How not to say what you mean a dictionary of euphemisms 0198604025

OXFORD How Not To Say What You Mean A Dictionary of Euphemisms R W HOLDER Having seen something written by Bob Holder as a schoolboy, T S Eliot remarked Thar boy loves words' This love oï language underlies this new edition of A Dictionary of Euphemisms Bob has lived in West Monkton, near Taunton, since 1951 He has worked for manufacturing companies in Ireland, Belgium, and North America in addition to those in the United Kingdom and has also held a number of public appointments From 1974 to 1984 he was Treasurer of the University of Bath and remained a Pro-Chancellor until 1997 From its first appearance in 1987 as A Dictionary of American and British Euphemisms, Boh Holder's work has been the standard reference hook tor those studying the language of evasion and understatement This new edition, renamed / low Not To Say What You Mean, has been completely rewritten It retains old favourites while adding over a thousand new entries, which reflect modern euphemistic terms on such issues as marriage, race, homosexuality, drug-taking, and security ol employment The quotations which accompany entries are both illustrative and interesting in their own right Where appropriate, the etymology of a term is explained, giving a philological insight into this universally used, hut little studied, branch of our language Jacket design: Simon Levy Jacket illustration: Photodisc 'A browser's delight' Reference Review How Nut To Su> What Vow Mean unmasks the language >>t hypocrisy, evasion, prudery, and deceit This hugely entertaining collection highlights our tendency to use mild, vague, or roundabout expressions in preference to words that are precise, blunt, and often uncomfortably accurate Entries, drawn from all aspects of life: work, sexuality, aye, money, and politics, provide the red meaning tor well-known phrases such as above your ceiling, gardening leave, rest and recreation, count the daisies, God's waiting room, washed up, and fact-finding mission Review.s of the previous editions 'This ingenious collection is not only very tunny but extremely Iris Murdoch instructive too 'A most valuable and splendidlv presented collection; at once scholarly, tasteful, and witty.' I-ord Quirk 'Your complete guide to every euphemism you could ever wan! to know and many you would rather not' Daily Wail ISBN 0-19-860402-5 OXPORD U N I V h R S ! IV PRESS 780198 604020 www.oup.com I9RRP $18.95 ' How Not To Say What You Mean A Dictionary of Euphemisms Reviews of previous editions 'A most valuable and splendidly presented collection; at once scholarly, tasteful, and witty.' Lord Quirk 'Euphemists are a lively, inventive, self-regarding and bumptious bunch Holder goes among them with an etymological glint in his eye.' lain Finlayson, Financial Times 'this fascinating book don't put this dictionary in the loo -there's another euphemism for you - or else guests will never come out It's unputdownable once you open it.' Peter Mullen, Yorkshire Post 'Concise, well-organized entries' Library Journal (USA) 'I am astonished at its depth and wit' Sam Allen (American lawyer and philologist) 'This bran tub of linguistic gems A delight for browsers who love the vivid oddities of language a valuable collection.' City Limits 'A very funny collection' Financial Times 'Many printable gems' Daily Telegraph 'Good bedside reading' Sunday Telegraph 'It will surely take its place as a browser's delight and it will entertain book lovers for many hours, whilst at the same time providing useful background information, as well as instruction and clarification to many.' Reference Review 'An informative, amusing collection' The Observer 'Hugely enjoyable and cherishable' Times Educational Supplement 'Lovers of word play will have a field day' Herald Express, Torquay 'Excellent, informative, entertaining.' Wilson Literary Bulletin (USA) 'Great fun, but not for the maiden aunt.' Sunday Telegraph How Not To Say What You Mean A Dictionary of Euphemisms R W HOLDER OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 6DP Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Bangkok Buenos Aires Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kolkata Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi Sào Paulo Shanghai Singapore Taipei Tokyo Toronto Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Published in the United States by Oxford University Press Inc., New York C: R W Holder 1995, 2002 The moral rights of the auther have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) First published as A Dictionary of American and British Euphemisms by Bath University Press 1987 Revised edition published by Faber and Faber Limited 1989 Second edition first published as A Dictionary of Euphemisms by Oxford University Press 1995, and in paperback 1996 This third edition first published as How Not to Say What You Mean: A Dictionary of Euphemisms in 2002 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Holder, R W How not to say what you mean: a dictionary of euphemisms / R W Holder p cm Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index ISBN 0-19-860402-5 English language-Euphemism-Dictionaries English language-Synonyms and antonyms English language-Terms and Phrases Vocabulary I Title PE1449 H548 2002 423M-dc21 2002074261 ISBN 0-19-860402-5 10 Typeset in 7.5/8.5pt OUP Swift Light by Kolam Information Services Pvt Ltd, Pondicherry, India Printed in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, St Ives pic Contents An Explanation