Dictionary of Contemporary Slang (63 page)

freak-out, freakout
n

a bout or scene of wild abandon, self-expression or loss of control. Originally, in
hippy
terminology, it was the result of ingesting hallucinogenic drugs, but later
came to refer to any simulation of their effects.

‘These guys that come up and say: “Wouldn't it be a mind-blower if we got 6,000 million kids in red uniforms and had a big freak-out in the middle of Ealing Common”.'
(Pete Townshend of The Who, interviewed in
Oz
magazine, June 1969)

freak someone out
vb

to alarm, traumatise or ‘transport' someone. A transitive form of
freak out
.

‘Coming up next on channel 4: a task that freaks out one of the girls on Big Brother.'
(UK TV announcement, 20 June 2005)

freaky-man
n Caribbean

a male homosexual. A pejorative term, like the contemporary
chi-chi man
.

freckle
n Australian

the anus. One of many Australian vulgarities (
ace, date
, etc.) to denote this anatomical feature.

freebasing
n

taking cocaine by mixing the crystals with various volatile solvents, including ether, to form a
base
which is then smoked in a pipe. This activity is also known as ‘basing'.

‘…the technique known as freebasing, a method of separating the base cocaine from the hydrochloride salt…the result is pure crystals of cocaine…'
(
Guardian
, 5 September 1989)

french
vb

1.
to perform oral sex. A jargon term from the world of prostitution and pornography. The word may refer to cunnilingus or fellatio and derives from the British notion that all forms of ‘deviant' sexual behaviour are widespread among, if not invented by, the French. This may originate in the widespread accusation or supposition of the spreading of venereal disease by foreign neighbours.

2.
to engage in
French kissing
, in the language of teenagers. In this sense the word is most commonly heard in the USA.

See also
Frenching unit

frenchie
, frenchy
n

a condom. From the now obsolescent ‘French letter', one of many examples of ascribing anything with sexual connotations to the French. (In French the equivalent is
une capote anglaise
, meaning an English bonnet or overcoat.).

Frenching unit
n American

the mouth or tongue. A humorous euphemism, popular among college students for instance, and derived from the verb, to
french
, in the sense of tongue kissing or oral sex.

frequent flyer
n American

in medical slang, a patient who often visits or is admitted to the hospital emergency room/casualty or pharmacy

fresh
adj American

excellent. A vogue term among teenagers in 1987 and 1988. Teenage argot is in constant need of new terms of approbation but this fairly obvious example (derived probably from its overuse in advertising hyperbole rather than its standard American colloquial sense of cheeky) was still in use after 2000.

‘I've got to have that [red carpet] in my crib in LA. That's fresh to death!'
(Damon Dash, hip hop record producer, quoted in the
Sunday Times
, 6 June 2004)

freshi
n British

a newcomer, unassimilated immigrant, unsophisticated person. An abbreviation of the dismissive phrase ‘fresh off the boat', used by British Asians.

Compare
desi

friar tuck
n British

an act of sexual intercourse. A rhyming-slang form of
fuck
.

frick
vb American

a euphemism for
fuck

X: ‘Our exam got moved to one day earlier'. Y: ‘Frick!'

frickin', frikkin'
adj

a euphemism for
fucking
, typically employed as an intensifier and in vogue among teenagers and young adults from 2012

There's no fricking way I'm going to help her after what she's done.
‘sharks with frickin' lasers'
(One of the labelled hazards appearing on a spoof map of Australia, Facebook 2013)

fried
adj

suffering from the effects of drug intoxication. The term probably derives from the notion of ‘frying one's brains', and denotes a state of dangerous disorientation, physical collapse, etc.
Baked
and
toasted
are used in the USA in similar senses.

frig
vb

1.
to masturbate (oneself or another person). The ultimate origin of the word is the Latin
fricare
, meaning to rub (from
which friction is derived), via the Middle English
friggen
.

‘Friggin' in the rigging 'cause there's fuck-all else to do.'
(Chorus from the rugby song “The Good Ship Venus”)

2.
to have sex (with). Since the 19th century the word has been used as a slightly less offensive alternative to
fuck
, although this was not its original sense. The verb is nowadays rarely used in either sense except in the noun or adjectival form
frigging
.

frigging
adj

an intensifier used with adjectives and nouns for emphasis in the same way as
bloody
or
fucking
. It is considered substantially more offensive than the former and slightly less offensive than the latter.

