Randall Platt Presents a Slangmaster™ Book
From A Bomb Juice
To Zonked
1813 Slangisms About Rotgut, Guzzling,
And Puking Your Brains Out
(Plus A Few Nice Drinking Toasts)
Welcome to Randall Platt’s Slangmaster™
Before you venture inside this Slangmaster™ edition...
What the heck is a Slangmaster™? Well, me, Randall Platt, as a matter of fact. It’s also an ever-growing database I have been creating over the last ten years. It currently has over 33,000 entries and grows daily. Remember The Blob, that cornball movie in which this gunk from outer space gobbles up people and grows in size and oozes its immense goredom all over town? Well, that’s what Slangmaster™ does. It gobbles up our well-intended, civilized language and allows it to morf like over-leavened bread dough into a bigger, gorier, more flatulent way of speaking and writing. And we’re laughing all the way to English 101 detention.
Why am I doing this? Well, somebody has to make it easier for writers to find the right term or expression, said in the right era, under the right circumstances and still be true to one’s literary character. There are a shitillion slang dictionaries in both print and electronic forms out there, but a Slangmaster™ ebook allows you to search by several different factors, providing your ebook reader lets you (and most do.)
What are these weird codes in each entry? Ah, I thought you’d never ask! These codes are ways for you to search beyond a word. The codes which end in numbers are types of slang and the others are abbreviations for the text in which I found the word - i.e., my proof. All Slangmaster words have been found in more than one text so I am confident that these aren’t ‘made-up’ words. Not that there’s anything wrong with made-up words. I do that all the time in my own novels and suggest you allow your own characters to come up with their own way of speaking. But made-up slang belongs to the maker-upper of those words and do not belong in a Slangmaster™ ebook - unless they become a part of the lexicon - such as, well, Catch-22!
So, read on and remember, we don’t speak, nor should we write, in black and white. Here’s to our colored language!
Remember, this is copyrighted material. Yes, I know a word or expression cannot be copyrighted, but my sample sentences are mine and mine alone as well as the way in which I have organized this data. Be sweet - don’t repeat.
You are now free to slang about your day.
Randall Platt HYPERLINK "http://www.slangmaster.com" www.slangmaster.com - HYPERLINK "http://www.plattbooks.com" www.plattbooks.com
Copyright - Randall Platt - 2009
How to search your Slangmaster™ ebook:
Of course, you can search for an exact word, like vomit or whiskey or wine. Or you can search by date. The dates listed are the dates the word came into the written lexicon. No doubt many of these entries are much older than the date listed and I will continue to make updates to Slangmaster™ as I find new sources. Hint to writers: I figure that, up until the birth of the internet, a word was spoken for several years before it was found in writing. But the closer you get to the electronic age, the more precise the date.
The first section of this book is the entire dictionary in alphabetical order. This is followed by the breakdown of these types:
Types of booze or specific drinks - BZ1
Drunkenness, hangovers, alcoholism - BZ2
Bars, taverns, bartenders - BZ3
Drunks, alcoholics - BZ4
Bootlegging, homemade, speakeasy and Prohibition - BZ5
Toasts and invitations to drink - BZ6
Professional bar slang - BZ7
Other boozy words, drinks in general - BZ8
As a bonus, I have added some choice terminology regarding the fine art of puking one’s brains out. No need to explain the connection, I am sure.
Puking and vomit - BF5
Of course, many of these types will crossover. That is, a drunk puking in a speakeasy could be found in several different places….including the sewer.
There are a few entries which are coded TAC - Take A Chance. That means I found the word but have lost the source or the exact year and there is an ongoing investigation. If I happen to stumble upon it I might remember to change the entry. But a word has to be really, really cool to qualify for TAC. Use at your own risk.
Feel free to email me through either of my websites if you have a question, find a glaring error or have requests for future Slangmaster™ books. But please, no drawn out debates since there are a lot of urban legends regarding slang and I have done due diligence to keep my definitions accurate. (Even though some of the mythology around some slang is very entertaining and quite creative.) After all, we are all writers, editors, teachers and students and have better things to do with our time.
