A Historical Dictionary of American Slang

hack

( v ) To disgust, make angry. If you mess with my girl, you'll just hack me, Mack.

1990s

hack

( v ) To make fun of. Why are you always hacking on me?

1980s

hail-Mary

( n ) (Football) A desperation play, such as an extremely long pass. It all came down to a hail-Mary pass in the final 5 seconds of the game.

1970s

hairy

( adj ) Dangerous, threatening. That was a hairy plane trip. I am glad the storm is over.

1960s

hairy

( adj ) Crude, clumsy. Franklin made a hairy gesture and skiddooed.

1920s

hairy

( adj ) Old, out-dated. I'm tired of listening to his hairy jokes that went out in the 20s.

1940s

hammer

( n ) Accelerator. Put the hammer to the floor or we will be late for the wedding.

1960s

hammer

( v ) To drink heavily. Put the hammer to the floor or we will be late for the wedding.

1970s

hammered

( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. I was totally hammered at that party last night.

1970s

handcuff

( n ) An engagement ring. I love the woman but she'll never get the handcuff on me.

1920s

hang

( v ) To spend time with. I'm going down to the pizza parlor and hang with the gang.

1980s

hang

( n ) Knack, understanding. Hang! I just can't get the hang of tying my shoes.

1840s

hang five

( vp ) To put five toes over the nose of a surfboard. What a hotdogger! He always hangs five when people are watching.

1960s

hang in

( v ) To persist, not give up. Sue can make it if she just hangs in for a few more days.

1960s

hang it on

( vp ) Say, tell. I didn't hear you. Hang it on me again.

1960s

hang loose

( vp ) To relax, take it easy. Hang loose when you go to the police station; don't go off the deep end.

1960s

hang out

( v ) To relax, take it easy. Joey likes to hang out with the guys down at the pool hall.

1960s

hang ten

( vp ) To put ten toes over the nose of the surfboard. That guy is always trying to hang ten on the low waves.

1960s

hang tough

( vp ) Stick with, keep going, don't give up. We need to hang tough on our decision.

1970s

hang up

( vp ) To quit. I have decided to hang up my teaching job.

1940s

Hang!

( int ) Interjection of frustration or emphasis. Hang! I can eat six hotdogs in in 10 minutes.

1940s

hang-out

( n ) A gathering place. The soda shop was our old hang-out.

1890s

hang-up

( n ) A problem to deal with. I like people with no hang-ups.

1960s

hanger-on

( n ) Someone who follows a famous person or group. Lionel arrived late to the party with a host of hangers-on in tow.

1550s

hanger-on

( n ) Someone who accompanies a famous person. Lord Amersey and five or six of his hangers-on arrived late.

1540s

hanging

( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. That is a hanging new sweater Brenda bought her sister.

1900s

happening

( n ) An event. There's going to be a happening at Mr. Natural's house tonight.

1960s

hard

( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. Those new kicks are so hard.

1990s

hard-boiled

( adj ) Tough and cold. Harry's a hard-boiled cop who doesn't take anything from anybody.

1920s

hardcore

( adj ) Authentic, genuine. He is a hardcore Trekky--never missed an episode.

1960s

hardcore

( adj ) Harsh, extreme. What you just said to me was totally hardcore.

1970s

hardware

( n ) A gun. The police were surprised by all the hardware the gang members had.

1950s

hare-brain

( n ) A stupid or foolish person. Who was the hare-brain who put chewing gum on my seat?

1550s

hare-brained

( adj ) Stupid or foolish. Whose hare-brained idea was it to spike granny's lemonade?

1560s

has-been

( n ) Someone who is jaded or no longer effective in what he does. He once was a great actor but now he is just another washed-out has-been.

1600s

hassle

( v ) To annoy, bother. Don't hassle me now; I'm busy.

1960s

hassle

( v ) To fight. Look at those two guys arguing; they look like they are about to hassle.

1980s

haul ass

( vp ) Fly, move very fast. When he passed my house he was hauling ass.

