ride the boards

ride the boards (third-person singular simple present rides the boards, present participle riding the boards, simple past rode the boards, past participle ridden the boards)

rides the boards (present singular third-person)
riding the boards (participle present)
rode the boards (past)
ridden the boards (participle past)

In order to see the exact location of the boards being purchased, advertisers or their agencies will often ride the boards to visit some of the sites.

1999, Bruce G. Vanden Bergh, Helen E. Katz, Advertising Principles: Choice, Challenge, Change, page 362:

A Day in the Life of an Advertising Media Planner […] 4:30 Go out riding the boards — checking out outdoor advertising locations — with the media buyer.

2003, The WetFeet Insider Guide to Careers in Advertising and Public Relations, page 86:

(advertising) To visit and inspect potential sites for billboard advertising.


flog the clock

en-verb

flog the clock (third-person singular simple present flogs the clock, present participle flogging the clock, simple past and past participle flogged the clock)

flogs the clock (present singular third-person)
flogging the clock (participle present)
flogged the clock (participle past)
flogged the clock (past)

I recall that I was in the second mate's watch when he accused me of flogging the clock. He did not see me put it forward but obviously he knew the ways of boys.

1956, New South Wales. Parliament, Parliamentary Debates, page 1449:

On one trip three lads on night watch all had the same idea, and when the skipper went up to the wheelhouse the following morning he was spitting mad, wanting to know who'd flogged the clock a half-hour forward.

2011, Jimmy Buchan, Trawlerman: Life at the Helm of the Toughest Job in Britain:

(naval slang) To set the clock forward in order to shorten one's time on watch.


strangle the parrot

strangle the parrot (third-person singular simple present strangles the parrot, present participle strangling the parrot, simple past and past participle strangled the parrot)

strangles the parrot (present singular third-person)
strangling the parrot (participle present)
strangled the parrot (participle past)
strangled the parrot (past)

/ˌstɹæŋɡ(ə)l ðə ˈpæɹət/

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-strangle the parrot.wav

/ˌstɹæŋɡəl ðə ˈpæɹət/

From parrot (“(aviation, slang) transponder”). “Parrot” was the British codename for the identification friend or foe system on World War II aircraft which used transponders.

If you fly jets, you know what it means to strangle the parrot (turning off the transponder that identifies aircraft as friendly or hostile) and that the howgozit is a dial that shows how much fuel is left.

1990, Tom Fahey, “Types of Jargon”, in The Joys of Jargon, Hauppauge, N.Y., London: Barron’s Educational Series, →ISBN, pages 21–22:

Over the radio, Kincaid heard the sounds of flights into the north: Air Force pilots talking to one another. […] Davis broke in with a radio call. “We strangle the parrot in five minutes.” Kincaid grinned. It meant that they would be turning off the IFF equipment.

1990, Kevin D. Randle, chapter 6, in Carrier War (Wings over Nam; 4), Naples, Fla.: Speaking Volumes, published 2014, →ISBN:

He had acquired a grey parrot on a trip to Africa and en route back to the UK, air traffic gave instructions to strangle the parrot, meaning of course switch off the identification, friend or foe (IFF) (codeword 'parrot'). Woobs feigned righteous indignation at this cruel command!

2017, Tony Blackman, Anthony Wright, V Force Boys: All New Reminiscences by Air and Ground Crews Operating the Vulcan, Victor and Valiant in the Cold War and beyond, London: Grub Street, →ISBN:

(idiomatic, aviation, slang) To switch off the transponder, for example, because it is interfering with the radar system.


dig one's heels in

dig one's heels in (third-person singular simple present digs one's heels in, present participle digging one's heels in, simple past and past participle dug one's heels in)

digs one's heels in (present singular third-person)
digging one's heels in (participle present)
dug one's heels in (participle past)
dug one's heels in (past)

(idiomatic) to refuse to change one's plans or ideas, especially when counseled otherwise

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see dig, heel, in.


can't be bothered

can't be bothered (third-person singular simple present can't be bothered, no present participle, simple past couldn't be bothered, no past participle)

can't be bothered (present singular third-person)
couldn't be bothered (past)

I can't be bothered to clean the house today.

No, I simply can't be bothered with that.

An expression indicating a lack of enthusiasm or willingness (in something or to do something).


wake up and smell the roses

wake<,,woke,woken> up and smell<,,smelled:smelt> the roses

wake up and smell the roses (third-person singular simple present wakes up and smells the roses, present participle waking up and smelling the roses, simple past woke up and smelled the roses or woke up and smelt the roses, past participle woken up and smelled the roses or woken up and smelt the roses)

wakes up and smells the roses (present singular third-person)
waking up and smelling the roses (participle present)
woke up and smelled the roses (past)
woke up and smelt the roses (past)
woken up and smelled the roses (participle past)
woken up and smelt the roses (participle past)

They may go and push the ‘order’ button on their computer and buy it cheaper elsewhere. So wake up and smell the roses. Compete with the internet.

