Thomas Murphy

1.                  All that jazz (n.) phrase used as a euphemism for “et cetera.”  -So what is that English class about?  -Oh, you know. The usual romantic, gothic literature and all that jazz.

-This phrase is non-gendered and used by people of all ages from adolescents to adults.

2.                  Brewhabas (n.)  beers of any and all types.  Includes lagers, ales, domestics, hefeweizens, etc.  -Guys, we better stop at the QT on our way home for some cheep brewhabas.

-This term is used mainly by males, aged seventeen to forty depending on maturity level and social circumstances.

3.                   Burn Cruise / Smoke Drive (n.) a ride in the car taken for the sole purpose of smoking marijuana, and not to get to another location.  -I’m bored man. You feel like going for a smoke drive?

-This expression is used by both males and females, typically ranging in age from high school teenagers to people in their twenties.  As with many words and expressions, the terms are regional.  On the West Coast (Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington), people say “smoke drive,” whereas in the Midwest and East Coast, people tend to use “burn cruise.”  Both expressions are interchangeable.

4.                  Dank (adj.) exceptionally pleasing to the senses.  –So how is that DeFalco’s sambo you’re eating there?  -Oh man, it’s one dank bite after another.

-Although the real definition is “unpleasant and humid”, the slang definition used here stems from yet another slang definition meaning “high quality marijuana.”  This non-gendered term is used mainly by high school and college students and extends to the older people of this current generation.  It is typically used to describe food, drinks, or circumstances that are exceptionally enjoyable.

5.                  Emmyoo (n.) the Memorial Union at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. I’ll be out of class in fifteen minutes or so. Just meet me outside of the Emmyoo.

-College students at ASU almost never pronounce the full name “memorial union.”  For the past four years, I only heard the building referred to as the Emmyoo.

6.                  Eskimo Bros (n.) this term refers to two or more males who have had sexual intercourse with the same woman.  -No way! You were with my ex-girlfriend, Sarah, last night? Guess that makes us Eskimo Bros now.

-I had to do some research on this one.  Apparently, it is an expression made up by the writers of the show, The League. People are said to be Eskimo bros because they have “been in the same igloo.”

7.                  Fiddlegrate (v.) to carefully break apart marijuana, discarding seeds and stems in preparation for the rolling of a joint or blunt.  -Dude, would you mind fiddlegrating this pot for me?  The new South Park is about to come on.

-This verb is not well-known word and has had very limited circulation as of yet. The expression was coined by an associate of mine who also attends ASU. It is used mainly by teenagers and people in their early twenties.

8.                  Floating (v.) going to the Salt River in Arizona to ride in tubes down the river.  –So are you guys floating this weekend? –You know it man!

-This is a term that is regionally specific to Arizona, specifically the Phoenix Metropolitan area.  During the summer in this area, there are few enjoyable outdoor activities aside from floating the river. It is used by all ages and genders.

9.                  Go skiing / Hit the slopes (v.) euphemistic phrases that refer to doing cocaine.  -So I did some skiing out in Vegas over break. Came back with one awful hangover.

-This phrase is not all that well-known, but has gained higher frequency of use recently.  It is used most regularly by college students, but extends to older people as well.  It is typically used in an incognito context, where the people speaking about it do not want others to understand.

10.              Gnar (adj.) 1. Describing something that is overwhelmingly gross or disgusting to the senses. -Did you see him pop that zit? Totally gnar! 

2. Describing something that is visually awe inspiring or spectacular. 

-Man, the special effects in Avatar were super gnar. (n.) fresh powdered snow from a recent storm.  -We’ve got to get out to the mountain early tomorrow so we can be the first to shred that gnar.

-A shortened version of “gnarly.” Although the term was made popular by ‘surfer culture’ in Southern California, it has been integrated into the vernacular of young people all over the nation, particularly with males.  The noun form is regularly used by snowboarders also, who tend to share numerous slang phrases with surfing and extreme sports culture.

11.              Gravy (adj.) pleasing and agreeable. -So I’ll pick you up around seven o’clock and we’ll head to the show.  -Sounds gravy.

