rocks n.
1. (US) money; thus pocketful (of rocks).
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | N.O. Picayune 31 July 2/2: He was just on the eve of leaving town with his ‘pockets full of rocks.’ [DA]. | |
| Streaks of Squatter Life 166: Tom had no pocketfull of rocks. | |
 | Dly Morn. Herald (St. Louis, MO) 28 June n.p.: Mr. Drake was returning home with his pocket full of rocks, from Chicago, where he he had been to dispose of a load of grain. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Life and Liberty in America 105: Among the pure Americanisms may be cited the following: [...] Rocks, money – a California phrase. | |
| City of the Saints 401: The road agents charged with paying them [...] had expended the ‘rocks’ in the hells of San Francisco. | |
| Gay Life in N.Y. 8: Pockets full of rocks and hearts chuck full of spirits. | |
| St Louis Globe-Democrat 19 Jan. n.p.: The young man [...] feels impelled to ask his friends if they have any ‘rocks’ or ‘shinies’ about them. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Bulletin (Sydney) 14 Aug. 6/2: ‘We have a collection to make this morning, and [...] whichever of you stole Mrs. Jones’ turkeys, don’t put anything on the plate.’ One who was there says, ‘Every blessed niggah in de church came down wid de rocks’. | |
| ‘’Arry in Parry’ in Punch 15 Nov. 217/1: Oh, a pocketful do perk one up. | |
| Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 10 Nov. 6/2: ‘Are you such a gilly [...] that when you were dead on to him, you didn’t pull the rocks’. | |
| Sporting Times 18 Jan. 1: He was, like most acting-managers, a bit short of the rocks. | |
| Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 31 May 2/3: The ghost died, so we had no rocks to buy the foamy at the bar or to rush de growler, either. | |
| Captains Courageous cap. i: Old mans piling up the rocks. 'Don't want to be disturbed. | |
| Hands Up! 387: Kitty at once said to her companion: ‘There’s a guy with rocks. Let’s get him.’. | |
| ‘Criminal Sl.’ in Amer. Law Rev. LII (1918) 890: The go-between of lobbyists who buys up legislators is called the ‘gravel train’ because he has the ‘rocks’ whereby he can debauch legislators. | |
| Star Rover (1963) 135: Stick close to your money and close to your rocks, / An’ you’ll always have tobaccy in your old tobaccy box. | |
| Gay-cat 49: Even old Curt Haines with all his rocks couldn’t do more for you than to give you a feed. | |
| ‘Colgate University Sl.’ in AS V:3 239: Rocks: money. ‘Jack has the rocks, all right.’. | |
| et al. DAUL 180/1: Rocks. [...] 3. (Rare) Money. | |
| Far from the Customary Skies 117: I wish I had his rocks. He can buy Rocker-feller. | |
| Vice Trap 56: You made a few rocks off the Indian, cool. | |
| Complete Guide to Gambling. |
2. (US, also rocksy) as a term of address.
| Cincinnati Enquirer 7 Sept. 10/7: Nibs, Cully, Pard, Rocks, Rocksy--All are endearing or friendly titles, but are mainly used by the circus and variety performers, while shaking hands with or addressing those with whom they are, or wish to be, familiar. | |
| Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 4 Dec. 7/3: He calls the manager ‘the old man,’ the actors ‘hams’ [...] and his friends he addresses in conversation as ‘Cully,’ ‘Rocks,’ ‘Old Stock’ [etc]. |
3. the teeth.
| DSUE (8th edn) 983/1: C.20. |
4. precious stones, jewels, esp. diamonds.