Randall Platt
Pour Yourself a Snort and Enjoy
The Complete Dictionary in Alphabetical Order
3.2 - near beer with a 3.2 percent alcohol - It took him sixteen 3.2’s, but he finally got drunk. - 1940s - BZ1 - FFF
86’d - to be ejected from a bar - I got 86’d from the tavern and went home. - 1959 - BZ7 - OED
A-bomb juice - moonshine or a very strong booze - She stole A-bomb juice from her granddad's barn. - 1950s - BZ5 - CAS
a-buzz - drunk - Harry never remembered a day when he hadn’t been a-buzz. - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
A-forty - a forty ounce bottle of Old English 800 Malt Liquor - I ordered two A-forties and proceeded to get stinking drunk. - 1960s - BZ7 - CAS
abdabs (habdabs) - a sense of anxiety, the jim jams, the DTs - The abdabs made him crazy and he had to be put into therapy. - 1930s - BZ4 - CAS
aced - drunk - “Just how aced did you get last night?” Mae asked her brother. - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
activated - drunk - The cheerleader was a little activated by the time she left the party. - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
addled - drunk - Daddy arrived home addled too many times and Momma and me finally left. - 1737 - BZ2 - DD
admiral of the red - a drunk - “Well, I see the admiral of the red showed up.” - 1850 - BZ4 - CAS
adrip - drunk - “I think Pa was adrip last night, don’t you?” - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
afflicted - drunk - The boys stumbled home quite afflicted. - 1737 - BZ2 - DD
afloat - drunk - The entire wedding party left afloat. - 1820 - BZ2 - CAS
after-dinner man (afternoon man) - a drunk - I warned her about after-dinner men and their boozy ways. - 1680 - BZ4 - CAS
Age of Pain - the Prohibition era, 1920-33 - My father always it was the Age of Pain that made him rich in the cola industry. - 1930 - BZ8 - SFD
aglow - drunk - “Ah Mom, I wasn’t drunk. I was just aglow!” - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
agur forty (aggir fortis, acker fortis) - strong liquor - I took one sip of the agur forty and nearly lost my breath. - 1859 - BZ8 - DARE
ah-so - a bartender’s term for a two-pronged wine cork - The waitress said, “Joe, hand me the ah-so. I can’t find my own corkscrew.” - 1978 - BZ7 - POUR
air one’s paunch - to vomit - The cowpoke drank all night and aired his paunch all the way home. - 1920 - BF5 - DARE
airedale - a bootlegger’s assistant, especially on the waterfront - She got her start in bootlegging as an airedale for the syndicate boss. - 1929 - BZ5 - PART3
alcoholiday - a drinking spree, especially on a bank holiday - We started during the Depression and continued with our alcoholidays every major holiday. - 1930s - BZ2 - CAS
alcopop - a soft drink with alcohol (wine coolers, lemonade) - “That’s not a real drink, it’s alcopop.” - 1995 - BZ1 - BREW2
alki - alcohol mixed with water, moonshine - We drank alki and I’ve never had a worse headache the morning after. - 1844 - BZ1 - OED
alki cooker - someone who dilutes, waters down booze - Our bootlegger was also an alki cooker and Grandma stopped buying from him. - 1930s - BZ5 - WCR
alki racket - the bootlegging business - My uncle made a fortune in the alki racket. - 1931 - BZ5 - PART3
alki stiff - a drinker of inferior liquor - The back room was filled with bums and alki stiffs. - 1910 - BZ4 - PART
alky - an alcoholic, a drunk - “Your old man is an alky and your old lady is a whore.” - 1944 - BZ4 - OED
alky joint - a bar, a tavern - We had only one alky joint in town, but all the private clubs served booze. - 1890 - BZ3 - CAS
all at sea - confused, dumbfounded, drunk - He returned from the party unsure of who he was and all at sea over the details. - 1893 - BZ2 - OI
