Slang and uncoventional english part 104 pot

wingnut noun a person who is easily angered or flustered. As a piece
of hardware, a ‘wingnut’ is easily tightened – the basis for its
application to a person
US, 1990
wings noun 1 any powdered drug, especially cocaine, heroin or
morphine. Because wings give you the lift that gets you
HIGH US,
1953. 2 insignia worn by motorcyle gang members signifying sexual
conquests US, 1966. < get your wings to use heroin for the first
time. A nod to aviation terminology US, 1989
wing-wang noun the rectum US, 1970
wing wipe noun a crew member of a military jet aircraft. A term
used by the infantry
US, 1990
wingy noun a person with one arm US, 1980
wingy adjective very loose-fitting, giving the appearance of extreme
thinness
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003
wink noun the penis UK, 2001
winker noun the vagina. The imagery of an eye that opens and
closes UK, 1970
winkie noun 1 the vagina UK, 2001. 2 a sideways punctuation face indi-
cating laughter, generally formed as ;-) US, 1995
winking noun < like winking; like eyes-a-winking very quickly
UK, 1827
winkle noun a boy’s penis; a small penis US, 1966. < have on the
winkle
to be obsessed by something UK, 1969
winkle-trip noun a male striptease act performed for an all-female
audience on a Thames pleasure boat UK, 1980
winky; winkie noun the penis; a small penis; a boy’s penis. Usually

juvenile, occasionally derisory; probably a variation of WINKLE UK,
1984
winner noun a loser socially. Sardonic, cruel US, 1964
winners noun dice that have been altered so as to roll numbers
other than seven, useful to the shooter in craps US, 1950
winners and losers noun trousers. Glasgow rhyming slang on
‘troosers’ UK: SCOTLAND, 1985
winny-popper noun the penis. A schoolchildren’s term CANADA, 1968
wino noun 1 a lowly drunk US, 1913. 2 a wine connoisseur NEW ZEALAND,
1997
win or lose noun any and all alcoholic drinks. Rhyming slang for
BOOZE UK, 1992
wino time noun a short jail sentence US, 1992
winter noun any period between carnival seasons, regardless of the
actual time of year US, 1966
winter blossoms noun the older, female, winter residents of a hotel
UK, 1977
winterer; winteroverer noun a person who spends the winter in
Antarctica
ANTARCTICA, 1958
Winterpeg nickname Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA, 2002
winter wear noun the foreskin on an uncircumsised penis US, 1983
win-win adjective said of a situation in which the parties involved all
feel that they have done well US, 1977
wipe noun a handkerchief US, 1981
wipe verb 1 to dismiss or reject a person; to wash your hands of
someone AUSTRALIA, 1941. 2 in drag racing, to defeat another car.
Created by back-formation; when a car is defeated, the name of
the driver is wiped from the list of those competing, so the driver
is ‘wiped’

US, 2003. < wipe the clock to set a train’s air brake
valve at the position used for full emergency application. An
allusion to the sudden drop of the pressure needle on the air
gauge to zero US, 1975. < wipe the floor with; wipe up the
floor with; wipe the earth with; wipe the ground with
to
inflict an absolute defeat on someone; to surpass someone UK, 1896
wiped adjective 1 infatuated UK, 2004. 2 drunk US, 1968. 3 exhausted US,
1996
wiped out adjective very drug-intoxicated US, 1974
wipe-off noun 1 a cursory washing of the body using little water US,
1953. 2 a total wreck; a write-off AUSTRALIA, 1945
wipe off verb to wreck or ruin something AUSTRALIA, 1962
wipe-out noun a fall from a surfboard, usually caused by a wave. A
major word of the surfer’s lexicon; it was the title and one-word
lyric of the 1963 ‘surf instrumental’ by the Surfaris that featured a
drum solo practised on the school desk of many an early 1960s
schoolboy AUSTRALIA, 1962
wipe out verb 1 to destroy something; to kill or wound someone US,
1968. 2 to remove someone from their position UK, 1969
wire noun 1 a telegraph message; a telegram UK, 1876. 2 areport;infor-
mation. A vestigial term from the era of telegraphy
UK, 1925. 3 news
transmitted privately TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1938. 4 a bookmaking
operation US, 1981. 5 a small microphone and transmitting device
worn on the person as part of law enforcement interception of
oral communications
US, 1973. 6 the penis IRELAND, 1991. 7 the
buttocks
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1968. 8 in a pickpocketing team, the

thief who actually picks the victim’s pocket
UK, 1851. 9 in horse
racing, the finish line US, 1974. 10 amphetamines UK, 2003. 11 in pool,
the score string US, 1993. < have your wires crossed; get your
wires crossed
to be at cross purposes; to be affected by a
mutual misunderstanding
UK, 2001. < on the wire in pool, having
scored or having been awarded a score as part of the
handicapping of a game
US, 1993
wire verb 1 to send a telegraph message UK, 1859. 2 to use a small
microphone or transmitting device to intercept oral communi-
cations US, 1973. 3 in skateboarding, to analyse and plan a difficult
manoeuvre or trick US, 1976
wired adjective 1 intoxicated on amphetamines or cocaine. Also used
with ‘up’ US, 1966. 2 tense, anxious UK, 1979. 3 well-rehearsed US, 1995.
4 used of a pair in stud poker, dealt in the first two cards of a hand
US, 1981
wired to the moon adjective extremely drug-intoxicated. An elabor-
ation of
WIRED (drug-intoxicated) UK, 1995
wired up adjective 1 intoxicated on central nervous system depress-
ants US, 1979. 2 available for homosexual relations US, 1961
wire-fu noun a technique that employs wires and pulleys to create
choreographed martial art fights. Formed on ‘kung fu’ US, 1997
wirehead noun a computer hardware specialist US, 1991
wire room noun an illegal betting establishment’s telephone office
US, 1950
wires noun any central nervous system stimulant US, 1977

