60
votes
Accepted
Is "cops" (= police) a slang/derogatory term?
I am going to write this answer from a sociolinguistic perspective, because there is a lot at stake that can't be explained with a yes/no answer. Nonetheless we shall still make an attempt at giving a ...
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52
votes
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The slang term for books made of paper
The slang term is...
dead trees (techopedia.com)
Dead tree edition is a slang term used to describe any publication that comes in printed form, even when there is a paperless edition available.
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51
votes
Accepted
The antonym of "diss"
My first thought was to give someone props:
give props to (one)
To praise one and show them respect. Thank you, but I have to give props to Jeanne, who organized this entire event for us.
(...
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49
votes
What does 'sus' mean in the sentence "People who joined Facebook after 2017 are sus."?
As CharybdeBE noted above, it's a slang term which has become popular thanks to the Among Us game, a multiplayer game where one or more of the characters are secretly evil aliens trying to kill all ...
- 619
43
votes
Accepted
What's the meaning of phrases that include "ship", "shipping", when there is a conversation about the heroes of TV series?
To ship two people or characters, means wanting to see them in a (romantic) relationship. This is usually something fans of a show or other popular medium do.
- 1,209
39
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between IMO and IMHO and IHOP?
IMO - in my opinion
IMHO - in my honest/humble opinion
Both of these are very well known internet acronyms, and have been used for many years.
Both expressions are more or less interchangeable, ...
- 9,863
36
votes
Accepted
What does 'sus' mean in the sentence "People who joined Facebook after 2017 are sus."?
This is a slang term used primarily by members of "Generation Z" (currently aged 10–25) to mean "suspicious" but also "dubious", "strange", "creepy", ...
- 7,183
33
votes
How common is it to use the word 'bitch' for a female dog?
In the UK, you can still use the term bitch without embarrassment, providing that the context is clear:
Our bitch, Sally, has just had pups.
However, you might want to think twice before referring ...
- 6,526
33
votes
Accepted
The female equivalent of "don't break my balls"
I'm not sure there's a direct female equivalent, but there's a gender-neutral expression with a similar meaning and level of vulgarity:
Get off my ass!
That being said, I think it's much more ...
- 1,807
32
votes
Like a Swiss watch
Yes, in English, you can say: x runs as smoothly as a Swiss watch.
This can be checked by googling to see sites where the expression occurs.
There are, of course, many other expressions in English ...
- 49k
29
votes
What's the meaning of phrases that include "ship", "shipping", when there is a conversation about the heroes of TV series?
In this sense, to ship two persons means to imagine that they are in a romantic relationship, or to desire that they are in a relationship. This normally applies to characters in a work of fiction (...
26
votes
Accepted
What Does 'It's on' Mean When Used in Anger?
In the context in which the speaker means "The fight is on", it would naturally indicate readiness to fight.
This kind of phrase is more likely in "staged" showdowns, rather than ...
- 231k
24
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If someone is using slang words and phrases when talking to me, would that be disrespectful and I should be offended?
Postel's Law applies: "be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what you accept".
If addressing somebody you don't know, be careful in how you phrase things until you understand what ...
23
votes
What Does 'It's on' Mean When Used in Anger?
In situations filled with anger or confrontation, It's on likely indicates readiness for a challenge or conflict, physical or otherwise:
It's on; I'll see you in court.
Wiktionary lists a similar ...
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22
votes
Someone said to me, "We basically literally did." What were they trying to express to me?
The pairing of "basically literally" is very colloquial/informal and skews young. I hear it moderately frequently, mostly when people are recounting stories about personal interactions.
It means "I ...
- 11k
21
votes
Accepted
What does this phrase mean? "free me swag out."
'Free me swag out' = 'unpack my canvas bed roll with a mattress inside'
A 'swag' (countable noun) is a traditional Australian canvas bed roll with a mattress inside, carried rolled up by hikers or ...
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20
votes
What is the English equivalent of the Russian word тормоз which is used for very slowly working software?
If software is тормоз because too many poorly implemented features have been added, then it is "bloated." This bloating might be the result of feature creep, as many 'small' features get added on one ...
- 8,222
20
votes
If someone is using slang words and phrases when talking to me, would that be disrespectful and I should be offended?
If a native speaker addresses you with Wassup in a normal everyday situation, it means that they are saying hello in a manner that they consider friendly and collegiate. It is not very formal, but ...
19
votes
Accepted
Is this structure idiomatic: "I seem to remember...." to mean you only remember a little
"I seem to remember" is quite idiomatic. The expression means that I have what appears to me to be a memory, but I am not confident of it - perhaps it is vague or perhaps it wasn't a real ...
- 7,760
19
votes
Accepted
If someone is using slang words and phrases when talking to me, would that be disrespectful and I should be offended?
This is mainly a cultural question, and I'll answer it from the perspective of someone familiar with US culture, specifically mid-west and north-east:
While usually considered informal, slang directed ...
- 335
18
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The antonym of "diss"
Kudos is originally used to praise and honor someones achievements, but is also used to show respect in popular culture nowadays.
For example, you could congratulate your friend on passing a test by ...
- 1,209
17
votes
The female equivalent of "don't break my balls"
There are a lot of other options that don't refer to specific body parts, but I gather that you want something similarly vulgar but referring to female anatomy. It's not all that common, but if you ...
- 88.5k
16
votes
What is the English equivalent of the Russian word тормоз which is used for very slowly working software?
A software application that is relatively small in size, works quickly, and probably has a somewhat limited feature set could be referred to as lightweight. So more full-featured software that moves ...
- 3,003
16
votes
What are the synonyms to the phrase "balls to bones" from Matrix movie?
There's a synonym already in the quotation - "through and through".
Another common one would be "head to toe". Also, you can say someone has a quality "down to their bones&...
- 111k
15
votes
Accepted
"you know" in conversational language
It's a bit more complicated:
..., you know,... inserted somewhat randomly is one of those typical "fillers" with little to no semantic content. In almost all cases the speaker could simply leave it ...
- 14.3k
15
votes
Accepted
What does 'straphanger' mean in this dialogue?
"Straphanger" seems to have a different, and negative connotation in current US military parlance. Since this is a militarily-oriented movie, it is probably the definition that applies.
In an ...
- 716
15
votes
15
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What does "crank old Sabbath" refer to?
As mentioned by AIQ, crank [something] means to make the something operate or function, especially by crank. The relevant device here is the stereo.
When it comes to music, we can say crank it up! ...
- 45.4k
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