vi Bibliography X A Dictionary of Euphemisms Thematic Index 449 An Explanation W hen I started gathering euphemisms in 1977 with a dictionary in mind, nothing similar had been published I was free to choose the form the collection should take, to speculate on the etymology, and to lay down the criteria for entry or rejection It was not, I felt, a subject to be taken too seriously, considering the ridiculous nature of many of the euphemisms we use in everyday speech I accepted Fowler's definition: 'Euphemism means the use of a mild or vague or periphrastic expression as a substitute for blunt precision or disagreeable use' (Modern English Usage, 1957) A second test soon emerged: that the euphemistic word or phrase once meant, or prima facie still means, something else Because many euphemisms have become such a part of standard English that we think only of the current usage, I sometimes remind the reader of what the word means literally, or used to mean In speech and writing, we use euphemism when dealing with taboo or sensitive subjects It is therefore also the language of evasion, of hypocrisy, of prudery, and of deceit Fewer than one in a hundred of the entries in the Dictionary cannot be classified under a specific heading shown in the Thematic Index Some of the entries may be judged by the reader to be dysphemisms, or neither euphemism or dysphemism The selection is of necessity subjective, and there may also be cases where one woman's euphemism is another man's dysphemism With regard to inclusive language, for the sake of brevity I stay with the old, politically incorrect rule that the use of the masculine pronoun may, where appropriate, also include the feminine I have left out anything which does not feature in literary or common use, unless it adds to our understanding of how language evolves I also omit anything which I have only found in another dictionary Inevitably, living in England and having worked during the past quarter century mainly there and in Ireland, the selection reflects the speech on this side of the Atlantic, despite my frequent Politics fair2 fair-haired boy fairness at work fat cat fellow-traveller fifth column final solution (the) find Cook County fireman2 flexible flexibility former person frank2 free trade free world freeze1 friendly front1 full and frank at frank2 gaffe gender norming German German chemistry German mathematics German science Germanization German Democratic Republic go native go over golden boy gold-plating granny farming great and the good (the) Great Game grey2 grey suits greymail guiding light guidelines hang out to dry hang-out harmful elements healthy house-cleaning house-trained human rights ideological supervision initiative internal security involved involvement king over the water lame duck1 leak2 leakage leaky Lebensborn at living space lend-lease at lend lingua tertii imperii little gentleman in black velvet little local difficulty living space log-rolling loose cannon lose1 love-in at sit-in low profile mercy death militia movement2 national savings national security guard nationalize negative aspect(s) negative propaganda negotiate new New Deal New Labour New Order new economic zones no comment non-aligned non-person obligatory off the reservation other place (the) outsourcing over-civilized overhaul own goal PC parallel justice at parallel party member pause2 peace people's people's army people's car people's court people's democracy people's justice people's lottery people's militia people's palace people's republic people's tribunal place of safety player Plum Book (the) plumber political and social order politically correct political correctness population transfer pork1 pork-chopper pork barrel Post-War Credit at benevolence Potomac fever prime the pump procedure progressive proletarian proletarian democracy proletarian internationalism protectorate protect public ownership public-private partnership public sector borrowing requirement public tranquility question2 radical rainbow fascist rational realign redistribution of wealth re-educate re-education relocation rent stabilization resistance restraint1 restraint2 revenue enhancement revenue emolument revisionist revolutionary rusticate salami tactics sanitized second world at first world security security adviser security risk security service shoo-in shroud waving shroud waver sit-in sleep-in so-called Austrian problem at problem special1 special4 special6 special action special court special duty special investigation unit special squad special treatment spin spin doctor spinner squat2 squatter stabilization standstill state protection State Research Bureau sterilize struggle for national existence temporary local difficulty at temporary troubles (the) twin tracking Pornography ] Pregnancy U-turn ultimate intentions un-American unsound urban renewal useful fool useful idiot vigilance wage initiative at initiative welfare state at welfare well-informed sources whitewash wire-pulling women's liberation women's libber women's movement (the) women's rights work both sides of the street workers' control World Peace Council Pornography adult1 amusing art blue2 bodice-ripper club3 dirty1 dirty book dirty joke family1 filthy filth girlie flick at girl1 girlie magazine at girl1 girlie video at girl1 hard core at hard horn emporium at horn1 laddish less edited at less men's magazine off-colour1 raunchy skin skin-business skin-flick skin-house skin magazine smut house soft2 stag stripper topless top shelf Poverty and Parsimony aid advantaged