all in - drunk - Patsy said, “Eddy, you are all in and I don’t like it!” - 1950s - BZ2 - CAS
alleviator - a drink - “Mind if I pour myself an alleviator? I had a hard night.” - 1846 - BZ8 - SA
altogethery - drunk - British - Pamela went to her friends country home and got quite altogethery. - 1820 - BZ2 - CAS
amber - gold rum - The bartender told his manager he was totally out of amber. - 1978 - BZ1 - POUR
amebiate - to get drunk, over-imbibe - Pa amebiates every Friday night. - 1960s - BZ8 - F2R
among the Philistines - where a drunk resides - “Well, I see you have been among the Philistines once again!” - 1738 - BZ2 - OED
anchored in sot’s bay - drunk - Her old man was continually anchored in sot’s bay. - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
anejo - aged tequila - If you drink tequila, you are better off ordering anejo. - 1978 - BZ1 - POUR
angel liquor - a fortified wine - We would mix angel liquor with soda and pretend it was an old fashioned. - 1940s - BZ1 - CAS
angel teat - a good quality of moonshine - He took a swig from Grandpa’s jug and said, “Pure angel teat!” - 1946 - BZ5 - QPB
angel’s food - a very strong ale - One sip of that angel’s food and you will know you are drinking beer! - 1580 - BZ1 - CAS
antifogmatic - whiskey, booze for medication - “This isn’t a real drink, Ma, it’s an antifogmatic for my joints.” - 1789 - BZ1 - QPB
antifreeze - booze, liquor - “I brought the punch. Did you bring the antifreeze?” - 1920s - BZ1 - CAS
antifreezed - drunk - Dudley was antifreezed and Margie refused to let him drive home from the party. - 1920s - BZ2 - CAS
antiseptic - in a drunken state - “She is too antiseptic to know what she is doing.” - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
ape drunk - very drunk - “Look at you! You are ape drunk!” - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
ape oil - booze, liquor - I never knew where my mother found the ape oil. All I know is Prohibition was no deterrent to her. - 1930s - BZ8 - CAS
aped - drunk - The loggers were aped and proved it by swinging in the branches. - 1915 - BZ2 - IHA
apple alley - a drunk sailor - He was a good seaman, but just an apple alley in port. - 1920s - BZ4 - F2R
aqua boot - to vomit into or while in water - “Everyone out of the pool! Shawn just aqua booted!” - 1990 - BF5 - GENX
ark - a cheap bar, a dive, especially old and run down - So we found this old ark and decided to have a beer. - 1920 - BZ3 - CAS
ass on backwards - what a very drunk person has - “So then he shows up with his ass on backwards and asks who is in the casket!” - 1920s - BZ2 - CAS
at rest - drunk - “I’m sorry, the great Barrymore can’t be disturbed now. He’s at rest.” - 1880 - BZ2 - SA
attitude adjustment - a drink of booze - After a day like this, I think we all need an attitude adjustment. - 1975 - BZ8 - PHB
awerdenty - a strong type of liquor - The cowpoke asked for the best awerdenty in the house and he got a bottle of brandy. - 1900 - BZ8 - CAS
b-girl - a bar maid (possibly from ‘Beer’ ?) - The b-girl brought our drinks, then told the drunk in the corner to leave. - 1937 - BZ3 - WS
Bacchus-bulged (butted) - drunk - “Don’t go in there. Ma’s Bacchus-bulged again.” - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
back - a drink which is served in addition to one’s liquor drink - “I would like a shot of bourbon and a water back,” he ordered. - 1940s - BZ7 - CAS
bagged - drunk - We all got quite bagged at the smoker. - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
baked - drunk - “If you get baked, don’t bother coming home.” - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
bald face - new or bad whiskey - Once the bum started drinking bald face, we knew he wouldn’t live long. - 1850 - BZ1 - SA
