Historical Dictionary of American Slang

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117 Results in R (You are getting Clean results. Get Full Results for "R")

• rabbit ears
  
  ( np ) Indoor television antennae. He can't get diddledy on his TV with those rabbit ears.
  1950s
• rack
  
  ( n ) Bed. I have to hit the rack by ten or I'll be tired in the morning.
  1960s
• rack out
  
  ( v ) To sleep. I am going to rack out for two hours.
  1950s
• rad
  
  ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. Her new spiked doo is positively rad.
  1980s
• radical
  
  ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. Her new book is positively radical.
  1970s
• radioactive
  
  ( adj ) Very popular. You'll never get her to go out with you: that chick's radioactive.
  1990s
• raft
  
  ( n ) A large number. He had a whole raft of chickens in the back yard.
  1830s
• rag
  
  ( n ) Newspaper. We get very little international news in our local rag.
  1920s
• rag
  
  ( v ) To make fun of, tease. My brother is always ragging me about my girlfriend.
  1940s
• rag doll
  
  ( np ) A compliant person. Terry is such a rag doll; she never says no.
  1970s
• rage
  
  ( n ) A great party. The last rage of the year was a major blast!
  1980s
• raggedy
  
  ( adj ) In bad condition. Get your raggedy ride out a here poser!
  1890s
• ragtop
  
  ( np ) A convertible car. There were a lot of ragtops at the auto show.
  1950s
• rah
  
  ( n ) A rich person. Check out the rah in the Beemer.
  1990s
• rail
  
  ( n ) A high-speed dragster. How fast is your rail?
  1960s
• rake
  
  ( n ) A lowered front end on a hotrod. He just gave his rod a rake and twice pipes; nice.
  1950s
• rake
  
  ( v ) To lower the front end of a hotrod. It doesn't look like much now but when I rake it, it will be hot stuff.
  1950s
• ralph
  
  ( v ) To vomit. Like Mike? I almost ralph every time I see him.
  1980s
• rank
  
  ( v ) To back out from cowardice. The girl said she was going to come over to my house and beat me up but she ranked out.
  1990s
• rap
  
  ( n ) An accusation. Eustace has a rap sheet as long as your arm.
  1900s
• rap
  
  ( v ) To talk informally. I went to Grunelda's last night and we rapped for hours.
  1960s
• rap session
  
  ( np ) An informal conversation. We had a rap session over at the prof's last night.
  1960s
• raspberry
  
  ( n ) Blowing air through the closed lips to make a disgusting sound. I guess the date didn't go very well; she gave me a raspberry rather than a kiss when I took her home.
  1890s
• rasta
  
  ( int ) Good-bye. Rasta, baby; I have to jet.
  1990s
• rat
  
  ( n ) A contemptible person. The little rat won't do anything I tell him.
  1900s
• rat
  
  ( n ) An informer, a tattle-tale. The little rat told the principal!
  1900s
• rat
  
  ( v ) To inform or tattle. Little Augie ratted out the godfather.
  1960s
• rat fink
  
  ( np ) An informer, a tattle-tale; nasty person The rat fink went to the cops.
  1960s
• rat hole
  
  ( np ) A nasty, dirty place. Mortimer lives in a rat hole.
  1810s
• rat hole
  
  ( np ) A place from which there is no return. Buying this old car would be throwing your money down a rat hole.
  1960s
• Rats!
  
  ( int ) An interjection of disappointment. Rats! We're out of gas.
  1880s
• rattle
  
  ( v ) To upset, agitate. Nothing rattles her; she is a cool as a cucumber.
  1780s
• rattle your cage
  
  ( vp ) To annoy, bother. If the suspect won't talk, let's file some charges against him and rattle his cage.
  1960s
• rattletrap
  
  ( n ) Old, broken-down car. Rudy will never make it to the beach in that old rattletrap of his.
  1820s
• rattletrap
  
  ( n ) Old, broken-down car. Rudy will never make it to the beach in that old rattletrap of his.
  1820s
• ratty
  
  ( adj ) In bad condition. She was in an old pair of jeans and a ratty sweater.
  1860s
• ratty
  
  ( adj ) Unfair. He got a ratty assignment in Java.
  1900s
• raunchy
  
  ( adj ) Dirty, grimy. Get out of those raunchy clothes and take bath.
  1930s
• raunchy
  