assistance 488 backward2 banana republic basket case benefit boracic bum careful carry the banner carry the balloon carry the stick cash flow problem claimant Claimants' Union close1 country in transition deadhead demographic strain depleted deprived deprivation developing differently advantaged at differently dole Dutch treat economically disadvantaged economically abused economically exploited economically marginalized emergent emerging entitlement excluded (the) financial assistance financially constrained first world floater1 fly a kite2 fumble for a check gentleman gentleman of the road get the shorts go Dutch hard up hearts (of oak) house3 house of industry in the red industrializing country jump a check at jump3 less developed at less lesser developed at less loaded4 moonlight flit moonlight flight moonlight march moonlight touch moonlight walk moth in your wallet (a) narrow narrowness near1 negatively privileged non-industrial on a budget on assistance at assistance on the club on the labour on the parish on the parochial on the ribs on your bones other side of the tracks (the) over-privileged panhandler pavement people pay with the roll of a drum pop3 preliterate privileged remittance man seen better days shoot the moon shorts (the) socially excluded south2 (the) special areas at special1 stroller third world tied aid at aid tight2 tight-fisted tightwad to the knuckle touch2 uncle underdeveloped underprivileged union2 urban renewal vulnerable warm2 workhouse Pregnancy accident2 afterthought anticipating arranged by circumstances bear1 beg a child of belly plea big big belly bump3 (the) bun in the oven (a) carry1 carry a child caught1 certain condition (a) cheat the starter click2 colt2 come to a sticky end condition2 costume wedding Prison 489 delicate condition at condition2 disgrace the right thing your duty by eat for two enceinte expectant expecting facts (of life) fall2 fall for a child fall in the family way fall pregnant fall wrong family way force-put job free of Fumbler's Hall full in the belly get with child gone grass widow great great bellied great with child have a watermelon on the vine at watermelon heavy of foot how's your father in calf in foal in pig in pod in pup in for it in season in the club in the plum(p) pudding club in the family way in that way in the increasing way in trouble1 interesting condition Irish toothache1 join the club kid knock up lady in waiting2 large1 lined little stranger make a child at make babies together make a decent woman of make an honest woman of mistake1 off-white wedding on2 on heat1 on her way on the nest overdue1 plum(p) pudding club premature pup quick raise a belly rank ready for riding time ring the bell sewn up1 shot in the tail shotgun marriage shotgun wedding so so-so split a woman's shape at split stung by a serpent swallow a watermelon seed at watermelon swell that way2 trouble up the pole up the spout up the stick watermelon with child Prison approved school assembly area at government expense at Her Majesty's pleasure attendance centre away2 back-gate parole bag5 bang up behind the wire big house big pasture big school bird2 black hole blue1 board school at residential provision boat at boat people book boom-passenger Bridewell brig bucket2 bull pen cage camp at concentration camp can3 canary1 chokey chuck horrors clink cockchafer1 community treatment center concentration camp control unit cooler1 coop cop2 correctional correctional facility correctional officer correctional training corrective training camp at correctional cross-bar hotel custody suite dance-hall at dance1 deep freeze detain a runner bird at bird2 down down the line down for the count drink tank at in the tank eat porridge end up with Her Majesty enjoy Her Majesty's hospitality everlasting staircase fall Fanny Hill at fanny fistful five fingers flowery1 freezer G glass house go down2 go over the hill go over the wall go to the Bay go up the river grind the wind guest guest of Her Majesty guest of Uncle Sam handful1 Hanoi Hilton hard room hit the bricks2 hit the hump hit the wall hole at black hole holiday hoosegow horse1 hospital2 house of correction house of detention hulk ice-box1 ice-house in1 in the bag1 Prostitution individual behavior adjustment unit inside Irish vacation jolt (a) jump bail at jump3 jug1 kangaroo club at kangaroo court kitty labour education last shame (the) length limbo at limb of the law little school at big house make tracks man2 municipal farm nab the stoop at nab Newgate nick3 North ODC on ice on the run on the trot on the wall on vacation pacification camp at pacify pacification center at pacify periodic rest place of correction place of safety poke3 political re-education porridge preventive detention protective custody put away3 quod re-educate re-education relocation camp residential provision resident resisting arrest rock crusher room and board with uncle Sam runner2 school screw2 seclusion at secluded segregation unit at segregation send away send down send up sheriffs hotel slammer slam sneezer snout2 socialist justice special education special regime sponging-house at sponge spring state farm state home state (training) school stir stir-wise stockade stretch1 sweat-box at sweat it out of take a hike2 take to the hills term2 time tolbooth transported trustee trusty trying to escape university vacation walk5 yardbird youth (guidance) center Prostitution abandoned academician at academy accost actress alley-cat all-nighter amateur angel of the night arse-peddler at arse at the