wire store noun a big con based on a supposedly corrupt telegraph
official who claims he can delay the reporting of race results to
the benefit of the victim US, 1969
wire to wire noun in horse racing, the entire distance of the race,
from start to finish US, 1951
wise verb to inform or educate someone; to explain something US,
1905. < wise up; wise up to to learn, realise or understand
something US, 1919
wise adjective < be wise; be wise to; get wise; get wise to to
be aware of something; to be warned about something US, 1896.
< put wise; put wise to to make someone aware of something;
to warn someone about something US, 1913
-wise suffix in the manner of, or to do with, a conjoined subject US,
1942
wiseacre noun a smart alec UK, 1595
wiseass noun an obnoxious person with delusions of cleverness US,
1971
wisecrack noun a smart, humorous, sometimes cruel remark US, 1924
wisecrack verb to make smart, humorous and sometimes cruel
remarks
US, 1946
wisecracker noun someone who makes smart, humorous and
sometimes cruel remarks US, 1923
wisecracking adjective given to making smart, humorous and
sometimes cruel remarks US, 1915
wise guy noun a recognised member of an organised crime
enterprise
US, 1975
703 wingnut | wise guy
wise monkey noun a condom. Rhyming slang for DUNKY,influenced

perhaps by the usual number of wise monkeys and a
PACKET OF
THREE UK
, 1992
wisenheimer noun a smart alec, a wise guy UK, 1904
wisepuss noun an obnoxious person with delusions of cleverness. A
variation of
WISEASS US, 1971
wish verb to greet someone INDIA, 1979
wishbone noun in hot rodding, a triangular suspension control
device US, 1993
wishing book noun a mail-order catalogue US, 1975
wish-was noun someone who wishes that he were something that
he is not US, 1991
wishy-washy adjective 1 weak; uncertain UK, 1703. 2 in poor condition
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1993
wiss noun a urination. Glasgow slang UK, 1996
wisteria adjective clingy. From the characteristics of the plant; a
contemporary gay usage UK, 2003
wit noun a witness US, 1999
wit! ‘what was just said is not funny!’ US, 1986
witch noun < the witch any powdered drug; cocaine, heroin, etc
US, 1949
witch doctor noun a doctor who specialises in internal medicine US,
1985
witches’ knickers noun plastic bags caught up in trees or shrubs
IRELAND, 2000
witch hazel noun heroin US, 1959
witch’s brew noun LSD enhanced with botanical drugs from plants
such as deadly nightshade or jimsonweed US, 1970

witch’s cackle noun the male genitals. Rhyming slang for WEDDING
TACKL E UK
, 2003
with authority! used as a humorous comment on a remark made
or action taken without hesitation and boldly. Coined on ESPN’s
Sports Center while narrating footage showing a basketball slam
dunk US, 1997
with it adjective aware of all that is happening; stylish; part of a
subculture US, 1945
without adjective clueless; out of touch; out of style US, 1999
wiwi noun a French person. A Maori approximation of the French
‘oui, oui’ NEW ZEALAND, 1998
wix adjective excellent. Urban youth slang. Probably a reduction of
WICKED UK, 2005
wizard noun 1 an expertly skilled person UK, 1620. 2 in computing, a
person who has specific and detailed expertise US, 1983. 3 in pinball,
an expert player US, 1977
wizard adjective excellent, marvellous. Magical origins; mainly used
by the privileged and officer classes until after World War 2, then
widespread. Of upper-class society use: ‘[ ] still used, though
almost always in inverted commas’ (Ann Barr and Peter York, The
Official Sloane Ranger Handbook, p.159, 1982) UK, 1922
wizard! used for expressing approval UK, 1933
wizard’s sleeve noun a capacious vagina. Coined for humorous
magazine Viz UK, 1999
wizz noun 8see: WHIZZ, WHIZZO
wizzard; wizzard of oz noun an ounce of marijuana. This plays on
the conventional abbreviation ‘oz’ (ounce) and, by association with
the film The Wizard of Oz, 1939, which contains the song
‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’, suggesting where this measure of

marijuana might take you. The misspelling ‘wizzard’, if deliberate,
may be punning on
WHIZZ (amphetamine) UK, 2001
wizzo noun the weapons officer on a military aircraft US, 1998
wizzy adjective excellent, exciting, wonderful; used for registering
general approval. A variation of WIZARD UK, 1998
wizzy-wizzy verb to whisper BARBADOS, 1965
wobble verb < wobble the job to cause trouble among workers
on a unionised worksite
CANADA, 1989
wobble board noun a simple musical instrument made of a sheet
of stiff material that is wobbled rhythmically. Invention of the
instrument and its name is credited to Australian artist and
entertainer Rolf Harris (b.1930)
AUSTRALIA, 1957
wobbler noun 1 an outburst of temper UK, 1983. 2 in trucking, a spoke
wheel US, 1971. < throw a wobbler to have a fit of bad temper or
anger
US, 2003
wobblestick noun a gear lever on a truck or car US, 1971
wobblies; wobs noun a powerful and deep vibration of the board
while skateboarding fast
US, 1976
wobbly noun afitofangerUK, 1977. < thr ow a wobbly to have a fit
of bad temper or anger
NEW ZEALAND, 1984
Wobbly noun a member of the anarchist trade union the
International Workers of the World
US, 1914
wobbly adjective uncertain; undecided; risky UK, 1884

