That's never going to catch on, Apostropher.
neighbor, please.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is good though.
I'm willing to throw my slangular weight behind "cop show". I needed a new term for "awesome" anyway.
Well, sandwich-and-co.com is already taken so there's that problem.
sandwichandco.com is free, though.
for a while, several of my friends used "tits" as the highest of praise (that bernaise was tits!). eventually it evolved into "titty-ass" (that band is titty-ass!).
i thought it was amusing. what's better than tits?
There seems to be a store by that name in Belgium, one in the UK, and most ominously, one in Skokie.
"Totally airwolf" is smokey Bavarian. "Wizard cocksucker" is crazy hydro. "Cop show" is Congo fireball. None of them, however, are Kobe magic.
It's not a very wizard cocksucker name.
that bernaise was tits!
This briefly held sway among some of my friends as well.
"Crazy hydro" is fuzzy Hot Pocket.
For some reason, among mine it was always "the tits," never just "tits." Sounds too Cockney without the definite article, I guess.
Whoa. Fuzzy hot pockets are totally rapebear. Yowza.
i think it was occasionally "the tits", though i never really understood the schism.
those fuzzy hot pockets look more like ratsicles.
The GF agrees I also need to dial back the use of 'awesome.' I do use 'rad' a lot, which seems to charm the young 'uns. I wonder if they realize that I'm not using it ironically, but simply because it brings me back to a time when yes, that neon t-shirt and bicycle shorts were, indeed, rad.
Yeah, "awesome" is so very not vagina handstand.
21: Maybe you should slip `gnarly' back into usage then...
You're not taking this very seriously, apo.
"Tubular." Whatever happened to "tubular"?
I'm sorry, Ben. I'll try harder.
"Cop show" is more immediately understandable and waaaay less in-jokey, but "totally airwolf" has better graphics.
However, at least in writing, I remain committed to OSUM!!! for the time being.
"Cop show" has a nice ring to it because it sounds like horrorshow, which is already well established.
Also the moment in the Pelham 123 trailer when Walter Matthau loosens is tie is totally horrorshow.
"Gnarley" and "wicked" were the terms of my youth. I just say "cool." I know, I know, I'm not very scaly pigeon.
I used to say "dope". I still say "hip".
Why not just stick with horrorshow?
I also say "sweet." God, I'm so ashamed. Ashamed cocksucker.
"Awesome" and "sweet" for me. Occasionally, "very, very," but that's ironic.
When I was in sixth grade, "awesome" was the wizard cocksucker word, a fact which caused much merriment when our sixth grade science class watched a video about great white sharks, where the very stodgy narrator spoke of the "awesome power" of the ferocious shark.
It was very timsy pinkerton.
I embrace the toolio slang of my youth. Then I characteriZe it as "regional dialect" when anybody questions it, and I ask them why they are so bigotted against Californians.
32: That's what all my droogies do.
The real problem with "cop show" is that cop shows are not, in fact, awesome. Whereas "horrorshow," being Nadsat, is made of awesome.
In high school, things were "rad", "boss", and for a few months there, "the bomb".
Presently, I say "cool", "sweet", and from time to time, "excellent", though ironically more often than not.
"Nasty" seems to be one I've been using lately.
Come to think of it, I use almost all the words other people use. Seems there's no end of superlatives and intensifiers in my days.
I'm embarrassing -- I went through a period where I thought retro slang was funny, and then it stuck. I will now, not intending to be funny or ironic or anything, react to good news with "Ace!" Similarly with "neat", "keen-o" and "peachy".
44: My sister does that too. In place of "crap!" or just plain "fuck", she shouts "blast!"
There's a perfectly good reason to shout out BLAST.
"Ace!" is a good one.
I think the link Ben provided is good evidence that, while cop shows are not horrorshow, music videos and trailers based on cop shows are very horrorshow.
JM: how much are you into Wyndham Lewis? I've got maybe 20 of his books, and have been a fan for years.
39: Yeah, the cops on cop shows are usually too stupid to survive anywhere but Mayberry. What is the public's fascination with those all about?
Meanwhile, I'm sticking with "cool". "Airwolf" is best remembered for Deborah Pratt, I think.
In my circle, we refer to being swaying-on-your-feet drunk as "medium Hitchens."
49.--I can't really say I'm a big Lewis fan, but I really, really like the Vorticist Manifesto.
51: That is so ace! From now on, I am always measuring drunkenness on the Hitchens scale.
48: I'll bet you don't like Cop Rock, either. Tsk.
"I'll bet you don't like Cop Rock, either. Tsk."
