Auth
Login:

Password:


Remember password
Registration



eng / rus

SLANG, YOUTH SUBCULTURES AND ROCK MUSIC(eng)

5.    GOTH

Main Entry: Goth
Pronunciation:
'gäth
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English Gothes, Gotes (plural), partly from Old English Gotan (plural); partly from Late Latin Gothi (plural)
Date: 14th century
: a member of a Germanic people that overran the Roman Empire in the early centuries of the Christian era

Main Entry: Goth
Function: abbreviation
Gothic

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

 

Goth emerged in the late 1970’s, branching off of the punk scene. A band by the name of Siouxsie and the Banshees are accredited with the starting of the Goths. Gothic music differs from punk to the effect that it eliminated the chainsaw sound of punk and replaced it with a droning sound of guitar, bass, and drums. The Goths also believed that society was too conservative, but they also felt that no one accepted them, so they viewed themselves as outcasts of society. Goths are preoccupied with introspection and melancholia. They are inclined to speak poetically of 'beautiful deaths' and vampiric sympathies. Theatrical as they are, goths are not (or not only) play-acting and self-dramatizing. The Goths wear almost nothing but black, perhaps with a little white or even red. Goth girls have a penchant for nets and lace and complex sinister jewelry; with their long black hair, black dresses and pasty complexions, they look positively Victorian. Boys have long hair and often wear black leather jackets and can at times be mistaken for heshers. Goths dye their hair black and wear black eyeliner and even black lipstick. They usually apply white makeup to the rest of their faces. The music they listen to also carries the name "goth" and seems to have descended from Joy Division, but typically the vocalist uses an especially cheesy 50's Count Dracula enunciation pattern.

Unlikely as it may seem, this movement, fostered at a London nightclub called the Batcave in 1981, has become one of the longest-enduring youth-culture tribes. The original Goths, named after the medieval Gothic era, were pale-faced, black-swathed, hair-sprayed night dwellers, who worshiped imagery religious and sacrilegious, consumptive poets, and all things spooky. Their bands included Sex Gang Children, Specimen, and Alien Sex Fiend, post-punk doom merchants who sang of horror-film imagery and transgressive sex. When Goth returned to the underground in Britain, it took root in the U.S., particularly in sunny California, where the desired air of funereal gloom was often at odds with the participants' natural teen spirit. English bands like Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and the Sisters of Mercy cast a powerful spell over the imaginations of American night stalkers, and pop-Goth variants the Cure and Depeche Mode filled stadiums. Further proof of the movement's mass appeal was the success of The Crow horror movies (1994, 1996), both of which were suffused with Goth imagery.
Goth provides a highly stylized, almost glamorous, alternative to punk fashion for suburban rebels, as well as safe androgyny for boys. The massive popularity of such industrial-Goth artists as Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, and Marilyn Manson has somewhat validated the Goth crowd's outré modus vivendi, though as industrial rock replaces heavy metal as the sound of Middle America, Goth's dark appeal is blanched. Goth enjoyed a spate of media coverage in late 1996 thanks to such peripherally related events as the Florida "vampire murders" of November 1996. To this day, the movement continues to replenish itself with the fresh blood of new bands and fans.

 

 

6.    INDUSTRIAL

Music genre that originated in London in 1976 when confrontational noisemakers Throbbing Gristle founded the Industrial Records label. Disappointed that punk rock had joined the rock 'n' roll tradition instead of destroying it, British and American fellow travelers like Leather Nun, Monte Cazzazza, and Cabaret Voltaire aligned themselves with Industrial Records, creating a broad church for (usually rhythmic) experiments with noise collage, found sounds, and extreme lyrical themes. Believing that punk's revolution could be realized only by severing its roots in traditional rock, industrial bands deployed noise, electronics, hypnotic machine rhythms, and tape loops. Instead of rallying youth behind political slogans, industrial artists preferred to "decondition" the individual listener by confronting taboos. Key literary influences were J.G. Ballard's anatomies of aberrant sexuality and the paranoid visions and "cut-up" collage techniques of William S. Burroughs.The industrial subculture (touching on transgressive fiction (Contemporary fiction-writing trend that prowls the psycho-narco-sexual frontiers and "dysfunctional" relationships of the Marquis de Sade, William Burroughs, and serial killers.), S/M (sadism and masochism), and piercing) spread worldwide.

