• ON
adj. 1. drunk, tipsy; engaged in drinking …1802 sl.
adj. 2. making a wager …1812 sl.
adj. 3. well aware of; fully comprehending the nature of …1876 US sl.
adj. 4. ready or eager; willing to take part …1880 sl.
adj. 5. planned; hence, in progress …a1881 colloq.
adj. 6. sexually aroused …19C Brit. sl.
adj. 7. sophisticated, informed, at an advantage, fashionable …L19 sl.
adj. 8. of a woman: pregnant …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
adj. 9. dating …1945 Aust. sl.
adj. 10. having secured a bet …1903 Aust. sl.
adj. 11. ready to take part in an amorous liaison …1907 Aust. sl.
adj. 12. alert, keeping one’s eye on someone …1930s Aust. sl.
adj. 13. in love with, having a (sexual) relationship …1930s sl.
adj. 14. possible, feasible, worthy of an attempt …1935 UK sl.
adj. 15. taking drugs …1938 US sl.
adj. 16. of a fight or dispute: begun in earnest …1945 Aust. sl.
adj. 17. drug-intoxicated …1946 US sl.
adj. 18. of a food dish: on the menu …1949 UK sl.
adj. 19. being the focus of attention, performing, needing to impress …1960s US sl.
adj. 20. persistently asking …1969 Aust. sl.
adj. 21. of a criminal enterprise: under way …1969 UK sl.
adj. 22. in the bleed period of the menstrual cycle …1971 UK
adj. 23. protected from police action by bribes …1973 US sl.
adv. no …M19 back-slang
prep. 1. concentrating or focused on …M19 UK criminals’ sl.
prep. 2. pitted against, attacking …20C sl.
prep. 3. due, owed …1910s sl.
prep. 4. using the contraceptive pill …1960s US college sl.
• ON A AY YO TRIP
phr. used of one who is forever demanding attention, making him or herself conspicuous …1980s W. Indies & Black British teen sl.
• ON A BAT
adj. drunk, on a drinking binge …M19 sl., orig. US
• ON A BEND
adj. on a drinking spree …1887 sl.
• ON A BENDER
adj. 1. on a drinking spree …1845 sl., orig. US
adj. 2. on any other kind of spree …20C sl.
adj. 3. bingeing on drugs …1930s sl.
• ON A BLIND
adj. on a drinking spree …1917 Brit. sl.
• ON ABOUT
phr. interested in, talking about …1950s sl.
• ON A BRANNIGAN
adj. 1. very drunk …L19 US sl.
adj. 2. on a drinking spree …1927 Amer. dial.
• ON A BRAVE
adj. suddenly and temporarily courageous …M19 US sl.
• ON A BUST
adj. 1. drinking heavily …M19 sl.
adj. 2. failing, doing badly …M19 sl.
adv. enthusiastically, to a great extent …M19 US sl.
• ON A BUSTER
adj. drinking heavily …M19 sl.
• ON A DEAD ONE
adj. 1. making any pointless effort …L19 sl.
adj. 2. betting on a horse that has no chance …L19 sl.
• ON A DIME
adv. precisely, suddenly …1996 US sl.
• ON A DOWNER
adj. in a dejected mood; depressed …1976 Amer. sl.
• ON A HIDING TO NOTHING
adj. in a position from which there can be no successful outcome; with absolutely no chance, esp. in a sporting contest …L19 sl.
• ON A JAG
adj. 1. intoxicated with alcohol …L17 sl.
adj. 2. elated …1950s sl., orig. US
• ON A KICK
adj. 1. enthusiastic about …1940s sl., orig. US
adj. 2. having a good time, enjoying oneself …1940s sl., orig. US
• ON A LEAN
adj. waiting …1910s Aust. sl.
• ON A LINE
adj. hoaxed, bamboozled …1897 sl.
• ON A LOOP
adj. on a drinking spree …1920s US sl.
• ON A MISSION
adj. 1. in search of …1980s US college sl.
adj. 2. searching for, in pursuit of, performing any gang-related activity, esp. killing members of a rival gang or simply penetrating their territory …1980s African-American gang usage
adj. 3. looking for and/or bingeing on drugs …1980s drug culture sl.
• ON AND ENDWAYS
adv. continually …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
• ON AND OFF
n. a cough …1998 UK rhyming sl.
• ONANISM
n. self-abuse, masturbation …1727-41
• ONANIST
n. one who practices onanism; a masturbator …1891
• ONANISTIC
adj, relating to onanism …1892
• ONAN’S OLYMPICS
n. masturbation …19C sl.
