• REA
n. an evil spirit or demon …B1900 Sc. obs.
• REACH
n. 1. the Milky Way …1777 Eng. dial.
n. 2. a creek …B1900 Eng. dial.
n. 3. a stretch of meadow land …B1900 Eng. dial.
n. an intermediate distance between two points …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
vb. 1. to vomit, to strain in the attempt to vomit; to retch …1790 Sc. & Eng. dial.
vb. 2. to strike, to give a blow …1809 Sc. & Eng. dial.
vb. 3. of pigs: to be restless, to make a noise of complaint …B1900 Eng. dial.
vb. 4. to bribe …1906 US sl.
vb. 5. to be sufficient …1935 Amer. dial.
• REACHER
n. 1. a gross exaggeration …1613 colloq.
n. 2. a beggar that walks always with a female mate …E17 sl.
n. 3. a blow delivered at one’s full reach …L19 boxing sl.
n. 4. anything out of the common; anything extraordinary …1884 Sc. & Eng. dial.
n. 5. a greedy person …B1900 Eng. dial.
• REACH FOR THE SKY
vb. to aspire to something; to set one’s goals high …1906 Amer. sl.
• REACH-ME-DOWN
n. anything improvised …1923 colloq.
• REACH-ME-DOWNS
n. 1. secondhand or ready-made clothes …1832
n. 2. trousers …B1900 colloq.
• REACH THE SEAM-NEEDLE
vb. to reach a good stopping place …1944 Amer. dial.
• READ
n. 1. advice, counsel, warning …1814 Sc. & Eng. dial.
n. 2. determination; resolve …B1900 Eng. dial.
vb. 1. to suppose, to imagine …1768 Sc.
vb. 2. to advise, to counsel; to warn …1785 Sc. & Eng. dial.
vb. 3. to predict, to foretell …1790 Sc. & Eng. dial.
vb. 4. to explain, to solve …1800 Sc.
vb. 5. to steal …c1819 thieves’ sl.
vb. 6. to understand, to perceive, to comprehend fully; to estimate truly …1867 Eng. dial.
vb. 7. to be cautious, to beware …1892 Sc.
vb. 8. to match, to correspond …B1900 Eng. dial.
vb. 9. to search (esp. a shirt) for lice …WWI army sl.
vb. 10. to reprimand …1980s African-American & students’ sl.
vb. 11. to express blunt criticism of …1994 Amer. dial., esp. Black usage
• READ A LECTURE
vb. to censure or reprimand, esp. in a long-winded manner …20C colloq.
• READ A LESSON
vb. to censure or reprimand, esp. in a long-winded manner …20C colloq.
• READ AND WRITE
n. 1. a fight …1857 rhyming sl. rare
n. 2. flight; escape …M19 rhyming sl.
vb. to fight …1857 rhyming sl.
• READ AROUND
vb. to read something aloud by turns …1944 Amer. dial.
• READ BRAILLE
vb. to grope someone’s genitals through their clothing …1960s US homosexual sl.
• READ ‘EM AND WEEP
n. some unwelcome or distressing news or information, the truth …20C US sl.
• READER
n. 1. a wallet pocket-book …1718 cant
n. 2. a newspaper, a letter, etc. …c1840 cant
n. 3. a ‘wanted’ poster …M19 criminals’ sl.
n. 4. a marked card …L19 sl.
n. 5. a preacher who reads his sermon …1891 Sc.
n. 6. a circular notifying police officers of a suspected criminal to be arrested …1920 US criminals’ sl.
n. 7. a small-time thief who follows postmen or delivery men to their destination, having sneaked a look at the label, then claims to be the official recipient …1920s US criminals’ sl.
n. 8. a warrant for arrest …1920s US criminals’ sl.
n. 9. any form of reading matter, books, magazines, comics, etc., 1940s prison sl.
n. 10. a drug prescription …1980s drug culture sl.