 

7.    HARDCORE

Main Entry: hard core
Function: noun
Date: 1936
1 : a central or fundamental and usually enduring group or part: as a : a relatively small enduring core of society marked by apparent resistance to change or inability to escape a persistent wretched condition (as poverty or chronic unemployment) b : a militant or fiercely loyal faction
2 usually hard·core /-"kOr, -"kor/ chiefly British : hard material in pieces (as broken bricks or stone) used as a bottom (as in making roads and in foundations)

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

 

Following the “death” of punk in the late 1970’s was a hard and heavy form of punk known as Hardcore. Hardcore is faster, louder, and heavier than the punk of the 1970’s, and it gained much popularity over the early and mid 1980’s.  Typically the vocals are screamed and unintelligible, though they frequently give voice to strong political sentiments, the bass is played with a pick and is clear and tonal while the guitar forms a dynamic, often atonal, texture of sound. rock and roll radio. Bands such as Black Flag, D.O.A., Circle Jerks, Fear, Bad Brains, The Meatmen, Agent Orange and Minor Threat were the major influences in Hardcore, and the idea of slam dancing was born in the tradition of punks “pogo dancing”. This slam dancing, or moshing, was done in a mosh pit and was accompanied by the occasional stage diving or crowd surfing. The main message of Hardcore was “DIY”, or Do It Yourself.
The DIY movement was purely in the tradition of punk; punk was a form of music that almost anyone could play, it usually involved only 3-chords and a band could be put together cheaply. It was a not-so-expensive way for youth to put out their message.

 

 

8. STRAIGHT EDGE

 

The DIY style of Hardcore gave way to other subcultures of punk, one in particular is known as sXe, or Straight Edge. Most of the sXe credit is given to the band Minor Threat after they released their song “Straight Edge”. The song was an outcry against the effects of drugs, and fans of Minor Threat started to quit using non-pharmaceutical drugs like nicotine, alcohol, and marijuana. These Straight Edgers felt that using drugs was a sign of weakness, and they still dressed as normal punks did, but wore anti drug messages on their shirts. The symbol of Straight Edgers is a large X, originally a symbol that clubs would mark on hands if the person was not old enough to (legally) drink. Eventually Straight Edgers started to put the marks on by themselves, even if they were over 21, to signify that they were living drug-free. Other movements that found their way into the Hardcore DIY scene were Green Peace, the Vegan Movement, concerts raising money for the homeless, and the Hare Krishnas, as well as other religious groups.

 

9.    GRUNGE

Main Entry: grunge
Pronunciation:
'gr&nj
Function: noun
Etymology: back-formation from grungy
Date: 1965
1 : one that is grungy
2 : rock music incorporating elements of punk rock and heavy metal; also : the untidy working-class fashions typical of fans of grunge.

 Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

 

Grunge, rock music style of the early 1990s, characterized by a thick, abrasive, distorted guitar sound. Grunge evolved from punk in the Seattle, Washington, area and came to prominence with the chart success of the band Nirvana in 1991. Grunge is said to have originated as marriage between Seattle's hesher and punk scenes. Characteristic of most of these bands is punk rock drums and vocals, hesher hair and guitar, and working-class clothing that is rarely washed. Lyrics frequently confront such uncomfortable subjects as unpopularity, alienation from divorced parents, disease, the hypocrisy and allure of religion, heroin, and raw lust.  Grunge may or may not be a useful term to describe a segment of youth delinquency, but with historical perspective, it is best used to describe a record company phenomenon. Grunge was a revolution, the revolution where punk rock was decisively injected into mainstream rock and roll.

Numerous culture makers embarrassed themselves in the rush to exploit the most vital white youth culture in years. Grunge "fashion"--the perennial flannel shirt/combat boots/ripped jeans uniform of suburban burnouts everywhere--was suddenly used as an exotic novelty by designers.

