Slang

Front 1

Gooder

Back 1

a person who is always trying to help other.

Front 2

Bail

Back 2

Intransitive verb for leaving abruptly.

Front 3

By the skin of (my/your/his/her) teeth

Back 3

just barely.

Front 4

Creep (n.)

Back 4

An unpleasantly weird/strange person.

Front 5

Couch Potato

Back 5

A lazy person who spends the bulk of their time engaged in things that can be done while sitting on a couch.

Front 6

Cram

Back 6

To study feverishly before an exam typically done after neglecting to study consistently.

Front 7

Crash

Back 7

To abruptly fall asleep, or to show up without invitation.

Front 8

Down to earth

Back 8

And adjective for practicality and lack of pretense.

Front 9

Drive up the wall

Back 9

To irritate.

Front 10

For Real

Back 10

A proclamation of honesty.

Front 11

Going Dutch

Back 11

When each person, usually in a dating scenario, pays for his/her own meal.

Front 12

The cold shoulder

Back 12

A metaphor for deliberately ignoring someone.

Front 13

Give a ring

Back 13

To call someone on the telephone.

Front 14

Hyped (adj.)

Back 14

A very excited state.

Front 15

Hang out

Back 15

To casually gather together or spend time with someone in a social manner.

Front 16

Jack up

Back 16

An abrupt increase, typically in the price of something.

Front 17

Knock

Back 17

To speak negatively, to disparage, to badmouth.

Front 18

Lighten up

Back 18

To relax and take things too seriously. Typically stated as an appeal to someone who is acting uptight.

Front 19

Pass the buck

Back 19

To deflect responsibility onto someone else.

Front 20

Pig out

Back 20

A metaphor for binge eating.

Front 21

Plead the fifth

Back 21

References the fifth amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which allows a witness in court to refuse questions on the grounds that they risk self-incrimination.

Front 22

Screw up

Back 22

To make a mistake, i.e. mess up.

Front 23

Tight

Back 23

An adjective that describes closeness between competitors, i.e. a tight competition.

Front 24

Trash

Back 24

Can be used as an intransitive verb for destruction. e.g. “He trashed the car.”

Front 25

Uptight

Back 25

Stuffy, persnickety, the opposite of relaxed.

Front 26

Wrap (something) up

Back 26

To finish or complete something.

Front 27

Zonked

Back 27

Completely exhausted.Our next post will cover British slang terms that Americans find confusing. Until then, here are some of our favorite American slang words