2009, Dominic Littlewood, Don't Get Done, Get Dom, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

wake up and smell the coffee
wake up and smell the coffee#English


beat the cock

beat the cock (third-person singular simple present beats the cock, present participle beating the cock, simple past beat the cock, past participle beaten the cock)

beats the cock (present singular third-person)
beating the cock (participle present)
beat the cock (past)
beaten the cock (participle past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-beat the cock.wav

(intransitive, slang, vulgar, idiomatic) To masturbate.


beat one's face

beat one's face (third-person singular simple present beats one's face, present participle beating one's face, simple past beat one's face, past participle beaten one's face or beat one's face)

beats one's face (present singular third-person)
beating one's face (participle present)
beat one's face (past)
beaten one's face (participle past)
beat one's face (participle past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-beat one's face.wav

Nicole took her time as she laid all her MAC cosmetics on the dresser in a neat row. After beating her face down she took off the ivory silk robe to hang it behind the door.

2011, Natasha Johnigan, Unconditional, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 74:

Sitting on the bathtub ledge in our tiny apt and watching my mom beat her face. My mom was a makeup junkie.

2016, Jane Larkworthy, “Tyra Banks Loves Instagram Brows, Contouring and Discovering New Models”, in W Magazine:

(gay slang and African-American Vernacular) To apply makeup.


beat the dummy

beat the dummy (third-person singular simple present beats the dummy, present participle beating the dummy, simple past beat the dummy, past participle beaten the dummy or beat the dummy)

beats the dummy (present singular third-person)
beating the dummy (participle present)
beat the dummy (past)
beaten the dummy (participle past)
beat the dummy (participle past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-beat the dummy.wav


cross one's legs

cross one's legs (third-person singular simple present crosses one's legs, present participle crossing one's legs, simple past and past participle crossed one's legs)

crosses one's legs (present singular third-person)
crossing one's legs (participle present)
crossed one's legs (participle past)
crossed one's legs (past)

She lifted the top mattress and removed the sack and tossed it on the bed, anxious to count the booty. Sat down on the bed and crossed her legs and she loosened the drawstring and turned the sack upside down and shook.

2021, Michael Farris Smith, chapter 49, in Nick, New York, Boston, London: Little, Brown and Company, page 253:

(intransitive) To place one leg over the other, especially while sitting down.


steal a kiss

steal a kiss (third-person singular simple present steals a kiss, present participle stealing a kiss, simple past stole a kiss, past participle stolen a kiss)

steals a kiss (present singular third-person)
stealing a kiss (participle present)
stole a kiss (past)
stolen a kiss (participle past)

My ghostly fader, I me confesse,
First to God and then to you,
That at a window,—wot ye how?—

c. 1415-1440 (date written), Charles, Duke of Orléans, reproduced by E. K. Chambers, Early English Lyrics: Amorous, Divine, Moral and Trivial (1907), p. 31

To beare my Ladies traine, leſt the baſe earth / Should from her venture chance to ſteale a kiſſe, / And of ſo great a fauor growing proud,

c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv], page 26, column 2:

She accepted these terms, and slid off on the near side, though not till he had stolen a cursory kiss.

1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC:

If I steal a kiss, dear, I'll surely return it someday / If I steal your dreams, dear, I'll bring them back some way

1948, Nacio Herb Brown, Edward Heyman (lyrics and music), “If I Steal A Kiss”, performed by Frank Sinatra:


drop the soap

drop the soap (third-person singular simple present drops the soap, present participle dropping the soap, simple past and past participle dropped the soap)

drops the soap (present singular third-person)
dropping the soap (participle present)
dropped the soap (participle past)
dropped the soap (past)

(informal, humorous) To make oneself available for passive anal sex.

執番鹼 /执番碱

to make oneself available for passive anal sex


go ER

go ER (third-person singular simple present goes ER, present participle going ER, simple past went ER, past participle gone ER)

goes ER (present singular third-person)
going ER (participle present)
went ER (past)
gone ER (participle past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-go ER.wav

Initialism referring to Elliot Rodger, who carried out a series of deadly mass shootings in Isla Vista, California, in 2014 with the intent of punishing women for rejecting him and men he envied.

As far as I know, femoids going ER are extremely rare or maybe non-existent.

2018, anonymous, quoted in Rebecca Karlén, "Incels: En kartläggning av diskursen på forumetincels.is", thesis submitted to Uppsala University, page 30

Arguably, the most effective way to prevent an incel from “going ER” is by proactively addressing his suicidal impulses.