1950s

have a cow

( vp ) Throw a fit. I thought mama would have a cow when she saw the damage to the car.

1950s

have a hissy

( vp ) Throw a fit. Mama had a hissy when she saw me in the tank top and miniskirt.

1950s

have a shaft

( vp ) To find someone attractive. I have a shaft for that new girl.

1990s

have arms

( vp ) To have a party. We got arms tonight!

1990s

have it all together

( vp ) In good mental or psychological condition. Recently, I don't seem to have it all together.

1960s

have legs

( vp ) Be workable. Your idea doesn't have legs; it won't fly.

1950s

hawkshaw

( n ) Detective. Mildred hired some two-bit hawkshaw to follow me around and make sure I'm not seeing someone else.

1900s

hayburner

( n ) A gas-guzzling car. He has a cool set of wheels but his dad drives a hayburner.

1920s

hayburner

( n ) A horse that never wins a race. Don't talk to me; I just lost a week's salary on a hayburner at the track.

1920s

hayseed

( n ) A clumsy, unsophisticated person from the country. That hayseed thinks a fox is some kind of forest animal.

1850s

head

( n ) A person. Yo, there were some mad heads over at the six joint.

1990s

head

( n ) Bathroom, toilet. Hold the game, boys, I have to go to the head.

1950s

head honcho

( np ) The person in charge, the boss. Who is the head honcho of this company?

1970s

heap

( n ) An old, beat-up car. That old heap of his couldn't make it to the beach.

1950s

heat

( n ) A gun. Watch out for John, he's strapped with heat.

1920s

heat

( n ) The police. Keep a look out for the heat.

1970s

heater

( n ) A gun. The mobster had a lump in his coat that suggested a heater.

1920s

heave

( v ) To vomit. Nadine heaved her whole dinner under the table.

1600s

heavy

( adj ) Carrying a gun. If you are heavy, you can't come in.

1990s

heavy

( adj ) Serious, profound. I'm really not into heavy rap sessions.

1960s

heazy

( pp ) The current location. I don't see Marvin but he is in the heazy.

2000s

hecka

( adv ) Very. That's a hecka good-looking bicycle you have there, Otis.

1980s

hector

( int ) An interjection of disgust. Oh, hector! I left my report card at school.

1990s

heebie-jeebies

( n ) Nervousness. Just thinking about the dentist gives me the heebie-jeebies.

1920s

heel

( n ) A loser, a jerk. What a heel! He left is wife and kids for the circus.

1910s

heinz

( n ) A dog of mixed breed. Spot isn't a purebred; he's just a heinz.

1960s

heist

( n ) An armed robbery. There was a heist at the bank today.

1920s

hella

( adv ) Very. That movie was hella cool.

1980s

Hello?

( int ) An interjection of surprise that the speaker is so stupid. Who is buried in Grant's tomb? Hello?.

1980s

hep

( adj ) A part of the current musical culture. That cat is hep to all the dives with cool jazz.

1900s

hep cat

( np ) A cool jazz-lover. Nathan is the hep cat who took me to Birdland for the first time.

1930s

herb

( n ) Marijuana. I'm not smoking herb any more.

1930s

hero

( n ) Strong man, show off. That hero tried to lift 200 pounds.

1990s

hick

( n ) A clumsy, unsophisticated person from the country. Patsy is dating some hick who wears a straw hat.

1920s

hickey

( n ) Red spot on the skin left by sucking. They must have at least petted last night; she cam to work today with a hickey on her neck.

1950s

high

( vp ) Drunk, intoxicated on drugs. He was expelled for getting high.

1960s

high

( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. I was so high I could only count 9 fingers on my hands.

1960s

high shot

( np ) Important person. Marvin is such a hot-shot that he never pays a parking ticket.

1920s

high-five

( n ) HIV. Homey got the high-five from some skank down the block.

1990s

high-five

( n ) Slapping someone else's palm stretched over the head. They gave each other a high-five after winning the sack race.