 

10. ALTERNATIVE

Main Entry: 1al·ter·na·tive
Pronunciation:
ol-'t&r-n&-tiv, al-
Function: adjective
Date: 1540
1 : ALTERNATE 1
2 : offering or expressing a choice alternative plans>
3 : different from the usual or conventional:as a : existing or functioning outside the established cultural, social, or economic system <alternative newspaper> <alternative lifestyles> b : of, or relating to, or being rock music that is regarded as an alternative to conventional rock and is typically influenced by punk rock, hard rock, hip-hop, or folk music
- al·ter·na·tive·ly adverb
- al·ter·na·tive·ness noun

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary


Nineties term for counterculture, often of a non-oppositional nature. Current use of "alternative" in the music and youth-culture world originated in the late '70s and early '80s, when it described the strain of post-punk music cultivated by a growing, informal network of college radio stations. The word "alternative" already had a meaning related to culture: commonly associated with the independent, oppositional press of the late hippie era, this counterculture label also came to denote any lifestyle outside the mainstream. As college-rock favorites like R.E.M. and U2 became chart and stadium fixtures in the second half of the '80s, successive waves of newer, rawer bands inherited the "alternative" mantle. However, Nirvana's meteoric rise to the top of the charts in 1991-92 disrupted the ecosystem: suddenly alternative was a musical category as lucrative as hip-hop or metal, as were its country-associated fashions. Record companies, radio, and MTV embraced the "new" form, the Lollapalooza tours enshrined it, and marketers used it as youth bait to sell everything from cars to soft drinks to movies. For those who wrangled with the question "what is alternative?" there was no satisfactory answer-the term was now in the public domain, and dissent from the mainstream was rewarded within a fragmenting mass culture. Alternative - at obvious variance with the mainstream, especially regarding music, lifestyle and clothing. Clothing and the extent of facial piercings are usually the most apparent manifestations of underlying alternative sentiments. But like every other term that may have once had meaning, the term "alternative" has been co-opted by mainstream commercial culture. It isn't easy to maintain a rebellion when you find yourself winning every battle. As the name for a musical genré, alternative is reserved for a type of college radio pop that typically breaks free of such rock and roll rules as the major/blues scales, the 4/4 rhythm, hi fidelity, and the need for rhyming lyrics. There is, however, plenty of "alternative" that is hard to distinguish from classic rock. These days much of the new rock and roll that mainstream rock stations play is stuff that would have been considered alternative only a year or two before.

 

 

11. METAL

Main Entry: heavy metal
Function: noun
Date: 1974
: energetic and highly amplified electronic rock music having a hard beat

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary


HEAVY METAL - a typically 80's style of music that features most of the characteristics of classic rock but with louder, more distorted guitars, ominous and driving rhythm, and screaming vocals about subjects such as drug use, war, religion, and problems with girlfriends. Most heavy metal bands also write sappy love ballads that find their way into mainstream radio play lists.

Heavy metal emerged in the late 60s mostly from bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. Such bands tended to be "hard" in that they succeeded in torturing parents in ways that the Beatles just couldn't, but in most respects they were very different from one another. Later, bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden added to the genre as it expanded into and borrowed from pop. This culminated in the late 80s diversification of heavy metal into several completely different branches. There were the blues-based big haired glam metal bands such as Great White and Motley Crew that sang exclusively about babes, there were the attitude bands like Guns 'n' Roses who also sang about babes (with an emphasis on how easy they are to get into bed), there were the dark and mysterious alternative metal bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden that avoided glamour and sang about angst and other water sign issues, there were the bands like Living Colour, Fishbone and Faith No More that were either black or borrowed from rap and soul culture, and there were the fast bands  like Slayer and Metallica that sent many a parent in search of an exorcist.

Although the origin of the term heavy metal is widely attributed to novelist William Burroughs, its use actually dates well back into the 19th century, when it referred to cannon or to power more generally. It also has been used to classify certain elements or compounds, as in the phrase heavy metal poisoning. Heavy metal appeared in the lyrics of Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" (1968), and by the early 1970s rock critics were using it to refer to a specific style of music. Heavy metal has historically required one thing of its performers: long hair. Heavy metal musicians and fans came under severe criticism in the 1980s. Political and academic groups sprang up to blame the genre and its fans for causing everything from crime and violence to despondency and suicide. But defenders of the music pointed out that there was no evidence that heavy metal's exploration of madness and horror caused, rather than articulated, these social ills. The genre's lyrics and imagery have long addressed a wide range of topics, and its music has always been more varied and virtuosic than critics like to admit.