• READERED
adj. wanted by the police …c1845 cant
• READER-HUNTER
n. a pickpocket specializing in wallets and pocket-books …1812 cant
• READER-MERCHANT
n. (generally in plural) pickpockets, chiefly among Jews, who ply about the bank to steal the pocket-books or wallets of persons who have just received their dividends there …L18 sl.
• READERS
n. 1. a crooked deck of cards that a cheat can read from the backs …L19 gambling sl.
n. 2. reading glasses …c1925 colloq.
• READIES
n. money in bank and/or currency notes …1935 sl., orig. bank clerks’
• READILY
adv. probably, very likely, naturally …1785 Sc.
• READINESS
n. encouragement, assistance …B1900 Eng. dial.
• READING
n. a dressing down; a severe reprimand …1942 Amer. dial., esp. African-American
• READING-CANDY
n. a lozenge bearing a sentimental motto in red …1907 Amer. dial.
• READING-OFF
n. a reprimand, a sharp scolding …c1950 Amer. dial.
• READING PRIEST
n. a minister who reads his sermon …1897 Eng. dial.
• READING ROOM
n. a toilet room or privy …1950 Amer. dial.
• READING THE PAPER
n. an excuse for taking a nap …c1880 colloq.
• READ LIKE A BOOK
vb. to understand one’s thoughts, motives, etc….1844 sl.
• READ MITTS
vb. to practice palmistry …1951 Amer. sl.
• READ MY LIPS
phr. used to convey that one is thinking something insulting or obscene but choosing not to speak it …1980s sl.
• READ-OFF
n. a reprimand, a sharp scolding …1947 Amer. dial.
vb. (as ‘read off’) to scold; to find fault with, to reprimand, to express blunt criticism of …B1900 Eng. & Amer. dial.
• READ OFF THE PLATE
vb. to say grace before a meal …1966 Amer. dial.
• READ OF TRIPE
n. transportation for life …M19 rhyming sl.
• READ ONE ONE’S CHARACTER
vb. to give one a scolding; to tell plainly what is thought of one’s character …1898 Sc.
• READ ONE’S BEADS
vb. to chastise, to berate, to attack someone verbally …1950s homosexual sl.
• READ ONE’S PLATE
vb. 1. to eat in silence …20C US sl.
vb. 2. to say grace before a meal …1858 Amer. dial.
• READ ONE’S SHIRT
vb. to search for lice in one’s shirt seams …World War I Amer. sl.
• READ ONE’S TITLE CLEAR
vb. to tell a person just what one thinks of him; to reprimand someone …1942 Amer. dial.
• READ ON THE PLATE
vb. to say grace before a meal …1858 Amer. dial.
• READ OUT
vb. to reprimand, to express blunt criticism of; to rebuke strongly; to scold …1958 Amer. dial.
• READSHIP
n. confidence, trust; dependence, trustworthiness, reliability …1829 Eng. dial.
• READ SOMEONE LIKE A BOOK
vb. to understand someone’s motives or intentions fully …1825
• READ SOMEONE’S SHIRT
vb. to check the seams of someone’s shirt for lice …1910s sl., orig. military usage
• READ THE BOTTOM OF ONE’S PLATE
vb. to say grace before a meal …c1950 Amer. dial.
• READ THE DOG-LAW
vb. to scold, to read the riot act, to reprimand, to upbraid, to chastise …1903 Amer. dial.
• READ THE MUSIC
vb. to know what is going on …1940s US homosexual & prison sl.
• READ THE PAPER
vb. to take a nap …Bk1903 sl.
• READ THE RIOT ACT
vb. to tell off severely and threateningly; to reprimand forcefully …20C sl.
• READ THE SCRIPTURES
vb. to lay down the law …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• READ THE TEA LEAVES
vb. to smoke marijuana …1960s drug culture sl.
• READ THEM AND WEEP
n. some unwelcome or distressing news or information, the truth …20C US sl.
• READ UP
vb. to tell off; to reprimand …20C Irish sl.
