bullet n.2
1. (also bull) in poker, an ace; esp. in phr. two bullets and a bragger, two aces and a knave or a nine; thus (in brag) a winning hand.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Salmagundi (1860) 378: Presently one of them exclaimed triumphantly, ‘Two bullets and a bragger!’ and swept all the money into his pocket. | |
| Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 9 Apr. n.p.: Mike [...] had a little bullet glued to the table , ready for use. | |
| Brooklyn Eagle 20 Nov. n.p.: In a game of ‘brag’ this old rogue could, in eight times out of ten, secure two bullets and a bragger. | |
| Reformed Gambler 103: The hands filled each two ‘bullets’ and a ‘bragger.’ The visitor bet fifty dollars, which bet would enable him to claim the whole amount staked by the party, provided he won. | |
| Sazerac Lying Club 151: ‘Here’s four bullets,’ said Brown, as he reached for the pot. | |
| Wahpeton Times (Dakota, ND) 29 June 2/5: Mr Williams slowly laid down his original three aces. ‘I cotched dese bullets befo’ de draw,’ he said. | |
| ‘Lonesome Trolley-Riders’ in True Bills 4: Mrs. Jinkins showed up three Bullets and bumped him for Eighty Cents. | |
| Daffydils 23 Nov. [synd. cartoon strip] The dealer stacked the cards, and dealt his opponent four kings, giving himself four bullets. | |
| Front Page Act I: Call ... Three bullets [...] Shuffle that deck. | |
| ‘Johns Hopkins Jargon’ in AS VII:5 330: bullets—aces in a poker hand. | |
| (con. 1944) Naked and Dead 10: Ah got ya in spades with that bull. He pointed to his ace. | |
| Man with the Golden Arm 10: That bird with nothing but an ace showin’ is gonna cop with three concealed bullets. | |
| Battle Cry (1964) 145: A bullet, another bullet, six, whore, jack. | |
| , | | DAS. |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Lily on the Dustbin 60: Poker terms included Three Tens declared as ‘Thirty days’ [...] a pair of twos were ‘Lousies and scabbies’ or ‘rats and mice’; and Aces were ‘bullets’. | |
| Homeboy 222: The neon hand of stud circling the big sky [...] showed bullets over deuces. | |
| