Prison slang
Prison slang is an argot used primarily by criminals and detainees in correctional institutions. It is a form of anti-language.[1] Many of the terms deal with criminal behavior, incarcerated life, legal cases, street life, and different types of inmates. Prison slang varies depending on institution, region, and country.[2] Prison slang can be found in other written forms such as diaries, letters, tattoos, ballads, songs, and poems.[2] Prison slang has existed as long as there have been crime and prisons; in Charles Dickens' time it was known as "thieves' cant". Words from prison slang often eventually migrate into common usage, such as "snitch", "ducking", and "narc". Terms can also lose meaning or become obsolete such as "slammer" and "bull-derm."[2]
Clink Street, London. Site of Clink Prison, one of England's oldest prisons and origin of the slang "In Clink". Now home to a museum of the prison, the remains of Winchester Palace and a Starbucks.
Examples
Prisoners in front of Main Cell Block, c. 1971
Prison slang, like other types of slang and dialects, varies by region. For that reason, the origins and the movement of prison slang across prisons are of interest to many linguists and cultural anthropologists.
Some prison slang are quite old. For example, "to cart", meaning to transfer to another prison, has been in use in Glasgow since 1733.[1]
A two-year study was done by Bert Little, Ph.D. on American English slang with the main focus being in the coastal plain region of the Southeast U.S.[3] His study published by The Trustees of Indiana University on behalf of the Anthropological Linguistics journal goes on to provide an extensive glossary of common prison slang terms that he found circling through the prison systems.[3] Studies by Alicja Dziedzic-Rawska from the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Poland describe prison slang as "extremely rich and creative" with new words being formed on a daily basis. These are mainly used as a means of security against unauthorized parties receiving a certain message and, in some cases, can be a way to ensure a prison inmate's survival within the cells.[4]
United States
| Term[3] | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bagman | Someone who is in possession of drugs |
| Bang[5] | A drug injection (other terms include 'fix', 'hit' or 'shot') |
| Chester | Slang term for an inmate incarcerated for child molestation |
| Chicken | Money |
| Chomo | Another slang term for an inmate incarcerated for child molestation |
| Take Flight | To initiate a fight with or jump another inmate |
| The Wall | A place where prison justice is dispensed through violence |
| Green | A term for paper money |
| Iced | A term for killing another inmate or prison guard |
| In the hole | When an inmate is separated from the other inmates by the authorities in a separate, isolated unit |
| Longjohn/Jody | A person who is not incarcerated and is having sexual relations with an inmate's wife |
| Rat | An Informant (an inmate who informs prison officials of any illicit activity within the prison system including prisoners and guards) |
| Shank/Shiv | An improvised stabbing weapon |
| Snuffed | A term for anyone who has been murdered |
| Seg | A term meaning solitary confinement (from the official term "administrative segregation") |
| C.O./D.O. | Correctional Officer/Detention Officer |
United Kingdom
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Nark | Squealer |
| Block/Box | Solitary confinement. |
| Nerk/nirk | Stupid/unpleasant person/inmate. Term of abuse used to the face. |
| Nonce | A person in prison for offences against children. Origin of the word is disputed. |
| Pompey | Northern England slang for a prison,[6] possibly originating from a notorious prison ship named Pompee, that was anchored in Portsmouth Harbour in the early nineteenth century. |
| Porridge | One time main meal (alleged) used as term for doing a prison sentence. Popularised by the popular BBC series Porridge – which in turn popularized many prison slang words. |
| Screw | Prison Officer – probably originating from a Victorian form of punishment involving a wheel to be turned on which a screw could be turned to make it more or less difficult. Possibly also from the pattern of walking to the end of a row of cells, turning, and walking back, constantly rotating like a screw |
| Snout/burner | A cigarette |
| Squealer, Rat, Grass | Anyone who gives information to another group – primarily to the prison authorities. |
Australia
| Term[7] | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bang | A drug injection (other terms include 'fix', 'hit' or 'shot'). |
| Chief | The title prisoners are expected to use to address prison officers |
| The boneyard | Protective custody |
| Booshwa/fit | Syringe |
| Bupe/subbie | Buprenorphine/subutex |
| Cellie | Cellmate |
| Cockatoo | An inmate tasked with alerting other inmates that prison officers are approaching |
| Crim | Criminal/inmate |
| Dog | An informant |
| Greens | Prison clothing |
| Laggon | Prison sentence |