• READY
adj. 1. aware, sophisticated, prepared to deal with the real world …1930s African-American sl.
adj. 2. excellent, first-rate, mature, fully competent; esp. used of musicians …1938 US sl.
adj. 3. intoxicated …1938 Amer. dial.
adj. 4. sexually attractive …1980s W. Indies & Black British teen sl.
n. a swindle; a conspiracy …L19 Aust. sl.
vb. 1. to forward, to assist …1790 Eng. dial.
vb. 2. to comb …1790 Eng. dial.
vb. 3. to correct; to set a person right who is wrong …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
• THE READY
n. money; spec., money in hand …1688 sl.
• READY BREAD
n. baker’s bread; bread not made at home …1967 Amer. dial.
• READY-COMB
n. a comb …1790 Eng. dial.
• READY-COME-DOWN
n. plenty of money …1952 Amer. dial.
• READY-FINDER
n. a civilian who followed the Army to pick up the discarded coats, blankets, and other items shed by soldiers, esp. when the weather turned hot; term was used by Union troops …US Civil War usage
• READY-GILT
n. money; spec., money in hand …19C sl.
• READY-HANDED
adj. clever with the hands, quick and ready …1890 Sc.
• READY-HEATER
n. a radiator …1943 Amer. dial.
• READYING-COMB
n. a comb …1790 Eng. dial.
• READY-JOHN
n. money; spec., money in hand …19C sl.
• READY-ROLL
n. a factory-made cigarette …1949 Amer. dial.
• READY-STUFF
n. money; spec., money in hand …19C sl.
• READY TO CASH IN ONE’S CHIPS
vb. to die …1955 Amer. dial.
• READY TO DROP
adj. worn out, exhausted
• READY TO LEAP OUT OF ONESELF
adj. delighted, eager …1611 obs.
• READY TO LOCK UP
adj. eager to get married …1967 Amer. dial.
• READY TO MEET THE ELEPHANT
phr. said of recruits …US Civil War usage
• READY TO PASS IN ONE’S CHIPS
vb. to die …1955 Amer. dial.
• READY TO RIDE OUT
adj. of a room or piece of furniture: untidy, very cluttered or disordered …1855 Amer. dial.
• READY TO WALK OFF
adj. said of a table or desk cluttered and loaded till it looks like a pack animal …c1950 Amer. dial.
• READY-UP
n. 1. a swindle, conspiracy, or fraud …1924 Aust. sl.
n. 2. one who tidies up …1941 Amer. dial.
vb. (as ‘ready up’) to tidy up, to make neat, to put in order …1864 Amer. dial.
• REAK
n. a trick, a prank; a stratagem, an artifice …1629 Sc. & Eng. dial. obs.
• REAL
adj. eminently good in any way; true, staunch …Bk1904 Sc.
n. reality …1878 Sc.
• THE REAL CHEESE
n. something excellent …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• REAL CHUFFED
adj. excited …1950s sl.
• A REAL DAG
n. someone or something extraordinary or entertaining; an amusingly eccentric or impudent person; a character …1875 Aust. & NZ sl.
• REAL FINE
adj. excellent; first-rate …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• REAL GONE
adj. excellent …1946 sl., orig. US jazz
• REAL GOOD
adj. excellent; first-rate …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• THE REAL GOODS
n. something excellent …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• REALIZE
vb. to recognize …1952 Amer. dial.
• REAL JAM
adj. excellent; first-rate …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
n. 1. a real treat …1885 sl.
n. 2. excellence; good luck; happiness …1889 sl. Farmer slang 1896
n. 3. a certainty of winning; clear profit …Bk1896 sl.
• A REAL LADDIE BOY
n. a mischievous, lively boy …1887 Eng. dial.
• REALLY
adj. real, genuine …1916 Amer. dial.
• REALLY O’ ME!
int. an exclamation …1874 Eng. dial.
