Dictionary of Contemporary Slang (62 page)

fluff
¹
n

1.
nonsense, rubbish

‘…so stop chattin' fluff!'
(Recorded, contributor to
www.wassup.com
, November 2003)

2.
See
bit of fluff

fluff
²
vb

1a.
to stimulate sexually. The term, from the jargon of pornographers, refers to assisting the male performer to an erection before filming.

1b.
to arouse, excite

‘Here, fluffing the crowd for Thirteen Senses, Liverpool's Afterkicks steal the night.'
(
NME
, 28 March 2005)

2.
British
a euphemism for
fuck
, used in the form
fluffing
as an intensifying adjective or in the expression ‘fluff off!' (an exclamation delivered at journalists by Prince Philip in October 1987)

fluff
³
adj American

easy, unchallenging. An expression used on campus in the USA since around 2000.

fluffing
adj British

a mild euphemism for
flaming
or
fucking
, when used as intensifiers

fluffy
n British

marihuana. The term was recorded in 2002.

fly
¹
adj American

streetwise, fashionable. A vogue term in black street slang of the mid-1980s, later used by whites.

‘You fly, you cool: too much macho man
fu' one woman.'
(
LA Takedown
, US film, 1989)

fly
²
n American

a.
a
cool
male

b.
an unfortunate male who thinks he is
cool

fly a kite
vb

to issue a worthless cheque. Originally an underworld term from the jargon of fraud-sters, the expression is now a common colloquialism with the meaning of presenting any dubious scheme or idea for approval. It retains its original meaning in criminal and police parlance.

fly-girl
n American

the female counterpart of a
B-boy

FMBs
n pl British

calf-length boots for females. The abbreviation is for ‘fuck-me boots' and was recorded in 2000.

See also
fuck-me shoes

FML
exclamation

an expression of despair, complaint at misfortune. The initials of ‘fuck my life' may be written or spoken, as a facetious or self-pitying interjection.

FOB
n American

a written and spoken acronym for ‘fresh off the boat' denoting a newly arrived immigrant, not yet acculturated. The derogatory and mildly racist expression was recorded on campus in 2010.

OMG! You're posing like a FOB in that picture.

Compare
FOF

fod
n British

the forehead. A schoolchildren's conflation.

FOF
¹
, FoF
n
,
adj

1.
‘full of fail'. A derogatory acronym (it is pronounced as a word) for a supposed loser.

He's a FOF. You're FOF!

2.
a friend of a friend

‘Dominic Cooper was at the stalls having a waz when a drunk FOF rolled in.'
(Popbitch online gossip newsletter, 7 February 2013)

3.
American
a Hispanic immigrant. The derogatory and mildly racist acronym is from ‘fresh over (the) fence'.

Compare
FOB

FOF
²
, FoF
phrase

a declaration of anger, irritation or disapproval (it may be written or spoken) from ‘frown on face', as opposed, for instance, to
LOL

folded
adj American

‘completely drunk or high, usually enough to barely walk at all'. The usage was recorded on campus in 2011.

Me and Kat got folded last night after the party!

folderol
n

fuss, complications, ‘argy-bargy'. ‘Fol-derol' and ‘falderal' are nonsense words used in popular songs in former times.

folding stuff, the folding stuff
n

money, banknotes. A common lighthearted euphemism.

‘The Cali cartel has a gentler reputation, first offering large amounts of the folding stuff and abhorring murder unless it is absolutely necessary.'
(
Independent
, 12 September 1989)

fomp
vb American

to engage in sexual horseplay, heavy petting. The word was popular among college students in the later 1990s but its derivation is unclear.

foo
n American

1.
fool. An insulting name for someone.
What you lookin' at foo?

2.
friend. Also from fool, but used affectionately.

Wazzup foo?

food
n

1.
British
weed, skunk
. ‘Green food' is a Jamaican variant.

2.
American
crack
or heroin

foo-foo
n See

fufu foofy
adj

‘prissy', conceited

fool around
vb American

to commit a sexual indiscretion, typically adultery. A common euphemistic use of the expression, heard particularly among middle-class and middle-aged speakers since the 1960s. The term in this specific sense has not caught on, though it is understood, outside the USA.

foolio
n

a foolish person. A lighthearted insult in use since 2000, employing a mock-Italian termination (as in Coolio, the nickname of a well-known US
rapper
).

footsie
n See
play footsie

foozling
adj

a.
clumsy, bungled

b.
trivial, footling. From the verb foozle meaning to play or move clumsily or bungle; itself from the German
fuseln
, meaning to work carelessly.

form
n British

a criminal record. A police and underworld term derived from the language of the racetrack where it refers to a record or reputation based on past performance.