  ( adj ) Risqué, bawdy. He can't tell a joke that isn't raunchy.
  1960s
• raw
  
  ( adj ) New, inexperienced. The raw office workers were not getting much done.
  1560s
• rays
  
  ( v ) Sunshine for a sun tan. Let's catch some rays before class.
  1970s
• razz
  
  ( v ) To tease, make fun of. The baseball fans started to razz the umpire.
  1920s
• razzle-dazzle
  
  ( n ) Something fancy. She's all razzle-dazzle but without substance.
  1880s
• razzmatazz
  
  ( n ) Something fancy. There is too much razzmatazz in his church services for my taste.
  1890s
• Reach for the ceiling!
  
  ( phr ) Raise your hands. Drop that gun and reach for the ceiling!
  1910s
• Reach for the roof!
  
  ( phr ) Raise your hands. Drop that gun and reach for the roof!
  1910s
• Reach for the sky!
  
  ( phr ) Raise your hands. Drop that gun and reach for the sky!
  1940s
• read the riot act
  
  ( vp ) To scold, chastise severely. When mom saw the condition of my room, she read me the riot act.
  1900s
• real
  
  ( vp ) Excellent, outstanding. That scene was real.
  1980s
• real
  
  ( adj ) Smart, intelligent. Get real! You can't drive home in your condition.
  1960s
• real gone
  
  ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. The Fonz is a real gone cat.
  1960s
• ream out
  
  ( v ) To scold, chastise. The boss really reamed him out for his bad report.
  1950s
• recognize
  
  ( v ) To respect. Boy you better recognize me!
  1990s
• red hot
  
  ( ap ) Exciting. Your idea is really red hot.
  1920s
• redneck
  
  ( n ) A clumsy, unsophisticated person from the country. Some redneck in a pickup with a gun rack tried to run me off the road.
  1830s
• reject
  
  ( n ) A stupid person. The new kid on the block is a total reject.
  1960s
• rentals
  
  ( n ) Parents. The rentals are coming out for a visit next weekend.
  1990s
• rents
  
  ( n ) Parents. My rents just sent me a thousand bucks!
  1970s
• represent
  
  ( v ) Trying achieve respect. I'm just trying to represent.
  1990s
• retard
  
  ( n ) A stupid person. All the retards gather at that bar; I never go there.
  1970s
• retread
  
  ( n ) An old performer making a comeback. It was supposed to be a great show but it was just a bunch of retreads doing old stuff.
  1940s
• rev
  
  ( adj ) Revolting, ugly. That dress is so rev; take it off!
  1990s
• rev
  
  ( v ) To excite. I am totally revved about going to Maui!
  1980s
• rhubarb
  
  ( n ) Argument, squabble. Harry Batten was thrown out of the game for getting in a rhubarb with the umpire behind homeplate.
  1940s
• ricky
  
  ( n ) A stupid person; a jerk; a loser. That guy thinks he's cool, but he's a just another ricky.
  1990s
• ride
  
  ( n ) A car or other vehicle. That's a pretty rusty ride you have their, Lester.
  1950s
• ride low
  
  ( v ) To annoy, bother. Selma is riding me low asking me for my phone number.
  1990s
• Right on!
  
  ( int ) An interjection of agreement. You want to raise collards in the garden? Right on!.
  1950s
• righteous
  
  ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. That new baseball bat of his is righteous, man.
  1970s
• rightsize
  
  ( v ) To fire people. They are rightsizing the company by 1000 jobs.
  1990s
• rinky-dink
  
  ( adj ) Run-down, old, old fashioned. The circus was really rinky-dink.
  1910s
• riot
  
  ( n ) A great time, something hilarious. The comedy program was a real riot.
  1930s
• rip off
  
  ( v ) To steal. You can't leave anything on the sidewalk because it will be ripped off.
  1960s
• rip-city
  
  ( n ) Fun, excitement. All of Sally's parties are rip-city.
  1990s
• rip-off
  
  ( n ) A scam. $7.50 for a cup of latte is a rip-off.
  1960s
• rip-snorter
  
  ( n ) Something excellent, outstanding. His party last night was a rip-snorter.
  1930s
• rip-snorting
  
  ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. Let me tell you, it was a rip-snorting party.
  1930s
• ripped
  
  ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. He's so ripped he can't find his pocket.
  1950s
• ripped
  
