English > colloquialism: 1 sense > noun 1, communication| Meaning | A colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech. |
|---|
| Broader | formulation, expression | The style of expressing yourself |
|---|
| Usage | Ebonics | a nonstandard form of American English characteristically spoken by African Americans in the United States |
|---|
| Rebel, Reb, Johnny Reb, Johnny, greyback | 'Johnny' was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War |
| Ritz | An ostentatiously elegant hotel |
| Sunday best, Sunday clothes | The best attire you have which is worn to church on Sunday |
| ace, A-one, crack, first-rate, super, tiptop, topnotch, top-notch, tops | Of the highest quality |
| aggro | (informal British usage) aggravation or aggression |
| all-fired | extreme / extreme |
| all in, beat, bushed, dead | Very tired |
| all right, fine, o.k., ok, okay, hunky-dory, cool | satisfactory or in satisfactory condition |
| anon | (old-fashioned or informal) in a little while |
| anserine, dopy, dopey, foolish, goosey, goosy, gooselike, jerky | Having or revealing stupidity |
| anxious, dying | eagerly desirous |
| anywhere, anyplace | At or in or to any place |
| at least, leastways, leastwise, at any rate | If nothing else ('leastwise' is informal and 'leastways' is colloquial) |
| backbone, grit, guts, moxie, sand, gumption | fortitude and determination |
| bad | nonstandard |
| bad, tough | Feeling physical discomfort or pain ('tough' is occasionally used colloquially for 'bad') |
| bang, slap, slapdash, smack, bolt | directly |
| bang-up, bully, corking, cracking, dandy, great, groovy, keen, neat, nifty, not bad, peachy, slap-up, swell, smashing, old | Very good |
| banger | (British informal) pork sausage |
| bare-assed, bare-ass, in the altogether, in the buff, in the raw, raw, peeled, naked as a jaybird, stark naked | (used informally) completely unclothed |
| bare bones | (plural) the most basic facts or elements |
| barnburner | An impressively successful event |
| beastly, hellish, god-awful | Very unpleasant |
| bib-and-tucker | An attractive outfit |
| big | significant / significant / significant / significant |
| big-ticket, high-ticket | Very expensive |
| big shot, big gun, big wheel, big cheese, big deal, big enchilada, big fish, head honcho | An important influential person |
| bitty, bittie, teensy, teentsy, teeny, wee, weeny, weensy, teensy-weensy, teeny-weeny, itty-bitty, itsy-bitsy | (used informally) very small |
| blahs | A general feeling of boredom and dissatisfaction |
| blessed event, happy event | The live birth of a child |
| blood-and-guts | marked by great zeal or violence |
| blue-eyed, fair-haired, white-haired | favorite |
| blue moon | A long time |
| bodacious | incorrigible |
| boiling | Extremely |
| bone-idle, bone-lazy | constitutionally lazy or idle |
| borscht circuit, borsht circuit, borscht belt, borsht belt | (informal) a resort area in the Catskill Mountains of New York that was patronized primarily by Jewish guests |
| boss, brag | exceptionally good |
| boss-eyed | (British informal) cross-eyed |
| break | happen or take place |
| broken, busted | Out of working order ('busted' is an informal substitute for 'broken') |
| bull, cop, copper, fuzz, pig | uncomplimentary terms for a policeman |
| bull session | An informal discussion (usually among men) |
| bum, cheap, cheesy, chintzy, crummy, punk, sleazy, tinny | Of very poor quality |
| bunny, bunny rabbit | (usually informal) especially a young rabbit |
| buttoned-up | (British colloquial) not inclined to conversation |
| by all means | definitely or certainly |
| by no means, not by a long sight, not by a blame sight | definitely not |
| can of worms | A source of unpredictable trouble and complexity |
| canary | A female singer |
| canned, transcribed | recorded / recorded for broadcast / broadcast |
| cannon fodder, fodder, fresh fish | soldiers who are regarded as expendable in the face of artillery fire |
| chancy, fluky, flukey, iffy | subject to accident or chance or change |
| charley horse, charley-horse | A muscular cramp (especially in the thigh or calf) following vigorous exercise |
| chicken, chickenhearted, lily-livered, white-livered, yellow, yellow-bellied | easily frightened |
| chummy, buddy-buddy, thick | (used informally) associated on close terms |
| chummy, matey, pally, palsy-walsy | (used colloquially) having the relationship of friends or pals |
| class | elegance in dress or behavior |
| classy, posh, swish | Elegant and fashionable |
| clubbable, clubable | Inclined to club together |
| cockamamie, cockamamy | Informal term for ridiculous and implausible |