LizardBreath, mon vieux semblable, I do the same thing. I'm trying to stop, because while saying that something was "peachy-keen" when I was a twenty-something punkette was just adorable, it merely looks aging and clueless now that I am a thirty-something secretary. (On the other hand, I now cuss more with more sincerity and naturalness, so I've gained something at least. ) I also have to be careful, because I used to wear really hideous, much-too-old-for-me clothes when I was in my teens and twenties because it was fun, and I had wacky amusing hair to go along with it. And sometimes I still yearn for those clothes, but now they just make me look like I have a serious mental illness.
I, like LB and Frowner, use "keen", "neato", and "peachy" perfectly sincerely.
Pete's Wicked Ale should be rebranded for sale in California as Pete's Hella Ale. They wouldn't even need to change the packaging.
But I thought Pete's was from Palo Alto? (So it was wicked as in evil and not wicked as in pissah.)
55: rob helpy-chalk's failure to like Cop Rock makes it hard to call his religion etc.
More on-topic: do people actually stop and think about things like what slang they're using? I realize I'm a sloppy and self-unaware person most of the time but damn, that seems a little over the top. Ain't nothing wrong with saying "awesome." I think everyone pretty much trades in their hip credentials* at 30 and that's just the way it is. On the other hand, I've almost certainly had the same crisis of vocabulary and then immediately forgotten it, so whatevs.
* Phrase stolen from Rah.
Pete's Wizard Cocksucker Ale.
Eh, it doesn't bother me much, but every so often I'll hear myself saying "Ace!" when someone tells me a motion's been decided in our favor, and think "Grownups don't talk like that. And neither do kids, at least not since 1962." I'm not sure what it sounds like to other people. I haven't got the attention span to stop myself, anyway.
True: I say "word" all the time as a greeting.
On the topic of self-consciously retro and cool, last night Rah and I saw Squirrel Nut Zippers. Fabulous show. I wouldn't have been surprised at all if the border of the stage had erupted into flames from a surplus of enthusiasm.
Pete's Wizard Cocksucker Ale
Pete's Vagina Handstand Ale is only available seasonally.
63: I do the same thing with "cool." I'd like to think it's not noticeably stupider than my other verbal tics, but who knows.
I ought to be ashamed at how often "dude" comes out of my mouth, but I'm not.
I mostly just say "nice," with an emphasis that's supposed to convey that I don't just mean "nice." I've been needing to diversify for a while. I like "ace" and hereby adopt it as my own.
I tried pretty hard for a while to rehabilitate "groovy" for non-ironic use, but I guess I've given up. Still working on "copasetic," though.
LB, you seriously say "Ace"? That's the bee's knees, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to keep myself from cracking up if I ever heard someone say it non-ironically.
Acording to Pete's's FAQ it's brewed in Utica, NY.
'Groovy!'
'Groovy?'
'Yeah, I read it in a book somewhere.'
I can directly attribute my overuse of "dude" to the influence of a friend of mine in high school. Screw you, Tony.
67: Dude, I am so with you there.
Actually, I totally defend "dude!" as an interjection meant to convey non-judgemental surprise at someone's behavior. As in, "I almost want to tell you that's fucked up, but I'm a to each his own kinda guy, so it's all good. But damn!" I don't know of another single-word expression that does that communicative work.
"Dude" comes out of my mouth all the damn time and I am not ashamed of that, because as JM points out in 37, it is the language of my people.
Also, I've been digging through Wikipedia to find how the vowel in "dude" and "stoked" is properly represented in IPA and coming up bust.
Yeah, few words in the English language can match "dude" for multivocality.
58: Agreed. Although I've been away from the Bay Area for a while, I still take pleasure in describing expensive shit as "hella spendy."
67, 74: "out of" s/b "in"
Sorry for the confusion.
"Hella" just makes me think of this.
I will totally go to bat for "hella." I grew up saying "wicked" but I think "hella" does more work than wicked does. Because not only can I be "hella mad" about something, I can buy "hella cat food." Among other usages. Versatile. Delightful.
Some of my born-and-bred Bay Area friend enjoy saying "hell of" for a mildly ironic somethin' somethin'. "That was hell of stupid."
I also say totally too much.
re 70, originally Palo Alto - sounds like they changed when they got big.
And occasionally I'll say 'swell,' and then I feel like my dad, who says such things, including 'peachy.' I'm also helping bring back old timey exclamations, i.e. Jeepers! I have not uttered the phrase, Jumping Jehosaphat, not knowing what a jehosaphat is nor why it/he/she jumps. I am also not Yosemite Sam.
