"Nn" in Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English doc

Nn
’n’ conjunction and. An abbreviation; notably (since 1955) in ROCK ’N’
ROLL US
, 1858
NAAFI; Naafi noun a military organisation that operates shops and
canteens for military personnel; any shop or canteen within that
organisation. Acronym of Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
UK,
1921
naavo noun a secret hiding place IRELAND, 1999
nab noun the police; a police officer UK, 1813
nab verb 1 to catch, to arrest UK, 1686. 2 to snatch or steal something
UK, 1665
nabber noun a police officer US, 1837
nabe noun 1 a neighbourhood cinema US, 1935. 2 a tavern US, 1950
naches; nakhes noun proud pleasure. Yiddish from the Hebrew for
‘contentment’ US, 1968
nack noun < in the nack naked UK, 2002
nada noun nothing; none. From the Spanish, used by English
speakers who do not understand Spanish, often heard in the
1980s advertising phrase ‘Nothing – nada – zilch’. Recorded in
UK gay currency
US, 1914
nad alert; gonad alert noun used as a warning in a hospital that
an x-ray is about to be taken US, 1994
nada to vada in the larder refering to a man’s genitals, less than
averagely endowed. Polari; a clever combination of NADA (nothing)
and VADA (to see) with a conventional location where meat is
stored
UK, 2002
nadger noun in horse racing, a horse’s nose or head AUSTRALIA, 1989

nadgers noun the testicles. Possibly deriving from ‘gonads’, and with
a similarity to KNACKERS, ‘nadgers’ was an all-purpose nonsense
word used by the radio comedy series The Goon Show during the
1950s UK, 1998
nads noun the testicles. From ‘gonads’ US, 1964
naff adjective vulgar, bad, unlovely, despicable; generally
contemptible; when used in gay society it may mean heterosex-
ual. Theatrical and CAMP origins but the actual derivation is
disputed; possibly an acronym for ‘not available for fucking’, ‘not a
fuck’ or ‘normal as fuck’; or a play on the military acronym NAAFI
(Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes) as ‘no ambition and fuck-all
interest’; otherwise it may originate as back slang for
FANNY (the
vagina or the buttocks), a shortening of ‘nawfuckingood’ or in the
French phrase rien à faire (nothing to do) UK, 1965
naff used as a euphemism for ‘fuck’ (in all senses except sexual
intercourse/to have sex) UK, 1977
naffette; naffeen adjective vulgar, bad, despicable, unlovely. Polari;
CAMP variations of NAFF UK, 1992
naffing adjective used as a euphemism for ‘fucking’. Extended from
NAFF UK, 1959
naff it up verb to spoil something UK, 1981
naff off verb to go away. From NAFF; made very familiar in the UK
during the 1970s by the prison-set television situation comedy,
Porridge, written by Clement and La Frenais. Perhaps the social
highpoint of this word’s history was during the 1982 Badminton
Horse Trials when Princess Anne (now Princess Royal) asked the
press, ‘Why don’t you just naff off?’
UK, 1982
nagware noun free computer software that frequently asks the user

to send a voluntary payment for further use
US, 1995
nah emphatically no. A variation of pronunciation US, 1971
nail noun 1 a hypodermic needle US, 1936. 2 a marijuana cigarette.
Possibly another ‘nail in your coffin’ US, 1978. < on the nail (of a
payment) promptly
UK, 1600
nail verb 1 to apprehend; to arrest UK, 1732. 2 to kill UK, 1824. 3 to have
sex
US, 1957. 4 to get right, to master US, 1989. 5 (of a wave) to knock
a surfer from the surfboard. Always in the passive voice
US, 1977.
< nail someone’s bollocks to the door to physically beat up,
to figuratively neuter and mentally defeat UK, 1998. < nail the
core
in the language of hang gliding, to find the centre of a
thermal and ride it up
US, 1992
nailed adjective deranged US, 1836
nail-em-and-jail-em noun a police officer US, 1980
nailer noun a police officer US, 1973
nail nicker noun in gambling, a cheat who marks cards by nicking
them with his fingernails US, 1997
nails noun a disappointment; a failure. Hawaiian youth usage US, 1981
naked adjective (used of a truck) driving without a trailer US, 1976
Naked Fanny nickname Nakhon Phanon, Thailand. Vietnam war
humour US, 1967
Nam nickname Vietnam. Often used with ‘the’. Originally military,
then widespread, and now slightly arch
US, 1962

namby-pamby noun an effeminate male US, 1968
name noun 1 an important or famous person US, 1975. 2 a known
criminal UK, 1984. 3 a popular, high-profile professional wrestler US,
1995. < have your name on it to be meant for you. Originally
military, applied to a bullet (or similar) that was destined to hit a
particular person; later use is far more general, being used, for
instance, when a house-hunter finds the perfect property or, more
trivially, of a drink
UK, 1917. < no names – no pack drill the
guilty party (or parties) will not be named and, therefore, cannot
be punished. Originally used of, or by, army lower-ranks; now
general use
UK, 1923
nan; nana; nannie; nanny noun a grandmother, especially as a
form of address UK, 1940
nana noun 1 a banana US, 1929. 2 the head NEW ZEALAND, 1998. < do
your nana
to lose control; to get angry AUSTRALIA, 1968. < off your
nana
crazy, insane AUSTRALIA, 1966
nance noun an effeminate male or homosexual. Disparaging US, 1910
nance verb to behave in an exaggeratedly feminine fashion US, 1968
nancy adjective effeminate; homosexual UK, 1937
nancy boy noun an effeminate or homosexual man; the former may
be construed to be the latter
UK, 1904
Nancy Lee noun tea. Rhyming slang UK, 1960
nancy story noun an elaborate fabrication. From a traditional
Caribbean folktale about Anancy TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1858
nan flap noun a pendulous spread of flabby upper arm that is

characteristic of some older women UK, 2004
nang adjective excellent. Used by urban black youths UK, 2004
nanna adjective awful UK, 2002
nannie; nanny noun a black woman, also as a term of address.
Offensive and demeaning
SOUTH AFRICA, 1956 8see: NAN
nanny noun a prostitute who will, by arrangement, dress and treat a
client as an infant UK, 2003
nanny goat; nanny noun 1 the Horserace Totaliser Board. Rhyming
slang. The Tote was created by Act of Parliament in 1928 as ‘an
independent body with a monopoly of horse-race pool betting’;
the legislation to allow the Tote to operate as an on-course
bookmaker was not in force until 1972
UK, 1960. 2 a coat. Rhyming
slang UK, 1971. 3 the throat. Rhyming slang UK, 1992. 4 aboat.
Rhyming slang UK, 1989. < get your nanny goat; get your
nanny
to annoy you. A variation of GET YOUR GOAT US, 1909
nanny whamming noun in rodeo, the joke event of goat tying
CANADA, 1987
nano noun a very short period of time. An abbreviation of
‘nanosecond’, used figuratively
US, 1991
nanoo noun heroin UK, 1998
Nanook noun a polar bear. The word comes from Eskimo CANADA,
1963
nante; nantee; nanti; nanty no; nothing, none; stop, shut up!;
not. Polari, from Italian niente (nothing, anything). Recorded in
contemporary gay use UK, 1851
nante pile on the carpet adjective bald UK, 1992

nante pots in the cupboard adjective toothless UK, 1992
nanti polari!; nanti panarly!; nantee palaver!; nanti parlaree!
be quiet!, don’t talk! Imperative; literally, ‘no talk’ UK, 2002
nanti that! stop it!, don’t do that! Imperative UK, 2002
nantoise; nantois; nantoisale no; nothing; none. A variation of
NANTE UK, 1997
nants no; nothing; none. A variation of NANTE UK, 1950
nanty worster adjective being no worse UK, 2002
nap noun 1 the short, curly hair of a black person US, 1969. 2 the hair;
your hairstyle
US, 1996. 3 in horse racing, a tipster’s best bet UK, 1991.
4 a good bet, a sure thing. From the racing use UK, 2001
nape noun napalm, a mixture of petrol and a thickening agent for
use in flame throwers or incendiary bombs, used extensively by
the US during World War 2 and later wars
US, 1968
napper noun the head UK, 1724
napper-wrapper noun a turban. Based on NAPPER (the head) UK, 1998
napps noun morphine sulphate tablets used to treat cancer patients
IRELAND, 1996
nappy adjective of hair, usually of the hair of a black person, naturally
tightly curled, frizzy. Often derogatory US, 1885
nappy dugout noun (of a black woman) the vagina. The imagery of
‘dugout’ is twofold: literally ‘a trench’, and, in baseball, the
enclosure in which a batsman prepares to play; combined with
NAPPY which typically describes black hair US, 1998
nap trap noun aroadsiderestareaUS, 1976
nar adjective treacherous. An abbreviation of GNARLY US, 1988
narc; nark noun 1 an undercover narcotics officer US, 1967. 2 a social
outcast US, 2001

narc ark; nark ark noun an undercover narcotic officer’s car US, 1973
narco noun 1 narcotics US, 1954. 2 a narcotics detective US, 1955. 3 any
person involved in the manufacture or distribution of drugs. An
abbreviation of ‘narcotics’
US, 1958. 4 the Lexington (Kentucky)
Federal Narcotics Hospital US, 1955
narcotic adjective wild, intense US, 1980
nards noun the male genitals US, 1970
narg noun an Indian NEW ZEALAND, 1998
narghile noun a water pipe used for smoking marijuana or hashish
US, 1970
nark noun 1 a police informer. Also spelt ‘narc’ UK, 1839. 2 an
aggravating person AUSTRALIA, 1846. 3 a spoilsport AUSTRALIA, 1927. 4 an
awkward customer, one with no intention of buying UK, 1979. 5 a
spiteful argument UK, 1979. 6 temper; a fit of annoyance AUSTRALIA,
1946. 7 umbrage UK, 1979. < put the nark on to discourage UK, 1979
nark verb 1 to annoy UK, 1888. 2 to thwart AUSTRALIA, 1891. 3 to
complain, to grumble
UK, 1916. 4 to nag NEW ZEALAND, 1984. 5 to act as
an informer
UK, 1859
nark it! be quiet!, stop it!, shut up! UK, 1925
narks noun < the narks decompression sickness (a medical con-
dition that may be suffered by deep-sea divers). From the medical
term ‘nitrogen narcosis’ UK, 1964
narky adjective bad-tempered, aggravated, annoyed; sarcastic UK, 1895
narrow adjective serious. Recorded in use in urban black society UK,
1999
narrowback noun 1 an unskilled, unfit labourer US, 1987. 2 a
construction electrician. A term used with derision by power

linemen to describe their intra-union rivals
US, 1980
narrow yellow noun a military form (OCSA Form 159) used to pass
routine actions to staff agencies
US, 1986
narsty adjective disgusting. An embellishment of ‘nasty’ US, 2002
nary adverb neither; no US, 1746
nash verb to leave, especially in a hurry. From Romany nash, nasher
(to run)
UK, 1819
nash adjective weak, sickly, coddled CAYMAN ISLANDS, 1985
Nasho; nasho noun 1 a person serving in the National Service, a
form of compulsory military service 1951–72
AUSTRALIA, 1962. 2 the
National Service. Often used in the plural Nashos or Nashoes
AUSTRALIA, 1962
nasodrain noun while surfing, the sudden and violent expulsion of
sea water through the nose
US, 1991
nastiness noun poor quality drugs UK, 2000
nasturtiums noun aspersions. A deliberate malapropism, usually as
‘cast nasturtiums’ UK, 1984
nasty noun 1 the vagina. A usage that calls to mind Grose’s defi-
nition of C**T – ‘a nasty name for a nasty thing’ NEW ZEALAND, 1998.
2 the penis AUSTRALIA, 1971. 3 a violently pornographic or horrific
film. Often combined as VIDEO-NASTY but the content appears to
be outlasting the technology
UK, 1982. 4 an authority or agency that
enforces citizens’ band radio regulations UK, 1981. < do the nasty
to have sex. A squeamish euphemism applied in a jocular manner

US, 1977. < the nasty heroin UK, 1996
nasty adjective 1 excellent US, 1940. 2 sexy, attractive, appealing;
sluttish. A reversal of the conventional sense US, 1995
nasty-assed adjective cruel US, 1995
nasty boat noun a patrol boat developed for the coastal anti-
invasion mission of the Royal Norwegian Navy. The ‘nasty’ is a
technical term adopted to the vernacular US, 1991
nasty days noun a woman’s menstrual period BAHAMAS, 1982
nastygram noun any unpleasant or unwanted e-mail US, 1991
nasty-nasty noun sex US, 1993
nasty neat adjective cleaner than clean US, 1975
nasty piece of work noun an objectionable person UK, 1961
nasty up verb to ruin or spoil BARBADOS, 1965
Nat; nat noun in politics, a nationalist SOUTH AFRICA, 1926 8see: NAT
KING COLE
natalie noun a black homosexual. Gay slang, formed on the name
Natalie, possibly as a play on Natal, and originating among Cape
coloureds
SOUTH AFRICA, 2000
natch noun < on the natch withdrawing from drug addiction
without medication to ease the pain US, 1969
natch; nach adverb naturally US, 1945
nate noun 1 nothing US, 1993. 2 an Alaskan native US, 1983
nates noun the buttocks US, 1993
national noun < on tour with the national being moved from
prison to prison via the national inter-prison transport system. A
pun appreciated by actors of the National Theatre UK, 1996. < the
national
the national inter-prison transport system UK, 1996
national debt noun a bet. Rhyming slang UK, 1960

National Front noun an unpleasant or despicable person. Rhyming
slang for CUNT, formed on a political organisation of the extreme
right; a neat pun UK, 1992
national game noun the gambling game two-up AUSTRALIA, 1930
national handbag noun unemployment benefit; the local offices
from which unemployment benefit is managed. From HANDBAG
(money). Recorded as a contemporary gay usage UK, 2003
National Hunt noun audaciousness; impudence. Rhyming slang for
‘front’ (see
MORE FRONT THAN SELFRIDGES), formed from the official
name given to horse racing over jumps
UK, 1992
451 nanny whamming | National Hunt
native noun 1 a native American Indian US, 2000. 2 to the employee of
a circus or carnival, a local patron
US, 1980
native sport noun during the Vietnam war, looking for and killing
Viet Cong
US, 1991
Nat King Cole; nat noun 1 unemployment benefit; a government
office from which unemployment benefit is managed. Rhyming
slang for THE DOLE; formed on the name of US singer and
musician Nat ‘King’ Cole, 1919–65. Often in the phrase ‘on the
Nat’
UK, 1961. 2 a mole (on the skin). Rhyming slang UK, 1992. 3 a
bread roll. Rhyming slang
UK, 1992
nato adjective used for describing someone who is not sexually
aggressive US, 1968
natter noun aimless conversation; incessantly complaining talk.

