A Historical Dictionary of American Slang

cactus

( n ) Something doomed. When I get up with him, he's cactus!

2000s

cake

( adj ) Easy, simple. I didn't need to study so hard for that test. It was cake or a cake course.

1970s

call

( n ) Prediction, interpretation. The weatherman made a good call about when the storm would come.

1950s

call on the carpet

( vp ) To scold, chastise. The third time Winfred was late for work the boss called him out on the carpet.

1900s

call-girl

( n ) A prostitute who makes appointments by telephone. Miriam was a call-girl before she became a guidance counselor.

1940s

can

( n ) A bathroom or toilet. Do you know where the can is around here?

1950s

can

( n ) Jail or prison. Grady just got out of the can and is on parole.

1940s

can

( v ) To fire. She talked back to the boss and got canned.

1900s

can of corn

( n ) Something easy. That test was a can of corn.

1990s

cancer stick

( n ) A cigarette. Hey, man, don't light up that cancer stick.

1960s

candy

( n ) An extremely good looking guy or girl. What a nice couple! They are pure candy.

1980s

candyass

( n ) A weak, indecisive person. Get that candy-ass out of here; he can't do anything right.

1970s

canned

( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. The woman is canned; have her husband take her home.

1920s

canoodle

( v ) To hug and kiss. Their parents caught them canoodling in the living room.

1850s

cap

( n ) A bullet. I have piece but no caps.

1980s

cap

( v ) To capture or arrest. If you don't quiet down, I'll have to cap you.

1580s

cap

( n ) To punch someone in the face. Slow down or I'll cap you one.

1990s

cap

( v ) To shoot. They said they were going to cap that guy.

1980s

caper

( n ) A crime. Sturgeon thought he was a master mind but the cops caught up with him after 4 or 5 capers.

1920s

caramello

( adj ) Busy, with a full schedule. I can't go to the mall today; I am totally caramello all afternoon.

1990s

carry a torch

( vp ) To love someone. Maxwell's carrying a torch for Madeleine.

1920s

cash

( v ) To use up, finish off. We cashed a 12-pack of Mountain Dew before he came over.

1980s

cat

( n ) A spiteful woman or prostitute. His wife is a cat who makes his life miserable.

1670s

cat

( n ) A guy. He was a real cool cat.

1950s

cat's meow

( np ) Something excellent, outstanding. Wow, Kathleen! That new hat is the cat's meow.

1920s

cat's pajamas

( np ) Something excellent, outstanding. I hear LaVern's new Duisenberg is the cat's pajamas.

1920s

catch feelings

( vp ) To get an attitude. Just because she was talking to your boo, don't go catching feelings.

1990s

catch some rays

( vp ) To sunbathe. I'm going to lie on the beach and catch some rays.

1960s

catch some z's

( vp ) To sleep. I need to catch some Z's before I go on my trip.

1960s

catty

( adj ) Spiteful. She made a catty remark that upset Linda.

1950s

certifiable

( adj ) Crazy, insane. Stay away from that woman; she's 100 percent certifiable.

1930s

cha

( int ) Whatever; as if. Go out with that dork? Cha!

1990s

chanky

( adj ) Disgusting, nasty, ugly. Who was that chanky chick I saw you with last night?

2000s

chariot

( n ) Car. That old chariot of his won't make it to San Francisco.

1950s

chassis

( n ) The female figure. She is a lovely lady with a classy chassis.

1920s

chauncy

( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. Your new jersey is chauncy!

1990s

cheaters

( n ) Eyeglasses. He can't see past the end of his nose without his cheaters.

1920s

check out

( v ) Look at, examine. Check out that shorty over there.

1950s

check out

( v ) To leave. It's time for us to check out, Suzy; there's a funny smell in the air.

1950s

cheddar

( n ) Money. No wonder he is always happy; that fellow has phat cheddar.

1990s

cheese

( n ) Money. That cat right there makes some serious cheese.

1980s

cheese

( v ) To smile. Don't look so down, man, cheese me one.

1990s

cheese-balled

( adj ) To be under a great deal of stress. I was pretty cheese-balled over final exams.

1990s

cheesecake

( n ) Photography of well-proportioned women. Betty Grable was a popular piece of cheesecake during World War II.

1930s

cheesy

( adj ) Cheap. That is really a cheesy looking outfit.

1940s

cherry

( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. That new rod of James's is pure cherry.

1960s

cherry

( n ) Something excellent, outstanding. That new rod of James's is a real cherry.

1960s

chew out

( v ) To scold, chastise. Dad's going to chew you out when he sees the dent in the car.

1940s

chew the fat

( vp ) To spend time talking. We were just chilling, chewing the fat.

1890s

chew the rag

( vp ) To spend time talking. Let's just spend the evening at home and chew the rag.