LB: I get a little neurotic about trying to be age-appropriate from being around students at work and younger activists at play...they consider me an ancient of days, tend to assume that I will do the routine/boring/responsible stuff because I'm an "adult", and painstakingly explain very into-level left-wing stuff to me because to them I'm obviously some random suburbanite who has recently come to activism and has no politics of her own. ["They" are activists, but might as well be students] So I find myself trying to avoid things that will reinforce their "She's old and I resent her because I resent my mom, and besides, old people don't understand anything" prejudices. This is probably counter-productive, and I should just refer to things as "Ace" and "Keeno" and watch them boggle.
Friends, even. Also, I should not give the impression that I have failed to pick this up from them. Since I also am one for a "spiffy" and a "right-ho" I talk like a deranged 1930s British upper-class California surf goof.
I find cackling hollowly and saying "Back when I was a girl," smooths over situations like that remarkably well.
Didn't there used to be a band called the Hellacopters? That's hi-LAR-ious to me, because, you know, it's like there's helicopters, and there are a lot of them (or else they're really something) and so there's hella 'copters.
Simple music for simple souls, I know.
I also picked up "manalive!" from a friend's mother a while back, and it stuck. It's a good one, try it and see.
86: I usually say, "Back in my young day" (which is an expression I adore) and when they ask me how old I am, I say "Ten million".
I'll also go to the bat for "hella," but of course I grew up saying "hecka," about which I've learned to be a bit embarassed.
I think the Hellacopters may still be around.
Don't you just hate it when a band has a cool name and then their music turns out to be teh suck? Hoobastank is a prime example here, and there are others I can't remember at the moment.
I like "manalive!" but my grandfather says "manitoba!" which I think it amazing. Somehow I've morphed it into "Manieschewitz!"
83: Ok, you win. And to think I was misunderstanding its name all this time.
I saw an interview with Hoobastank on TV once, and they said they often reply to the the question of "What does Hoobastank mean?" with the answer, "It's the H in Jesus H. Christ."
I've just realized that I say "howdy" all the damn time. I have no idea how this happened.
I am sorry, but Hoobastank is not a cool name.
I am totally going to start using "hella spiffy" now.
And at least plain ol' Hella is a pretty cool band, so there's something for ya.
And in no circumstances should "peachy keen" be considered outdated slang. I've been using it since late middle school with nothing but good vibes.
92: The correct phrase is "man-o-Manieschewitz!"
I'm kinda horrified that so many people say "hella." Whatever's wrong with "totally"?
102: I blame Achewood, which was the first place I encountered it (and which features a character who says the 'hell of' variant).
I think East Coasters all kind of assumed the Californians were kidding about using hella.
102.--B reveals herself as a Southern Californian.
See, I thought hella was just something people from Davis used, thinking it sounded cool, because they heard people from the Bay Area using it as a joke. Either way, I never used it - growing up or now.
"Hella" is among the worst new words ever. Every time I hear one the kids using it, I want to slap the fuck out of him (or her). It's nearly as bad as the whole "shizzle my nizzle" shite that Snoop inflicted on us.
109: How new do you think it is?
The band just called Hella is still around, and is playing in Palo Alto on 3/1 (my birthday). Also, people in Achewood say "hell of" frequently.
You're oppressing my people, Timbot.
110: I only started hearing it maybe a decade ago.
I see Hella has already been mentioned. I'm skeptical of them now that they've gone from being a duo to a quintet.
109:I never got the combination of dressing like a pimp and talking like a four year old.
you should try dressing like a four year old and talking like a pimp, then.
talking like a four year old
As in spelling everything out? Or the misogynistic profanity?
I'm not from the West Coast so I might be mistaken, but gnar-gnar is great local argot.
A friend says "right on", where I would use something like "oh, okay", and it drives me a little bit crazy for some inexplicable reason.
BTW, when did everyone start saying "no worries"? As in, "Sorry, I ___________" "Eh, no worries."
Worse, I find myself saying it until I remind myself: I'm not Australian.
I do that! I don't know when it started, though I think it was from Spanish class, not some Aussie.
At least it's replacing "my bad," which was just about the most annoying thing ever.
"My bad."
"No worries."
And then they knock knuckles.
I do "my bad" too, but I like that one. Hell, I looove that one.
"What up" is pretty annoying (though oddly, "dope" and "yeah, I'm down" aren't as bad). Also, that fucking "no friction" handshake that seems to be a West Coast thing.
