General Slang
General slang — the everyday words everyone’s using, with clear meanings and examples.
480 words
Mature content — open to view.
Mature content — open to view.
Double-verlan of 'arabe' (via 'beur') — a French person of North African/Arab descent.
A young woman — the beatnik counterpart to calling a guy a 'cat.'
Cockney for neck — 'Gregory Peck' rhymes with neck, clipped to a 'Gregory'.
To calm down, relax, and let go of tension.
Cockney for the Flying Squad — 'Sweeney Todd' rhymes with Squad, clipped to 'the Sweeney'.
Polari for to smarten, fluff or style up — the word that gave us modern 'zhuzh'.
Brilliant, class, or great — Irish for something seriously good.
Verlan for 'mechant' (wicked) — flipped to mean awesome or sick, like English 'wicked'.
Polari for a dull or unavailable man — 'naff' here meaning ordinary, possibly 'not available for...'.
To steal — the cant verb that gave us 'shoplifting' centuries on.
A sudden feeling of disgust toward someone you were attracted to, often triggered by something small.
A standard full-time job with regular daytime hours.
Broken, ruined, or knackered — works for machines and humans alike.
To go for it fully with zero hesitation — commit hard, consequences be damned.
Boy-crazy for men in uniform — the 1940s term for a girl smitten with soldiers.
Money — British slang for cash.
Lend me your ears, that is, listen up and pay attention.
A sharp, witty comeback to criticism or an insult — a response that shuts the other person down.
A Philadelphia all-purpose noun for literally anything — a thing, place, person, or situation.
GI slang for any gadget whose name you don't know — the thingamajig of the WWII era.
Cockney back-slang for 'woman' — said backwards so the subject didn't catch it.
The night, in the cant — when the angler hooked windows and the prig went to work.
A sneak-thief who slipped into houses to steal cloaks and coats off the pegs.
A day off work claiming illness — often when you're not actually sick.
Polari for wonderful or marvellous — a blend of fabulous and fantastic with extra flourish.
Colombian and Caribbean slang for 'cool,' 'awesome,' or 'great.'
Cockney back-slang for 'girl' — 'girl' reversed and split to make it speakable.
Nadsat for the face, from the Russian 'litso'.
An accomplice who screens the thief — the body that blocks the view while the foin works.
Scottish for going at something full-throttle, with everything you've got.
Playing or performing perfectly, locked into the rhythm and feeling it just right.
Polari for a gay man — literally 'man-woman', a coded self-name under criminalisation.
Cockney for wig — 'syrup of figs' rhymes with wig, clipped to a 'syrup'.
That guy — a vague way to refer to a man whose name you won't say or can't recall.
Cockney back-slang for 'tobacco' — 'tobacco' reversed for a quiet smoke or a quiet deal.
Polari and wider British slang for a drink, usually alcoholic — short for 'beverage'.
Money — older slang for cash, named for the green color of bills.
A bit hungry — not starving, just fancying a snack.
A working-class youth with slicked-back hair, leather jacket, and a love of cars and rock-n-roll.
Scottish for 'small' or 'little' — also used to soften a request or mean 'a bit'.
Mexican 'dude' or 'bro' — also a verbal filler like 'man.'
Hopelessly square, dull, or worthless — going nowhere, leading nowhere.
Luxurious, high-class, or fancy — living or acting upscale; from bourgeois.
Verlan for 'enerve' (angry/annoyed) — means pissed off or worked up.
Cockney rhyming slang for believe — 'would you Adam and Eve it?'
The establishment, authority, or oppressive power structure.
Breakfast — Australian and British diminutive slang.
Mexican slang for a kid, youngster, or young guy.
A state of total boredom — a dreary, lifeless place or situation.
Geordie/Scottish for nice, good, or — as an adverb — 'quite' / 'fairly'.
Sunglasses — Australian (and British) diminutive slang.
Completely full, packed to the brim — whether it's a car park, a fridge, or your belly.
A fiery, spirited young woman with attitude and energy to spare.
Cockney rhyming slang for a car — 'nice jam jar, mate'.
Nonsense, lies, or foolish talk, the meaty cousin of 'applesauce.'
A swell person or a tune that 'sends' you, thrilling you to your core.