• REALLY SOMETHING
n. a remarkable or exceptional thing …1958 sl.
• REALLY TRULY
adj. real, genuine …1899 Amer. dial.
• THE REAL MACKAY
n. the genuine article, the true original, the real home product …1870 Sc.
• THE REAL MCCOY
adj. excellent; first-rate …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
n. something excellent …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• THE REAL MERCHANDISE
n. something excellent …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• REAL OYSTERS
n. genuine pearls …1910s sl.
• REAL PEOPLE
n. an honest, sincere, candid person …1960s Amer. sl.
• REAL-QUILL
adj. genuine …1949 Amer. dial.
• THE REAL SIMON PURE
n. the real, genuine, or authentic person or thing …a1832
• THE REAL STUFF
n. something excellent …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• THE REAL THING
n. something excellent …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• REAM
n. 1. cream …1755 Sc. & Eng. dial.
n. 2. froth upon liquids …1786 Sc. & Eng. dial.
n. 3. a cry, esp. a reiterated cry; also, repetition, reiteration …Bk1904 Sc.
n. 4. a tear, a rent …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
n. 5. the rim or surface of anything …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
n. 6. water lying near the surface …1894 Sc. & Eng. dial.
vb. 1. to shout, to cry aloud, to bawl; to weep, to bewail, to moan; to talk wildly, to vociferate …1691 Sc. & Eng. dial.
vb. 2. to foam, to froth; to bubble; to overflow …1773 Sc. & Eng. dial.
vb. 3. to stretch out the arms in order to reach anything; to stretch up; to sprawl; to stretch oneself, esp. on first awakening …1781 Eng. dial.
vb. 4. to ask for anything fretfully and repeatedly; to cry in a whining manner; to ply one with questions; to keep on repeating the same words …1828 Sc. & Eng. dial.
vb. 5. to talk nonsense; to rave …1870 Sc. & Eng. dial.
vb. 6. to strive after; to attempt to get anything greedily; to covet …1876 Eng. dial.
vb. 7. to buzz, to keep buzzing …1890 Sc.
vb. 8. to tear, to split open …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
vb. 9. to swindle, to cheat …1914 US sl.
vb. 10. to have anal sex with someone …1942 US sl.
vb. 11. to reprimand …1950 US sl.
• REAMER
n. anything exceptionally good of its kind …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
• REAMINESS
n. dizziness …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
• REAMING
adj. 1. foaming, frothing; brimful, overflowing …1787 Sc. & Eng. dial.
adj. 2. excellent, first-rate, capital …1861 Eng. dial.
n. a vessel or container full to overflowing with liquid …1892 Sc.
• REAMING-CALM
n. a calm with the sea smooth and oily as cream …1901 Sc. (ream = cream)
• REAMING-FULL
adj. full to overflowing …1790 Sc. & Eng. dial.
• REAM ONE A NEW ASSHOLE
vb. to injure or rebuke someone …1983 Amer. sl.
• REAM OUT
vb. to reprimand …1950 US sl.
• REAM UP
vb. to pull up …Bk1904 Eng. dial. obs.
• REAMY
adj. 1. creamy …Bk1868 Sc.
adj. 2. dizzy; half awake …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
• REAN
n. 1. a footpath or roadway …1711 Sc. & Eng. dial.
n. 2. a large open ditch; a main artificial watercourse; a very small stream …1846 Eng. dial.
• REAP
vb. to gather up dirt by trailing on the ground; to trail in the mud …1884 Eng. dial.
• REAP UP
vb. to bring up an old topic for discussion, usually a rankling topic …1946 Amer. dial.
