noun
General Slang
square john
· noun · prison
A straight-arrow inmate who plays by the rules and stays out of the mix.
0
Definitions
1
A prisoner who keeps his head down, follows the rules, and steers clear of gangs, hustles, and trouble. Often a first-timer doing white-collar or one-off time who isn't part of the convict subculture. Not necessarily an insult, but it marks you as an outsider to the lifers.
“He's a square john doing two years for tax fraud — won't even gamble on the yard.”
by community
0
square john In A Sentence
He's a square john doing two years for tax fraud — won't even gamble on the yard.
Origin & Usage
Mid-20th century American prison argot. 'Square' = conventional/straight; 'John' = generic everyman name. Documented in Inez Cardozo-Freeman's prison vocabulary work and earlier in carnival/hobo slang.
Comments 0