Slang Dictionary — Modern Slang, Decoded

An invitation instruction meaning each guest brings a dish of food to share (not an empty plate).

A toast when drinking; used as 'Cheers!'.

Wide awake and full of enthusiasm, like a fresh squirrel.

When one community organises a raid on another — swarming a thread with downvotes, upvotes, or angry comments. Against Reddit's site-wide rules and a fast track to a sub getting quarantined or banned. The giveaway: a sleepy thread suddenly hits triple-digit comments with the same talking points.

The military-style chain of command for a pro kitchen — executive chef at the top, sous beneath, then a tier of station chefs (saucier, poissonnier, rôtisseur, garde manger, pâtissier, etc.), with commis and apprentices below. Codified by Georges Auguste Escoffier in the late 1800s after his army service; still the backbone of most fine-dining kitchens, though modern restaurants run leaner versions.

A lawyer, solicitor or barrister representing a defendant.

A (often mildly derisive) term for people who commute into Manhattan from the outer boroughs, Long Island, or New Jersey via bridges and tunnels. Abbreviated 'B&T.'

A protocol that transfers tokens or data from one blockchain to another, letting assets 'cross' between ecosystems. Bridges are powerful but a frequent target of hacks.

The 69th Street Englewood GD set Lil JoJo repped — direct opp to Chief Keef's 300/GBE camp a few blocks over. Their beef is the founding story of the modern drill war.

Daughter, in Cockney rhyming slang. Usually said in full — this one rarely gets clipped to just 'bricks' the way some rhyming slang does, because the whole phrase is the joke.

British and Australian site slang for a bricklayer. Hard graft, weather-exposed, paid by the thousand bricks on a good day. Brickies are the backbone of any traditional build and they know it.

Cheap cannabis compressed into dense bricks for smuggling, usually dry and harsh.

A missed shot that hits the rim or backboard hard and bounces off with no chance of going in. Named because the ball drops like a brick.

A resurrection you can cast while the fight is still raging. Normal rezzes only work out of combat, so a brez is precious — raids ration them carefully.

Generally, any brewed beverage including coffee.

Barista shorthand for a caffè breve — espresso with steamed half-and-half in place of milk. Heavier, richer, foamier than a latte because the higher fat content whips up like a dream. Standard order at most US coffee shops, almost unheard of in Europe.

To work on, tackle, or deal with a task or situation, often one that takes effort. A very common Puerto Rican verb.

Breezing is approaching the early stages of dating in a relaxed, self-assured way, free of anxiety or games.

A heterosexual person, framed through the one thing the slang fixates on: making babies. Usually said with an eyeroll or a wink. Sometimes genuinely cutting, often just cheeky in-group ribbing aimed at the straights — especially the loudly suburban, kid-having kind.

Brother, close mate, ride-or-die friend. Patois-derived term that travelled from Jamaica into UK Black British speech and from there into drill and grime. Plural 'bredrins' covers your whole inner circle.

A close male friend, brother, or fellow member of the Rastafarian community; a term of solidarity between men.

Any pitch, such as a curveball or slider, that markedly deviates from a straight path due to spin the pitcher imparts.

Beating a defender with a dribble move so sharp it causes them to slip or stumble.

By extension, going all out or competing hard in a dance battle.