• ON A PARA
adj. feeling nervous, paranoid …1990s sl.
• ON A PENSION
adj. of a policeman: having been bribed …1996 Brit. sl.
• ON APPRO
phr. 1874 UK sl. – on approval
• ON A PROMISE
adj. having been promised sexual intercourse …1960 Aust. sl.
• ON A RANK
adv. on end, continuously …1574 obs.
• ON A ROLL
adj. on a winning streak, enjoying a period of success …1970s sl., orig. US gambling usage
• ON A SHOESTRING
adj. at very small expense …1904 sl., orig. US
• ON A SIDEHILL
adv. askew …1960 Amer. dial.
• ON A SKATE
adj. drinking heavily …20C sl.
• ON A SKEW
adv. on the slant, slantwise …1881
• ON A STREAK
adj. menstruating …1990s US sl.
• ON A STRETCH
adv. continuously; at one and the same time …c1832 colloq.
• ON A STRING
adj. 1. hoaxed, bamboozled …1897 sl.
adj. 2. subject to the whim of another; in one’s power, dependant …20C colloq.
• ON A TEAR
adj. on a drinking spree …1869 sl.
• O NATION!
int. an imprecation …1881
• ON A TIPPLE
adj. very drunk …L18 sl.
• ON A TRIP
adj. 1. crazy, temporarily insane …1960s sl.
adj. 2. disorientated, seemingly ‘in another world’ …1960s sl.
adj. 3. under the influence of drugs …1960s drug culture sl.
• ON A WHIZZER
adj. on a drinking spree …1910 Amer. sl.
• ON A ZOOM
adv. for free …1930s African-American sl.
• ONBEAST
n. 1. a monster; a ravenous animal, a frightening bird or animal …1768 Sc.
n. 2. an obnoxious person …1808 Sc. obs.
n. 3. the toothache, from the belief that a worm was responsible for this …1808 Sc. obs.
• ON-BECOME
vb. to befall, to happen …c1305 obs.
• ON-BEFALL
vb. to befall, to happen to …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
• ONBETHANKIT
adj. unthanked, unacknowledged …Bk1905 Sc.
• ONBIDE
vb. to abide, to remain, to stay on …c1440 obs.
• ON-BLAFF
n. a blast …1887 Sc.
• ON BOARD
phr. referring to drink that has been consumed …19C sl.
• ON BONE
adj. unpopular among fellow prisoners after committing some form of mistake in terms of inmate codes of conduct …2000s US prison sl.
• ONBOW
vb. to submit, to yield …971 obs.
• ONBRAID
vb. to upbraid …1530 obs.
• ONBRAW
adj. ugly, unbecoming …1825 Sc.
• ONBRAWNESS
n. ugliness …Bk1905 Sc.
• ON BROADWAY IN A FAST TROLLEY
phr. living for big stakes …1960s Amer. sl.
• ONCALL
vb. to call upon, to invoke …1548 obs.
• ONCARRIER
n. a manager, an entrepreneur …1756 Sc.
• ONCARRY
n. a stir, a bustle, a to-do, a capering about, rowdy behaviour, merriment, frolic …c1850 Sc.
• ONCARRYING
n. 1. carrying on, managing …1700 Sc.
n. 2. a to-do, a capering about, rowdy behaviour …1835 Sc.
• ON-CAST
n. a misfortune, burden …1897 Sc.
• ONCE
adv. firstly, in the first place …1523 obs.
n. 1. vigour, energy, cheek …L19 sl.
n. 2. a quick glance of appraisal …1910s sl., orig. US
n. 3. a search, as at customs …1920s sl.
n. 4. a quick treatment or superficial job, such as a quick clean-up …1930s sl.
n. 5. £1, a £1 note …1930s sl.
• ONCE AND AWAY
adv. now and again, at intervals, occasionally …1890 Eng. dial.
• ONCE AND OCCASIONALLY
adv. now and again, once in a while …1953 Amer. dial.
• ONCE A WEEK
n. 1. a magistrate …L19 rhyming sl. for ‘beak’
n. 2. cheek, impudence, audacity …20C rhyming sl.
n. 3. a regular (weekly) bribe paid to a local official or law officer …1920s US criminals’ sl.
• ONCE-A-WEEK MAN
n. a debtor, one who goes out only once a week …E19 sl.