In local dirty-hippie circles, "Right on" is a semi-phatic, non-committal response...it may indicate cheerful non-comprehension, non-caring, or simply a wish to make someone feel validated without getting involved with what they're actually saying, and it's always said with the emphasis on "right".
It's sort of the left-wing "You go, girl."
So, for example:
"Lately I've been reading Lukacs on the novel and trying to put that together with the reading of Freud in Franco Moretti's The Way of the World"
"Right on."
or
"I think we should just go out there with baseball bats and show those Socialist Worker's Party types where to get off!"
"Right on."
In fact, a significant milestone for me was thinking meta-ish-ly enough about my conversational practices to be able to say "Right on" when I didn't want to get into it with people. That's kind of sad, but I'm a late bloomer.
121: It was listening to a lot of Australian Public Radio that did it to me. But I still don't regret the radio listening. And I think all the Aussie uptalking is kind of cute.
I like "right on" in the '70's "fuck yeah", "more power to ya" sense, which I rarely have occasion to use. So sometimes I slip it in in the "oh, okay" sense just to get to say it.
128: Think the canonical giving of "a pound," but instead of knocking knuckles you're both supposed to do this ridiculous jazz-hands fwooshing past each other.
I'm not describing it very well. Because I really hate it.
On a related note, one of my favorite dirty-hippie moments was this: some years ago now, when there was a (actually rather vexing) little clique of theory boys in the bookstore where I volunteer, we were all waiting for the bi-weekly meeting to start, and one of the theory boys bounced into the room like Tigger, sprang towards us, and cried, "Knives out, motherfuckers!"
127: Along similar lines, I often greet people with the completely nonsensically redundent "hey yo", and I have been for a few years at the least.
It kind of throws people off at work...
127: my much younger, soon-to-be-former roommate says "What Uuuuuuuuup" to me in a sort of high-pitched, fake-yell way that forces me to suppress a homicidal impulse every day when I first get home.
My superior eavesdropping capabilities inform me that a certain younger demographic uses "tight" as a surperlative expletive.
"Knives out, motherfuckers!"
I think I just found my new greeting.
132 is great.
I'm pretty fond of "hey yo," actually. Especially if it's delivered in a laconic I-just-smoked-a-bowl kind of drawl. (And I think you have be particularly b-boy or b-girl to get away with "tight," but some people pull it off.) But 134, yeah, that's just the kind of thing I'm talking about.
Frowner describes perfectly my associations with "right on": vaguely validating without engaging, yes.
Let me take this occasion to express my utter lack of surprise at SCMT's 126.
Damn, I say "my bad" and "no worries." I also say "What up?" Also "What up, dawg?" "What up, slice?" and "Yo, slice" and "Yo yo yo, G-money" (his name starts with a G and he's a trader--cut me some slack, Slack). But "hella" is wrong.
138: It could be worse; I could have used "hella my bad."
Anyone else say "fuck a duck" a lot? Gadzooks and zoiks are other favorites.
I use "dawg" a lot, but that's straight aping of Jordan.
139: his name starts with a G and he's a trader
And that's supposed to make it better? Dude!
134: This is worse when "dog" is added to the end. Worse still is when -dog, the suffix, is appended to someone's name. As in, "Whas up, blogdog?" Only "blog" would be something like "Steve" or "Nate" or "Snoop."
Yeah, the trouble with "knives out, motherfuckers" is that you want to go out of your way to say it. This isn't always wise--it's usually a little hip for the room, you know.
146: But what if you're usually a little hip for the room, too? That could Moira, and it just might work.
Jackmormondawg is not down with the duck-fucking.
144: As in, "Whas up, blogdog?"
This cracks me up. I have to stop reading this thread right now.
One of my favorite current nicknames in use comes from a friend who refers to another friend of mine (whose name starts with the letter "C") as "Salty C-Dog." I can't bring myself to say it but I love hearing it.
If 132 is anything but a non sequitor, I'm not getting it. The initial Google results don't look like anything I'd want to delve into.
Especially if it's delivered in a laconic I-just-smoked-a-bowl kind of drawl.
It's... It's like you know me!
What about "nice"? Anyone else use it?
But what if you're usually a little hip for the room, too? That could Moira
You're right, that is pretty Moira.
147: Well, the trouble is that usually when you're a little too hip for the room, people just think you're a little odd. But when you're too hip for the room and you start things off with something like "Knives out, motherfuckers!" people get a bit uneasy. I know this, you see, from experience.
You can certainly try this at home, though--your rooms may just be hipper than mine.
What about "nice"? Anyone else use it?
Yeah, I do. Fuck, I guess I don't speak in anything but these damn slang phrases.
