Slang is the use of colorful words, derived from regional or time specific terminology, used in place of more formal words.
Many time frames and cultures have their own unique slang. For example, during the 20th century on Earth, several cultural movements had their own slang terminology. Starfleet officers who were involved in instances of time travel or other alien contact were sometimes subjected to a degree of social ineptness due to the confusion caused by the usage of slang.
See also
Variations of slang
The Iotian culture developed on Sigma Iotia II built its society based on the novel Chicago Mobs of the Twenties. Therefore, the Iotians used many slang terms that were originally popular during the 1920s on Earth. (TOS: "A Piece of the Action")
Likewise, the holodeck program Bashir 62, used a lot of early 1960s slang. (DS9: "His Way")
20th century Earth slang
- "Cement overshoes": A self-defining gangster term describing a method of drowning someone.
- "Buck" - dollar
- "Dick" - detective
- "Doll" - woman or girl
- "Fella"
- "Geetas" - money
- "Gung Ho kind of gal"
- "Hep-looking broad"
- "Jamoke"
- "Jerry"
- "Jumpy"
- "Moolah" - money
- "Nut"
- "Shrew" - a policeman
- "Slime"
- "Stiff" - a corpse
- "That's jake with me"
- "To ice somebody" - to murder somebody
- "To take a gander"
- "Cooped up"
- "Pinko" - an individual who only mildly supports the ideas of socialism or communism
- "Red" - an individual who more actively supports the ideas of socialism or communism
- "Nigger" - derogatory term for Negros
- "Rag"
- "Tater" - a "home run" in the game of baseball
- "Zero"
- "Charley"
- "Chick" - woman or girl
- "Clyde"
- "Deadsville"
- "Far out"
- "Grease Monkey"
- "Groovy"
- "Harvey"
- "Jerk"
- "Jet setter"
- "Lounge lizard"
- "Nanook of the North"
- "Pallie" - friend
- "Rich as Rockefeller"
- "Romeo"
- "Square" - "uncool, unhip, clueless, rigid in thinking (see; "Herbert")"
- "Kiddo"
- "Landlubber"
- "Macho"
- "Retard"
- "Russkie" - Russian
- "The beast" - the US Government
- "The big boy" - the captain (or leader)
- "Boob tube" - television
- "Cool"
- "Freakasaurus" - an individual who exhibits extreme, uptight behavour
- "Low-mileage pit woofie" - a young or inexperienced stock car racing groupie
- "Old Watosh"
- "Shrink" - pyschologist (or counselor)
- "To scuffle along"
21st century Earth slang
- "Take a leak" - urinate
22nd century slang
- "Skag" - derogatory term for Skagarans
- "Hick" - semi-derogatory term (sometimes embraced by those it is directed at) for people from rural areas of the United States such as western Florida and Iowa
- "Boomer" - term used to describe a person who spent the majority of their life in space
23rd century slang
Iotian (supplement to 1920s slang)
- "Concrete galoshes" - Montgomery Scott's version of "cement overshoes"
- "You mind your place, mister, or you'll be wearing concrete galoshes."
- "A piece of the action"
- "Blower" - telephone
- "Check" - correct
- "Fancy heater" - phaser
- "Feds" - Federation personnel
- "Flop"
- "Boss" - President
- "Percentage" - taxes
- "Syndicate" - coalition or alliance
- "Territory" - nation-state
- "Right" - correct
- "Wheels" - automobile
Miri's planet
- "Dunsel"
- "Nova" - Lt. Mitchell once called a woman he met on Deneb IV: "Yeah, she was nova that one."
Other
- "Herbert"
24th century slang
- "Cowboy diplomacy"
- "Farm-world"
- "Vulky" - derogatory term for Vulcans
- "Starfleet brat"
- "Spoon head" - derogatory term for Cardassians
- "Cardies" - derogatory term for Cardassians
- "Pointed-ear" - derogatory term for Vulcans or Romulans
- "Lunar schooner"
References
- TOS:
- DS9:
- VOY:
- "Caretaker"
- "Future's End"
- "Future's End, Part II"
- "Scorpion"
- "Vis à Vis"
- "Equinox"
- ENT:
- "First Flight"
- "Daedalus"