Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(N.Z.) a very conservative small farmer.

1980

F. Glen Bush in Our Yard 107: ‘Instant sheds, specially for the small cocky just establishing himself, or perhaps the five-acre Tory,’ [...] the auctioneer presented the four buildings [DNZE].

(Aus.) best, most impressive.

1963

C. Rohan Down by the Dockside 214: ‘How much money have you got?’ ‘I haven’t got any. I thought you’d pay.’ I roared with laughter. ‘God! Charlie,’ I said, ‘you must think you’re the five-alarm charmer.’.

a public house sign; for details see cit. 1788.

c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms additions n.p.: Alls. The five alls is a country Sign, Representing five figures, each having a motto under it. The first is a King in his Regalia, his motto, I govern all: the 2nd a Bishop in Pontificals, motto, I Pray for all: 3d, a Lawyer in his Gown, motto, I plead for all: 4th: a Soldier in his Regimentals, & fully accoutred; motto, I fight for all: & 5th, a Poor Country Man with his Scythe & Rake, with a Sorrowful Countenance seeming to say, I pay for all.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn) n.p.: The five alls is a country sign, representing five human figures, each having a motto under him. The first is a king in his regalia; his motto, I govern all: the second a bishop in pontificals; motto, I pray for all: third, a lawyer in his gown; motto, I plead for all: fourth: a soldier in his regimentals, fully accoutred; motto, I fight for all: fifth, a poor countryman with his scythe and rake; motto, I pay for all.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1812–71		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1878		Birmingham Wkly Post 2 Feb. n.p.: An inn in Marlborough has the sign ‘The Five Alls.’ They are—a king, with the motto, ‘I govern all;’ a bishop, with ‘I pray for all;’ a lawyer, ‘I plead for all;’ a soldier, ‘I fight for all;’ a labourer, ‘I pay for all.’ .
1910		Willesden Chron. 7 Jan. 9/4: ‘The Five Alls’ one of the jocular signs which vastly amused our grandfathers .
1937		Northampton Mercury 17 Sept. 9/6: [advert] if you xplore the countryside, says Mr XXX, you’ll come across several xamples of the Five Alls. The sign varies from inn to inn.

see separate entries.

a policeman.

1890

Daily News 2 July in Ware (1909) 132/1: The evidence against the defendant, given by Constable 308 A, was that whilst in company with a woman he abused him (the policeman) without reason, asking how long he had been away from a ‘five-barred gate’ (the country).

(US) a $5 bill.

1947

T. Thursday ‘Sing Sing Sweeney’ in Crack Detective Jan. 🌐 He only slips a five-bucker in my pocketbook.

(US drugs) a small amount of heroin, less than 28g (1oz), sold for $5.

1967		P. Thomas Down These Mean Streets (1970) 5: Yeah, man, this is smooth, but we gotta do some better dealing; this five-cent bag ain’t enough. Like man, we is strung out.
1969		R.R. Lingeman Drugs from A to Z (1970) 94: five-cent paper [...] A quantity of heroin in a folded piece of paper sold for $5.
1971		E.E. Landy Underground Dict. (1972) 78: five-cent paper [...] Usually five dollars’ worth of a powdered drug that is packaged in a folded piece of paper or a packet.
1972		Eble Campus Sl. Oct. 2: 5$ balloon – $5 worth of heroin.
2001		ONDCP Street Terms 9: Five cent bag — $5 worth of drugs.

(US) a long and supposedly ‘difficult’ word.

1990

S. Morgan Homeboy 42: What’s that fivecenter you called me. [Ibid.] 289: Not yet a victim [...] of fivecent words that didn’t shoot back.

see separate entry.

see separate entries.

see separate entries.

see 4-Fs n.

(US black) a BMW automobile.

1996

Master P ‘Mr Ice Cream Man’ 🎵 on Mr Ice Cream Man [album] But I’m on that triple gold 9 thiller LEXUS / Master P in the 500 S E L with a triple beam.

see separate entry.

a prostitute, i.e. w-h-o-r-e or b-i-t-c-h; see also four-letter man n.

2003

‘Amer. vs British Eng.’ on University of Tampere FAST Area Studies Program 🌐 A five-letter woman married to a four-letter man.

(N.Z. prison) a very short sentence.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 70/1: five minutes n. a very short sentence.

(UK tramp) a jail sentence of five years.

1886

W. Newton Secrets of Tramp Life Revealed 8: Five Pennyworth ... Five Years’ Imprisonment.

see separate entry.

two shillings and sixpence (2s 6d; 12½p).

1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. (2nd edn).
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.

(US Und.) a .357 magnum handgun.

1985

T.R. Houser Central Sl.

(US Und.) a five-year sentence.

1928		J. Callahan Man’s Grim Justice 99: ‘He’ll let us off with about a “five specker.”’ A ‘five specker’ is five years.
1938		cited in Partridge DU (1961).

see under -spot sfx

masturbation.

1998		‘Maxim Thesaurus’ Maxim Jun. 🌐 Five against one: ‘Forget these odds,’ Albert said as he left the bar. ‘I’ll go home and have a little five against one.’.
2002		Fingers Knott ‘A Little “Five on One”’ [poem] on S(c)htick.net 4 Oct. 🌐 Some will keep it simple / and offer ‘wanking’ or ‘self-help’ / others talk of dolphin waxing, / and laugh until they yelp [...] or even if you’re truly bold / a little ‘five on one’.

see under ...short of... adj.

see separate entries.

see five to two n. (2)

(US gambling) the point of five in craps dice.

2001

J. Burkardt ‘The Bingo Code’ Wordplay 🌐 Craps: 5 little Phoebe, five in the South, fever in the south.

see — miles of bad road n.

(US) the fist.

1947

J.W. Arnold ‘The Lang. of Delinquent Boys’ in AS XXII:2 Apr. 121: Five of clubs. One fist.

see five against one

a drunkard.

1886		Referee 17 Jan. in Ware (1909) 132/1: Another is, ‘Arthur Roberts in dress allegorical of five or seven, as Mr Hosack.’ Mr Hosack, as many of my readers may not be aware, is a magistrate, and ‘five or seven’ means – but no matter.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.

(N.Z.) the nightly rush to the public house, caused by severely restricted licensing laws.

1959		C. Bollinger Grogs Own Country 12: After World War II, a recently returned serviceman termed it ‘the 5 to 6 oclock scrum’.
1959		G. Slatter Gun in My Hand 90: The bar is crowded for the five to six rush is in full swing.
1963		Dominion (Wellington) 23 July 1: New Zealander’s liquor hours, notably the ‘five to six swill’ produced-debate and plenty of laughs at the National Party Conference yesterday [DNZE].
1971		N. Armfelt Catching Up 11: How do you like our Five O’clock swill? Not like the old country. All evening to drink your pint.

(US Und.) the sentence of five months and 29 days for ‘jostling’ a drunk, i.e. robbing them.

1953

‘William Lee’ Junkie (1966) 156: Five-Twenty-Nine . . . Five months and twenty-nine days. This is the term in the workhouse that a lush-worker receives for ‘jostling.’ If a detective sees a lush-worker approach or touch a lush, he places a ‘jostling’ charge.