wobbly egg; wobbly; egg noun a capsule of Temazepam™, a
branded tranquillizer; any central nervous system depressant; in
the plural it refers to the drug in general. From the characteristic
nature of gelatine, the original method of manufacturing the
capsules UK, 1996
wobbly hole noun in trucking, the neutral gear US, 1971
wobbly orange noun a warrant officer in the Royal Air Force. A
ludicrous re-use of the initials
UK, 2002
wodge; wadge noun a large amount. Originally used of a bulky mass
UK, 1860
wog noun 1 any person of non-white ethnicity; a native of the Indian
subcontinent; an Arab; any (non-British) foreigner, as in ‘the wogs
begin at Calais’. Derogatory, patronising. Derives possibly from an
abbreviation of ‘golliwog’ (a caricature, black-faced, curly-haired
doll) but the widest usage is in reference to Asians and not black
people. Popular, unproven etymology has ‘wog’ as an acronym of
‘Western(ised) [or] Wily Oriental Gentleman’ UK, 1929. 2 any language
that isn’t English
AUSTRALIA, 1988. 3 a germ that causes an illness
AUSTRALIA, 1941
wog adjective 1 foreign UK, 1956. 2 of non-Anglo-Celtic origin AUSTRALIA,
1944
wogball noun soccer AUSTRALIA, 1984
wog box noun a large portable stereo system associated,
stereotypically, with black youth culture UK, 1990
woggy adjective 1 characteristic of a non-white person AUSTRALIA, 1988.
2 of non-Anglo-Celtic background AUSTRALIA, 1968
wojus adjective inferior; of poor quality IRELAND, 2004
woke-up adjective informed; up-to-date US, 1968

wolf noun 1 a sexually aggressive man US, 1945. 2 in prison, an
aggressive, predatory homosexual US, 1952. 3 in homosexual anal
sex, the active participant
US, 1940. 4 a prison sentence of 15 years
US, 1990s
wolf verb to act in a sexually aggressive manner US, 1974
wolf bait noun an attractive young woman US, 1960
Wolfhounds noun the 27th Infantry Regiment of the 25th Division.
Formed in 1901, named by the White Russians in World War 1,
distinguished fighters in World War 2, Korea and Vietnam
US, 1968
wolf in the pack noun a traffic police car in the midst of other cars
US, 1962
wolf pack noun a group of friends who play poker at cardrooms,
taking advantage of unskilled strangers US, 1996
wolf-pack verb 1 to engage in criminal gang activity US, 1982. 2 to
congregate with other teenagers around their cars at shopping
centre carparks, drinking beer and idling US, 1989
wolf ticket noun a threat or other act of intimidation used to coerce
US, 1974
wolf whistle noun a distinctive whistle (generally, a sharply
terminated rising note, followed by one that rises briefly before
descending and fading) used as a declaration of appreciation for a
wise monkey | wolf whistle 704
sexually attractive person. After WOLF (a sexually aggressive man),
and generally, but not exclusively, in the vocabulary of men
US, 1952
wolf-whistle verb to whistle in a distinctive declaration of appreci-
ation for a sexually attractive person. From the noun
US, 1955

wollie; woolah noun crack cocaine added to a marijuana cigarette
or cigar US, 1989
wolly noun 8see: WALL Y
wollyback noun anyone living in a rural area IRELAND, 1995
wolver noun the penis. Rhyming slang, formed from Midlands’ town
Wolverhampton as an elaboration of ‘hampton’, the shortened
form of HAMPTON WICK (PRICK) UK, 1967
woman in the sun noun heroin. Collected in private
correspondence with certain musicians
UK, 2001
womb noun the rectum US, 1983
wombat noun 1 a dull, uninteresting or stupid person. From the
name of a stocky native nocturnal marsupial AUSTRALIA, 1905. 2 in
computing, a waste of money, brains and time
US, 1991
wombat-headed adjective stupid; fat-headed. First used by the
bushranger Ned Kelly in his famous ‘Jerilderie Letter’ in 1879
AUSTRALIA, 1971
womb broom noun the penis US, 1973
womb duster noun the penis US, 1977
womble noun 1 in prison, an inmate detailed as a litter collector.
After the children’s characters created by Elizabeth Beresford, and
in a BBC television series launched in 1973
UK, 2003. 2 afoolUK, 1986
womble verb to pick up litter. From the raison d’être of children’s
television characters in The Wombles, who collected litter in the
70s from 1973, and again from 1998
UK, 1996
womb sweeper noun the penis US, 1978
womb-trembler noun something that causes great excitement UK,

2001
women and children off the street! in shuffleboard, used as a
humorous commentary on a hard shooter US, 1967
womp; whomp verb to beat someone US, 1964
wonder star noun methcathinone UK, 1998
wonder veg noun any mushroom with a hallucinogenic effect UK,
1996
wonder wand noun the penis. An elaboration of WAND (the penis)
US, 2001
wong verb in casino blackjack, to play several hands at a table where
the count of cards played favours the player, and then to move on
to another table. Named after Stanford Wong, a blackjack expert
US, 1991
wonga noun 1 money. From Romany wanger or wonger, defined by
George Borrow in Romano Lavo-Lil, 1907, as ‘Coal. Also a term for
money; probably because Coal in the cant [criminal] language sig-
nifies money’. Romany ‘wongar-camming miser’ is literally ‘one
who loves coal’. (Now obsolete ‘coal’, also ‘cole’, meant ‘money’
from the mid-C17, and all but faded away by C20). Variants
include ‘wong’ and ‘wonger’
UK, 1953. 2 marijuana UK, 1985
wonk noun a student who studies harder than contemporaries con-
sider necessary; a political professional who is studious and
therefore well informed. Derogatory
US, 1962
wonkey; wonky adjective broken US, 2001
wonk out verb to study excessively US, 1987
wonky adjective 1 unbalanced; out-of-true. Variation of obsolete sense
of ‘wanky’ (inferior, damaged) UK, 1919. 2 unsound or unreliable UK,
1925. 3 intellectual; out of touch with reality US, 1970

