The Forensic Slang Tartu University English in the

The Forensic Slang Tartu University English in the XXth century 2015 Roman Golubev

New terms There have been dramatic changes in all spheres of life, there has also been big enrichment into criminal vocabulary. Prison culture has been changing, new specifics of crimes and everyday life realities change and that in their turn change the vocabulary of the language. Some of them I am presenting to you now. The presentation is made in alphabetical order.

A Action Old-time term for illicit profits. Also sometimes used to refer to the potential for racket income. Arm Nickname for the Buffalo-Niagara Falls Mafia family. Associate Though the usual sense of this word conveys a sense of belonging, in Mafia-speak an associate is one who works in affiliation with a Mafia organization but is not an official member.

In alphabetical order Beef A quarrel between underworld individuals or groups. Also hard feelings felt by one Mafioso against another. Beefs are generally brought to Mafia higher-ups for resolution. • Bolo n: Police acronym for "Be On the Look Out. " • blow v: Phrasal Verbs: blow away To kill by shooting, especially with a firearm. • bogey A detective or police officer. • bus n: Police slang for "ambulance". •

C • • can n: A jail or prison. cash in v: To die. check-by v: A call for minor assistance from a police officer. chip also chippie n: A girlfriend or mistress of a police officer. choir practice n: A party or social event for police officers. chop shop n: A place where stolen cars are disassembled for parts that are then sold. clink n: A prison or a prison cell; a jail: spent the night in the clink.

C • • • conk n : 1. The head. 2. A blow, espcially to the head. v. conked, conking, conks v. tr. To hit, especially on the head. v. intr. To stop functioning; fail: The engine conked out on the final lap. 2. To fall asleep, especially suddenly or heavily: conked out on the couch watching television. 3. To pass out; faint. 4. To die. cool adj: 1. a. Excellent; first-rate: had a cool time at the party. b. Acceptable; satisfactory: It's cool if you don't want to talk about it. 2. Entire; full: worth a cool million. Idioms: cool it 1. To calm down; relax. 2. To stop doing something.

C • • cop tr. v. copped, copping, cops 1. To take unlawfully or without permission; steal. 2. a. To get hold of; gain or win: copped a ticket to the show. b. To take or catch: "I copped a feel of her tit". Phrasal Verb: cop out To avoid fulfilling a commitment or responsibility; renege: copped out by ducking the issue. Idiom: cop a plea To plead guilty to a lesser charge so as to avoid standing trial for a more serious charge. cough v: Phrasal Verb: cough up To hand over or relinquish (money or another possession), often reluctantly.

D • • deal n: 1. To buy and sell drugs, especially illegally. 2. To cope: You've got no choice -- just deal with it! deck n: A packet of narcotics. dee wee adj: Police slang for "Driving While Intoxicated". do n: 1. To cheat; swindle: do a relative out of an inheritance. 2. To take (drugs) illegally: Do a line. 3. To kill; murder. Phrasal Verbs: do in To kill. dog call n: A distasteful or boring police assignment to respond to a non-serious call. drop v: To take, as a drug, by mouth: drop acid. Idiom drop a dime To make a telephone call, especially to the police to inform on or betray someone. druggie n: One that takes or is addicted to drugs

F finger v: 1. To inform on. 2. To designate, especially as an intended victim. fink n: An informer, especially someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police. intr. v. finked, finking, finks To inform against another person. flash v. flashed, flashing, flashes v. intr. 1. To think of or remember something suddenly: flashed on that time we got caught in the storm. 2. To expose oneself in an indecent manner. n. 1. Gaudy or ostentatious display. 2. The pleasurable sensation that accompanies the use of a drug; a rush. adj. Ostentatious; showy: a flash car. flasher n: One who engages in indecent exposure; an exhibitionist. flatfoot n: A police officer. floater n: A corpse found floating in a body of water.

G gaff n: 1. A trick or gimmick, especially one used in a swindle or to rig a game. 2. Harshness of treatment; abuse. tr. v. gaffed, gaffing, gaffs 1. To take in or defraud; swindle. 2. To rig or fix in order to cheat: knew that the carnival games had been gaffed. gangbang or gang-bang n: 1. Sexual intercourse, often rape, involving one person or victim and several others who have relations with that person in rapid succession. 2. Sexual intercourse involving several people who select and change partners in an indiscriminate manner. 3. A violent attack of a street gang of hoodlums. gangbanger n: A member of a street gang. garnish n: An unwarranted fee, such as one extorted from a new prisoner by a jailer. goon n: 1. A thug hired to intimidate or harm opponents. 2. A stupid or oafish person.

H hard-ass n: One who inflexibly follows or enforces rules. heavy n: A mobster. ho n: A prostitute. hooch also hootch n: 1. Alcoholic liquor, especially inferior or bootleg liquor. 2. Marijuana. hook n: 1. A tow truck. 2. A tow truck driver. 3. An auto wrecker. hooker n: a prostitute who attracts customers by walking the streets. hop-head n: A drug addict. hoosegow n: A jail. hot adj: 1. a. Recently stolen: a hot car. b. Wanted by the police: a hot suspect. 3. Very good or impressive. Often used in the negative: I'm not so hot at math. 4. Funny or absurd: told a hot one about the neighbors' dog. 5. a. Performing with great skill and daring: a hot drummer. b. Having or characterized by repeated successes: a player who is on a hot streak. c. Fast and responsive: a hot sports car. d. Unusually lucky: hot at craps. hump n: Police slang for "ass".

