Slang Dictionary — Modern Slang, Decoded

A standardized nine-line radio request format — most commonly for a MEDEVAC — that conveys the essential information (location, callsign, casualties, and so on) in a fixed sequence.

Stands for "not in my back yard," describing opposition to development near one's home while accepting it elsewhere.

The word used for a score of zero in football, as in 'two-nil'.

The mindset or preference in which someone finds two-dimensional (drawn) characters more appealing than real, three-dimensional people.

British slang for one pound sterling; plural stays 'nicker'.

A very small bag of cannabis costing about five dollars, historically around half a gram.

A defensive package that adds a fifth defensive back to better cover passes, named for the five-cent coin.

To leave or clear off; can be a command to go away.

British slang for prison — 'in the nick' means doing time. Equally used for a police station, which is where you usually go first on your way to the other one. Staple of every UK crime drama from The Sweeney to Line of Duty.

Expresses resignation, like 'oh well' or 'it can't be helped'.

Acronym for 'Number Go Up', capturing the belief or meme that Bitcoin's price trends relentlessly higher over time. Sometimes framed as 'NGU technology'.

A texting variant of NGL standing for "not gonna lie," used to preface a candid or slightly controversial statement. The extra letter sometimes reads as "not gonna totally lie," softening the honesty a touch.

Acronym for 'Not Gonna Make It', used to mock someone whose choices (paper-handing, falling for a scam, staying in fiat) mark them as doomed to fail.

A stacked combination of "not gonna lie" and "for real," doubling down on the sincerity of a statement. Common in casual Gen-Z texting.

Used to add emphasis and sincerity to a compliment or confession.

A flexible catheter inserted through the nostril into the stomach for decompression, feeding, medication, or gastric lavage.

A Non-Fungible Token is a unique, non-interchangeable token on a blockchain used to represent ownership of a specific item such as art, collectibles, or in-game assets.

Initialism scrawled in UK hospital notes meaning 'Normal For Norfolk' — a sly dig suggesting the patient's odd presentation, dim wit or unfortunate features are just par for the course in rural Norfolk. Classic British medical slang built on the lazy stereotype that the county is full of inbreeding. Doctors love it because it looks clinical on a chart but everyone in the know reads it as an insult. Use it on actual notes today and you'll catch a GMC complaint.

Tacked onto any crypto take, prediction, or chart so the poster can't be blamed when you lose your shirt. Functions as both legal cover and a knowing wink — everyone knows the person tweeting 'this 100x's next week NFA' absolutely means it as financial advice.

A rookie corrections officer — new to the job, easy to read, easier to play. Inmates clock them on day one and the veteran COs aren't much kinder. Title of Ted Conover's classic Sing Sing memoir.

The rapid muscle and strength gains beginners experience in their first months of lifting, before progress slows.

A hammer wielded on a screw, nail-on bracket, or anything that technically called for a screwdriver but isn't getting one today. The joke trades on the stereotype that New York tradesmen don't have time to mess about — if it needs to go in, it's getting hit.

New Way is the post-1990 evolution of vogue, and it pushes the body into shapes that look impossible. It runs on rigid movements punctuated by 'clicks' — limb contortions snapped at the joints — plus extreme flexibility, tutting and 'arms control', the intricate hand and wrist illusions. Joints seem to fold and unfold into geometry; the body becomes moving architecture. Where Old Way is clean elegance, New Way is precision contortion and illusion.

Mock 'syndrome' (NPS) for first-time parents who bring their baby in frequently for trivial concerns.