‘I was talking to my Canadian niece this very weekend; she (a devout Mormon, 22-ish, not given to profanity) used the word frigging and said, “I'm sorry. I keep forgetting it's a bad word over here” or words to that effect.'
(Recorded, editor, London, 1989)

frighteners, the
n pl See
put the frighteners on (someone)

frill
n American

a girl or woman. A condescending male term which may be related to the archaic ‘frail' rather than to a more obvious origin.

frog, froggie
n
,
adj

1.
(a person who is) French. The only slang term for this particular nationality dates from the end of the 18th century when the French were known as ‘frog-eaters'.

2.
Australian
a condom.

See also
frenchie

frog (and toad)
n British

a
road
. A piece of London rhyming slang which is occasionally still heard.

‘I'm off down the frog for a pint of pig's.'
(Recorded, financial journalist, York, 1980)

froggle
n British

a younger child, especially a hyperactive or otherwise irritating one.

Compare
klingon

froggy
adj American

aggressive, willing to fight. This item of black street-talk of the 1990s was probably derived from the phrase
feel froggy
rather than vice versa.

from ends
adj British

streetwise. Defined by one London teenager in 2012 as ‘one who is “from the streets” and so knows what's going on'.
See also
road
²

front, the front
n British

courage, cheek, effrontery,
chutzpah
. This use of the word, as opposed to the colloquial senses of bearing or façade, occurs in phrases such as ‘loads of front' or ‘he's got more front than Harrods' (a reference to the large, impressive frontage of the London store).

See also
front out/off/it

front (someone)
vb Australian

to confront. This abbreviated form from the speech of adolescents was featured in Australian soap operas from 1990.

‘Why don't you just front her about it.'
(
Neighbours
, Australian TV soap opera, December 1991)

front bottom, front bum
n

the female genitals. A term used by young children of both sexes and, often jocularly, by some adults in Britain and Australia.

front out/off/it
vb

a.
to face up to someone or something, either with courage or bluff

She decided to front him out.

b.
to behave aggressively or over-assertively. An activity of young working-class males, often containing an implicit invitation to violence.

‘He was fronting out down our boozer, so me and a couple of mates gave him a good kicking.'
(Recorded, youth, London, 1988)

The phrase in both its senses was popular
in the 1980s in Britain, and became a vogue term in US black slang of the 1990s.

front-wheel skid, front-wheeler, fronter
n British

a Jew. A racist London rhyming-slang term of the 1970s and 1980s. The rhyme is on
yid
.

frosh
n American

a first-year student, freshman. The usage was recorded on campus in 2011.

The frosh are wandering around looking lost.

frost
¹
vb

a.
to snub or ignore

b.
to anger or irritate

Both senses have been in use (based on social coolness, ‘chilling' or ‘freezing') since the 19th century. The word is currently fashionable in teenage use in the USA.

frost
²
n

1.
a failure, a woeful example of inadequacy. This fairly rare usage of the word occurs in educated speech, particularly in reference to a disappointing performance (e.g. in the theatre; it may originate in a literary or Shakespearean ‘killing frost').

2.
a snub or silent rebuff. This sense of the word derives from the verb form, currently in vogue among adolescents, particularly in the USA.

frost-top
n American

an elderly person. This item of adult and family slang often refers to a relative. Synonyms are
cotton-top
and
moss-back
.

frothing
adj

1.
talking incoherently and/or excessively, emoting. Typically a middle-class usage.

2.
(of a female) in a state of sexual arousal

frothing at the gash
adj British

(of a female) in a state of sexual arousal. The vulgarism featured in the TV series
The Inbetweeners
.

frowdy
n
,
adj British

(someone) dull, unattractive. The term, probably a blend of ‘frump(ish)' and ‘dowdy', was in use among teenage girls in 2001.

frowsy
adj

unpleasant, nasty. The word, used by UK adolescents since around 2000, may be an alteration or mis-hearing of the archaic ‘frowsty' which, since the 19th century, has meant smelly, stuffy, oppressive.

fruit
n American

1.
a male homosexual. From the idea of exotic, ‘ripe', etc. A common term of abuse in the USA since the early 20th century.

2.
an eccentric person. A shortening of
fruitcake
.

fruitcake
n

1.
an eccentric or crazy person. This is a term from the late 1960s, originating in the 1950s catchphrase, ‘as nutty as a fruit-cake'.

2.
American
a male homosexual. An elaboration of
fruit
.

fruity
adj

1.
British
sexually suggestive or provocative. In the former sense the word has become a common colloquialism, as in fruity jokes/stories, etc.

2.
American
strange or eccentric. The word is often used adverbially as in ‘acting fruity'. It presumably derives from the noun
fruitcake
.