Heavy metal fragmented into subgenres (such as lite metal, death metal, and even Christian metal) in the 1980s.

 

SPEED METAL - a genré of music typified by a continuous double-bass drum roll, high-speed distorted guitar rhythms, an almost silent bass, and screeched or groaned vocals concerning war, death, fighting, environmental abuse, brutality, and (in rare cases) lust. The main problem with most speed metal bands is that they still see a need to put guitar solos in their songs, and the guitar solos are always really bad and last entirely too long. Speed metal seems to be a result of a marriage between punk rock and heavy metal.

. Examples of speed metal bands: Kreator, Exodus, Nuclear Assault, Megadeth, Prong, Pantera

 

THRASH METAL - speed metal with an especially strong punk influence. While in general speed metal musicians pride themselves on their talent and knowledge of music theory, thrash musicians laugh at such concepts or else skillfully conceal their acquaintance with them. Examples of thrash bands: DRI, Tool, some Suicidal Tendencies, and even some Black Flag.

 

 V. DICTIONARY

1.    Dictionary of youth slang during 1960-70’s

acid (n) LSD, a narcotic drug popular among hippies. see psychedelic, bad trip.
afro (n) haircut popular among African-americans during 1960's and '70's.

aquarian (adj.) we're not sure exactly what this means, but it has something to do with the "Age of Aquarius" and the musical Hair.
bad scene (n) a bad situation. see scene.
bad trip (n) originally described a bad experience using drugs, characterized by frightening hallucinations. Can be used to describe any bad experience.
bag (n) one's main interest or purpose in life.
black light (n) a decorative light, dark blue in color to the human eye, which makes objects or artwork in flourescent colors appear to glow.
blow your mind (v) to have an enlightening or illuminating experience.
bread (n) money.
bummer (n) bad experience.
bust (v) to arrest someone, (n) an arrest.
cat (n) a person. derived from beatnik language of the 1950's.
chick (n) a girl or woman.
commune (n) an community of people who share possessions, living accomodations, and work (or lack thereof). Usually encompasses a farm and other fashionable industries.
crash (v) to sleep, rest, or do nothing.
crash pad (n) a place where one sleeps, rests, or does nothing.
dig (v) like, enjoy, be interested in.
drag (n) an unfavorable situation or state of affairs.
dude (n) person, usually male.
establishment, the (n) traditional business and government institutions, believed to stand in the way of human progress. see "system, the."
far out (adj) very interesting, good. Also an exclamation.
free love (n) love without expectations or commitment.
fuzz (n) police.
get it on (n) successfully interact with others.
groove (v) enjoy, achieve proficiency at. see "groovy."
groovy (adj) good, interesting, enjoyable.
hang out (v) to be some place, usually doing nothing, with no purpose.
hang-up (n) inhibition, usually due to morals, beliefs, or culture.
happening (adj) exciting, new, good.
heavy (adj) thought-provoking.
hippie (n) [still searching for a definition here]. hip (adj) knowledgable of, or consistent with, the latest trends and ideas.
Iron Butterfly (n) a rock band which had one popular song, "Inna Gadda Da Vida."
lava lamp (n) a cylindrical glass container filled a semi-solid viscous material which breaks apart and forms globules while floating in a clear fluid.
like (?) word used to fill up space in an utterance when the speaker is unable to think of a suitable adjective to describe something. Use of this word has also been adopted by adjective-challenged subcultures of more recent generations.
love beads (n) colorful beads worn around the neck to symbolize love.
man (interjection) used as an exclamation to draw attention to one's utterance. related phrase: "hey, man."
mood ring (n) a ring worn on the finger which contains a large stone, the color of which is supposed to indicate the wearer's emotional mood. Mood rings were a fad in the mid-1970's.
oh wow (interjection) exclamation uttered in response to new, thought-provoking, or exciting information.
out of sight (adj) excellent, outstanding. Often used as an exclamation.
pad (n) living accomodation--house or apartment.
peace (n) absence of war.