  ( adj ) Muscular. His body is more ripped than any dude's in school.
  1980s
• rise up
  
  ( v ) To back away, back off. Man, you had better rise up off me!
  1990s
• ritzy
  
  ( adj ) Luxurious. She expected to be taken to a ritzy uptown club, not to a dive in the Bronx.
  1920s
• road hog
  
  ( np ) Someone who takes up to much of the road. I can't pass because the driver ahead of me is a road hog.
  1950s
• roadie
  
  ( n ) An ugly female (offensive). That party was just full of roadies.
  1990s
• rock
  
  ( n ) A diamond or other precious stone. Whenever Arlene complains about being a kept woman, Mortimer gives her another rock and she shuts up.
  1940s
• rock
  
  ( n ) Fast music, rock and roll. I don't like jazz or rap--I'm a straight rock guy.
  1960s
• rock
  
  ( v ) To be excellent, outstanding. It rocks that the library is going to be open on weekends.
  1970s
• rock
  
  ( v ) To dance wildly to the rock and roll music of the 60s and 70s. Man, I really dig this music; let's rock!
  1960s
• rock out
  
  ( v ) To be excellent, outstanding. About midnight the party was really rocking out.
  1980s
• rocket
  
  ( n ) A fast car. What a bogus race: a rocket against a stone.
  1960s
• rocks
  
  ( n ) Ice. Would you like your whiskey on the rocks?
  1940s
• rod
  
  ( n ) A car (hot-rodders). Delmar has the hottest rod on the block.
  1950s
• roid
  
  ( n ) A steroid user in sports Three home runs in one game? Is he on roids?
  1970s
• roll
  
  ( v ) To leave. Eleven o'clock? It's time to roll!
  1950s
• roll
  
  ( v ) To spend time talking. I'm rolling with the homies.
  1990s
• roll
  
  ( v ) To rob someone drunk or sleeping. He got plastered last night and some woman he met in the bar rolled him.
  1870s
• roll out
  
  ( v ) To leave. It's getting late; we are about to roll out.
  1980s
• rook
  
  ( v ) To cheat or deceive. You paid $5 for that? You've been rooked.
  1590s
• root
  
  ( v ) To cheer for. He always roots for the home tema.
  1880s
• roscoe
  
  ( n ) A handgun. Gimme yer roscoe, Roscoe; I can't crack this walnut with my teeth."
  1910s
• rot-gut
  
  ( n ) Bad quality liquor. I never drink that rot-gut hooch Harold buys from his uncle.
  1730s
• rough rider
  
  ( n ) A person with an excellent car. That dude she goes with is a rough rider with a really slick rod.
  1990s
• roughhouse
  
  ( v ) To play rough. OK, you guys. No roughhousing in the living room.
  1940s
• royal shaft
  
  ( np ) A great destructive unfair act. He got the royal shaft from the principal for cutting so many classes.
  1950s
• rub out
  
  ( v ) To kill. Several members of the competing gang were rubbed out.
  1940s
• rubber
  
  ( n ) A loser, a jerk. Why you being such a rubber?
  1990s
• rube
  
  ( n ) A clumsy, unsophisticated person from the country. I must have looked like some rube when I signed the contract to buy the Brooklyn Bridge.
  1920s
• rubes
  
  ( n ) Money. I have to stay home tonight: no rubes.
  1920s
• rubin
  
  ( n ) One of the large, new US bills. I got a rubin at the ATM yesterday.
  1990s
• rug
  
  ( n ) A toupee, a wig. Is that a rug on his head?
  1940s
• rug rat
  
  ( n ) A small child. I'm just not ready for a steady job and a house full of rug rats.
  1970s
• rug rat
  
  ( np ) Small child. Pam is married now, with two rug rats.
  1970s
• ruined
  
  ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. We pounded a case of beer last night and, man, was I ruined.
  1990s
• rule
  
  ( v ) To be excellent, outstanding. Leather rules when it comes to car interiors.
  1980s
• run around
  
  ( v ) To associate with. Rodney runs around with a shady crowd.
  1880s
• run off at the mouth
  
  ( vp ) To talk too much. He is always running off at the mouth.
  1950s
• run out of gas
  
  ( vp ) To lose interest or momentum. The politician ran out of gas during the campaign.
  1940s
• rush
  
  ( n ) A sudden pleasant surge of the senses. I don't get much of a rush from shelling peas.
  1970s