An illegal Prohibition bar, where the 'juice' flowed despite the law.
A disappointing, depressing, or unpleasant experience.
Cockney for face — 'boat race' rhymes with face, clipped to your 'boat'.
Polari for a woman or girl — likely from Italian 'paglione' or a Romance root.
Cockney rhyming slang for skint — totally broke, from 'boracic lint'.
Everything's fine and in order, a smooth, satisfying word whose origin nobody can fully prove.
Scottish/northern for disgusting, gross, or ugly.
A British fish and chip shop — the home of the Friday night chippy tea.
Northern term for your younger sibling — usually a brother, sometimes any close family.
Mature content — open to view.
Wiped out, exhausted — knackered's close cousin.
Cockney for sick — 'Tom and Dick' rhymes with sick, often clipped to feeling 'Tom'.
Completely wrong or mistaken, the 1920s way to say you've got it backwards.
Prohibition-era nickname for liquor, named for the loose, laughing mood it brought on.
The smaller party that keeps going after the main event ends.
Mexican all-purpose 'alright,' 'wow,' 'come on,' or 'let's go.'
The afternoon — peak example of Aussies shortening everything with an -o.
To show up where the action is — to attend, participate, and be part of the happening.
Mature content — open to view.
Nadsat for a razor, the gang's weapon of choice, from the Russian 'britva'.
Money, cash, dough, the most common Lunfardo word for the folding stuff.
Nadsat for people, from the Russian 'lyudi'.
Slang for 'work' or a 'job' — the daily grind.
Mildly annoyed or put out — irritated, not furious.
The invented teen argot of A Clockwork Orange, named from the Russian suffix '-nadtsat' (-teen).
In 'laisse beton', verlan for 'laisse tomber' (drop it / forget it).
Nadsat for a woman, literally 'bird' in Russian, echoing British slang 'bird'.
Courage or nerve — "having bottle" means being brave; "losing your bottle" means chickening out.
To astonish or overwhelm someone, often expanding their awareness.
To lose emotional control, or to have an overwhelming reaction good or bad.
Caribbean and South American slang for 'buddy,' 'homie,' or close friend.
The overly keen recruit who volunteers for everything — sometimes a compliment, often a tease.
Pleasantly buzzed from drinking — past sober, nowhere near drunk.
Jive-era slang for the telephone, named after the actor who played the man who invented it on screen.
The ultimate — the absolute end of the line in the best possible way.
Messing about, being silly, or causing harmless mischief.
Verlan of 'arabe' — a French-born person of North African descent; named a 1980s generation.
A liquor store — the bottle shop where Aussies stock up on grog.
That heavy, can't-be-bothered laziness, from the Genoese fiacca.
The breakup letter every soldier dreaded — the homefront sweetheart calling it off while he's away.
Cockney for boots — 'daisy roots' rhymes with boots, clipped to your 'daisies'.
Verlan for 'merci' (thanks) — a casual, often cheeky way to say thank you.
Cockney for mouth — 'north and south' rhymes with mouth, as in 'shut your north and south'.
Just right, smooth and satisfying, everything as it ought to be.
A situation that's lit — any scene that's exciting, hyped, and popping off.
Loud, messy, or unrefined — sometimes an insult, sometimes a self-aware, fun descriptor.
A can of beer — Australian slang (also a small aluminum boat).
Tango itself, spun through vesre: tan-go flipped into go-tan.
Cant for a church — root of 'autem mort' (a wedded woman) and 'autem diver' (church-thief).
Very drunk — sloppy, unsteady, and clearly over the line.
Nadsat for an old woman, from the Russian 'babushka' (grandmother).
Fake, counterfeit or bogus, the porteno word for anything dodgy and not the real deal.
Mature content — open to view.
Mexican warning to 'watch out!' or 'be careful!'
A chaotic mess that's gone wrong in the usual, expected way — military acronym for 'situation normal, all fouled up.'
Smooth talk, sweet nothings or flat-out BS, depending on who's doing the talking.
Flapper brush-off meaning no more kissing or canoodling tonight, fella.
A biscuit (cookie) — and 'big bickies' means a serious amount of money.
To lose your cool, freak out, or get wildly excited.
Genuinely fine, excellent, the real thing, beyond reproach.