psychedelic (adj) of or related to a mental state characterized by a profound sense of intensified sensory perception, sometimes accompanied by severe perceptual distortion, hallucinations, or extreme feelings of euphoria or despair. see acid.
rap (v,n) to talk, conversation. More recently used to name a category of music where words are spoken, rather than sung.
San Francisco (n) worldwide center of hippie activity and general weirdness.
scene (n) place, situation, or circumstances.
sock it to me (phrase) let me have it.
spaced out (adj) dazed, not alert.
split (v) to leave, depart.
square (adj) old-fashioned, not aware of new thinking and customs. (n) one who is square.
system, the (n) the system of laws, governance, and justice. see "establishment, the".
tie dye (v) a method of coloring clothing where the article of clothing is tied in knots, then dying it to produce an abstract pattern. (n) an article of clothing dyed in this manner.
trip (n) an unusual experience. (v) to have an unusual experience.
turn on (v) to become enlightened to new ways of thinking or experiencing reality.
uptight (adj) concerned about maintaining set ways of thinking and doing things.

 

2.    Dictionary of modern British slang

 

These phrases are in everyday use around most of Britain.

 

Phrase                     Meaning

---------------------------------------------------------------------                    

99                         a popular style of ice cream, usually

                           ordered with a 'flake'

'A' levels                 exams taken at age 18

abso-bloody-lutely         a more definite form of 'absolutely'

afters                     dessert

aggro                      trouble; violence

all broke up               on holiday, usually from school

all of a twitter           very nervous or apprehensive

aluminium                  aluminum

arse                       bottom, or ass

arse bandit                a homosexual

arse over tit              to fall head over heels

arse about                 playing around, being silly

                           e.g. "stop arsing about!"

artic                      an articulated lorry; a bick truck

Aussie                     an Australian

backhander                 a bribe

bag                        an unattractive or elderly woman

balderdash                 rubbish; nonsense

balls-up                   a mess; a confusion

banger                     (1) an old car; (2) a sausage

barking mad                crazy

batty                      dotty; crazy

beak                       magistrate

beehive                    a tall hairstyle

bees knees                 something really good

beetle crusher             a boot; a foot

behind                     bottom; buttocks

berk                       a stupid person

                           e.g. "you silly berk"

bevvy                      a drink

bit of fluff               a pretty young single woman

bill, the                  police, sometimes called "the old bill"

binge                      a drinking bout

bin liner                  garbage bag

bin men                    garbage collectors

bint                       a rough girl

biro                       a ballpoint pen

bit of alright             something highly satisfactory

black maria                a police van

black pudding              a sausage like food made from

                            - pigs blood

                            - oats

                            - fat

black sheep of the family  a relative who gets into trouble with the

                           police

blag                       a robbery; to rob

blagger                    a robber

Blighty                    England

blimey !                   an expression of surprise

blob                       a contraceptive

blotto                     drunk

blower                     telephone

       

blow your own trumpet      to brag; to boast

blubber                    to cry

bobby dazzler              a remarkable person or thing

bog                        a toilet, a washroom

bollock naked              stark naked

bollocks                   testicles

bonce                      head

bonk                       to copulate

bonnet                     hood of a car

bookie                     betting shop owner

boot                       trunk of a car

boracic                    penniless

bosch                      a derogative term for germans

bovver                     trouble

bovver boot                a heavy boot, possibly with a toe cap and laces

                           quite often worn by skinheads

bovver boy                 a hooligan; a troublemaker

brass monkey weather       cold, taken from the phrase, "it's cold enough

                           to freeze the balls off a brass monkey"

breakdown van              a tow truck

brickie                    a bricklayer

brill !                    short form of brilliant, meaning fantastic

brolly                     an umbrella

browned off                bored; fed up

Brummy                     a native of Birmingham

bubble and squeak          fried cabbage and potatoes

bubbly                     champagne

bugger all                 nothing; very little

bumf                       toilet paper

                           this led to 'bumf' being used for superfluous

                           papers, letters etc.

bumming a fag              requesting a cigarette

                           e.g. "Can I bum a fag from you mate ?"

                           Note: This has a VERY different meaning

                           in the U.S.

bunch of fives             a fist

"button it !"              "be quiet !"

caff                       a cafe

cake hole                  a person's mouth

cardy                      abbreviation of cardigan

champers                   champagne

char                       tea; a domestic worker

cheeky monkey              a rude person

cheesed off                bored; fed up

chin chin                  a drinking toast

chippy                     a fish and chip shop; a carpenter

chokey                     prison

chuffed                    very pleased or proud

clapped out                worn out, broken

clappers                   to go very fast; to work hard

                           e.g. That car goes like the clappers !

