Green’s Dictionary of Christmas Slang

For your yuletide delight, Jonathon Green presents a seasonal selection box of slang…

angel n.
1. (also fallen angel) a prostitute.
2. a young woman, esp. a pretty one; also in direct address.
3. an older gay man, usu. one who supports a younger lover.
4 .a sandwichboard-man.
5. a passive homosexual; a tramp’s young homosexual companion.
6. (US gay/prison) a victim of sexual aggression.

brandy n. (also brandy-coatee, brandy coortee) (Anglo-Ind.) a coat, a raincoat.

card n.
1. a joker, a clown.
2. a character, a noticeable person, a likeable eccentric.
3. an attraction, a ‘drawing card’.
4. (US) an amusing thing or circumstance.
5. a fool.

carol singer n. (Aus./Brisbane) a police car with a loud-speaker.

Christmas compliments n. a cough, ‘kibed’ (chillblained) heels and a snotty nose.

Christmas crackers n. the testicles; thus Christmas crackered, utterly exhausted.

Christmas eve v. to believe. [rhy. sl.]

Christmas hold n. (also Father Christmas hold) (Aus./N.Z.) a squeeze of one’s opponent’s testicles.

Christmas tree n. (drugs)
1. a stimulant (deximal spansules).
2. a depressant (butabarbital, Tuinal).
3. LSD.
4. marijuana.

church n. (Aus./US Und.) a place where the identity of stolen jewellery is altered.

cold turkey adv.
1. (also cold quack) (US) directly, openly, candidly, without any warning.
2. (US) absolutely guilty, without any excuse.
3. (drugs) of withdrawal, without any form of medication to modify the pains.
4. without any narcotics, although not intending withdrawal.

crackers adj. mad, crazy, thus crackers about, obsessed with.

decorate v. (US) to injure, esp. to give a black eye.

fall off the christmas tree v. (US campus) to be amazed.

Father Christmas n. a respected old man.

frosty adj.
1. (US) very unfriendly.
2. unsuitable, inappropriate, ‘bad’.
3. (US drugs) under the influence of cocaine.
4. cool, unemotional.
5. stylish, fashionable.

gift that keeps on giving, the phr. (US campus) a venereal disease.

goose v.
1. to pursue women, to womanize.
2. to poke or tickle a person in the genital or anal area, usu. by a man to a woman.
3. (US) of emotions, to press, to push, to provoke, to enliven.
4. of a person, to push, to poke.
5. (US) to accelerate a car; thus goose up, to move forward a short distance.
6. to have sexual intercourse.
7. to perform anal intercourse.
8. (US) to grab.
9. to increase the volume on a radio, sound system or TV.
10. (US campus) to grasp someone’s testicles from behind, as a prank.
11. to improve, to cajole into progress.
12. (US Black) to stab.
13. to excite sexually.

hitch up the reindeers v. (drugs)
1. to prepare the needle, etc. for an injection of cocaine.
2. to inhale cocaine.

ice v.
1. (US) (also ice out) to snub, to treat coldly.
2. (US Und.) (also ice down) to imprison.
3. (US prison) to place in solitary confinement.
4. to murder, to kill.
5. (US Black) to reject, to turn down, to cease, often as ice that!
6. in fig. use, to harm, to cause trouble for.
7. to break an appointment with, to abandon or cancel a plan or scheme.
8. to hide.

lit up like a Christmas tree adj. (also …like a sky-rocket, …a triumphal arch, … a church, …a new saloon, …a white way, …high mass, …a torch, …an ocean liner, …a pier, etc.) very drunk; or intoxicated from drugs.

make mincemeat of v. (also make bacon of, …cheeseburgers out of, …chitterlings of, …mince-pie (out) of, …hamburger of, …cat’s meat of, …dog’s meat of, …junk of, …sausage meat of, …small biscuit of, …mashed potatoes of, …hawk’s meat, …lard of, …Swiss cheese out of, …petty-patties of, manufacture mincemeat of) to beat up, to destroy.

not know if/whether it’s Pitt Street or Christmas v. (also…it’s Tuesday or Bourke Street) (Aus.) to be very ignorant and confused.

oil of holly n. a beating administered with a stick cut from a holly bush.

parson n. a signpost, esp. a finger-post.

pudding n.
1. (also white pudding) the penis; thus pudding-bag, the vagina; pudding prick, the penis.
2. sexual intercourse.
3. (also puddings) the stomach.
4. an unborn child, a foetus.
5. the vagina.
6. (UK Und.) meat, usu. liver, that has been impregnated with drugs or poison, used by a thief to silence a house dog.
7. semen.
In Phr.:
▸ have hot pudding for supper of a woman, to have sexual intercourse.

Santa Claus n.
1. an older man who is willing to provide the various material wants of a younger mistress or, if gay, a younger male lover.
2. (US Black) a vulgar, gaudy and tasteless dresser.

sleighride v (also go on a sleighride, take a sleighride) (US drugs)
1. to inhale cocaine; thus sleighrider, a cocaine user.
2. to take morphine (which is also white).

snow n. (also snowball, snowy stuff) (orig. US drugs)
1. cocaine; thus snow party, a party where the guests take cocaine.
2. heroin.
3. morphine.
4. crack cocaine.
5. amphetamine.

sprout n. (US) a beating; thus put through a course of sprouts, to beat, to flog, to subject to intense, harsh discipline.

stocking n. (also stocking stuffer) (UK Und.) money.

stuffing n. (also stuffings) (orig. US) the daylights, as in beat/knock the stuffing out of, also used fig.

turkey
n.
1. an unquestionable disaster, esp. in show business.
2. a failure, an incompetent, a dull person.
3. (drugs) inferior quality or even fake drugs.
4. (US gang) a gang member who will not or cannot fight, but runs messages etc.
5. an unappealing or worthless thing, a disappointment.
6. a general derog. term of address.
7. an unattractive man or woman.
8. (US Und./teen) a victim, e.g. of a mugging or shooting.
In Phr.:
turkey out (US) to run off, to act in a cowardly manner.

Winchester goose
n. (also goose. Winchester pigeon) venereal disease.

Yuletide log n. a dog.

…and a merry Christmas to you too! phr. dismissive, disparaging phr. that implies quite the opposite of its SE meaning.

image ©Gabriel Green
You can buy Green’s Dictionary of Slang, as well as Jonathon’s more slimline Chambers Slang Dictionary, plus other entertaining works, at his Amazon page. Jonathon also blogs and Tweets.
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About Author Profile: Jonathon Green

Jonathon 'Mr Slang' Green is the world's leading lexicographer of English slang. You can buy Green's Dictionary of Slang, as well as Jonathon's more slimline Chambers Slang Dictionary, plus other entertaining works, at his Amazon page. Jonathon also blogs and Tweets.

2 thoughts on “Green’s Dictionary of Christmas Slang

  1. george.jansen55@gmail.com'
    George
    December 22, 2011 at 15:03

    Why not “angel” as in “speculative investor”–originally I think for theatrical productions, now largely for tech startups?

    “4. (US) an amusing thing or circumstance.” In what is now a half century of conversation here, I’ve never heard “card” used that way.

    “Christmas tree” is the set of lights that govern the start of a drag race; I believe I have also heard it for the lights on top of a police car.

    Shouldn’t definition 3 of “cold turkey” have priority, as presumably being the original? I’ve always assumed it came from the skin tone & appearance of the patient.

    And how about “crib”?

  2. george.jansen55@gmail.com'
    George
    December 22, 2011 at 17:57

    Also, you might add “card (v): To check the identification of persons suspected of being under age for purchase of alcohol.”

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