game at game2 (the) available indigenous female companion B girl at bar girl bad badger badger game baggage bang-tail at bang1 bar girl bash be nice to belter at belt bibi bidi biddy bint bird1 bit bitch black velvet blow2 blowen board lodger bobtail1 body rub (a) bona roba bottom woman at bottom brasser break luck bum bun1 business business woman buttered bun buttock and twang at buttock buy buy love call girl call-boy call-button girl call the tricks camp follower can at canhouse cat1 cavalry chick chickie child of Venus chippy1 cockatrice at cocktail1 cockchafer2 cocktail1 coffee grinder collabos horizontales at horizontal comfort women commercial sex worker common customer common jack common maid common sewer common tart commoner o' th' camp compensated dating convenient1 country-club girls courtesan Covent Garden Covent Garden goddess crawl a kerb at kerb-crawling creature of sale Cressida crib girl at crib cross girl cruiser at cruise1 currency girl Cyprian dance a Haymarket hornpipe dasher daughter of joy daughter of the game degradation at degrade demi-mondaine demi-rep doe dolly dolly-common dolly-mop 491 Prostitution double header doxy dress for sale dress-lodger Drury Lane vestal at Drury Lane ague Dutch widow Edie entertainment lady at entertain1 escort faggot at fag fallen woman feather-bed soldier at featherbed filth fish fishmonger's daughter fix up flapper flash girl at flash-ken flash tail at flash-ken flash woman at flash-ken flat-backer at flat on your back flirty fishing flutter a skirt forty-four frail sister freak trick at trick2 fresh meat at meat1 game2 (the) gamester1 gay girl at gay gay lady at gay gay life at gay girl1 girl of the streets girlie go case go into the streets go to Paul's for a wife good time good-time girl goose1 grande horizontale at horizontal grass bibi/bidi at bibi guinea-hen hawk your mutton hawk your meat hawk your pearly head chick at head job (a) high-yellow at yellow2 hobby-horse hold-door trade (the) hooker horizontal life at horizontal hostess hustle2 hustler immoral immoral earnings immoral girls immoral purposes Immorality Act importune in circulation in the game at game2 (the) in the trade infamy infantry jam tart at tart jane1 Jane Shore Jezebel John5 joy-boy at joy1 joy-girl at joy1 Judy kerb-crawling lady lady of a certain description lady of easy virtue lady of no virtue lady of pleasure lady of the night lady of the stage lady of the streets ladybird lady in waiting1 life1 (the) life of infamy life of shame light ladies at light1 light the lamp light wenches at light1 little bit live by trade loose woman at loose1 lost1 low girls Magdalene make use of masseuse model moll moose mud-kicker Murphy game (the) mutton nanny at nanny-house naughty lady nautch girl nice time1 nightclub hostess night girl night job nightingale3 noble game (the) nocturne nun at nunnery nymph nymph of darkness nymph of delight nymph of the pavement oldest profession (the) on the bash at bash on the cross on the game at game2 (the) on the grind on the loose on the street(s) on the stroll on the town2 one of those pagan painted woman panel2 Paphian park women party girl pavement girl pavement princess peddle your arse personal services pick-up joint at pick up piece of trade at piece1 prima donna princess pro profession (the) professional (woman) punk1 quail queen1 quick time quickie2 receiver-general rent boy renter sand-rat sausage jockey at sausage scarlet woman scrubber sell yourself sell your back sell your body sell your desires show your charms sex care provider at sex1 sex worker at sex1 sinful commerce at commerce sister1 sister of charity sister of mercy skivvy sleek-trough at slake your lust sleepy-time girl at sleep with social evil (the) solicit solicitor sporting girls at sport (the) sporting women at sport (the) stale1 stale meat stepney street (the) street girl street tricking 492 Race street-corner girl street-walker succubus tart teahouse at tearoom tenderloin tenderloin district tomboy totty town bike town pump trade (the) tramp tree-rat trick trollop trot trull two-by-four unfortunate walk1 (the streets) walk with warm one at warm1 wench wet hen at wet deck white slave white slavery whore-hopping at hop into bed Winchester goose at goose1 woman of the town woman of the world work the streets working girl yellow2 Race affirmative action African trade at triangular trade (the) African-American African-descended apartheid Aryan black up blackbird black cattle black hides black pigs black sheep blackbirder blockbuster2 blue-eyed brother at brother2 boy brother2 Cape coloured at coloured1 card2 cattle chalk-board chi-chi clean2 cleanse1 colour colour problem colour-blind coloured1 community relations community affairs correspondent community affairs officer cultural cultural bias cultural deprivation dark2 dark-complected dark-skinned darky demographically correct dietary difficulties discrimination disinfection diversity21 diversity diversity training ethnic ethnic minority ethnic cleansing ethnic loading fancy3 feel a draft female-American fiddle first people glass ceiling guest worker homelands house4 immigrant improvement1 indigenous Inquiry and Control Section insult integrated casting itinerant Jewish question (the) Jim Crow letterhead lick of the tarbrush at tarbrush (the) light3 long acre mainstreaming marginalized master race at racial melanin enriched migration multicultural multiculturalism N-word (the) native Native American negro new Australian New Commonwealth NINA non-Aryan non-traditional