slangman 6 Flashcards
to bring home the bacon
to earn a living ·
We both bring home the bacon; We both earn a living.
bite on someone (to put the)
to ask for a loan ·
Mark just put the bite on me; Mark just asked me for a loan.
bite one’s head off (to)
to verbally attack someone ·
Why do you always bite my head off?; Why do you always verbally attack me?
beef something up (to)
to improve something ·
We have to beef up this script; [or] This script needs beefing up; We have to improve this script.
beef
- a quarrel ·<br></br>2. a complaint<br></br>3. substance
I heard you had a beef with your teacher today; I heard you had a quarrel with your teacher today. 2. I’m calling that store to register a beef; I’m calling that store to register a complaint. ·3 Your concept is weak. Where’s the beef?; Your concept is weak. Where’ s the substance?
bite one’s tongue (to)
to keep from saying anything
I’m so angry at her but I promise to bite my tongue; I’m so angry at her but I promise to keep from saying anything.
bite the bullet (to)
to do something unpleasant yet necessary
You simply have to bite the bullet and do it; You simply have to do it no matter how unpleasant it is.
bite the dust (to)
(usually used figuratively) to die or be killed ·
We almost bit the dust skiing down that slope!; We practically died skiing down that slope!
best thing since sliced bread (the)
the very best, fantastic ·
This word processor is the best thing since sliced bread!; This word processor is fantastic!
cakewalk
extremely easy.
This is going to be a cakewalk; This is going to be extremely easy.
cheese it (to) v.
to leave quickly, to flee ·
Cheese it! The cops!; Let’s leave quickly! The police! · NOTE: This is considered gangster language and is only heard in movies, on television, or in jest.
bun in the oven (to have a)
(humorous) to be pregnant ·
I hear you have a bun in the oven!; I hear you’re pregnant!
cheesecake n.
suggestive photographs ·
Did you see these photos? Talk about cheesecake!; Did you see those photos? Talk about suggestive!
buns
buttocks ·
He’s got great buns from jogging; He’s got real muscular, round buttocks from jogging.
freeze one’s buns off (to)
to be extremely cold ·
We froze our buns off this winter; We were extremely cold this winter. · NOTE: The noun “buns” is a common slang synonym for “buttocks.”
cheesy adj.
cheap and lacking in taste ·
Don’t wear that shirt. It looks cheesy; Don’t wear that shirt. It looks cheap and lacking in taste.
cut the cheese (to)
to pass gas ·
Who cut the cheese? Who passed gas?
clam n.
dollar ·
He stole fifty clams from me!; He stole fifty dollars from me! · NOTE: This term is rarely used, yet occasionally is heard in old movies or in jest.
cook with gas (to)
to perform extremely well ·
Now you’re cookin’ with gas!; Now you’re performing well!
cooking on all four burners (not to be)
was not making use of all resources
That guy’s not cooking on all four burners; That guy doesn’t have all his faculties.
goose cooked (to have one’s)
to be in big trouble
If my mother sees us, our goose is gonna be cooked; If my mother sees us, we’re going to be in big trouble.
clam up (to)
to stop talking
We tried to get him to confess but he just clammed up; We tried to get him to confess but he just stopped talking
goose cooked (to have one’s)
to be in big trouble ·
If my mother sees us, our goose is gonna be cooked; If my mother sees us, we’re going to be in big trouble.
happy as a clam
extremely happy
The little boy was happy as a clam swimming in the pool; The little boy was extremely happy swimming in the pool.
What’s cookin’?”
“What’s happening?” ·
NOTE: In this expression, the verb “cooking” is commonly heard in its contracted form “cookin
Wake up and smell the coffee (to)
to become aware ·
You trusted him? Wake up and smell the coffee!; You trusted him? Become aware!
“That’s the way the cookie crumbles”
“That’s just how things are”
It’s too bad you lost the contest but that’s the way the cookie crumbles; It’s too bad you lost the contest but that’s just how things are . · VARIATION: “That’s how the cookie crumbles”
eat high off the hog (to)
to eat expensive foods
·I ate at Nancy’s house last night. They really eat high off the hog; I ate at Nancy’s house last night. They really eat expensive foods.
eat it (to)
- to crash<br></br>2. to fail
I almost ate it skiing!; I almost crashed skiing! 2. I really ate it on the test; I really failed the test.
toss one’s cookies (to)
to vomit ·
The last time I went on a boat, I tossed my cookies; The last time I went on a boat, I vomited
crackers adj.
British) crazy ·
Living all alone on the desert island made him go crackers; Living all alone on the desert island made him go crazy
big enchilada .
boss ·
He’s the big enchilada; He’s the boss
whole enchilada (the)
the entire matter ·
And that ended our vacation. That’s the whole enchilada; … And that ended our vacation. That’s the entire story.
nutty as a fruitcake (to be)
to be crazy ·
That guy’s nuttier than a fruitcake; That guy’s crazy . · VARIATION: to be nuttier than a fruitcake exp. · NOTE: These two expressions are a play on words. The expression “to be nutty” means “to be silly and nonsensical” and it is also common knowledge that a fruitcake is filled with nuts. Hence, “to be nutty as a fruitcake” or “to be nuttier than a fruitcake. “
chicken feed
a trifle, small amount ·
That’s chicken feed; That’s a trifle.
feed one’s face (to)
to eat ·
Let’s go feed our faces; Let’s go eat.
put on the feed bag (to)
to eat ·
Let’s go put on the feed bag; Let’s go eat.
spoon-feed someone (to)
to explain something slowly to someone ·
He’s so slow. You have to spoon-feed everything to him; He’s so slow. You have to explain everything to him slowly
different kettle of fish .
another issue ·
That’s a different kettle of fish; That’s another story
fudge around with something (to)
to fumble around with something ·
Stop fudging around with the television!; Stop fumbling around with the television!
fine kettle of fish
a predicament ·
That’s a fine kettle offish!; That’s a real predicament!<br></br>an unpleasant or unsettling situation
fudge it (to)
- to blunder · <br></br>2. to improvise
I fudged my work: I blundered on my work. · 2·/ wasn’t sure how to do the job so I just fudged it; I wasn’t sure how to do the job so I just improvised.
gravy (to be)
said of additional money that one earns beyond what is expected ·
Once we break even, the rest will be gravy; Once we break even, the rest will be additional income
limp as a noodle
totally droopy ·
When I got out of the jacuzzi, I was limp as a noodle: When I got out of the jacuzzi, I was totally droopy
gravy train
a job that yields a high return for little effort ·
He’ll never leave his job. It’s a real gravy train; He’ll never leave his job. It yields a high return for little effort.
noodle n.
head or brains ·
You know the answer. Just use your noodle!; You know the answer. Just use your brains!
noodle around (to)
to idle or play around ·
We’re just noodling around; We’re just playing around.
ham (to be a)
a performer who overacts ·
What a ham!; What an overacting performer! · VARIATION: to be a ham boneexp.
off one’s noodle
crazy ·
You’re off. your noodle!: You’re crazy!
wet noodle
a hindrance
when it comes to having fun ·I don’t want to invite him. He’s a wet noodle; I don’t want to invite him. He hinders everyone else’s fun.
sugar daddy
man who provides money to the one he keeps ·
That must be her sugar daddy; That must be the man who keeps her.