From northern English dialect gnatter (to grumble in conversation)
UK, 1943
natter verb to engage in aimless conversation, to chat UK, 1943
natty noun 1 any natural light beer US, 2002. 2 a wearer of dreadlocks,
especially a Rastafarian
JAMAICA, 1976
natty adjective 1 stylish, smartly neat UK, 1785. 2 of hair, matted,
uncombed, in a condition to be formed into dreadlocks JAMAICA,
1974
Natty Bo noun National Bohemian™ beer US, 1990
natural noun 1 a hairstyle embraced largely by black people,
featuring longer, unprocessed, unparted hair US, 1969. 2 in craps, a
winning roll of seven on the first toss US, 1962. 3 Seven-Up™ soda.
An allusion to the game of craps, where a seven is a ‘natural’
US,
1967. 4 in pool, a shot that cannot be missed or a game that
cannot be lost US, 1990. 5 a conventional (as opposed to
countercultural) person. Used by beatniks, and then hippies; gener-
ally in the plural UK, 1967
natural punk noun in prison, a man who had been homosexual
outside prison US, 1972
nature noun the penis; sexual arousal US, 2002
nature boy noun a boy in need of a haircut US, 1955
nature calls used for announcing, and for excusing yourself for, a
needed visit to the toilet; the condition of needing to relieve
yourself UK, 1984
nature’s scythe noun the penis UK, 2003
Naughton and Gold noun a cold. Rhyming slang, formed from a
comedy double act that was part of the Crazy Gang, Charlie
Naughton, 1887–1976, and Jimmy Gold, 1886–1967 UK, 1961

naughty noun 1 an act of sexual intercourse AUSTRALIA, 1959. 2 a physi-
cal injury; hence, a disservice
UK, 1984
naughty verb to have sex AUSTRALIA, 1961
naughty adjective 1 corrupt or violent. An archaic sense, used by
Shakespeare to describe the criminally wicked, re-emerged in the
C20
UK, 2000. 2 of antique furniture, being passed off as something
better or other than it is UK, 1971
naughty Nazi salute noun the fully erect penis. A parallel with the
arm raised stiffly from the body at a similar angle UK, 2003
nause; nauze noun an inconvenience, a difficulty, an unpleasant
person or thing. ‘Nausea’ abbreviated and adapted UK, 1977
nause; nause up verb to spoil. From NAUSE (an inconvenience, an
unpleasant thing) UK, 1978
nausea noun trouble, a fuss. In military use UK, 1959
Naussie noun a New Australian, especially a recent migrant from
Europe. A blend of ‘new’ and AUSSIE AUSTRALIA, 1959
nautch noun a brothel; a striptease; a sex show of any kind.
American Dialect Society member Douglas G. Wilson has
suggested that the term is a mildly anglicised version of the Hindi
word for ‘a dance’ US, 1872
Nautics noun < the Nautics the Royal Navy. Used, originally, by
the Royal Air Force; shortened from ‘nautical’
UK, 1951
nav noun a navigator. In Royal Navy and Royal Air Force use US, 1956
Nava-Joe noun a member of the Navajo Indian tribe US, 1963
naval engagement noun sexual intercourse. Used, originally, by
naval officers; in speech it’s a perfect pun
CANADA, 1984

navy brat noun the child of a career member of the navy US, 1992
Navy cake noun homosexual anal sex US, 1964
naw no US, 1990
nay-nays noun a woman’s breasts US, 1967
nay-no no, said with kindness. From the film Pootie Tang US, 2003
Nazi noun a fanatic about the preceding noun. Not coined but
rendered wildly popular on the ‘Soup Nazi’ episode of Jerry
Seinfeld’s television comedy that first aired on 2nd November
1995
US, 1984
Nazi adjective unreasonably authoritarian UK, 2001
Nazi crank noun methamphetamine UK, 2004
Nazi go-cart; Nazi go-kart noun a Volkswagen car. Citizens’ band
radio slang remembering that Volkswagen were German
manufacturers before and during World War 2
US, 1976
NBG adjective of no use. An abbreviation of ‘no bloody good’ UK, 1903
NDG adjective no damned good CANADA, 1997
near and far noun 1 a bar in a public house. Dated rhyming slang
that remains a familiar term because of its neat reversal with
FAR
AND NEAR
(beer) UK, 1909. 2 a car. Rhyming slang UK, 1971
near-beer noun a beer-like product with a very low alcohol content,
legal during Prohibition. There is some dispute about who said the
cleverest thing ever said about ‘near bear’ – ‘The guy who called
that near beer is a bad judge of distance’
US, 1909
near the bone adjective barely within contemporary moral standards
of taste

UK, 1941
near the knuckle adjective barely within contemporary standards of
decency UK, 1909
neat adjective 1 pleasing, very good. Found as early as 1808, rejected
late in the C19, and then returned to favour in the 1930s. Still
heard; inescapably HOKEY. Considered as an Americanism in the
UK but used by teenagers without irony US, 1936. 2 (used of an
alcoholic drink) served without ice or water UK, 1579
neat as a pin adjective very neat UK, 1787
neato adjective good US, 1901
neatojet adjective excellent US, 1972
neb noun 1 the nose UK: SCOTLAND, 1985. 2 an act of prying UK:
SCOTLAND
, 1985. 3 an inquisitive person UK: SCO TL AND, 1985
neb verb to pry. From NEB (a nosey person or an instance of prying)
UK: SCOTLAND, 1985
nebbie; neb noun Nembutal™, a branded central nervous system
depressant US, 1963
nebbish; nebish; nebbech noun a hapless individual; an
insignificant nobody. From Yiddish ne’bech (too bad!, alas!) thus
Yiddish nebech (the poor thing); the many variant spellings – not
all of which are listed here – result from the difficulty of
pronunciation UK, 1892
nebby adjective inquisitive, prying US, 1982
Nebraska sign noun a completely flat reading on an
electrocardiogram. An allusion to the endless flat prairies of
Nebraska US, 1994
Nebruary morning adverb never BARBADOS, 1965
nebular adjective excellent US, 1995
necessaries noun < the necessaries the male genitals UK, 1962

necessary noun 1 money, funds UK, 1897. 2 a latrine US, 1991
neck noun 1 the throat UK, 1818. 2 a drink. From the verb sense UK,
2002. 3 a white prisoner. A shortened ‘redneck’ US, 1976. 4 in horse
racing, a distance of less than half a horse-length US, 1951.
5 impudence, effrontery, self-confidence. From Northumberland
dialect
UK, 1894. < get it down your neck; get that down your
neck
to swallow it. Often, when in reference to an alcoholic drink,
a light-hearted imperative UK, 1909. < get it in the neck; catch
it in the neck; take it in the neck
to be severely punished or
reprimanded US, 1887. < get under your neck to usurp someone
native | neck 452
else’s prerogative AUSTRALIA, 1989. < neck like a jockey’s bollocks
used descriptively of a scrawny neck and analogously for personal
qualities of toughness and insensitivity; said of someone who is
not afraid to take advantage of a situation for their own gain
IRELAND, 1992. < up to the neck; up to your neck deeply US, 1998
neck verb 1 to kiss in a lingering fashion UK, 1825. 2 to swallow UK, 1514.
3 to drink AUSTRALIA, 1998. 4 in prison, to swallow a package of drugs
with the intention of retrieval after excretion UK, 1996. 5 to commit
suicide
AUSTRALIA, 1995
necking noun the act of kissing, caressing and cuddling UK, 1825
necklace verb to set fire to a car tyre that has been doused in petrol
and placed around a victim’s neck. An innocent sounding term for
a horrid practice, usually practised black-on-black in the waning
days of the white supremacist government in South Africa
SOUTH

AFRICA
, 1986
necklace; necklace of fire noun a tyre doused or filled with petrol,
placed around a victim’s neck or shoulders, and set alight SOUTH
AFRICA
, 1985
necklacer noun an executioner who, in the name of some informal
justice, kills by means of the necklace SOUTH AFRICA, 1987
necklacing noun an act, or the action, of killing by means of the
necklace SOUTH AFRICA, 1986
neck oil noun alcohol, especially beer UK, 1860
necktie party noun a hanging, especially an extra-judicial lynching
US, 1882
necro noun a necrophile US, 1987
nectar noun alcohol. Formerly standard English, now slumming in
slang with an archaic tone US, 1966
nectar adjective excellent US, 1989
ned noun 1 a young hooligan; a petty criminal UK: SCOTLAND, 1977. 2 a
member of a Scottish subcultural urban adolescent grouping
defined by loutish behaviour and a fondness for sportswear and
jewellery UK, 2004
Ned noun the personification of malnutrition BARBADOS, 1965
neddy noun a horse AUSTRALIA, 1887
nederhash noun any or all varieties of hashish produced in the
Netherlands. A compound of Dutch Nederland (Netherlands) and
HASH NETHERLANDS, 2003
Ned Kelly noun 1 a television; television. Rhyming slang for TELLY;
based on Australian bushranger Ned Kelly (1854–80). Current in
UK prisons in 2002 UK, 1979. 2 the belly. Rhyming slang AUSTRALIA,
1945. 3 a thief. From Edward ‘Ned’ Kelly, Australian bushranger and

folk hero (1855–80), famed for wearing self-made armour during
his final showdown with police AUSTRALIA, 1962. < game as Ned
Kelly
extremely game; courageous AUSTRALIA, 1938
needies noun gypsies. English gypsy use UK, 2000
needle noun 1 a feeling of resentment or irritation. Originally tailors’
slang UK, 1873. 2 a vehicle’s speedometer US, 1976. < do the needle
to inject drugs, especially heroin UK, 1996. < get the needle (at,
with or to)
to become angry or ill-tempered (towards a stated
someone or something) UK, 1874. < on the needle using or
addicted to drugs injected intravenously US, 1942
needle verb 1 to irritate, to annoy, to provoke UK, 1873. 2 in the illegal
production of alcohol, to simulate ageing by inserting an electric
needle into the keg
US, 1974
needle and pin noun a twin. Rhyming slang. The plural is ‘needles
and pins’ UK, 1998
needle and thread noun bread. Rhyming slang UK, 1859
needle beer noun beer which has been fortified with another form
of alcohol
US, 1962
needle candy noun any drug that can be injected US, 1971
needledick noun 1 a small, thin penis; a man so equipped US, 1970.
2 a despicable man US, 1998
needle-dicked adjective endowed with a small penis UK, 1995
needle freak noun an intravenous drug user US, 1967
needle jockey noun a nurse or doctor who administers shots US, 1960
needleman noun in a confidence swindle, an agent who inspires the
victim with confidence in the scheme

US, 1988
needle park noun a public park or public area where drug addicts
gather and inject drugs. Brought into the idiom by the Panic in
Needle Park (1966), referring to a traffic island at 74th and
Broadway on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where heroin addicts
congregated
US, 1966
Needle Park nickname Sherman Square (71st Street and Amsterdam
Avenue and Broadway), New York. So named because it was a spot
favoured by drug users US, 1982
need-one-take-one noun the small tray near a shop’s cash till with
pennies which customers may use for making exact payments US,
1997
neek noun a socially awkward or unfashionable person UK, 2005
neff adjective bad, generally contemptible. A variation of NAFF UK, 2003
negatory no. Coined in the military, popularised in the US by truck
drivers in the 1970s US, 1955
neg driving noun the crime of negligent driving AUSTRALIA, 1969
negotiable grass noun money US, 1951
negrogram noun gossip. An effort to euphemise the more popular
NIGGERGRAM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003
negs noun in prison, child neglect UK, 1996
neighbor noun the number on either side of the winning number
on a roulette wheel US, 1961
neil noun an LSD capsule. An allusion to Neil Young, whose music is
suitable for enjoyment by young LSD users CANADA, 1993
neither use nor ornament adjective applied to a useless person or
thing. Contemptuous. Not noted until 1978, however ‘[D]idn’t
appear to me to be either useful or ornamental[.]’, recorded in
1942, implies an earlier use

UK, 1978
nekkid adjective naked. Jocular spelling US, 1973
nellie noun an obviously homosexual man; an effeminate homosex-
ual man. Recorded at least as early as 1916, but not fully emerged
until the outing of gay culture UK, 1916
nelly noun 1 cheap wine. Shortening of earlier ‘Nelly’s death’ (1935,
Australian National Dictionary) AUSTRALIA, 1941. 2 the pelvic muscles
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003
nelly! used, by effeminate homosexual men, as an exclamation of
disgust or contempt. Remembered, or otherwise dated, as ‘mid-
1950s’, by Beale UK, 1984
nellyarda verb to listen UK, 2002
nelly-assed adjective effeminate US, 1963
Nelly Bligh; Nelly Bly noun 1 a meat pie. Rhyming slang, formed
on the protagonist of a folk song AUSTRALIA, 1950. 2 a fly Rhyming
slang AUSTRALIA, 1955
nelly, nellie adjective extremely, even outrageously, effeminate US, 1963
Nelly’s room noun < up in Nelly’s room behind the wallpaper
the presumed location of something missing IRELAND, 2003
Nelson Eddy; nelson adjective ready. Rhyming slang, based on US
entertainer Nelson Eddy (1901–67) UK, 1992
Nelson Mandela; nelson noun lager, especially the Belgian lager
Stella Artois™. Rhyming slang, ‘Mandela’ for ‘Stella’. Based on
African statesman, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (b.1918),
emphasising lager drinkers’ grasp of world affairs
UK, 2002
nelsons noun cash. Formed from NELSON EDDY (ready), thus READIES
(cash) UK, 1991
Nelson’s blood noun rum AUSTRALIA, 1924
nembie; nemby noun a barbiturate, especially Nembutal™ US, 1950

nemish noun a capsule of pentobarbital sodium (trade name
Nembutal™), a central nervous system depressant US, 1969
nemmie noun a capsule of pentobarbitral sodium (trade name
Nembutal™), a central nervous system depressant US, 1950
Nep; Nepalese noun potent hashish from Nepal UK, 1999
453 neck | Nep; Nepalese
Nepalese blue; Nepalese; Royal Nepalese noun marijuana
cultivated in Nepal
UK, 1970
Nepalese temple balls; Nepalese temple hash noun hashish
from Nepal, originally prepared for religious use
US, 1989
nephew noun a young, passive male homosexual in relation to his
older lover
US, 1950
neppy noun a person from northeast Philadelphia. A combination of
‘North East Philly’
US, 1996
Nepsha and Kiah noun a random selection of people from the
populace BARBADOS, 1965
’ner noun dinner US, 1969
nerd; nurd noun a person lacking in social skills, fashion sense or
both
US, 1951
nerdbomber noun a pest. A catchy term from the television
programme Full House
US, 1990
nerd box noun a study cubicle US, 1997
nerdistan noun a dormitory community for information-and-com-
munication-technology workers. A play on

