Qq Q noun 1 a homosexual. An abbreviation of QUEER US, 1968. 2 of drugs, generally marijuana, a quarter of an ounce UK, 1997. 3 the rec- reational drug methaqualone, best known as Quaaludes™ US, 1977. 4 in a deck of playing cards, a queen US, 1991. 5 barbecue US, 2001. 6 in American casinos, a $25 chip. An abbreviation of QUARTER US, 1983 Q nickname the San Quentin state prison in San Rafael, California US, 1951 Q and A a question and answer session US, 1997 qat noun 1 methcathinone US, 2003. 2 leaves of catha edulis, astimu- lant also called K, khat or kat, originating in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian peninsula, legally available in the UK and similar to amphetamine in effect when chewed. Also known as ‘qaadka’ UK, 1996 Q boat noun an unmarked police car with plain clothes officers. From the name given to disguised naval vessels in World War 1 UK, 1977 QE verb to turn Queen’s Evidence (to give evidence for the prosecution against your alleged accomplices) UK, 1996 Q-ship noun among hot rodders, a high-performing car that appears to be a conventional car. Taken from the early C20 meaning of an armed and camouflaged merchant ship used as a decoy US, 1965 Q-sign noun of a very sick hospital patient, the open mouth with the tongue hanging out. Medical wit; the ‘Q’ is an image of the mouth and tongue as described. The O-SIGN is not quite as serious UK, 2002 QT noun < on the QT quietly, in strict confidence UK, 1884 Qtipnoun in poker, a queen and a ten US, 1996 quack noun 1 a doctor of medicine. Following an earlier (mid-C17) sense as ‘a pretended doctor’, abbreviated from ‘quacksalver’ (one who sells his salves by noisy patter or ‘quacking’). The current sense, spread through military use, does not imply any lack of qualification or a degree of salesmanship AUSTRALIA, 1919. 2 a hospital patient who feigns symptoms in order to receive attention, prescription medication or both US, 1978. 3 in poker, a player who complains loudly when losing US, 1979. 4 the recreational drug methaqualone, best known as Quaaludes™ US, 1985. 5 a firefighter. New York police slang US, 1997. 6 a novice surfer US, 1977 quacker noun a Kawasaki motorcycle UK, 1979 quackery noun forensic scientists; a forensic science department. Police use; always used with ‘the’. Probably a pun on QUACK (a doctor) UK, 1971 quackie noun a white person TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1971 quack-quack noun 1 a duck. An echoic term, used by, or to, infants UK, 1865. 2 a commotion TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1982 quad noun 1 a quadriplegic US, 1980. 2 in trucking, a quadriplex trans- mission that provides twenty forward gears and four reverse US, 1971. 3 the recreational drug methaqualone, best known as Quaaludes™ US, 1980. 4 a carburettor with four barrels US, 1965. 5 a clumsy, inept fool. An evolved SQUARE CANADA, 1993 quad-fifty noun a quadruple mount .50 calibre machine gun, a devastating truck-drawn trailer-mounted weapon. Originated in World War 2 US, 1953 quadruplets noun in poker, four cards of the same rank US, 1979 quads noun 1 the quadriceps muscles US, 1984. 2 in poker, a hand with all four cards of the same rank US, 1996 quaff verb to drink alcohol UK, 1955 quail noun 1 a woman US, 1859. 2 a girl under the legal age of consent. A shortened form of SAN QUENTIN QUAIL US, 1976. 