1980s

high-five

( v ) To slap someone else's palm stretched over the head. Jan and Jo-Jo high-fived each other when they won the sack race.

1980s

high-hat

( v ) To snub someone. When I asked her out, she high-hatted me and walked away.

1920s

high-strung

( adj ) Tense, nervous. Amanda Lynn has been a little high-strung since her instrument cracked when she left it in the car.

1860s

highside

( v ) To show off. Thomas was just highsiding when he said he was getting a new car.

1990s

highsider

( n ) A show-off. Thomas is a complete highsider.

1990s

hillbilly

( n ) A clumsy, unsophisticated person from the country. Willy Earl tells everyone he is in computing but he is just a hillbilly who works in the stockroom of a computer warehouse.

1900s

hip

( adj ) Knowledgeable about the current scene (variant of 'hep'). Don't worry, Nelson is hip to all that's going on these days.

1960s

hip-shooter

( n ) Always talking without thinking. He is such a hip-shooter his foot spends more time in his mouth than in its shoe.

1960s

hippie

( n ) A member of the counterculture of the 60s. Stacy Olde is an old hippie who never grew up.

1960s

hipster

( n ) A member of the counterculture of the 40s (Origin of 'hippie'). He was a cool hipster you saw in all the jazz joints back in the 40s.

1940s

hissy

( n ) A fit. She threw a hissy when she saw him with another girl.

1950s

history

( adj ) Over, done with. I don't have any idea where my old boyfriend is. He's history.

1930s

hit

( n ) A murder. The mob made another hit last night.

1960s

hit

( n ) A paid assassination. The mob ordered hits on the heads of the opposing gang.

1970s

hit

( n ) A successful event. Your proposal was a hit with the boss.

1810s

hit

( v ) To kill. He was hit by the mob for blabbing.

1970s

hit man

( n ) A hired killer. Olga hired a hit man to off her husband but her contact turned out to be a police officer.

1950s

hit me on the hip

( vp ) Page me. If I'm not at home when you call, hit me on the hip. OK?

1990s

hit on all sixes

( vp ) To perform perfectly. We lost last night because our star player was not hitting on all sixes.

1920s

hit the books

( vp ) To study. Cut the gabbing; it's time to hit the books.

1950s

hit the road

( vp ) To leave. Man, it's 11 o'clock; time for us to hit the road.

1920s

hit the sack

( vp ) Go to bed. Is it 11 o'clock already? Time for me to hit the sack.

1950s

hitch

( v ) To marry. Did you hear? Buffy and Lance got hitched last night.

1940s

hodad

( n ) A non-surfer. Look at him hotdogging for the hodads on the beach.

1960s

hold

( vp ) Borrow. Let me hold 5 bucks; you know I will pay you back.

1940s

hold on

( v ) Wait a minute. Don't go now; hold on a second.

1840s

hold up

( v ) To rob. He ended up in the hoosegow for holding up a stage coach.

1880s

Hold your horses!

( np ) Wait a minute. Hold your horses! We have plenty of time.

1840s

hole up

( v ) Hide. I had to hole up for three days because the police were looking for me.

1870s

holla

( v ) Call on the telephone Give me your digits and I'll holla back when I get home.

2000s

holler

( v ) To talk to. That chickenhead was trying to holler at my man.

1990s

Holy mackerel!

( int ) An interjection of surprise. Holy mackerel! We won the lottery!

1940s

Holy moly!

( int ) An interjection of surprise. Holy moly! I just won the jackpot!

1950s

home skillet

( n ) A close friend. Harry's my home skillet.

1990s

home slice

( n ) A close friend. Ben's my home slice.

1990s

homey

( n ) A neighborhood friend or acquaintance. All the homeys were waiting for me when I got home from school.

1980s

honcho

( n ) An important person. The honcho says that we are going to have to give up two days of our vacation.

1990s

honcho

( n ) The boss, commanding officer. Who is the head honcho around here?

1940s

honey

( n ) An attractive female. There were a lot of honeys at the bar last night.

1940s

honk around

( v ) To spend time with talking. We're going over to my crib and honk around.