casting non-white obligatory open housing peculiar institution (the) person of/with person of colour at coloured1 person of the coloured persuasion at coloured1 pigmentation problem at problem play a card purification of the race quota race defilement race relations Race Relations Board race relations industry race relations officer racial racial purification racial purity racial science racial war racism racialism racist racialist redneck re-emigration reservation reverse discrimination salt and pepper scheduled classes score adjustment segregation separate development servant sister2 social inclusion statutory tarbrush (the) three-point play tincture1 tinker token tokenism Tom2 transfer traveller travelling people triangular trade (the) trouser test turn4 twelve annas in the rupee Uncle Tom underground railroad undocumented visible visible community visible minorities visible minority ethnic groups visibly ethnic Religion and Superstition | Sexual Pursuit 493 weaker half (the) West Briton West Britonism West British wet-back white meat2 within-group norming wooden log yellow2 high yellow Religion and Superstition alternative antianti-Arian auld at old auto-da-fé bad fire (the) bad man bad lad black lad black gentleman black man black prince black Sam black spy black thief at thief blazes butch cast2 charm child of God cloot clootie Clootie's croft creative conflict at creative cunning man dark man David Jones at Davy Jones's locker dickens don the turban Eumenides Euxine father of lies fly-by-night1 fly-lord at Lord of the Flies foul2 foul ane foul thief furry thing game fee at game2 (the) gentle gentle bushes gentle people gentle place gentle thorns gentry give to God given rig go again go over good folk good neighbours good people gooseberry grunter gypsy's warning Harry holy wars horn of fidelity horny1 hot place (the) ill-wished irregular situation at irregular left-footer lift the books lift your lines little people little folk living Harry at Harry look in a cup Lord Harry at Harry Lord of the Flies mark1 nephew Nick1 Nicker Nickie niece1 old old bendy old blazes old bogey old boots old boy old chap old child old cloot old cloutie old dad old Davy old driver old gentleman old gooseberry old Harry old hornie old lad old mahoon old man old Nick old one old poger old poker old Roger old ruffin old Sandy old scratch old serpent old smoker old sooty old thief old toast oversee overlook overshadow playboy plotcock Prince of Darkness scratch1 shame small folk small men small people smoker (the) souper stunted hare swim for a wizard take the soup thief (of the world) thing wake a witch wee folk wee people wise woman Sexual Pursuit action3 (the) adventuress alley-cat appetites arouse arousal arse arse man ass asbestos drawers assault association with athlete attentions available1 beau beddable bedroom eyes (with) beef beefcake bicycle biddy bimbo bird1 bit1 bit of all right bit of arse/ass bit of crumpet bit of fluff bit of goods bit of hot stuff bit of how's your father bit of jam bit of meat bit of muslin bit of skirt bit of stuff 494 Sexual Pursuit bit of you-know-what bit on the side bother break the pale broad bull2 bunny bush patrol canary2 canned goods canoodle at canoe carry a torch for cast sheep's eyes at at make sheep's eyes at charity girl charity dame charms chase chase hump chase skirt chase tail cherry-picker at cherry click with cocksman at cock cold2 come across2 come on2 consensual relationship consort with contact with contact sex cookie cop4 cop a feel at feel/cop4 crackling cream for creamer cruise1 crumpet crush cuckoo1 dangerous to women dark meat2 dead to dead to honour dead to propriety defend your honour designs on (have) dick around dirty old man at dirty1 dish distracted by doe doll1 Don Juan down boy easy woman easy affections end of desire entanglement Eve eye-candy facile fallen woman familiar with fancy1 fast feel feel up feel-up fell design femme fatale filly flapper fond of the women at fond of fondle fool around with forget yourself foxy frail frank freelance fresh3 frippet frottage fumble fun fun and games gash get off with get your feet under the table girler give the eye goat at goat-house goer gone about goose2 grope groper hammer2 hand trouble handle1 hanky-panky have a hard-on for at hard-on hit on horny2 hot1 hots (the) hot back (a) hot pants hot stuff hot time hot-tailing ice queen in heat at on heat in the mood inflame it1 itch itchy feet jail bait Judy juiced up juicy ladies' man lady-killer lay2 liberal light1 light-footed like the ladies little bit loose1 loose in the hilts lose your reputation lose your virtue Lothario make1 make sheep's eyes at make time with make up to make yourself available man about town man of pleasure maul meat1 mouse mutton mutton-monger natural vigours naughty no better than she should be no better than she ought to be nonsense nose open not all she should be not all she ought to be not inconsolable old Adam (the) on4 on heat2 on the make on the pull open legged over-familiar overfriendly over-gallant pant after party-goer at goer pass2 past (your) paw permissive pet1 physical involvement pick up pick-up pick-up joint piece1 piece of arse/ass piece of buttered bun piece of crackling piece of crumpet piece of gash piece of goods piece of muslin piece of rump piece of skirt piece of spare Sexual Variations 495 piece on a fork piece of tail at tail1 play games at play play the field play the goat play with popsy privileges proposition pull2 push (someone's) buttons pussy2 pussy-whipped