Dictionary of Contemporary Slang (84 page)

hyped-up
adj

1.
exaggerated, inflated, overpublicised. From the verb to
hype
(itself from ‘hyper-bole').

2.
excited, over-stimulated, tense. This sense of the word probably originates in hypersensitive, hyperactive or hyperventi-late, rather than in hyperbole.

hyper
adj

an abbreviation of hyperactive and/or hyperventilating. The word, which was especially popular among American devotees of group therapy, ‘consciousness-raising', etc., has now taken on a generalised sense of agitated or keyed up.

hyubes
n pl

female breasts

ice
¹
n

1.
diamonds or other jewellery. An underworld term in all English-speaking areas, this word has also been heard in everyday speech.

2.
an illicit drug which appeared in Hawaii in 1989 and for a time seemed poised to replace
crack
as a major social scourge in the USA. Ice is a highly synthesised version of methamphetamine (the archetypal
speed
as abused in the 1960s and 1970s under the name of methedrine).

ice
²
vb

to kill. An American underworld term which may initially have been a shortened form of ‘put someone on ice'. The word has been popularised by its use in crime films and TV series.

‘Maybe he saw the Hellinger killing go down – they iced him to keep him quiet.'
(
The Rockford Files
, US TV series, 1978)

ice cold
n

a beer. An American and Australian term of the 1970s adopted by some British lager drinkers.

Set up some ice colds, will you.

iced, iced out
adj American

a.
wearing jewellery

b.
ornamented by jewels

‘He [record producer Damon Dash] enjoys Cristal champagne, wears iced out – diamond encrusted – £24,000 watches and likes triple-distilled vodka…'
(
Sunday Times
, 6 June 2004)

icing
n

1.
cocaine

2.
jewellery,
bling

ick
n

an unpleasant substance. The term is probably a back-formation from
icky
, itself a colloquial description or exclamation of distaste possibly influenced by sticky.

icky (poo)
adj

a.
distasteful, unpleasant

b.
sickly sentimental, cloying

The word originated as a baby-talk version of ‘sticky'. It is now used by adults and particularly by teenagers to refer to something either literally or metaphorically viscous.

iddy, iddy-boy
n British

a Jew. A London working-class term of disparagement and abuse which is a distortion of
yid
.

idiot box
n

a television set. A less common alternative to
gogglebox
, dating from around 1960, by which time the mind-numbing effects of TV viewing were attracting critical comment.

‘An entertaining and salutary study of the tangled, dishonest and sometimes demented relationships our premiers have had with the idiot box.'
(
Sunday Correspondent
, 13 September 1989)

IDK
phrase

‘I don't know'. The initials are used for texting and online and occasionally spoken, too.

idren
n

good friend(s). A version of brethren or children in Caribbean and black British usage.

iffy
adj

a
. questionable, doubtful or suspicious. In the 1960s this was a slang term heard predominantly in London working-class usage. It enjoyed a vogue among the fashionable in the late 1970s, by which time it was also widespread in the USA. The term is now a common colloquialism.

‘Paid-for lessons at some professional club in Romford; and the use of such iffy stimulants as “Matchroom” aftershave.'
(
GQ
magazine, August 1989)

b.
British
(of a person) dishonest, probably criminal or (of a thing) probably stolen. A milder version of
bent
or
moody
.

igry
adj British

embarrassed, uncomfortable. The word is of uncertain origin but may derive from a jocular alteration such as ‘iggravation' or from a blend of, e.g., angry and ignorant with subsequent shift of meaning.

Stop talking about my mum's dress sense, you're making me igry.

ikey (mo)
n British

a Jew. A derogatory term dating from the 19th century. Ikey is a diminutive form of Isaac and Mo (Moses). Ikey Mo was a character in the
Ally Sloper
cartoons at the turn of the 20th century.

ill
adj

a.
excellent

b.
contented, relaxed A term used by young street-gang members in London since around 2000.

illin'
adj

1a.
unhealthy, sick. This conversion of the adjective ill has been a feature of many English dialects, particularly black and rural ones, since the 18th century.

1b.
stupid, crazy, unbalanced

2.
bad,
uncool
. This sense results from the appropriation of the older expression by black youth and later white emulators in the USA in the early 1980s. The word enjoyed a vogue in Britain in 1987 and 1988, having been imported as one of the buzzwords of the
rap
and
hip hop
cultures.

imbo
n Australian

an imbecile. A characteristic Australian shortening.

immense
adj

excellent, admirable

A widespread term of appreciation among younger speakers.

imshi
exclamation, vb

to go away. An Arabic imperative adopted by members of the armed forces, particularly in Egypt, and imported to Britain where it is still heard occasionally among the older generation.

in a kiddie kingdom
adj Caribbean

in a state of bliss, very congenial surroundings.

Compare
goat heaven

in-and-out
n

a version of
in-out

in a piss
adj British

grumpy, bad tempered, angry. An item of student slang in use in London and elsewhere since around 2000.

in a whole world of trouble
adj British

very intoxicated, a humorous euphemism. An item of student slang in use in London and elsewhere since around 2000.

in bits
adj British

overcome by strong emotion, devastated, mortified. A common expression since the 1990s.

