Slang Dictionary — Modern Slang, Decoded

A trick in which the board is spun 180 degrees horizontally beneath the rider's feet without flipping, the front foot staying roughly in place while the back foot scoops the board around. Also spelled 'shuv-it' or shortened to 'shuv.'

To pay for drinks for everyone in the group or venue.

To pay for something for others, especially a round of drinks; also a turn to pay ('my shout').

A category of male homosexual romance in women's media that focuses on emotional relationships rather than explicit sex, milder than yaoi.

A demographic category targeting adolescent males, typically featuring action, adventure, tournaments and themes of friendship and perseverance.

A controlled jiggle where you only expose a sliver of your body, usually the shoulder, so a sniper fires and you live. Now they're reloading or rechambering and you've got the tempo.

The unbroken part of a breaking wave, sloping away from the whitewater, where a surfer can trim and gain speed.

A demographic category of works aimed at adolescent girls, roughly ages 10–18, centring on romance, relationships and emotional drama, though it spans many genres.

Street-level drug dealing — running a phone, serving fiends, doing the work. UK drill and road rap built half their lyric sheets on this word. A 'shotter' is the dealer; 'shotting' is the verb for what they do all day.

A gunman, thug or gangster; a common figure in dancehall lyrics and the title of the 2002 Jamaican film 'Shottas'.

The archetypal fundamentals character. Fireball to control space, a jumping uppercut (DP) for anti-air, and a gap-closing kick. Ryu and Ken are the blueprint, and any character cloning that kit is a shoto.

When a clinician has no clue what's wrong, so they fire off a huge battery of bloods, scans and panels in the hope something comes back abnormal and points the way. Named after the buckshot spread — aim vaguely, hit something. Seniors hate it because it's expensive and lazy; juniors do it on nights when they're drowning.

A one-room-wide house where every room opens directly into the next with no hallway, front door to back door in a straight shot. The folk etymology: you could fire a shotgun through the front door and the pellets would sail clean out the back. Defines whole neighbourhoods of New Orleans — the Bywater, Marigny, Tremé, Central City.

A skinny one-story house, one room wide, with every room opening straight into the next — no hallway, front door to back door in a straight line. Defining NOLA housing stock. The legend goes you could fire a shotgun through the front door and the buckshot would sail clean out the back. Singles, doubles (two units side by side), and camelbacks (with a second-floor add-on at the rear) are all variations on the same DNA.

When one player directs the team: who to gank, when to push, which objective to take. Five people doing their own thing loses; one clear voice wins.

The player who makes the in-game tactical decisions, where to push, when to rotate, what to commit to. The team's voice of authority while the round is live. Also called the IGL (in-game leader).

The guy giving the orders — green-lights hits, runs the dope, decides who eats and who gets rolled up. No badge, no title on paper, but his call is the call. Usually a veteran with rank in a gang and a body of work behind him.

In UK drill and road slang, a 'shot' is the customer — the cat ringing the trap phone for a deal. Don't mix it up with 'shotter,' which is the one selling. Shot = demand side, shotter = supply side.

In Chicago drill, a younger member of the crew — typically under 18, sometimes way younger. The shorties catch the cases the older heads can't, hold the work, do the dirt. Different from the mainstream 'shorty = girl' meaning; in this scene it's about age and rank.

A rapid price rise that forces short sellers to buy shares to cover their positions, which pushes the price even higher in a feedback loop. The core mechanism WSB weaponized in 2021.

The percentage of a company's shares that have been sold short. High short interest is the kindling retail traders look for to ignite a short squeeze.

Describing an inmate close to their release date. Someone counting down is 'getting short' or 'a short-timer.'

Taking a chance by directly telling someone you're interested or asking them out, even when success is uncertain. Encouragement to be brave.

In sports slang, simply a player known for scoring, especially from long range.