NERD (a dull social
stereotype)
US, 1997
nerdly noun a socially inept outcast US, 1965
nerdvana noun the world of computer enthusiasts who surf the
Internet every night CANADA, 1995
nerf verb in motor racing, to bump a competitor during a race US,
1952
nerf bar noun in hot rodding, a car bumper US, 1953
nerk; nurk noun a contemptible person. Possibly compounds NERD
and JERK (a fool) or BERK (a fool). A floral tribute in the shape of
the word ‘nurk’ featured in the comedy-documentary Life Beyond
The Box, BBC 2, 3rd May 2004
UK, 1966
nerve noun effrontery, audacity UK, 1893
nerves noun < get on your nerves to affect morbidly UK, 1937
Nervo and Knox noun 1 television; a television. Rhyming slang for
BOX, formed from the names of a comedy double act, members of
the Crazy Gang, Jimmy Nervo, 1890–1975, and Teddy Knox,
1896–1974 UK, 1971. 2 syphillis, a sexually transmitted infection.
Rhyming slang for POX, sometimes abbreviated to ‘nervo’ UK, 1977.
3 socks. Rhyming slang UK, 1961
nervous adjective excellent, well done US, 1926
Nervous Air nickname Service Air, the Canadian military
administrative term for the rough and ready travel using military
transport CANADA, 1995
nervous Nellie noun an excessively nervous person US, 1926
nervous wreck noun a cheque. Rhyming slang UK, 1998
nervy adjective nervous US, 1891
Nessie nickname the Loch Ness monster. This familiar name for a

shadow on which part of the Scottish economy exists developed
not long after the newspapers announced, on 2nd May 1933, that
a giant marine creature had been seen in Loch Ness. It is
interestingtonotethatNessiereappearsinthepapersaboutthe
same time each year
UK, 2001
nest noun 1 abedUS, 1990. 2 a hairdo. High school student usage US,
1961
nest egg noun money saved for the future UK, 1700
nester noun a member of the Mexican-American prison gang
Nuestra Familia. A corrupted pronunciation of ‘Nuestra’ US, 1990
Nestle’s Quick noun a non-commissioned officer recently arrived in
Vietnam after graduation from training school. The short time it
took to earn their rank bothered enlisted men, who struck back
with this allusion to Nestlé Quik™ (later Nesquik™), a powdered
milk flavouring
US, 1991
net noun 1 ten; in betting, odds of 10–1. Back slang UK, 1851. 2 the
Internet
US, 1995
net and bice noun in betting, odds of 12–1. A combination of NET
(ten) and BICE (two) adds up to twelve UK, 1991
net and ex noun in betting, odds of 16–1. A combination of NET
(ten) and a slurring of ‘six’, adding up to sixteen UK, 1991
net and rouf noun in betting, odds of 14–1. A combination of NET
(ten) and ROUF (four), adding up to fourteen UK, 1991
nethead noun in the language surrounding the Grateful Dead, a
follower of the band who is part of the Grateful Dead cyber
community US, 1994
netiquette noun the protocol, implicit or explicit, observed by

members of an Internet discussion group
US, 1995
netlag noun an inordinate delay in an Internet relay chat. A pun on
the standard ‘jet lag’
US, 1995
net police noun a participant in an Internet discussion group who
on a self-appointed basis polices the discussion for protocol and
etiquette violations
US, 1991
neuron noun a neurologist US, 1994
neutral noun < to put someone into neutral to castrate
someone NEW ZEALAND, 2002
Nevada lettuce noun a one-thousand-dollar note. Nevada, formerly
the only state in the US with legal gambling, is still the most
popular gambling destination in the US and the only state with
legal brothels US, 1962
Nevada nickel noun a five-dollar gambling token US, 1979
never adverb not UK, 1999
never again noun Ben Truman™, a branded beer. Rhyming slang,
from the promise made the morning after the night before UK, 1992
neverendum noun either of the two referenda on Quebec
sovereignty or independence. The term is a sarcastic allusion to
the independentist government’s having called two votes on the
subject and vowing to keep calling them till it won
CANADA, 1999
never fear – NAME is here a catchphrase announcement –
using the speaker’s name, of course – of the speaker’s reassuring
presence; also used, by the speaker, as a general greeting; or,
ironically (and, occasionally, disdainfully) of a third party
UK, 1975

never happen! used for expressing supreme doubt TRINIDAD AND
TOBAGO
, 1956
never in a pig’s ear never. Rhyming slang for ‘never in a year’ UK,
1977
nevermind noun < makes no nevermind makes no difference US,
1924
never mind! 1 don’t worry; mind your own business. Semi-
exclamatory imperative
UK, 1959. 2 used as a humorous admission
of misunderstanding. A key signature line of the early years of
NBC’s Saturday Night Live, uttered by the Emily Litella character
played by Gilda Radner who would end rants about ‘Soviet Jewelry’
or ‘the deaf penalty’ with the humble ‘never mind’. Repeated with
referential humour US, 1977
never-never noun 1 hire purchase. A suggestion that you will never,
never pay off your debts, with an ironic reference to J.M. Barrie
(1860–1937)’s idealised home for Peter Pan, ‘Never Never Land’,
first realised in 1904 UK, 1964. 2 the remote regions of interior
Australia. Origin unknown. Sometimes upper case AUSTRALIA, 1833
never-never country noun the remote regions of interior Australia
AUSTRALIA, 1889
never-never land noun 1 an imaginary, ideal world. From J. M.
Barrie’s Peter Pan novels UK, 1900. 2 the hire purchase method of
payment by instalments UK, 2005
never pitch a bitch used in confidence swindles as a humorous
rule of thumb meaning ‘never try to do a sales job on a woman’
US, 1985
never smarten a sucker up used by gambling cheats and confi-
dence swindlers as a prime rule of the trade US, 1950

never this year not a chance UK, 2000
never-was noun a person to whom actual achievement has eluded
US, 1891
neves; nevis noun 1 in betting, odds of 7–1 UK, 1991. 2 the number
seven. Back slang UK, 1851. 3 a prison sentence of seven years.
Nepalese blue; Nepalese; Royal Nepalese | neves; nevis 454
A specific application of the number seven. Sometimes extended
to ‘nevis stretch’
UK, 1958
neves and a half noun In bookmaker slang NEVES is 7–1, here the
addition of ‘a half’ increases the odds to 7½–1or 15–2. In
bookmaker slang NEVES is 7–1, here the addition of ‘a half’
increases the odds to 71/2–1or 15–2 UK, 1991
neves to rouf noun in betting, odds of 7–4. A combination of NEVES
(seven) and ROUF (four) when, if used alone, each word signifies
more than the number itself. Pronounced ‘nevis to roaf’
UK, 1991
Neville noun a stupid or annoying person; a person lacking in social
skills, fashion sense or both
AUSTRALIA, 1995
new noun a lager-style beer brewed by the bottom-fermentation
method. As opposed to OLD AUSTRALIA, 1935
new! used for commenting humorously on a new purchase US, 1963
new addition noun crack cocaine UK, 2003
newb noun a new user of the Internet; a newcomer to an Internet
discussion group or multi-player game. A shortening of ‘newbie’
UK, 2003
newbie noun 1 a new user of the Internet; a new arrival to an
Internet discussion group. The general sense ‘newcomer’ used
condescendingly US, 1995. 2 a newcomer. Originally military US, 1970

new boy noun used of a man or a corporate entity, a new arrival to
an existing community. From school usage, applied less accurately
in military, business and other closed-circles UK, 1948
New Brunswick credit card noun a rubber siphoning hose for
stealing petrol. An analogous term is the Texas
OKLAHOMA CREDIT
CARD
. People from better-off adjacent states or provinces seem
convinced that their poorer neighbours are thieves CANADA, 1992
newbug noun a new boy or new girl. Originally from Marlborough
School and only of a boy, now widespread
UK, 1900
newby verb to fail to perform at a critical moment US, 2002
Newcastled adjective filled with Newcastle Brown Ale™; drunk (pro-
bably as a result of drinking Newcastle Brown Ale). Newcastle
Brown Ale was first brewed (in Newcastle) in 1927 UK, 2002
new chum noun 1 a newly arrived immigrant from Britain who has
little knowledge of local life and customs. Originally applied to
newly incarcerated prisoners (1812 Vaux), it was applied to
migrants as early as 1828 (Australian National Dictionary); the
opposing term was ‘old chum’ but this did not survive into the
C20
AUSTRALIA, 1969. 2 a novice AUSTRALIA, 1851
New Delhi noun the belly. Rhyming slang, formed, possibly, on a sly
reference to Indian food UK, 1992
Newf noun a Newfoundlander CANADA, 1958
Newfie noun any person from Newfoundland US, 1942
Newfie banana noun the root of the cinnamon fern CANADA, 1988
Newfie Bullet noun a train that traversed the interior of
Newfoundland. Ironic

CANADA, 1965
Newfiejohn noun the city of St John’s, Newfoundland CANADA, 1945
new girl noun a new arrival to an existing community. From school
use, applied to a female adult joining military, business or other
closed group
UK, 2003
New Guinea crud noun any skin rash suffered in tropical and jungle
environments US, 1946
new guy noun a freshly arrived soldier to combat. Often embellished
to FUCKING NEW GUY US, 1970
New Hampshire screwdriver noun a hammer. Maine usage,
looking down on the workmanship of carpenters from the south
US, 1975
newie noun something new AUSTRALIA, 1924
Newington Butts; newingtons noun the stomach, abdomen, guts;
in a figurative sense the essential qualities of a person. Rhyming
slang for
GUTS. Newington Butts is an area of south London UK, 1960
new jack noun a newcomer (especially one likely to be a success) US,
1988
new jack swing noun heroin and morphine in concert UK, 1998
new kid noun in roller derby, a skater who has not yet been
accepted by other skaters
US, 1999
new kid on the block adjective in bar dice games, a player just
joining an ongoing game
US, 1971
Newky brown; Newky noun Newcastle Brown Ale™. As widely used
as the beer is appreciated
UK, 1984

new-man-rule noun an unwritten rule among some units of the US
Army in Vietnam that a newly arrived soldier would be placed at
the front of the unit as pointman US, 1990
new meat noun 1 a new student at a school US, 1962. 2 an inexperi-
enced prison inmate
US, 1938. 3 an inexperienced soldier freshly
arrived at the front US, 1971
new nip noun a small boy, or a new boy at a school UK, 1947
new one applied to a previously unheard joke or anecdote, or to
something seen, or heard of, for the first time. Generally phrased
‘that’ or ‘it’s a new one on’ followed by a pronoun or person’s
name US, 1887
new pussy noun a woman unknown to gang members US, 1966
news bunny noun a female television reporter or anchor hired for
her cute looks US, 1990
new school adjective (used of rap music) current, modern. The
functional reciprocal of
OLD SKOOL US, 2001
news hawk noun a newspaper reporter US, 1931
new-sick noun a new influenza virus BARBADOS, 1965
newspaper noun a thirty-day jail sentence US, 1926
newspapers noun LSD UK, 2003
newsstand noun a dealer in pornographic literature and magazines
US, 1986
newsy adjective 1 full of information, especially of trivial or personal
matters UK, 1832. 2 nosy; too interested in gossip US, 1970
newszine noun a fan magazine that does not contain any fiction,
just news
US, 1976
newted adjective drunk. From PISSED AS A NEWT UK, 1984

Newton and Ridley adjective mildly drunk. Rhyming slang for
TIDDLY, formed from the name of the fictitious brewery that
supplies the drinking requirements of the characters in the long-
running television soap opera Coronation Street
UK, 1998
Newton Heath noun teeth. Rhyming slang from Manchester,
formed on the name of an industrial suburb of the city UK, 1959
new toy noun in the Metropolitan Police, a newly introduced piece
of equipment; a new recruit
UK, 1999
New Year noun < not know if it’s New Year or New York
applied to anyone who is failing to think clearly (for whatever
reason) UK: SCOTLAND, 1988
New Yorker noun a variety of MDMA, the recreational drug best
known as ecstasy. A play on APPLE (a variety of MDMA) and THE
APPLE
(New York) UK, 1996
New York kiss noun a punch to the face US, 1999
New York minute noun a very short period of time. A nod to the
impatience associated with New Yorkers US, 1948
New York reload noun a second (concealed) pistol; an act of
drawing a second gun. Derives from a legal loophole: New York
police used not to be allowed the use of a speed loader but a
second, concealed gun was apparently permissible
US, 2002
New York Slime nickname the New York Times newspaper US, 1981
newzak noun trivial news, or broadcast news that exists in the
background but is ignored. A play on ‘muzak’ UK, 2003
New Zealand green noun a strain of marijuana, known elsewhere
as Tasmanian tiger, Thai Buddha and Hawaiian head NEW ZEALAND,

2002
New Zealand mafia noun a notional organisation of New Zealand
professionals in London NEW ZEALAND, 1986
next noun during the Vietnam war, a soldier whose rotation home
was due in only a few days US, 1991
455 neves and a half | next
next adjective within a few days of returning to the US after a tour of
duty in Vietnam
US, 1990
nextish noun the next issue of a single-interest fan magazine US, 1982
nexus noun 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethyliamine, a mild
hallucinogen
US, 1995
NF nickname the Nuestra Familia prison gang US, 2000
NF verb as an act of racial hatred, to set fire to a property that
houses members of an ethnic minority. Derives from the initials
of the National Front, a politically right-wing organisation founded
on muddled philosophies of racial intolerance and violent
intervention
UK, 2005
NFG adjective used as shorthand to mean ‘no fucking good’ US, 1977
NFN doctors’ shorthand for the facetious diagnosis: normal for
Norfolk. Recorded in an article about medical slang in British (3
London and 1 Cambridge) hospitals
UK, 2003
NG adjective no good US, 1879
NHI adjective used for describing a crime against a criminal,
especially one involving only black people. An abbreviation of ‘no
humans involved’ US, 1973
Niagara Falls; niagaras noun the testicles. Rhyming slang UK, 1943

nibble noun a non-commital expression of interest. From the image
of a fish trying a bait
UK, 1959
nibby noun a walking stick, especially one used in rounding up sheep
NEW ZEALAND, 1964
nibs noun < his nibs; her nibs himself; herself; a self-important
person. Usually styled as a mock-title UK, 1821
nice and easy noun heroin US, 1994
nice as pie adjective very polite, very agreeable US, 1922
nice bit noun a prison sentence of three years or more UK, 1996
nice enough noun a homosexual male. Rhyming slang for PUFF UK,
1992
nice kitty noun a Christmas bonus US, 1954
nice little earner noun a well-paid job or profitable scheme, almost
always criminal to some degree. An elaboration of EARNER, made
popular by actor George Cole as small-time crook and wheeler-
dealer Arthur Daley in Minder, 1979–94 UK, 1996
nicely irrigated with horizontal lubricant adjective drunk. Some
people, when drinking, use too many words
UK, 2002
nice-nice adjective very attractive UK, 1994
nice one used in a congratulatory sense to express praise for an
action UK, 1997
nice one Cyril; nice one noun a squirrel. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
nice one, Cyril used for expressing praise. A very popular
catchphrase of the mid-1970s. It originated in a television
commercial and was taken up in the early 70s as a football chant
by Tottenham Hotspur FC’s supporters in celebration of Cyril
Knowles, one of the club’s leading players
UK, 1984

nice talk noun a line of conversation intended to seduce. Urban
black youth usage UK, 2003
nice up verb to make something more acceptable or presentable, to
improve, to refine UK, 2004
nice weather for ducks wet weather. Known in variant forms
since 1840
UK, 1973
nicey nice adjective Extremely nice, even excessively nice. A
diminutive, childish formation usually used with some degree of
mocking or irony
UK, 1859
nick noun 1 a prison; a police station. In either case it is where one
is taken after getting ‘nicked’ (arrested); the former dates from
1882, the latter 1957 UK, 1950. 2 condition or quality, especially in
phrases ‘in good nick’, ‘in poor nick’, etc. Originally dialect
UK, 1905.
3 in horse racing, a mating that results in the sought-after qualities
AUSTRALIA, 1989. 4 five dollars’ worth of marijuana. A shortened form
of ‘nickel’ as in NICKEL BAG US, 2002. 5 in craps, a winning roll of
seven on the first toss US, 1962. 6 a nickname US, 1995. < in the
nick
naked NEW ZEALAND, 1998. < on the nick engaged in thieving
UK, 1977
nick verb 1 to arrest, to apprehend UK, 1622. 2 in prison, to place on
report
UK, 2001. 3 to steal UK, 1869. 4 to win a gamble, possibly by
taking an unfair advantage or cheating. A variation of earlier
obsolete senses: ‘to cheat at cards’, ‘to defraud’ UK, 1676. 5 (of a
person) to move quickly. Followed by an adverb. Perhaps a special-
ised use of the sense ‘to cheat’

