• ST. PETER
n. the penis …19C sl.
• ST. PETER’S CHILDREN
n. petty thieves who take anything they can lay their hands on …18C sl.
• ST. PETER’S SONS
n. petty thieves who take anything they can lay their hands on …18C sl.
• ST. PETER’S STAFF
n. the stars in the constellation Orion called Orion’s sword …1710 Sc.
• STRACKLE-BRAIN
n. a giddy, thoughtless person; a simpleton, a fool; a good-for-nothing …1877 Eng. dial.
• STRADAROLLE
n. 1562 obs. rare – a highwayman
• STRADDLE-BUG
n. 1. 1831 Eng. & Amer. dial. – a long-legged beetle; any long-legged insect
n. 2. 1872 – a politician who tries to please both sides; one who is on neither side of a public question
n. 3. 1907 Amer. dial. – a woman with a mannish gait
• STRADDLERS
n. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – trousers
• STRAFE
vb. World War I Amer. sl. – to punish
• STRAIGHT
adj. 1. 1864 sl. – honest, reliable, on the level
adj. 2. Bk1902 colloq, – of drinks: unmixed with water
adj. 3. 1941 sl., orig. US – heterosexual
adj. 4. 1946 US sl. – in a drugged state
adj. 5. 1960 sl., orig. US – conventional, conservative
int. Bk1904 sl. – fact! Honest Injun!
n. 1. 1941 sl., orig. US – a heterosexual
n. 2. 1959 sl. – a cigarette containing tobacco as opposed to marijuana
n. 3. 1967 sl., orig. US – one who is not a drug addict
• THE STRAIGHT
n. the truth …1866 US sl.
• THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW
n. an honest way of life; a course of conventionally moral and law-abiding behaviour …1930 sl.
• STRAIGHT ARROW
n. an honest person …1969 Amer. sl.
• STRAIGHT AS A DIE
adj. as honest as may be …Bk1904 sl.
• STRAIGHT AS A LOON’S LEG
adj. as honest as may be …1865 sl.
• STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW
adj. as honest as may be …Bk1904 sl.
• STRAIGHT AS A POUND OF CANDLES
adj. as honest as may be …1748 sl.
• STRAIGHT AS THE BACKBONE OF A HERRING
adj. as honest as may be …Bk1904 sl.
• STRAIGHT DINKUM
adj. genuine, authentic, honest, straightforward …L19 Aust. & NZ colloq.
int. honest! really! on the level! …L19 sl., chiefly Aust.
• STRAIGHTEN UP
vb. to take up an honest, respectable life; to be or become honest …1907 sl.
• STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT
vb. to behave oneself; to mend one’s ways and live a sensible, respectable life …L19 sl., orig. African-American
• STRAIGHT-FACED
adj. stern, unflinching …1940s US sl.
• STRAIGHT FLOUNGING
n. acting in whatever manner is dictated by one’s current circumstances …1990s US teen sl.
• STRAIGHT FROM THE BOG
phr. used of an Irish immigrant to the UK …L19 sl., derogatory
• STRAIGHT FROM THE FEED BOX
adj. of news, information: absolutely reliable, from inside sources …1900s
• STRAIGHT FROM THE FRIDGE
adj. excellent, first-rate …1960s US teen & Black sl.
• STRAIGHT FROM THE NOSEBAG
adj. of news, information: absolutely reliable, from inside sources …1900s
• STRAIGHT GOODS
n. 1. the truth …1892 US sl.
n. 2. an honest person …1903 US sl.
• STRAIGHT LEG
n. a member of the ground staff in an air force, as opposed to one of the flying personnel …1951 US sl.
• STRAIGHT OFF
adv. immediately; shortly …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• STRAIGHT OFF THE REEL
adv. at once, immediately …1894 Sc.
• STRAIGHT SHOOTER
n. an honest person …1928 sl., chiefly US
• THE STRAIGHT TIP
n. 1. honest advice as to wagering …1871 sl.
n. 2. a direct hint on any subject …1873 sl.
• STRAIGHT-UP
adj. honest …1936 sl.
adv. speaking truthfully …1936 sl.
• STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN
adj. plain, honest, free from crookedness of all kinds …Bk1904 sl.
• STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN, LIKE A YARD OF PUMP-WATER
phr. said of a tall, thin person …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
• STRAIGHT WITH THE WORLD
adj. out of debt …Bk1913-17 Amer. dial.