Northern English for excellent, brilliant, or top quality.
Crazy, mad, or wildly over the top — in a fun way.
Lunfardo for a woman or girlfriend, one of the most tango-soaked words in the porteno argot.
A look or a glance — 'have a gander at this.'
To meet up with someone — to connect in person and hang out.
A sarcastic GI groan about a raw, rotten situation — the 'what a deal' nobody actually wanted.
A car stripped down and souped up for speed, the centerpiece of greaser culture.
Cockney for telephone — 'dog and bone' rhymes with phone, clipped to the 'dog'.
GI slang for the cramped troop transport that hauled men packed in like livestock.
Cheap, ordinary wine — British slang born from WWI soldiers mangling 'vin blanc'.
British slang for eating something fast and greedily — to scoff the lot.
A playful jive way to say 'give me a kiss.'
Disgusting, dirty, or rotten — Irish for properly grim.
Cockney for eyes — 'mince pies' rhymes with eyes, clipped to your 'minces'.
Set for life, guaranteed to succeed, with nothing left to worry about.
Scottish for a silly or daft person — gentle and affectionate.
A beat-up, rattletrap old automobile held together by hope and tape.
A small, chill, low-key gathering — the relaxed opposite of a rager.
Heavy, filling, carb-loaded British comfort food that sits in your belly.
Polari for none, no, or beware — a vital warning word in dangerous times.
Verlan for 'pitie' — short form 'tiep', used for something pitiful, lame, or gross.
Cockney rhyming slang for a Yank — a not-so-flattering term for an American.
A sandwich, Aussie-style — most iconically a sausage in bread at a Bunnings car park.
To die, or for a machine to break down completely and stop working.
To lose your composure — get wildly excited, blown away, or come unglued.
A great-looking body — a compliment paid to an attractive person, especially a girl.
Sulky, moody, or in a strop — Midlands and northern English.
Really pleased or proud about something.
Polari for the eyes, with 'ogles' a pair and 'ogle riahs' the eyelashes.
An energetic swing dancer, or the wild, acrobatic dance they did to hot jazz.
Cant for a woman — a 'walking mort' tramped the roads; an 'autem mort' was a wedded one.
To leave or take off — to clear out of a place, fast or casual.
The absolute best — the height of cool, with nothing better above it.
Mature content — open to view.
Cant for 'good' — the opposite of 'queer'; bene bouse was good drink, a bene cove a sound man.
A romantic relationship that's undefined — more than a fling, but without a clear label or commitment.
To an intense or wild degree — the beat-era way of saying 'a whole lot.'
Mature content — open to view.
Top-shelf praise of the Jazz Age, the best of the best, right up there with the cat's meow.
Something dead easy — 'the test was a doddle.'
Cockney rhyming slang for a curry — shortened to 'a ruby'.
To eat heartily and enthusiastically — really dig into a big meal.
The guys, especially musicians and people who are hip to the scene.
Mature content — open to view.
Good, nice, or substantial — and a one-word reply meaning 'great'.
The rugged little military runabout of WWII — and originally GI slang for any new, untested gadget or recruit.
The mood, feeling, or atmosphere of a person, place, or thing — "good vibes" means good energy.
An opportunist who tries his luck — a cheeky try-on merchant.
An exclamation of awe at something amazing or wonderfully strange.
A notice that you've been fired or laid off.
Verlan for 'fou' (crazy) — means insane, wild, or amazing depending on context.
A thingamajig — any object whose name you can't be bothered to find.
The day, in the cant — paired against darkmans on the rogue's upside-down clock.
The truth, the real deal — or 'for real?' as a question.
Colombian slang for something awesome — 'qué chimba!' means 'how cool!'
Cockney back-slang for 'beer' — spelled and said backwards over a market pint.
Cockney for mate — 'china plate' rhymes with mate, clipped to 'me old china'.
A total mess, a chaotic uproar, from an African word for a runaway-slave settlement.
To sit down and post up somewhere — grab a spot and settle in.
Colombian slang for 'buddy,' 'bro,' or 'mate.'
Scots for 'know' — also tacked onto the end of a sentence the way Americans say 'you know'.
Delightful, darling, or just dandy, a sweet word of approval from the flapper set.
