"G" Slang

go-go juice

General

Diesel fuel. The stuff you pump in by the hundred-gallon to keep the rig rolling. Price of go-go juice is the conversation at every truck stop counter, every day.

goal line stand

General

When a defense holds firm and stops the opposing offense from scoring a touchdown from very close to the goal line.

goat

Internet

An acronym for the greatest of all time, used to argue a player is the best ever.

goat locker

General

The lounge, mess, or quarters aboard ship reserved for Chief Petty Officers, off-limits to junior sailors.

goat rope

General

A useless, futile, or foolish activity — typically a waste of time imposed by higher authority. Also rendered 'goat rodeo' or 'goat screw.'

goat-mouth

General

The act of bringing bad luck on someone or something by mentioning a possible bad outcome out loud.

goated

Gen Z

The greatest of all time, or close to it — the highest praise for a person, thing or performance.

gob

Street

The mouth; as a verb, to spit. 'Gobby' means loud-mouthed.

gobbledygook

General

Language that is wordy, jargon-laden, and unintelligible, especially the inflated prose of bureaucrats and officials.

gobdaw

General

A foolish, gullible person. Specifically the kind of eejit who falls for obvious wind-ups and hasn't a clue. Stronger than 'eejit' — there's a flavour of 'mouthy idiot who thinks he's clever' in it. From 'gob' (mouth) + 'daw' (jackdaw, slang for a simpleton).

gobe

Street

Shortened street form of 'mo gbé' (literally 'I carry'); used as an exclamation or noun for trouble, regret, or anxiety over a bad situation.

gobiron

General

A harmonica. 'Gob' (mouth) plus 'iron' (the metal thing) — Black Country at its most literal and most affectionate. The instrument every miner kept in his waistcoat pocket for the walk home from the pit.

goblin mode

Internet

A relatable anti-aesthetic to the polished 'that girl' lifestyle.

goblincore

Pop

Used loosely as an adjective for anything earthy, cluttered, and gleefully feral.

gobsmacked

General

Utterly astonished or speechless with surprise.

god

Gaming

What Smite calls its champions. Most are real myth figures, but the label sticks even for the ones who are just monsters or heroes.

god don butter my bread

Street

An expression of gratitude when something good or fortunate happens, thanking God for a blessing or breakthrough.

god spot

Gaming

The best piece of real estate on the map for the current circle. Cover, high ground, sightlines, and a nightmare to push. Get the god spot early and squads have to throw bodies at you to take it.

godinez

General

A generic office employee, the archetypal salaried corporate worker; often shortened to 'godín'.

gofasters

General

Physical-training running shoes, so named because they supposedly make you go faster.

gog

General

A colloquial and sometimes teasing term for a North Walian, from the Welsh word for north.

going forward

General

A phrase meaning from this point onward, often used to signal a change in practice.

going off

General

Said of surf conditions that are really good and breaking nicely, often better than expected.

going steady

Internet

An older term for dating one person exclusively and seriously.

going to hell in a handbasket

General

Said of a situation heading swiftly for disaster.

going yard

General

To hit a home run; the 'yard' is folksy slang for the ballpark, so a batter who 'goes yard' clears the fences.

gok

General

Shorthand admission that nobody can work out what is wrong with the patient.

golazo

General

Spanish for a stunning goal; used worldwide by commentators and fans to salute a goal of real quality.

gold coin

General

A one- or two-dollar coin; 'gold coin donation' is a common entry fee at Kiwi events.

gold digger

Internet

A person who pursues romantic relationships primarily to gain money or material wealth.

gold split

Gaming

Your personal best on one specific segment, even if it did not happen during your best full run. Stack every gold together and you get your theoretical best, the sum of best segments.

gold star

General

A gold star lesbian has never had sex with a man; a gold star gay has never had sex with a woman. Born in the US in the 1990s as a defiant clapback — when the world kept saying 'you just haven't met the right man,' calling yourself a gold star meant 'no, I'm SUPER gay.' Used jokingly, sincerely, or as a stereotype.

gold star lesbian

General

A lesbian who's never slept with a man — the 'gold star' being the gag-trophy for it. Sometimes a proud self-tag, sometimes a punchline, and increasingly side-eyed: critics say it polices who counts as a 'real' lesbian and quietly knocks bisexual women and anyone with a different history.

goldbrick

General

A service member who feigns sickness or otherwise avoids duty; as a verb, to loaf.

golden cross

Internet

A golden cross is a chart pattern in which a shorter-term moving average (often the 50-day) crosses above a longer-term one (often the 200-day), taken as a bullish signal of higher prices ahead.

golden goal

General

A now-abolished rule where the first goal in extra time ended the match immediately.

golden handcuffs

General

Financial incentives, like unvested equity, that discourage an employee from quitting.

golden handshake

General

A substantial severance payment or benefits package given to an employee, often a senior one, on leaving or retiring, typically as a reward or to smooth a departure.

golden hello

General

A substantial upfront payment or bonus offered to a desirable candidate as an incentive to join a company, effectively the counterpart to a golden parachute or golden handcuffs.

golden hour

General

The concept that a severely injured patient's chance of survival is greatest if definitive care is delivered within the first hour.

golden maknae

Internet

The youngest in the line-up who's also the most ridiculously skilled. Sings the high notes, lands the choreo, sketches portraits, wins the variety show. Fandom shorthand for 'unfairly gifted'.

golden parachute

General

A contractual agreement guaranteeing a senior executive significant benefits, such as severance, bonuses, and stock, if their employment is terminated, especially following a merger or acquisition.

golden retriever

Internet

A person whose relationship energy is warm, devoted, cheerful, and uncomplicated, like the dog breed. Often contrasted with a 'black cat' partner.

golden retriever boyfriend

Internet

A golden retriever boyfriend is a cheerful, devoted, low-drama partner whose sunny, loving energy resembles the dog breed.

golden retriever lesbian

General

The bright, affectionate, can't-stop-smiling half of a couple. Loyal to a fault, endlessly enthusiastic, would carry your bags and your emotional baggage and still wag about it. Often the masc one, often extroverted. Made for pairing with a 'black cat lesbian', because opposites attract.

golden sombrero

General

The dubious feat of a batter striking out four times in a single game.

gombeen

General

Originally the village money-lender squeezing the poor — the 'gombeen man' of 19th-century rural Ireland. Now broadened to any small-time chancer or shady operator out for themselves. In Irish politics, 'gombeenism' is the standard slur for grubby local backhanders.

gomennasai

Internet

A polite Japanese apology heard constantly in anime, adopted by fans for mock-dramatic contrition.