• STRAIN
n. 1. offspring; children …12C
n. 2. gonorrhea …20C Brit. euphemism
vb. 1. to copulate …1383 sl.
vb. 2. to apply force in an attempt to defecate …M17
• STRAIN A POINT
vb. to exceed a limit …Bk1904 sl.
• STRAIN AT THE LEASH
vb. to be eager or impatient to start …1910 sl.
• STRAIN ONE’S TATERS
vb. to urinate …L19 sl.
• STRAIN THE POTATOES
vb. to urinate …1965 Aust. jocular usage
• STRAIN THE SPUDS
vb. to urinate …1965 Aust. jocular usage
• STRAIT-HANDED
adj. close-fisted, parsimonious, niggardly, grasping, stingy …1600 obs.
• STRAM
n. 1. a prostitute, a strumpet …19C Brit. sl.
n. 2. a walk; a society parade …1869 colloq.
vb. 1. to walk stiffly …1869 colloq.
vb. 2. to dash down violently, to beat …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
• THE STRAM
n. street-walking …1887 sl.
• STRAMASH
n. a disturbance …1837 colloq.
vb. to beat, to bang, to destroy …1855 colloq.
• STRAMMEL
n. straw …1567 cant
• STRAMMER
adj. great, large, thumping …B1900 Eng. dial.
n. 1. a big lie, a falsehood …1746 Eng. dial.
n. 2. anything very large, great or exceptional …1856 Eng. dial.
n. 3. a tall, stout woman …B1900 Eng. dial.
vb. to lie outrageously …1790 Eng. dial. obs.
• STRAMMING
adj. huge, great …Bk1904 colloq.
• STRAMULLION
n. 1. a strong, robust, masculine woman; a virago …B1900 Sc.
n. 2. a row, a broil …B1900 Sc.
n. 3. a fit of ill-humour or bad temper; a display of pettishness …B1900 Sc.
• STRANDED
adj. penniless; friendless …1897 colloq.
• STRANGER
n. 1. a barrel of whisky …1844 Amer. sl.
n. 2. £1 … Bk1903 sl.
• STRANGLE A DARKIE
vb. to defecate …1960s Aust. sl.
• STRANGLE-GOOSE
n. a poulterer …Bk1905 sl.
• STRANGY
adj. strange …1555 obs. rare
• STRAP
n. 1. a barber …Bk1905 sl.
n. 2. the penis …M20 US sl.
vb. 1. to coit a woman; to copulate with a whore …17C sl.
vb. 2. to hang …1825 Sc.
vb. 3. to flog, to beat …Bk1904 sl.
vb. 4. to work …Bk1904 sl.
• STRAP-OIL
n. a beating or flogging…19C jocular usage
• STRAPPADO
n. a form of torture: the culprit, his legs tied, was hoisted by a rope fastened to his arms behind his back, and was given a rapid descent stopped so suddenly that the jerk often dislocated the joints of arms and shoulders; this was repeated once or twice …1587 sl.
• STRAPPED
adj. penniless, bankrupt; having a severe shortage of cash …1857 sl.
• STRAPPER
n. anything big or bulky …Bk1904 sl.
• STRAPPING
adj. tall, robust, well-made …1678 sl.
n. a thrashing …Bk1904 sl.
• STRATAGEMATIC
adj. relating to or versed in stratagem or strategy …1589 obs.
• STRATIOTIC
adj. warlike; military; pertaining to war …1656 obs.
• STRATOCRACY
n. government or political control by the army; military rule …M17
• STRATOCRAT
n. a military ruler …L19
• STRATOCRATIC
adj. pert. to stratocracy …M19
• STRAUGHT
adj. distraught, out of one’s wits …E16 arch. rare
• STRAVAG
vb. to tramp; to loaf; to abscond …1887 Sc. & Irish
• STRAVAGANT
adj. 1. irrelevant, unsuitable …1565 obs.
adj. 2. extraordinary, unusual, special …1613 obs.
n. 1. something irrelevant …1565 obs.
n. 2. a vagrant, a vagabond, a tramp …1592 obs.
• STRAVAIG
vb. to tramp; to loaf; to abscond; to wander about aimlessly …L18 orig. & chiefly Sc., Irish. & N. Eng. dial.
• STRAVAIGER
n. a vagabond …Bk1904 Sc.
