ) To vomit. Watch out! Looks like she's going to boot.
  1970s
• bootie
  
  ( n ) The buttocks. She has a good figure with a nice bootie.
  1970s
• bootleg
  
  ( n ) Bad, unfair. That test was totally bootleg.
  1980s
• bootleg
  
  ( adj ) Illegal, smuggled. His dad made enough money running bootleg liquor to open a bank before Prohibition ended.
  1920s
• bootsie
  
  ( n ) Bad, no good. Man, that teacher is bootsie.
  1990s
• booty
  
  ( n ) Bad, unfair. An 11 o'clock curfew? Man, that's booty!
  1990s
• booty
  
  ( n ) Stolen goods or money. The hijackers hid their booty in the boot of the car.
  1470s
• booty
  
  ( n ) The buttocks. Scope out the booty on that chick!
  1950s
• booze
  
  ( n ) Liquor.