| come-at-able, get-at-able, getatable | capable of being reached / reached or attained |
| comfortable, comfy | Providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief ('comfy' is informal) |
| cool | fashionable and attractive at the time |
| cool | (used of a number or sum) without exaggeration or qualification |
| countenance, physiognomy, phiz, visage, kisser, smiler, mug | The human face ('kisser' and 'smiler' and 'mug' are informal terms for 'face' and 'phiz' is British) |
| crapshoot | A risky and uncertain venture |
| crazy, wild, dotty, gaga | intensely enthusiastic about or preoccupied with |
| crazy | possessed by inordinate excitement |
| crazy, half-baked, screwball, softheaded | foolish |
| crazy, loony, looney, nutcase, weirdo | someone deranged and possibly dangerous |
| creeps | A feeling of fear and revulsion |
| crosshairs | A center of interest |
| cushy, soft, easygoing | not burdensome or demanding |
| dead-on | accurate and to the point |
| decent | decently clothed |
| delf | An excavation |
| dick, gumshoe, hawkshaw | someone who is a detective |
| dickeybird, dickey-bird, dickybird, dicky-bird | small bird |
| dicky, dickey | (British informal) faulty |
| dimwit, nitwit, half-wit, doofus | A stupid incompetent person |
| dingdong | heartily or earnestly |
| dinky | (British informal) pretty and neat |
| dinky, insignificant | small and insignificant |
| dishy | (informal British) sexually attractive |
| dodo, fogy, fogey, fossil | someone whose style is out of fashion |
| don't-know | A person who responds 'I don't know' in a public opinion poll |
| done for, kaput, gone | Destroyed or killed / killed |
| double Dutch | An incomprehensible talk |
| drag | Something tedious and boring |
| dressy | In fancy clothing |
| drink | Any large deep body of water |
| dumps, mopes | An informal expression for a mildly depressed state |
| easily, easy | With ease / ease / ease / ease ('easy' is sometimes used informally for 'easily') |
| easy, soft | In a relaxed manner |
| economical, frugal, scotch, sparing, stinting | avoiding waste |
| enormity | vastness of size or extent |
| everywhere, everyplace, all over | To or in any or all places |
| eye, oculus, optic | The organ of sight |
| fantabulous, ripping | very good |
| far-out, kinky, offbeat, quirky, way-out | informal terms |
| fat, juicy | lucrative |
| fence | A dealer in stolen property |
| fiddling, footling, lilliputian, little, niggling, piddling, piffling, petty, picayune, trivial | (informal) small and of little importance |
| figure | understand |
| firewall | (colloquial) the application of maximum thrust |
| firewater | Any strong spirits (such as strong whisky or rum) |
| fishy, funny, shady, suspect, suspicious | not as expected |
| fix | Something craved, especially an intravenous injection of a narcotic drug |
| flat-footed, flatfooted | Without reservation |
| flop, dud, washout | someone who is unsuccessful |
| flustered, hot and bothered, perturbed, rattled | Thrown into a state of agitated confusion / confusion |
| fly | (British informal) not to be deceived / deceived or hoodwinked |
| foot, leg it, hoof, hoof it | walk |
| forever, forever and a day | For a very long or seemingly endless time |
| forty winks, snooze | sleeping for a short period of time (usually not in bed) |
| frazzle | A state of extreme / extreme exhaustion |
| frightful, terrible, awful, tremendous | extreme / extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact |
| fuddy-duddy | A conservative who is old-fashioned or dull in attitude or appearance |
| fug | (British informal) an airless smoky smelly atmosphere |
| fuggy | (British informal) poorly ventilated |
| funny wagon | An ambulance used to transport / transport patients to a mental hospital |
| gal | alliterative term for girl (or woman) |
| game, biz | Your occupation or line of work |
| gammy | (British informal) sore or lame |
| geezer | A man who is (usually) old and/or eccentric |
| ghetto blaster, boom box | A portable stereo |
| give it a whirl, give it a try | try |
| giveaway | A gift of public land or resources for the private gain of a limited group |
| gobsmacked | utterly astounded |
| goggle-eyed, openmouthed, popeyed | With eyes or mouth open in surprise |
| goofy, silly, wacky, whacky, zany | Ludicrous, foolish |
| groovy, swagger | (British informal) very chic |
| hang-up | An emotional preoccupation / preoccupation |
| head | A user of (usually soft) drugs |
| headhunter | A recruiter of personnel (especially for corporations) |
| heaps | very much |
| heavy lifting | Difficult work |
| hep, hip, hip to | informed about the latest trends |