Wow, I didn't know anybody else said "fuck a duck," although, given the "Yo, slice," etc, I don't feel any better about it now. It's usually reserved for when the more satisfying "Fuck me" might be overheard and misunderstood.
"Zoiks," however, is often just the right word.
My preferred substitute for "fuck a duck" is "fuckbunnies!"
155: No, it's just original humor...it's a crazy, mixed-up, free-style kind of thing people used to do back before post-modernity hit--they'd make up their own material, totally unauthorized, not out of the Monster Fun Grimoire or anything.
It was just funny because it was, well, you know, "Knives out, motherfuckers!"...particularly when it was delivered to a bunch of slack-jawed leftists waiting for their meeting to start.
Once you have a toddler in the house, you find out exactly what phrases come out of your mouth most often. Apparently in my case, "goddammit" is leading by a wide margin. I guess I should just be happy that Noah uses it correctly.
An Italian friend got me saying "Fongool" where "Fuck me" wouldn't be appropriate, and that's pretty satisfying.
All the "yo" stuff is between friends. That makes it better, right?
Does anyone remember the dog barking thing? Now that was annoying.
Who let the ogged out? (Woof woof woof woof)
When did chest bumps replace high-fives, BTW? Also, I use "Big Man" a bit, too.
Gods, I thought he was making an Arsenio Hall reference.
I use "Big Man" a bit, too.
This I don't think I've ever said.
170.--Chest bumps for, like, basketball players? Or for IT workers, lawyers, and philosophers?
173: IT workers have now switched to the jersey tug, I believe.
I have never chest bumped anyone.
You too? I thought teofilo was the only one still holding his V-card.
165: Absolutely right. Let's see, we've had "I didn't get anything done today" (which I have totally stopped saying), "ass," "damnit"; there's also "totally," "completely," "absolutely," "you have a point, but . . ." and "is it just me, or . . . ?"
I also say "What up?" Also "What up, dawg?" "What up, slice?" and "Yo, slice" and "Yo yo yo, G-money" (his name starts with a G and he's a trader--cut me some slack, Slack). But "hella" is wrong.
I can't believe anyone would admit to this. I'm embarrassed for you.
174: Ogged hasn't the chest to pull it off.
You know, I also call people "baby," as in "you know it, baby," "I'm on it, baby," etc.
I really sound like a horrible person now, don't I?
But you know what, I love saying this stuff. I'm not gonna stop. Hella no.
I'm picturing you hollering these things out the window of your black BMW, your gold chains nestled in luxurious Persian chest hair.
Dawg.
My mental image of ogged: changed!
I was about to say that this has been one of the most revealing threads we've had. I should note, earnestly, that about 90% of my day-to-day speech is meant to be taken with a wink, so factor that in.
I'm picturing you hollering these things out the window of your black BMW, your gold chains nestled in luxurious Persian chest hair.
Not to mention my thick Iranian accent. No laydeez can reeseest eet.
So you wink while saying "you know it, baby" out the window of your black beamer?
I'm not seeing how this makes things any better.
Damn, I say "my bad" and "no worries." I also say "What up?" Also "What up, dawg?" "What up, slice?" and "Yo, slice" and "Yo yo yo, G-money" (his name starts with a G and he's a trader--cut me some slack, Slack). But "hella" is wrong.
I do not know if this helps or hurts ogged, but I say "what up" and "my bad" too.
If we ever try another Boston meetup "Knives out, motherfuckers!" must be the password.
I can't say Dude, or at least ought not to say it, but I find in many cases "Gosh" is an adequate substitute.
Mental image of Idealist: changed more!
I've been digging through Wikipedia to find how the vowel in "dude" and "stoked" is properly represented in IPA and coming up bust.
ɯ and ɤ, respectively.
I can't say Dude
I say "dude" all the time. But for this, I blame LizardBreath and the other young lawyers I have worked with. In fact, I think I picked up "dude" from her.
Gosh ain't nothin' like dude. Dude.
I can't say "Dude" in my own voice. I suggested it this week as how my son might have tried to tell his friend he was wrong: "...uh, Dude..." but there it was clear from context it wasn't me whom I meant might be saying it. And my son right away replied that is exactly what he did say. Teasing my children, or maybe a few other people, is another possible application for me.
I like to refer to people as "Sunny Jim", as in "Don't patronize me with your fancy airs, Sunny Jim."
You know, I also call people "baby," as in "you know it, baby," "I'm on it, baby," etc.
I say "Who loves you, baby?" a fair bit.