2020, Bruce Hoffman, Jacob Ware, Ezra Shapiro, “Assessing the Threat of Incel Violence”, in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, volume 43, number 7:

Yes, because there will always be some self-proclaimed incel out there who will go ER.

2021, anonymous, quoted in Rosa Auf der Strasse & Ebba Philipson, "My loneliness is killing me (and everyone else): En kvalitativ studie om hur incels diskuterar våld online", thesis submitted to Kristianstad University, page 29

(incel slang) To commit an indiscriminate mass murder, particularly one that targets women.


cut the pigeon wing

cut the pigeon wing (third-person singular simple present cuts the pigeon wing, present participle cutting the pigeon wing, simple past and past participle cut the pigeon wing)

cuts the pigeon wing (present singular third-person)
cutting the pigeon wing (participle present)
cut the pigeon wing (participle past)
cut the pigeon wing (past)

[…]that was because no manager could imagine that audiences would pay to see Negro performers in any other role than that of Mississippi River roustabouts; but there was lots of talent and ambition. I often heard the younger and brighter men discussing the time when they would compel the public to recognize that they could do something more than grin and cut pigeon-wings.

1912, James Weldon Johnson, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man:

They all tried to be polite, and Russ grew quite friendly with one of the bellboys who brought them ice water. He asked that boy if he knew how to cut the pigeon wing, and the boy grinned very broadly.

1922, Laura Lee Hope [pseudonym], Six little Bunkers at Mammy June's:

(idiomatic, US, dated) To dance with graceful or fancy movements.


hit a wall

hit a wall (third-person singular simple present hits a wall, present participle hitting a wall, simple past and past participle hit a wall)

hits a wall (present singular third-person)
hitting a wall (participle present)
hit a wall (participle past)
hit a wall (past)

“One day we just hit a wall,” said Dr. Steven Furr, who practices family medicine in rural Jackson, Ala., where he has even made house calls to give patients their Covid shots. “We had vaccinated everybody who wanted to be vaccinated and there was nobody left.”

2021 October 11, Jan Hoffman, quoting Steven Furr, “Boosters Are Complicating Efforts to Persuade the Unvaccinated to Get Shots”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(informal) To come up against an insuperable problem.


whittle the whalebone

whittle the whalebone (third-person singular simple present whittles the whalebone, present participle whittling the whalebone, simple past and past participle whittled the whalebone)

whittles the whalebone (present singular third-person)
whittling the whalebone (participle present)
whittled the whalebone (participle past)
whittled the whalebone (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-whittle the whalebone.wav

Both “whittling the whalebone” and “polishing the pearl” are so ingrained in our DNA that infants have been known to handle their business long before it's open for business.

2010, Kristen Schaal, Rich Blomquist, The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex, Chronicle Books, →ISBN, page 64:

(vulgar, slang, of a male) To masturbate.


watch one's back

watch one's back (third-person singular simple present watches one's back, present participle watching one's back, simple past and past participle watched one's back)

watches one's back (present singular third-person)
watching one's back (participle present)
watched one's back (participle past)
watched one's back (past)

the kind of dive bar where you better watch your back

(literally) To remain wary of being attacked from behind by surprise; to remain watchful to prevent a predictable attack from being a surprise.


watch one's ass

watch one's ass (third-person singular simple present watches one's ass, present participle watching one's ass, simple past and past participle watched one's ass)

watches one's ass (present singular third-person)
watching one's ass (participle present)
watched one's ass (participle past)
watched one's ass (past)

Yes I know that you can't withstand it / Watch that ass 'cause punk I'll brand it

1993, Cypress Hill (lyrics and music), “Cock the Hammer”, in Last Action Hero soundtrack:

watch one's back
watch one's back#English

(mildly vulgar) Synonym of watch one's back


one's heart in one's throat

one's heart in one's mouth
one's heart in one's mouth#English


make the bald man cry

make the bald man cry (third-person singular simple present makes the bald man cry, present participle making the bald man cry, simple past and past participle made the bald man cry)

makes the bald man cry (present singular third-person)
making the bald man cry (participle present)
made the bald man cry (participle past)
made the bald man cry (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-make the bald man cry.wav

> No thongs!
You watching the same thing Bobby? Or were you too busy making the bald man cry? Thongs galore.

1999 August 5, JACK EPSTEIN, “Nitro Girls PPV Review”, in rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Usenet), retrieved 2022-08-31:

I don't know why people bother to watch Babestation, because the "babes" are in really minute windows which are plagued with MPEG artefacts. I can only guess that their viewers use their imagination to the fullest as they're attempting to "make the bald man cry".

2003 January 23, rich a, “Hey, wait, there's a "campain" now?”, in uk.games.video.misc (Usenet), retrieved 2022-08-31:

The scientists say the difference also explains why men may need a "recovery period" after forming The Beast with Two Backs, but can happily nip to the loo for five minutes, make the bald man cry, then get straight back to work.