won’t do itself used before tackling any task as an expression of
resigned determination. A very clichéd truism if not a catchphrase
UK, 1999
woo noun sexual foreplay NEW ZEALAND, 1998
wood noun 1 the fully erect penis US, 1991. 2 the penis TRINIDAD AND
TOBAGO
, 1950. 3 in a casino or other gambling establishment, a
person who watches without playing. An abbreviation of
DEADWOOD US, 1950. < have the wood on someone to have an
advantage over someone
AUSTRALIA, 1949. < on the wood 1 in
horse racing, racing along the rail US, 1994. 2 in hot rodding and
motor racing, throttled to the maximum
US, 1993
Woodbine; woodie; woody; wood noun any cheap cigarette. From
branded ‘Wild Woodbine’™ cigarettes, manufactured by WD & HO
Wills and among the cheapest to be had UK, 1916
wood burner noun an attractive female. A suggestion that the
woman consumes WOOD in the ‘erect’ sense of the word US, 1990
wooden verb to beat someone with a club of some sort AUSTRALIA,
1905
wooden adjective in poker, said of a hand that is unplayable US, 1951
wooden aspro noun a blow to the head with a police baton NEW
ZEALAND
, 1980
wooden cat noun a Morris Traveller car. Citizens’ band radio slang;
OLD CAT is a Morris Minor; this ‘cat’ is amended for the wooden
bars in the model’s design UK, 1981
woodener noun a sentence of imprisonment for 30 days. Rhyming
slang,

WOODEN SPOON for MOON (a month’s imprisonment) UK, 1950
wooden hill; little wooden hill noun the stairs. Nursery use,
especially in the phrase CLIMB THE WOODEN HILL TO BEDFORDSHIRE (to
go upstairs to bed)
UK, 1961
wooden horses noun a carousel BARBADOS, 1965
wooden Indian noun a poker player who does not talk or display
emotion US, 1996
wooden leg noun an egg. Rhyming slang UK, 1998
wooden overcoat noun a coffin. A bleakly cynical euphemism,
since 1903. Later variations are ‘wooden kimono’, 1926 and
‘wooden suit’, 1968
UK, 1903
wooden plank noun an American, especially an American in the
UK. Rhyming slang for YANK UK, 1992
wooden spoon noun 1 a notional trophy awarded to an individual or
a team placed last in a competition. From an actual wooden
spoon that was customarily presented to the lowest on the
Mathematical Tripos list at Cambridge University
UK, 1858. 2 a
month’s imprisonment. Rhyming slang for MOON UK, 1998
wooden-spooner noun in a sporting competition, an individual or
team that comes last. From WOODEN SPOON UK, 1954
wooden-spoonist noun in a competition, an individual or team that
comes last. From WOODEN SPOON UK, 1927
woodentop noun 1 a uniformed police officer. After the children’s
television puppet show The Woodentops (1955–58). The variant
‘woody’ is also used UK, 1982. 2 a fool; also attributed as an
adjective. After the sense ‘a police officer’ UK, 1983
Wood family noun used as a humorous description of empty seats

in a theatre UK, 1952
woodfoot noun numbing of the foot in cold water. Surfing usage US,
2004
woodie noun 1 a Wills Woodbine™ cigarette UK, 1931. 2 awooden
powerboat, especially one built between the 1920s and 60s US, 2001
wooding noun among vagrant alcoholics, a task of collecting
firewood UK, 1966
woodpecker noun a machinegun AUSTRALIA, 1898
woodpile noun 1 a xylophone US, 1945. 2 the area in a prison yard
where white prisoners exercise. Formed from PECKERWOOD (a white
person) and IRON PILE (weightlifting equipment) US, 1989
woodpile cousin noun an actual, if distant, blood relative US, 1975
wood rash noun any injury, especially grazing, sustained when riding
a skateboard on a wooden ramp. A combination of location and
appearance; ironically modest US, 2001
woods noun the vulva; a woman’s pubic hair. Usually used with ‘the’
US, 1968
woods French noun a limited ability in French CANADA, 1980
woodshed verb to rehearse, especially in private US, 1936
705 wolf-whistle | woodshed
woodsman noun a male pornography performer who can be
counted upon to maintain an erection as long as needed and to
ejaculate more or less on demand
US, 1995
woodster noun a male pornography performer whose erections can
be counted on
US, 2000
woodsy noun a party held in the country US, 1967
woodwork noun < come out of the woodwork; crawl out of
the woodwork; creep out of the woodwork

(of someone or
something unpleasant) to appear; to arrive on the scene; to
emerge. Usage is often with humorous intent but the allusion is
to insects normally found in the woodwork – woodworm,
deathwatch beetle, cockroach, etc
UK, 1973
woody; woodie noun 1 an erection. US pornographer Joey Silvera is
given credit for coining this term, which did not stay within the
confines of pornography for long
US, 1985. 2 a car with wood or
synthetic wood paneling on its body US, 1962 8see: WOODBINE
woody pill noun a genuine or a generic Viagra™ tablet. Based on
WOODY (an erection) UK, 2002
Woody Woodpecker noun a tablet of MDMA, the recreational drug
best known as ecstasy, embossed with a representation of the
popular animation character
UK, 1999
woof verb 1 to vomit US, 1978. 2 to eat very quickly. Possibly from
‘wolf down’ UK, 1943. 3 to threaten or intimidate someone; to
engage someone in ritualistic, quasi-friendly insulting
US, 1967
woof! used as a shout of approval, especially as a male declaration
of appreciation for a sexually desirable female. Originated by
television talk show host Arsenio Hall in 1989; the barking is
accompanied by a pumped raised hand, fist clenched US, 1992
woofer noun an unattractive woman or man. A variation of DOG UK,
1995
woofter noun a homosexual man. A variation of POOFTER (a male
homosexual) UK, 1977
woofterish adjective ineffecutal NEW ZEALAND, 1993