Probably the most cringeworthy thing I regularly call people is "hon." I picked the habit up from a girlfriend from New Brunswick and can't seem to get rid of it, though I hate hearing it come out of my mouth.
Who do you call "hon?" Significant others, or everyone? If the latter, glass houses, baby.
I used to do "hon," which I picked up from a friend. I got it hammered out of me, though.
the most cringeworthy thing I regularly call people is "hon."
If you are a 50 years old woman working in a truck stop in Alabama, "hon" is perfectly appropriate.
Passwords probably shouldn't be something liable to get you attacked when you try them on the wrong group.
Personally, I'm going for a revival of zounds.
Female friends, mostly. Plexiglass houses?
202: If you are a 50 years old woman working in a truck stop in Alabama
Yeah, see, therein lies the problem.
Female friends, mostly.
So, you're the non-threatening male friend they all sleep with at some point, right?
I've always wanted to call someone "dollface"...come to that, I may try it out when I'm next at the bookstore.
So, you're the non-threatening male friend they all sleep with at some point, right?
Jeebus. You mean that works?
Gosh ain't nothin' like dude. Dude.
It's not as flexible, but in certain circumstances it can do the same job. In the right tone of voice it can convey "I can't believe you just said or did that, and I couldn't disagree more, but I'm not going to get into it, because I'm thinking you're from another planet." Okay, maybe it's not exactly Dude, but I feel there's an age cut-off for Dude that's behind me. However, I do occasionally call someone Baby, but only ironically.
Well... not "all."
Goddamn non-threateing male friends.
Jeebus. You mean that works?
It's an even split between sleeping with you and thinking you're gay.
I read about 170 of these comments, went and got my dinner, and when my partner saw it, he pronounced it "Freeze-mungous" for no apparent reason. I tend to say things are supercool; my only defence being that I got it from my 4 year old. And I call everyone babe.
213: And I call everyone babe.
Women can get away with that, though.
You mean that works?
Not for white guys, no.
I call almost any unknown male "mack" when addressing them in annoyance such as when, say, hollering at them from my vehicle; something along the lines of, "Nice turn signal, mack," etc.
Once upon a time I called many people "sweetie."
216: My equivalent of your "mack" is "dumbass".
I use "right on" now and then. And "nice" but almost always as "niiiiiiiiiiiice", and usually in reference to something appalling someone has said.
"The guy in the dark glasses bumped into me so I took away hit white stick and beat the hell out of him!"
"Niiiiiiiiiiiice."
Latest urban speak heard in Newark and Elizabeth, NJ.
"That's off the meat rack."
Naturally, that's to describe something as incredibly good.
...or, lately, "shit-dog!"
202: My coworkers and I call a lunch-counter deli-cafe place near our office "Hey Sweetie's" because of the woman who works there, who variously greets customers as "sweetie", "honey", "babe", "darling", or "my love". Sometimes I'll receive as many as four different endearments in one visit.
The Wire slang is also very good.
Mope, Shitbird, gump, tip on out, etc.
I think my favorite is that a misdemeanor is called "a humble."
I picked up a variation on "niiiiiiiice" from a friend's two-year-old, who said "riiiiiiiiiight," in the exact same tones, both as the kind of comment one uses "nice" for and for a lot of the circumstances when one might just say "yes." He's stopped now, I think, but the "riiiiiiiight" lives on.
I've discovered that in the last couple of years I've started calling people pal. I actually use the phrase, 'thanks, pal.'
Worse, now I call my GF, familiar children and - gasp - our dogs - sweetheart or sweetie. Needless to say, the GF is displeased to hear me calling my dog sweetheart one minute and then HER sweetheart the next. Yeah, I need to work on that.
Basically, I'm just getting ready for when the dementia sets in and forget everyone's name.
Which reminds me - some friend of my dad's would call every man one name and every woman another. Sadly, I can't remember what the names were but they were straight out of some 60's flick, like Chad and Trixie (which is how a gay friend of mine referred to the hordes of straight people milling about the Marina - Chads and Trixies).
Oh, and circa 1998 I started calling every dog and infant Bubba. God help me.
226: A co-worker calls people "guy." As in, "hey, guy!" Grates, that does.
I also dislike being called "boss."
I call my GF, familiar children and - gasp - our dogs - sweetheart or sweetie
I call little girls "sweetheart" and little boys "buddy." I am the patriarchy.
I have to resist calling little boys (including as young as toddlers) 'little man.' Ugh.
A Kiwi friend and I got on a big Thunderbirds kick for a while and went around saying "F.A.B.," in place of, for instance, "Rock On," etc. I forgot about when he moved for a job, but now I do believe I'll start saying it again.
