way. Those bums are masters at the
shakedown.Shake it (up)!exclam. Hurry!; Move faster!
Get going, chum! Shake it up! We’re
late. Shake it!
shakeoutn. an event that eliminates the
weak or unproductive elements from a
system. After a shakeout that lasted a
month, we went into full production.
There was a big shakeout at the plant, and
a whole lot of people got pink-slipped.
shakesn. the delirium tremens. I got the
shakes again. That’s what I get for putting
soda water in my whisky. In the last
stages, they have the shakes all the time.
shake someone down 1. tv. to blackmail
someone. (Underworld.) Fred was try-
ing to shake Tracy down, but she got the
cops in on it. TThe police chief was try-
ing to shake down just about everybody in
town. 2. tv. to put pressure on someone
to lend one money. We tried to shake
them down for a few hundred, but no deal.
If you’re trying to shake me down, for-
get it. I got a case of the shorts.
shake-upn. a reorganization. After a
shake-up like the one we’ve just been
through, everybody’s a little upset. Fred
and Clare both survived the shake-up.
shaky-camn.a camera, used mainly in ad-
vertisements and documentaries, that is
shaken and moved constantly to create a
sense of excitement, urgency, or crisis.
We can’t afford much in the way of cos-
tumes for the sequence, so we will use the
shaky-cam and shoot it in dim light.
They used the shaky-cam so much that I
get seasick just watching the ads.
shamGo to cham.
sham(m)us[“Sem@s] n. a police officer or
a detective. (Probably from Yiddish.)
One thing that a shamus always knows is
when another shamus is following him.
This is it, shammus, say your prayers.
shammyGo to cham.
shampersGo to champers.
shampoon. champagne. (See also cham;
champers; poo.) I just love this bub-
bly shampoo! There is nothing like
shampoo to liven up a party!
shank 1. n. a knife. The mugger pulled
a shank on the victim. The cops found
the shank in the bushes. 2. in. to dance.
They were busy shankin’ and didn’t hear
the gunshots. We were all shankin’ to a
great reggae band.shank ittv. to use one’s legs to get some-
where; to walk. My car needs fixing so
I had to shank it to work today. I like
to shank it every now and then.
shank’s maren. foot travel. Yo u’ l l f i n d
that shank’s mare is the quickest way to get
across town. Is there a bus, or do I have
to use shank’s mare?shape up 1. in. to improve; to reform.
I want to get things shaped up around
here. I guess I’d better shape up if I want
to stay in school. 2. in. to assume a final
form or structure. The game plan for
the election was beginning to shape up.
Her objectives began to shape up in her se-
nior year.
shape up or ship outin. improve or get
out. I’ll tell you one more time. Shape
up or ship out! They told me I had to
shape up or ship out.shark 1. n. a swindler; a confidence oper-
ator. (Underworld.) The sharks were
lined up ten deep to get at the blue-eyed
new owner of the bowling alley. The
guy’s a shark, and he’s after your hard-
earned money! 2. n. a lawyer. (Deroga-
tory.) Some shark is trying to squeeze
a few grand out of me. Hire another
shark to go after him.
shark repellentn. something that prevents
corporate takeovers. (Securities markets.)
Acme Systems tried again to get its
board to approve a shark repellent to keep
the Widget cartel from acquiring it. The
shark repellent wasn’t enough.sharp 1. mod. clever; intelligent. She’s a
real sharp chick! Got lots of savvy. She’s
sharp enough to see right through every-
thing you say. 2. mod. good-looking; well-
dressed. You really look sharp today.
That’s a sharp set of wheels you got there.Shake it (up)!