Read Dictionary of Contemporary Slang Online
Authors: Tony Thorne
1.
transgressing, beyond the pale
â“I think you're well out of order,” he said. Apparently he had been waiting for seven years to see Grace [Jones] again, and was peeved about the extra four hours standing around.'
(
Independent
, 30 March 1990)
2.
incapacitated, particularly by drink or illicit drugs. These extensions of the standard sense of the phrase became fashionable in raffish speech in the early 1970s. The first sense is more often heard in working-class speech, the second, predictably, in the drug-using subcultures.
out of pocket
adj American
unreachable by phone, or email, or in person
For most of us, at least in the UK,
out of pocket expenses
are those we have to cover ourselves, and being
out of pocket
is when we don't get reimbursed. Bizarrely, though, the same words have in the last three or four years taken on a totally new meaning for young professionals in the USA. When they say âshe's out of pocket', they mean she's not available, typically when not responding to cellphone or email, or just because she's away from her desk. To confuse things yet further, in North American street slang the very same expression means âout of line' (in British parlance
out of order
) in the sense of behaving unacceptably. It's not clear whether these new usages started out as misunderstandings or were dreamed up spontaneously, but it's certain that, in the context of a transatlantic conversation, misunderstanding is more than likely.
out sharking
n See
sharking
out to lunch
adj
a.
crazy, deranged
âThe second most out-to-lunch politburo in the north of England.'
(
Private Eye
magazine, 27 October 1989)
b.
unconscious, incapacitated by drink or drugs. A usage which was particularly popular in Britain around 1975.
out trouting
n British
looking for a sexual partner. A vogue term of the mid-1990s heard in raffish usage, particularly among young adults in the advertising industry, journalism and city financial circles. It is based on the derogatory
old trout
, meaning a woman.
overshare
vb
to divulge too much personal information, be indiscreet.
See also
TMI
over the top
adj
,
adv British
outrageous, bizarre, beyond the bounds of normal behaviour or decorum. The expression equally describes fury, extraordinary generosity or simple bad taste. It derives from the general idea of going âoff the scale', of being beyond measurable or acceptable limits, reinforced perhaps by the use of the phrase in World War I to describe troops climbing out of the trenches to go into battle, hence throwing caution to the winds. Often abbreviated to
O.T.T.
, the phrase was a vogue term in 1979.
There's no point in going over the top about someone like that.
Wearing that dress with those shoes is really over the top.
ownage
n
(an instance of) humiliation, from the common adjectival slang sense of
owned
owned
adj
defeated, dominated, humiliated. The popular term from youth slang, typically referring to being made a fool of in a social situation or being defeated in an electronic game, is sometimes deliberately misspelled as
pwned
. It derives from the notion of a more powerful person claiming exclusive âownership' of a technique, style or of a weaker adversary.
own goal
n British
a suicide. An unsentimental item of police jargon since the 1970s.
Oxo (cube)
n British
the
Tube
, the London Underground railway. The rhyming slang uses the brand name of a concentrated meat-stock product.
He disappeared down the Oxo.
oy-oy, saveloy!
exclamation British
a synonym for
aye-aye, shepherd's pie!
oyster
n British
a shoplifter. Recorded in 1999 among petty criminals in London, the word may be a cockney pronunciation of âhoister'.
Oz
n
Australia
packed
adj
well-hung
. The term was used by the British comedian Dawn French in January 1994.
packet
n
the male genitals. A term from the
gay
lexicon, usually referring to the crotch as it appears clothed.
pad
n
a home. The word now invariably refers to a room, apartment or house. In 17th-century Britain pad was used by peasants and poor travellers to designate a bed made of straw or rags, while in American slang before 1950 it designated a pallet or couch on which opium smokers or other drug takers reclined; this sense was later extended to encompass any room or place in which drug users gathered, or the beds on which they slept. The dissemination of
beatnik
-related jargon introduced the word to a wider audience, as did its adoption by the
hippy
generation.
âDrop-out pads for the large numbers of people hitting London at the moment looking for the mythical beautiful dreamboat.'
(
International Times
, April 1968)
paddle
vb
to hit, beat, thrash. This synonym of âwallop' probably derives from the archaic use of the noun paddle to mean both hand and, more rarely, foot. Long before signifying a bat, paddle also denoted a small spade.
Paddy
n
an Irish person. A nickname derived from the short form of Patrick, the most common male Christian name in Ireland. It has been used since at least the 18th century. Although the term can be used as an epithet, it may be used descriptively and is also heard among the Irish themselves, where it is usually a personification of a typical rustic Irishman. An alternative, usually with a slightly more pejorative emphasis, is
mick
.
âWe Import More Paddies Every Year.'
(Joke acronym for Wimpey, British construction and civil engineering firm)
paddywaggon
n
a secure police van, a
black maria
or a police car. This term was introduced into Britain and Australia from the United States at the end of the 19th century. The reference to paddy reflects the importance of the Irish population of New York and other northern cities in providing police officers at the time, rather than to the number of Irishmen arrested.