| ‘The Humming Bird’ in Sandburrs 24: D’ supers has to be yellow; d’ white kind don’t pay; an’ d’ rocks has to be d’ real t’ing. | |
| ‘Criminal Sl.’ in Amer. Law Review LII (1918) 891: Diamonds with flaws are called ‘Bum Rocks.’. | |
| Vocab. Criminal Sl. 71: rocks [...] Diamonds. In popular slang it means money. | |
| Fort Wayne (IN) Journal Gazette 6 Jan. 6/6: ‘Rocks,’ diamonds. | |
| Keys to Crookdom 399: Bum rocks – poor diamonds. | |
| Black Mask Aug. III 58: She frisked these rocks from the old duck. | |
| ‘Vocab. of Bums’ in AS IV:5 344: Rocks — Diamonds; precious stones. | |
| Put on the Spot 142: I got one close personal friend I’m takin’ care of by givin’ her plenty of rocks. | |
| Rough Stuff 195: The stuff would bring in at least fifteen or twenty thousand dollars, as it was all ‘rocks’, that is large carat diamonds. | |
| (ref. to 1920s) Over the Wall 110: A number of hoops set with rocks. | |
| ‘Skip Tracer Bullets’ in Popular Detective June 🌐 I been lookin’ for two days for the rocks. | |
| Asphalt Jungle in Four Novels (1984) 216: You boys got a load of rocks you can’t peddle. | |
| One Lonely Night 34: She wasn’t the only one with plenty of rocks. | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | (con. 1940s) Confessions 59: As if he were not above doing a job himself, casing a joint for some rocks. | |
| Exit 3 and Other Stories 109: Them’re a nice set of rocks. | |
| Jones Men 148: The man at the counter [...] got all the rocks on his hand. | |
| (con. 1960s) Spend, Spend, Spend (1978) 132: She had more rocks on her than Brighton beach. | |
| Airtight Willie and Me 151: Rocks big as your heartbreaking eyes on your fingers. | |
| Lowspeak. | |
| Boy from County Hell 243: ‘If you want those rocks back, I’m pretty sure I shit them out already’. |
5. (US Und.) a variety of confidence trick based on fake diamonds.
| Big Con 305: The rocks. A short-con diamond swindle in which the mark is shown ‘stolen’ diamonds and invited to have a jeweller evaluate them. The ones submitted are good, the rest are paste. |
6. (US drugs) withdrawal symptoms.
| (con. 1948) Flee the Angry Strangers 363: I’m bound for a fix . . . before the rocks come on. [Ibid.] 403: That’s no charge for me [...] I won’t even get a buzz. I’ll get rocks – I’ll get paralyzed in my legs. |
7. (orig. US) ice-cubes.
| Corner Boy 151: They sipped on scotch over rocks. | |
| Limo 61: [He] knocked his chair over and poured most of a Galliano rocks on his Gucci. | |
| House of Slammers 148: She poured herself a healthy shot over rocks. | |
| Et Tu, Babe (1993) 3: A steak and chops man. Double scotch rocks. |
8. the testicles [play on stone n.1 (1); cit. 1691 is double entendre, the ‘present’ of the title is the penis].
| Mercurius Democritus 28 May 16: At his first charge with her, quoth he Nan prethee feel my two round Rocks, with which she handled his precious Diamonds [...] and by his direction clapt her hand on his Bum to give satisfaction to the Bumkin, who bid her whip his stinking rotten A—. | |
| [ | | ‘A Present to a Lady’ in Merry Drollery Compleat (1875) 241: Colossus like, between two Rocks, / I have seen him stand and shake his locks]. |
| implied in get one’s rocks off | |
| (con. 1950) Band of Brothers 306: Drop the rocks and grab yer socks! | |
| Rivers of Blood 165: Had your rocks blown lately, boy? Come on and we’ll sixty-nine ya! | |
| Friends of Eddie Coyle 162: He always hadda pair of rocks on him. | |
| Muscle for the Wing 159: He’d rather be [...] buried in her muff, exercising a learned tongue, licking her breathless, his own rocks on hold. | |
| Sweet La-La Land (1999) 18: I mean my rocks, my nuts, my balls, fachrissakes. | |
| Roger’s Profanisaurus in Viz 98 Oct. 24: rocks 1. n. Masses of hard stony matter, esp. an extensive formation of such matter. 2. euph. Big hairy bollocks. | |
| Shame the Devil 11: The way he had it [i.e. a gun], snug up against his rocks and pressing on his blue jeans. |
9. in fig. use, courage, bravery.
| ‘Die Hard’ in I Like ’Em Tough (1958) 24: Man, he had rocks. | |
| Cogan’s Trade (1975) 21: Don’t take no brains. Just the rocks. |
10. in drug uses.