2006 February 24, bg1...@apexmail.com, “OT: A bird in the bed is worth two hands in the bush”, in alt.atheism (Usenet), retrieved 2022-08-31:


can't be fucked

can't be fucked (third-person singular simple present can't be fucked, no present participle, simple past couldn't be fucked, no past participle)

can't be fucked (present singular third-person)
couldn't be fucked (past)

can't be bothered
can't be bothered#English


be worried

be worried (third-person singular simple present is worried, present participle being worried, simple past was worried, past participle been worried)

is worried (present singular third-person)
being worried (participle present)
was worried (past)
been worried (participle past)

[…] and he had certain notches in his forehead, which looked as though Nature had been about to touch them into sensibility or refinement, when she had impatiently thrown away the chisel, and said: “I really cannot be worried to finish off this man; let him go as he is.”

1870 April–September, Charles Dickens, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1870, →OCLC:

(chiefly in the negative) Synonym of be bothered (“to have the enthusiasm (to do something)”)


close one's mind

close one's mind (third-person singular simple present closes one's mind, present participle closing one's mind, simple past and past participle closed one's mind)

closes one's mind (present singular third-person)
closing one's mind (participle present)
closed one's mind (participle past)
closed one's mind (past)

He closed his mind to the facts.

(idiomatic) To refuse to understand things.


cast caution to the wind

throw caution to the wind
throw caution to the wind#English

Alternative form of throw caution to the wind


act the hypocrite

act the hypocrite (third-person singular simple present acts the hypocrite, present participle acting the hypocrite, simple past and past participle acted the hypocrite)

acts the hypocrite (present singular third-person)
acting the hypocrite (participle present)
acted the hypocrite (participle past)
acted the hypocrite (past)

(idiomatic, dated) To behave deceitfully or hypocritically; to dissemble.


step on someone's lines

The person who introduced me stepped on my lines by giving a long summary, including all the good anecdotes.

... interrupting often takes place when someone else in the group is telling a joke and the bright youngster blurts out the punch line — not because he has heard the joke before but because he sees what is coming and finds it funny. And so, out it tumbles and he has "stepped on my lines" and spoiled the joke for the teller.

1986, Carol Addison Takacs, Enjoy Your Gifted Child, page 51:

Mr. KYL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. […] do you want to take any additional testimony before we get to questioning? I have read the statements. / Mr. SKELTON. I think, as I understand it, I was told that the other gentlemen were here to answer questions. / Mr. KYL. Fine. I didn't want to step on your lines there, but I have read the statements and find them to be good and cooperative.

1994, Hearings Before and Special Reports Made by Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives on Subjects Affecting the Naval and Military Establishments, Contributor United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services, page 71:

Carol was unhappy with Buttons mostly because he had the habit of stepping on her lines, intentionally or not. It throws actors off when another begins speaking their lines before they have finished saying their dialog and it diminishes their part.

2020, Tom Lisanti, Carol Lynley: Her Film & TV Career in Thrillers, Fantasy & ...:

To interfere with someone's role, as in a performance, by interfering with their scripted or intended speech.


cane it

cane it (third-person singular simple present canes it, present participle caning it, simple past and past participle caned it)

canes it (present singular third-person)
caning it (participle present)
caned it (participle past)
caned it (past)

Near-synonyms: hoon it (UK), hoon


hoon it

hoon it (third-person singular simple present hoons it, present participle hooning it, simple past and past participle hooned it)

hoons it (present singular third-person)
hooning it (participle present)
hooned it (participle past)
hooned it (past)

(UK, slang) To drive very fast or recklessly.


go through hoops

jump through hoops
jump through hoops#English


go shit yourself

That guy hadn't done diddlysquat to help me, so I told him "go shit yourself".

(informal, idiomatic, chiefly imperative) To go away; get lost; leave.


care a whit

care a whit (third-person singular simple present cares a whit, present participle caring a whit, simple past and past participle cared a whit)

cares a whit (present singular third-person)
caring a whit (participle present)
cared a whit (participle past)
cared a whit (past)

(informal, dated, idiomatic, typically in negative connotation) To care for something, to have interest or concern for something or someone.


flick one's bean

flick one's bean (third-person singular simple present flicks one's bean, present participle flicking one's bean, simple past and past participle flicked one's bean)

flicks one's bean (present singular third-person)
flicking one's bean (participle present)
flicked one's bean (participle past)
flicked one's bean (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-flick one's bean.wav

(vulgar, slang, of a female) To masturbate by stimulating one's clitoris manually.


go jump off a cliff

(idiomatic, derogatory, colloquial, often sarcastic) Used to tell someone to go away, or that their request will not be met.