The letter S
Definition
Of poor quality; inferior.
Example
1)
Your car is in sad shape -- you really need to take it to a mechanic.
2)
Detroit is one sad town.
Etymology
'Sad' is usually used to describe human emotions. When you are sad, you are unhappy. As slang, the word describes things rather than people.
Synonyms
lame
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Definition
To make a major mistake.
Example
1)
Tom screwed up the whole project, and now we're four weeks behind schedule.
Etymology
This phrase comes from World War II US Army slang.
Definition
One who makes mistakes regularly; a failure. (Usually written as 'screw-up' when used as a noun.)
Example
1)
Be careful when you're dealing with Charlie -- he's a real screw-up.
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Definition
A way of saying "good-bye".
Example
1)
Matt yelled "See ya!" as he left the house.
Etymology 'See ya' is an informal way to say 'See you later'.
Synonyms later
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Definition An easy target; someone or something who is defenseless, vulnerable, or in a precarious situation.
Example
1)
The sweet old lady was a sitting duck for the aggressive salesman.
2)
Out in the open field, the soldiers were sitting ducks for enemy snipers.
Etymology This phrase was first used by soldiers in World War Two.
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Definition
Letters sent through the post office; mail that is carried, as opposed to e-mail.
Example
1)
It can take a week to send a letter by snail mail.
2)
I sent the payment by snail mail so you should get it by next Friday.
Etymology
A 'snail' is a very slow-moving creature. This slang phrase mocks the slowness of regular mail and implicitly compares it to the speed of e-mail.
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Definition
Someone who is generally unaware, or not paying attention, or out of touch with reality.
Example
Suzie is a real space cadet -- I don't think she even knows what day it is.
Etymology
A 'cadet' is a student, usually at a military school, and 'space' is the place outside the earth's atmosphere, where the moon and the stars are. So a 'space cadet' is someone in training to float around in empty space, doing nothing but looking at the pretty stars
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Definition
Eating utensil that serves as both a spoon and a fork.
Example
1)
This soup is so thick that I could really use a spork right about now.
2)
Sporks may be the most clever invention this century.
Etymology
'Spork' comes from a combination of SPoon and fORK. Despite the fact that the design of the spork is excellent, there are very few of them in the world. This combination of useful design and general scarcity makes the spork a near-mythic ******, and a great topic for jokes and commentary.
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Definition To look at Web sites on a computer.
Example
1)
I need to know some facts about Bolivia; maybe I'll surf the Web and see what I can find out.
2)
Every night, my brother spends at least three hours surfing the Web.
Etymology The 'Web' is the World Wide Web. As a verb, 'surf' means 'to ride a board on the waves of the ocean'. So this phrase suggests that the World Wide Web is like the ocean, and looking at different Web sites is like riding across the ocean's waves.
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Definition A great love for candy and sugar.
Example 1) Susan's sweet tooth is unbelievable - she ate four chocolate bars in one hour!
Etymology This is an old phrase, dating back to the 1300s. In the phrase, 'tooth' refers to appetite or the thing that is chewed, rather than the tooth itself.