"C" Slang

can of worms

General

A situation that, once started, creates many new complications.

can you dig it

Music

A call for agreement or solidarity, expecting a yes.

can-can

General

An air trick where the rider takes one foot off its pedal, kicks that leg over the top tube to the other side, then returns it before landing. It is named for the high-kicking dance.

can't never could

General

A homespun maxim: those who say they can't never accomplish anything—so think positive.

cana

General

The police, the cops (collectively 'la cana'), or a single policeman. The source is debated; the Academia Portena del Lunfardo notes possible links to French argot 'canne' or to 'cana' (gray hair/old guard), without fixing one.

canary in the coal mine

General

An early indicator that signals a larger problem is coming.

canberra bubble

General

The self-referential world of politicians, staffers and press-gallery journalists in the national capital, out of touch with ordinary voters.

cancel

Internet

To publicly boycott or denounce a person over objectionable behaviour, often as a coordinated fandom action.

canceled

Internet

To withdraw support from a public figure or brand after offensive conduct, often via social media pressure. The broader phenomenon is "cancel culture."

cancelled

Internet

Used loosely and jokingly to dramatically reject anything.

candy paint

Street

A multi-layer translucent paint finish — typically a metallic base coat under several coats of tinted clear — that makes a car look glassy, jewel-toned, and a foot deep. Reds, blues, greens, oranges so bright they look digital. Born in West Coast lowrider culture, perfected in Houston on slabs, and immortalized in tracks like Paul Wall's 'Sittin' Sidewayz.'

candyman

General

A down-and-out bailiff hired to carry out evictions of miners in hard times.

cangri

General

Someone who's the champ, the best, top dog at what they do; also used for an attractive, high-status person. Popular in reggaeton.

cannabinoids

Street

The family of chemical compounds in cannabis that interact with the body's receptors to produce effects.

cannacurious

Street

Describes someone curious about exploring cannabis who has little or no prior experience.

cannagar

Street

A large, cigar-shaped cannabis roll, typically made of pressed flower wrapped in a cannabis or hemp leaf and sometimes dipped in concentrate, meant to burn for a long time.

cannon

Street

In American underworld slang a 'cannon' is a pickpocket, especially an expert one. The racket itself is 'on the cannon.'

cannon fodder

General

Soldiers, historically infantry, sent into battle with the expectation that they will be killed — regarded by commanders as expendable.

cannonball delts

General

Noticeably large, round deltoid muscles that pop out from the shoulders like cannonballs.

canny

General

In the northeast (Geordie), nice, pleasant, or good.

canny few

General

A fair number or quite a lot of something.

canny toon

General

An affectionate old phrase for Newcastle, 'the canny toon'.

canoe u

General

A tongue-in-cheek nickname for the United States Naval Academy.

canon

Internet

Content confirmed by the official work; a 'canon ship' is one the series has made real.

canon divergence

Internet

A story that matches the source material up to a point, then changes events from there onward.

canon event

Gen Z

A formative, often unavoidable experience that shapes who you become — something "meant to happen" in your personal story.

canteen

Street

The store where inmates buy snacks, toiletries, and supplies using funds from their accounts or prison wages.

canthal tilt

Internet

The angle of the line between the inner and outer corners of the eye; 'positive' tilts up, 'negative' tilts down.

cap

Aave

A lie or exaggeration. To "cap" is to lie; "no cap" means "no lie, I'm serious".

cap check

Internet

A prompt to verify a claim's truthfulness, riffing on "cap" (lie). It challenges someone to prove they're not lying.

cap-tied

General

When a player becomes ineligible to switch countries because they've made a competitive international appearance.

caper

Street

A caper is a criminal undertaking, often a robbery or heist, sometimes with a connotation of daring or cleverness.

capitulation

Internet

A point of extreme fear when investors abandon hope and sell en masse, often near a market bottom. Frequently marks the exhaustion of sellers.

capo

Street

A capo (short for caporegime) is a ranking member who leads a crew of soldiers, reporting to the underboss and boss.

capper

Street

A capper is a confederate who poses as an ordinary customer or winner to encourage marks to gamble or buy, working with crooked operators.

captain's mast

General

A non-judicial disciplinary proceeding in the Navy in which the commanding officer hears a case and imposes punishment short of a court-martial.

car

General

Your car is the crew you ride with on the inside — the people who eat with you, work out with you, and who you're expected to fight for if it kicks off. Mostly split by race (the Wood car, the Black car, the Paisa car) or by gang affiliation. Being 'car-less' is dangerous; you've got no one obligated to back you.

carajito

General

A semi-derogatory word for a child, often a rowdy or badly behaved one. Feminine 'carajita'.

caravan shooter

Gaming

A shmup or mode designed for fast competitive scoring in a fixed short window. No marathon — just maximum points before the timer kills the run.

carb

Street

A small hole (carburetor) on a dry pipe that the smoker covers while lighting and releases to clear the smoke through in a rush.

carb cap

Street

A small cap placed over a banger or nail after loading concentrate; it restricts airflow and lowers pressure so the concentrate vaporizes at a lower temperature, preserving flavor.

carb up

General

To deliberately eat a large amount of carbohydrate, often at the end of a diet or peak week, to refill muscle glycogen and make the muscles look full and round.

cardio bunny

General

A gym-goer, stereotypically female, who spends their time on cardio machines rather than lifting weights.

cardis

General

Detroit shorthand for Cartier eyewear, especially the wood-buffalo-horn 'Buffs' frames. A four-figure flex that's been Detroit's signature accessory since the late '80s — closer to a chain than a pair of glasses. Big Sean, Eminem, and basically every Detroit rapper has worn them on camera.

care package

Gaming

A crate that falls onto the map carrying gear way above ground-loot quality. Everyone sees it land, so grabbing it is a flex and a fight. Big reward, big risk.

career break

General

A planned period away from employment, whether for caregiving, travel, study, or rest, increasingly normalized and even listed on resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

career cushioning

General

Proactively taking steps such as networking and scanning job boards to prepare a 'plan B' in case one's current role changes or is eliminated. It is a hedge against layoffs and uncertainty.

career pivot

General

A significant, intentional change of career direction into a new role, industry, or profession, often leveraging transferable skills.