"Punkin" and "peanut" for small children under four.
Shivbunny has only spoken to me by my first name twice since we've been dating. "Babe", "sweetheart", "sweetie", or "beautiful" since then.
The use of real names in relationships is totally passe. I confess that I am a nickname bestowing machine when it comes to girlfriends. Yes, I'll be voting for George Bush in '08.
227: I've heard "Chad" and "Trixie" used disparagingly to refer to the young professional consultant types in Chicago.
227: Someone who's lived in both Chicago and the Bay Area (oh, no one in particular) should confirm this, but aren't Marina women basically Trixies in the Chicago sense?
hordes of straight people milling about the Marina - Chads and Trixies
hahahahahaha, that's awesome.
(um, I guess "awesome" still turns out to be the fallback...)
I'm a big fan of ironic use of Sport/Champ/Slugger/Chief/Big Guy, and, for some very special people, Honus.
He's from Chicago - that must be it. Still: awesome.
I have a tendency to remember words that are kindof on the strange and archaic side. I am known for referring to anything the least bit mischievous, malicious, or malignant as nefarious. I also like to call good things splendiferous when I can remember. This is the result of my conscious plan to increase the average syllable count of myself and those around me (most of my friends have at least picked up on nefarious, probably because it's such a good word).
I have a tendency to remember words that are kindof on the strange and archaic side.
Huzzah!
I have to resist calling little boys (including as young as toddlers) 'little man.' Ugh.
I actually *do* call PK "little man." Also, "buddy." I use "sweetie" or "sweetheart" for little kids indiscrimately, though I'm sure I do it more with girls. Luckily, the other day when I was in talking-to-kids mode with some little girl friend of PKs, I found myself calling her "little woman," though, so I feel like I'm okay.
But PK's real nickname is "Mr. Gr/unty," which I will not put on my blog, ever, god forbid my parents or whoever take it into their heads to google it some day. By extension, all small children are "gr/unties."
Other verbal ticks: "puhleeze," "way," and the unavoidable "dude." I also sometimes call girlfriends "woman." And, when I'm trying to hold back a bit and be kinda girly and non-threatening, I use "like." A lot.
I'm sure I have others, but since I can't think of them, I feel justified in saying that you lot are just way trying too hard to be cool.
I sometimes call boys of, oh, 4-8 "big man." It always looks like a bit of an ego boost.
I tried using "dealer" for "awesome," but it didn't go anywhere. And a while back we replaced "fuck" with "pants," which worked pretty well -- Go pants yourself, Pants me harder!, etc.
I don't know how any young person can survive without "dude" in the vocabulary. It's got a double function as a not-overly-friendly appellation "hey, dude" and the opening word of stories-where-something-really-fucked-up-happened. "Dude."
There's a first year who's taken to calling me "boss." It amuses me, but probably because I've never been called it before.
I use pretty much all of the slang that ogged uses, except for this "slice" business, which I don't approve of.
It's over between you and JackMormon, leblanc.
I call people 'chief', if I'm doing something for them: "Hey, LB, can you see if there's any law on this point?" "Sure thing, chief!" Come to think of it, I say "Sure thing!" a lot.
I picked up a variation on "niiiiiiiice" from a friend's two-year-old, who said "riiiiiiiiiight," in the exact same tones, both as the kind of comment one uses "nice" for and for a lot of the circumstances when one might just say "yes." He's stopped now, I think, but the "riiiiiiiight" lives on.
I worked with a guy like this in the Peace Corps. Big friendly guy, kind of looked like a bison (long curly brown hair and beard, big chest), and could participate apparently enthusiastically in a conversation for hours without saying anything other than "Riiiiiight" in various tones of voice. We eventually started calling him Mr. Right.
231: I refer to Noah as "little man" every now and again, and did it to his brother when he was a toddler, too. I call all babies "pork chop."
I call all babies "pork chop."
That's an accident waiting to happen.
My children are, indiscriminately, "Rabbit" or "Rabbits". I'm not sure why.
As long as they're not "Pickle" and "Chicken."
I don't know how any young person can survive without "dude" in the vocabulary.
Preach it dude.
L.A. upbringing + a lot of surfer friends means "dude" and "no worries" are longtime staples for me.
Also, my children are often "smurf".
for some very special people, Honus.
I'm stealing that.
Alternatively, assholes could be called "Cobb".
Oh yes, "no worries" is one I use a lot.
"Hon" kind of bugs the crap out of me. OTOH, my boyfriend calls me "doll," and it totally kills me every time.