baldface - whiskey - It was amazing to see how much baldface the man could put away before it put him away. - 1849 - BZ1 - AAG2
ball - a beer - I had two balls before going home. - 1821 - BZ1 - OED
ball of fire - a glass of brandy - He gave me a ball of fire and we toasted Emily’s smile. - 1821 - BZ1 - SA
Balm of Gilead - moonshine - “Aw come on now, a bit of the Balm of Gilead ain’t gonna hurt you.” - 1880 - BZ5 - CAS
balmy - drunk - “If you men get balmy in town, don’t bother coming back to work.” - 1860s - BZ2 - IHA
bamboozled - drunk - He was so bamboozled, he couldn’t mount his horse. - 1850 - BZ2 - CAS
bang through the elephant - to be very drunk or very low on one’s luck - Once he banged through the elephant he never was his old self again. - 1850 - BZ2 - CAS
banner - a can of beer, to drink from a can of beer - Margie made sure there was plenty of banners in the ice tub on the back porch for the party. - 1925 - BZ1 - PART3
Baptist bag - a paper bag hiding a beer or a liquor bottle - The cop zeroed in on the Baptist bag and pulled out his flashlight for a closer look. - 1959 - BZ8 - POT
baptize - to water down a drink - The barkeep baptized the drinks to keep profits in and drunks out. - 1636 - BZ8 - SA
baptized (booze) - diluted liquor - Pa made shine but then he’d baptize it before selling it. - 1700 - BZ5 - CAS
bar dog - a bartender - He was a lousy bulldogger, but a great bar dog. - 1880 - BZ3 - CE
bar-keep - a bartender - “Hey bar-keep! Two Flaming Rum punches over here, please!” - 1715 - BZ3 - ETA
barbecue - a speakeasy - You brought your own mixer to the barbecue because they only sold shots of liquor. - 1931 - BZ5 - DARE
barf - to vomit - The whole idea made me want to barf. - 1960 - BF5 - OED
barfly - a drunk - The barflywas so drunk she could barely stay on the stool. - 1910 - BZ4 - ETA
barley broth - ale, beer - He smelled of barley broth and his wife refused to let him in the front door. - 1580 - BZ1 - CAS
barley cap - a drunk - That barley cap will never amount to anything. - 1679 - BZ2 - OED
barley pop (water) - beer - I couldn’t wait to get my hands around a cold barley pop. - 1890 - BZ1 - CAS
barrel - to drink heavily - The bum was an alki who could barrel more than his share at one sitting. - 1900 - BZ8 - PART3
barrel bum - a beggar who drinks a lot and frequents cheap dives - The bartender threw the barrel bums out before the dinner crowd came in. - 1925 - BZ4 - PART3
barrel dosser - one who hangs out at cheap dives - The barrel dosser had passed out in the back of the bar. - 1910 - BZ4 - PART3
barrel fever - drunkeness - He got himself a good case of barrel fever. - 1880 - BZ2 - SA
barrel fever - the delirium tremens - DTs from alcohol withdrawal - She knew her father would not survive another case of barrel fever. - 1859 - BZ2 - TSL
barrel house - a cheap saloon, sometimes with whores - The building was a whore house upstairs and a barrel house downstairs. - 1882 - BZ3 - IHA
barreled - drunk - We got good and barreled, then went home to tell our wives we’d been drafted. - 1920s - BZ2 - F2R
bashed - drunk - “Come, let’s get bashed and go to the dance.” - 1960s - BZ2 - CAS
basted - drunk - “If you come home basted, you can sleep on the couch!” - 1920s - BZ2 - CAS
bat - a drinking spree, binge party - “Say, how’s about you and me go on a bat tonight?” - 1848 - BZ2 - PART
bathtub gin - homemade booze - We got through Prohibition drinking moonshine and bathtub gin and have the livers to prove it. - 1920 - BZ5 - SF
batted - drunk, tipsy - Ellamae got herself batted at the church social. - 1925 - BZ2 - PART3
battered - drunk - Pa got battered and Ma locked him out. - 1850 - BZ2 - CAS
