Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) the mouth.

1997–2002

Alt. Eng. Dict. 🌐 wordhole (noun) mouth.

a critic; one who deliberately uses hard words in their conversation; a malicious gossip.

1774		Bath Chron. 17 Sept. 3/4: He exemplifies with the greatest humour and drollery [...] the characters of [...] Word-grubber [...] Macaroni Orator, Scotch Orator...
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn).
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1832		Spirit of the Times (NY) 14 Apr. 1/1: One of these word-grubbers was informed by a friend [etc].

a punster.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Word-pecker one that play’s [sic] with Words.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
c.1750–1882		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.

(US) a newspaper reporter.

1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 6 May 3/4: The worst sucker of all, though, was the word slinger who paid $150 to have a column of hogwash and puff [...] published in the N.Y. Graphic.
1937		J. Tully Bruiser 251: I’m worth it – that’s more’n I can say for a lot of word-slingers.

see under drink v.

see under drop v.⁴

to pass on information, to ‘tip off’.

1964		L. Auchincloss (con. 1940) Rector of Justin 45: ‘Isn’t it nice that Mr. Moore has found time to desert his fashionable parish and travel north to give us the good word?’.
2002		D. Shaw ‘Dead Beard’ at www.asstr.org 🌐 She’d given the peelers the good word on where her old pot and pan was stashing his stocks of bob hope.

(gay) to understand and partake in the gay sub-culture.

1941		G. Legman ‘Lang. of Homosexuality’ Appendix VII in Henry Sex Variants.
1965		(ref. to 1930s) Guild Dict. Homosexual Terms 49: words and music, to know the (v.). To use or understand most homosexual usages. (Used in the 1930’s; rare now.).
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular.
1986–7		Maledicta IX 146: Many of his [i.e. G. Legman’s] other terms [...] prove he used to know the words and music of gay prostitute slang but is now out of date.

(orig. US black) a general term of affirmation, I mean it, I promise.

1992		R. Price Clockers 433: Next time I see you I put a hole in your chest. And my word is bond.
2000		Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 word is bond Definition: a statement to emphasize the previous expression Example: Yo this fried chicken is dope, word is bond!
2012		‘Dutch’ ? (Pronounced Que) [ebook] Stop playin’. Word is bond.
2021		S.A. Crosby Razorblade Tears 99: ‘Word is bond. I don’t sell no wolf tickets’.

see under dirty adj.

see word up! excl.

see word! excl. (1)

see separate entry.

see word! excl.

(US black) an excl. of approval, admiration etc.

1988		Big Daddy Kane [song title] Word to the Mother.
1990		Eble Campus Sl. Oct. 5: word to the mother bird – expression of agreement.
2002		(con. 1980s) i80s.com 🌐 word to your mother And yet another variant of word and word-up; something that is true or a way to express that you agree with something someone said or done.
2012		‘Dutch’ ? (Pronounced Que) [ebook] Yo, Sha, this word to mother, B, I was coming to see you —.
2013		Stix & M. Dargg ‘It’s Cracking’ 🎵 Word to mother, I’mma back the Glock.

see separate entry.