AUSTRALIA, 1894. 6 to throw dice
BARBADOS, 1965. < get nicked get lost. Euphemistic for ‘get fucked’
AUSTRALIA, 1968. < nick a living to make enough money to survive
UK, 1998. < nick the title to win a sporting contest and thereby to
take the title
UK, 1998
nick about with verb to go around in the company of, or associate
with, someone or some group of people UK: SCOTLAND, 1985
nick away verb to leave, to steal away NEW ZEALAND, 1998
nicked adjective stolen. From the verb NICK (to steal) UK, 2001
nickel noun 1 a five-year prison sentence US, 1953. 2 five dollars US,
1946. 3 in American casinos, a five-dollar betting chip US, 1980. 4 five
hundred dollars US, 1974. 5 a mediocre object or situation US, 1977
nickel adjective inferior US, 1932
nickel and dime verb to wear down in small increments US, 1961
nickel-and-dime adjective small-time, operating on a small scale US,
1941
nickel and dime; nickel noun 1 time. Rhyming slang US, 1998. 2 in
pool, a table that is five feet by ten feet US, 1993
nickel-and-dime pimp noun a small-time pimp US, 1972
nickel bag noun five dollars’ worth of a drug US, 1966
nickel-dime-quarter noun poker played with very small bets US, 1968
nickel game noun a game of craps in which the true and correct
odds are paid
US, 1950
nickel gouger noun the operator of a dishonest carnival game US,
1950
nickel note noun a five-dollar US, 1926
nickelonian noun a crack cocaine addict. A play on ‘nickelodian’,
after the

NICKEL BAG that the addict hungers for US, 1998
nickel-pincher noun a cheapskate. A variation on the much more
common ‘penny-pincher’ US, 1949
nickels noun in craps, a roll of two fives US, 1983
nickels and dimes noun in hold ’em poker, a five and ten as the
first two cards dealt to a player US, 1981
nickel seats noun inexpensive seats at an event, usually far from the
action
US, 1990
nickel’s worth noun a five-minute conversation on a citizens’ band
radio. Five minutes was once the longest conversation allowed at
one time US, 1976
nick ’em and stick ’em used of the professional approach of a
prison officer who is interested only in the discipline and confine-
ment of prisoners
UK, 1996
nicker noun 1 one pound sterling (£1); pounds UK, 1910. 2 pounds
AUSTRALIA, 1965
nicker bit noun a one-pound coin. From NICKER (£1) UK, 1992
nicker bits noun diarrhoea. Rhyming slang for THE SHITS,formed
from
NICKER BIT (a £1 coin) UK, 1992
nick joint noun a dishonest gambling operation US, 1978
nick-nacker noun an infrequent drug user US, 1984
nick nick used of catching or arresting, or the act of being caught.
Reduplication of NICK (to arrest); directly from the catchphrase
popularised in the later 1970s by comedian Jim Davidson (b.1953)
UK, 1981
nick off verb 1 to depart, to leave AUSTRALIA, 1901. 2 to play truant.
Teen slang UK, 1982. 3 to take or steal something AUSTRALIA, 1968

Nicky Butt noun a testicle. Rhyming slang for NUT(S), formed from a
Manchester United footballer (b.1975) UK, 1998
next | Nicky Butt 456
nic-nac party noun a party for a bride-to-be. At the party, the gifts
for the bride focus on her future home
AUSTRALIA, 1988
niddy-noddy noun a stick about a foot long, with end-pieces, used
for wrapping yarn
CANADA, 1986
niebla noun phencyclidine, the recreational drug known as PCP or
angel dust. Spanish for ‘cloud’ US, 1994
nieve noun cocaine. Spanish for ‘snow’ US, 1993
niff noun an unpleasant smell. Possibly derives from ‘sniff’ UK, 1903
niff verb to smell unpleasantly. From the noun sense UK, 1927
niffy adjective smelly. From Sussex dialect UK, 1937
nifty noun the sum of fifty pounds sterling (£50). Not really rhyming
slang, merely a convenient rhyme
UK, 1999
nifty adjective smart, fashionable, fine, splendid. Old-fashioned and
affected; probably a corrupted ‘magnificent’
US, 1805
nifty fifty noun an act of masturbation. A rhymed approximation of
the number of movements required. Often in the phrase ‘give it
the nifty fifty’
UK, 1984
nifty-keen adjective excellent US, 1972
nig noun 1 a black person. A shortened form of NIGGER, no less
offensive US, 1828. 2 an Australian Aboriginal. Racially offensive; now
not very common AUSTRALIA, 1880. 3 a new soldier, either a recruit or
one just out of recruit training UK, 1980

Nigel Benn noun a pen. Rhyming slang, formed from the name of a
champion boxer (b.1964) UK, 1998
Nigerian noun in homosexual usage, any black man US, 1987
Nigerian lager noun Guinness™, the branded stout. From the deep
black colour of the beer UK, 1977
Nigerian scam spam noun a swindle that uses e-mail to solicit
potential victims to help an African correspondent transfer
millions of dollars into an American bank account
US, 2002
nigga noun a black person. A deliberate misspelling, reinventing
NIGGER for exclusive black use; widely used in gangsta rap US, 1980s
nigger noun 1 a black person. When used by white speakers, highly
offensive; used by black speakers, especially the young, with
increasing frequency UK, 1574. 2 an Australian Aboriginal. Racially
offensive AUSTRALIA, 1845. 3 a Maori NEW ZEALAND, 1858. 4 a friend. The
word having been reclaimed by the black population, usage in the
racially-mixed community of St Pauls, Bristol, resulted, in 2003, in
white youths emulating black peers and calling their friends, of
any skin-colour, ‘nigger’
UK, 2003. 5 in the television and film
industries, a screen on a stand used to achieve lighting effects UK,
1960. < another push and you’d have been a nigger used
insultingly as a slur on the morals of the subject’s mother,
implying that she would have sex with anyone of any race UK, 1961
niggerati noun a high profile grouping of successful members of
black society. A black coinage, combining NIGGER (a black person)
and
-ERATI (a suffix which suggests the fashionable) UK, 2000
nigger babies noun dirt specks, especially in the creases of the neck
US, 1970

nigger bait noun a great deal of chrome on a car US, 1960
nigger bankroll noun a single large-denomination bill wrapped
around small-denomination notes, giving the impression of a great
deal of money
US, 1980
nigger bet noun an uncommon amount wagered US, 1968
nigger flicker noun a small knife; a razor blade used as a weapon
US, 1980
niggergram noun gossip TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1950
nigger-hater noun an overt racist US, 1951
niggerhead noun 1 tobacco, twisted into a plug US, 1843. 2 an eight-
gallon milk can CANADA, 1992. 3 atuftofgrassUS, 1859. 4 in
lobstering, a winch head
US, 1978
niggerhead keister noun a steel safe shaped like a ball US, 1976
nigger heaven noun 1 a simple, perfect happiness US, 1906. 2 the
highest, least expensive seats in a theatre
US, 1866
nigger in the woodpile noun anything that spoils the perfection of
a finished article. Originally used without any sense that offence
may be caused; now taboo
US, 1852
niggeritis noun laziness; sloth after eating TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2001
nigger-knockers noun heavy work boots US, 1964
niggerlip verb to moisten the end of a cigarette with saliva US, 1940
nigger local noun on the railways, a freight train that makes
frequent local stops that involve heavy work for the crew US, 1916
nigger-lover noun a white person who mixes with or admires black
people; a white person who believes that all men are created
equal. Originally white usage, it was intended to be offensive and

disparaging
US, 1856
nigger-loving adjective used for describing a white person who does
not share the speaker’s pathological hatred of black people US, 1879
nigger navel noun a type of daisy US, 2002
nigger pennies noun an illegal lottery game US, 1977
nigger pool noun an illegal numbers gambling lottery US, 1949
nigger rich adjective maintaining outward signs of wealth US, 1930
nigger-rig verb to improvise in a shoddy way US, 1965
nigger’s lip noun a (potato) chip. Rhyming slang UK, 1980
niggers’ man noun a white person who is less prejudiced than most
BAHAMAS, 1905
Niggerstan noun any country with a black population. Racist UK, 1994
nigger stick noun a reinforced baton used by police on suspected
criminals, criminals and prisoners
US, 1971
nigger sticker noun a long, sharp knife US, 1969
nigger ten noun a cross near where a person has died BARBADOS, 1965
nigger toe noun a Brazil nut US, 1896
nigger toes noun black olives US, 1996
niggertown noun a neighbourhood with a large population of black
people US, 1904
nigger up verb to make many purely decorative, inexpensive, flashy
modifications to a car US, 1992
niggerville noun a section of a city or town populated by black
people. Offensive US, 1857
niggle noun acomplaintUK, 1886
niggle verb 1 to do something in a finicky, fussy or time-wasting
manner. Originally, certainly from about 1640, in conventional use;
now, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, chiefly colloquial

UK, 1893. 2 to irritate, to cause a slight but persistent annoyance.
Generally considered to be a conventional use; included here for
its derivatives which are certainly in this dictionary’s domain
UK,
1796. 3 to have sex US, 1962. 4 in horse racing, to urge a horse with
hands and rein UK, 1948
niggled adjective annoyed, irritated, especially when made so by
disappointment or the pettiness of others. From Cumberland
dialect
UK, 1878
niggliness noun irritability; a state of being short-tempered UK, 1982
niggling adjective petty, persistently irritating UK, 1854
niggly adjective 1 bad-tempered, especially about trifling concerns;
irritable UK, 1840. 2 annoying, irritating UK, 1840
night noun < it’ll be all right on the night; it will all come
right on the night used as an optimistic reassurance that
everything will be fine. Originally theatrical, expressing the belief
that all will be well for the first night. It’ll Be Alright on the Night, a
television programme celebrating the things that go wrong (despite
its reassuring title) has been broadcast since 1977 UK, 1899.
< make a night of to spend the night in pursuit of (dissolute)
pleasures UK, 1693
night; ’night good night. Elliptical reduction of the customary good
wishes at parting or sleep
UK, 1912
night and day noun a play. Rhyming slang UK, 1960
night and day adjective grey. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
night bull noun a prison guard assigned to a night shift US, 1967
457 nic-nac party | night bull
nightcap noun 1 the final alcoholic drink of the night UK, 1818. 2 a

marijuana cigarette, especially the last one of the day. No doubt
for the relaxant properties of the drug
UK, 1996. 3 in horse racing,
the last race of the day
US, 1951
nightclub tan noun apalecomplexionUK, 1973
night cocky noun in prison, a night patrolman UK, 2000
night compass noun a chamber pot CAYMAN ISLANDS, 1985
nightery; niterie noun a nightclub US, 1934
night eye noun an irregular growth on the inside of a horse’s legs,
useful as a means of identification US, 1938
night for night noun in television and film-making, a scene set at
night that is also shot at night
US, 1988
nighthawk noun 1 a person who is active late at night UK, 1818. 2 a
taxi driver who works late at night US, 1868
night house noun an illegal lottery operating at night US, 1957
nightie; nighty noun a nightgown UK, 1871
nightingale noun a police informer. From the SING metaphor US, 1968
night manoeuvres noun a social date US, 1962
nightmare noun an unpleasant experience; an unpleasant person UK,
1927
night nurse noun a cigarette smoked in the middle of the night by
an addict whose body is awakened by the craving for nicotine in
the night US, 1996
night rider noun 1 a person who enjoys the wild side of life at night
US, 1951. 2 in horse racing, someone who takes a horse out for a
night workout in the hope of lessening its performance in a race
the next day US, 1951
nights belong to Charlie used as a rule of thumb by US soldiers

in Vietnam, acknowledging the ascendancy of the Viet Cong
during the dark
US, 1990
night train noun suicide US, 1984
night work noun at night, urination or defecation other than in a
toilet TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1959
nighty-night; night-night; nigh’-nigh’ good night. Originally
children’s vocabulary but now widely used and not always
ironically UK, 1896
nig in verb to sneak in without paying UK, 2003
nig-nog noun 1 any non-white person. Rhyming slang, by virtue of
the rhyme with
WOG, this racist and derogatory term is a
compound of NIGGER (a black person) and WOG (any foreigner); it is
not always considered abusive by the speaker. In Love Thy
Neighbour, a UK television comedy which ran to seven series,
1972–76, the white-skinned characters routinely called their black
neighbours
SAMBO(S) and ‘nig-nogs’ UK, 1959. 2 a fool; a novice.
Military use, possibly from obsolete slang ‘nigmenog’ (a fool), prob-
ably informed by racist sentiments UK, 1959
nigra noun marijuana UK, 2003
-nik suffix a supporter or follower of the precedent activity or prin-
ciple US, 1963
Nike air jerusalem noun Nike Air Jordans™, a branded sport shoe.
A weak pun replacing Jordan with Jerusalem, current in UK prisons
August 2002 UK, 2002
Nike down verb to dress in nothing but Nike™ clothing and shoes
US, 1998
Niki Lauda; Niki noun cocaine. Rhyming slang, Lauda (pronounced