batty - crazy, insane, drunk - The old bat got batty on sherry every night. - 1903 - BZ2 - PART
been to Jericho - drunk - “I have been to Jericho, honey. Got any hot coffee?” - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
been to Olympus - drunk - “I see you have been to Olympus! Come in and sober up.” - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
been to the saltwater - drunk - If Ma had been to the saltwater she didn’t come home. - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
beer bong - a funnel used to chug beer - He knew he was a goner when they pulled out the beer bong. - 1980s - BZ8 - CAS
beer crawl - an occasion of going from pub to pub - On Fridays, some friends from the factory and I would all go on a beer crawl. - 1902 - BZ2 - OED
beer flat - an illegal saloon, speakeasy - The woman was found passed out on the floor of some beer flat in the Bowery. - 1934 - BZ3 - PART3
beer goggles - what you are wearing when you are drunk and see things or people better than they are - “Dude, the girl is a dog! You’re wearing your beer goggles!” - 1987 - BZ2 - RHHD
beer jerker - a bartender - The beer jerker was a good judge of character. - 1863 - BZ3 - IHA
beer jerker - a drunk - The jock was also a huge beer jerker and always was at least tipsy, if not totally drunk. - 1930s - BZ4 - CAS
beer mill - a tavern - The beer mill served a free sandwich with every beer. - 1879 - BZ3 - IHA
beer slinger - a bartender - The beer slinger told the drunk he had to leave the bar. - 1875 - BZ3 - IHA
beer soaked - drunk - Just how beer soaked do you think he can get and still walk? - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
beer-jugger - a bar wench - No girl says she wants to be a beer-jugger when she grows up. - 1883 - BZ3 - PART
beerblast - a party with beer, kegger - College was one long beerblast for the kid and it’s a wonder he graduated. - 1910 - BZ8 - DAS2
beerbust - a party with beer, kegger - We had a beerbust after every exam. - 1910 - BZ8 - DAS2
beerified - drunk - The boys at the frat all got beerified. - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
beevo - a beer - “Hey Starla, don’t forget the beevos and pretzels!” - 1975 - BZ1 - PHB
befuddled - drunk - I think she was too befuddled to know what she was doing. - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
behind the cork - drunk - “Look at her. Behind the cork once again!” - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
belch-guts - a drunk - “Look here, belch-guts, you need to leave the party now.” - 1987 - BZ4 - ALC
belly up - to have a drink - “Belly up and have one on me!” - 1930 - BZ8 - PART3A
belly vengeance - liquor, booze - He downed the shot of belly vengeance and felt an immediate burn. - 1826 - BZ1 - OED
belt - a drink of liquor - Two stiff belts and she was a goner and had to be carried home. - 1900 - BZ8 - ETA
belt the bottle - to drink liquor - Every time her old man started to belt the bottle, she’d spend the night in town. - 1931 - BZ8 - OED
belt the grape - to drink a lot, especially wine - No one could belt the grape like my Aunt Minnie! - 1931 - BZ8 - URD
belted - drunk - Harry knew he was belted, but he drove anyway. - 1987 - BZ2 - ALC
bench whistler - a drunk - The bench whistler had no credibility in court. - 1987 - BZ4 - ALC
bend an elbow - to drink at a bar - “How’s about we go bend an elbow down at Louie’s? I’ll buy the first round.” - 1823 - BZ8 - URD
bender - a drinking spree - Benny and Bernice both enjoyed an occasional bender. - 1827 - BZ2 - IHA
bent - drunk - He came home bent once too often and his wife finally clobbered him. - 1833 - BZ2 - DARE
bent outa shape - drunk - Starla was bent outa shape before she even arrived at the party. - 1975 - BZ2 - PHB