Green’s Dictionary of Slang

see separate entry.

see main man n. (1)

(US teen) an important person.

1972		(con. 1950s) Jacobs & Casey Grease I iv: Hey, this is the main-brain, Vince Fontaine.
1978		R. De Christoforo Grease 143: Hey, kids, tonight yours truly, the main-brain, Vince Fontaine, will be M.C-ing.

(US und.) the chief of detectives.

1909

‘The Lang. of Crooks’ in Wash. Post 20 June 4/1: [paraphrasing J. Sullivan] A chief of detectives is a high front and a main bull.

see big burg under burg n.¹

(US black) the most important person.

1938

D. Burley N.Y. Amsterdam News 12 Mar. 17: I told my wife that [...] she was the ‘main business’ at home.

the leader, the most important person.

1965		C. Brown Manchild in the Promised Land (1969) 103: I couldn’t be any more than what I was already, the main cat on the Wiltwyck scene.
1978		S. Longstreet Straw Boss (1979) 321: He’ll take ol’ boy Dickie’s place as main dog on the Gulf.

see big cheese n.

see main bitch n.

primary, most important, ‘number one’.

1960

‘Lord Buckley’ Hiparama of the Classics 16: Caesar was his Main-Day Buddy Cat.

see separate entry.

(US) the boss.

1894		F.P. Dunne in Schaaf Mr Dooley’s Chicago (1977) 158: He was th’ main finger iv th’ team iv Nothre Dame.
1902		in ‘O. Henry’ Works 436: You know what I’d do if I was main finger of dis bunch?
1915		Van Loan ‘The Spotted Sheep’ Taking the Count 118: Logan’s the main finger of the bunch–the boss. The others are cappers and steerers.
1921		(con. 1899) A. Jennings Through Shadows 117: The new ‘main finger’ meant a new warden.
1925		H. Leverage ‘Dict. Und.’ in Flynn’s mag. cited in Partridge DU (1949).

see main bitch n.

(US) the leader, the senior figure.

1880		Dallas Dly Herald (TX) 17 Sept. 8/3: Young, the ‘main guy’, was captured and lodged in the station house.
1891		W. De Vere ‘Hey Rube’ Tramp Poems 87: The ‘main guy’ winked.
1899		S.F. Call 2 Apr. 25/5: The leader of a gang is their ‘main guy’.
1904		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 23 Mar. 2/3: ‘Jim’ Bell, main guy of the Bell and Delroy Entertainers.
1904		‘O. Henry’ Cabbages and Kings 15: The main guy and the dry goods are headed for the briny.
1910		F.P. Dunne Mr Dooley Says 73: Th’ main guy [...] raises wages twinty per cent.
1926		N. Klein ‘Hobo Lingo’ in AS I:12 652: Main guy—one having the most authority.
1930		‘Dean Stiff’ Milk and Honey Route 209: Main guy – Same as captain. Refers to the person in charge.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1955		‘Blackie’ Audett Rap Sheet 80: He could walk into a mark we had set up and talk business with the main guys and make them like it.
1962		Ragen & Finston World’s Toughest Prison 808: main guy – The boss; one with authority. God.
1987		(con. 1970s) J. Pistone Donnie Brasco (2006) 264: He’s gonna introduce me to that guy there who’s going to introduce me to the main guy.
2003		G. Tate Midnight Lightning 85: There was also a record label named after the two main drug guys.

see main bitch n.

(US black) one’s favourite girlfriend.

1949

Dan Burley ‘Back Door Stuff’ 20 Aug. [synd. col.] Then you had to tell her [...] that she’s your Main Jane.

(US) a person of importance.

1902		Ade Breaking Into Society (1904) 46: He had been prominent in the Sunday-Closing Movement and the Main Kazoo in the Citizens’ Reform League.
1974		R. Carter Sixteenth Round (1991) viii: To Richard Solomon—my main kazaam.

1. one’s favourite activity.

1939		‘George Orwell’ Coming Up for Air in Complete Works VII (1986) 7: She’s one of those people who get their main kick in life out of foreseeing disasters.
1950		Library Rev. XII 162: A bat-eyed generation of youngsters who can’t enjoy reading a standard book; who get their main kick from comic strips and the cinema.
1973		Forbes 58: Time to pursue a burgeoning movie career and freedom to travel—her main kick.
1994		C. Major Juba to Jive.

2. the stage or theatre.

1944		Cab Calloway New Hepsters Dict. in Calloway (1976) 257: main kick (n.): the stage.
1944		‘Jiver’s Bible’ in D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive.

3. an addiction to drugs.

1994

C. Major Juba to Jive.

4. alcohol.

1994

C. Major Juba to Jive.

see main bitch n.

see separate entry.

see separate entries.

see separate entry.

see main squeeze under squeeze n.¹

(US black) one’s girlfriend or wife.

1975		J. Wambaugh Choirboys (1976) 87: Well see, I was this funky ol man’s main momma.
1981		J. Wambaugh Glitter Dome (1982) 129: The judge slapped a thousand-dollar fine on a Sunset Boulevard player just for kicking the crap out of his main momma.

(drugs) addiction to narcotics; the need for narcotics.

2000

M. Manning Get Your Cock Out 40: Mincey’s main-monkey had woken up and it needed feeding.

(US) an important person.