                           e.g. I have to work like the clappers

                           to finish it by lunchtime !

clickety click             66 in bingo calling

clink                      prison

clinker                    somebody who is outstanding

clobber                    clothing

clodhopper                 a clumsy person

clogger                    a soccer player who tackles heavily

clot                       a fool

cloth-ears                 a person with a poor sense of hearing

cobblers                   testicles; rubbish

cock and bull              a story with very little truth in it

cock up                    to ruin something

                           e.g. "it was a real cock-up"

                           e.g. "haved you cocked it up ?"

coffin nail                a cigarette

conk                       nose

conkers                    a childrens game played with horse chestnuts

copper                     police man/woman

cough up                   to pay

crackers                   crazy

cracking                   great; fantastic

crackling                  a woman who is regarded as a sexual object

crate                      an old name for a very old plane

create                     to make a fuss or an angry scene

crown jewels               male genitalia

crumbly                    an old or senile person

crumpet                    a desirable woman

dabs                       fingerprints

daft                       stupid

dark horse                 somebody who suprises others by their actions

des res                    Estate agents use this to describe a

                           "desirable residence"

dial                       face

dickie bow                 a bow tie

diddicoy                   a gipsy

dip                        a pickpocket

dishy                      good looking

do a runner                to leave quickly avoiding punishment

doddle                     easy

dog's bollocks             something really good

dog's breakfast            a mess

donkey's breakfast         a straw hat

doodah                     to be in a state of excitement

                           e.g. "He was all in a doodah !"

doolally                   scatter-brained; crazy

doorstep                   a thick sandwich

dosh                       money

doss house                 a cheap lodging house

dosser                     a tramp

do the dirty on            to play a mean trick on

dough                      money

droopy drawers             an untidy or sloppy person

drop a sprog               have a baby

drum                       a house or flat

duffer                     a stupid person

dummy                      a baby's pacifier

earful                     to get a shouting

                           e.g. "My mum gave me a right earful !"

easy-peasy                 something very simple

earner                     a lucrative job or task

elevenses                  morning tea break

extracting the urine       see "taking the piss"

fab                        fabulous; wonderful

face-ache                  a miserable looking person

fag                        cigarette

fag-end                    a cigarette butt

fairy                      a homosexual man

family jewels              male genitalia

fanny                      female genitalia

fence                      a receiver of stolen goods

filth, the                 police

fishy about the gills      looking the worse for drink

fizzog                     face

flake                      a stick that is made up of flaky

                           pieces of chocolate

flicks, the                the cinema

flog                       to sell

footy                      football; soccer

fuzz, the                  police

gamboll                    a somersault done on the ground

gamp                       an umbrella

gentleman's gentleman      a valet

Geordie                    a native of Newcastle

gift of the gab            being very free with speech

git                        an insult

                           e.g. "You stupid git !"

give it a whirl            try it out

give someone the pip       to get on someone's nerves

gob                        mouth

gobsmacked                 speechless

goes like stink            very fast

good nick                  very good condition

gooseberry                 a fifth wheel

goosegog                   a gooseberry

go to the dogs             to go to ruin

grass, grasser             an informant

hang about                 wait a moment

hell for leather           very fast

hols                       holidays

home and dry               to be safe

hush                       silence

inexpressibles             trousers

in good fettle             in good health

in the altogether          nude

in the know                to have inside information

in the noddy               nude

jam packed                 very full

jar                        a drink, usually a pint of beer

jelly                      jello

jerry                      a chamber pot

jerry builder              a builder of unsubstantial houses

Jock                       a scottish person

Jonah                      a bringer of bad luck

jumped up                  to be conceited

jumper                     sweater

keep you hair on           please calm down

kick the bucket            to die

kissed the Blarney Stone   a person who tells tall stories

knackered                  tired, worn out

                           derived from horses being taken to the

                           'knackers yard'

knockers                   breasts

leg it !                   quick lets run !

legless                    drunk

like a rat out of a        very fast

   drainpipe

load of bollocks           you're talking crap

                           utter nonesense

loo                        a toilet; a washroom

Liverpudlian               a native of Liverpool (also see Scouser)

lorry                      a truck

man in blue                a policeman

marmite                    a spread for sandwiches

me old cock                my old friend

meat and two veg.          male genitalia

mind your P's and Q's      to be careful; to be polite

moggy                      cat

mom`s the word             it's a secret between you and me

                           can be abbreviated to "Keep mom !"