(a) a form of crystallized, smokeable heroin.
| Drugs from A to Z (1970). | |
| ‘Chelsea Horror Hotel’ Ch. 12 at OfficialRamones.com 🌐 ‘Hey, Dee Dee,’ he spoke. ‘Wanna do some Chinese rocks? I got some smokin’ bags right here with me.’ [...] ‘Alright, pal, let’s get stoned. I hope it’s as good as in the old days,’ I said, trying to make a little joke, as I eyed the bundle of red metallic dime bags of heroin that he was holding in his outstretched mummified hand. ‘Try a few, Dee Dee, these rocks are the real thing,’ Sid said to me and winked. |
(b) cocaine.
| ‘Gloss. of Drug Terms’ National Instit. Drug Abuse. |
(c) crack cocaine.
| ‘Lodi Dodi’ 🎵 I grabbed my sack of rocks. | |
| Powder 56: By the third day he was doing rocks with her. | |
| Layer Cake 157: There’s burnt spoons, bloody works, cans, bent and punctured to smoke rocks, pipes made from water bottles, burnt Jimmy Boyle. | |
| ‘Laughin’ to the Bank’ 🎵 Back to bag rocks, rocks, rocks, switch gears like bye, bye, bye. |
11. see rock of ages n.2
12. see rocks for jocks
In phrases
to ejaculate.
| One to Count Cadence (1987) 142: Two big cherry farm boys [...] both blew their rocks before they even got in, and remained cherries. | |
| No Holds Barred 113: His dick turned so hard, he nearly blew his rocks right then and there. |
(US campus) to vilify.
| et al. CUSS 92: Bust his rocks make uncomplimentary remarks about someone. |
1. of either sex, to have sexual intercourse, to experience orgasm.
| implied in sense 2. | |
| From Here to Eternity (1998) 902: What you couldnt imagine was how it would have this everyday quality. Like taking a crap. Or getting your rocks off. | |
| (con. early 1950s) Valhalla 361: ‘You notice how they get that glazed look in their eyes when they’re workin’ on you?’ ‘Yeah [...] Like they’s just about to get their rocks off.’. | |
| Pimp 65: Some broad is going to lay out five hundred frog skins to get her rocks off. | |
| (con. 1950s) ‘The Fifties’ in Eisen Age of Rock 2 (1970) 103: After a date they would ask [...] Get much? Bare tit? In her panties? Your rocks off? | |
| Faggots 100: He knew he had neither the time nor the abundant imagination to play ‘Can You Top This?’ every time he wanted to get his rocks off. | |
| Life and Times of Little Richard 178: When you hug and kiss a man you feel like something is missing afterward. Even when you’ve got your rocks off, you still got your rock. | |
| Vinnie Got Blown Away 166: Everyone else reckoned they got their rocks off now. | |
| Goodoo Goodoo 80: [of a woman] Woody bent her head forward [...] moaned, then got her rocks off. | |
| Guardian Guide 4–10 Sept. 52: They’re probably just getting their rocks off. | |
| Guardian Guide 8–14 Jan. 75: Sporty gets a hair cut and her rocks off with Rick Rubin. | |
| ‘Jenny’s Work’ 🌐 25 Dec. ‘Fuck yea baby,’ he growled at her as she came, ‘That’s it, get your rocks off, and then it will be my turn!’. | |
| Mystery Bay Blues 149: Grace sucked and licked and gently squeezed his balls [...] Les got his rocks off. | |
| (con. 1980) A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun 231: He was [...] still cruising the Hill trying to get his rocks off. | |
| Viva La Madness 48: Roy got his rocks off on all the creeping about, playing secret squirrel. | |
| Corruption Officer [ebk] cap. 54: If you got a woman [...] still telling you she loves you even though she’s out there getting her rocks off, then you have a good woman. | |
| The Force [ebook] He turns right on 184th, where Nasty Ass said Fat Teddy would be coming to get his rocks off. | |
| (con. 1962) Enchanters 181: ‘Did you hear out [Marilyn Monroe’s] twisted fantasies and get your rocks off?’. |
2. (also get one’s rocks) to enjoy oneself.
