I just remembered chill, which for a while kind of replaced cool, but now it almost exclusively means to relax. Cool has also been used that way as well Perhaps fridge. That's one syllable lol
Thanks for the replies, all. I guess my assumption that this was a general American usage was a little off-base. I did some Googling, and it turns out that there is a meaning of "out of pocket" that means "unavailable" or "unreachable" (which would fit the context I've heard it used by people who were going to be away from work). But I guess it's not as common, since a lot of the Google results are basically people asking about the usage because someone used it and they had never heard it used that way before! It appears to have originated in the southern states as early as 1908, but didn't seem to gain more widespread popularity until much later. It has also spread outside of that initial area (I saw references to it being used in northeastern states, as well as heavily in Washington D.C.). One source also said it was heavily used in the military, and another referenced its widespread use in journalism. It is apparently in the OED with this meaning, but it looks like you need to be a subscriber to view the OED online. There is also a third meaning that I wasn't aware of, which is "saying or doing something inappropriate". Here's an article that seems to cover the most ground about this phrase, if you're interested.
You’re right, of course. Well done of me to mistype something to give it the complete opposite meaning! Thank you, and corrected.
I found a site with some horse phrases, and I was right, "in your pocket" just means that they're friendly.
After seeing always, already, alright, albeit, & altogether in the "Ask" as a Noun thread, it got me thinking about what other terms we use with the word all, that could be as easily rebranded into a portmanteau. All over, all out, all set, all told, all gone, all better or all the better, all for naught, all the while. I mean, would althewhile be that much different than albeit? I guess you could do the same as with anyone/anybody, anywhere/anyplace, anyway, anymore, anytime, & anything. (I didn't even realize anywise was already a word) So maybe... any other, any case, any type or any kind. I mean, if anymore is a word, then why couldn't anyless be one? Uhh... & now I'm just remembering the with- words... Without, within, withheld, withdraw, withstand. Somebody help me. I've fallen into an abyss Edit: ...Somebody, something, somehow, sometime, someone... some way, some other
Some other little bits of equestrian slang, I've learned recently. Sound: Healthy, and able to be ridden. More woah than go: Basically, they're kind lazy, they don't like to go fast or do anything real intense. This is the kind of horse that would just be going on calm trail rides. More go than woah: The opposite, they're a lot more active.
Isn't that just one of the standard definitions of the word, though? I'm not sure it really counts as slang, nor horse-specific. I like this one though, and am considering making it my custom title here!
"Of sound mind & body" is in nearly every movie/show that ever had a will reading scene Sound is an interesting word, in that its meanings are so wildly varied. Sound, the noun we use primarily, is an auditory impression. Sound the adjective means of good condition. As a verb it can also mean to measure the depth of something, as in the sea, or a body cavity etc... Such a strange variation
The letter X https://lithub.com/naming-the-unnamed-on-the-many-uses-of-the-letter-x/ Database https://phys.org/news/2022-06-database-standardized-linguistic-features.html An interdisciplinary team of linguists, computational scientists and psychologists has created a large public database to study these and many other questions with the help of computational methods.
The word for cool in my city in the 90s was "rapid" it then became "class" and has stuck with that ( I think as I am no longer down with the kids ). A nice person or a response to a good deed is "sound". As in "John is a sound guy" or when John buys you a pint you say "sound" to him
That still seems to jibe with the more traditional meaning of steadfast or hearty. I've never heard "rapid" used as slang, but "class", well... that one has a long history of meaning something that is top notch
I'm coming to this discussion a little late, but I remember reading that such usage of the word "Word" started as an abbreviation of "Word is bond," which itself is an abbreviation of "My word is my bond." The expression "Word is bond" was frequently used among the Five-Percent Nation movement, and eventually caught on in Hip-hop. Kor
Well, even without any historical context, just by itself, it really does strike the same tone in usage as "That's the word", "Have you heard the word?" "The word is..." etc... or anytime word is used synonymously with rumor or talk.