II.2 A Sampling of American Slang Terms and Sayings

Since American slang terminology plays such an important part in the language of English-speaking peoples around the world, we should all try to be very clear on what the terms are and what they mean. Understanding of American slang is especially important for foreign people living in America and watching American film and television.

Many slang sites are filled with obsolete and archaic slang terms for historical purposes; however, we will deal here only with American slang terms that are commonly used today.

You may find many of these terms are familiar, even if you're not American. However, there are many American slang terms which have not really spread to other countries. The terms are readily found in American slang dictionaries, but these dictionaries often don't provide a complete understanding of the meaning of the slang terms and how they're used in everyday conversation. We will attempt to elaborate on them here.

The Southern slang term goomer is an acronym of the phrase, Get out of My Emergency Room. The term came into being because so many people in the South would come into emergency rooms for no good reason [15].

Another Southern slang term, goober means peanut. The same term refers to an unsophisticated person from the country. We often also refer to these remote rural areas as the boonies.

If a Southerner refers to somebody as ornery, they're probably difficult, unpleasant, or stubborn. Uppity people are likely to cause a few problems, too.

Also in the South, male relatives are often referred to as Bubba. This is so common, in fact, that the term often replaces their given name. The term is sometimes used to mean brother, but also can mean baby, or boy. It's often shortened to Bub. It is believed the term comes from the German word for boy, which is bub.

Local yokel is frequently also used in the South to refer to a country bumpkin. It's also customary to call them a hick or hillbilly. These phrases pale in comparison to the popularity of redneck, a term which originated in America from fair-skinned farmers whose necks turn red from spending so much time in the sun [16].

Males throughout America can be referred to as Clyde, Joe, Bro, Dude, Man, and Mack. Unfortunately, some of these terms are also acceptable to use with women (although, to keep you on your toes, I won't tell you which ones.)

Gee whiz is a euphemism for Jesus, and can be heard in many television programs from the 1950s. Other euphemisms include sheesh, and geez.

We refer to ill-conceived plots and plans as hare-brained. (It is not hair-brained, contrary to popular conception.) The general idea is that the person has the IQ of a rabbit.

You may on occasion hear an American refer to an idiotic or blatantly false statement as horse-pucky. This is an obvious euphemism for the naughtier version. Furthermore, when an American wants you to wait, he may ask you to, Hold your horses.

If an American gets nervous, you may hear them say that they've got the heebie-jeebies or the willies.

If somebody talks too much, they're a windbag. Their speech may be described as yackity-yack, blah, blah, blah, or yadda, yadda.

If we happen across somebody who's a loser or a jerk, we may say that they're a real heel.

If you don't know what the name of something is, just point at it and call it a do-dad, a do-hickey, a thingamajig, a thingamabob, or a whatchamacallit. You will be perfectly understood by the grand majority of Americans (except, of course, for the hair-brained variety.)

To call someone stupid in American, you have many choices of slang terms. These include bonehead, dufus, dope, airhead, dingbat, dipwad, lame-brain or jerk.

To call a person insane in American, you have your selection of crazy, batty, dippy, ditzy, bananas, bonkers, certifiable, crackers, goofy, nuts, whacked out, wacko, out to lunch, not playing with a full deck, and off the deep end.

If something's good in America, it's cool, neat-o, or awesome. If it's bad, it stinks, it sucks, or it's rotten.

If the person in question is merely weak and ineffective, then take your pick of drip, douche-bag, lame-o, pantywaist, pansy, wuss, and wimp.

To get angry in American, just get mad, blow your cool, get steamed, or let it burn you up. For those more inclined to revenge, you can try getting even.

If you get upset, you have the option of getting your panties in a wad, having a hissy fit, having a cow, freaking out, going ballistic, coming unglued, getting bent out of shape, or getting your nose out of joint, amongst many others. You can also flip out, although this it not to be confused with flipping off another person, which is flashing somebody the middle finger. Most people interpret this as an obscene gesture, although many out-of-touch elderly men think of it as a great way of pointing things out on maps, directories and blackboards [17].

If an American wants a drink, he may ask you for some hooch or booze.

When someone makes a major mistake or blunder, we may say, Way to go, or Smooth move.

If a person steals something from a store, we say that they took a "five finger discount."

When we call something gas we're referring to gasoline, but if we say it is a gas, we're saying it's a lot of fun. If you don't agree, just say, Whoopty-doo, in a really sarcastic way, and they'll know you think the whole thing's a huge bore.

If an American asks you, What's all the hoo-hah? there is probably a major disturbance or upheaval going on nearby.

It's very important never to jack with an American, or to jerk them around. If you do, you may find that they're "messing with" you, as well.

Jammies are pajamas, but jimmies are undershorts.

If something doesn't agree, we say it doesn't jibe. However, jive is nonsense talk.

If you want to die, just kick the bucket, croak, or buy the farm. However if killing somebody else is more your style, just try knocking them off, rubbing them out, bumping them off, doing them in, or putting a hit on them.

If hitting people is your preferred solution, you can deck them, floor them, conk them, pop them one, slug them, smack them, or just let them have it. If you're more likely to solve problems by leaving, you can beat it, blow, clear off, fly the coop, take a hike, make tracks, scoot, skiddoo, scram, split, or vamoose.

To cheat someone in American, just chisel, bilk, swindle, fleece, gyp, hustle, rook, take, sucker, or con them.

If sleeping is more your game, then all you have to do is sack out, crash, catch some z's, pass out, or get some shut-eye.

If a company you do business with is taking you to the cleaners with a lot of small charges, then they're nickling and diming you to death. If they're just giving you their opinion, they'll give their two cents worth. If they are the ultimate authority, they will say, The buck stops here. If they're a no account, loser company with unethical business practices, someone will likely tell you that they're a two-bit, penny-ante operation.

If you're a "party pooper" then you may soon discover that somebody else is raining on your parade, too.

If an American asks you to adjust the rabbit ears, move straight for the television antenna and fix the reception.