• STRAW
n. 1. a trifle, a trivial matter …L17
n. 2. a long clay pipe; a churchwarden …Bk1904 sl.
n. 3. a straw hat …Bk1904 sl.
n. 4. marijuana; a marijuana cigarette …M20 drug culture sl.
• STRAW BASHER
n. a straw hat …20C sl.
• STRAWBERRIES
n. prunes …World War I Amer. sl.
• STRAWBERRY
n. 1. a birthmark …c1866 sl.
n. 2. a graze on the skin; a sore or bruise, esp. one caused by friction with the ground …1921 N. Amer. sl.
n. 3. a red nose caused by excessive drinking …1949 jocular
n. 4. a female who trades sex for crack or money to buy crack ……Bk1998 drug culture sl.
• STRAWBERRY FIELDS
n. LSD …M20 drug culture sl.
• STRAWBERRY-PREACHER
n. a non-resident preacher; one who visited his cure only once a year …Bk1904 sl.
• STRAW BOSS
n. a subordinate or assistant foreman …orig. US
• STRAW-CHIPPER
n. a barber …1823 sl.
• STRAW-DEATH
n. a natural death in one’s bed …1787 arch.
• STRAW-DRY
adj. very dry …1951
• STRAWER
n. a straw hat …Bk1904 school sl.
• STRAWFOOT
n. 1. a rookie …US Civil War usage
n. 2. a rural or backwoods soldier …US Civil War usage
• STRAW-HAT
n. a theatre operating in the summer only and presenting various productions or companies …1935 US theatrical usage
• STRAW-HATTER
n. a play presented in a straw-hat theatre …1949 US theatrical usage
• STRAW IN THE WIND
n. a small but significant indicator of the (future) course of events …1975
• STRAW-MAN
n. a perjured witness …Bk1904 sl.
• STRAW-SHOES
n. a perjured witness …Bk1904 sl.
• STRAW-WITNESS n. a perjured witness …Bk1904 sl.
• STRAWY
adj. light, worthless, or flammable as straw …L16
• STRAWYARD
n. 1. a shelter, asylum or refuge for the destitute …1851-61 tramps’ sl.
n. 2. a straw hat …Bk1904 sl.
• STREAK
n. 1. a mental peculiarity …1647 sl.
n. 2. a fit of temper …Bk1904 Amer. sl.
n. 3. a wild party; a wild and exciting time …US sl.
n. 4. a tall, thin person …1941 sl., orig. Aust.
n. 5. a fast throw …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
vb. 1. to decamp swiftly; to go fast or with a rush; to leave in a great hurry; to move very rapidly …1604 sl.
vb. 2. to run around; to run around wildly …1970 US sl.
vb. 3. to run naked in a public place as a stunt …1973 sl., orig US
• STREAKED
adj. cowardly …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• STREAKER
n. a fast throw …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• STREAK IT
vb. 1. to depart hurriedly …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
vb. 2. to go fast …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• STREAK IT OUT
vb. 1. to depart hurriedly …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
vb. 2. to go fast …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• STREAK REAM IN ONE’S TEETH
vb. to flatter …1721 Sc. (ream = cream)
• STREAK OFF LIKE GREASED LIGHTNING
vb. to decamp swiftly, to go with a rush …Bk1904 sl.
• STREAK O’ MOO
n. cream in coffee …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• STREAKY
adj. 1. flabbergasted, astonished …Bk1904 sl.
adj. 2. irritable; short-tempered …Bk1904 sl.
adj. 3. mean …Bk1904 sl.
adj. 4. variable …Bk1904 sl.
adj. 5. cowardly …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• STREAMER
n. a severe head-cold …1920s colloq.
• STREAMERS
n. the Aurora Borealis, northern lights …1805 sl.
• STREAM-LINE
adj. 1. of persons: slim and graceful …c1932
adj. 2. of clothes: neatly and closely tailored …c1940
n. a tall, thin man …1917 army sl.
• STREAM-LINED
adj. 1. of persons: slim and graceful …c1932
adj. 2. of clothes: neatly and closely tailored …c1940
• STREAMLINE SPEECH
n. slang …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• STREAM’S TOWN
n. the female genitals …c1820 sl.
• STREEL
n. a slattern; a slovenly woman …19C US colloq.
• STREET
n. the people living in a street …1594 colloq.