1990s

honkin

( adj ) Very, extremely. Lance Sterling has a honkin big condo in Scranton.

2000s

hoo-ride

( n ) An excellent, outstanding car. Check out my partner in his hoo-ride.

1980s

hooch

( n ) Liquor, bootleg liquor. Where did you get this rotgut hooch?

1890s

hooch

( n ) Marijuana. Let's go smoke some hooch.

1980s

hooch up

( v ) To hug and kiss. I saw you and your cutie hooching it up in the car.

1990s

hoochie

( n ) A promiscuous female. She's just a hoochie without a clue.

1990s

hood

( n ) Juvenile delinquent. Those hoods stole our hubcaps.

1990s

hood

( n ) The neighborhood or a certain side of tow. Meet me in the hood tonight.

1980s

hood

( n ) A hoodlum, gangster. It is a nice neighborhood except for a couple of hoods who live down the block.

1920s

hoodie

( n ) A hooded shirt or coat. It's cold; have you got an extra hoodie I can borrow.

1990s

hoodrat

( n ) A female of ill repute in the neighborhood. I don't mess with that hoodrat; she's dangerous.

1990s

hooey

( n ) Nonsense. All that stuff about inheriting a million dollars is just a lot of hooey.

1920s

hoofer

( n ) A dancer. He's dating some hoofer at Radio City Hall.

1920s

hook

( v ) To addict. They say Zelda is hooked on heroine.

1920s

hook

( v ) To steal. He hooked a book on criminal justice and it turned his life around.

1980s

hook

( n ) To get someone addicted to. I think Melvin is hooked on Gwendolyn; I saw her wearing his Yankees cap this morning.

1920s

hook

( n ) The ordinary. Wow, Millie! Those new jeans are off the hook!

2000s

hook up

( v ) To get together. After the party, she hooked up with Spongy and they went to a drive-in.

1970s

hooker

( n ) A prostitute. Her clothes make her look like a hooker.

1840s

hookey

( n ) Truancy. Maynard played hookey from school today and missed the quiz.

1840s

hooky

( n ) Truancy. Maynard played hooky from school today and missed the quiz.

1840s

hoops

( n ) Basketball. Hey, man, let's go shoot some hoops after school.

1980s

hoopty

( n ) An old, beat-up car. That old hoopty of Jules can't make it home.

1980s

Hoopty-doo!

( int ) An interjection of celebration. Hoopty-doo! Fred got a promotion and a big raise!

1920s

Hoopty-doo!

( int ) An interjection of dismissal (sarcastic). You got a dollar tip? Well, hoopty-doo!.

1960s

Hooray!

( int ) An interjection of celebration. Hooray! I just won the lottery!

1890s

hoosegow

( n ) Jail or prison. You had better be careful that you don't end up in the hoosegow.

1910s

hoot

( n ) Something excellent, outstanding. Wasn't that party last night a hoot, though?

1970s

hooyah

( int ) An interjection of confidence in oneself. Hooyah! I'm invincible!

2000s

hooyah

( adj ) Self-confident. I have hooyah power!

2000s

hop up

( v ) Increase the power and speed of a car. His wheels are faster since he hopped up the engine and installed dual glasspacks.

1950s

hop-head

( n ) Someone high on drugs and restive. Some hop-head mugged me in the park.

1960s

hopped up

( adj ) High on drugs and restive. Don't ever come in here again when you are hopped-up.

1960s

hops

( n ) The ability to jump high. Look at that guy jump; he has hops.

1990s

hork

( v ) To vomit. I drank so much, I horked on my shoes.

1980s

hork

( v ) Gulp, gobble, swallow whole. Don't just hork it down; savor it!

2000s

horn

( n ) Telephone. Lester will talk to you later; he's on the horn with Rochelle right now.

1970s

horny

( adj ) Sexually aroused; randy. I haven't been horny since I started taking that antidepressant.

1950s

horse

( n ) Heroine. They caught him with a load of horse in the car.