‘louder’) for
POWDER, based on the name of racing driver Nikolaus
Andreas Lauda (b.1949) UK, 1985
niks noun nothing. From Afrikaans into South African English UK, 1860
nimby noun 1 used as an acronym for ‘not in my b ack yard’, a
description of the philosophy of those who support an idea in
principle but do not want to be personally inconvenienced by it.
The acronym followed the phrase by only a year US, 1980. 2 a
capsule of pentobarbital sodium (trade name Nembutal™), a
central nervous system depressant US, 1962
nimrod noun a fool, a stupid person, a bungler. Jonathan Lighter
writes that ‘currency of the term owes much to its appearance in
a 1940s Warner Bros. cartoon in which Bugs Bunny refers to the
hunter Elmer Fudd as "poor little Nimrod"’. It is not clear that
watchers of the cartoon understood the C18 sense of the word as
‘a great hunter’, but the term has stuck
US, 1932
NINA no Irish need apply US, 1987
Nina; Nina from Carolina; Nina from Pasadena noun in craps, a
roll of nine or the nine point
US, 1939
nincompoop noun a foolish person, a simpleton. In A Classical
Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 3rd edition, 1796, Francis Grose
defines ‘nincumpoop’ as ‘a foolish fellow’ and ‘one who never saw
his wife’s ****’, which adds a little bite to its use
UK, 1673
nineball noun a socially inept person US, 1997
ninebar noun nine ounces of cannabis UK, 1996
nine-day blues noun the incubation period for gonorrhea US, 1981
nine-nickel noun ninety-five US, 1998

nine of hearts noun a racehorse that is not likely to win US, 1951
ninepennyworth noun a prison term of nine months UK, 1957
niner noun 1 an erect penis that is nine inches long UK, 1997. 2 anine
gallon keg of beer AUSTRALIA, 1957
nines noun < to the nines to an impressive degree UK, 1793
nine-strand splicer noun in oil drilling, a big and strong man US,
1954
nineteen noun 1 amphetamines. This may well derive from a
shortening of the conventional phrase ‘nineteen to the dozen’
(very fast) as a play on SPEED (amphetamine) UK, 2003. 2 MDMA, the
recreational drug best known as ecstasy
UK, 2003. 3 nothing at all.
From the game of cribbage (a hand with no points) US, 1975
nineteen canteen noun a long time ago SOUTH AFRICA, 1974
nineteen-eighty cell noun a secure prison cell used for prisoners at
risk to themselves or others. From the official paperwork, a ‘1980
form’, which must be completed each time before such a cell
may be occupied UK, 1996
nineteenth hole noun a golf course bar where golfers retire after a
round of golf US, 1901
nine-to-five noun the usual working day; the rut of daily existence.
Based on an average working day, nine in the morning to five in
the afternoon, but applied to regular employment whatever the
hours worked, and especially to routine drudgery
US, 1936
nine-trey noun ninety-three US, 1993
ninety noun 1 the 90-mm cannon mounted on an M-48 Patton
battle tank US, 1991. 2 the M-67 90-mm recoilless rifle US, 1991
ninety days noun in dice games, a roll of nine US, 1909
ninety-day-wonder noun a recent graduate of the US Army’s Officer

Candidate School US, 1917
ninety-in-ninety noun in twelve-step recovery programmes such as
Alcoholics Anonymous, used as a prescription for starting recovery
– ninety meetings in ninety days US, 1998
ninety-niner noun a driver from Canada’s prairies driving into
mountain (Alberta and British Columbia) roads for the first time
CANADA, 1989
ninety-six noun reciprocal anal sex US, 1949
ninety-weight noun 1 any strong alcohol US, 1976. 2 strong, 90-proof
whisky US, 1976
ning nong noun a fool, an idiot. Probably a variant of British dialect
ning-nang, recorded since the 1830s (English Dialect Dictionary)
AUSTRALIA, 1957
ninny noun 1 a fool, a dolt UK, 1593. 2 the vagina or vulva BAHAMAS, 1982
nip noun 1 a nipple, especially a woman’s. The nickname given to
the character Elaine Benes (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) on
Seinfeld (NBC, 1990–98) after a snapshot that she took for a
Christmas card showed a breast nipple
US, 1965. 2 a small drink US,
1736. 3 in Winnipeg, a hamburger CANADA, 1987. 4 a manoeuvre,
especially while driving BERMUDA, 1985
nightcap | nip 458
Nip noun 1 a Japanese or Japanese-American person. Shortened
from ‘Niponese’. Deemed offensive by Multicultural Management
Program Fellows, Dictionary of Cautionary Words and Phrases,
1989 US, 1942. 2 a Honda car. Citizens’ band radio slang for the
product of a Japanese manufacturer; a specific use of a generally
racist term
UK, 1981
nip verb 1 (of a person) to move quickly UK, 1825. 2 to grab UK, 1566.

3 to open a locked door using a special pair of pliers that can
grasp the key from the other side of the door
US, 1962. < nip it to
stop doing something US, 1983
Nip adjective Japanese AUSTRALIA, 1946
nip and tuck noun cosmetic surgery US, 1981
nip and tuck adjective in a contest, neck and neck, or alternately
holding the lead US, 1845
nip factor noun the degree of coldness US, 1997
nip it in the bud! used for humorously suggesting the emerging
presence of a problem. A signature line of deputy Barney Fife,
played by Don Knotts, on the situation comedy Andy Griff ith Show
(CBS, 1960–68). Repeated with referential humour
US, 1965
nipper noun 1 a baby or young child UK, 1859. 2 a young lad employed
to do menial tasks for a group of labourers AUSTRALIA, 1915. 3 a
sandfly BAHAMAS, 1982. 4 in target shooting, a shot that just nicks a
ring, scoring as if it had fallen within the ring US, 1957. 5 a railway
brakeman
US, 1977
nippers noun 1 the female breasts US, 1968. 2 the teeth US, 1965.
3 thickly knit gloves with no fingers CANADA, 1955. 4 any cutting tool
US, 1950. 5 a special pair of pliers that can grasp the key from the
other side of the door
US, 1962
nippie noun the nipple UK, 1997
nipple gripple; nipple cripple noun a violent gripping and twisting
assault on someone’s (usually a male’s) nipples UK, 2003
nipple palm noun a Nipa palm, found in swampy and marshy land
in South Vietnam

US, 1984
nipplitis noun (used of a woman) erect nipples US, 1997
Nippon Clipon noun the Auckland Harbor Bridge. Through Japanese
technology, the bridge was expanded from two to four lanes
NEW
ZEALAND
, 1976
nippy adjective 1 speedy UK, 1853. 2 chilly. Almost always applied to the
weather US, 1898
nips adjective afraid, anxious. Probably from NIP STRAWS SOUTH AFRICA,
1977
nip slip noun a photograph revealing at least a part of a woman’s
nipple. The premise is that the reveal is accidental; major usage of
the term on Internet photograph sites
US, 2004
nip straws verb to be nervous, anxious or afraid. From the
clenching of the jaw; generally as ‘nipping straws’ SOUTH AFRICA, 1970
Nirvana Scotia noun Nova Scotia CANADA, 2002
nishi noun the vagina US, 1998
nishte; nish; nishta noun nothing. From German nichts (nothing),
via Yiddish usage. ‘Nishta’ is recorded as a contemporary gay
usage UK, 1958
nishtoise; nishtoisale noun nothing. A variation of NISHTE UK, 2002
nit noun a simpleton, a moron, a fool. Widespread UK term of abuse
since about 1950
AUSTRALIA, 1941. < keep nit to act as lookout
while an illegal activity takes place AUSTRALIA, 1903
nit! run for it! Used to notify wrongdoers of the approach of auth-
ority. Probably a variant of NIX AUSTRALIA, 1882
nite noun night. Generally in a commercial or advertising context US,

1928
nit-keeper noun a lookout for an illegal activity AUSTRALIA, 1935
nit nit! be quiet!; used as a warning that someone is listening. In
prison use
UK, 1950
nitro noun a streetlight bulb US, 1980
nitro adjective volatile. Derived from the unstable nature of
nitroglycerin US, 1977
nitrous noun the gas nitrous oxide used as a recreational drug
AUSTRALIA, 1994
nits and buggers noun in poker, a hand with a pair of threes and a
pair of twos
US, 1967
nits and lice noun in poker, a hand with two low-valued pairs US, 1967
nitto! stop!; be quiet!; used as a general cry of warning. A variation
of
NIT NIT! UK, 1959
nitty adjective idiotic. From NIT (a fool), possibly influenced by NUTTY
(crazy) UK, 1967
nitty-clitty noun oral sex on a woman. A play on CLIT (the clitoris)
and
NITTY-GRITTY (the essence of the matter) US, 1975
nitty-gritty noun the essence of the matter. Coined by black people,
then spread into wide use. In the early 2000s, the belief that the
term originally applied to the debris left at the bottom of slave
ships when the slaves were removed from the ship circulated with
speed, certainty and outrage. Whether the initial report was an
intentional hoax or merely basis-free speculation, it is a false
etymology. All authorities agree that the etymology is unknown yet
some ill-informed politically correct types consider the word to

have racist overtones
US, 1956
nitwit noun a simpleton, a moron, a fool US, 1914
nix; nicks noun nothing; no. Probably from colloquial German nichts
via Dutch (colloquial Afrikaans has niks) UK, 1789
nix verb to reject, to deny US, 1903
nixer noun work undertaken outside normal work, usually without an
employer’s knowledge IRELAND, 1994
nixie noun an incorrectly addressed letter. A term used by railway
mail clerks
US, 1890
nixies noun a female undergarment with a cut-out crotch permitting
vaginal sex while otherwise clothed US, 1978
Nixon’s revenge noun an American Ford car. Citizens’ band radio
slang; a reference to US President Richard Nixon
US, 1976
nizzel; nizzle noun a close friend. A hip-hop, urban black coinage,
formed as a rhyming reduplication of SHIZZLE (sure, yes) US, 2001
nkalafaker noun a person who is not so much to be admired as
was originally thought; a confidence trickster. Teen slang
SOUTH
AFRICA
, 2003
nkalakatha noun a trustworthy person. Current teen slang SOUTH
AFRICA
, 2003
N.O. no. Spelt for emphasis, usually humorous US, 1973
no-access tool noun a light cleaning brush carried by telephone
installers and repair technicians. If for any reason the installer or
repair technician would rather not make a particular service call,

they sneak up to the door and leave a ‘sorry-we-missed-you’ tag.
In jest, a fellow worker might accuse him of using a light cleaning
brush to faintly tap on the door
US, 2003
noah noun a shark. Rhyming slang from ‘Noah’s ark’ US, 1963
Noah’s ark noun 1 an informer. Rhyming slang for NARK (an
informer); used in England since the first decade of the C20.
‘Noah’s ark’ is spoonerised into ‘oah’s nark’, which infers the
deeply contemptuous ‘whore’s nark’
UK, 1996. 2 a person who
accompanies a customer but deters him or her from making a
purchase. Rhyming slang for NARK (an awkward customer) UK, 1979.
3 a spoilsport. Rhyming slang for NARK AUSTRALIA, 1898. 4 apark.
Rhyming slang
UK, 1971
Noah’s ark adjective dark. Rhyming slang UK, 1934
Noah’s nobles noun female volunteers from the American Red
Cross. Korean war usage; Noah is suggested by the Red Cross
initials (ARC) US, 1968
no ass adverb extremely. Placed after the verb GUYANA, 1996
no ass! used for expressing the serious nature of what is being said
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1974
nob noun 1 a person of rank, position or wealth UK, 1703. 2 a
completely reliable and dependable person AUSTRALIA, 1989. 3 the
penis. A variation of KNOB UK, 1961. 4 the head. Probably from KNOB;
since about 1690 but now feels dated and tired UK, 1690
459 Nip | nob
nob verb to collect money from an audience after a performance or
other attraction. Possibly from passing the hat round, a
NOB (a

head) more usually being put in a hat UK, 1851
nobber noun a person who collects money for a street entertainer
UK, 1890
nobber; nobba adjective nine. Polari; from Spanish nueve or Italian
nove, via parleyaree and lingua franca
UK, 1996
nobbins noun money collected from an audience, especially money
thrown into a boxing ring. From
NOB (to collect money from an
audience)
UK, 1998
nobble verb 1 to sabotage, especially to hinder or defeat a rival.
From horse-tampering UK, 1856. 2 to corrupt, or otherwise tamper
with, a jury or jury member
UK, 1856. 3 in horse racing, to drug a
horse to impair its performance UK, 1847. 4 to appropriate
dishonestly, to steal UK, 1854
nobbler noun 1 a person who drugs racehorses or racing dogs to
affect their racing performance
US, 1982. 2 a small glass of spirits
AUSTRALIA, 1842
Nobby Hall noun a testicle. Rhyming slang for BALL(S), formed from
the name of the eponymous hero of an old and bawdy song:
‘They call him Nobby Hall, Nobby Hall / They call him Nobby Hall,
‘coz he’s only got one finger / They call him Nobby Hall, Nobby
Hall’
UK, 1992
Nobby Stiles; nobbys noun haemorrhoids. Rhyming slang for
‘piles’, formed from footballer Norbert ‘Nobby’ Stiles (b.1942) who
was a member of the England team that won the World Cup in

1966 UK, 1992
nob end noun the part of town where the money lives UK, 1964
no biggie don’t worry about it US, 1982
no bitch! I don’t have to sit in the middle of the back seat of the
car! Quickly shouted after someone else reserves the front
passenger seat by shouting ‘shotgun!’
US, 1989
noble noun an influential, respected prisoner US, 1976
noble weed noun marijuana US, 1970
nobody noun < like nobody’s business to an extraordinary
extent, very much UK, 1938
nobody’s home said of a person who is empty-headed. An abbrevi-
ation of
LIGHTS ON BUT THERE’S NOBODY HOME US, 2001
no brag, just fact used for humorously calling attention to having
bragged. Cavalry scout Will Sonnett, played by Walter Brennan,
used this line to instill fear on the television Western The Guns of
Will Sonnett (ABC, 1967–69). Repeated with referential humour US,
1969
no-brainer noun 1 an opinion so easily formed or decision so easily
made that no thinking is required US, 1980. 2 in croquet, a lucky
shot US, 1977
nobs noun shoes US, 1968
No Cal noun northern California US, 1991
no can do, Madame Nhu used as a humorous if emphatic
suggestion that something cannot be done. Madame Nhu was the
sister-in-law of South Vietnamese President Diem US, 1991
no chance! used as an emphatic negative, often scornful UK, 1984
no chance outside noun a non-commissioned officer of the US
Army. From the initials NCO and a healthy distrust of military

authority
US, 1968
nochy noun night. Polari, from Italian notte or Spanish noche UK, 1998
no comment! used as a jocular catchphrase. In imitation of poli-
ticians everywhere
UK, 1977
no comprende I do not understand. Partial Spanish used by
English speakers without regard to their fluency in Spanish, and
with multiple variations reflecting their lack of fluency US, 1971
nod noun 1 a drug-induced state of semi- or unconsciousness. From
‘nod’ (a sleep)
US, 1936. 2 a new recruit to the Royal Marines. A
variant of ‘Noddy’, which supposedly derives from a standard issue
woollen hat that when worn by recruits looks like Noddy (a
children’s character)’s hat UK, 1987. 3 the head. An abbreviation of
NODDLE (the head) UK, 2000. 4 in horse racing, a very small margin
of victory or lead
US, 1971. < nodisasgoodasawink;nodis
as good as a wink to a blind horse; nod’s as good as a
wink to a blind bat
applied to a covert yet comprehensible hint.
The ‘blind bat’ variation was created in 1969 for the ground-
breaking television comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus
and, like many of that programme’s catchphrases, remains in
circulation
UK, 1802. < on the nod 1 lost in mental stupefaction
brought on by heroin or other narcotics US, 1951. 2 within a
committee, to be agreed without argument; to be nodded
through. Conventionally, a nod is a sign of assent UK, 1999. 3 (of a
wager) agreed upon without money changing hands