Has he got any form?

fornicating
adj British

a jocular euphemism for
fucking
(as an intensifying adjective)

I'm fed up hearing about his fornicating job!

for play-play
phrase American

in jest, without serious purpose. The usage was recorded on campus in 2011.

That prank call I made was only for play-play.

for real-real
phrase American

with serious intent, purposely. The usage was recorded on campus in 2011.

fo sho
adv
,
exclamation

‘for sure'. The American Southern or black pronunciation has been adopted by some young British users, one of whom defined the phrase as an ‘urban term of affirmation'.

fossy
n British

a despicable person, weakling. The derogatory or dismissive term, heard in 2013, is a version of Jamaican
fassy (-ole)
though its users, typically gang members and male teenagers, may not be aware of this.

some fossy took my seat so I bounced him

four-by-two, forby
n British

a
Jew
. London rhyming slang in current usage. A descriptive, rather than an intrinsically offensive term. A four-by-two is a standard size of timber plank used for rafters, etc. (In the USA it is known as a two-by-four.)

four-on-the-floor
adj
,
adv

flat out, extremely, excessively. This term, used typically by the young in the 1980s, comes from the hot rodders' term for a ‘stick shift' or four-speed gear system.

When I realised I wanted it, I tell you, I went at it four-on-the-floor.

fox
n

a person who is sexually attractive. The word was used in black American slang of the 1940s by men of women (who were also known as ‘minks'). Fox was adopted by white speakers in the 1960s and can now also be said of men by women.

‘She's a fox and she knows it too.'
(Lyrics to
Deborah
, written by Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe, 1978)

foxy
adj

attractive in a ‘feral', sexually exciting way. Usually, but not invariably, used of women by men. The word was originally a black
Americanism derived from the noun form

fox
; it is now widely known and used.

‘Lookit all these foxy chicks! Everywhere I turn.'
(Robert Crumb, cartoon in
Head Comix
, 1970)

fraff
n

spoken nonsense. An item of London youth slang recorded for the film
Backslang
in 2003.

You're talking fraff.

fragged
adj American

ruined or badly damaged. The term derives from the Vietnam-era practice of ‘fragging' or killing one's own officers, itself based on ‘fragmentation grenade'.

The fraternity house was totally fragged.

frame-up, frame
n

a situation in which someone is
framed
. Originally an Americanism from the early years of the century.

francis, frances
n American

the buttocks. The derivation of this term, heard in the armed forces and on college campuses, is obscure but it may be a euphemism for
fanny
.

franger
n Australian

a condom

Frank
n British

a TV remote control. The reference is to the late musician Frank Zappa and
zapper
.

Pass the Frank, will you.

fraped
adj

having had one's Facebook or other social networking site account hacked. The term, used typically by teenagers, is a blend of Facebook and raped.

‘“Frape”, don't EVER use that word near me, it makes me stabby!'
(Posting on Mumsnet website, 12 May 2012)

frass
adj British

a.
very ugly, repellent

b.
in poor condition, shabby

c.
the worse for wear after drink or drugs

A vogue term among young speakers from the noughties decade, probably originating in Jamaican slang. The word, typically applied to people or, less often, to clothing or accessories, is said to have begun as sense
c
blending the words front and
ass
(and suggesting someone with an unpleasant and/or ridiculous appearance and demeanour).

frat
vb
,
n

1.
British
a schoolchildren's alteration of

fart

2.
(to indulge in) fraternisation

freak
¹
vb

to lose control of oneself, become hysterical. A shortening of
freak out
, this term came, in
hippy
usage of the late 1960s and early 1970s, to have a negative connotation of alarm or over-reaction.

I told her I was leaving home and she completely freaked.

freak
²
n

1.
a
hippy
, a long-haired (if male), nonconformist member of the ‘alternative society' of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Freak was originally a term of abuse directed by
straights
at homosexuals and later at those guilty of outlandish behaviour and/or bizarre appearance. The term was quickly adopted by the objects of abuse and used as a badge of pride in themselves.

‘I feel like lettin' my freak flag [i.e. long hair] fly.'
(Song lyric, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, 1970)

2.
(as a suffix
-freak
) an enthusiast, devotee. From the mid-1970s the word was used in this sense, as in health-freak,
eco-freak
, etc. It was originally a
hippy
usage, as in acid-freak. The term now sounds dated and has partially been replaced by the less radical
buff
.

3.
American
a sexually active or promiscuous person. This item of black street slang may be used pejoratively or appreciatively.

See also
freaky-man

freaking
adj

an intensifying adjective, a euphemism for
fucking

‘You're a narc, you're a freaking narc!'
(
Magnum
, US TV series, 1981)

freak out
vb

to lose one's self-control, to behave in an outrageous, frantic way. The phrase first described the alarming effect of hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD on some users, but was soon extended to any wild behaviour (whether viewed positively or negatively) such as ecstatic dancing.