-This word is used by adolescents, teenagers, college students, and fewer amounts of adults, also depending on maturity and social circumstances.  It could have been adapted from words like “groovy” and old phrases like “good gravy!”

12.              House / Housed (v.) to thoroughly beat an opponent in competition.   

-What a rough game of ultimate Frisbee yesterday. The other team really housed you guys. (adj.) extremely inebriated and intoxicated. -Did I see her at the bar last night? Man, I was seriously housed.

-I am not quite sure of the origin of this term, but I noticed it does appear in the film, P.C.U.  It is used by the hippie, stoner group of people in the movie, and is most frequently used by the same people in real life.  The adjective form is fairly common bar language.

13.              Jam Sesh (n.) an impromptu session of instrumental music playing that can last any amount of time.  –Oh, you brought your guitar? What say we don’t have a little jam sesh in a little while.

-This word is a commonly known and used by people of the music culture, particularly those who are associated with the “Jam Band” musical genre.

14.              Liquid courage (n.) euphemism for any type of alcoholic beverage. –So are you gonna go talk to that chick who’s been eying you all night.  –Yeah probably, but I better have some more liquid courage first.

-Another term used by the bar-going folks.  It is not specific to gender or age (except for those under the age of twenty-one, of course ;).

15.              Sambo (n.) a sandwich.  –Man, I’m hungry. Let’s head over to Venezia’s for a couple sambos.

-This term is most commonly used by college students, but has gained more circulation in the speech of teenagers and adults as well.

16.              Scrill / Scrilla (n.) any type of currency, but particularly cash.  –So how was work last night?  -Not too shabby. I made some decent scrill.

-This term (I believe) has origins in rap / hip hop musical lyrics, but it has spread to other American youths.  It is not typically used by older people.

17.              Slunt (n.) an extremely derogatory word; combining the words ‘slut’ and ‘cunt’.  -Did you hear what she said man? –Yeah dude, chick’s a total slunt.

-As mentioned, this term is very derogatory and considered by most to be taboo, but slightly less taboo than ‘cunt.’  It is used by males to berate females, and is not typically heard by younger people.

18.              Teener (n.) an eighteen-pack of beer.  –Hey, on your way over here, would you do me a favor and snag a teener of Bud Light.

-This is another term that is used most regularly by college students and people of the drinking/bar culture.

19.              Tits (adj.) pleasing, awesome, and/or cool.  –How was the concert last weekend bro?  -Dude, it was tits! I had such a great time.

-Although this word is still an anatomical reference to breasts, it has more recently been used to describe someone, something, or some circumstances that are enjoyable and/or ideal.  It is used mainly by males, but I have even heard a number of women use the term.  It has also been used in some movies and television programs, increasing its frequency of use.

20.              Thirsty Thursday (n.) although a ritual for some, it refers to any Thursday during which one consumes numerous alcoholic beverages.  -Sweet! My last class got cancelled, so I’m starting my Thirsty Thursday and hour early!

-This non-gendered term is one used mostly by college students and people of the drinking / bar culture.  Because most college students strive to not have class on Fridays, the phrase marks the beginning of the college weekend.

21.              Tuesday Boozeday (n.) although a ritual for some, it refers to any Tuesday during which one consumes numerous alcoholic beverages. (see “Thirsty Thursday”)  Hey, don’t forget to call me later. We’re all meeting up at Barney’s for Tuesday Boozeday.  One dollar drafts dude!

-This phrase is quite similar to “Thirsty Thursday” in that it is used mainly by college students, etc.  The main difference is that, for most people, Tuesday is not a terribly appropriate day to drink heavily (not that Thursday always is!).  We college drinkers will come up with pretty much any manner of excuses for these kinds of shenanigans, even if those excuses are only alliteration and assonance.

22.              Yogurt (adj.) femininely flamboyant; sissy.  Man, that ice dancing at the Olympics has to be one of the most yogurt things I’ve ever seen.

-This one is pretty much brand new.  A close friend and fellow student of mine claims to have come up with this term on his own not long ago.  I checked around, and it looks like he was telling the truth.  As it is my favorite word included in this paper, I am presently adding it to my slang vernacular repertoire.