wook noun a quintessential rural hippie. From the Wookie character
in the George Lucas Star Wars films US, 2004
wool noun 1 pubic hair; by extension, sex US, 1972. 2 used derogatively
of someone who is not from the city; a stereotypical country-
dweller; a YOKEL.FromWOOLLY BACK UK, 2001
woola; woolas; wooly; wool noun crack cocaine or phencyclidine
sprinkled over marijuana which is then smoked in a cigarette; a
hollowed-out cigar filled with marijuana and phencyclidine US, 1995
woolah noun 8see: WOLLIE
woolie noun a female’s pubic hair NEW ZEALAND, 1994
woolies noun winter clothing US, 1945
Woolies nickname high street shop FW Woolworth’s, later
Woolworth’s AUSTRALIA, 1944
woollies noun marijuana and crack cocaine mixture; marijuana and
phencyclidine, the recreational drug known as PCP or angel dust
UK, 1998
Woolloomooloo Yank noun an Australian who puts on an American
accent
AUSTRALIA, 1945
woolly noun 1 a black person. Variants include ‘wooley head’ US, 1969.
2 in CID slang, a uniformed police officer UK, 1965
woolly back noun 1 a stereotype of the unsophisticated country-
dweller. An allusion to the intelligence and appearance of sheep UK,
1981. 2 a Welsh person US, 2003
woollyback breaker noun a citizens’ band radio user from North
Wales. Citizens’ band radio slang
BREAKER (a citizens’ band user)
with an allusion to sheep UK, 1981
woolly mitten noun a kitten. Rhyming slang UK, 1998
woolly nose noun a railway fettler AUS TRALIA, 1969

woolly-pully noun a military-issue heavy jumper. A customised
woollen pullover
UK, 1984
woolly vest noun a pest. Rhyming slang UK, 1998
woolly woofter; woolly noun a male homosexual. Rhyming slang
with
POOFTER AUSTRALIA, 1988
Woolwich and Greenwich noun spinach. Rhyming slang, formed
from two London locations for crossing over the Thames
UK, 1992
Woolwich Ferry noun sherry. Rhyming slang, formed from a
transport across the Thames
UK, 1992
Woolworth noun in hold ’em poker, a five and a ten as the first two
cards dealt to a player. Woolworth’s was the most famous five and
dime store in the US US, 1981
Woolworth’s finest noun in shuffleboard, a ten US, 1967
wooly bear noun in caving and pot-holing, a fibre-pile undersuit US,
1997
wooly blunt; woolly blunt noun a marijuana and crack cocaine
cigarette UK, 2003
woop noun 8see: WHOOP
Woop Woop noun an imaginary remote place AUSTRALIA, 1918
wooshed up adjective having been whisked to a froth (as of a
milkshake); figuratively of anything having been subjected to
random inflation (see citation) UK, 1999
wooter noun the penis US, 1981
wooz noun marijuana. From WOOZY (intoxicated) UK, 2003
wooziness noun a fuddled state, muzziness; often used to describe a
morning-after-the-night-before feeling US, 1977

woozy adjective unsteady; dizzy; disoriented; intoxicated with drugs
or drink. Anglicised by Conan Doyle in 1917 US, 1897
wop noun an Italian immigrant or Italian-American US, 1914. < up
the wop
1 pregnant NEW ZEALAND, 1981. 2 broken; unsound NEW
ZEALAND
, 2001
wop adjective Italian US, 1961
wopcacker noun a superlative example of something AUSTRALIA, 1941
wop-jawed adjective in circus and carnival usage, amazed by an act
or demonstration US, 1981
wop-wops noun remote back country NEW ZEALAND, 1984
word noun < get a word in edgeways to contribute to a
conversation. Generally in a negative form UK, 1984. < put the
word on someone
to proposition someone AUSTRALIA, 1975.
< take the word in the illegal production of alcohol, to warn
someone about a pending law enforcement raid US, 1974. < the
word
1 gossip, rumours US, 1961. 2 an order US, 1962
word verb to speak to someone AUSTRALIA, 1905
word! used for expressing assent US, 1987
word in your shell-like noun a brief and discreet (one-sided)
conversation. variation of ‘word in your ear’; ‘shell-like’, which
does not appear outside of this phrase until later, derives from a
similarity of shape between the ear and some (delicate, pink)
shells
UK, 1985
words noun a quarrel (of violent words not actions). A refinement of
a sense that has served since 1462 UK, 1862

word up verb to speak to someone in a flattering manner AUSTRALIA,
1985
word up 1 used for expressing agreement US, 1986. 2 used as a
greeting. Used in the hip-hop community US, 2003
work noun 1 the betting slips in an illegal lottery or gambling oper-
ation US, 1972. 2 cheating in gambling, especially in craps. The
statement ‘There’s work down’ means that altered dice or cards
are in play US, 1950. 3 dice or cards that have been altered for the
purpose of cheating
US, 1963. 4 crack cocaine US, 1989. 5 sex US, 1959.
< do the work on someone to kill someone US, 1994. < have
your work cut out; have your work cut out for you; have
all your work cut out
to have enough, or all you can manage, to
do – anything more would be too much. From an earlier sense
(to have your work prepared for you) UK, 1856
work verb 1 to cheat at gambling US, 1963. 2 to have sex with
someone US, 1957. 3 to sell drugs US, 1993. 4 to dilute a powdered
drug US, 1989. < to get worked to be knocked from your
surfboard and pummelled by the ocean
US, 1987. < work a
woodsman | work 706
ginger (of a prostitute) to rob a client. From GINGER AUSTRALIA, 1953.
< work for Standard Oil to drive a truck that burns excessive
amounts of fuel or oil US, 1971. < work like a charm to achieve a
purpose with absolute ease. From the idea of a magic charm
influencing the action UK, 1882. < work like a nigger to work
very hard. Praise and contempt in equal parts
US, 1836. < work
the cuts