The hapless, bumbling soldier who can't catch a break — and any luckless screw-up since.
Cockney back-slang for 'look' — a coded 'watch out' that later passed into Polari.
To tap-dance, to lay down some hot footwork on the floor.
A high-ranking officer — the 'brass' whose decisions the enlisted men had to live with.
To talk a lot, to run your mouth or chatter away.
Cockney rhyming slang for starving — 'I'm Hank Marvin' means you're famished.
Utterly stunned, like someone smacked you in the mouth with the news.
A hidden illegal bar of the Prohibition era where you spoke easy to get in.
'Boss' — but in slang it often means your dad or a term of respect.
Cockney rhyming slang for the missus — your wife or partner.
Cockney rhyming slang for lies — shortened to 'porkies'.
Surreal, hallucinatory, or resembling a psychedelic experience.
Hard work — usually 'hard yakka', meaning genuine physical graft.
A nap or a sleep — 'I'm having a kip' means do not disturb.
The clipped Cockney form of 'plates of meat' — meaning feet, usually sore ones.
Something so good it knocks you out, the absolute height of excellence.
Verlan for 'metro' — the underground/subway, a daily-life banlieue word.
The mischievous imaginary imp that RAF pilots blamed for every mysterious mechanical fault.
A well-off, well-dressed man about town, the tango's classic flush gentleman.
GI slang for canned milk — the only 'cow' the army could ship to the front.
Northern/Irish slang for good, reliable, or a decent person — also 'no worries'.
Excellent, first-rate, or wonderful, a go-to word of approval in the jazz age.
Mexican 'okay,' 'sounds good,' or 'deal.'
In mint, like-new, perfectly maintained condition — said especially of a car.
An insulated cooler box for keeping your beers and food cold, the beating heart of any Aussie outing.
A child or baby — used across Scotland and the northeast of England.
Cockney rhyming slang for facts — survives in 'get down to brass tacks'.
Hyped, wild, and out of control — usually from drinking, partying, or pure energy.
Excellent, fantastic — 'you little ripper!' is pure Aussie joy.
A British pound (£) — "a quid" means one pound; it stays the same in the plural.
Head or brains — from loaf of bread = head; use your loaf means think.
A cup of tea (UK) or a beer (US) — same word, two very different drinks.
A milder Irish swear that softens 'the f-word' into something you can say to your nan.
Cockney back-slang for 'police' — 'police' spoken roughly backwards so the law wouldn't twig.
Coffee, by way of vesre: cafe spun backwards into feca.
The police, or jail itself, a cornerstone of the tango underworld's vocabulary.
A composed, stylish, in-the-know man — the very picture of beatnik cool.
Nadsat for milk, the drink of choice at the Korova Milk Bar, from Russian 'moloko'.
A flapper's flirty question: do you want to kiss me now or later?
To excite or impress someone — that really thrills me.
Cockney back-slang for 'half' — half a coin, half a measure, half the price.
A petty criminal, crook or lowlife, a fixture of the tango underworld.
Honest, fair, and on the up-and-up, no tricks, no double-dealing.
Modern Cockney rhyming slang for a clue — 'I haven't got a Scooby'.
Something excellent or a brilliant moment — a goal, a night out, a tune.
Cripplingly embarrassed — the Irish go-to for social mortification.
Flip-flops — the rubber footwear, not underwear, and confusing the rest of the world endlessly.
Clothing, your threads or good gear, with roots in a Quechua word.
Your finest party clothes, the beaded, fringed, dressed-to-kill outfit you saved for a night out.
Northern English for 'nothing'.
Cockney for feet — 'plates of meat' rhymes with feet, clipped to your 'plates'.
Nadsat for a man or guy, clipped from chelloveck and the Russian 'chelovek' (person).
A pickpocket, or the act of picking pockets, from the old porteno underworld.
Geordie for 'come on' — encouragement, hurrying, or disbelief.
Cockney for hair — 'Barnet Fair' rhymes with hair, clipped to your 'Barnet'.
Verlan for 'louche' (shady) — means sketchy, dodgy, or suspicious.
A compliment for someone strikingly beautiful, so good-looking they stop you in your tracks.
Butchers' back-slang for 'beef' — prime cut of the 'rechtub kelp' trade.