| The pound | Solitary confinement |
| Red light | 'Red light' is the code-word used by inmates to warn that prison officers are approaching |
| Screw | Pejorative term for prison officer |
| Scrim | Pejorative term for inmates who work in clerical positions within the prison. Portmanteau of 'Screw' and 'Crim'. |
| Segro | Segregation wing |
| Shiv | Makeshift stabbing weapon |
| Spinner | An inmate acting strangely, highly associated with mental health issues |
| Sweeper | An inmate paid by the prison to do domestic duties |
| Turtles | The Squad. Specially trained and heavily equipped prison officers tasked with searching cells and riot control |
| Uncle Bully | An inmate convicted of child sex offences; a reference to a character from the film Once Were Warriors. |
Israel
| Term[8] | Definition |
|---|---|
| Abu-antar | Show-off |
| Antenna | Police informer |
| Aron | Rifle |
| Awacs | Translates to "intelligence airplane," means "police informer" |
| Brara | Arabic slang for "inferior fruit," means "criminals" |
| Cachol meza'azea | Translates to "shocking blue," means "police car" |
| Caftor | Translates to "button," means "policeman" or "police guard" |
| Chanjar | Arabic term for the word, "knife" |
| Cochav | Fool |
| Columbia | Prison full of drugs (in reference to the country, Columbia) |
| Cova'im | Swiss francs |
| Dag shamen | Translates to "fat fish," means "a person/inmate who can be robbed easily " |
| Duvdevan | Opium |
| Efronot parsiim | Translates to "Persian pencils," means "Persian cocaine " |
| Ekdah | Injector |
| Exhauster | Translates to "muffler," means "homosexual" |
| Galgalim | Translates to "wheels," means "ball-shaped hashish" |
| Ganoov | Translates to "stolen," means "fool" |
| Glickstein | Heroin (in reference to Israeli tennis player, "the White sport") |
| Gushim | Translates to "blocks," means "ground grains of heroin" |
| Harman | Wanting to use drugs |
| Hayalim | Translates to "soldiers," means "inmates who obey the boss" |
| Indian | Arabs |
| Intifada | Arabic for "uprising," means to terrorize |
| Kipa aduma | Translates to "Little Read Riding Hood," means "ambush" |
| Klavim | Translates to "dogs," means "inmates who obey the boss" |
| Krav hatoolim | Translates to "cat fight," means "lots of noise without violence" |
| Kufsa | Brain |
| Kussa | Arabic for "zucchini", means "to cut up" |
| Litfok | To inject (a drug) |
| Lool | Prison cell |
| Madroob | Arabic slang for "crazy," means "a violent prisoner" |
| Malon | Prison |
| Melech hata | Translates to "king of the castle," means "prison leader" |
| Mizvada | Translates to "suitcase," means "an inmate who delivers drugs in his rectum" |
| Muzikai | Unreliable |
| Na'alayim | Translates to "shoes," means "submissive" |
| Naknik | Translates to "sausage," means "an inmate who does not follow or act by the inmate code" |
| Narkis | Drug addict |
| Nofel al halashim | Annoying |
| Pa'amon | Translates to "bell," means "annoying" or "noisemaker" |
| Pagaz | Translates to "artillery," means "a cigar filled with tobacco and hashish" |
| Patsooa | Collaborator |
| Picasso | Face wound |
| Poel | Drug dealer |
| Puntcher | Translates to "flat fire," means "a stabbing" |
| Re'evim | Translates to "hungry ones," refers to dogs trained to discover hashish |
| Rich-rach | Cuts |
| Sandwich | Homosexual intercourse |
| Shafan | Translates to "rabbit," means "coward" |
| Shagrir | Homosexual |
| Shalach lo zer | Translates to "send him a bouquet," means "liquidated" |
| Sharshuchot | Arabic slang for "prostitute," means "police staff" or "prison staff" |
| Shiltonot | Police or prison staff |
| Shofech shinaim | Translates to "spilling teeth," means "to hit" or "to wound" |
| Shokolad | Translates to "chocolate," means "hashish" |
| Shvilim | Drugs arranged in rows |
| Soos | Translates to "horse," means "stupid" |
| Tapet | Homosexual |
| Tarnegolim | Drugs wrapped for insertion in rectum |
| Telephone | A tool used to smoke hashish |
| Tistakel al haramzorim | Translates to "look at the traffic lights," means "we are being followed" |
| Tractor | A tool used to smoke hashish |
| Tsipor | Translates to "bird," means "prison guard" or "an officer who cooperates with inmates" |
| Tsolelan | Translates to "deep-sea diver," means "oral sex" |
| Wisach | Arabic slang for "contaminated," means "police staff" or "prison staff" |
| Wiseh | Arabic for "dirty," means "police informer" |
| Yatsa letayel | Translates to "went for a walk," means "kidnapped" |
| Zonda | Homosexual rape |
Zimbabwe
| Term[9] | Definition |
|---|---|
| Base | Mattress |
| Bomb | Explosive or banned commodities |
| Boma | Prison |
| Bongirlfaya | Translates to the word "wildcat," means "peeping" (in reference to a cat's vision and sly behavior) |
| Cash | Money/bathing soap (due to soap being a commodity) |
| Chitima | Translates to the word "train," means "inmates who water the garden in a 'line' form" |
| Chikepe | Translates to the words "boat" or "ship," means "escaping from prison" (an allusion to a lonely ship smoothly sailing in a large sea) |