(used of a prostitute) to solicit customers on the streets
US, 1987. < work the glory rode to affect religious conversion
while in prison in the hope of receiving an early parole US, 1976.
< work the hole to rob drunks sleeping on underground
platforms or in the carriages US, 1953. < work the kerb (of a
prostitute) to ply for trade from passing motorists
UK, 2002. < work
the nuts
to operate a shell game in a circus midway or carnival
US, 1980. < work the other side of the street to be on
opposing sides of a bipolar situation; to make a living as a
criminal US, 1982. < work your bollocks off to work very hard UK,
2002. < work your ticket to obtain a discharge from
employment on the grounds of physical injury or ill health; orig-
inally military but in the prevailing compensation culture applied
to any employment situation where benefits of discharge are con-
siderable, and thus fraudulent endeavour is often implied
UK, 1899
workar ound noun in computing, a temporary fix of a problem US,
1991
worker noun 1 a professional wrestler who puts on a good perform-
ance US, 1999. 2 a member of a drug-selling enterprise who sells
drugs on the street
US, 1995. 3 a gambling cheat US, 1962. 4 in the
circus or carnival, a large blown-up balloon shown by the
concession selling packages of balloons
US, 1980
workie noun a worker UK, 2002
working adjective in craps, said of a bet that will be in effect on the
next roll US, 1981

working boy noun a male prostitute US, 1987
working class noun a glass. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
working classes noun spectacles, glasses. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
working end noun the dangerous end of a tool or weapon US, 1992
working fifty noun a large piece of crack cocaine bought at a
wholesale price US, 1990
working girl noun a prostitute US, 1968
working john noun an honest, hard-working man US, 1957
workingman’s weed noun marijuana. An allusion to the 1970
album ‘Workingman’s Dead’ by the Grateful Dead, a band well
known for the use of recreational drugs
UK, 2000
working-over noun a beating-up, a thrashing UK, 1984
working parts noun the genitals UK, 1995
working stiff noun a hard-working labourer US, 1966
work is the curse of the drinking classes a catchphrase that
reverses a popular cliché. Attributed to Oscar Wilde UK, 1946
work out verb to masturbate US, 2002
work over verb to beat someone up; to thrash someone (both
physically and figuratively) UK, 1927
works noun the equipment used to prepare and inject drugs US, 1934.
< get on someone’s works to annoy someone AUSTRALIA, 1956.
< in the works already in progress, due to happen CANADA, 1973.
< the works the complete treatment US, 1899
works adjective in motor racing, supported by the car manufacturer
US, 1965
works for me! used for expressing agreement. A signature line of
Los Angeles Police Department Detective Sergeant Rick Hunter on
the television police drama Hunter (NBC, 1984–91). Repeated with
referential humour US, 1991

world noun < the world during the war in Vietnam, back home,
the US, life outside the military US, 1970
world of shit noun a very dangerous situation US, 1984
worlds noun commerically manufactured cigarettes US, 1990
worm noun 1 a computer program that maliciously duplicates itself
repeatedly in a host computer until it clogs and crashes the
system
US, 1990. 2 a coiled condenser used in the illegal production
of alcohol
US, 1974. 3 a facial blemish BARBADOS, 1965. 4 phencyclidine,
the recreational drug known as PCP or angel dust US, 1981. 5 an
inexperienced oil field worker
US, 1984. < wet down the worm to
perfom oral sex on a man
US, 2001
worm and snail; worm noun afingernail. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
worm dirt noun chewing tobacco. An obvious visual comparison US,
2001
worms noun < are you keeping it for the worms?; are you
saving it for the worms?
said, probably in frustration, to a
female rejecting sexual advances or to one who is presumed to be
a virgin. ‘It’ being a state of virginity, ‘the worms’ signifying death
US, 1977
Wormtown nickname Worcester, Massachusetts US, 1997
wormy adjective nervous or anxious, especially when manifested in
the stomach NORFOLK ISLAND, 1992
worra laff! what a laugh! A phonetic slovening, probably of
Liverpool origin
UK, 1999

worry verb 1 to steal something CAYMAN ISLANDS, 1985. 2 (said of a
jockey in horse racing) to ride a horse US, 1951
worse for wear adjective 1 somewhat drunk UK, 1984. 2 hung over US,
1979
worse luck! more’s the pity! UK, 1861
worth adjective < not worth two cents to jingle on a
tombstone
of a person, without any redeeming qualities CANADA,
1988
. < worth a few bob; worth a bob or two of people, fairly
wealthy; of things, fairly valuable. From
BOB (a shilling, now equiv-
alent to 5p but not of equal value)
UK, 1981
wossface noun a person whose name is unknown, forgotten, to be
avoided, or hardly worth mentioning. A slurring of WHAT’S-HIS-FACE
UK
, 2001
wossie noun 8see: WUSSIE
wot pronoun what UK, 1829
wotcher; watcha; what yer used as a greeting. Elision of the C16
greeting ‘what cheer’. Stereotypically Cockney but in wider use.
The earliest recorded use is ‘"Wot cher!" all the neighbours cried, /
"Who’re yer goin’ to meet, Bill? Have you bought the street, Bill?"’
(Albert Chevalier, ‘Wot Cher!’ or ‘Knocked ‘em in the Old Kent
Road’, 1891)
UK, 1953
wot no ? used humorously for registering an absence or a
shortage. A misspelling of ‘what’ provides this endlessly variable
graffiti catchphrase, presented in a speech-bubble, or as a caption