1880s

chicken

( n ) Coward. Don't be a chicken.

1940s

chicken out

( v ) To back out from cowardice. We were going to do some bungee jumping but my mom chickened out.

1940s

chief

( n ) A big shot. He thinks he's the chief but he's just another nobody.

1950s

chill

( v ) To relax, take it easy. Chill out, man; don't let them get you riled.

1970s

chill

( v ) Spend time with talking. We're just going to chill at my place after class.

1980s

chill out

( v ) To relax, take it easy. Chill out, man; don't let them get you riled.

1980s

chillax

( v ) Spend time with talking. I was just chillaxing with the homies.

1990s

chintzy

( adj ) Cheap. That really was a chintzy present you got him.

1930s

chips

( n ) Money. I have to find a job somewhere because I need chips badly.

1990s

chisel

( v ) To swindle or cheat The bum chiseled me out of $100!

1800s

chizzil

( v ) To relax, take it easy. What are you doing? Ah, nothing. I'm just chizziling.

1990s

choice

( adj ) Really cool, hot, attractive. That girl with the tight sweater is really choice.

1340s

choke

( v ) To panic and be unable to function. Don't choke. We've still got time to study for the final.

1950s

chonies

( n ) Underpants. My chonies were riding up all day.

1990s

chop

( n ) A personal musical phrase used by a jazz musician. He not only has some great chord progressions, but his chops are out of sight.

1960s

chop

( v ) To break down and sell the parts of a car. He worked in a chop shop until the police raided it.

1970s

chop

( v ) To criticize. I got chopped for scratching my brother's bike.

1990s

chopper

( n ) A customized motorcycle. On weekends Lawrence rides the highways with a herd of guys on choppers.

1980s

chopper

( n ) A helicopter. Melvin always takes a chopper to the airport.

1970s

chopper

( n ) Tooth. My dad's teeth were bad but he bought a new set of choppers last week.

1940s

chops

( n ) Jaws, mouth. His chops are moving constantly.

1610s

chow

( n ) Food. The chow in that restaurant is crappola.

1850s

chow down

( v ) To eat. I need to find a place to chow down.

1950s

chowderhead

( n ) A stupid or foolish person. Lorenz is such a chowderhead he calls his friends 'bra' not 'bro'.

1830s

chrome-dome

( np ) A bald guy (offensive). The old chrome dome told me that grass doesn't grow where there is a lot going on.

1940s

chrome-plated

( adj ) Dressed up. Madeleine came to the party chrome-plated.

1980s

chuck up

( v ) To vomit. He chucked up most of his dinner on the porch.

1940s

chump

( n ) A stupid or foolish person. The poor chump can't get a date for the big dance.

1860s

chump-change

( n ) A small amount of money. $50 for this board? Man, that's chump-change.

1960s

chumpy

( n ) Something excellent, outstanding. That was a not just a good movie; it was the chumpy.

1990s

church key

( np ) Can or bottle opener. I need to open a Coke; does anyone have a church key?

1950s

circle

( v ) To marry. I hear Heddie and Clyde got circled last week.

1990s

circus wagon

( np ) A car with an outlandish paint job. Hey, man, you have to repaint this circus wagon.

1960s

clam

( n ) A dollar. Hey, this suit cost me 20 clams!

1920s

class act

( n ) An excellent, outstanding person. My best buddy is a class act.

1970s

classy chassis

( np ) Great female figure. She is a sassy lassie with a classy chassis.

1950s

clean

( adj ) OK, alright. Have you seen his new wheels? They are clean, man.

2000s

clean-shaven

( adj ) Upright, straight, dependable. Why don't you run around with some clean-shaven kids instead of those punk rockers?

1960s

clear off

( v ) To leave. Clear off and don't come back!

1820s

clear out

( v ) To leave. I don't like it here; I'm going to clear out

1850s

clink

( n ) Jail or prison. You had better clean up your act or you will end up in the clink.

1770s

clip

( v ) To steal. He clips something every time he goes into a store.

1920s

clip

( v ) To kill. Da god fadda wants we should clip Johhny Two-Faces tonight.

1940s

clock

( v ) To hit. Fred, you had better chill with that or I'm going to clock you in the grill.

1980s

clod

( n ) A clumsy, unsophisticated person from the country. That new guy is a clod straight from the country.

1700s

clod

( n ) A stupid or foolish person. What a clod Broderick is; he hasn't the sense to come in out of the rain.

1990s

clodhopper

( n ) A clumsy, unsophisticated person from the country. There are days when I think we have nothing but clodhoppers in the office.

1820s

clodhopper

( n ) Heavy, coarse work shoes. Malcolm! Get your muddy clodhoppers out of my kitchen!

1830s

close call

( np ) Near catastrophe, very dangerous situation. Buffy had a close call with the police when she ran a stoplight.