3 a twenty-five cent betting token used in of craps US, 1983 Quaker oat noun a coat. Rhyming slang, formed from Quaker Oats™, a brand of porridge UK, 1932 quality noun < the quality anyone who is not a member of the travelling community IRELAND, 1993 quango noun a government-financed, notionally independent body with a powerful interest in a given field of interest. An acronym for Quasi Non-Government(al) Organisation or Quasi-Autonomous National Government Organisation UK, 1973 quanker noun in Nova Scotia, a duck-calling device CANADA, 1945 quare adjective mediocre UK, 1983 quare hawk noun someone who is unconventional in some way IRELAND, 1989 quare one noun wife IRELAND, 1997 quar ice noun water that has oozed through the ground through snow and frozen on the surface CANADA, 1955 quarked out adjective under the influence of drugs US, 1999 quarm verb (used of a man) to behave in an exaggerated, effeminate manner BAHAMAS, 1982 quart noun 1 a twenty-five cent piece BARBADOS, 1965. 2 in poker, four cards of the same suit in sequence US, 1979 quarter noun 1 a quarter of an ounce of drugs, especially cocaine US, 1968. 2 a quarter of a kilo of drugs UK, 1996. 3 twenty-five dollars’ worth of drugs. Also called a ‘quarter bag’ US, 2001. 4 a prison sentence of 25 years US, 1964. 5 a jail sentence of three months. Also referred to as ‘quarter bit’ and ‘quarter stretch’ UK, 1977. 6 in American casinos, a $25 chip US, 1980. 7 twenty-five pounds of weights used in lifting US, 1989. 8 a cigarette US, 1958 quarter bird noun one quarter pound of cocaine US, 1999 quarter-deck verb during US Marine Corps basic training, to administer physical discipline or Incentive Physical Training US, 2004 quarter house noun a place where mid-level heroin dealers do business US, 1978 quarter rock noun crack cocaine US, 1993 quart store noun a store that sells beer on the retail level US, 1997 quartz noun methamphetamine that is smoked UK, 1998 Quasar noun a woman. A strained allusion to a Quasar television advertising slogan – ‘works in a drawer’, and then punning on ‘drawers’ as an item of female underwear US, 1976 quashie noun a country-dweller; an unsophisticated peasant. Possibly from C18 Quashee, an African name, adopted by white people as a general name for any black person UK, 1997 Quasimodo noun soda water. Rhyming slang, formed from ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ UK, 1992 quat noun in betting, odds of 4–1 UK, 1991 quater noun twenty-five cents. A corruption of ‘quarter’ US, 1980 quater; quarter; quaterer adjective four. Polari, from Italian quattro UK, 1996 quaver verb 1 to dither, especially over whether or not to make a purchase UK, 1979. 2 to potter about; to tinker UK, 1979 quaverer noun a vacillating, or uncertain, customer. From QUAVER UK, 1979 quawk noun uncooked frozen meat or fish CANADA, 1947 quay; quas noun the recreational drug methaqualone, best known as Quaaludes™ US, 1997 quean noun 1 an effeminate male homosexual; an ageing passive homosexual UK, 1935. 2 a lesbian. A term used by male homosex- uals UK, 1984 quean up verb in male homosexual society, to adopt girlish mannerisms and affectations; to use cosmetics and to primp. British gay slang UK, 1972 queased out adjective nauseated, sick US, 1993 Quebec wrench noun a beer bottle opener. The high consumption rate of beer in Quebec is the source of this oral slang item CANADA, 2001 queber noun a social outcast US, 1987 queeb noun a bisexual US, 1988 queef noun the passing of air from the vagina US, 2002 queef verb to expel air from the vagina, intentionally or not US, 2000 queen noun 1 an obviously homosexual male AUS TRALIA, 1924. 2 a mother. As the ruler of the house UK, 2002. 3 a popular girl US, 1959. 4 a girlfriend, mistress or prostitute US, 1968. 5 an enthusiast of the preceding thing or activity US, 1999 Queen noun < for the Queen used to describe extra days added as punishment to a sentence of imprisonment UK, 1996. < go Queen’s; turn Queen’s to turn Queen’s evidence, that is, to give evidence against co-defendants, usually to your own advantage UK, 1996. < the Queen the National Anthem. Before this we stood for ‘the King’ UK, 1952 Queen Anne is dead a catchphrase retort on old news. Later vari- ations – ‘Queen Elizabeth and my Lord Baldwin’ – have not survived UK, 1722 queen bee noun 1 the alpha male in a group of homosexuals. Punning on QUEAN. The Guild Dictionary of Homosexual Terms, 1965, offers this definition: ‘usually, but not always, an auntie with money, an entourage, and numbers (sex-partners). Frequently he is elderly and, most always, an agreeable person.’ US, 1965. 2 a hetero- sexual woman who seeks out the company of homosexual men US, 1957 Queen Charlotte tuxedo noun a heavy grey Stanfield’s undershirt CANADA, 1989 queenie noun a prostitute US, 1964 Queenie nickname Queensland, Australia AUSTRALIA, 1994 Queen Mary noun 1 a surfboard that is too big for the surfer using it. Named after the ocean liner, not a royal female US, 1964. 2 a large tank truck. An ocean liner reference US, 1954 Queen of Mean nickname Leona Helmsley (b.1920), American hotelier and prototype of greed during the Reagan era US, 1997 Queen of the Jukebox nickname Dinah Washington (1924–1963), a brilliant vocalist in the jazz, pop and R&B genres US, 1975 Queen of the South noun the mouth. Rhyming slang, formed from the name of a Scottish football club UK, 1992 Queen’s Cowboys nickname the Royal Canadian Mounted Police CANADA, 1989 queen’s gaff noun the anus. An allusion to WINDSOR CASTLE ,aroyal GAFF (residence) in Berkshire which also serves as rhyming slang for ‘arsehole’ UK, 1992 Queenslander noun a type of weatherboard house raised on stilts AUSTRALIA, 1994 Queen’s Necklace nickname in Mumbai, the view after dark of the sparkling lights on Marine Drive (now Netaji Subhash Road) INDIA, 2002 Queens Park Ranger noun a stranger. Rhyming slang, formed from the full name of QPR, the London football club, Queens Park Rangers UK, 1961 queen’s r ow noun an area in a prison reserved for blatantly homo- sexual prisoners US, 1967 Queen Street bushie; Queen Street cowboy; Queen Street ringer noun in Queensland, a city person with pretences to country living, such as dressing like a cowboy or driving a 4WD AUSTRALIA, 2003 queen tank noun a jail holding cell reserved for flamboyantly effeminate homosexual men US, 1988 queeny adjective 1 blatantly homosexual US, 1979. 2 showy, melodramatic, affected US, 1997 queer noun 1 a homosexual man or a lesbian. Usually pejorative, but also a male homosexual term of self-reference within the gay underground and subculture US, 1914. 2 counterfeit money UK, 1812 queer verb to spoil something; to ruin something; to interfere with something UK, 1812. < queer a pitch to spoil a situation or a circumstance; to undermine someone’s efforts UK, 1875 queer adjective 1 homosexual. Derogatory from the outside, not from within US, 1914. 2 catering to or patronised by homosexuals US, 1957. 3 driven by deep and perverse sexual desires US, 1967. 4 not good; out of fashion. Like ‘gay’, ‘queer’ has been hijacked from its homosexual context US, 1997. 5 counterfeit US, 1951. < to be queer for to be fond of someone or something US, 1953 queer and nasty, try another service nickname the Australian airline QANTAS. Most airlines seem to be the subject of jocular puns. ‘Queers and Nancies Trading as Stewards’ had some circulation in the 1980s AUSTRALIA, 2002 queer as a clockwork orange adjective 1 obviously homosexual. Plays on QUEER (unusual/homosexual) UK, 1973. 2 unusual or suspicious. Predates the novel Clockwork Orange (1962) by Anthony Burgess UK, 1980 queer as a four -speed walking stick adjective unusual; ostentatiously homosexual. Popularised by raconteur ‘Blaster’ Bates (b.1922) UK, 1984 queer as a left-handed corkscrew adjective unusual; ostentatiously homosexual UK, 1970s queer as a nine-bob note adjective 1 ostentatiously homosexual. Plays on QUEER (unusual/homosexual) UK, 1984. 