| Abyssinia | ‘I'll be seeing you!’ (said on parting). | 1932 | Go To Quotation |
| air kiss | A gesture (usually of greeting or farewell) consisting of a kissing motion or sound… | 1887 | Go To Quotation |
| airlanding | Designating a military force which is transported to the field by aircraft. | 1940 | Go To Quotation |
| Alibi Ike | A person who continually makes excuses for his or her actions. | 1915 | Go To Quotation |
| America Firster | A person who contends that the interests of the United States should take precedence over… | 1928 | Go To Quotation |
| anti-inflationist | An advocate of economic policies designed to prevent or reduce inflation. | 1869 | Go To Quotation |
| automagically | Automatically, esp. in a way that seems ingenious or inexplicable; as if by magic. | 1945 | Go To Quotation |
| backlist | trans. To place (a book or other publication or release) on a backlist. | 1979 | Go To Quotation |
| big buck | Usu. in pl. and with hyphen. = big money adj. | 1938 | Go To Quotation |
| Black Thursday | (A name given to) Thursday 24 October, 1929, the first day of a period of panic selling on… | 1929 | Go To Quotation |
| brace | a game in which there is concerted cheating. | 1875 | Go To Quotation |
| brainstormer | U.S. colloq. A person who experiences brainstorms (cf. brainstorm n. 1, 2a); an… | 1907 | Go To Quotation |
| buck | An act of bucking; the power to buck. Cf. buck-jump n. | 1876 | Go To Quotation |
| bum rap | A false charge or conviction; an undeserved criminal punishment. | 1913 | Go To Quotation |
| bunco | A swindle perpetrated by means of card-sharping or some form of confidence trick. Freq. attrib.… | 1872 | Go To Quotation |
| bunco | trans. To swindle or cheat. | 1875 | Go To Quotation |
| Cantopop | A form of popular music originating in Hong Kong, which combines Western-style pop music with Cantonese lyrics. | 1988 | Go To Quotation |
| channel graze | intr. = channel surf v. | 1988 | Go To Quotation |
| Clintonize | trans. (and intr. for refl.) To modify in accordance with or as a result of the policies of President Clinton. | 1992 | Go To Quotation |
| confidence | trans. To swindle by means of a confidence trick. | 1875 | Go To Quotation |
| couch surfing | The action or habit of engaging in sedentary activities, esp. watching television. | 1987 | Go To Quotation |
| cowboying | The practice of working as a cowboy. Also (slang): the practice of driving a vehicle in a reckless manner (cf. cowboy v. 2). | 1893 | Go To Quotation |
| crema | The caramel-coloured layer of froth or foam which forms on the surface of a freshly brewed serving of espresso coffee. | 1982 | Go To Quotation |
| crow-hop | intr. To hop like a crow; also fig. (see quot. 1897). Also as n., a hopping movement like that of a crow. | 1897 | Go To Quotation |
| dagnabbit | Expressing annoyance or amazement: ‘darn it!’. | 1933 | Go To Quotation |
| en croûte | As postmodifier. Designating dishes in which the principal ingredient (usually meat)… | 1913 | Go To Quotation |
| flip-flopper | A person, esp. a politician, who (habitually) changes his or her opinion or position. | 1894 | Go To Quotation |
| grinch | A spoilsport or killjoy; (more generally) an ill-tempered, unpleasant person. | 1966 | Go To Quotation |
| Hamas | The common name for: the Islamic Resistance Movement, a militant Islamic organization… | 1988 | Go To Quotation |
| Hoosier | A nickname for a native or inhabitant of the state of Indiana. | 1826 | Go To Quotation |
| informance | A performance intended to be both educational and entertaining; esp. a musical… | 1970 | Go To Quotation |
| It boy | Originally: a sexually attractive man, esp. a film star (cf. it pron. 1g); (now also) a man… | 1929 | Go To Quotation |
| jazzman | A man who plays jazz; a jazz musician. | 1919 | Go To Quotation |
| jet setting | The activities or lifestyle of the jet set; the action of jet-set v. | 1962 | Go To Quotation |
| jet ski | attrib. Of or designating a jet-propelled aircraft equipped with skis (ski n. b). Now rare. | 1948 | Go To Quotation |
| kaizen | A Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement in working… | 1985 | Go To Quotation |
| karoshi | In Japan: death brought on by overwork or job-related exhaustion. Also attrib., esp in karoshi victim. | 1988 | Go To Quotation |
| kulfi | A type of South Asian ice cream, typically made in a cone-shaped mould and flavoured with cardamom or nuts; a serving of this. | 1966 | Go To Quotation |
| Lettermanesque | Characteristic of or resembling David Letterman or his comedic or presenting style, esp.… | 1985 | Go To Quotation |
| mifky-pifky | Sexual activity, flirting (esp. of an illicit nature). | 1985 | Go To Quotation |