at pussy1 put a move on put yourself about ram2 randy rattle2 raunchy result2 roundheels rover roving eye salute upon the lips scarlet fever at scarlet woman seat cover at seat seduce seven-year itch sexual variety at sexual preference sheep's eyes (make) shoot the agate shoot the breeze at shoot a line slap and tickle skirt slag sow your wild oats spoon squeeze2 stalk stern-chaser at stern stoat strong-arm stuck on stud sure thing swordsman tail1 take liberties take a liberty talent talent-spotting thing about tomcatting trouble with his flies turn off2 turn on two-time Uganda uncontaminated walker wallflower wandering eye want2 want a body want intercourse want it want love want relations want sex warm1 weakness for men/women at weakness wear your heart upon your sleeve wet for wet your drawers wet your knickers wet your pants wet yourself wide-on (a) woman womanizer woman of intrigue zipper zipper problem Sexual Variations aberration abnormal abnormality AC/DC acey-deecy aesthete aestheticism affair(e) agent all-rounder alternative alternative proclivity alternative sexuality ambidextrous ambiguous ambivalent antrum (amoris) arouse arousal arse arse-bandit arse peddler ass Aussie kiss at French kiss aunt auntie back door1 backward3 bait at jail bait batting and bowling battyboy behind bent2 bestiality bird circuit bisexual bi bitch blow3 blow job bondage boondagger at boondock both-way bottle3 Brighton pier brown2 brown shower at showers brown-hatter bull5 bull-dyke bum-boy at bum butch butterfly camp camp about camp it up capon Charlie chew chicken1 chickenhawk child molester at molest child of Uranus at Uranian cissy closet2 closet lez closet queen closet queer come home by Clapham come out come out of the closet companion confirmed bachelor connection at connect1 consenting adults cookie pusher cornhole cottaging crime against nature (a) cross-dress cruise1 crush cupcake curious Darby and Joan2 decadent degenerate dick1 Dick's hatband disciple of Oscar Wilde at disciple of discipline at dominance dissolution2 dissolute diver divergence dodgy deacon at dodgy dominance double-gaited 496 Sexual Variations doubtful sexuality down on drag dress on/to the left drop beads earnest eat eat out écouteur effeminate English English arts English discipline English guidance English treatment English disease (the)1 English vice (the) even numbers or odd expose yourself fag faggot fairy female domination female oriented female identified fish1 fishwife fishy flamboyant flash flit3 flit about flower2 fluter at flute frame2 freak1 freak trick at freak2 French1 French vice (the) French way friend fruit1 funny2 gang-bang gear gender-bending get it off at get ginger ginger beer give head give yourself at give go down on go the other way go to bed with gobble golden shower at showers1 Greek way (the) gross indecency group sex half-and-half hand job (a) have it off at have head job (a) hermaphrodite homo hunt husband2 in the closet indecency indecent assault indecent exposure indecent offence interfere with intermediate invert inversion inverted iron2 Jack of both sides jag house Jasper jocker John3 John and Joan jolly3 King Lear kinky lavender lavender boy lavender convention leather2 leather-queen left-footer left-handed2 lesbian lesbianism lesbic lez lezzer lifestyle lifter at shirtlifter light2 (a) light on his toes light-footed2 like that lily limp-wrist live with lizzie love that durst not speak its name (the) lover male male identified male movies male oriented male videos marital aid meat1 meat-rack misbehave Miss Nancy at nancy mother1 muff-diver at muff musical nameless crime (the) nancy nancy boy Nelly not interested in the opposite sex oblique odd one of those one-way street oral sex oral service orientation Oscar other way (the) out2 outing out of the closet at out2 pansy pash pass peculiar peddle your arse/ass Peeping Tom perform2 permissive personal relations petit ami pink pound plater plate of ham play play the pink oboe play the skin flute plug2 pogey bait at poke2 porthole posterior assault pouff pooftah predilection preference (a) proclivities proposition punk2 queen2 queer2 queertalk raisin ream rent boy Roman Roman culture Roman way rough trade same gender oriented Sapphic sexual ambiguity sexual preference sexual irregularity sexual orientation sexual proclivity sexual tropism 497 sexually non-conformist shirtlifter shirt-lifting shit stabber showers1 side orders sissy six-à-neuf at soixante-neuf sixty-nine skippy so soixante-neuf song and dance stern-chaser at stern Stoke-on-Trent stud farm at stud stuff2 suck off swing2 swing both ways swish switch-hitter sword-swallower at sword take little interest in the opposite sex take no interest in the opposite sex tearoom tearoom trade that way1 three-letter man triple tube two left hands at left-handed two-on-one unbiblical sex uncertain sexual preferences unfaithful unhealthy unmarried unmentionable crime (the) unnatural unnatural act unnatural crime unnatural practice unnatural vice up the creek Uranian voyeur water sports weakness for boys at weakness wear Dick's hatband will woman's thing (the) wrong2 wrong sexual preference Stealing acquire acquisition alienate appropriate1 aryanize Stealing bag1 bag job bleed the monkey at bleed blindside bone1 boning boost1 booster booster bag booster bloomers bootleg bootlegger bootlegger turn borrow browse butler's perks cabbage cadge cannon gentleman of the road at gentleman gentleman of fortune at gentleman ghost1 glean glue gone walkabout goods (the) gooseberry