money for jam              an easy job

money for old rope         an easy job

mother's ruin              gin

mucker                     mate, friend

mucky pup                  someone who has soiled themselves

                           e.g. "You mucky pup !"

mug                        face

mutton chops               side whiskers

nancy boy                  an effeminate male

nark                       a police informer

nightie                    a nightdress

nick                       prison; to steal

                           e.g "Hey, my bike's been nicked !"

nick, the                  prison

nincompoop                 a fool

nipper                     a young or small child

nippy                      (1) fast, or (2) cold

                           e.g. (1) "that car is nippy !"

                           e.g. (2) "it's nippy out today"

nix                        nothing

none too easy              very difficult

                           e.g. "that exam was none too easy !"

nosey parker               somebody who is nosey

not bad                    very good

not so hot                 not very good, awful

old man                    father

old girl                   mother

old lady                   mother

one in the oven            pregnant, also "a bun in the oven",

                           "up the plum duff" and "in the pudding club"

on spec                    on chance

on the nod                 on credit

on the razzle              dressed up and looking for sex

on the tap                 looking for sex

on your bike!              go away!

out for a duck             obtained a zero score

Paddy                      an Irishman

paralitic                  to be drunk

pavement                   sidewalk

pictures, the              the cinema

pick-me-up                 a tonic

pie eyed                   to be drunk

pigs, the                  police

pigs breakfast             a mess

pigs ear                   a mess

pig in muck                somebody in their element

                           e.g. "he is as happy as a pig in muck"

pillock                    an insult

pinny                      apron

pissed                     drunk

pissed off                 to be annoyed

                           e.g. "I was pissed off !"

                           e.g. "He really pissed me off !"

                           The US replace "pissed off" with "pissed" alone.

piss head                  somebody who is drunk quite often

plastered                  drunk

                           e.g. "He's plastered !"

play hookey                to play truant

plimpsolls                 childrens non-laced sneakers

plod                       police man/woman

plonk                      cheap wine

                           e.g. "This plonk's not bad !"

plonker                    (1) penis, (2) fool

                           e.g. "you silly plonker !"

plus fours                 trousers

ponce                      a homosexual

pong                       a bad smell

pooh pooh                  to reject an idea

                           e.g. "He pooh pooh'd my idea !"

pools, the                 a weekly betting game based on the outcome

                           of soccer matches; run by Vernons and

                           Littlewoods (and possibly others)

pratt                      an insult

                           e.g. "you stupid pratt !"

preggers                   pregnant

pudding                    dessert

pull a bird                meet a woman; pick up a girl

                           quite often shortened to 'pull'

                           e.g. "Did you pull ?"

pull a fast one            to fool or swindle somebody

pull a pint                hand pump beer into a glass

pull a stroke              to outsmart

pull the other one         I don't believe you

                           short form of "pull the other one, it has

                           bells on"

pull your pud              to masterbate

pumps                      running shoes

punter                     a customer

purse                      a ladies wallet

put a sock in it           to be quiet

put the anchors on         to apply the brakes; to slow down

put the boot in            to beat somebody up

put the kibosh on          to put a stop to something

put the wind up            to scare

Queer Street               where you are if you don't have

                           any money

quiff                      a fancy hairstyle

randy                      horny

rave up                    a good party

readies                    cash

ropey                      flaky or dodgey

rozzer                     policeman

rug                        a wig; a toupee

rubbed the wrong way       to upset somebody

salt                       a sailor

same to you with brass     usually said in response to a derogatory

      knobs on !!          remark

sarnie                     a sandwich

scab                       a strike breaker

scallywag                  a mischevious person

scarper                    to run away fast, possibly avoiding

                           punishment

Scouser                    a native of Liverpool (see also Liverpudlian)

scrap                      a fight

scrubber                   a cheap or loose woman

shag                       to copulate

shake a leg                to get a move on

shall I be mother ?        shall I pour the tea ?

sheckels                   money

silly arse                 a foolish person

skivvy                     a domestic servant

slash                      to urinate

                           e.g. "I'm going for a slash."

