slangman 8 Flashcards
zero in on someone or something (to)
to come closer to finding someone or something ·
In the medical world, they’re zeroing in on a cure for the common cold; In the medical world, they’re coming closer to finding a cure for the common cold.
give someone the once over (to)
to scrutinize someone ·
You should have seen how his brothers and sisters gave me the once over when they met me for the first time; You should have seen how his brothers and sisters scrutinized me when they met me for the first time.
goody two shoes
an ostentatiously virtuous person ·
She’s such a good two-shoes; She’s such an ostentatiously virtuous person.
get the third degree (to)
to be interrogated ·
As soon as I got home, my mother gave me the third degree; As soon as I got home, my mother interrogated me.
Gimme five!” ·
NOTE: This expression is an abbreviation of “Give me five fingers!” It is used as a greeting or a congratulatory gesture in which each person raises his/her hand and slaps it against the other person’s hand. This gesture is also called a “high five” since the slap occurs as each person’s hand is high in the air.
deep six someone (to) (gangster jargon)
to kill someone
I want you to go deep six him; I want you to go kill him.
six of one, half a dozen of the other (to be)
to amount to the same thing, to make no difference ·
You can either meet us before the show for dinner or afterwards for dessert. It’s six of one, half a dozen of the other; You can either meet us before the show for dinner or afterwards for dessert. It makes no difference
cloud nine (on)
euphoric ·
Ever since she met Tom, she’s been on cloud nine; Ever since she met Tom, she’s been euphoric.
dressed to the nines
extremely fancily dressed ·
Last year at her party, everyone was dressed to the nines; Last year at her party, everyone was extremely fancily dressed.
the whole nine yards (to go)
to go to the limit ·
You should have seen how she decorated the house for the party. She went the whole nine yards; You should have seen how she decorated the house for the party. She went to the limit.
hang ten (to) (surfing slang)
to surf with all ten toes curled around the front of the surfboard.
Catch twenty-two
a no-win situation in which one strategy is hindered by another ·
In order to get the job, I need experience. But in order to get experience, I need a job! What a Catch twenty-two!; In order to get the job, I need experience. But in order to get experience, I need a job! What a no-win situation! · NOTE: This expression comes from a satirical novel by Joseph Heller.
“Twenty-three skidoo”
to leave ·
Twenty-three skidoo’· ., Let’s leave! t NOTE: This is an expression that was born around the 1900’s and is now only used in jest yet heard occasionally in old movies, cartoons, etc.
forty winks (to grab)
to take a nap ·
I’m going to grab forty winks before we leave; I’m going to take a nap before we leave.
eighty-six (to)
- to get rid of ·<br></br>2. to kill
We had to eighty-six the hors d’oeuvres because they were too expensive; We had to get rid of the hors d’oeuvres because they were too expensive · 2· They eighty-sixed him; They killed him.
eighty-eight (the) n.
piano (due to its 51S keys) ·
There’s my o!’ eghty-eight; There’s my trusty piano. t NOTE: The adjective “old” is commonly abbreviated to “ol’” and is used to mean “trusty or faithful.”
“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times”
“I’ve repeated to you several times” ·
If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, he’s lying!; I’ve repeated to you several times, he’s lying!
million of them (a)
a repertory of a million jokes ·
I’ve got a million of ‘em!; I have a repertory of a million jokes! t NOTE: This expression commonly uses “‘em” which is the contracted form of “them.”