1946

T. Thursday ‘Raw, Medium, and Well Done’ in Blue Ribbon Western June 🌐 The sheriff is the main mugg and he does his own collecting in the gambling joints and dancehalls.

(US Black) one's husband or wife.

1941

Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 12 July 7/2: Uncle Sam took her main-on-the-hatch off to camp.

(S.Afr.) a local hero, esp. in a school or college.

1978		A. Akhalwaya in Rand Daily Mail 10 July 7: Ask any of his ‘maats’, and they’ll tell you he is the ‘main ou’ or the ‘dada’ [DSAE].
1984		Frontline Feb. 27: Apparently the main ou is a Cape ou, and the Cape ous are winning so far [DSAE].
1993		Weekly Mail (S.Afr.) 8 Apr. 3: She said: ‘We won’t get raided tonight because they’re showing the main ouens how the whores operate.’ [DSAE].

(US Black) the main street.

1941

Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 7 July 7/3: Ofttimes from the Avenue there somes a story that is different [...] This is one of those stories. . . novel and unique. . . but just like the ‘main pad’ anything can happen.

see main squeeze under squeeze n.¹

1. (US black) one’s girlfriend or wife.

1940		Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 17 Feb. 7/1: She is having a time with Edith, Johnny Hodge’s main queen.
1942		Morn. Herald (Uniontown, PA) 8 June 4/5: It would be just like home cooking if you and the main Queen would lamp us when you get a chance.
1976		Cab Calloway Of Minnie the Moocher and Me 182: Then everything would be straight, with my fry and my fine vines and my main queen on my arm.

2. (US) an attractive and sexually desired male homosexual.

1966		Trimble 5000 Adult Sex Words and Phrases 126: main queen (Sl.) A greatly sought after and attractive passive male Homosexual.
2003		K. Cage Gayle 81/1: main queen n. attractive gay man, much in demand sexually (You want to date him? Take a number dear, he’s the main queen).

(US) the most important person.

1903		‘Hugh McHugh’ Out for the Coin 75: My t’roat is too busy to talk to you — pass my name up to de Main Squash, will’e?
2012		office2010.forum 27 June 🌐 Photographer Tyler Shields looks to make amends after this individual destroyed a crocodile Hermes Birkin handbag [...] with his main squash and muse Francesca Fisher-Eastwood.

see under squeeze n.¹

(US black) one’s home.

1946		Mezzrow & Wolfe Really the Blues 218: Come on Jack, let’s final to my main stash.
1969		R.R. Lingeman Drugs from A to Z (1970).

see separate entry.

(US prison) general population.

2019

D. Winslow Border [ebook] [A] monkey opened the door and said, ‘Ruiz, you’re going back to main street’.

(US black) Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

1942		‘Marienne’ ‘Solid Meddlin’’ in People’s Voice (NY) 14 Mar. 33/1: Landing back in thr Apple after so long [...] it was really a killer to be on the main stroll.
1946		Mezzrow & Wolfe Really the Blues 219 : I’m goin’ to knock a fade up the main stroll and see what’s on the rail for the lizard.

see main bitch n.

1. the main street; spec. 7th Avenue in Harlem.

1994

C. Major Juba to Jive 293: Main thrill n. (1930s–1940s) Seventh Avenue in New York City; the main drag.

2. one’s drug of choice.

1994

C. Major Juba to Jive.

(US black/Harlem) a main street; an avenue.

1943		D. Burley N.Y. Amsterdam Star-News 13 Mar. 13: I’ve been copping my duck on the Main Trill these many dims and brights.
1944		D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive 15: Putting down a spiel on a heavy hen on the main trill in front of the lush stash.

see main bitch n.

(US) the most important person, the manager, the boss.

1912

T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 55: Abe Erlanger the ‘main wire’ watching his show from the wings.

1. (W.I./UK black) a man’s primary partner, poss. the mother of his children, etc.

1992

V. Headley Yardie 91: Jamaican men check other girls but they do look after their main woman.

2. see main bitch n.

(US black) a woman’s favourite man, esp. her husband.

1944		Cab Calloway New Hepsters Dict. in Calloway (1976) 257: main on the hitch (n.): husband.
1944		‘Jiver’s Bible’ in D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive.

(US black) one’s wife.

1946

Mezzrow & Wolfe Really the Blues 219: Hey Jim, your main saw on the hitch just trailed down the cruncher about tick twenty.

to inject narcotics into a vein.

1938

D. Maurer ‘Argot of the Und. Narcotic Addict’ Pt 2 in AS XIII:3 191/2: To take it main. To take narcotics intravenously.

(orig. US tramp) the main street.

1993

I.L. Allen City in Sl. (1995) 41: The main street in hobo talk was sometimes the big alley or the main alley. Each term was an image of Main Street and other city streets in the eyes of homeless men.

the vagina.

1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1896		Farmer Vocabula Amatoria (1966) 55: Carrefour, m. The female pudendum; ‘the main avenue’.

the vagina.

1748–49

Cleland Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (1985) 11: She now attempts the main-spot, and began to twitch, to insinuate, and at length to force an introduction of a finger into the quick itself.

the main road, the highway.

1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. (2nd edn).
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 48: Main Toby, on the main road.