216, 217: "Nice move, genius" for men, "nice move, chickadee" for women. Possibly sexist. But my son learned what "facetious" meant at a very early age.
I've run through a series of names for him, starting with Munchkin Man when he was an infant and randomly evolving from there. It's mostly been Small Walrus for a while now. I have no idea why.
I think "darling" is adorable when said by old people from New Orleans. Also, "chickens" as a collective form of address.
my son learned what "facetious" meant
PK learned "sarcastic," and regularly says things like, "Mama, are you being sarcastic?" or, after he himself says "oh, great" or something along those lines, "I'm being sarcastic."
re: 244
Not a word of a lie, that, or a variation of it, was my family nickname when I was a kid. G/runt, that is. There was no 'Mr'. The family folk etymology had something to do with the snuffling noises babies make, I think.
My sister's equally embarrassing kid nickname -- I won't repeat it here -- persisted right into her early teens and she hated it.
More generally, older Scottish ladies use 'hen' as a form of address, for almost everyone. I hated it when I was a kid, but I've no idea why. It doesn't bother me now.
Cliché has it that 'Jimmy' is used as a generic form of address for guys (especially in Glasgow), and, while it's much used as a comic trope by stand-up comics and sit-coms, in my experience, some people really do say it.
Heh, I sometimes call him G/runt, yes. And for the same reason: he grunted as a baby. Still does, sometimes, when he laughs.
I call guys "hoss" whenever I think they're getting a little too big for their britches or trying to blow smoke. "You can bench 350? Sure thing, hoss."
I am late to the party, but the mannerism I picked up by first mocking it and then being stuck with it is greeting other women with:
What's up, Chickeeeeeeeee!
It leaves my mouth, everyone looks at me, I'm slightly embarrassed, but I cannot stop.
Ogged, if it were not for your denouncement of the hella I grew up with, I would think quite highly of you by now. Ah well.
"Hella" is awful. Another one I've noticed here in Salt Lake, endorsing things by labeling them, "the bomb". Bad times.
Per Aaron Cometbus, people here in Ice City are supposed to be repulsed by "hella." When I read that, I immediately started using the word where appropriate, even though, in general, I still find it awfully affected.
Also, you have not been called a generic, slangy form of address until you've worked in the financial industry -- dude, guy, chief, boss, big guy, friend, pal, buddy, man, honey -- not to mention all of the conversation-ender catchphrases -- you're beautiful, you're the best, that's why you get the big bucks, come out here and we'll treat you to a lap dance, etc, etc. It gets, to say the least, old after awhile.
"Come out here and we'll treat you to a lap dance"?
Well, I didn't say that I'd taken them up on it.
257: If we really get going on pet names in this thread, it's going to get painful.
I greet certain of my fellow Jews with "hebro".
But I have never said "my bad".
But I have never said "my bad".
Of course you haven't.
I've never been called "big guy" by someone who was not significantly taller than me. Similarly, I've never been addressed as "boss" or "chief" by anyone who was not my direct superior.
For some reason, among mine it was always "the tits," never just "tits."
Proper locution is "the tits and ass". Use it anywhere you would otherwise use "the cat's pajamas".
if you're going that route the proper term should be airwolf cocksucker. It has the same sort of flow of the tongue as standpipe bridgeplate don't it?
I plead guilty to "my bad" and to "no worries."
I do not, however, say "'sall good."
251: To eat one child is an accident; to eat two looks like carelessness.
Hypothesis: displaying the actual comment number in boldface would reduce the common error of citing comment X instead of comment Y in comment Z, when comment Y cites comment X.
You say that like it would be a good thing.
MaxPolun is bluffing. He has no direct knowledge of the flow of my tongue.
The Bridgeplate doth protest too much, methinks.
Just because you do, teo, doesn't mean everyone else does.
I didn't do anything; it just sorta happened.
I didn't do anything; it just sorta happened.
Tell it to Dan Savage.
274: Road-tested "the tits and ass" last night and it is officially disapproved. Apparently it sounds over-specific.
I'm pleased to report that "totally airwolf" does seem to work as a substitute for awesome, although my research staff inform me that it should properly denote "awesome despite immense cheesiness."
Speaking of irritating slangular tropes, the verbatim parting words of an anonymous coked-up fratboy* at one point in the evening: "True dat, brah. Peace out."
(* "Coked-up" and "fratboy" are both irresponsible speculations.)
It's one of life's little ironies that anytime someone says goodbye by saying "peace," god wants you to beat the crap out of that person.