‘When I heard [of a companion's death] I was in bits.'
(Teenage gang member, quoted in
Crime Kids
, BBC2, May 2002)

in deep shit
adj

a later elaboration of ‘in the shit', meaning in trouble. This version of the expression became fashionable in the late 1980s.

indie
n British

a.
an independent record label (i.e. one not affiliated to one of the big business conglomerates known as ‘the majors'), or a record issued on one of these. The expression and the phenomenon date from the mid-1970s when small-scale record companies, boosted by the advent of
punk
rock with its do-it-yourself ethic, began to threaten the virtual monopoly of the majors. Indie had previously referred to independent films produced in the USA.

‘Apologists for the “indie ghetto”, forever championing obscure and unlistenable bands with silly names.'
(
Independent
, 1 December 1989)

b.
the youth subculture coalescing around Indie bands from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s

indijaggers
n British

indigestion, a stomach upset. A public-school term which perhaps originated as a nursery word in the early years of the 20th century.

‘I've got frightful indijaggers!'
(
Guardian
, Posy Simmonds cartoon, 1981)

in Dutch
adj

in trouble, in a vulnerable condition or delicate situation. This expression is a surviving example of the tendency (dating from the Anglo-Dutch wars of the 17th century) to use Dutch as a pejorative, as in ‘Dutch courage', ‘Dutch treat' or ‘Dutch Uncle'. In Dutch appears to date from the beginning of the 20th century. An alternative etymology would derive the expression from American English in which Dutch refers to the habits of Dutch settlers and indicates peculiarity rather than any more negative qualities.

in effect
adj, adv British

in action, at large or happening. A black euphemism used particularly by street gangs in the 1980s. The expression has been picked up by black and white schoolchildren.

‘Posse in effect.'
(Graffito on wall, Clapham, London, 1988)

inky smudge
n British

a
judge
. An old item of rhyming slang.

in like Flynn
adj

successful, in a very comfortable or advantageous position. A phrase which originated in the late 1940s and which shows no signs of disappearing despite the death of Errol Flynn, its inspiration. Flynn, the Australian hero of swashbuckling adventure films, was turned, especially in Australia and Britain, into a folk symbol of male sexual prowess by the press coverage of his trial on trumped-up statutory rape charges. The expression originally referred to success in seduction, but is now generalised to mean any impressive achievement, piece of opportunism or stroke of luck.

inna
adj British

intrusive, ‘nosy'. The term was recorded in West London in 1998. It may be related to the notion of ‘in one's face'.
Eggs-up
and
extra
were contemporary synonyms.

innit?
question form, exclamation British

a.
a question tag used to precede or to follow a statement

‘“Innit?” has now found its way to the beginning of sentences: “Innit we're going to McDonalds today?”'
(Roy Kerridge writing in the
Evening Standard
, 20 August 1993)

b.
an exclamation of agreement
We should split up and meet back here later
.

Innit!

Unlike some languages, English requires many different question phrases (aren't they?, can't we?, don't you?, etc.) instead of one (as in French
n'est-ce pas?
). Indian and Pakistani English has for many years used ‘isn't it?' in this way, but in the early 1980s black British speakers appropriated the London working-class ‘innit?' to serve as an allpurpose tag. The usage was imitated by white schoolchildren (leading black speakers to adopt ‘in't it?', ‘an't it?' and ‘don't it?' as alternatives) and the word became detached from its context as a catchphrase.

innit-crowd, the
n

a generic term for Asians or a specific group of Asians, from the colloquial term ‘in-crowd' and
innit?
as a question tag characteristic of Asian speakers.
Compare
Asian massive

in-out
n

sexual intercourse. A euphemism heard among English speakers everywhere since before World War II. In British usage it is often part of expressions such as ‘(a bit of) the old in-out'. An earlier version was ‘in-and-out'.

in power
adj American

successful, enjoying respect. An item of street-gang jargon of the 1990s, which parallels the British
in effect
.

in shtuk/shtook/stook/schtuk
adj British

in trouble. A very widespread expression which moved from a restricted demimonde and theatrical usage to common currency in the mid-1960s, partly through its use in the entertainment media.
Shtuk
in its various spellings is Yiddish for difficulties. ‘In shtuk' often refers to financial difficulties.

inside
adj, adv

in prison. Formerly a piece of euphemistic underworld slang dating from the 19th century, this word has become so widely known since the late 1950s as to be a colloquialism rather than true slang.

in stir
adj See
stir

intense
adj American

good, positive. This allpurpose term of approval, with overtones of exciting, energetic, vital, etc., has been in vogue, particularly among teenagers, since the late 1970s.

See also
camping

intercourse
n

as a shortening of ‘sexual intercourse' this term has been used as a humorous euphemism for
fuck
since the late 1970s. It is largely confined to middle- and upperclass speakers. The word is employed in various forms according to the usages of fuck; ‘Oh, intercourse!' as an exclamation or ‘I'm totally intercoursed', meaning exhausted, for instance.