| Mozambique | Any of various kinds of lightweight mixed-fibre fabrics used in dressmaking; esp. a kind of grenadine. | 1861 | Go To Quotation |
| must-read | A book, article, etc., which must be read in order to keep up to date in a… | 1945 | Go To Quotation |
| napa | In full napa cabbage. A form of Chinese cabbage, Brassica rapa var. pekinensis, with… | 1979 | Go To Quotation |
| neo-conceptual | Denoting or relating to neo-conceptualism. | 1986 | Go To Quotation |
| out-field | trans. To surpass (the opposition) in fielding, to field better than. | 1875 | Go To Quotation |
| overpronator | A person who overpronates. | 1986 | Go To Quotation |
| parapente | intr. To use a parapente, to engage in the sport of parapenting; to paraglide. | 1989 | Go To Quotation |
| party-crasher | A person who attends a party or other gathering without an invitation; an uninvited guest. Also in extended use. | 1928 | Go To Quotation |
| party-crashing | Of a person: that attends a party or other gathering without an invitation; that gate-crashes. Also in extended use. | 1945 | Go To Quotation |
| pâté en croûte | A pâté baked in a pastry crust. | 1929 | Go To Quotation |
| phoney | Fake, sham, counterfeit; false; insincere. | 1893 | Go To Quotation |
| phytonutrient | A substance of plant origin which has nutritional value. Also: a nutritional supplement… | 1994 | Go To Quotation |
| pianoing | The action of playing the piano. Also: the action of moving one's fingers as if playing the piano. | 1916 | Go To Quotation |
| piking | Of a person: that acts in a cautious, mean, or underhand manner, esp. with regard to… | 1893 | Go To Quotation |
| Pils | Pilsner beer, or beer of a type resembling this; a drink of such beer. | 1957 | Go To Quotation |
| pink slip | Insurance. A slip of paper attached to policies on property in a particular area to indicate a rate increase. Now rare. | 1901 | Go To Quotation |
| pipe dream | An unrealistic or fanciful hope or scheme; a ‘castle in the air’. | 1890 | Go To Quotation |
| plastique | Statuesque poses or slow graceful movements in dancing; the art or technique of performing these. Also in extended use. | 1884 | Go To Quotation |
| play-by-play | With running commentary; continuously or constantly throughout a match. | 1905 | Go To Quotation |
| plinker | A person who shoots for recreation, esp. with an air gun, light handgun, etc. | 1943 | Go To Quotation |
| Porfirian | Of, relating to, or designating Porfirio Díaz, his government, or the period of his… | 1912 | Go To Quotation |
| Postum | A proprietary name for: a coffee substitute. Also attrib. | 1895 | Go To Quotation |
| power centre | = power station n. at power n. 1c. rare. | 1892 | Go To Quotation |
| precancellation | The act of cancelling something before it is due to take place, esp. (Philately) a stamp… | 1901 | Go To Quotation |
| prep | Originally: to train (a horse or other animal) in preparation for a race (cf. prep n.… | 1894 | Go To Quotation |
| Presdwood | A type of water-resistant board made from compressed wood fibre, used for building, art, etc.; fibreboard. | 1927 | Go To Quotation |
| pre-season | Chiefly Sport. Existing or occurring (immediately) before the start of a season. | 1897 | Go To Quotation |
| press-agented | Represented, publicized, or managed by a press agent. Freq. with modifying word. | 1906 | Go To Quotation |
| pressured | Containing gas or liquid under pressure; (of a fluid) increased in pressure; pressurized. | 1920 | Go To Quotation |
| presto changeo | Announcing the climax of a conjuring trick or a sudden transformation; ‘hey presto!’. | 1905 | Go To Quotation |
| princessy | Characteristic of or resembling a princess; suitable for a princess. | 1915 | Go To Quotation |
| promo | trans. To promote, publicize. | 1960 | Go To Quotation |
| props | Due respect; approval, compliments, esteem. | 1990 | Go To Quotation |
| psycho | Concerned with psychoanalysis, psychiatry, psychopathic behaviour, or psychology. | 1914 | Go To Quotation |
| publicitor | A press agent or publicist, esp. one who works in sport. | 1935 | Go To Quotation |
| punk rock | Originally: rock music played in a fast, aggressive, or unpolished manner. In later use: spec.… | 1970 | Go To Quotation |
| puppeteer | trans. To manipulate or control. | 1940 | Go To Quotation |
| purp | A pup, dog. | 1861 | Go To Quotation |
| putt-putt | Any of various kinds of golf game involving only putting; (chiefly) spec. (a proprietary… | 1922 | Go To Quotation |
| quadrominium | A building divided into four condominium units. Cf. quadplex n. | 1971 | Go To Quotation |