A flapper-era dandy, the smooth, idle ladies' man who lived for parties and easy charm.
Thrills and good times pursued for their own sake — fun, excitement, a buzz.
Cant for a man or fellow — your 'cove' could be a mate, a master, or the mark.
A person from rural Ireland, as seen (often teasingly) by Dubliners.
Cockney for legs — 'bacon and eggs' rhymes with legs, often a compliment about 'lovely bacons'.
Verlan for 'frere' (brother) — used for a literal brother or, like 'bro', a close friend.
Mature content — open to view.
Verlan for 'flic' (cop) — the standard banlieue word for a police officer.
Verlan for 'mec' (guy/dude) — the masculine counterpart to 'meuf'.
Cockney rhyming slang for stink — something that pen and inks smells bad.
Mature content — open to view.
A hip, affectionate way to address a man — the beatnik equivalent of 'man' or 'dude.'
Alcohol in general — beer, wine, spirits, the lot.
Nadsat for the head, anglicised from the Russian 'golova'.
A dull, boring, depressing situation or place — a total drag.
An unsophisticated, rough-around-the-edges Aussie — somewhere between affectionate and an insult.
Mature content — open to view.
An attractive, stylish, confident older man — like "daddy" but with extra swagger.
Extremely drunk — one of Ireland's many words for falling-down intoxicated.
America's affectionate nickname for the Ford Model T, the car that put the nation on wheels.
A service station — the petrol station where you fuel up and grab a dodgy pie.
Money, cash — 'I'm saving up some dosh.'
Wordy, pompous, meaningless jargon — coined in 1944 by a fed-up congressman sick of bureaucratic babble.
Nadsat for good, excellent, or first-rate, a pun on the Russian 'khorosho'.
Nadsat for to speak or talk, from the Russian 'govorit'.
The back seat of a courting couple's car, where a flapper had to 'struggle' to keep things proper.
Polari for a man — from Italian 'uomo', and the root of many compound terms.
A punch in the mouth, served up as a threat.
British slang for food or a meal — your grub, your dinner, your scran.
A small neighborhood corner store — a New York City institution selling everything from snacks to sandwiches, often with a cat.
Something or someone tremendously good, the most, an absolute riot.
Something hilarious or a really good joke — a big laugh.
Mature content — open to view.
Completely exhausted — or, of an object, worn out and broken.
Mature content — open to view.
Verlan for 'noir' (Black) — a Black person, often used as an in-group identity term.
Suspect, unreliable, or a bit wrong — could be a person, a deal, or your stomach.
A low-key, hidden, or chill spot — somewhere private to hang or party.
Flat broke — no money until payday.
An old name for the canting tongue itself — the secret 'language' of thieves and vagabonds.
Extremely drunk or high — far past tipsy, barely functional.
Flapper slang for plastered, all buzz and no balance.
Fun, banter, and good times — the whole vibe of a place or night out.
A small child or annoying little kid underfoot.
The name of the cant itself — and a verb meaning to talk — Britain's secret gay language.
The intense hunger and snack cravings that hit after smoking weed.
Nadsat for a girl or young woman, from the Russian 'devochka'.
Lies — from cockney rhyming slang "porky pies" = lies.
To pine for someone who doesn't love you back, your flame still burning alone.
A man or bloke — often a rough or scruffy one — in the northeast and Scotland.
Cockney for wife — 'trouble and strife' rhymes with wife, clipped to 'the trouble'.
Nadsat for a blow or to hit, from the Russian 'tolchok', a push or shove.
Exciting, fun, and full of energy — a lit party is amazing. (Also: intoxicated.)
Cockney for flares — 'Lionel Blairs' rhymes with flares, clipped to 'Lionels'.
A rude raspberry blown to show contempt, named for New York's loudest borough of hecklers.
The gold standard of Twenties praise, the most stylish, splendid thing going.
To drink before the main event so you arrive already buzzed and save money.
Mature content — open to view.
Hungover — literally 'raw' but means feeling the morning-after pain.
Cockney for a piano — 'Joanna' rhymes with the Cockney pronunciation 'pianna'.
Cockney for dead — 'brown bread' rhymes with dead, used both literally and as a threat.
Cockney rhyming slang for stairs — the textbook example everyone learns first.
