puters.) They traded in the old com-
puter for a powerful number-cruncher.
The small one is reserved for minor proj-
ects. The really big and important jobs are
run on the number-cruncher.number crunchingn. using a computer to
solve enormously complicated or com-
plex mathematical problems. I don’t
do a lot of number crunching, so I don’t
need a terribly fast machine. I use the
big mainframe computer for number
crunching.
number one 1. mod. top rate; best; closest.
(See also numero uno.) We heard the
number one high school band in the whole
state last night. This is my number one
buddy, Tom. 2. n. oneself. I don’t know
who will pay for the broken window, but
old number one isn’t! Everything always
comes back to number one. I have to solve
everybody’s problems. 3. n. urination; an
act of urination. Jimmy made a mess in
his pants. But don’t worry. It’s just num-
ber one.
number twon. defecation; an act of defe-
cation. Mommy! I gotta do a number
two. God, what’s that smell? Number
two?
numbnutsn. a jerk; a worthless person.
(Usually a male.) Hey, numbnuts! What
did you do that for?
numero uno[“num#o “uno] 1. n. number
one; the best. (Spanish. See also number
one.) This coffee is numero uno in my
book. Mary is numero uno in our office.
You’ll have to ask her. 2. n. oneself; num-
ber one. I always look out for numero
uno. What’s in it for numero uno?
nummy[“n@mi] tasty; yummy. (Also juve-
nile or baby talk.) This cake is just
nummy. Here, Jimmy, don’t you want
a spoon of this nummy food?
nurdGo to nerd.
nurts and nerts[n#ts] 1. n. nonsense.
Don’t talk that kind of nurts to me! Oh,
that’s just nerts. I don’t believe a word of
it. 2. interj. <a mild expression of distress
or dismay.> (Usually Nerts!; Nurts!.)
Oh, nerts! I forgot my wallet. Nerts! I
dropped my keys.
nut 1. n. an odd or strange person; a crazy
person. Who is that nut over there in
the corner? Some nut is going to try to
f ly from the top of one building to another.- n. (one’s) head. A brick fell and hit
him on the nut. The baseball came in
fast. Clonk! Right on the nut! 3. n. an en-
thusiast (about something). Paul is a
nut about chocolate cake. Mary is a
party nut.
nutcaken. a stupid person. (See also fruit-
cake.) Stop acting like such a nutcake
all the time. My sister can be a real nut-
cake if she tries.
nut factoryGo to nuthouse.
nut-foundryGo to nuthouse.
nuthatchGo to nuthouse.
nuthouse and nut factory; nut-foundry;
nuthatchn. an insane asylum. The
judge spent three years in the nuthouse.
They’re going to send you to the nut-
foundry some day.
nutpickn. a psychoanalyst. Bill pays a
nutpick about $100 an hour just to listen.
What do you have to know to be a nut-
pick?
nuts 1. mod. crazy. You’re nuts if you
think I care. That whole idea is just nuts! - exclam. No!; I don’t believe you!; I
don’t care! (Usually Nuts!) Nuts! You
don’t know what you are talking about.
Oh, nuts! I forgot my wallet. 3. n. the tes-
ticles. (Usually objectionable.) Chuck
got kneed in the nuts in a football game.
She tried to kick him in the nuts, like she’d
seen on television, but he turned too
quickly.
nuts and bolts 1. n. the mundane work-
ings of something; the basics of some-
thing. I want you to learn how to write
well. You have to get down to the nuts and
bolts of writing. She’s got a lot of good,
general ideas, but when it comes to the nuts
and bolts of getting something done, she’s
no good. 2. n. the subject of psychology
in college. I took a class in nuts and
bolts and didn’t learn anything at all about
what makes me tick. Tom is f lunking
nuts and bolts because he won’t participate
in the required “experiments.”
number crunching