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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An English person; historically a Saxon/Lowlander. Often jocular.

The send-off. The queen who loses the lip sync hears 'now, sashay away', meaning pack your kit and strut out, with grace. The elimination half of the 'shantay/sashay' pair. Beyond the show it's a stylish way to tell someone to leave.

To sashay is to walk with confident, swaying, theatrical flair — hips going, arms loose, owning every step. It traces back to the French 'chasser' and entered American slang around the 1920s, then got adopted hard by drag and cabaret performers as a strut of glamour and defiance. RuPaul later sharpened it into 'sashay away' — the line a queen hears when she's eliminated.

Used as a label for any fan behavior that crosses into harassment or surveillance.

A brand of quick, positional possession football emphasising verticality and intense build-up, named after coach Maurizio Sarri.

A causeway, cobbled track or paved way. In Welsh place names it usually flags an old hard-surfaced road, often Roman — Sarn Helen being the famous one running the spine of Wales. Linked to the verb sarnu, 'to trample', because that's what feet did to it.

A declaration of love; frequently said by idols to fans and by fans to idols.

Squashed-down 'what's happening?' used as a hello. No actual answer required — a nod and a 'not much, you?' does the job. Heard on every Manc estate, in chippy queues and across group chats.

The broad, inclusive word for attraction between women, and increasingly non-binary people who feel a connection to womanhood, toward women. Covers lesbians, bi women, pan women and more. Preferred when you want a term wider than 'lesbian' but warmer and more identity-rooted than 'WLW'. Named for the poet Sappho.

A round brown fruit with sweet, malty, grainy flesh (also called naseberry in Jamaica).

Describing someone for whom intelligence is the most attractive trait in a partner, prioritizing the mind over physical appearance. A common dating-profile descriptor.

A vivid personification of poverty — being so broke that "Sapa" is described as a force or spirit that has come to grip you.

A simpleton or fool, with the specific flavour of being soft and easily taken advantage of. Common across Ireland and Britain — the sap is the one who picks up the bill, believes the excuse, lends the money he won't see again. Less mean than 'eejit', more pitying.

santa claus rally

The Santa Claus rally is a seasonal tendency for stock prices to rise during the last five trading days of December and the first two of January. It is a widely watched calendar effect.

Trainers or plimsolls — short for 'sandshoes', the old Scottish word for the rubber-soled canvas shoes you wore for gym class. Still very much current.

Describes a strongly masculine man, often muscular and traditionally 'manly'; also the name of a B.A.P title track that popularized the term with fans.

A sandwich; a classic Aussie diminutive, as in a 'sausage sanger'.

A manipulative, dishonest person who sweet-talks others to exploit them, especially for money. Also samfai.

A brevity code indicating an aircraft or element is positioned between opposing aircraft or elements — a dangerous, surrounded situation.

sandwich attack

An MEV tactic where a bot places a buy just before a victim's large trade and a sell just after, profiting from the price movement it sandwiches around the target order.

Slang for the arid deployment theaters of the Middle East, especially Iraq and Kuwait.

Intentionally underperforming. Could be a pro messing about in casuals, a smurf hiding their rank, or someone tanking a match for seeding reasons. Either way they're not playing their A-game on purpose.

A rider who signs up for a contest category or amateur class below their true ability in order to win against weaker competition. It is frowned upon as cheating the spirit of competition.

A tunnel construction worker — the people boring subways, water tunnels and bridge caissons below cities. New York's sandhogs (Local 147) built the subway, the Holland Tunnel and the city water supply. Brutal job: compressed air, the bends, constant cave-in risk.