| quint | = quintuplet n. 2. | 1934 | Go To Quotation |
| Quonset | Quonset hut. A prefabricated building consisting of a semi-cylindrical corrugated metal roof on a bolted steel foundation. | 1942 | Go To Quotation |
| racketeer | A person (esp. a member of a gang or crime syndicate) who earns money through a… | 1924 | Go To Quotation |
| rainout | orig. and chiefly N. Amer. The cancellation or suspension of a sporting or other… | 1923 | Go To Quotation |
| reactionarist | = reactionary n. | 1907 | Go To Quotation |
| ready-to-wear | Of clothing, etc.: ready made for sale, rather than made to order; = off-the-peg adj. Cf. ready-made adj. 1. | 1890 | Go To Quotation |
| recap | = recapitalization n. | 1940 | Go To Quotation |
| red state | A Communist state. Cf. red adj. 18. | 1923 | Go To Quotation |
| remap | The act or result of dividing or organizing an area into new (political) districts or divisions. Freq. attrib. | 1930 | Go To Quotation |
| reskill | trans. To equip with new skills by teaching or training; = retrain v. | 1937 | Go To Quotation |
| restyle | An instance of restyling (esp. of hair); a new shape or arrangement. Also attrib., as restyle haircut. | 1948 | Go To Quotation |
| retro | Esp. of fashion, music, or design: characterized by imitation or revival of a style… | 1972 | Go To Quotation |
| retro-engine | = retro-rocket n. 2. | 1960 | Go To Quotation |
| rice burner | A person who burns rice or rice fields. rare. | 1917 | Go To Quotation |
| ricky-ticky | Of music, esp. jazz: old-fashioned, unsophisticated, trite; (of a band) performing such… | 1949 | Go To Quotation |
| ride-along | attrib. Designating a police programme under which observers accompany police officers… | 1964 | Go To Quotation |
| ristretto | = caffè ristretto n. | 1980 | Go To Quotation |
| robata-yaki | = robata n. | 1974 | Go To Quotation |
| robotically | In the manner of a robot; mechanically; without emotion. | 1924 | Go To Quotation |
| rock 'n' rolling | That performs, dances to, or enjoys rock 'n' roll music. | 1956 | Go To Quotation |
| rollercoaster | An attraction at an amusement park or fairground consisting of a light railway track… | 1883 | Go To Quotation |
| rollercoasting | The action of riding a rollercoaster. Also fig. and in extended use. | 1883 | Go To Quotation |
| roller skier | A person who skis on roller skis. | 1957 | Go To Quotation |
| roomette | A private single compartment in a railway sleeping car. Also attrib. | 1937 | Go To Quotation |
| roque | A form of croquet played in the United States on a court surrounded by a bank and using ten hoops and short-handled mallets. | 1899 | Go To Quotation |
| round heel | to have round heels: (in figurative contexts) (a) (of a boxer or fighter) to be… | 1925 | Go To Quotation |
| Scotchgarded | That has been treated with Scotchgard. | 1959 | Go To Quotation |
| self-rising | = self-raising adj. | 1865 | Go To Quotation |
| smiley | = smiley face n. 2. | 1987 | Go To Quotation |
| snowblading | A sport or recreation similar to skiing, using snowblades but not ski-poles. | 1993 | Go To Quotation |
| sofrito | In Italian, Spanish, and Latin American cookery: a sauce used as a base for… | 1913 | Go To Quotation |
| steam-roller | To crush or break down, as with a steam-roller; to ride roughshod over; to overwhelm or squash. Freq. in Polit. contexts. | 1912 | Go To Quotation |
| subgum | In Chinese cuisine: a dish consisting of a mixture of vegetables, such as… | 1902 | Go To Quotation |
| superwaif | A young, very slender person having an appearance of extreme vulnerability and… | 1972 | Go To Quotation |
| techno-head | A musician employing sounds generated or modified electronically, esp. using… | 1985 | Go To Quotation |
| transcriptionist | An audio typist. | 1977 | Go To Quotation |
| tubbable | Of garments, etc.: washable in a tub; suitable for laundering in a tub or (domestic) washing-machine. | 1929 | Go To Quotation |
| tui na | In traditional Chinese medicine: a type of therapeutic massage, incorporating the… | 1979 | Go To Quotation |
| Unione Siciliana | A criminal organization controlled by Sicilians, operating in Italy and the United States. | 1924 | Go To Quotation |
| vegged-out | Unresponsive, mentally disengaged; completely inactive, esp. while watching television. Cf. veg v. | 1980 | Go To Quotation |
| Waves | With pl. concord. The women's section of the United States Naval Reserve, established in… | 1942 | Go To Quotation |
| webcast | A live broadcast transmitted over the Internet. | 1995 | Go To Quotation |
| Yngling | A type or class of racing keelboat, designed to sail with a two- or three-person crew. Freq. attrib. | 1969 | Go To Quotation |