to a drawing of Chad, or Mr Chad looking over a wall, this used to
highlight or protest about another World War 2 shortage. The for-
mula has lingered in speech but Chad slowly faded from view UK,
1945
wotsit noun an unnamed thing. Reduction of the phrase ‘what is
it?’, usually seen as WHATSIT; this variation is possibly inspired by
Golden Wonder’s Wotsits™, a popular cheesy flavour snack UK, 1997
wotsit in a sock noun the penis. A specific variation of WHATSIT (an
unspecified object) UK, 2005
wouldn’t it? used for expressing exasperation. Elliptical for such
phrases as ‘wouldn’t it make you sick’, though mostly
euphemistically so for such phrases containing profanity, such as
‘wouldn’t it give you the shits’ or ‘wouldn’t it root you’ AUSTRALIA,
1940
wouldn’t it rip you? used for expressing exasperation AUSTRALIA, 1941
wouldn’t it root you? used for expressing exasperation. Also
WOULDN’T IT RIP/ ROTATE YOU? both of which are presumably
euphemisms for the ‘root’ form, even though the earliest recorded
form is ‘rip’ (1941, Australian National Dictionary). Also, ‘wouldn’t
it root your boot’
AUSTRALIA, 1945
wouldn’t it rotate you? used for expressing exasperation.
Euphemistic for
WOULDN’T IT ROOT YOU AUSTRALIA, 1944
wouldn’t it rot your socks? used for expressing exasperation
AUSTRALIA, 1982
707 workaround | wouldn’t it rot your socks?
wouldn’t say no used for registering acceptance of something,
sometimes as a suggestion that something would be accepted if it
were offered

UK, 1939
wouldn’t work in an iron lung to be extremely lazy AUSTRALIA, 1971
would you believe ? used for humorously probing for a
statement that can be believed. The signature line of spy Maxwell
Smart, played by Don Adams, on the television comedy Get Smart
(1965–70). Adams had used the line earlier on The Bill Dana
Show (NBC, 1963–65). Repeated with referential humour
US, 1965
wounded soldier noun a bottle or can of beer that has been partly
consumed. Playing on
DEAD SOLDIER as ‘an empty bottle’ US, 1991
wound up adjective angry, annoyed. The image is of a clock’s
mainspring wound too tight and ready to lose control
UK, 2001
wow noun 1 a thing of wonder; a sensational success. From the
exclamation ‘wow!’
US, 1920. 2 an exclamation mark (!) US, 1983
Wow nickname the psychiatric hospital in Auckland. The hospital is
near the Whau River NEW ZEALAND, 1998
wowser noun a spoilsport of the worst kind; a moral crusader; a
prude. Claimed by John Norton, editor of the Sydney Tr ut h
(1891–1916) as his own coinage and an acronym from the phrase
‘we only want social evils remedied’, a supposed catchcry of ‘the
wowsers’. This story has sadly never been corroborated, and its
derivation must be sought elsewhere. The Australian National
Dictionary suggests British dialect wow (to howl or bark as a dog,
to complain), which seems to fit well, but one correspondent to
the Tru th in 1910, after denying the word as Norton’s invention,
goes on to say ‘a false sense of public decency forbids the publi-
cation of the derivation and true meaning’, which suggests some

profane origin
AUSTRALIA, 1900
wowserish adjective prudish; puritanical AUSTRALIA, 1906
wowserism noun the characteristic behaviour of a WOWSER;
prudishness AUSTRALIA, 1904
wowseristic adjective prudish; puritanical AUSTRALIA, 1907
woz was. A deliberate misspelling, especially in graffiti UK, 1984
woza noun a person who used to be successful or well known. From
‘was a’ UK, 2001
wozzed adjective exhausted NEW ZEALAND, 1998
wrap noun 1 a small paper-wrapping containing powdered drugs UK,
1996. 2 a wrapped roll of coins US, 1977. 3 the end of a session.
Originally from the entertainment industry, extended to general
situations US, 1972. 4 praise; a compliment or commendation.
Variants include ‘wrap-up’, ‘rap’ and ‘rap-up’
AUSTRALIA, 1939
wrap; wrap up noun < wrap yourself around to eat or consume
something AUSTRALIA, 1965
wrap; wrap up verb to roll a marijuana cigarette UK, 1999. < wrap
round; wrap around
to crash a vehicle into an immovable
object UK, 1950
wrap-head noun a follower of the Pocomania Afro-Christian religion
JAMAICA, 1987
wrapped; wrapped up adjective pleased; overjoyed; enamoured
AUSTRALIA, 1963
wrapper noun 1 a motor vehicle. Citizens’ band radio’ slang US, 1976.
2 an unmarked police vehicle. Originally citizens’ band radio slang.
Variants include ‘plain wrapper’ and ‘plain wrap’ US, 1976. < in the
wrapper

1 drunk US, 1985. 2 in bed US, 1997
wraps noun cigarette rolling papers US, 1994. < under wraps kept in
secret UK, 1939
wrap-up noun a female sex-partner who, by a vague yet firm
understanding, is regularly available
UK, 1970
wrap up verb 1 to cease talking; to stop making a noise. Usually in
the imperative, often as a two word exclamation
UK, 1958. 2 to
complete the final days of a prison sentence US, 1976
wreck verb < wreck my head to agitate me to an extreme degree
IRELAND, 2003
wrecked adjective very drunk or drug-intoxicated US, 1968
wrecking crew noun 1 theatre insiders who watch a show’s early
performances and spread negative comments about the show
US,
1973. 2 crack cocaine UK, 1998. 3 on the railways, a relief crew US, 1946
wren noun a woman US, 1920
wrench noun in drag and motor racing, a mechanic US, 1980
wrench verb 1 to go US, 2002. 2 to disrupt or upset someone US, 1976.
3 in motor racing and hot rodding, to perform mechanical work
on a car, whether it literally involves using a wrench or not
US, 2004
wrench artist noun a railway mechanic US, 1977
wrencher noun a car enthusiast with considerable mechanical ability
US, 2003
wrestle; rassle verb to play a game of bar dice US, 1971
wretch verb to vomit US, 1966
wriggle noun < get a wriggle on to hurry. A variation of GET A
WIGGLE ON AUSTRALIA