1930s

horse

( n ) A large, strong man with a big appetite. Reilly is a horse; you had better fix him a big dinner.

1950s

horse

( v ) To play with carelessly. I don't have time to horse around; let's get down to business.

1920s

horse feathers

( int ) Nonsense. Horse feathers! You never dated Clara Bow!

1920s

horse's ass

( np ) A disgusting person. That horse's ass never showed up, so we had to do it all.

1950s

horse's ass

( int ) An interjection of disgust. Horse's ass! The teacher's giving a pop quiz today.

1990s

hose

( v ) To harm greatly. If my parents find out about this, I'm hosed.

1970s

hosed

( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. I got really hosed last night at the party.

1960s

hot

( adj ) Sexy, attractive. That girl is hot!

1950s

hot

( adj ) Stolen. The police stopped them because they thought the car was hot.

1930s

hot

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

1920s

hot

( adj ) Angry, mad. Dudley is a bit hot under the collar from your insult.

1220s

hot

( adj ) Electrically charged or radioactive. He accidentally picked up a hot wire and got a shock.

1920s

hot

( adj ) Electrically charged or radioactive. He accidentally picked up a hot wire and got a shock

1920s

hot and bothered

( ap ) Irritated. Don't get all hot and bothered about a parking ticket.

1950s

Hot damn!

( int ) An interjection of surprise. Hot damn, that car is a doozy.

1940s

Hot diggity dog!

( int ) An interjection of surprise. Hot diggity dog! Bonzo brought home the Marilyn Monroe movie.

1940s

Hot dog!

( int ) An interjection of surprise. Hot dog! I got second base on the baseball team.

1940s

hot minute

( np ) Fast or quick. I'll be with you in a hot minute.

1990s

hot potato

( np ) Something potentially exposive, dangerous. The assistant district attorney was given all the hot potatoes that no one else woud touch with a ten-foot pole.

1840s

hot seat

( np ) The electric chair. Marcus got the hot seat for murder.

1920s

hot seat

( np ) A critical position with great pressure for success. Dwayne is in the hot seat now: if he doesn't make his quota, he is history.

1930s

hot to trot

( ap ) Sexy, seductive (a female). Selma seemed hot to trot last night.

1950s

hotdog

( v ) To show off. Yeah, he's good at right field but he hotdogs too much.

1960s

hotdogger

( n ) A show-off. Yeah, he's good at right field but he is too much of a hot-dogger.

1960s

hotfoot (it)

( v ) Move quickly. When Mel heard Lance was visiting his Mel's girlfriend, he hotfooted it over to her place.

1890s

hothead

( n ) Easily angered person. Reba is such a hothead she flew off the handle when I told her she was gaining weight.

1660s

hotrod

( n ) A souped-up car. Oliver's been working on that old hotrod of his for two years, now.

1940s

hots

( n ) Strong desire for a person of the opposite sex. Wendy told me that Fran Tastik has the hots for Gordon Lowe.

1940s

hotshot

( adj ) Expert. Malcolm, they say, is a hotshot reporter for a big newspaper up north.

1940s

hotshot

( n ) A person who thinks he is very important. Look at Bud with his collar up; he thinks he is such a hotshot.

1930s

hotsy-totsy

( adj ) Seemingly excellent, outstanding. He thinks that just because he drives some hotsy-totsy Stutz Bearcar, he's the cat's meow.

1920s

hottie

( n ) An attractive female. She is a hottie but they say she is a hoodrat, so I avoid her.

2000s

huffy

( adj ) Arrogant, rude. I will do it soon so please don't get huffy.

1680s

humbug

( n ) Nonsense. Everything she says is just a lot of humbug.

1750s

humdinger

( n ) Something excellent, outstanding. That new baseball bat of Glen Gary's is a humdinger!

1900s

humongous

( adj ) Really huge. If she could get over her humongous ego, she could be a groovy chick.

1970s

hunk

( n ) A well-built man. Say, Serafima, who is that hunk you are talking to?

1970s

hustle

( v ) Hurry.

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