| AS XXIII:4 249: Get your rocks off, an expression used to denote extreme enjoyment. | |
| ‘Sex Gang’ in Pulling a Train’ (2012) [ebook] You didn’t hide so good, buster. So now we get our rocks by evening the score. | |
| Current Sl. II:1 3: Get one’s rocks off, v. To get excited. | |
| Come Monday Morning 125: Sure, he gets his rocks off moppin’. Moppin’s his thing. | |
| ‘Razorback Sl.’ in AS L:1/2 65: I get my rocks listening to music. | |
| Brown’s Requiem 72: Guys like you just know how to hurt people! That’s how you get your rocks off. | |
| How to Kiss a Crocodile 65: Maybe Tommy Hafey [...] might have got his rocks off on it. | |
| Observer Screen 13 June 17: An Indian shop-owner allows himself just five minutes to get his rocks off at a friend’s barbecue party. | |
| (con. 1964–8) Cold Six Thousand 549: He’ll read the transcripts, hear the hate building and get his rocks off. |
3. (also get one’s rocks) to obtain any form of satisfaction or to satisfy, to please.
| Cannibals 85: She gets her rocks off by beating him in everything. | |
| Choirboys (1976) 312: Scuz’d get his rocks off if a couple of bluesuits brought in Gina Summers. | |
| Fields of Fire (1980) 315: I’ll bet he really laughed his ass off to see two Marines shot [...] I’ll bet he really got his rocks off. | |
| (con. 1967) Lords of Discipline 394: We know they get their rocks off kidnapping knobs and niggers. | |
| Godson 76: [I]f that’s what it takes to get his rocks off. | |
| (con. 1985–90) In Search of Respect 147: She got her rocks off on firing people, man. | |
| ‘Balls to the Wall’ in Destination: Morgue! (2004) 14: Nobody said, ‘You get my rocks off.’ Nobody said, ‘You make me feel alive.’. | |
| Hell on Hoe Street 67: Birds always got their rocks off on geezers having some little problem. | |
| (con. 1973) Johnny Porno 12: Tommy DeLuca liked the name [...] Got his rocks off being called that, Tommy Porno. | |
| Joey Piss Pot 271: ‘Getting their rocks making believe they’re at war’. |
4. (drugs) to binge pleasurably on drugs.
| Guardian Rev. 25 Sept. 8: Baudelaire, Gaultier and others got their rocks off in the Club Hachichins. |
(Aus.) to decline economically and/or socially, to ‘go downhill’.
| Sport (Adelaide) 14 June 7/3: They Say [...] That Curly M. is going to the rocks fast [...] always inebriated since his two tabblies turned him down. |
(US) to become excited; to lose emotional control, lit. to ejaculate.
| Playboy’s Book of Forbidden Words 200: POP the Rocks. To have an orgasm, especially after a period of deprivation. | |
| Union Dues (1978) 189: Here was this guy looking her in the eye like he wanted something more than to pop his rocks. | |
| (con. 1964–8) Cold Six Thousand 654: The Poor People’s March tanked. The riots upstaged it. Fools popped their rocks and resettled. Chaos is taxing. |
of a man, to reach orgasm, to ejaculate.
| Inner City Hoodlum 122: Don’t want those fuckin’ honkies to shoot their rocks ’fore they pay! | |
| (con. 1970) Meditations in Green (1985) 65: Just when I’m about to shoot my rocks she whips that rag out. |
SE in slang uses
In phrases
(W.I., Bdos) for a woman to make a date with a man when she has no intention of keeping it, thus to trick a suitor in any way.
![[WI]](/static/img/flags/wi.png "West Indies") | Dict. Carib. Eng. Usage. |
(US) to excite sexually, spec. to make a man have an erection.
| Erections, Ejaculations etc. 153: That dress is pretty short, Francine [...] You keep giving everbody who comes in here rocks. | |
| ‘fever on a sunny day’ at Disobey.com 🌐 Thick pelt, slinky posture, dark gray eyes... My god but she’s giving me rocks something awful. |
(Aus./US) to be stupid.
| et al. DAUL 212/2: Stones in the head, to have. (Chiefly in New York and environs) To be very stupid. | |
| Mad mag. Mar. 4: Talking to her dog again as usual ... Rocks in the head if you ask me! | |
| Teen-Age Mafia 16: He must be crazy. He must have rocks in his head. | |
![[SA]](/static/img/flags/sa.png "South Africa") | Ducktails in Gray Theatre Two (1981) 54: You think I got rocks in my head? No, I work. | |
| Lily on the Dustbin 129: Obviously she ‘had rocks in her head.’. | |
| White Shoes 234: Crystal was looking up at him like he either had rocks in his head or he was the greatest suck-arse God had ever put breath into. | |
| ‘Moody Joe Shaw’ in Life During Wartime (2018) 256: ‘I can’t tell if you’re being cruel, or if you just have rocks in you head’. | |
| Stoning 14: Didn’t you hear me earlier, son? You got rocks in your head, son? |
(W.I.) to be left waiting for someone who does not turn up.