, 1971
wriggle out verb to avoid a responsibility or duty UK, 1848
wriggly adjective out of the ordinary; suspiciously different UK, 1995
wring verb < wring out your mule to urinate US, 1974. < wring
out your sock
to urinate US, 1988. < wring the rattlesnake to
urinate AUSTRALIA, 1971
wringer noun a bankruptcy petition US, 1954
wrinkle noun a clever device, trick or method UK, 1817
wrinkleneck noun in horse racing, a seasoned and experienced
horse handler
US, 1951
wrinkle room noun a bar frequented by older homosexual men US,
1985
wrinkly noun an old person. A reference to the wrinkled skin of
advanced years. Partridge qualified the definition: ‘as applied to
anyone over the venerable age of thirty’
UK, 1972
wrist noun 1 a contemptible person. From WRIST JOB (an act of
masturbation) – or similar term – hence, this is synonymous
with WANKER UK, 1998. 2 in betting, odds of 5–4. From the TICK-TACK
signal used by bookmakers UK, 1991
wristers noun in lobstering, knitted gloves with no fingers US, 1978
wrist job noun 1 an act of masturbation. Used as a song title by
Humble Pie in 1969 UK, 1969. 2 used as an all-purpose form of
abuse; a substitute form of wanker
UK, 2000
wristy adjective having the characteristics of a masturbator; hence,
inferior or unpleasant. From
WRIST (a contemptible person) UK, 2000

write verb 1 to write a prescription for a narcotic which will not be
used for medicinal purposes US, 1953. 2 to create graffiti art US, 1997.
< write numbers to take bets on an illegal policy game
(numbers lottery) US, 1975
write-off noun any motor vehicle damaged beyond economic
repair; any thing (physical or abstract) or person considered to be
beyond saving. Originally Royal Air Force slang for ‘a wrecked
aircraft’, now thought of as the language of insurance UK, 1918
write off verb to destroy something; to damage something beyond
repair, generally a vehicle. From the conventional use ‘to write off
the value or the investment’ UK, 1991
writer noun 1 a graffiti artist US, 1997. 2 in a casino, employee who
accepts and records bets on Keno US, 1972 8see: SHEET WRITER
wrong noun in craps, a bet against the shooter US, 1974
wrong adj ective known to inform the police US, 1953
wrongle noun in craps, someone who bets against the shooter US,
1974
wrong number noun an untrustworthy person US, 1972
wrong-o noun abadpersonUS, 1970
wrong side of noun used of an age that is greater than a stated
number
UK, 1663
wrong time noun a woman’s menstrual period US, 1954
wrong ’un noun 1 a lawbreaker; someone on the wrong side of the
law AUSTRALIA, 1985. 2 a police informer. English gypsy use UK, 2000.
wouldn’t say no | wrong ’un 708
3 in prison, a sex offender or convicted paedophile; an informer
UK, 1996
wrong-way English noun in pool, spin imparted on the cue ball
such that the angle of refraction off a cushion is different, if not

opposite, from what would be expected
US, 1993
WS noun a sado-masochist encounter involving enemas or urination.
An abbreviation for WATER SPORTS US, 1979
WTF used in computer message shorthand to mean ‘what the
fuck?’ or ‘who the fuck?’
US, 1991
WUCIWUG what you see is what you get. Quasi-initialism used for
text messaging UK, 2001
wudja? ‘would you?’. Apparently coined by television production
company Brighter Pictures but rapidly gained wider use
UK, 2002
wuffo; whuffo noun in the language of hang gliding and
parachuting, anyone other than a fellow expert. Purportedly
derived from the question, ‘Wuffo they do that?’ US, 1978
wumpers noun a rubber-soled sandal, especially one made from a
car tyre
BAHAMAS, 1982
wunch noun a group of bankers. Collective noun. A jokey
Spoonerism of ‘bunch of wankers’
UK, 2002
wunzee verb to urinate. An evolution of the children’s vocabulary of
NUMBER ONE and NUMBER TWO TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003
wurley noun a hut. Originally an Aboriginal dwelling AUSTRALIA, 1839
wurzel noun a person from the countryside. Derogatory; most prob-
ably from the television series Wurzel Gummidge, 1979–81, based
on the stories about the ‘scarecrow of Scatterbrook’ created by
Barbara Euphan Todd
UK, 2000
wuss noun a weak, timid person. A blend of WIMP and PUSSY,both

meaning ‘a weak and timid person’
US, 1982
wussie; wussy; wossie noun a weak, timid, passive person US, 1982
wuss out verb to back down; to fail to do as promised US, 1977
wussy adjective weak, timid, passive US, 1995
wuwoo noun a mixture of marijuana and cocaine; marijuana.
Possibly adapted from a celebratory reaction to the drugs’ effects
UK, 2001
wuzzy noun a female. A corruption of the French oiseau,orBIRD (a
young woman)
UK, 1983
Wyamine noun a Benzedrine™ inhaler. The Wyamine™ inhaler was
manufactured by Wyeth Laboratories; it became a generic name
for any inhaler with Benzedrine-infused cotton strips, valued by
amphetamine users
US, 1967
Wyatt nickname sometimes applied to a person who burps loudly
and for comic effect. From rhyming slang
WYATT EARP (a burp) UK,
1992
Wyatt Earp noun 1 the penis. Rhyming slang for CURP (the penis),
formed on the name of the legendary US lawman (1848–1929),
possibly informed by the film-myth of Wyatt Earp as a heroic
shootist UK, 1980. 2 a belch. Rhyming slang for BURP, based on the
name of hero of countless films, Wyatt Earp UK, 1992
wyman noun 8see: BILL WYMAN
Wynona Ryder; wynona noun cider. Rhyming slang, based on the
name of the popular film actress (b.1971) UK, 2002
wyssa; whizzer; wyzza noun a personal message sent or received
in the Antarctic or sub-Antarctic. Derives from the Australian

Antarctic Division telex code for ‘with all my/our love darling’
AUSTRALIA, 1959
Wythenshawe white man noun a black man with the manners
and standards of contemporary white society. Wythenshawe is a
suburb of Manchester UK, 2002
709 wrong-way English | Wythenshawe white man