Playground slang

[llmod1]

Going to be doing an assembly on Thursday about language and am planning to look at phrases through the ages (Shakespeare, cockney rhyming slang, 60's speak, etc.)

I have been looking online for a dictionary of 80's playground speak but can't find a good one.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Failing that any words or phrases that I could share with the kids.

[jakartajive]

You'll be wanting one of these, Mark.
One of the well baddest books ever writ.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cassell-Dict.../dp/0304351679

[babycart]

You can spend days on here

It can get a bit unpleasant at times, but then, lets face it, so can 12 year old kids.

[jakartajive]

is you nang, Mark?

[babycart]

is you nang, Mark?

"I have brought along a copy of the NME"

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[bongolia]

do kids still say 'gaylord'?

[eclectiktronik]

jasper (wasp)
chuddy (chewing gum)

and a whole slew of offensive ones, like:

spazmo.
rem.
skyve
plank.
joey.
...and those are just the ones directed at me!

[ginghamkitchen]

do kids still say 'gaylord'?

The kids I've had time to teach it to do, yes.

[babycart]

"Fozzilized fishhooks, Jennings, when he finds out you've missed prep and have raided the tuck room again old Wilkie will be straight off to the archbeako, you clodpoll"

Maybe this isn't very 1980s, though. and I rarely had a clue what they were on about anyway.

[ginghamkitchen]

"Dry up, you twerps, or the old man will put some new creases in your plus fours"

Ah, the memories of a Comprehensive School education in Essex come flooding back...

[BestDressedChicken]

is you nang, Mark?

A story I heard which *should* be true, if it actually isn't re. the origins of "Nang" to refering to things really cool, amazing etc. Allegedly, it was the name of an incredibly fit Vietnamese girl who went to a school in Dalston.

I always think of the word "bare" - as a kind of intensifer, I guess - is a kind of generational marker.

[jakartajive]

A story I heard which *should* be true, if it actually isn't re. the origins of "Nang" to refering to things really cool, amazing etc. Allegedly, it was the name of an incredibly fit Vietnamese girl who went to a school in Dalston.

I always think of the word "bare" - as a kind of intensifer, I guess - is a kind of generational marker.

As in the bare cheek of it?

That'll be my nan's generation, then!

[Brass Monkey]

"helm belm" rough equivalent to Jimmy / Itchy Chin - an onamatopaic noise made while pushing your tongue into you bottom lip. For extra emphasis add Spaz Hands.

[BestDressedChicken]

As in the bare cheek of it?

That'll be my nan's generation, then!

I think that's the origin but the way it's used is different - it's commonly used to describe anything that's numerically great ... i.e. "Hugh has bare weirdo acid-country records..."

[JamesF]

'Spacker' & 'Cripper' were used quite frequently at my school, usually preceded by "you f'kin...".

Then you have the cheesy superlatives that spread like wildfire throughout the school:
Brill
Brilliant
Ace
Wicked
etc...

The only other slang I can remember is Gramfer / Grampher (Woodlouse), & those little red brick mites were called Bloodsuckers. Oh, and a Beemer was a BMX back then.

[awesomewelles]

I was trying to describe a kind of plant to my girlfriend's housemate at the weekend.
After my (rather poor) description, she said "Oh, you mean a 'granny jump-out-of-bed'!.

Has anyone heard this name before, or did she just make it up?

[john stapleton]

I was trying to describe a kind of plant to my girlfriend's housemate at the weekend.
After my (rather poor) description, she said "Oh, you mean a 'granny jump-out-of-bed'!.

Has anyone heard this name before, or did she just make it up?

Bindweed!

http://www.mail-archive.com/lace@ara.../msg21894.html

If you read Richard Mabey's amazing 'Flora Britannica' book, there are loads of old, often regional, names for wild plants like this....

[babycart]

i'm surprised I got out of my school alive, to be honest, considering the Bullies Lexicon which included:

Dead Leg
Dead Arm
Horse Bite (inner thigh)
Elephant Bite (prising up victims kneecap)
Chinese Burn
Indian Rub (nasty and long lasting friction burn on finger)
Nipple Cripple (frequently prefaced by question "what's pink and goes anti-clockwise?")
Milligrubbing (pinning victim down and tickling armpits with knees. If bully had long hair he could also whip victims face with it)
Benching (pushing victim over crouching accomplice)
Wet Willie (pushing drool covered little finger into victim's ear)
Eat Your Greens (pushing grass or gobbing into victim's mouth)
Bacon Slicer (surprisingly painful glancing finger flick to buttocks. If applied to testicles, as Rob Douglas did to me on our school trip to Nottingham Crown Court, it can cause total immobilisation of victim for up to 15 minutes and a new understanding of the word 'agony'.)

[Plainstone]

i'm surprised I got out of my school alive

Jeez Louise, what school was that, the School of the Americas?

[babycart]

Jeez Louise, what school was that, the School of the Americas?

Just a comp in South Notts.

I thought it was normal. The only one that caused any problems was benching, which was a craze for a week or two before teachers stepped in. Hardly surprising, as it could easily cause serious injury.

And my bacon slicer to the bollocks meant I have never truly understood the functioning of the British jury system, as I was squealing like a pig between the benches outside while the rest of the class filed into court

[eric-adams]

i cant remeber much but,

wobby = wasp
chud = chewing gum
trend = cool

though i still actually say wicked, bad, ace and cool.

[ginghamkitchen]

There seem to be a disproportionate amount of slang words for 'wasp'. I don't remember them being such a big deal at school, but then that was a hundred years ago.

[Bud Peyote]

gay test

[JamesF]

'Choad' was flavour of the month (not literally) at the start of Big School.


Another one to add to babycart's list:
Spam Running up and slapping someone on the forehead

[ginghamkitchen]

'Fleabag' was a nice catch all term for dirty children but, don't worry, your exposure to fleas can be limited by either blowing on your fingers or crossing them and shouting 'scrimps'. It's the method I am currently using to ward off Swine Fever.

Phew, it's hot in here, innit.

[Swiss Toni]

A popular one at our school was asking someone after a PE lesson shower if they were in the red hand gang. Then once they said no, slapping them as hard as you could on their bare back.

Another lad I knew had a whole range of punches, slaps, etc. corresponding to cig brands but I can't remember them now. I think bensons were a dead arm and embassys an eye gouge. Nice.

[babycart]

If you're interested in this sort of thing, then this book is fascinating despite the fact that it's 50 years old

[awesomewelles]

That book looks 'skill'.

[jakartajive]

Just when you think you're getting down with the kids . . .



. . . the Saatchis go and fuck it all up by co-opting whatever residue of cool you may have managed to accrue into the air-kissing ironic nouveau mainstream smugfest that is White Cube.

[vladislav]

Donk,gonk,ging,gang,nang,goolie,watcha. vladislav