AUSTRALIA, 1902.
< the nod official approval, UK, 2001
nod verb to enter a near-coma state after drug use US, 1958
nod betting noun betting on credit AUSTRALIA, 1981
nodder noun the head UK, 1956
noddle noun the head UK, 1509
noddle verb to idle, to waste time UK, 2003
noddy noun 1 in a film or television interview, a brief shot of the
interviewer listening or nodding. In full, a ‘noddy-shot’
UK, 1982. 2 a
police motorcyclist. A back-formation from NODDY-BIKE UK, 1980
Noddy noun a tracked snow vehicle manufactured by the Robin
Nodwell Manufacturing Company
ANTARCTICA, 1978
noddy adjective 1 (used of a computer program) trivial, useless but
illustrative of a point
US, 1991. 2 foolish. From Essex dialect UK, 1971
noddy-bike; noddy noun a police motorcycle. Originally of a light
motorcycle used by police before the introduction of the PANDA
CAR
. Generally presumed to come from Noddy, the character
created by Enid Blyton (1897–1968), in turn named after ‘a
simpleton’, but that would better describe the driver than the
vehicle and Noddy drove a car; more likely to be derived from
obsolete Irish noddy (a one-horse conveyance) with just a hint of
Enid Blyton UK, 1964
noddy boat noun a canal-using pleasure boat (not a conventional
narrow boat). Derisory UK, 1972
noddy shop noun a prison workshop. From the nature of the work
carried on therein: so basic that it can be understood by children

so young that they are still reading Noddy, the character created
by Enid Blyton (1897–1968) UK, 1996
noddy suit noun a suit of protective clothing worn against nuclear,
biological or chemical threat UK, 1972
no dice! 1 originally and literally, in a dice game a roll of the dice
that does not count because of a rule violation
US, 1950. 2 positively
no US, 1931
nod off verb to fall asleep UK, 1845
no doubt! used as a formulaic expression of agreement US, 1988
nod out verb to fall asleep, especially as a result of recreational drug
use
US, 1953
no duh! used for expressing sentiment that what was just said is
patently obvious to even the casual observer US, 1982
no end adverb immensely UK, 1859
no end of adjective a great number or quantity of. Colloquial UK, 1623
no fear! used as an expression of refusal UK, 1887
no flies on nothing at all wrong or amiss with someone AUSTRALIA,
1845
NoFuck, Virginia nickname Norfolk, Virginia US, 1998
nog noun 1 a Vietnamese or Korean person or soldier; any Southeast
Asian person. From NIG-NOG AUSTRALIA, 1969. 2 a short piece of wood
inserted between wall studs. A variant is ‘noggings’
NEW ZEALAND,
1963
no gain without pain used to urge sacrifice. A catchphrase
beloved by athletic coaches as inspiration for bulletin board
reading US, 1968
noggin noun the head US, 1859

noggy noun a Vietnamese or Korean person or soldier; hence, any
Southeast Asian person AUSTRALIA, 1954
nob | noggy 460
no go; no-go noun a failure, something that is not good; a hopeless
attempt. Although the term has an undeniable US 1960s space
programme ring to it, it was 140 years old and had crossed the
Atlantic before we heard it from NASA’s lips UK, 1824
no-go-showboat noun a car that has been restored and modified
with an emphasis on its appearance, not its speed
US, 1963
no-go zone noun an area to which access is prohibited or ill-advised.
The term came to the attention of Americans in 2004 in the
context of the US occupation of Iraq US, 1979
no great shakes adjective nothing remarkable, important or special
UK, 1819
no harm in looking! used as a motto, excuse or philosophy for a
husband or boyfriend who finds the sight of the opposite sex
irresistible
UK, 1984
NoHo nickname the neighbourhood in New York City just north of
Houston Street US, 1999
no holds barred adjective without constraint, ‘anything goes’. Taken
from the sport of wrestling US, 1942
no-hoper noun 1 a worthless person; a person with no prospects
AUSTRALIA, 1944. 2 a horse considered unable to win a race; a rank
outsider AUSTRALIA, 1943
nointer noun in Tasmania, a brat or mischievous child. Survival of a
British dialect word, clipping of ‘anointer’ in the same sense.
Formerly (C16, Oxford English Dictionary) the word ‘anoint’ meant
‘to beat soundly’, thus ‘anointer’ would mean ‘one who requires

anointing/beating’ AUSTRALIA, 1994
noise noun 1 foolish talk; nonsense US, 1871. 2 heroin US, 1928
noisemaker noun in trucking, a radio US, 1971
noisemaker adjective producing the impression of force through
loud sounds. Professional wrestling usage US, 1998
noisenik noun a contemporary musician whose compositions
appear (to most auditors) to be formless noise. The suffix ‘-nik’
forms the person out of the noise
UK, 1999
noise pollution noun in poker, excessive chatter at the table US, 1996
noises noun < make the right noises to use unexceptionable
platitudes, to pay lip-service UK, 1976
noise up verb to cause trouble UK, 2000
noisy adjective of a television programme, talked-about US
no joke noun a serious matter; hence, a difficulty UK, 1809
no kid seriously. Shortening of ‘no kidding’ AUSTRALIA, 1946
no kidding! honestly!, it’s the truth! UK, 1914
no lie! as unbelievable as what I just said may seem, it is true! US,
1992
noly noun a simpleton. Pronounced to rhyme with ‘holy’ UK, 1979
nomad noun a member of a motorcyle gang who is not a member
of any specific chapter of the gang US, 1992
no make! stop what you are doing! Hawaiian youth usage,
shortened from ‘no make like that’ US, 1982
no man’s Nam nickname Vietnam. A blend of the historic ‘no man’s
land’ and ‘Vietnam’ US, 1991
no-mark noun a nobody; someone who has failed to make a mark
UK, 2001
no mention you’re welcome. Hawaiian youth usage US, 1981
no more forever adverb never again. Echoing the 1877 surrender

speech of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce nation – ‘I will fight no
more forever’ US, 1998
non noun an socially inept person. An abbreviation of the much
longer ‘non-factor in the game of life’ US, 1983
nonce noun 1 a sex offender; a child-molester; a pervert. The
etymology is uncertain: possibly from dialect nonce (good for
nothing), or with origins in NANCY BOY (homosexual, hence pervert);
however, given the prison context of the coinage and the violent
disdain in which sex-offenders are held by their fellow inmates, the
very existence of one may be considered as little more than ‘for
the nonce’, literally ‘for the time-being’. It is also worth noting in
this context the rhyme on
PONCE (someone who lives off immoral
earnings), another type held in low-esteem in the pecking order of
prison life. It is regrettable that modern society feels the need for
this term in wider circulation UK, 1975. 2 a police informer, someone
who betrays a criminal enterprise
UK, 2000. 3 afoolUK, 2002
nonch adjective utterly relaxed, completely at ease. From
‘nonchalant’. A Teddy Boy usage UK, 1958
nondy noun a nondescript vehicle used by the police for maintaining
a surveillance. A shortening of ‘nondescript’
UK, 1999
non-event noun any unexciting or unsatisfactory event, especially
one that fails to fulfill expectations UK, 1962
nong noun a fool. Shortening of NING NONG AUSTRALIA, 1944
non-goer noun a racehorse that is not being run to win AUSTRALIA, 1982
nonhacker noun a soldier who cannot keep up with his fellow
soldiers; an ineffective, incompetent soldier. Coined in Vietnam
and used heavily there. Back-formation from

HACK IT (to cope with)
US, 1976
non-heinous adjective good US, 1991
no-no noun 1 something that ought not be done US, 1942. 2 an
impossibility; a failure; any negative outcome. Reduplication for
stress
UK, 1975
no nothing noun nothing whatever UK, 1884
no-no war in never-never land noun the US secret war against
Pathet Lao communist forces in Laos US, 1990
nonproducer noun a professional gambler who cannot be counted
on to lose a great deal of money while gambling in a casino US,
1963
nonseller noun a plan that almost certainly will be rejected US, 1986
non speaks noun a state of having been excluded from society. An
example of Eton College illiteracy UK, 1977
non starter noun something or someone that has no chance of
success
UK, 1934
non trier noun a racehorse that is not being run to win AUSTRALIA, 1966
nontrivial adjective extremely complex US, 1997
noob noun in snowboarding, a beginner. Derives from newbie UK, 2005
no object no obstacle, or, not an objection. In such phrases as
‘distance no object’ and ‘money no object’ UK, 1984
noodenaddy noun a dithering person; someone who is unable to
make up their mind
IRELAND, 1999
noodle noun 1 the head; the brain; intelligence UK, 1803. 2 the penis
US, 1975
noodle verb 1 to think, to ponder US, 1942. 2 to play music in a

tentative, exploratory fashion US, 1937
noodles noun brains, intelligence. An extension of NOODLE UK, 2002
noogie noun a blow, usually repeated, to the head with a
protuberant knuckle. A hazing of youth. A recurring skit on
Saturday Night Live in the 1970s vaulted the phrase ‘Noogie Patrol’
into great popularity, with a nerdish Todd DiLaMuca (played by Bill
Murray) grabbing Lisa Lupner (played by Gilda Radner) for a rash of
noogies US, 1972
nook and cranny noun the buttocks, the backside; the vagina.
Rhyming slang for FANNY UK, 1979
nookie; nooky noun the vagina; hence a woman as a sex object;
sexual intercourse US, 1928
nookie wood noun in logging, a core of wood soaked with sap and
emerging from a rotted stump
CANADA, 1989
nooky-nook y noun sex US, 1974
nooner noun a bout of sex at about noon US, 1973
no-pay noun a person who refuses to repay a debt or loan US, 1982
nope no, emphatically no US, 1888
no prob; no probs no problem; no problems AUSTRALIA, 1971
no problem 1 that is easy; do not worry about that; okay. A
catchphrase of affable non-concern AUSTRALIA, 1965. 2 you’re
welcome. At some point in the 1980s, the term ‘you’re welcome’
461 no go; no-go | no problem
suddenly vanished from the vocabulary of America’s young,
replaced suddenly and completely with ‘no problem’
US, 1982
no problemo no problem. A popular elaboration US, 1991
noras noun breasts AUSTRALIA, 1992
nordle noun marijuana UK, 1997

Norfolk ’n’ Chance nickname used as a team name in light-hearted
contests. A barely euphemistic rendering of ‘no fucking chance’;
especially popular among quiz teams. Recorded in 1983 as the
winners of the University of Essex Rugby 7’s Plate UK, 1983
no risk! for sure; with certainty AUSTRALIA, 1969
nork noun the female breast. The suggestion (originally in Baker, The
Australian Language, 1966) that this derives from Norco, a popular
brand of butter which at one time had a picture of a cow with an
udder on the packaging, is as far fetched as it sounds, and yet it is
the standard folk etymology for this term. Baker also records that
‘the form norg is reported from Melbourne’ and this variant is still
in occasional use
AUSTRALIA, 1962
norm verb to behave in an unremarkable or conventional manner.
From NORM (an ordinary person) UK, 2001
norm; normal noun a normal person; a dully conventional person
US, 1983
Normandy Beach; normandy noun a speech. Rhyming slang UK,
1998
Norma Stockers noun large female breasts. An intentional,
humorous corruption of ‘enormous KNOCKERS’ AUSTRALIA, 1988
normie noun someone who is not addicted to anything. Used in
twelve-step recovery programmes such as Alcoholics Anonymous
US, 1998
Norris McWhirter noun diarrhoea. Rhyming slang for ‘squirter’,
based on author Norris McWhirter (b.1925) UK, 2002
north and south noun the mouth. Rhyming slang UK, 1857
North Circ nickname London’s North Circular road UK, 1997
North End Round noun bologna CANADA, 1987
norther noun a strong, cold wind from the north. A Texas phrase to

describe a Texas winter weather condition US, 1827
northern lights noun 1 in British Columbia, a local variety of
marijuana CANADA, 2002. 2 a superior variety of hashish produced in
Holland from northern lights marijuana pollen NETHERLANDS, 2003
Norwegian steam noun brute physical exertion US, 1944
NORWICH written on an envelope, or at the foot of a lover’s letter
as lovers’ code for ‘(k)nickers off ready when Icome home’. Widely
known, and well used by servicemen but, apparently, has not
transferred to the coded vocabulary of texting. Used by John
Winton in We Saw the Sea, 1960
UK, 1960
nose noun 1 cocaine US, 1980. 2 in horse racing, any very short
distance that separates winner from loser US, 1908. 3 an informer UK,
1789. 4 an innate ability to find things UK, 1875 8see: NOSEY. < get
up your nose
1 to annoy UK, 1951. 2 to irritate, to anger US, 1968.
< get your nose bent to be convicted of a traffic violation US,
1962. < get your nose cold to use and become intoxicated on
cocaine
US, 1980. < have a nose for someone to be sexually
attracted to someone US, 1958. < have your nose open to be
strongly attracted to US, 1957. < keep your nose to the
grindstone; put your nose to the grindstone
to be (or start)
studying hard, working hard. From earlier senses denoting harsh
treatment UK, 1828. < on the nose 1 exactly US, 1883. 2 in horse
racing, a bet on a horse to finish first US, 1980. 3 (used of a person’s
bet in an illegal numbers gambling lottery) invariably the same
US,
1949. 4 at the start of a song US, 1982. 5 smelly AUSTRALIA, 1946. 6 (used

of ocean water) polluted AUSTRALIA, 1991. 7 recreational time spent
under the influence of inhaled drugs. Compares with ON THE TILES
(having a good time under the influence of alcohol) UK, 1996.
< put someone’s nose out of joint to annoy, to upset the
plans of, to inconvenience, to disconcert
UK, 1576. < shove your
nose in; stick your nose in
to interfere, to interpose rudely UK,
1887
nose verb to curry favour through obsequious conduct. A shortening
of BROWN-NOSE US, 1968
nose and chin noun a win, a winning bet UK, 1960
nosebag noun 1 a lunch box or paper bag with lunch inside UK, 1873.
2 a take-away restaurant, a chip shop UK, 1981. 3 a plastic bag used
for solvent abuse
UK, 1996. 4 cocaine UK, 1999. 5 in electric line work,
a canvas tool pouch
US, 1980. < put on the nosebag to have a
meal AUSTRALIA, 1992
nosebleed noun a stupid, inept person. Teen slang US, 1951
nosebleeder noun a heavy user of cocaine by nasal inhalation.
From a physical side-effect experienced by users
UK, 2002
nosebleeds noun the highest seats in an auditorium or a stadium.
Because high altitudes can cause nosebleeds
US, 1978
nose-burner; nose-warmer noun the still-lit butt of a marijuana
cigarette
US, 1973
nose candy noun cocaine or, rarely, another powdered drug that can

be snorted
US, 1925
nose drops noun liquefied heroin; liquefied methadone UK, 1998
no-see-um noun any small, nearly invisible insect that bites US, 1842
nosefull noun a strong dose of a powdered drug that is snorted US,
1980
nose garbage noun poor quality cocaine US, 1993
nose hose noun the tubing used for nastrogastic intubation US, 1994
nose job noun cosmetic surgery to enhance the nose. Combines a
conventional ‘nose’ with JOB (a medical procedure) US, 1960
nose kiss noun a head butt UK, 1999
nose out verb to discover by searching UK, 1630
nose packer noun a cocaine user US, 1988
nose paint noun any alcoholic drink. From its effect (as mentioned
by the Porter in Shakespeare’s Macbeth) on the colour of a serious
drinker’s nose
UK, 1880
nose-picking speed noun an extremely slow pace. US naval aviator
usage US, 1986
nose powder; nose stuff noun cocaine, or any other drug that has
been powdered for inhalation US, 1936
noser noun an informer US, 1992
nose-ride verb in surfing, to ride on the front of the board US, 1979
nose-up noun cocaine-taking as a cultural activity UK, 2000
nosey; nose; nose around noun an act of casual surveillance or
inquisition
UK, 1984
Nosey O’Grady noun an inquisitive person, usually female CANADA,
1981
Nosey Parker; Nosy Parker noun a personification of