Meat wagon
is a racier, more modern alternative.
paedo, pedo
n British
an unpleasant or unfortunate person. This contraction of the term âpaedophile' has been adopted as an allpurpose insult in playground parlance since 2000. A synonym is
kiddy-fiddler
.
pain in the arse/ass
n
a nuisance, irritation or source of problems. A vulgar version of âpain in the neck', an expression in use since the early 20th century. (
Arse
may be substituted by any synonym or
balls
, etc.).
âA few drinks and respectable family men, dads, became lecherous pains in the ass.'
(
The Switch
, Elmore Leonard, 1978)
painters
n pl See
have the decorators in
paki
n British
a.
a Pakistani. The abbreviation, invariably used in a racist context, began to be heard in the later 1960s.
âPaki scum go home.'
(Racist graffito, Whitechapel, London, 1980)
b.
a shop, usually a supermarket or general store, operated by a Pakistani or other South Asian
âI'm just off down the paki for a can of beans.'
(Recorded, housewife, London, 1987)
The simple shortening is used, in the first sense, as an offensive racial epithet and in the second sense as a simple descriptive term for the many independent corner stores owned and run by immigrant families. In both senses the word is often applied, loosely, to any immigrant from the subcontinent, including those of Bengali, Indian or Sri Lankan origin.
paladic, palatic
adj British
drunk, a light-hearted term of uncertain origin; it may be a corruption of
paralytic
palari
n British
speech, talk, particularly in
camp
and theatrical circles. It is a corruption of the Italian
parlare
or of
parlyaree
.
palatic
adj See
paladic
palooka
n American
a large, clumsy and/or slow-witted male. Before World War II the word was usually employed to describe a third-rate prize-fighter. It was apparently coined by Jack Conway, an ex-baseball player and sports writer. The resemblance to
peluca
, Spanish for wig, may be coincidental.
âThis big palooka has been trying to get me pregnant every which way but lopsided.'
(
The Boss's Wife
, US film, 1986)
palookaville
n American
a.
an out-of-the-way, slow, rustic town, the
boondocks
. The expression describes the kind of town popularly supposed to be inhabited by
palookas
.
b.
oblivion, ignominy. A metaphorical use, describing the state of mind characteristic of washed-up, punch-drunk prizefighters.
You keep on fighting out of your class, you're buying a one-way ticket to palookaville.
pan-handle
n British
an erection. The term probably dates back to the 1950s, but was popularised in the late 1980s by
Viz
comic.
panned
adj
drunk. An expression used on campus in the USA since around 2000.
pansy
n
a male homosexual or an effeminate, effete or weak male. A word first used in this context in the 1920s and well-established until the late 1960s. It survives mainly in the speech of the middle-aged and elderly.
pant off
exclamation British
go away! An item of student slang in use in London and elsewhere since around 2000
pants
n
,
exclamation
,
adj British
this allpurpose term of disapproval was a vogue word of 1995 and 1996 among adolescents. (Under)pants had long been a subject for pubescent children's jokes, a tradition reinforced when the word was picked up by disc-jockeys and comedians, e.g. on the children's TV programme
Alive and Kicking
.
âPants, said Tom, pants, pants⦠I'm afraid I think this pants is a very silly word. I must go, I've a book to read.'
(
Independent
, 9 October 1996)
pants man
n Australian
a promiscuous male, seducer or
stud panty
adj British
fortunate, lucky and/or attractive. An item of student slang in use in London and elsewhere since around 2000.
Panty him!
panty-man
n
a male homosexual. The term, usually pejorative, originates in Caribbean usage.
Antiman
is a contemporary synonym.
panty-pop
vb
,
n British
(to a expel) a
fart
. The term was in use among middle-class teenagers in 2005.
pantywaist
adj American
an effete person, sissy or weakling. The term comes from the image of a male wearing women's underwear or a type of toddler's one-piece garment of the same name.
panwit
n British
in the words of one user, a âstupid, thick or brainless person'. An item of teenage slang of the 2000s decade, said to come from Northern England. The origin of the word is unclear but another speaker opined that it derives from the notion of someone âas witless as a frying pan'.
paper bag job
n
an ugly or unattractive person. The image is of a person who could only be considered as a sexual partner if his or her face were covered. The expression, first heard in the 1960s, probably originated in US high-school or campus usage; it enjoyed a vogue among schoolboys in Britain in 1968 and 1969.
Compare
bag one's face/head
paper-hanger
n American
a passer of dud cheques and/or counterfeit money in the jargon of the underworld and police
papers
n American
money
papes
n
money, especially to buy drugs. The short form of
papers
was probably first used by gang members but by around 2002 was heard on campuses and in financial circles in the USA and UK.
pappy
n British
bread. An item of student slang in use in London and elsewhere since around 2000.
par
n
,
adj British
a snub, humiliation, insult, unfair outcome. In the words of users the term typically applies to (something) âout of order', or (someone) âwho takes the piss'. The word, said by some to derive from
faux pas
, is a staple of multiethnic youth slang and featured, e.g., in the lyrics to
Next Hype
released in 2009 by East London
grime
artist Tempa-T.