• ONCE IN A COON’S AGE
adv. seldom; occasionally …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• ONCE IN A DAY
adv. formerly …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
• ONCE IN A DOG’S AGE
adv. seldom; occasionally …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• ONCE IN A MONTH OF SUNDAYS
adv. seldom; occasionally …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• ONCE IN A WAY
adv. seldom; occasionally …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• ONCE IN A WEEK OF SUNDAYS
adv. seldom; occasionally …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• ONCE IN OCCASION
adv. now and again, once in a while …1953 Amer. dial.
• ONCE-OVER
n. 1. a quick glance of appraisal …1910s sl., orig. US
n. 2. a search, as at customs …1920s sl.
n. 3. a quick treatment or superficial job, such as a quick clean-up …1930s sl.
n. 4. a beating-up; an act of physical violence …sl.
vb. to glance at, to survey …1920s sl.
• ONCER
n. 1. a person who only goes to church once on Sunday …L19 sl.
n. 2. he or that which does a thing but once …1916
n. 3. a woman who has had many brief affairs …1930s US sl.
n. 4. a one-pound note …1931 Brit. sl.
n. 5. a homosexual who never repeats a sexual encounter with any one partner but continues to seek new people …1940s homosexual sl.
• ONCES
n. wages …L19 sl.
• ONCEST
prep. except …1884 Eng. dial.
• ONCHANCY
adj. unlucky, ill-omened, ill-fated; unfortunate …1876 Sc.
• ON CLOUD NINE
adj. extremely or completely happy …1959 sl.
• ON CLOUD SEVEN
adj. extremely or completely happy …1956 US sl.
• ON CLOVER
adj. in comfort …L18 Aust. sl.
• ONCOME
n. 1. an attack, an invasion …a1340 obs.
n. 2. an illness the cause of which is unknown; a mysterious disease …1819 Sc.
n. 3. the approach, advent, beginning, or commencement of a thing, esp. of one that requires great exertion; an onset; development, progress …1823 Sc.
n. 4. a heavy fall of snow or rain …Bk1905 Sc. & Eng. dial.
vb. 1. (as ‘on-come’) to come on …c1250 obs.
• ONCOMIN’
adj. ready to make advances, friendly …1925 Sc.
• ONCONVENIENT
adj. inconvenient …Bk1905 N. Ireland
• ONCOST
n. extra or additional cost or expense …1725 Sc.
• ON-CRY
n. a battle-cry or slogan …1899
• ONCUS
adj. 1. of food or drink: stale …20C Aust. & NZ sl.
adj. 2. of machinery: out of order …20C Aust. & NZ sl.
adj. 3. of people: upset, out of sorts, disagreeable …20C Aust. & NZ sl.
adj. 4. good, profitable, pleasant …1910s Aust. & NZ sl.
• OND
adj. fated, destined, ordained …1775 Eng. dial. obs.
n. a euphemism for “God”; used in mild oaths …L16 euphemism
• ONDAG
n. a shower, a heavy fall of rain …1924 Sc.
• ONDALI
adj. strange, odd, mysterious, peculiar, comical …a1838 Sc. obs.
n. a strange thing …1898 Sc. obs.
• ONDE
adj. fated, destined, ordained …1775 Eng. dial. obs.
n. 1. strong feeling against a person, ‘animus’; spite, ill-will, envy …c1000 obs.
n. 2. breath …a1300 obs.
n. 3. strong desire, longing …c1320 obs.
n. 4. emotion, perturbation of mind …1390 obs.
vb. to breathe …1393 obs.
• ON DECK
adj. 1. alive, conscious …L19 sl.
adj. 2. available, prepared …L19 sl.
adj. 3. on the schedule, scheduled …L19 US sl.
• ONDFUL
adj. spiteful, envious …c1175 obs.
• ONDING
n. 1. a persistent heavy fall of rain or snow …1776 Sc.
n. 2. an assault, an attack, an onset, an outburst, of noise, talk, etc.; oppression, turmoil …1871 Sc.
vb. to rain or snow heavily …1825 Sc.
• ONDINGING
n. 1. a torrent of words, vehement reproof …1828 Sc.
n. 2. an assault, an attack, an onset, an outburst, of noise, talk, etc. …1828 Sc.
n. 3. a heavy fall of rain or snow …Bk1905 Sc.
• ONDOCHT
n. a poor, weakly, emaciated person or animal; a good-for-nothing …a1838 Sc.
• ON DOOG
adj. no good …M19 back-slang
• ON-DRAW
n. a garment worn only on occasions, or to go out of doors …1928 Sc.
• ONDREGH
vb. to endure …c1250 obs.
• ONDWALLER
n. in inhabitant …1879 Sc.
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