1870s

clothes horse

( n ) Someone obsessed with clothing. Maureen is a clothes horse who spends most of her life shopping.

1850s

clown

( v ) To make fun of. Man, are you trying to clown on me?

1990s

clue in

( v ) Let someone in on something. Are you going to clue me in on what your plans are for tonight?

1970s

clueless

( adj ) Having no idea what is going on. Don't rely on Bunny, she is clueless.

1960s

clunker

( n ) A old, beat-up car. I can't go on a date in that old clunker.

1950s

clutch

( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. That chocolate cake you brought to the office was clutch.

1990s

Clyde

( n ) Term of address for males. Let it slide, Clyde; it isn't that important.

1950s

coals

( n ) Cigarette. Be careful you don't sit on my coals.

1980s

coins

( n ) Money. It's going to take some serious coins to get us into that concert.

1980s

cold

( adj ) Unemotional. I find Phillip rather cold.

1170s

cold

( adv ) Completely, immediately. Marguerite stopped Paul cold with her question.

1900s

cold

( adj ) That is no longer or can no longer be pursued. After 24 hours, all the leads in the case were cold.

1940s

cold fish

( np ) An unresponsive person. My date for the dance was such a cold fish I left without him.

1940s

collar

( v ) To capture or arrest. I knew they would collar the robber sooner or later.

1970s

come onto

( vp ) To flirt with, try to seduce. He came onto me but I wasn't interested.

1960s

come up for air

( vp ) Take a break. He has to come up for air or he will die from exhaustion.

1970s

come up on

( vp ) To steal. I'm fixing to come up on that pack of chocolate muffins.

1990s

comeuppance

( n ) Just reward. I hope Wimplesnatch gets his comeuppance for cheating all those people.

1850s

commodore

( n ) A slow computer. I'll never finish my assignment on this commodore!

1980s

communist

( adj ) Stupid or foolish. Man, this test is so communist.

1990s

con

( v ) To swindle or cheat. Don't try to con me.

1880s

confuddle

( v ) To confuse, befuddle. Oh, Buffy, all these figures just confuddle me! I don't know if I have enough money for a movie or not.

2000s

conk

( v ) To hit. I think a brick must have fallen and conked Fuzzy on the noggin.

1920s

conk

( v ) To hit. He threw the brick straight up in the air and when it came down, it conked him on the noggin.

1820s

conversate

( v ) To converse. I saw Mick and Jagger standing on the corner conversating a minute ago.

2000s

cook

( v ) To do something right. Now, you're cooking! Keep on doing it that way.

1950s

cook with gas

( vp ) To do something right. As soon as he got the grip on his golf clubs right, he was cooking with gas.

1940s

cook your goose

( vp ) Get you in trouble. As soon as he opened his mouth, he cooked his own goose.

1840s

cookie

( n ) Guy or gal. He's a tough cookie.

1940s

cookie-cutter

( adj ) Identical. The twins wear cookie-cutter clothes all the time.

1960s

cool

( adj ) Slow, romantic (music). I like my jazz cool, not hot.

1950s

cool

( adj ) Knowledgeable about the current scene. Jed is cool, man, you can talk to him.

1950s

cool

( adj ) OK, alright. I'm cool with that.

1950s

cool

( adj ) All told, every bit of. He made a cool million (dollars) in the animal waste business.

1720s

cool

( v ) To kill. The mob cooled him a year or so ago.

1930s

cool beans

( np ) Amazing, incredible. Man, that her apple pie is cool beans, I mean, really!

1970s

cool down

( v ) To calm down. Things should cool down in a day or two.

1940s

cool head

( np ) Someone in control. Look, the boat is sinking. We need a cool head in charge.

1950s

cool it

( vp ) To calm down. If you guys don't cool it, the neighbors are going to complain.

1960s

coolio

( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. Her new bikini is coolio, dog.

2000s

cootie

( n ) A body louse. I wouldn't go out with him; they say he has cooties.

1910s

cop

( n ) A policeman. The cop showed me his badge.

1940s

cop

( v ) To steal. How did you get the road sign? I copped it.

1870s

cop out

( v ) To give up or give in. We were going to do some bungee jumping but mom copped out.

1960s

copacetic

( adj ) OK, alright. Everything between me and my baby is copacetic.

1920s

copper

( n ) Policeman. Where are the coppers when you need one?

1840s

corked

( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. Lorimar is too corked to go home alone.

1920s

corker

( n ) Something excellent, outstanding. Boy, that storm last night was a real corker, wasn't it?

1880s

couch potato

( np ) A lazy person who watches too much TV. He is a couch potato.

1970s

couch-surf

( v ) To sleep on different couches each night. Hey man, where you staying? Dude, I'm couch surfing right now.

1980s

cow

( n ) A fit. When she saw the damage to her car, she had a cow.