• THE STREET
n. a centre of trade or exchange; in the US., Wall Street …1612 sl.
• STREET ACCIDENT
n. a mongrel dog …20C jocular usage
• STREET APPLE
n. a piece of horse manure …1967 Amer. sl.
• STREET ARAB
n. a young vagrant; a poor boy playing much in the streets …1910 colloq.
• STREET-CHANTING
n. the practice of singing in the streets for a living …1887 cant
• STREET CRED
n. status among one’s peers, esp. in fashionable urban youth subculture …1981 Brit. sl.
• STREET-GANGER
n. a beggar …L19 cant
• STREET-HOUND
n. a rough, a bully, a loafer …1872 Amer. sl.
• STREETMAN
n. a petty criminal who works on the city streets, esp. as a pickpocket or drug peddler …1908 US sl.
• STREET OF SHAME
n. prostitution; the world of prostitutes …M20 US euphemism
• STREET OF SIN
n. prostitution; the world of prostitutes …M20 US euphemism
• STREETOLOGY
n. science or knowledge of the streets of a town …1845 obs. rare
• STREET PIMP
n. a pimp who works the streets with his prostitutes in order to be present when finances are arranged …M20 US criminals’ sl.
• STREET-PITCHER
n. a vendor or a mendicant taking a station (or ‘pitch’) in the street …1850s sl.
• STREETS AHEAD
adj. surpassing all others …1898 sl.
• STREET SISTER
n. a prostitute …M20 US sl.
• STREET UP FOR REPAIRS
n. the menses …19C Brit. sl.
• STREETWALKER
n. 1. a prostitute who seeks customers on the street …1592 UK
n. 2. a jailer; a turnkey …Bk1904 sl.
n. 3. in oil drilling: an operator who does not have an office …1954 US sl.
• STREET-WISE
adj. experienced in or possessing the necessary qualities for urban survival …1981 US
• STRENGTH
n. the essential facts; the pertinent details …1908 Aust. sl.
• STREPEROUS
adj. noisy, harsh-sounding, loud, boisterous …1637 obs.
• STREPITATE
vb. to make a noise often; to make a great noise …1656 obs.
• STRESS-HEAD
n. a person who is habitually stressed; a constant worrier …1996 Aust. sl.
• STRETCH
n. 1. a yard …1785 cant
n. 2. imprisonment; a prison sentence …1821 sl.
n. 3. a walk …Bk1904 sl., orig. university
vb. 1. to kill by hanging …1595 sl.
vb. 2. to exaggerate; to lie …a1844 sl.
vb. 3. to kill deliberately …1902 sl.
• STRETCH A LEG
vb. to walk …1653 sl.
• STRETCH A POINT
vb. to exceed a limit …Bk1904 sl.
• STRETCHER
n. 1. a large penis …M18 Brit. sl.
n. 2. an exaggeration, a falsehood, a lie …Bk1904 sl.
• STRETCHER-FENCER
n. a vendor of braces …Bk1904 sl.
• STRETCHERS
n. braces …Bk1904 sl.
• STRETCH-HALTER
n. a scoundrel; one who badly needs a hanging …1604 sl.
• STRETCH-HEMP
n. a scoundrel; one who badly needs a hanging …Bk1904 sl.
• STRETCHING
n. a hanging …Bk1904 sl.
• STRETCHING-BEE
n. a hanging …Bk1904 sl.
• STRETCHING-MATCH
n. a hanging …Bk1904 sl.
• STRETCH LEATHER
vb. to possess a woman …1653 sl.
• STRETCH ONE’S LEGS
vb. to increase one’s stride, to walk fast …1653 obs.
• STRETCH ONE’S LEGS ACCORDING TO THE COVERLET
vb. to adapt oneself to circumstances …Bk1904 sl.
• STRETCH THE BLANKET
vb. to exaggerate …1870 Amer. sl.
• STRETCH THE LEGS
vb. to exercise by walking …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• STRETCH THE RUBBER
vb. to be unfaithful to one’s wife or mistress …M20 US criminals’ sl.
• STRETCHY
adj. sleepy, languid; inclined to stretch and yawn …1872 colloq.
• STREUTH!
int. an exclamation of surprise or astonishment; God’s truth! …1892
• ‘STREWTH!
int. God’s truth!; an oath; an exclamation …1892
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Updated: February 27, 2023
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