2 unusual or suspicious. The most ‘queer’ (unusual) thing about a nine BOB (shilling) note is that it has never existed; the phrase survived decimalisation in 1971, which ‘bob’ failed to do UK, 1984 queer as a nine-bob watch adjective suspicious. So cheap it must be suspect UK, 1984 queer as a three-dollar bill adjective ostentatiously homosexual US, 1966 queer as fuck adjective definitely homosexual; ostentatiously gay. QUEER (homosexual) plus ‘as fuck’ (an intensifier); punned in the popular television drama series about gay culture, Queer As Folk AUSTRALIA, 1997 queerbait; queer-bait noun a man who commands the attention of homosexual men, whether he is homosexual or not US, 1957 queer-bashing verb an attack (usually physical) of a homosexual because of his sexuality UK, 1970 queer beer noun weak, watery beer. More commonly reduplicated as ‘near beer’ US, 1976 queerie noun a homosexual NEW ZEALAND, 1998 queer jack noun counterfeit money US, 1949 queer-rolling noun the practice of attacking and robbing homosex- uals UK, 1977 queer’s lunch box noun the male crotch US, 1964 Queer Street noun < in Queer Street; on Queer Street experiencing difficulties, especially financial difficulties; in a vulner- able position UK, 1952 queeve verb to experience a loss of energy US, 1984 quegg noun a homosexual. Possibly a compound of QUEER (homose- xual or odd) and EGG (a person) UK, 2001 Quel Chagrin noun Queen’s Counsel. From the initials QC CANADA, 2002 query noun a test or examination US, 1976 ques noun the question mark (?) character on a computer keyboard US, 1991 queue noun < put on a queue (of a woman) to have sex with a line of partners, one after the other AUSTRALIA, 1970 quezzie noun a question UK, 2002 quiche-eater noun a sensitive male; an effeminate male US, 1984 quiche out verb to concede defeat in a cowardly manner; to behave in a weak or effeminate manner. Probably from the notion that ‘real men don’t eat quiche’ UK, 2006 quean up | quiche out 524 quick and dirty adjective constructed as quickly as possible US, 1991 Quickdraw McGraw noun the US Secret Service agent who is closest to the president. Quickdraw McGraw was a Hanna Barbera cartoon that first aired in 1959; ironically, the character Quickdraw McGraw was not a quick draw, but his name has survived, implying that which the character was not US, 1981 quick-go noun in a sport, a player who does not last very long on a team US, 1972 quickie noun 1 a sexual encounter that is carried out quickly US, 1950. 2 an alcoholic drink taken hastily AUSTRALIA, 1969. 3 something that is accomplished quickly US, 1940. 4 an unexpected, quickly executed manoeuvre or piece of trickery US, 1950 quickie adjective carried out quickly US, 1940 quick-lunch noun a fast-food small restaurant CANADA, 1959 quickness noun < with a quickness as soon as possible US, 1997 quick one noun an unexpected act of betrayal US, 1950 quick one off the wrist noun 8see: ONE OFF THE WRIST quick pussy noun a secure NATO communications system CANADA, 1995 quick-smart adverb quickly AUSTRALIA, 1952 quick-starts noun running shoes US, 1990 quick thinking, Batman! used for a humorous, if sarcastic, response to another’s observation or conclusion. From the Batman comic and television series (1966–1968). The television series launched several catchphrases into the vocabulary to a far greater extent than the comic books had US, 1968 quick-turn burn noun the refuelling and reloading of an F-18 fighter jet in less than five minutes US, 1991 quid noun 1 a pound sterling; pounds sterling. Deriving perhaps from Latin quid (what?), later suggesting ‘the wherewithal’. Note too UK dialect quid (a wad of tobacco). The quid has survived decimalisation (1971) and several centuries of inflation; originally coined as ‘a guinea’ (1 pound, 1 shilling), in C 19 it became ‘a sovereign’ UK, 1688. 