| Dict. Carib. Eng. Usage. |
1. in trouble, facing problems.
| Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack 305: ‘Oh!’ said the man addressed, ‘I’m on the rocks, but never mind, come and have a bucket (i.e. glass) of rum.’. | |
| Sun. Times (Perth) 10 Jan. 2/6: The chief figure may rest assured that he will be ‘landed on the rocks’ in due course. | |
| Knocking the Neighbors 73: When the Troupe went on the Rocks [...] [she] found herself seated on a Trunk marked ‘Theater’ standing off a Deputy Sheriff. | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 16 July 17/2: Prior to this the Australian co. got on the rocks, or at least into the breakers, by reason of the collapse of London hot-air merchants who said they were an underwriting syndicate. | |
| Ulysses 353: Ten bob I got for Molly’s combings when we were on the rocks in Holles street. | |
| Iron Man 250: ‘Ever been on the rocks yourself?’ asked the beggar. | |
| Right Ho, Jeeves 54: Is the Boudoir on the rocks? | |
| ‘All the Nice Girls’ in Mess Songs & Rhymes of the RAAF 24: But she’ll leave you on the rocks / With a bloody good dose of pox, / Syph Ahoy! | |
| Harder They Fall (1971) 39: A millionaire Wall Street broker whose marriage went on the rocks. | |
| Shiralee 106: He had £4 17s. 6d. That wasn’t bad. He wasn’t on the rocks yet. | |
| World of Paul Slickey Act I: Daddy might have actually died this week and left us all on the rocks. | |
| Rooted II iii: I’m reading about how Chuck and Betty’s marriage was on the rocks because of in-law trouble. | |
| (con. 1940s–60s) ‘All the Nice Girls’ in Snatches and Lays 14: But she’ll leave you on the rocks / With a bloody good dose of pox. | |
| Eng. Madam 36: There was him with his marriage on the rocks and no future to speak of. | |
| Therapy (1996) 181: His marriage is on the rocks. | |
| Dead Long Enough 13: You are on the rocks and you better change tack fast. Or else admit you are old and give it all up. |
2. in great need of.
| Amateur Cracksman (1992) 103: I’m fair on the rocks for a sleep! | |
| Adventures of Jimmie Dale (1918) II xi: If I don’t get none [i.e. a drug] I’ll be on de rocks before mornin’! | |
| A Thousand and One Afternoons [ebook] The captain was on the rocks. [...] Bust, was the captain. "Dying, Egypt, dying, ebbs the crimson life blood fast." Flatter than a hoecake was the captain. | |
| Adventures of Mrs. May 48: I’d put it about as me late ’usband [...] ’ad lost all ’is money in a bubble factory, wot ’ad exploded. That’s why I told ’em I’d got on the rocks. | |
| World’s Toughest Prison 810: on the rocks – Literally, standing. Impoverished. | |
| (con. 1930s) He Don’t Know ‘A’ from a Bull’s Foot 2: Those who were ‘Hard Up’ [...] were: down and out, on the rocks. |
3. impoverished.
| ‘Jeeves and the Hard-Boiled Egg’ in My Man Jeeves [ebook] ‘Leave any money?’ ‘No, sir.’ I began to understand why poor old Bicky was always more or less on the rocks. |
4. (Aus. prison) used lit., rock-breaking.
| Doing Time 34: Over the years I’ve been in the bootshop, I’ve been in the brush shop, and on the rocks of course. |
5. in fig. use, to the greatest extent.
| Homeboy 260: He’s wrong on the rocks. |
(US campus) an undergraduate course in ‘introductory geology’.
| (con. 1960) Duke of Deception (1990) 203: There were only two choices for wiseguys: ‘Rocks’ (geology) and ‘Misfits’ (psychology). | |
| Campus Sl. Mar. 6: rocks for jocks – geology. | |
| What’s The Good Word? 300: ‘Rocks for Jocks,’ a generation-old put-down of a geology course attended by athletes. | |
| Sl. and Sociability 42: Examples of rhyme from college slang are [...] rocks for jocks ‘an easy geology course.’. | |
| (ed.) UNC-CH Campus Sl. Spring 2014. |