at gooseberry lay grab2 graze half-inch heist help yourself highgrade hijack highwayman high law high lawyer high pad hit3 hoist1 hold-up hook1 hooker hot2 hot market hot money hot-wire hustle1 in the ring informal dealer at informal inventory leakage it's a big firm job joyride3 jump1 knight of the road at knight knock off3 liberate2 life1 (the) lift1 lifter light-fingered made at one heat make2 make a purse for yourself make away with2 make off with milk mooch moonlight1 moonraker mudlark mug mugger mush nab nab the snow nationalize Newgate bird at Newgate nibble nick2 nip1 no show nobble1 obtain on the chisel at chisel on the cross pick1 pick a pocket pickle pickpocket pigeon pike at pick1 pinch1 pocket porch climber1 pouch punter ramp receiver redistribution of property requisition rip 2off roll rumble running nimbler run1 safe man at dip1 salvage seepage shade2 shake1 shake down shakedown shoplift shoplifter at lift1 shrinkage siphon off snag snatch3 sneak souvenir stick up sticky-fingered Sweat I Urination stripper strong-arm suck the monkey swipe take1 take a walk3 take to the cleaners tax tea leaf three-letter man tip over1 touch2 Tyburn blossom at Tyburn walk3 whip win1 Sweat bedewed BO body odour glow odorously challenged wetness Urination accident1 accommodate yourself adjust your dress answer the call2 arrange yourself at arrange article back teeth floating bale out be excused bedwetting been bodily functions bodily wastes break your neck burst business call of nature caught short chamber chamber-lye chamber-pot choke your chicken cleanliness training cock the leg comfort2 comfort break comfort station commit a nuisance continent cover your boots decant demands of nature Dicky Diddle at diddle1 diddle1 dirty2 498 dirty your pants dirty your trousers dirty yourself disappear2 a bunk a dike a shift drain off duck ease nature ease your bladder ease yourself ease springs empty out empty your bladder essential purposes find a tree freshen up gather a daisy/rose/pea at pick a daisy go3 go about your business go for a walk (with a spade etc.) go on the coal go over the heap go places go round the corner go to ground go to the toilet go upstairs house-trained incontinent2 incontinency jerry Jimmy Jimmy Riddle kill a snake leak1 leaky leave the room leave the class lift a leg2 little jobs look at the garden look at the compost heap look at the lawn look at the roses make a call make a mess make room for tea make water mess2 minor function (the) mistake2 natural function (the) natural necessities natural purposes nature stop nature's needs night water at night soil number one(s)1 P pass water pay a visit pee pee-pee perform1 perform a natural function pick a daisy pick a pea pick a rose pig's ear pit-stop pluck a daisy/pea/rose at pick a daisy point Percy at the porcelain polish the mahogany powder your nose1 privacy puddle pull a daisy pump bilges pump ship rattle3 relief2 relieve yourself retire2 run off2 sample see a man about a dog see the rosebed see the compost heap see the view see your aunt shake hands with the bishop shake hands with the unemployable shake hands with the unemployed shake hands with your best friend shake hands with your wife's best friend shake the lettuce shoot a lion shoot a dog siphon the python slack slack off slash specimen spend a penny splash your boots squat1 stale2 strain your greens stretch your legs take a leak take the air taken short tap a kidney ten one hundred tinkle turn up your tail unlimber your joint Venereal Disease | Vulgarisms 499 unsociable (be) upstairs2 visiting card void water wash1 wash-mug wash your hands waste2 water water the garden water the roses waterworks1 wee(-wee) wet1 (the bed) wet your pants wet yourself wetting2 whizz Venereal Disease affliction of the loins at afflicted bang and biff at bang2 bareback rider at bareback blood disease blood poison bone-ache break your shins against Covent Garden rails burn1 burn your poker burner catch a cold1 catch a packet2 catch the boat up caught2 Clapham clean1 cold2 come home by Clapham communicable disease contagious and disgraceful disease cop a packet Covent Garden gout at Covent Garden Cupid's measles Cupid's itch disease of love docked smack smooth at dock dose Drury Lane ague dry pox (the) early treatment room free from infection FFI French ache French compliment French disease French fever French measles French pox Frenchified garden gout general paralysis of the insane at incurable bone-ache get a marked tray hot hygienic ill2 incurable bone-ache ladies' fever at lady malady of France mental disease nasty complaint (a) Neapolitan bone-ache Neapolitan favour packet2 pick up a nail piled with French velvet piss pins and needles piss pure cream preventable disease Rangoon itch Sandy McNabs scald secret disease at blood disease shoot between wind and water at shoot off short-arm inspection sigma phi slash and burn1 social disease social infection Spanish gout specific blood poison at blood disease take in your coals unmentionable disease wholesome Winchester goose at goose1 Vulgarisms adjective deleted at expletive deleted affair of honour Anglo-Saxon B Bfool Boff bad-mouth ball bearing bar steward at bar basket1 Billingsgate blank1 blanking blast1 bleeding bleep bloody at B blooming blow6 blow a raspberry bugger at B by gum at golly characterization deleted at expletive deleted chicken-choker at choke your chicken club3 D damn damnable damned darn dash2 ding-a-ling effing expletive deleted F F-word Fanny Adams flowery2 forget yourself foul