smalls                     underwear

smart alec                 a clever person

snifter                    a drink of spirit

snog                       to kiss

snuff it                   to die

sod                        derogatory remark, derived from sodomy

soldiers                   bread cut into thin strips for dipping into

                           a boiled egg

so stick that in your      usually said after a derogatory remark

pipe and smoke it !

sozzled                    drunk

spam                       a rather tasteless form of tinned meat

spanner                    a wrench

sparky                     an electrician

splice the main-brace      to drink

spread                     a good meal; a feast

sprog                      a young child or baby, could also

                           mean illegitimate

spud                       a potato

squiffed                   drunk

stewed                     drunk

strides                    trousers, pants

subway                     an underpass

                           a pedestrian walkway beneath a road

swag                       stolen money; a thief's plunder

swing the lead             a malingerer

swizz                      a swindle or cheat

swot                       somebody who studies

ta                         thankyou

Taffy                      a Welshman

ta muchly                  thankyou very much

Tandy                      Radio Shack

take French leave          to leave without permission

taking the piss            making fun of

tea leaf                   thief

terminus                   the end of the bus route

the smoke                  London

three sheets in the wind   drunk

Tic Tac Man                a bookmakers signaller

ticker                     the heart

tights                     pantyhose

"Time gentlemen please !"  Usually said as the pub is closing,

                           so as to request that the patrons

                           finish their drinks.

tip                        a mess

                           e.g. "Your room is a tip !"

toff                       a posh person

tomato sauce               ketchup

Tommy Rot                  nonsense

top sad                    extremely bad

torch                      flashlight

tosser                     see wanker

toss pot                   one who drinks too much

trainers                   running shoes

trollop                    not a nice girl

trousers                   pants

tube                       London Underground

tuck                       in schools it means cake, crisps,

                           sweets etc.

turf accountant            betting shop owner

turn-ups                   trouser cuffs

turps                      turpentine

under the weather          ill; sick

unmentionables             underwear

vest                       a man's undershirt

wag                        a joker

wagging it                 to play truant

wallflower                 a woman who does not dance

wanger                     penis

wanker                     infers that the subject masturbates

weed                       a weak person

welly wanging              the art of throwing wellington boots

white elephant             a valuable, but useless article

willies, the               nerves

willow                     a cricket bat

willy                      penis

wings                      fenders of a car

Winkle Pickers             shoes with pointed toes

wireless                   a radio

wishy washy                feeble; stupid

 

 

VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Charlie Gillett, The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 2nd ed., newly illustrated and expanded (1996),

Chapman, Robert L.  American Slang.  HarperPerennial, 1987.   Abridged edition of the New Dictionary of American Slang (Harper, 1986).

The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, Third Edition Copyright © 1994, Columbia University Press. 

Dictionary of contemporary slang - Tony Thorne.
Published by Bloomsbury / London. 1997.

The Encarta World English Dictionary, published by St. Martin's Press. 1999

Flexner, Stuart Berg, and Anne H. Soukhanov.  Speaking Freely: A Guided Tour of American English from Plymouth Rock to Silicon Valley.  Oxford University Press, 1997.   

Greil Marcus, Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century (1989),

Jon Savage, England's Dreaming: Sex Pistols and Punk Rock (1991)

Lighter, Jonathan E.; J. Ball; and J. O'Connor, eds.  Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang.  Random House, 1994 .  

Mark Hale, HeadBangers: The Worldwide Megabook of Heavy Metal Bands (1993)

Mark Slobin, Subcultural Sounds: Micromusics of the West (1993)

The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th Edition © 1985, Britannica Corporation

The Oxford dictionary of modern slang - John Ayto / John Simpson.Published by Oxford University Press. 1992.

Partridge, Eric.  Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English.  Macmillan, 1985.   A classic, with 7,500 entries; first published in 1937.

Peter van der Merwe, Origins of the Popular Style (1989, reissued 1992),

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc

 

Wentworth, Harold and Flexner, Stuart Berg. Dictionary of American Slang. Crowell, 2d ed., 1975.

А. Кокарев “Панк-рок от А до Я”, Москва, “Музыка”, 1992

 

 


← prev  1  2
© 2006-2012. Kompost. Sitemap
Рейтинг@Mail.ru