inquisitiveness. From
NOSEY (inquisitive), first recorded in a
captioned illustration in 1907. Various etymologies suggest links
with peeping Toms and eavesdroppers at the Great Exhibition in
Hyde Park, a link with Archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker
(1504–75) or the characteristics of rabbits in parks. Whatever its
true origins ‘Nosey Parker’ is the source of ‘nosey-parkering’ (being
inquisitive); ‘nosey-park’ (to be inquisitive); ‘nosey-parkerdom’,
‘nosey-parkery’, ‘Nosey-Parkerism’ (the condition of an inquisitve
nature or a demonstration of invasive inquisitiveness); ‘nosey-
parkerishness’ (a tendency towards inquisitive behaviour)
UK, 1966
nosh noun 1 food. From Yiddish, ultimately German nachen (to eat
slyly), since early 1960s US, 1951. 2 an act of oral sex on a man or,
perhaps, a woman. A punning adoption of the previous sense
UK,
2001
nosh verb 1 to eat; to nibble. From Yiddish US, 1947. 2 to perform oral
sex. From the more familiar sense ‘to eat’
UK, 1998. 3 to kiss in a
sustained fashion US, 1994
no shame! you act as if nothing embarrasses you! Hawaiian youth
usage
US, 1981
nosher noun an eater. From NOSH (to eat) UK, 1957
no shit! used as emphasis that what has just been said is true US,
1960
no shit, Dick Tracy! used for pointing out that another person has
just made an obvious statement. A variant of the more common
no problemo | no shit, Dick Tracy! 462

allusion to Sherlock Holmes, this based on the US cartoon
detective
US, 1981
no shit, Sherlock! used for pointing out that another person has
just made an obvious statement. Sherlock Holmes extends
NO SHIT!
US
, 1989
no-show noun a non-appearance at an appointed time or place US,
1957
nosh up; nosh noun a meal, a period of eating, meal time. After
NOSH (to eat) UK, 1964
no sir; nossir used for registering a strong refusal or denial US, 1856
no siree; no siree, Bob absolutely no US, 1848
no soap used for signifying that the deal is off, not a hope, you’re
wasting your time
US, 1926
no sound, no picture noun a person who does not appear for an
appointment SINGAPORE, 2002
no squash noun irreparable brain damage US, 1978
nostril noun in horse racing, any very short distance between winner
and loser that is shorter even than a nose US, 1951
no surrenders noun suspenders. Rhyming slang UK, 2003
no sweat no problem; no need to worry. Therefore no sweat will be
produced by fear or exertion US, 1955
no-sweat pill noun a potent anti-bacterial pill US, 1986
not! used as a humorous cancellation of what has just been said in
jest. Coined a hundred years before it was broadly popularised by
Mike Myers in the ‘Wayne’s World’ sketches on Saturday Night Live
US, 1893

not a dry seat in the house used of a theatre audience that is
helpless with laughter or a male audience that is sexually aroused.
A blend of the drama critic’s cliché: ‘not a dry eye in the house’,
and
PISS YOURSELF (to laugh uproariously) UK, 1974
not a hundred miles from adjective very close to UK, 1821
no-talent assclown noun a socially inept person. From the film
Office Space US, 2002
not all there adjective slightly mad, mentally or intellectually
disadvantaged UK, 1864
not backward in coming forward not shy UK, 1830
not bad adjective rather good, or (either patronisingly or with reser-
vations) quite good UK, 1909
not bloody likely used as an emphatic negative. First used in print
(and, presumably, polite society) in George Bernard Shaw’s play,
Pygmalion, 1914
UK, 1914
notch verb to wound. Vietnam war usage US, 1991
notchback noun a car with a dent in its boot. A play on the conven-
tional ‘hatchback’ US, 1992
notch up verb to achieve UK, 1837
not cricket adjective unfair. From the rigid rules of the game, but
now always in phrases ‘it’s not cricket’, ‘that’s not ’, etc UK, 1978
note noun a one-pound note; the sum of £1. Became obsolete in
Australia after the introduction of decimal currency in 1966 but it
still used in the UK AUSTRALIA, 1863
note from mother noun official permission. US naval aviator usage
US, 1986
no-tell motel noun a motel with discreet management favoured by
prostitutes and couples seeking privacy US, 1974

notes noun < get good notes in Quebec, to get good marks or
grades CANADA, 2002
not even no, not at all US, 1984
not fucking likely used as an emphatic negative UK, 1937
not half adverb used as a very positive intensifier of the verb to
which it is attached. Usually as ‘can’t half’, ‘doesn’t half’, ‘don’t
half’, etc UK, 1851
not half! used for registering assent, approval, agreement, etc UK, 1920
not half bad adjective quite good UK, 1867
not having any; not having any of adjective refusing to agree UK,
1902
nothing noun 1 something. Also shortened to ‘nothin’. A reversal of
sense on the model
BAD (good); used in hip-hop culture US, 2000.
2 no more than (the height specified). Used to emphasise
shortness AUSTRALIA, 1971. < have nothing on to be greatly inferior
to something or someone US, 1906. < nothing shaking nothing
happening US, 1975. < nothing to write home about; nothing
worth writing home about
unremarkable. Probably military in
origin UK, 1914. < thank you for nothing!; thanks for nothing!
used in refusal or dismissal of help or advice: I owe you no thanks
for that and scorn the offer UK, 1969. < you aint seen nothing
yet!; you ain’t heard nothing yet!
no matter how impressive
or extreme something may be there is better or worse yet to
come. A catchphrase made famous by the singer Al Jolson in the
first ‘talkie’ film, The Jazz Singer, 1927. Especially popular with
advertising copywriters
US, 1919

nothing adjective inconsequential US, 1960
nothing! when combined with a (partial) repetition of a statement
just made, used in denial of that statement
US, 1883
nothing-ass bitch noun used as a stern term of contempt for a
woman US, 1972
nothing but a thing noun something that is not important US, 1993
nothing but the bacon! used as a stock answer when greeted with
‘what’s shakin?’ US, 1951
nothing but the bottom of the cup; nothing but the bottom
of the net
used as a humorous comment on a job well done or a
remark well made. Coined by ESPN’s Dan Patrick to describe a
great shot in golf and basketball
US, 1997
nothing doing! used as an expression of rejection or denial UK, 1910
nothing flat adverb very quickly US, 1947
notice noun a contract to do a job, especially an illegal commission
UK, 1970
no tilt! used as a euphemism for ‘no shit!’ in expressing surprise or
affirmation US, 1983
no time flat adverb very quickly US, 1957
not in my name; not in our name used worldwide by various
humanitarian and anti-war protesters as a slogan of disavowal of
prevailing attitudes. ‘Not In My Name’ (NITM) was adopted, in
November 2000, as the name of a Chicago-based Jewish peace
group opposed to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories
US,
1994
not likely! used for registering refusal UK, 1893

not many yes, a term of emphatic agreement UK, 1998
not many benny a great deal, a lot; an intensifying agreement UK,
1999
not much to look at adjective unattractive, ugly UK, 1861
not off adjective of a horse – or, more precisely, of a jockey – that is
considered not to be trying to win a race UK, 1991
not on adjective unacceptable; impossible; not permissible UK, 1984
not on your life! used for registering emphatic refusal or denial US,
1896
not on your nelly used as an absolute denial, refusal or rejection.
Rhyming slang, ‘not on your Nellie Duff’ for
PUFF (breath, hence
life), thus
NOT ON YOUR LIFE! UK, 1941
no-top noun a convertible with its top down US, 1976
not Pygmalion likely! not very likely! Formed on the shocking-in-
its-day ‘Not bloody likely!’ in George Bernard Shaw’s play
Pygmalion, first seen in London in 1914
UK, 1948
no-trump noun a life prison sentence without chance of parole US,
1976
not the full quid adjective lacking NEW ZEALAND, 1984
nottie noun an unattractive person. A back-formation from HOTTIE
(an attractive person) US, 2002
not tonight, Josephine! a catchphrase used by a man to defer his
sexual duties to a wife or lover; hence, applied to any
463 no shit, Sherlock! | not tonight, Josephine!
postponement. Originally a quotation, apocryphally attributed to
Napoleon dashing his mistress’s hopes. In its current sexual
context there is obviously a reliance on jocularity of delivery to

deflect any serious subtext. Familiar from a music hall poem: ‘I’ll
tell you in a phrase, my sweet, exactly what I mean: / Not
tonight, Josephine’ (Colin Curzon, ‘Not Tonight, Josephine’)
UK, 1960
noughties noun the years 2000 through to 2009 UK, 2001
no VERB about it!; there is no VERB about it! by enclosing the
active verb from a preceding statement, an absolute negation of
that verb
UK, 1924
novhere adjective unattractive; unpleasing. A mock German or Dutch
accent US, 1955
Novie boat noun a large, low cost lobster boat built in Nova Scotia
US, 1888
now adjective fashionable, in style, current US, 1955
now adverb soon; in time; in a vaguely specified time. A stereotypical
example of ‘Wenglish’ (a blending of English and Welsh typical of
the valleys of southeast Wales) UK: WALES, 1985
Now American Friends Take All noun the North American Free
Trade Agreement. Back-formation from the agreement’s initials
CANADA, 2002
now and thener noun in horse racing, a horse that is an uneven or
inconsistent performer US, 1951
no way! used for expressing disbelief at that which has just been
said US, 1968
no way, Jose used as a humorous, if emphatic, denial. The catchy
reduplication makes this a favourite early in a young person’s
process of slang acquisition
US, 1981
now cut that out used as a humorous attempt to end a tease. A
signature line of comedian Jack Benny, heard often on The Jack

Benny Show, 1950–65. Repeated with referential humour
US, 1954
no what adverb certainly not. Adapted from Afrikaans nee wat SOUTH
AFRICA
, 1900
nowhere adjective 1 unaware of what is happening, extremely naive,
utterly at a loss US, 1843. 2 badly defeated in a race; utterly
unsuccessful, to be out of the running US, 1853. 3 without money.
Usually in the phrase ‘ain’t nowhere’ GUYANA, 1998. < get nowhere
fast to try hard to do something and yet be frustrated in your
endeavour UK, 1984. < the middle of nowhere any place that is
remote, any place that is an inconvenient distance away from
urban ‘civilisation’ or your personal lifestyle requirements UK, 1960
nowhereness noun the state of complete unawareness of current
trends or complete lack of grounding in reality US, 1958
now it’s time to say good-bye used as a humorous farewell. A
catchphrase television sign-off on The Mickey Mouse Club (ABC,
1955–59). Repeated with referential and reverential humour
US,
1956
now-now adverb in the immediate past; immediately; very soon.
Adopted from synonymous Afrikaans nou-nou SOUTH AFRICA, 1948
now now used as a gentle admonition to cease UK, 1959
no worries 1 do not worry about that; everything is all right
AUSTRALIA, 1969. 2 you’re welcome US, 2001. 3 yes indeed; certainly
AUSTRALIA, 1986
nowt noun nothing; a worthless person. Dialect word from northern
England for conventional ‘naught’; made popular by the televison
programme Coronation Street, and in clichéd phrases such as
‘nowt so queer as folk’

UK, 1998
now then! used as a mild rebuke, or a call for attention UK, 1791
nowty adjective moody, grumpy. Manchester dialect into wider use
UK, 1999
no wucking furries do not worry about that! An intentional
Spoonerism of ‘no fucking worries’, both euphemistic and jocular.
Also, in the shortened forms ‘no wuckers’ and ‘no wucks’ AUSTRALIA,
1996
now what? can you top what I just said? US, 2001
now you’re asking! used in response to a difficult question UK, 1959
now you’re railroading! used on the railways as an all-purpose
expression of praise
US, 1977
now you tell me!; now he tells me! used when information that
has just been supplied is given too late to be of use. A Hebraism
US, 1969
nozzle noun the penis US, 1994
NRC adjective (by police) nobody really cares US, 1992
’n stuff used either as a substitute for ‘et cetera’ or to complete a
sentence that has run out of steam
US, 2001
NT noun in pornography, a scene showing nipple teasing (or torture)
US, 2000
NTBH adjective unavailable for sexual encounters; ugly. Gay usage.
The definition varies with the point of view; either way it derives
from ‘not to be had’ UK, 2002
nu adjective in rock music, new UK, 2002
nub noun the clitoris UK, 2002
nubbies noun short, matted hair on its way to growing into
dreadlocks

JAMAICA, 1980
nubbin noun 1 the clitoris. Making ‘rubbin’ the nubbin’ female
masturbation UK, 2004. 2 the penis US, 1968
nub bush noun a black female. A shortened ‘nubian’ and a coarse
BUSH. Vietnam war usage US, 1991
nubian noun in homosexual usage, a black man US, 1987
nuddy adjective nude, naked AUSTRALIA, 1953
nude adjective (used of a car) stripped of chrome US, 1977
nudge noun in pinball, subtle physical force applied to the machine
to affect the trajectory of the ball without activating the tilt mech-
anism US, 1979
nudge verb 1 to nag; to annoy. Yiddish. Various transliterations
including ‘nudzh’, ‘nudj’ and ‘noudge’ US, 1968. 2 to drink (alcohol)
heavily AUSTRALIA, 1979. 3 in pool, to touch the cue ball with the cue
stick accidentally while preparing to shoot US, 1993
nudge-nudge adjective gossipy, especially of gossip with a sexual
inference. From NUDGE NUDGE – WINK WINK! UK, 2003
nudge nudge – wink wink! used as an indicator of lust or an
inference a lewd sexual behaviour. A catchphrase, originally ‘nudge
nudge – wink wink – say no more!’, written by Eric Idle for BBC
television comedy Monty Python’s Flying Circus (‘Is your wife
a goer eh? Know what I mean? Know what I mean? Nudge
nudge. Nudge nudge. Know what I mean? Say no more know
what I mean?’), 1969
UK, 1979
nudger noun 1 the penis UK, 2001. 2 a pickpocket UK, 1996
nudge show noun a safe family comedy US, 1973
nudie noun a performance or film featuring naked women but no
sexual activity US, 1935
nudie adjective featuring naked or near-naked women US, 1966

nudie book noun a men’s magazine featuring pictures of naked
women UK, 1977
nudie booth noun a private enclosure affording privacy while a
paying customer views a nude woman or nude women, usually
through a glass partition US, 1994
nudie-cutie noun a genre of sex film popular in the 1960s, featuring
frolicking, cute, nude women US, 1967
nudnik; noodnik noun apest,afoolUS, 1925
nuff adjective enough. Once abbreviated, ‘enough’ could not be spelt
‘nough’ and understood, hence this phonetic variation. UK school
dinner ladies in the 1960s accompanied their service with the
question, slovened by repetition, ‘nuff?’. Since the 1980s it has
been widely used in the black community US, 1840
nuff respect used as a greeting and to register admiration, assent
or approbation. Misspelling of ‘enough respect’. West Indian and
UK black usage UK, 1994
nuff said used as an assertion that nothing more needs to be said
US, 1840
nug noun 1 afemaleUS, 1993. 2 marijuana. Variant ‘nugs’ US, 1997
noughties | nug 464
nugget noun 1 a fool, an idiot, especially if prone to violent
behaviour or mentally handicapped. Figurative use of ‘nugget’ (a
lump) for ‘the head’
US, 1990. 2 a new, inexperienced soldier or pilot
US, 1966. 3 an attractive girl US, 1998. 4 a young enthusiast of heavy
metal music
US, 1983. 5 an amphetamine tablet US, 1994. 6 a piece of
crack cocaine
US, 1994. 7 a one-pound coin. Prison slang, current
February 2002

