Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

(Amelia) #1

A-1 and A number 1mod. of the highest
rating. This steak is really A-1! I
would like to get an A number 1 secretary
for a change.


abbreviated piece of nothingn. an in-
significant person or thing. Tell that
abbreviated piece of nothing to get his tail
over here, but fast. Why don’t you drive
your abbreviated piece of nothing over to
the service station and have a new muff ler
put on?


aben.a five-dollar bill. (From the picture
of Abraham Lincoln on the bill.) She
tipped him an abe for his help. This
wine cost three abes. It had better be good.


able to cut somethingtv. able to manage
or execute something. (Often negative.)
Do you think you’re able to cut it? He’s
just not able to cut it.


(a)bout it mod. ready; knowledgeable;
cool.(Streets.) Sam is smart. He’s really
about it.


abs [Abz] n. the abdominal muscles.
(Bodybuilding.) Look at the abs on that
guy. Like a crossword puzzle. I do sit-ups
to harden my abs.


abso-bloody-lutely[“Absobl@di”lutli] mod.
absolutely; emphatically. We are abso-
bloody-lutely sick to death of your wishy-
washy attitude.


absotively (posilutely) [“Abs@”tIvli
“paz@”lutli] mod. absolutely; decidedly. 
I will be there at ten, absotively posilutely.
I am absotively exhausted!


accidentally-on-purposemod. deliberate,
but meant to look like an accident. 
Then I accidentally-on-purpose spilled wa-
ter on him. I knew it was done acci-


dentally-on-purpose. That kind of thing
doesn’t just happen.
AC-DC and AC/DCmod. bisexual. (Initial-
ism.) I didn’t realize at first that we
were in an AC-DC bar! Clare said Tom
is AC/DC, but I don’t believe it.

ace 1. mod. [of persons] best; top-rated.
She is an ace reporter with the newspa-
per. Frank is an ace swimmer. 2. n. one
dollar. Give me an ace. I have to get
some telephone change. It only costs an
ace. Buy two. 3. tv. to pass a test easily,
with an A grade. (See also ace out.) 
Man, I really aced that test. I knew I
wouldn’t ace it, but I never thought I’d
f lunk it! 4. n. <a nickname for a foolish
and ineffectual person.> (Sarcastic. Usu-
ally a term of address.) Hey, ace, hand
me that monkey wrench—if you know
what one is. Look, ace, you can’t expect
to fix an engine without getting dirty. 5.
tv. to surpass someone or something; to
beat someone or something; to ace
someone out. The Japanese firm aced
the Americans by getting the device onto
the shelves first. Fred aced Tom in the
contest for the best beard.
ace boom-boom and ace boon-coonn.
one’s good and loyal friend. (Black. Ace
boon-coonis not as common as the first
entry and is objected to because ofcoon.)
Hey girlfriend, you are my ace boom-
boom. We’re ace boon-coons. The best
friends there is.
ace boon-coonGo to ace boom-boom

aced 1. mod. outmaneuvered; outscored. 
Rebecca really got aced in the track meet.
“You are aced, sucker!” shouted Rebecca
as she passed Martha in the 100-yard
sprint. 2. mod. alcohol intoxicated. 

A

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