| Chikopokopo | Translates to the word "helicopter," means "tractor" (an allusion to a tractor's noise in a quiet environment) |
| Chibhonda | A person who was homeless or living on the streets before they arrived to prison |
| Chibhengebhenge | Translates to "useless person," means "noise" (an idiophone of a person's unproductive speech) |
| Dambarefu | Translates to "long play," means "a life sentence or a sentence that is less than ten years" (in reference to the Long Play Record) |
| Dzokufa | Translates to "beans," means "the dead ones" (in reference to dried beans) |
| Gavhunga | Roughly cut green vegetables |
| Gumbakumba | Translates to "UD Nissan truck used to transport prisoners," means "collect" or "grab" (in reference to the Shona idiom that a person or animal that is not picky collects anything and everything) |
| Gozhla | Groceries |
| Ginyabvu | Translates to "an inmate charged with rape," means "to force" or "forcefully take" |
| Getsi getsi pascreen | Translates to "opening statement when someone is telling a story or movie," means "power" or "light on the screen" |
| Jega mudhuri | Translates to "leaning on the wall when the officers are counting prisoners in the cells," means "to carry the wall" |
| Kaza | Car |
| Kule | A respectful way of saying "grandfather" or "uncle" |
| Kudhonza tambo | Translates to "pretending to be sick", means "to pull a string" (in reference to wasting time) |
| Kucheka | Translates to "sexual intercourse," means "to cut" (could be in reference to homosexual sex, painful sex, or could be used by inmates to throw off officers from its original meaning) |
| Makadhibhokisi | Translates to "an inmate who leaks information to prison officers," means a snitch (in reference to the image of leaking) |
| Mwana | Translates to "child" (in reference to a man taking a female role) |
| Matabawo | Tablets/medication |
| Mutsara | Translates to "line," means "meat" (in reference to meat being a scarce commodity, thus becoming a "line" to opportunities) |
| Musoro wechitima | Translates to "head of the train," means "gang leader" |
| Munyoro | Translates to "soft one," means "a new inmate" |
| Muchini | Translates to "machine," means "needle" |
| Mbuya | A respectful way of saying "grandmother" or "aunt" |
| Mavhiri mudenga | Translates to "wheels in the air," means a beating underneath the feet |
| Mari | Translates to "money," refers to commodities that can be traded |
| Ngayaya | Marijuana |
| Nzondora | Translates to "chicken feet," refers to homosexual (in reference to chicken feet being a delicacy, could be in reference to enjoying something pleasurable) |
| Noczim | Cooking oil (in reference to the acronym for National Oil Company of Zimbabwe) |
| Ndege | Maniac or mentally-challenged |
| OK (Supermarket) | Rubbish pit |
| Panze | Outside |
| Police | A snitch (in reference to an inmate cooperating with the police who is then considered an ally of the police) |
| Razor | A small space where an inmate sleeps on |
| Stodart | Story telling or movie watching |
| Seridha | Cell |
| Shop dambu | Translates to "breaking a shop," means shoplifting (in reference to breaking into a shop and shoplifting) |
| Thornhill | Maniac or mentally-challenged (in reference to the Thornhill Airbase, an allusion to an airplane) |
| TV (television) | Window |
| TM (Supermarket) | Rubbish pit |
| Whiters | Fresh or sour cow's milk |
| Zvibhezhi | A hospital, clinic, or dispensary |
| Zviwanikwa | Translates to "discoverable," means illegal items (in reference to valuable commodities) |
See also
References
- Mayr, A. 2012. Prison Language. The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics.
- Newman, John G.; Dossena, Marina; Łodej, Sylwester (2015-12-31). Token: A Journal of English Linguistics (Volume 4). Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce.
- Little, Bert (Summer 1982). "Prison Lingo: A Style of American English Slang". Anthropological Linguistics. 24: 206–244. JSTOR 30027838.
- Dziedzic-Rawska, Alicja (2016-07-27). "Linguistic creativity in American prison settings". Lublin Studies in Modern Languages and Literature. 40 (1): 81. ISSN 0137-4699.
- Devlin, Angela (1996). Prison Patter: A Dictionary of Prison Words and Slang. Waterside Press. ISBN 9781872870410.
- "Why is Portsmouth called Pompey?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- Hildebrand, Joe (April 28, 2017). "Your complete guide to prison slang". News.com.au. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- Einat, Tomer; Einat, Haim (September 2000). "Inmate Argot as an Expression of Prison Subculture: Israeli Case". ResearchGate.
- Sabao, Collen; Gohodzi, Isheanesu; Phiri, Fiona Mtulisi (2019). "Zimbabwean prison argot::". JULACE: Journal of the University of Namibia Language Centre. 4 (1): 29–48. doi:10.32642/julace.v4i1.1423. ISSN 2026-8297.
External links
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Look up Appendix:U.S. prison slang in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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