may care at foul2 foul skelp ye at foul2 four-letter man four-letter word French2 frigging at frig1 G gee give the finger to gold-brick golly goles golles gollin golls gom gommy goms gomz goom gull gum Gordon Bennet(t) H Hail Columbia hell at H horse-collar in your brown at brown1 jerk at jerk off language merchant banker monkey's mother2 Mrs Duckett naff off P off at P pin-up pillock at pill1 pissed off at pissed P.O at pissed poor-mouth pound salt pound sand prick Warfare questionable remark questionable joke ruddy silly B at B so-and-so something something-something stuff that at stuff2 sugar sweet FA at Fanny Adams sweet Fanny Adams at Fanny Adams take the mick(e)y take the Michael take the piss tinpot tosser at toss off two-fingered up your Khyber at Khyber wanker at wank (off) what the H at H willy-puller at willie Warfare absorption adventure Agent Orange at agent air support alternative defence at alternative annex Anschluss anti-personnel barrack-room lawyer barracks lawyer blocking detachment blue-on-blue bog(e)y2 border incident at incident boys in the bush at boys brew brew up brushfire war bug out bushwhack ceasefire Charlie chopper civilian impacting clean cleanse co-belligerent cooperate collaborator collaborate collaborationist collateral damage come up with the rations coming of peace conflict confrontation constructed conventional 500 counter-attack counter-insurgency defence D notice defence notice defensive victory degrade deliver delivery vehicle device dirty disengage disengagement ditch done for dove draw the enemy into a trap duration emergency enhanced radiation weapon at enhance expendable at expended fact-finding mission fail to win fifth column first strike first strike capability fish3 fizzer fly the blue pigeon fragmentation device at frag fraternal assistance fratricide freedom fighters French leave friendly fire frontier guards garden Ginza cowboy go over the hill go over the side go over the top at over the top good voyage guardhouse lawyer guardian hardware hawk heat hit the bricks incident incontinent ordnance incursion intervention intruder jump ship at jump late disturbances late nastiness late unpleasantness liberate limited action limited covert war living space lot medium machine milice at militia milk run Ministry of Defence at defence modern Molotov cocktail mop up national emergency national service nerve agent nightingale non-fraternization at fraternization normalization nuclear device at device NYR not yet returned occupied over the top over there pacify pacification party patriotic front peace peace council peace offensive peace-keeping action peace-keeping force pioneer police action political change positive pre-dawn vertical insertion pre-emptive pre-emptive action pre-emptive offensive pre-emptive self-defence pre-emptive strike press press gang at press protect protect your interests protectorate purge push Quaker gun quarantine rebuilding costs recent unpleasantness reconstructed at constructed rectification of frontiers regroup regularize relocation camp resources control restore order return fire returned to unit RTU run Unclassified Entries 501 sea-lawyer second-strike second-strike capability second-strike destruction security security battalion self-defence settle2 settlement settler ship's lawyer shorten the front (line)1 show2 soft2 soft target somewhere in special3 special stores special weapons sterilize straighten the line strategic strategic capability strategic movement to the rear strategic retreat strategic targets strategic withdrawal stunt surgical strike surrendered personnel tactical tactical nuclear weapon tactical regrouping target of opportunity (a) temporary temporary tactical ploy tongue treasonable activity turn your coat voluntary volunteer ward off invasion withdrawal to prepared positions withdrawal in good order year of progress Unclassified Entries behind the eight ball below the salt bleeding heart born in bouncer at bounce3 brass-rags Chinese fire-drill (a) Chinese parliament circular file country pay difficult do-gooder do-gooding downstairs1 Dutch comfort Dutch consolation Dutch flick Dutch uncle eat stale dog file thirteen file seventeen gang Greek Calends (the) Greek gift hold the bag I hear what you say in Dutch in the arms of Morpheus inclusive language invigorating Irish hurricane Irish pennant keep up with the Jones's kick over the traces land of Nod (the) lend liberate3 liberation lived-in magic word (the) morally challenging not at home not in not rocket science oblige one of us Paris Mean Time pick up a knife receive set up shop on Goodwin Sands shake the pagoda tree shoot with a silver gun sing a different tune sing from a different song sheet slight chill slight cold slight indisposition smell of suffer fools gladly Sunday supportive sympathetic ear take the wall tell me about it temporary throw in the towel tin ear (a) touchy-feely trainspotter wash your hands of whiff of white elephant with respect wooden hill worship at the shrine of ... on any acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Holder, R W How not to say what you mean: a dictionary of euphemisms. .. for all kinds of neuroses (Pearsall, 1969) Also as auto-erotic habits avail yourself of | Aztec two-step (the) avail yourself of to copulate with casually Usually of a male: any man who availed... real estate) appropriate1 to steal Originally, it meant to take for your own use, without any taint of impropriety: All old mali had actually done, though, was appropriate his half share of what