I ice n: 1. Diamonds. 2. A payment over the listed price of a ticket for a public event. 3. Methamphetamine. v. iced, icing, ices v. tr 1. To ensure of victory, as in a game; clinch. 2. To kill; murder. Idioms on ice 1. Assured of attainment or success. 2. In reserve or readiness. 3. Away from public notice or activity. on ice In a precarious position.

J-L joint n: 1. a. A cheap or disreputable gathering place. b. A building or dwelling. c. A prison. Often used with the. 2. A marijuana cigarette. junk n: Heroin. juice n: Political power or influence; clout. legit adj: Legitimate. lifer n: 1. A prisoner serving a life sentence. 2. One who makes a career in one of the armed forces loo n: A police officer's friendly term for "Lieutenant". loot n: Money.

M-N mark n: A person who is the intended victim of a swindler; a dupe. masher n: A man who attempts to force his attentions on a woman. Mickey Finn n: An alcoholic beverage that is surreptitiously altered to induce diarrhea or stupefy, render unconscious, or otherwise incapacitate the person who drinks it. mitt n: A hand or fist. Get your mitts off me! monkey n: 1. A person who is mocked, duped, or made to appear a fool: They made a monkey out of him. 2. Drug addiction: have a monkey on one's back. mug n: A victim or dupe. nail n: 1. A cigarette. Also coffin nail. tr. v. nailed, nailing, nails 1. To stop and seize; catch: Police nailed the suspect. 2. To detect and expose: nailed the senator in a lie 3. a. To strike or bring down: nail a bird in flight; nail a running back. b. To perform successfully or have noteworthy success in: nailed the exam.

O-P offed, offing, offs v. intr. To go away; leave: Off or I'll call the police. v. tr. To murder. off the hook : Freed, as from blame or a vexatious obligation: let me off the hook with a mild reprimand. palooka n: A stupid or clumsy person. patsy n: A person easily taken advantage of, cheated, blamed, or ridiculed. perp n: One who perpetrates a crime. pig n: Used as a disparaging term for a police officer. poke n: 1. A punch or blow with the fist: a poke in the jaw. 2. An act of sexual intercourse: I gave her a pokey n: A jail or prison. pop n: An arrest.

R rabbit n: Police slang for a fleeing subject. rap n: 1. A reprimand. 2. A sentence to serve time in prison. Idioms: beat the rap To escape punishment or be acquitted of a charge. take the rap To accept punishment or take the blame for an offense or error. rat n: A despicable person, especially one who betrays or informs upon associates. rip-off n: 1. A theft. 2. A thief. rock n: 1. A large gem, especially a diamond. 2. Crack cocaine.

S Shake down Obtain money or other concessions from businesses or individuals by using intimidation or extortion. Shylock. A financial racketeer who loans money at usurious interest rates. Often shylocks arrange payment terms that never reduce the loan principal. Those who fail to make regular payments to a skylock are disciplined with violence. Show-up time In union contracts, it is the amount paid to employees for appearing at a work site on days when work is not done. Sit-down A meeting, perhaps called to settle a "beef. „ Skim The act of siphoning funds from a legitimate business enterprise to an underworld organization. Also, the money withdrawn from a venture - such as casino gambling - before income is calculated for tax purposes. Skipper. See capo. Snitch. Traitor to the underworld. See "stool pigeon. „ Soldati Soldiers. The lowest rank of formal Mafia membership. Standup Guy An individual who observes the principles of omerta even when it brings harm to himself. Stool pigeon Older term for traitor to the underworld. One who "flips" and cooperates with law enforcement by providing information about his former criminal partners. Also known as "rat" and "snitch. „ Straight Older term for uncriminal behavior. A man who gave up crime and took a regular job "went straight. Straighten out Resolve a dispute. Formally induct a Mafia member. Swag Stolen goods.

T Table A meeting or sit-down. Tail A law enforcement officer who is tracking an individual's movement. Territory An underworld jurisdiction. While this is generally understood to refer to a geographic area, it actually refers to rackets officially designated as belonging to a family. Tommy gun Nickname for the Thompson submachine gun popular with some Prohibition Era gangsters.

U-V Underboss Second in command of a borgata. The underboss is often selected because he represents a powerful minority wing in the family. Vendetta A pledge of personal vengeance on an enemy. The vendetta is a solemn and secret vow. Vig. Or "vigorish. " Percentage of each bet that is retained as income for a bookmaker. The usurious interest charged by a shylock.

W War Violent confrontation between underworld organizations. Whack Murder. Wire An electronic surveillance device secretly worn inside the clothing of an agent or a cooperating mobster. Wise guy A "made" member of a Mafia organization.

Z Zips Derogatory term for immigrant Sicilian Mafiosi operating within the United States. The Bonanno Family in New York is known to have maintained a working relationship with a crew of Zips. Zu Also Zio. The term, translated "uncle, " is one of affection and respect for a senior member of the underworld.