Mexican slang for 'cool' or 'great' — 'qué padre!' means 'how cool!'
The boss, the head honcho, the most important person in the room.
Nadsat for mad, crazy, or insane, from the Russian 'bezumny'.
A narrow passage or alleyway between buildings — northern English.
Roaring Twenties praise for the absolute best thing or person around.
Polari for the face — back-slang of 'ecaf', itself 'face' reversed.
Polari for to look at or to see — the verb of the discreet, knowing glance.
McDonald's — so iconic the chain put 'Maccas' on Aussie store signs officially.
The all-purpose 'hey' or 'mate' that's practically Argentina's national catchphrase.
A bachelor flat or little love-nest, immortalized in classic tango lyrics.
To eat, to chow down, with roots in French/Italian thieves' slang for the mouth.
To accelerate hard, spinning the tires — or to leave somewhere fast.
Mexican slang for doing someone a favor or having their back.
Tacky, low-class, or trashy — the Mexican opposite of 'fresa.'
To go out partying — to hit bars, clubs, and nightlife for the night.
A swaggering beggar posing as a maimed ex-soldier — second only to the upright man.
A Prohibition speakeasy dressed up as a sideshow, you paid to see the 'tiger' and got a drink free.
Mature content — open to view.
A pointless hassle, or the act of fussing about and getting nowhere.
Mature content — open to view.
The soldier first in the mess line and last to leave — the unit's bottomless eater.
To drink, in the old cant — and 'bousing ken' was the boozing-house where rogues drank.
Cockney for teeth — 'Hampstead Heath' rhymes with teeth, clipped to your 'Hampsteads'.
Polari for bad, naff or tacky — the opposite of bona.
A short, squat 375ml bottle of beer — and 'stubbies' are also iconic short work shorts.
Nadsat for to hear or listen, from the Russian 'slushat'.
Verlan for 'fete' (party) — the go-to word for a party or rave in French slang.
Butchers' back-slang for 'pork' — 'pork' reversed and softened on the block.
Utterly exhausted — Irish for being completely wiped out.
Tacky, naff, or uncool — cheap and a bit embarrassing.
A key to the door, in the playful coded style of pure Harlem jive.
The WWII GI's calling card — scrawled graffiti proving 'we were here first,' usually with a long-nosed peeping cartoon.
A swing-music fan or hep jitterbug, often a white enthusiast soaking up Harlem jazz.
An idiot or fool — but usually said with affection rather than malice.
Nadsat for old or ancient, from the Russian 'stary'.
Verlan for 'femme' (woman/girl) — the standard French syllables flipped, now everyday slang.
Cockney rhyming slang for a suit — shortened to 'whistle'.
Excellent, cool, or pleasingly in tune with the moment.
Jazz-age slang for the coolest, classiest, most wonderful thing going.
To successfully attract or get together with a romantic interest — "he pulled" means he scored a date or hookup.
Lunfardo for 'to work', lifted straight from Italian immigrants' lavorare.
Full of alcohol, or describing a fun drink-heavy occasion — a boozy brunch.
A student who scores so high they ruin the grading curve for everyone else.
When a plan goes wrong — 'it all went pear-shaped.'
Hair — cockney rhyming slang from Barnet Fair = hair.
Scots for 'to cry' or weep — nothing to do with saying hello.
To speak or talk in the cant — and to 'cut bene whids' was to speak fair and friendly.
Casual, no-frills word for food — let's get some grub.
Cockney for a fart — 'raspberry tart' rhymes with fart, and a rude noise became a 'raspberry'.
Roaring Twenties for blind drunk, one of dozens of comic synonyms born under Prohibition.
To steadily accumulate small amounts of Bitcoin over time — "sats" being the smallest unit.
The wife or missus, mujer flipped around by vesre into jermu.
Developing romantic feelings for someone, often unexpectedly or against your intentions.
Fine, okay, or good enough — the most Irish way to say everything's alright.
A friendly term of address for a fellow hipster or musician, like 'pal' with jive flavor.
The hippie ethos of nonviolence, love, and passive resistance to war.
A huge, wild, out-of-control party — the kind neighbors complain about.
A great situation of comfort, prosperity, and good fortune.
Cockney back-slang for 'money' — the day's takings, said backwards.
