program, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

program n.

also programme

[SE; later underpinned by the recovery techniques of Alcoholics Anonymous and similar groups that offer their variously habituated members a twelve-point program of self-help]

(mainly US)

1. any form of verbal plan or stratagem whereby one can deal with circumstances, one’s preferred way of conducting one’s life.

1879		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 11 Oct. 6/3: ‘We had a nice long talk and told him the whole programme [...] that they was to blame for all the work’.
1937		‘Operator 1384’ Black Arab 164: ‘What’s the programme, then?’ ‘Someone will have to try to get into the town and find out how the land lies’ .
1967		M. Braly On the Yard (2002) 330: I didn’t mean to take over your program.
1970		G. Scott-Heron Vulture (1996) 56: Cool Spade [...] His program is so together.
1977		(con. 1960s) D. Goines Black Gangster (1991) 28: A whole lot of squares that ordinarily wouldn’t go along with our program.
1996		W.D. Myers Slam! 71: ‘[N]othing between me and Ice is on the program’.
2005		W.D. Myers Autobiog. of My Dead Brother 153: ‘[W]e were all so busy trying to be down with the program that we hadn’t peeped him scamming us’.
2009		W.D. Myers Dope Sick 59: Then her mama brought this older guy around and tried to hook him up with Lauryn. [...] But Lauryn peeped her program right away.

2. the established routine of an institution.

1908		‘Old Sleuth’ Dock Rats of N.Y. (2006) 64: ‘That wasn’t in the programme, captain.’ ‘What wasn’t in the programme?’ ‘It wasn’t stated that I was to take any oaths or obligations.’.
1965		C. Brown Manchild in the Promised Land (1969) 191: I learned something at school that wasn’t on the program.
1978		R. Caron Go-Boy! 265: There were patients [...] who had been driven crazy simply because they had refused to go along with the programme.
1990		(con. c.1970) G. Hasford Phantom Blooper 98: The jungle is undisciplined. The jungle does not respond to subpoenas. The jungle definitely is not going along with the program.
1997		‘Q’ Deadmeat 436: You have joined their ranks. You’ll be down with the program.
2004		Simon & Pelecanos ‘Amsterdam’ Wire ser. 3 ep. 4 [TV script] We grind and you all try to stop it. That’s how we do. Why you gotta go and fuck with the program?
2023		Rayman & Blau Riker’s 235: The case exposed something called ‘the Program,’ where gang members controlled housing units with the ignorance or tacit approval of staff.

In phrases

dis di program (v.)

see under dis v.

get one’s program together (v.)

see get one’s game together under game n.

have one’s program together (v.)

see have one’s game together under game n.

jump on someone’s program (v.)

to harass, to castigate, to cause trouble for.

1979

(con. c.1970) G. Hasford Short Timers (1985) 162: I’m ready to jump on your program, you fucking ape.

not with the programme (adj.) [reverse of with the program ]

(UK teen) not aware, not up to date with the current culture.

2001

Guardian G2 3 Aug. 3: You are so not with the programme.

out of one’s program (adj.)

out of one’s depth, acting beyond one’s actual capabilities.

1972

(con. 1960s) D. Goines Whoreson 243: I could tell she was way out of her program.

with the program (adj.) (also with the programme)(orig. US)

1. accepting the majority rules.

1967		E. Liebow Tally’s Corner 116: The hedge asserts that the man does not enter fully and freely into the marriage contract; that he was forced into it, went into it reluctantly, or was merely ‘going along with the program’ .
1987		‘Joe Bob Briggs’ Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In 129: If Tracy Bregman doesn’t clean up her act and get with the program, she’s gonna get humiliated and abused.
1994		N. McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 297: Eventually I’d break down and get with the program.
1998		H. Wilkinson Cincinnati Enquirer 4 Oct. 🌐 These high-priced talking heads who have been yammering on the network news shows for months about how this great bilious cloud of Bill Clinton will hang like a pall over this year’s congressional elections are going to look like grade A mokes if you people don’t get with the program.
2002		(con. 1965) J. Laurence Cat from Hué 146: An officer said, ‘Gentlemen, you are with the program.’ Wilson, Funk and I were definitely with the program.

2. in tune with the prevailing situation in a positive manner; usu. as imper. get with the program, pay attention, wise up.

1972		N.C. Heard To Reach a Dream 33: ‘[T]ell me now—yes or no. But it don’t matter ‘cause I’m gonna have ya tonight. Be a lot easier for both of us if ya just go along with the program, dig!’.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 57: If he goes with the program, the rest will follow.
1983		Eble Campus Sl. Mar. 3: get with the program – pay attention, act intelligent.
1989		T. Wolff This Boy’s Life 263: He’d given Chuck an ultimatum: Get with the program or else .
1993		J. Mowry Six Out Seven (1994) 114: Oh shit, Tam, get with the motherfuckin program, man! Some boy like me always gon a be sellin, long’s them little suckas keep on buyin.
2001		(con. 1975–6) E. Little Steel Toes 147: Feeling self-righteous like a motherfucker and this Elmer is not going with the program.
2003		Guardian 22 Nov. 🌐 But Kate ain’t wearing hers no more, ladies, so get with the programme and get a new coat.
2013		T. Dorsey Riptide Ultra-Glide 275: ‘Glad to see you’re with the program, because I was beginning to wonder’.
2017		N. Tabor in Oxford American 2 Mar. 🌐 After some of the New Life massage parlor’s workers were charged with prostitution, Buddy Elliott came to Papler and asked whether she’d ‘get with the program.’ She gave him $600 cash.