UK, 2002
nuggets noun the testicles US, 1963
nuggety; nuggetty adjective 1 (of a person) compact, strong and
tough; stocky
AUSTRALIA, 1856. 2 (of an animal) small, sturdy and
strong AUSTRALIA, 1893
nugs noun 1 female breasts US, 1994. 2 great waves for surfing US, 1991
nuisance noun < the nuisance the bleed period of the menstrual
cycle. Euphemism US, 1999
nuisance grounds noun a rubbish dump CANADA, 2002
nuke verb 1 to attack with a nuclear bomb US, 1962. 2 to lay waste, to
ravage, to devastate. A metaphorical, if less dramatic, sense
US, 1969.
3 to heat in a microwave oven US, 1984. 4 in computing, to delete
US, 1991
nuke; nook noun a nuclear weapon US, 1958
nuke and pave verb to reformat the hard drive of a computer US,
2001
nuke-and-puke noun a microwave frozen dinner US, 1990
nuke-knob noun a bald or shaved head US, 1997
number noun 1 a person, particularly someone attractive, originally
of a woman US, 1896. 2 a prostitute’s client (especially in a male
homosexual context) US, 1967. 3 a casual sex-partner US, 1970. 4 sex
involving more than two people US, 1973. 5 a situation US, 1908. 6 a
job, a position UK, 1948. 7 used as a vague catch-all susceptible of
several meanings, usually related to sex or drugs US, 1978. 8 in
prison, a sex offender; a convicted paedophile. Such prisoners are
kept apart from the main body of the prison on rule numb er 43
UK, 1996. 9 in craps, any roll except the shooter’s point or a seven
US, 1950. 10 a marijuana cigarette US, 1963. 11 a song UK, 1878. < do a

number on
1 to use emotional pressure, to humiliate US, 1971. 2 to
kill US, 1982. < have your number; get your number to
understand you, to know your weaknesses, to be in a position to
criticise you UK, 1853
number 3 noun 1 cocaine. C (cocaine) is the third letter of the
alphabet US, 1953. 2 heroin UK, 2003
number 9 noun MDMA, the recreational drug best known as ecstasy
UK, 2003
number cruncher noun a computer designed especially for
arithmetic operations
UK, 1966
number dummy; number grabber noun a clerk in a railway yard
US, 1946
numbered off; on the numbers adjective in prison, used of sex
offenders, convicted paedophiles, etc. Such prisoners are kept
apart from the main body of the prison on rule number 43 UK, 1996
number four; number 4 noun heroin UK, 1998
number one noun 1 yourself, your own interests UK, 1705. 2 urination.
The plural variant ‘number ones’ is also used
UK, 1902. 3 a closely
cropped haircut. Originally mililtary, from the most extreme setting
on the clippers; it is also possible to have a ‘number two’, etc
UK,
1925
number one; numba one adjective the very best. Although coined
in the 1830s in a pure English sense, it took on a pidgin or mock
pidgin tone in the C20; very popular in the Vietnam war US, 1838
numbers noun 1 an illegal lottery based on guessing a number
determined by chance each day US, 1897. 2 a telephone number US,

2002. < by the numbers precisely, correctly US, 1918. < do
numbers
to urinate or defecate TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1990. < take
the numbers down
in horse racing, to disqualify a horse from a
race and announce a new winner US, 1947. < the numbers in
prison, Rule 43, which allows a prisoner to be kept apart from the
main prison community for ‘safety of self or others’. Explained by
former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Aitken, describing his prison
experience 1999–2000, Have I Got News for You, 28th November,
2003
UK, 2003
numbers banker noun the operator of an illegal numbers racket or
lottery
US, 1959
numbers drop noun a place where bets on an illegal lottery are
turned in or made
US, 1957
numbers game noun sex expressed in numeric terms. The most
common is, of course,
69, with other lesser known variants US, 1964
number ten; numba ten adjective the very worst. Southeast Asian
pidgin, commonly used during the Vietnam war
UK, 1953
number ten thousand adjective worse than the very worst. Vietnam
war usage
US, 1968
number three noun sexual relief, by any means (conventional, non-
conventional or unaccompanied). The next in a logical sequence:
NUMBER ONE (urination); NUMBER TWO (defecation) UK, 1984

number two adjective applied to illegal or irregular activity. ‘Number
one’ is all things legal and above-board INDIA, 2003
number two; number twos noun defecation. Adult usage of
children’s bathroom vocabulary US, 1936
number two man noun a skilled card cheat adept at dealing the
second card instead of the top card in a deck US, 1979
Numbies noun Players’ Number 6™ cigarettes UK: SCOTLAND, 1988
numbnuts noun an idiot US, 1960
Numbo noun Number 6, a branded cigarette UK, 2001
numb out verb to feel or show the effects of crack cocaine UK, 1996
numbskull; numskull noun a dolt; a fool UK, 1742
numerologist noun a person who claims to have devised a winning
system for an illegal numbers gambling lottery US, 1949
numero uno noun 1 the very best. Spanish for ‘number one’ US, 1960.
2 yourself US, 1973
nummy noun a fool, a dim-witted person. A shortened ‘numbskull’
US, 1902
nummy adjective delicious. Probably after YUMMY (delicious) US, 1989
num-nums noun the female breasts US, 1993
numpty; numptie noun afoolUK: SCOTLAND, 1911
nunce; nince noun a fool. Student use; derogatory UK, 2002
nunga noun the penis AUSTRALIA, 1971
nunga-muncher noun a person who performs oral sex on men
AUSTRALIA, 1971
nun’s cunt noun used as a comparison for something that is cold,
dry or tight CANADA, 1985
nun’s fart noun a treat made with leftover piecrust dough,
cinnamon and sugar CANADA, 1992
nunu; nuzni noun the vagina TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1994
nunya noun used for conveying that something is ‘none of your

business’ US, 2000
nurds noun the testicles US, 1981
Nuremburg trials; nuremburgs noun haemorrhoids. Rhyming
slang for ‘piles’ UK, 1998
nurse verb in a card game, to nervously fondle and adjust your cards
US, 1988
nursery noun 1 a reformatory for juvenile offenders US, 1950. 2 a
gentle slope where beginning skiers practice US, 1963
nursery race noun in horse racing, a relatively short distance race for
two-year-olds US, 1976
nursery rhyme noun time served in prison. Rhyming slang UK, 2000
nursery rhymes noun the Times. Rhyming slang; ironically, perhaps,
suggesting that some content of the esteemed newspaper is of a
similar character to the more newsworthy nursery rhymes UK, 1998
nu-skool adjective applied to a new variation on an old theme UK, 2003
nut noun 1 a regular and recurring expense US, 1909. 2 an act of sexual
intercourse; sex as an activity. Extending back from
NUT (an
orgasm)
US, 1991. 3 an orgasm, especially of a male US, 1968. 4 semen
465 nugget | nut
US, 1991. 5 the female breast. Usually in the plural UK, 2002. 6 the
head; hence, brains, intelligence
UK, 1846. 7 acrazyperson,an
eccentric, a crank. Probably by back-formation from NUTTY (crazy)
US, 1908. 8 an enthusiast US, 1934. 9 apersonUK, 1856. 10 in horse
racing, a horse picked by a racing newspaper to win a race
US, 1951.
11 in horse racing, the tax levied on bets by the track and the state
US, 1990. 12 abankrollUS, 1951. 13 a rugby ball NEW ZEALAND, 1998.

< crack the nut in gambling, to make enough money to meet
the day’s expenses US, 1961. < do your nut 1 to explode with
anger UK, 1919. 2 to go mad, to feign madness UK, 1959. < make
the nut
to suffice US, 1966. < nod the nut to plead guilty.
Formed on
NUT (the head); from bending the head in unspoken
affirmative AUSTRALIA, 1975. < off your nut 1 in a state of
drunkenness or drug intoxication. Parallel to the sense as ‘mad’;
possibly the original sense, a variation of OFF YOUR HEAD UK, 1860.
2 in a state of madness. A variation of OFF YOUR HEAD UK, 1873.
< on the nut in horse racing, to have lost a large amount of
money betting US, 1951. < out of your nut drunk or drug-
intoxicated. A variation of
OUT OF YOUR HEAD UK, 1999
nut verb 1 to head-butt an opponent’s face. Derives from NUT (the
head) UK, 1937. 2 to execute IRELAND, 2001. 3 to have sex US, 1971. 4 to
orgasm, especially of a male US, 1999
nut and gut adjective mental and physical UK, 2002
nutbag noun a mesh restraint used by police to restrain violent
people
US, 1997
nutbox noun a mental hospital US, 1965
nutcake noun an eccentric or crazy person US, 1967
nut case noun an eccentric; a madman. Combines NUT (a lunatic)
with conventional medical use of ‘case’ AUSTRALIA, 1944
nut-chokers noun men’s underpants. Formed on NUTS (the testicles)
AUSTRALIA, 1971
nutcracker noun 1 a stern person; a strict disciplinarian, especially a
woman who crushes a man’s spirit US, 1977. 2 a railway roundhouse

mechanic US, 1977
nutcrackers noun the testicles. Rhyming slang for KNACKERS;
extending, and, possibly deliberately, disguising, NUTS (the testicles)
UK, 1998
nutcrusher noun a hard man (or woman); a strict disciplinarian.
Crushed nuts are a standard ingredient in many sweet recipes,
hence this readymade pun and variation of BALLBREAKER UK, 1999
nutcut noun the critical point in an enterprise or operation US, 1972
nut-cutting noun the most critical and distasteful stage in a project
or operation. An image from the West and cattle raising
US, 1968
nut farm noun a hospital for the mentally ill US, 1940
nut flush noun in poker, a hand with all cards of the same suit and
an ace as the high card US, 1979
nut graf noun in journalism, the key paragraph in an article UK, 2005
nut hatch noun a mental institution US, 1942
nuthouse noun a mental hospital US, 1906
nut hustle noun a swindle involving a prostitute and a confederate
US, 1978
nut job noun someone who is mentally unstable US, 1972
nut man noun a male homosexual AUSTRALIA, 1985
nut mob noun a group operating three-shell games in carnivals US,
1950
nut nectar noun semen US, 1996
nut-nut noun 1 a crazy person. By reduplication of NUT (a crazy
person) UK, 2000. 2 in high-low poker, a hand that is the best poss-
ible hand either high or low
US, 1996
nut off verb to send a prisoner to a secure psychiatric hospital.
From NUT (a crazy person) UK, 1996

nut out verb 1 to think out; to work out AUSTRALIA, 1919. 2 to act
mentally ill US, 1966
nut player noun in poker, a player who only plays a hand that is
excellent as dealt. From NUTS (thebestpossiblehandinagiven
situation) US, 1979
nutrients noun food US, 1993
nut role noun the act of feigning eccentricity or mild insanity US, 1969
nut-role; nut-roll verb to feign mental instability US, 1967
nut-runner noun in car repair, a pneumatic wrench US, 1993
nuts noun 1 the testicles; the scrotum US, 1863. 2 in poker, the best
possible winning hand at a given moment US, 1977. 3 the advantage
in a bet
US, 1990. < do your nuts over to become infatuated with
someone
AUSTRALIA, 1987. < get your nuts off to ejaculate US, 1932.
< have your nuts in the wringer to be trapped in a very weak
position
UK, 1998. < the nuts excellent, outstanding, very
impressive. Possibly, a shortening of
MUTT’S NUTS UK, 2000. < the
nuts are running the fruitcake
used of any situation that is
managed by those who are incapable. A neat variation, formed on
NUT (a mad person) and FRUITCAKE (a mad person) of THE LUNATICS
ARE RUNNING THE ASYLUM UK
, 2001
nuts adjective enthusiastic about; having a strong liking for; sexually
infatuated
UK, 1785
nuts! used as an expression of defiance. From the sense as

‘testicles’, thus
BALLS! US, 1910
nut sack noun the scrotum US, 1971
nutso noun a crazy person, an eccentric. From ‘nuts’ (crazy) US, 1975
nutso adjective crazy US, 1979
nut splitter; nut buster noun a railway machinist US, 1903
nuts to ! when combined with a name, a noun or a pronoun,
used for expressing defiance of that person or thing. Used as a
euphemism for ‘balls to !’ UK, 1984
nutsy adjective eccentric, odd, crazy US, 1923
nutted adjective drug-intoxicated UK, 1997
nutter noun a crazy person; a lunatic; an eccentric. Extended from
NUT (a lunatic) UK, 1958
nutters adjective crazy, wildly mad UK, 1982
nutty noun any confectionery; used generically for all chocolate and
sweets. Royal Navy slang
UK, 1987
nutty adjective 1 crazy, eccentric US, 1892. 2 excellent. A variation on
‘crazy’ US, 1953
nutty as a fruitcake adjective insane, crazy. An elaboration of NUTTY
UK
, 1935
nutty putty noun in electric line work, a compound formally known
as Seal-A-Conn, used for covering connectors US, 1980
nut up verb 1 to lose your composure completely US, 1972. 2 in poker,
to shift into a more conservative mode of betting
US, 1982
nut ward noun the psychiatric ward of a prison US, 1984
NWAB adjective (of a girl) promiscuous, because she will neck with
any boy. Youth usage US, 1949

n-word noun the word ‘nigger’. This clumsy euphemism was
popularised during the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial by F. Lee
Baily’s cross examination of Mark Fuhrman about a taped
interview that Fuhrman had given in 1985 US, 1987
nyaff noun an irritating or contemptible person, especially if that
person is short. Probably derived from Scots nyaff (of a dog, to
bark) UK: SCOTLAND, 1985
nyam noun food; something to eat. From the verb. West Indian,
hence UK black UK, 1828
nyam verb to eat. African origins, from ‘yam’ (a sweet potato) JAMAICA,
1790
nylon disgusters noun a pair of men’s close-fitting and revealing
nylon swimming trunks AUSTRALIA, 2003
nymph noun a nymphomaniac US, 1916
nymphet noun a sexually attractive, or sexually adventurous, young
girl. First applied to a real, as opposed to mythic, creature by
Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita, 1955
UK, 1999
nympho noun a nymphomaniac. A creature of men’s dreams; used
to disparage a woman whose sexual appetites may threaten to
make the dream come true US, 1910
nut | nympho 466