99 AMERICAN SLANG WORDS
Airhead – Ditzy – Flighty – A flake
Someone who doesn’t think things through, not very smart or serious.
All ears
“I’m all ears” means you have my full attention.
Ace it
“I aced it” or “You aced it” means you passed the test, or won a game.
Ate it
Did a great job explaining something, for example at work. “They ate it.”
Amped
Full of energy, ready to do the task at hand, “I’m amped.”
Are you down?
Do you agree to do something? “You down?”
A rat – A stool – A snitch
Someone who tells on someone else. “My neighbor is a snitch.”
Badass – Cool
Someone who can do things well, whom you’d want as a friend.
Bummer
Something bad happens, “What a bummer!”
Booze
Alcoholic beverages, “That’s a lot of booze!”
Ballpark figure – Guesstimate
The price of something more or less. “Give me a ballpark figure.” "Give me a guesstimate."
Broken record
Someone who repeats the same thing over and over.
Blown away
What you feel over something unexpected. Flabbergasted.
Bonkers – Nuts – Postal – Ballistic
To go crazy. “My boss went bonkers when he saw the mess.”
Blabber
Speak incoherently. “Stop blabbering!”
Beat
Either “I’m beat” which means, I’m tired. Or “Beat it!” which means, Get out of here!
Buck
“A buck”, one dollar. “Ten bucks”, ten dollars…
Chill
Relax, take it easy.
Cram – Hit the books
Study hard. “I’m cramming for my test.”
Crash
To sleep. “Find a place to crash.”
Couch potato
Lazy, would rather sit on the couch and watch tv.
Copout
To go back on a commitment, take the easy way out.
Cat out of the bag
A secret just got exposed.
Cold turkey
To quit an addiction (smoking, alcohol, drugs) instantly and without medication.
Cut to the chase
Get to the point in a discussion.
Coulda – Shoulda – Woulda
I could have, I should have, I would have.
Cold shoulder
Someone who doesn’t want to talk to you will give you the cold shoulder.
Cutie Patooty
An attractive person.
Digs
Clothes.
Dude – Guy
A male person. “The dude was looking for his friend.”
Deadbeat
A lazy or undesirable person who doesn’t pay his debts.
Dumbass
An ignorant person.
Ducks in a row
To organize something. “I put my ducks in a row.”
Dump
In slang it means a place that is unpleasant and dirty. “What a dump.”
Dud
Something that is an utter failure.
For the birds
Something that isn’t worth our attention.
Falling through the cracks
Something or someone who has failed to be noticed or assisted.
Floored
Can’t believe something he sees. “He was floored when he saw the ditch.” Flabbergasted.
Go Dutch
Each person pays for himself or herself for example in a restaurant.
Gonna
Going to. “I’m gonna go to the beach.”
Gig
A temporary or freelance job.
Hobnob – Hang out
To spend time with someone.
Hot
Good-looking.
Hip
An attitude, fashionable, in the know.
Hit the road
To travel.
Hissy fit
Get emotionally upset. “When she saw the ruined dress she had a hissy fit.”
Horse’s mouth
Something “Straight from the horse’s mouth” means it came from the original source.
In the bag
Certain you will get something or achieve something. “It’s in the bag!”
In the zone
Pleased because you are doing something well and with ease.
I’m down – I’m game – I’m good for it
I’ll do it, I’m ready for it.
It sucks
Something that sucks is something that went wrong.
I’m good
I’m okay, I don’t need anything.
Jonesing
Trying to be like your neighbors the Joneses (nice car, nice clothes…)
Jazzed – Stoked
Very pleased
Kiss-ass – Boot-licker – Suck-up
Someone who acts in a servile and degrading way to please.
Keep it under your hat
Hide it – from Abraham Lincoln who kept his private documents under his hat.
Knock on wood
Hopefully. “It won’t rain, knock on wood.”
Loose cannon
Someone who looses his or her temper quickly, and cannot be trusted.
Lit
Exciting, “This party is lit!” Originally it meant being intoxicated.
Lemon
Something sold to you that doesn’t work, for example a car.
My bad
Owning up to something you said or did that was a mistake.
No biggie – No sweat
Not to worry, things will sort themselves out.
Off the hook
When you are freed from an obligation.
Pass the buck
Evade responsibility.
Piece of cake – Easy peazy
Extremely easy or simple to do.
Rip off
To cheat someone. “I was ripped off by the driver.”
Rain check
Change plans for another day. "Take a rain check."
Ride shotgun
Ride in the passenger seat.
Spill the beans
Tell a secret.
Scoot – Scoot over
“Scoot” means go away, “Scoot over” means move over.
Shoot the breeze
Talk about unimportant things.
Schlep
Uncomfortable walk though water, mud, snow…
Slam dunk
Something certain to occur. “The election is a slam dunk.”
Tune out
Not listen to something or someone.
Throw under the bus
Criticize or denounce someone to avoid blame.
Zilch
Nothing, zero. “I’ve got zilch.”