1950s

cow

( n ) An obnoxious or misfortunate woman. Poor cow, having to live with that man.

1860s

cow college

( np ) An agricultural college. He grew up on a farm and went to a cow college when he graduated from high school.

1950s

cowboy up

( v ) To get strong, tough. Bo Dega cowboyed up at the bar last night and left with a black eye.

2000s

crack

( adj ) Expert. Jeremy was a crack reporter for the Chronicle for years.

1800s

crack open

( vp ) To open a bottle. Let's crack open a bottle for his birthday.

1940s

crack up

( ap ) Praise, be reputed. Rhoda isn't all she is cracked up to be.

1820s

crack up

( v ) To make laugh. That Trudy cracks me up with her jokes.

1940s

crackalack

( v ) To happen, take place. Hey dude, what's crackalacking?

1980s

crackass

( adj ) Something bad or cheap. Her crackass boyfriend came to the formal in cut-offs.

1980s

cracked

( adj ) Crazy, insane. Lureen must be cracked to think that she can make the men's team.

1700s

cracked out

( adj ) Out of touch. Francis puffed a little too much and is totally cracked out.

1980s

cracker

( n ) A white person (offensive). That cracker just doesn't get jive.

1930s

crackers

( adj ) Crazy, insane. He offered me $250 for my Stutz-Bearcat. He must be crackers!

1920s

crackhead

( n ) A person addicted to crack cocaine. He was a crackhead but now he is trying to get straightened out.

1970s

crackhead

( n ) A stupid or foolish person. You hear Johnny jumped off his roof? Yeah, he's such a crackhead!

1990s

cram

( v ) To study hard. He didn't study all semester and had to cram before exams.

1930s

crank

( n ) Irritable, short-tempered person; an eccentric person. That crank Josephine told me to buzz off when I asked her for a dollar.

1830s

cranked

( adj ) Excited, enthusiastic. When do you want to start painting the house? I'm cranked to get hopping.

1970s

cranky

( adj ) Irritable, short-tempered. Don't ask Marvin for a raise today: he got out of bed cranky and has remained that way.

1850s

crap

( n ) Nonsense. Cut the crap and let's get to work.

1890s

crappappella

( adj ) Bad, of poor quality. That flick was totally crappapella.

1990s

crappola

( adj ) Bad, of poor quality. The chow here is totally crappola.

1970s

crappola

( n ) Nonsense. Cut the crappola and let's get to work.

1970s

crappy

( adj ) Bad, of poor quality. That cafe has the crappiest food in town.

1840s

crash

( v ) Go to bed; go to sleep. I got to go crash; I'm so tired from partying all night.

1960s

crash

( v ) Totally collapse. I came home from shopping all afternoon and just crashed on the sofa.

1950s

crate

( n ) An old car or plane. You can always find some schnook to sell that old crate of yours to.

1930s

Crazy!

( int ) An interjection of surprise. Their relationship crashed when he grew the beard.

1960s

cream

( v ) To badly damage. He ran into a tree and totally creamed his dad's car.

1960s

cream

( v ) To beat or defeat roundly. Our team creamed them when we played on our home court.

1950s

creechy

( adj ) Eccentric, odd, peculiar. Her house was creechy with all those skeletons.

1990s

creep

( n ) A mean, despicable person. That creep ran off with my girl.

1940s

creep

( n ) A sneak thief. He was making a marginal living as a creep until the cops caught him at his trade.

1910s

creep

( v ) To cheat on someone romantically. I've been creeping on my boyfriend.

1990s

creepy

( adj ) Scary, repulsive. It is so creepy in our attic, I'm afraid to go up there.

1950s

crewcut

( n ) A haircut so short that the hair stands straight up. All his friends have crewcuts; I only mess around with guys wearing duck tails.

1950s

crib

( n ) Where you live. Have you found a crib yet?

1980s

crib

( v ) To steal or plagarize. He cribbed most of his term paper from the Web.

1740s

crib notes

( np ) Illegitimate notes taken to an exam. Farnsworth couldn't past this test with crib notes.

1940s

croak

( n ) To die. If I take another bite I am going to croak.

1940s

crop duster

( np ) A car with loud glasspacks. I can hear his crop-duster coming a mile away.

1960s

crow

( v ) To brag, boast. Marlene can't stop crowing about her new boyfriend.

1520s

cruise

( v ) To drive around aimlessly and flirt. The skier was cruising down the hill.

1950s

crumb

( n ) A mean, despicable person. The dirty crumb walked out and stuck me with the tab.

1910s

crumb

( n ) A mean, despicable person. The dirty crumb walked out and stuck me with the tab.

1910s

crummy

( adj ) Bad, no good Where did you get such a crummy baseball mitt?

1940s

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Historical Dictionary of American Slang

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