| het up | worked up emotionally by anger or excitement |
| hexed, jinxed | (usually used colloquially) causing or accompanied by misfortune |
| high-flown, high-sounding, inflated | pretentious (especially with regard to language or ideals) |
| highbrow, highbrowed | Highly cultured or educated |
| homestretch | The end of an enterprise |
| honest-to-god, honest-to-goodness, sure-enough | (used informally especially for emphasis) |
| hopeless | (informal to emphasize how bad it is) beyond hope of management or reform |
| hopelessly | In a hopeless manner |
| hopped-up, stoned | Under the influence of narcotics |
| horniness, hotness, hot pants | A state of sexual arousal |
| hot | marked by excited activity |
| hot | recently stolen or smuggled |
| hot | Very popular or successful |
| hot | Performed or performing with unusually great skill and daring and energy |
| hot stuff, voluptuousness | The quality of being attractive and exciting (especially sexually exciting) |
| hot under the collar | Very angry |
| huddle, powwow | (informal) a quick private conference |
| huffy, mad, sore | roused to anger |
| humongous, banging, thumping, whopping, walloping | (used informally) very large |
| hustler, wheeler dealer, operator | A shrewd or unscrupulous person who knows how to circumvent difficulties |
| ice, sparkler | diamonds |
| icky, crappy, lousy, rotten, shitty, stinking, stinky | Very bad |
| in | currently fashionable |
| in a pig's eye | Very unlikely |
| irregardless | regardless |
| jammed, jam-packed, packed | Filled to capacity |
| jiggered | (British informal expletive) surprised |
| jumped-up | (British informal) upstart |
| keep one's eyes peeled, keep one's eyes skinned, keep one's eyes open | pay attention |
| killing, sidesplitting | Very funny |
| killing, cleanup | A very large profit |
| knockdown-dragout, knock-down-and-drag-out | Extremely violent |
| knocked-out | damaged |
| know-it-all, know-all | someone who thinks he knows everything and refuses to accept advice or information from others |
| kosher | Proper or legitimate / legitimate |
| lazybones | A lazy person |
| lemon, stinker | An artifact (especially an automobile) that is defective or unsatisfactory |
| licked | Having been got the better of |
| like hell, like mad, like crazy, like sin, like thunder, like the devil | With great speed or effort or intensity |
| live | abounding with life and energy |
| livid | furiously angry |
| living | (informal) absolute |
| load | An amount of alcohol sufficient to intoxicate |
| long johns | warm underwear with long legs |
| lunatic, moonstruck | insane and believed to be affected by the phases of the moon |
| mafia, maffia | Any tightly knit group of trusted associates / associates |
| main drag | The main street of a town or city |
| man | A male person who plays a significant role (husband or lover or boyfriend) in the life of a particular woman |
| man-sized | Very large |
| meal ticket | A source of income or livelihood |
| middlebrow | someone who is neither a highbrow nor a lowbrow |
| mind-bending, mind-blowing | intensely affecting the mind especially in producing hallucinations |
| month of Sundays | A time perceived as long |
| mouthpiece, mouth | A spokesperson (as a lawyer) |
| niffy | (British informal) malodorous |
| no-brainer | Anything that requires little thought |
| no-frills | Characterized by the absence of inessential features |
| number | A clothing measurement |
| number one | A reference to yourself or myself etc. |
| obviously, evidently, manifestly, patently, apparently, plainly, plain | unmistakably ('plain' is often used informally for 'plainly') |
| okay, O.K., all right, alright | In a satisfactory / satisfactory or adequate manner |
| one, right | Used informally as an intensifier |
| paperhanger | someone who passes bad checks or counterfeit paper money |
| peeper | An informal term referring to the eye |
| pep talk | A speech of exhortation attempting to instill enthusiasm and determination in a team or staff |
| pertainym | meaning / meaning relating to or pertaining to |
| pickup | A warrant to take someone into custody |
| plague | An annoyance |
| plop, plunk | With a short hollow thud |
| plumb, plum | exactly |
| plummy | Very desirable |
| plump | Straight down especially heavily or abruptly |
| potted | (British informal) summarized or abridged |
| potty | (British informal) trivial |
| prehistoric | no longer fashionable |
| primo | The best of its kind |
| proboscis | The human nose (especially when it is large) |
| pumped-up, pumped up, pumped, wired | tense with excitement and enthusiasm as from a rush of adrenaline |
| punch-drunk, silly, slaphappy | dazed from or as if from repeated blows |
