Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

(Amelia) #1
stakes in preparation for departure.) 
They just upped stakes and left without
saying good-bye. It’s that time of the
year when I feel like upping stakes and
moving to the country.

up the creek (without a paddle)Go to
up shit creek (without a paddle).


up the polemod. alcohol intoxicated. 
You sound a little up the pole. Why don’t
you call back when you’re sober? She’s
up the pole and shouldn’t drive.


up the rivermod. in prison. (Underworld.)
Gary was up the river for a couple of
years, but that doesn’t make him a crim-
inal, does it? The judge who sent him
up the river was indicted for accepting
bribery. If Gary had only known sooner!


up the wallmod. in a very bad situation.
He’s really up the wall about Mary’s ill-
ness. We were all up the wall until the
matter was resolved.


uptightmod. anxious. Dave always seems
uptight about something. He is one up-
tight guy. Don’t get uptight before the
test.


up timen. the time when a computer is
running. (Compare this with down
time.) You’ll get the maximum up time
with this machine. On some systems the
down time is longer than the up time.


up to heremod. having as much as one can
bear. I’m up to here with your excuses!
We are all up to here with this mystery.


up to one’s earsGo to up to one’s eye-
balls


up to one’s eyeballs and up to one’s
earsmod. filled up with something. 
She’s up to her ears in marriage propos-
als. We’re up to our eyeballs in spare
parts.


up to one’s kneesmod. deep in some-
thing, such as paperwork or water. (See
also knee-deep in something.) We’re


up to our knees with orders and getting
more all the time. The orders are up to
our knees.
up to one’s neckmod. filled up with
something. I am up to my neck in other
people’s grief and anguish. We are all up
to our necks in your problems.
up to scratch and up to snuffmod. sat-
isfactory; up to what is expected. This
just isn’t up to scratch. You’ll have to do it
again. The food was up to snuff, but the
hotel staff was not at its usually efficient
best.
up to snuffGo to up to scratch.
Up yours!exclam. Go to hell!; Drop dead!
(Usually objectionable.) I won’t do it!
Up yours!
theurge to purgen. the need to throw up.
Pete felt the urge to purge and ran for
the john. All this grease on the pizza
gives me the urge to purge.
urpGo to earp.
use[juz] tv. & in. to use (drugs); to take
drugs habitually. (Drugs and now widely
known.) I tried to stop using, but I
couldn’t. I couldn’t face myself if I
started using the stuff again.
usern. a drug user; a drug addict. (Drugs.)
I want to stop being a user, but I can’t
do it by myself. I’m no user! Maybe a
joint now and then, and an upper on a
dreary morning—but I’m no user!
Use your head! and Use your noggin!;
Use your noodle!exclam. Think!; Think
it through! You know the answer. Use
your head! Use your noggin! It’s there
for more than hanging your hat on.
Use your noggin!Go to Use your head!
Use your noodle!Go to Use your head!
UVs[“ju”viz] n. ultravioletrays from the
sun; sunshine. (Initialism.) I wanna get
some UVs before we go home. Watc h out
for those UVs.

UVs
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