English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

Slang Dictionary — Modern Slang, Decoded

What does that word actually mean? Our slang dictionary explains modern slang clearly — Gen Z, internet, British and street slang — with real definitions, examples and where each term came from.

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Latest slang terms

A fabric cord worn around the neck to display a badge; often collected as convention swag in its own right.

Hopelessly, helplessly drunk. Past tipsy, past locked, well into 'how did I get home' territory. One of dozens of Irish words for the same condition but among the most expressive.

Long ago, times gone by; 'auld lang syne' means 'old long since', i.e. days of old.

lang may yer lum reek

A traditional good wish meaning 'may you live long and well' (a smoking chimney meaning a warm, well-provisioned home).

A cannabis variety that developed naturally and stabilized in a specific geographic region without crossbreeding.

Inside a UK prison wing the cells are stacked over multiple floors and each floor is a 'landing' — ones, twos, threes, fours. 'My landing' = the lads you do bird with, the ones whose doors crack open at the same time as yours. In drill bars it's shorthand for jail life and the bonds (or beefs) that form there.

A landlord posted as a swaggering Chad — usually in mock-sincere praise of rent-collecting, eviction, and owning property. The whole point is the irony, though some posters absolutely mean it.

land and expand

A sales strategy of securing an initial small contract and then expanding usage across the client.

To complete a trick cleanly and roll away in control; the goal of every attempt. Past tense 'landed.'

lance corporal underground

The informal network of junior Marines through which rumors and gossip spread.

Normal Avenue in Englewood, said backwards because the people on it are anything but. The block at the heart of Chief Keef's 300 / Black Disciples set — the corner that birthed the modern drill sound.

To punch or strike someone, generally a single hard hit rather than a sustained fight. Carries a flavour of 'they had it coming'.

A square of sponge cake coated in chocolate icing and desiccated coconut. Also 'lammo'.

A vulnerable prisoner who lacks a car or allies and is easy prey for stronger inmates.

Shorthand for a Lamborghini, the meme symbol of crypto wealth. Used in phrases like 'wen lambo?' to represent life-changing gains.

Polari for legs. One of the body-part words from Britain's old gay slang, the kind of term you'd drop to talk shop in public without the wrong people following. Heritage slang now, kept alive by drag and queer-history nerds rather than daily use.

Vigour or enthusiasm; 'gie it laldy' means do it with maximum effort. Can also mean a beating.

A toy. Related to 'laik' (to play); traditional Yorkshire.

Describing the intense, localized snowfall produced when cold air passes over the relatively warm Great Lakes.

laissez les bons temps rouler

The official cheers of Louisiana hedonism. Yelled before Mardi Gras parades, festivals, second lines and any excuse to crack a Sazerac. Pronounce it 'lay-zay lay bohn tohn roo-lay' and don't overthink the accent.

To have one's employment permanently ended, or temporarily suspended, for business reasons such as cost-cutting or restructuring, as distinct from being fired for cause.

Used for strong emphasis when refusing or denying something will ever happen.

An unexpected bonus thrown in free — the thirteenth donut, the extra hush puppy, the small gift a shopkeeper hands you because you're a regular. Hospitality with receipts.

A delay between your input and what happens on screen, usually caused by a slow internet connection. Lag makes the game stutter or respond late.