What is the etymology of "dope" meaning excellent, great ... - slang
Jan 5, 2016 · Dope is a rather new slang word that is used to define someone or something excellent, great, impressive. OED says that it is originally in African-American usage and chiefly among rap …
Etymology: Dope - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Sep 8, 2017 · Dope in the sense of information, particularly information that isn’t widely known or easily obtained, came directly from this practice. A whisper from the stables or some confederate telling a …
What is the etymology behind the phrase "bad dope"?
Feb 17, 2013 · Dope-fiend is attested from 1896. I am assuming that by bad dope you mean nothing more than bad drugs and from that standpoint I don't think there is a separate etymology for the pair. …
What do you call slapping someone at the back of their head
Jan 22, 2014 · Dope slap is the most common expression I know for striking someone in the back of the head with an open palm. The b -expression, which I will not repeat, usually refers to a different kind …
etymology - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Jul 11, 2018 · Fire as a slang adjective appears to be the bleeding-edge version of "cool." To some extent, the word appears to be interchangeable with dope. One thing that seems odd to me is that it …
Term for when a negative word is used positively?
Jan 9, 2016 · geek (see ‘Word Story’ notes) nerd wicked (the) dog's bollocks sick bad, badass dope In linguistics, amelioration is the upgrading or elevation of a word's meaning, as when a word with a …
etymology - Origin of phrase "put one over on"? - English Language ...
Mar 22, 2022 · The exact phrase "put one over on" in the sense of "get the better of"—through superior skill, superior strategy (or trickery), or the element of surprise—appears to have caught on quickly in …
idioms - "Money for rope" ... meaning and derivation? - English ...
Dec 16, 2010 · I was listening to John Lennon's song "Gimme Some Truth" just now, and in it there's a recurring line: ". . . money for rope." I never thought about it much before, but it strikes me this has to...
Can a single word be an idiom or an expression?
Jun 12, 2022 · Can a single word be considered an idiom or an expression? From Lexico: Expression /count noun/ A word or phrase, especially an idiomatic one, used to convey an idea. ‘we have an …
When and from where did "guns" become slang for biceps?
Both the Straight Dope commenter and ghoppe note the 1973 instance from Andrews & Owens as the first cited occurrence of guns in the sense of "the biceps and triceps." Google Books has a copy of …