Nadsat for the hand or arm, from the Russian 'ruka'.
Suddenly cutting off all contact with someone, with no explanation — vanishing like a ghost.
Mexican way to say 'no way' or 'you're kidding' — pure disbelief.
A cup of tea — the most British thing you can offer anyone, ever.
Fool or idiot, but also the affectionate 'dude' that glues Argentine conversation together.
Cockney back-slang for 'ten' — the top of the coded counting line on a barrow.
To beg off, make excuses, or back down and apologize.
The intuitive emotional energy or atmosphere a person or place gives off.
A 1920s cry of 'nonsense!' since horses have no feathers in the first place.
Seriously rich — pockets stacked, money everywhere.
To sleep or stay somewhere, often informally and without plans.
A thief who 'fished' goods through open windows with a hooked pole by night.
Jazz Age for nonsense and slick flattery, popularized by a hit comic strip.
Verlan for 'pourri' (rotten) — specifically a corrupt cop on the take.
A tradesperson — sparky, chippy, plumber, the blokes and women who build the country.
Manipulating someone into doubting their own memory, perception, or sanity — a therapy-speak term gone mainstream.
A short, flat-out car race from a standing start — or something boring.
Polari for good, fine or lovely — the warm thumbs-up at the heart of the cant.
Polari for a policeman — literally a 'searching man', the figure most feared by speakers.
Flapper-era way to call something nonsense, like saying 'baloney' or 'bunk.'
Excellent, brilliant, class — Irish for something genuinely great.
Polari for a toilet, lavatory or house — from Italian 'casa', and the root of Cockney 'khazi'.
To run off or flee fast — Polari and Cockney for making a quick getaway.
The head — and a 'nab-cheat' was a hat; to nab also meant to seize or arrest.
A Jazz Age layabout, a young man who slept all day and dodged work, the original slacker.
Northern slang for being thrilled, excited, or really happy about something.
A sharp, in-the-know person who's wise to jazz, style, and the latest jive.
Verlan for 'francais' (French) — a French person or the French language.
Polari for hair — simply 'hair' spelled backwards, a classic back-slang coining.
Polari and gay slang for masculine or tough — a presentation, not a slur.
A cigarette — the go-to Aussie word for a ciggie, dart, or rollie.
Drinking during daytime — the chaotic, sun-soaked cousin of a night out.
Really excited or thrilled about something — common in surfer and Aussie slang.
A thief, in the old canting tongue — the general word for anyone who lifts what isn't theirs.
Money — classic, long-running slang for cash.
Slang for a cold beer.
A kid, lad or young guy, one of the warmest words in the porteno vocabulary.
GI gallows humor for insects — the bugs and lice that plagued soldiers in the field.
Cockney for kids — 'dustbin lids' rhymes with kids, usually clipped to 'dustbins'.
Friend — also a casual way to address anyone, friendly or confrontational.
Mature content — open to view.
Pleasantly tipsy — feeling alcohol's first warm glow, but not drunk.
Cockney rhyming slang for money — 'bees' for short.
A session — usually of drinking, smoking, or partying that runs long.
Polari for fortune or luck — a hopeful word from Romance roots.
Cool, nice, awesome — the Caribbean and South American word for 'cool.'
A fool or idiot — an affectionately scornful Aussie word for a hopeless dimwit.
A warm compliment for someone who did something great or is just brilliant; a top person.
Nadsat for money or cash, one of its few non-Russian terms.
A good long natter — a relaxed, gossipy chat.
When someone who ghosted you suddenly comes back from the dead and contacts you again.
Gorgeous, lovely, or delicious — a Welsh and West Country favourite.
Excellent or first-rate — and as 'get crackin'', to get started.
Paying a premium for a reserved table and full bottles at a club — flexing money.
A cutpurse — the rogue who sliced the strings of a hanging purse and palmed the coin.
"You all" — the Southern second-person plural that's gone fully mainstream.
"You all" — the Pittsburgh second-person plural, a hallmark of the local dialect.
A U-turn — 'chuck a yewy' is to swing the car around and go back the way you came.
Nadsat for to see or to watch, from the Russian 'videt'.
A preppy, stuck-up, posh kid — Mexico's version of 'bougie' or 'basic.'
