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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Gen Z Slangrizz, delulu, slay Internet Slangbrainrot, based, mid British Slangpeng, bare, peak AAVEbussin, finna, cap

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Latest slang terms

The Doric 'how are you?' Standard greeting across Aberdeen and the north-east. Correct reply is 'nae bad' or 'tyaavin awa'. Say it back as a question and you've passed the Aberdeen test.

A recurring social-media format where people post their daily looks, often with the clothes tagged or priced.

Occasionally for objects or outfits that look excellent.

When a queen is 'fishy,' she's passing so convincingly as a cis woman that you'd never clock her. It's praise — 'serving fish' means the illusion is airtight, the femininity undeniable. The term itself is a blunt anatomical reference, but in the scene it lands as a compliment.

The art of moving stuff between cells by tying it to a line — usually a strip of bedsheet or unraveled sock — and flicking, swinging or sliding it under doors or along the tier. The string is the 'fishing line', the package is the 'kite' or 'fish'. Bread-and-butter inside comms: notes, tobacco, food, drugs, whatever needs to travel without a guard noticing.

A line made of torn cloth, string, or elastic, weighted at the end, used to slide contraband, notes, or food between cells.

Going hunting. 'Fishing' is when a group rolls into a rival postcode — on bikes, in a whip, on foot — trawling for any opp they can catch slipping. The metaphor is exact: cast a line, see what bites. A core piece of drill vocabulary because so many bars describe exactly this.

A long coil of springy steel (or fiberglass) ribbon stored on a reel. You feed it through a conduit run or wall cavity until it pops out the other end, hook your wires to it, and pull them back through. Core electrician tool — if you've ever wired up an old house, you've cursed at one.

fish or cut bait

Stop deliberating and either do the thing or make way for someone who will.

British Army shorthand for close-quarters urban warfare — clearing rooms, stairwells, and corridors. Often extended to FISH and CHIPS: Fighting In Someone's House and Causing Havoc In People's Streets.

An informal term for a First Sergeant, also called 'Top' or 'First Soldier.'

The opening kill of a game. In MOBAs like League and Dota it pays extra gold on top of the normal bounty, so getting it snowballs an early lead. Announced with a booming voice line in most games.

Good, tight, the real deal. Used to praise a person, a ride, a fit, a track — anything that hits right. The Eastside equivalent of 'solid' or 'clean'.

A criminal gang or an organised group of football hooligans, especially in London usage.

Describes surf that is really good, with waves breaking perfectly and consistently. Synonymous with 'going off' and 'pumping'.

The nose. Usually trotted out when someone's hooter is worth commenting on.

Firedooring describes a lopsided relationship in which access goes only one way, you're always available to them but can never get through when you reach out.

An oxy-acetylene cutting torch — same tool as a smoke wrench or gas axe, different regional flavour. Used by mechanics and fabricators when seized fasteners, rusted brackets or stubborn welds need to be persuaded with flame. Hagerty popularised the term in the classic-car world.

fire in the hole

A warning called out immediately before detonating explosives or firing in a confined area, alerting everyone nearby to take cover.

A movement and strategy of aggressive saving and investing to achieve financial independence and retire far earlier than traditional retirement age, freeing oneself from the need to work.

The community of finance-focused accounts on Twitter/X, known for rapid takes and sometimes sharp analysis. A major channel for trade ideas and hype.

The finance corner of TikTok, known for bite-sized, hype-driven trading content and viral meme trades.

The fin or fins fixed to the underside of a surfboard near the tail, providing directional stability, hold and drive through turns.

Slang for a $5 note, elaborated form of 'fin.'