2 some money. Still in use despite the fact that pounds went out in 1966 when Australia changed over to decimal currency (dollars and cents) AUSTRALIA, 1976. 3 five dollars. If a pound is five dollars, so must be a quid US, 1988. < not the full quid without a full complement of intelligence AUSTRALIA, 1944 quid deal noun a drug sale involving one pound’s worth of drugs, usually marijuana UK, 1983 quids noun a large amount of money AUSTRALIA, 1930. < not for quids not for anything AUSTRALIA, 1941. < wouldn’t be dead for quids I am generally happy with my life and circumstances AUSTRALIA, 1986 quids in adjective prospering; at an advantage. Figurative use of actual profit measured by the QUID ( £1) UK, 1919 quietie noun a quiet drink AUSTRALIA, 1995 quiet-side adjective secret US, 1976 quiff noun 1 the vagina; a woman as sex object; a prostitute. Archaic in the US, but understood in context UK, 1923. 2 by extension, a male homosexual US, 1977 quill noun 1 anything used to snort powdered drugs; the drugs themselves US, 1935. 2 cocaine UK, 1998. 3 heroin UK, 1996 quill pig noun a porcupine. Michigan Upper Peninsula usage US, 2003 quilty adjective luxurious US, 1976 quim noun the vagina; used objectively as a collective noun for women, especially sexually available women UK, 1735 quimby noun a person completely lacking in social graces US, 1997 quimmo noun a fool; an unpleasant individual. Extending QUIM (the vagina) as a synonym for CUNT UK, 1999 quince noun an effeminate male; a homosexual AUSTRALIA, 1941. < get on your quince to annoy you AUSTRALIA, 1941 quinella noun in horse racing, a bet on the first two to finish in either order US, 1991 quinine noun inthegameofcraps,thenumbernineUS, 1950 quint noun in poker, five cards of the same suit in sequence US, 1979 quint major noun in poker, a sequence of five cards, same suit, ending with the face cards US, 1988 quitter noun a suicide US, 1982 quiver noun 1 a selection of surfboards used for different surf con- ditions US, 1977. 2 cocaine UK, 1999 quivver-giver noun an attractive person US, 1947 quiz noun a roadside sobriety test US, 1976 quiz room noun a room where the North Vietnamese interrogated US prisoners of war US, 1990 quizzy adjective nosey NEW ZEALAND, 1988 quoit noun theanus;thebacksideAUSTRALIA, 1919 quokka soccer noun on Rottnest Island, running around kicking quokkas as a type of entertainment. The ‘quokka’ is a small rare native marsupial, Setonix brachyurus, of southwestern West Australia AUSTRALIA, 1999 quong noun the testicle. Usually in the plural UK, 2002 quorum noun in poker, the agreed-upon minimum number of players to continue a game US, 1979 quote verb in criminal circles, to vouch for someone UK, 2000 quo vadis noun unfashionable or unpopular music. Probably refers to the 1951 film Quo Vadis and the rock group Status Quo,formed in 1967 and, in 2003, still working, with the implication that both entertainments are dated UK, 2003 quozzie; quoz noun a disabled or deformed person. Derived from Quasimodo, ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ UK, 2000 525 quick and dirty | quozzie; quoz . quince to annoy you AUSTRALIA, 1941 quinella noun in horse racing, a bet on the first two to finish in either order US, 1991 quinine noun inthegameofcraps,thenumbernineUS, 1950 quint noun in. verb during US Marine Corps basic training, to administer physical discipline or Incentive Physical Training US, 2004 quarter house noun a place where mid-level heroin dealers do business US,. 1 methcathinone US, 2003. 2 leaves of catha edulis, astimu- lant also called K, khat or kat, originating in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian peninsula, legally available in the UK and similar