• REAR
adj. of the weather: chilly, cold, raw …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
n. 1. the buttocks …1796 sl.
n. 2. a jakes …Bk1903 university sl.
n. 3. an amount of snuff taken at one time …1925 Amer. dial.
vb. 1. to bring up phlegm; to expectorate; to vomit …1790 Eng. dial.
vb. 2. to raise up, to prop up in a perpendicular or semi-perpendicular position …1849 Eng. dial.
vb. 3. to put the roof on a new house; to finish a building …1853 Eng. dial.
vb. 4. to rouse up, to disturb; also, to behave violently or excitedly …1876 Eng. dial.
vb. 5. to mock, to gibe; to scold …1893 Eng. dial.
vb. 6. to boast …1898 Eng. dial.
vb. 7. to rebound as a ball …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
vb. 8. to void excrement …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
• REAR-BACK
adj. standing up stiffly …1934 Amer. dial.
• REAR-BACKTED
adj. standing up stiffly …1949 Amer. dial.
• REAR-BIT
n. refreshment taken between breakfast and dinner …1892 Eng. dial.
• REARDIE
n. a wild frolic, a quarrel, a riot …Bk1905 Sc.
• REARED IN A BARN
adj. lacking manners, uncouth, boorish …1965 Amer. dial.
• REARED IN A HOGPEN
adj. lacking manners, uncouth, boorish …1965 Amer. dial.
• REARED IN A SAWMILL
adj. unmannered, uncouth; used esp. of one who neglects to shut the door …1965 Amer. dial.
• REARED IN A SHANTY
adj. lacking manners, uncouth, boorish …1965 Amer. dial.
• REARED WITH THE PAN AND THE SPOON
phr. brought up by hand, not suckled …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
• REAR EXIT
n. a retreat or flight from danger …1957 US sl.
• REAR-GUNNER
n. a male homosexual …2000 Brit. sl.
• REARHORSE
n. the praying mantis …1859 Amer. dial.
• REARIE
n. a wild frolic, a quarrel, a riot …1871 Sc.
• REARING
adj. excited; talking loudly and boastingly; mocking …1746 Eng. dial.
• REAR-MOUSE
n. a bat …1777 Eng. dial.
• THE REAR OF ONE’S DAYS
phr. the end of one’s life …1884 N. Ireland
• REAROVERS TO CATCH MEDDLERS
phr. an evasive answer to children, “What’s that?” …1906 Amer. dial.
• REARRANGE THE DECK CHAIRS
vb. to focus on petty matters while ignoring major problems …1972 US sl.
• REARRANGE THE DECK CHAIRS ON THE TITANIC
vb. to focus on petty matters while ignoring major problems …1972 US sl.
• REAR SEAT GUNNER
n. a male homosexual …2000 Brit. sl.
• REAR THE HOUSE
vb. to make a great outcry; to rouse the house …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
• REAR UP
vb. 1. to become irritated, mad, or angry …1842 Amer. dial.
vb. 2. to assert oneself …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
• REAR UP ON ONE’S HIND LEGS
vb. to become irritated, mad, or angry …1842 Amer. dial.
• REAST
n. 1. hoarseness …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
n. 2.rust …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
vb. 1. to raise with a lever …1881 Eng. dial.
vb. 2. to become rancid …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
• REASTED
adj. rancid …1790 Eng. dial.
• REASTINESS
n. restiveness …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
• REASTY
adj. 1. bad-tempered; also, gross, obscene …1825 Eng. dial.
adj. 2. hoarse …1878 Eng. dial.
adj. 3. rusty; discoloured; foul …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
• REASTY-CROPPED
adj. hoarse-voiced; rough of speech; surly …1875 Eng. dial.
• REASTY-THROAT
n. a sore, rasped throat …1897 Eng. dial.
• REATH
vb. to writhe …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
• REAT PLEAT
n. fashion trousers …1947 Mexican-American youth usage
• REAVE
n. a robber, a plunderer …1793 Sc. obs.
vb. to rob, to steal, to plunder; to bereave of …1791 Sc. & Eng. dial.
• REAVER
n. a robber, a plunderer; esp. a border thief …1678 Sc. & Eng. dial.
• REAVERIE
n. robbery, spoliation ..Bk1904 Sc. obs.
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Lexicophilia 