Verlan for 'lourd' (heavy) — means annoying, a pain, or a drag.
A Nadsat word for a friend or running mate, anglicised from the Russian for friend.
To understand, appreciate, or pay close attention to something.
Playfully rude or a little indulgent — a 'cheeky pint' or a cheeky comment.
Cheap boxed wine — the silver bladder inside the box, fuel of broke Aussie students.
So deeply into the music or moment that you've left ordinary reality behind — totally absorbed and excellent.
Cheap bootleg liquor, the rough stuff that flowed through Prohibition speakeasies.
A pickpocket — the rogue who lifted a purse by fingers alone, no blade required.
The riskiest, wildest frontier of crypto — hunting new memecoins and speculative launches; also street slang for a rough area.
Cockney for telly — 'custard and jelly' rhymes with telly, clipped to the 'custard'.
A party or social gathering — often shortened to 'the func' or 'the funk.'
Asking for trouble — headed straight toward a beating or serious consequences.
Twenties slang for so drunk you've gone stiff as bone.
Cockney back-slang for 'penny' — the smallest coin, said backwards over the barrow.
Polari for pretty, nice or sweet — as in 'your dolly old eek'.
Polari for legs — the singular 'lally' meaning one leg.
Mature content — open to view.
Funny or hilarious — and a person who's gas is a great laugh.
Cockney for a fiver — Lady Godiva rhymes with five-er, so a fiver becomes a 'Lady'.
Mexican Spanish for "no way!" or "you're kidding" — an exclamation of disbelief.
Scottish for pretty, lovely, or good-looking.
Home, house, or flat — British and Irish slang for where you live.
Verlan for 'bizarre' (weird) — means strange, odd, or off.
Nadsat for blood, from the Russian 'krov'.
Cockney back-slang for 'bad' — spoiled stock, a poor pitch, a wrong'un.
Mature content — open to view.
A lazy person who avoids work and lives off others — the Aussie word for a freeloader.
Cockney for thief — 'tea leaf' rhymes with thief, used to call someone a 'tea leaf'.
Polari for a house, flat or room — your lattie was your private safe space.
Verlan for 'bete' (stupid) — means dumb or an idiot.
Someone so annoying they melt your head — an exhausting, irritating person.
Your home, apartment, or place to hang out.
A crypto scam where developers abandon a project and run off with investors' money.
Handled, taken care of — 'don't worry, it's all sorted.'
A con artist, bluffer or all-talk fraud, a beloved insult in porteno life.
To panic, freak out, or flee — to come apart or bolt under pressure.
Jazz Age for just right, pleasing, or pleasingly attractive, everything's swell.
A compliment for a man who's sharply and stylishly dressed; neat, polished, and well put-together.
Profound, serious, or emotionally intense.
A man, an ordinary guy — 'some bloke at the pub.'
The top rank of the canting crew — the boss rogue who lorded it over every lesser vagabond.
Nadsat for a boy or young man, from the Russian 'malchik'.
Polari for make-up — the greasepaint of theatre folk, slapped on the eek.
A utility vehicle — a pickup truck with a flat tray back, beloved by tradies and farmers.
A glamorous, alluring young woman of the jazz age, the female counterpart to a sheik.
Cockney for head — 'loaf of bread' rhymes with head, behind the phrase 'use your loaf'.
Shocked, rattled, or badly shaken — caught off guard emotionally.
Mature content — open to view.
A look — cockney rhyming slang from butcher's hook = look; have a butchers means have a look.
A conventional, conformist person out of step with the hip scene.
A smooth, romantic young ladies' man of the 1920s, named after Valentino.
A lot, very, or really — the all-purpose Aussie intensifier for everything.
Effortless personal style and confidence — a blend of "style" and "ease."
Mature content — open to view.
The Mexican office-worker stereotype — the corporate nine-to-five drone.
Bitterly disappointed or devastated — the opposite of chuffed.
Mexican slang for 'cool,' 'awesome,' or 'sweet.'
Scottish for crazy, wild, or out of control — also a reckless person.
Cockney back-slang for 'pound' — the big money, said backwards.
Cockney for money — 'bread and honey' rhymes with money, the likely root of 'bread' for cash.
Mature content — open to view.