| put-down, squelch, squelcher, takedown | A crushing remark |
| put-put | A small gasoline engine (as on motor boat) |
| rainmaker | executive who is very successful in bringing in business to his company or firm |
| rap | voluble conversation |
| rathole | A small dirty uncomfortable room |
| rattrap | filthy run-down dilapidated housing |
| redbrick university | (British informal) a provincial British university of relatively recent founding |
| right, flop | exactly |
| ringer, dead ringer, clone | A person who is almost identical to another |
| ritzy | luxuriously elegant |
| ropey, ropy | (British informal) very poor in quality |
| roughly, rough | With roughness or violence ('rough' is an informal variant for 'roughly') |
| rubber, no-good | Returned for lack of funds |
| screw-loose, screwy | not behaving normally |
| security blanket | Anything that an adult person uses to reduce anxiety |
| setup | The way something is organized or arranged |
| shady | Of questionable honesty or legality |
| shirty, snorty | (British informal) ill-tempered or annoyed |
| shoofly | An undercover police officer who investigates other policemen |
| shooting gallery | A building (usually abandoned) where drug addicts buy and use heroin |
| shot, crack | A chance to do something |
| shy | short |
| size, size of it | The actual state of affairs |
| skip | leave suddenly |
| slowly, slow, easy, tardily | Without speed ('slow' is sometimes used informally for 'slowly') |
| smoke | Something with no concrete substance |
| snazzy | flashily stylish |
| snogging | (British informal) cuddle and kiss |
| some | remarkable |
| somewhere, someplace | In or at or to some place |
| soup | An unfortunate / unfortunate situation |
| soup | Any composition having a consistency suggestive of soup |
| sourpuss, picklepuss, gloomy Gus, pouter | someone with a habitually sullen or gloomy expression |
| spoilsport, killjoy, wet blanket, party pooper | someone who spoils the pleasure of others |
| square, square toes | A formal and conservative person with old-fashioned views |
| square | Leaving no balance |
| starkers | (British informal) stark naked |
| state | A state of depression or agitation |
| sticks and stone | A general term for building materials |
| straight | not homosexual |
| straight up | (of an alcoholic drink) stirred or shaken with ice, but served without it |
| street | A situation offering opportunities |
| stuck | baffled |
| stuffed | crammed with food |
| stuffed shirt | A bore who is extremely formal, pompous, and old-fashioned |
| surely, certainly, sure, for sure, for certain, sure enough, sure as shooting | definitely or positively ('sure' is sometimes used informally for 'surely') |
| swad | A bunch |
| swag | Valuable goods |
| sweetly, sweet | In an affectionate or loving manner ('sweet' is sometimes a poetic or informal variant of 'sweetly') |
| tall | impressively difficult |
| teaser | An attention-getting opening presented at the start of a television show |
| terribly, awfully, awful, frightfully | Used as intensifiers |
| think | An instance of deliberate thinking |
| thoroughly, soundly, good | Completely and absolutely ('good' is sometimes used informally for 'thoroughly') |
| throw | A single chance or instance |
| thrush | A woman who sings popular songs |
| together | mentally and emotionally stable |
| togged | Dressed especially in smart clothes |
| townee | townsman unacquainted with country life especially a slick and flashy male city dweller |
| turf | Range of jurisdiction or influence |
| turn-on | Something causing excitement or stimulating interest |
| turnoff, negative stimulation | Something causing antagonism or loss of interest |
| umpteenth, umteenth, umptieth | last in an indefinitely numerous series |
| un-come-at-able, un-get-at-able, ungetatable | Difficult to reach / reach or attain |
| wag, wit, card | A witty amusing person who makes jokes |
| war paint | Full ceremonial regalia |
| wash | Any enterprise in which losses and gains cancel out |
| way | The property of distance in general |
| way, right smart | To a great degree or by a great distance |
| week from Monday | A time period of a week or more |
| whacked | (British informal) exhausted or worn out |
| whacking | (British informal) enormous |
| white-shoe | denoting a company or law firm owned and run by members of the WASP elite who are generally conservative |
| woman | A female person who plays a significant role (wife or mistress or girlfriend) in the life of a particular man |
| Spanish | coloquialismo, expresión coloquial, vulgarismo |
|---|
| Catalan | expressió col·loquial |
|---|
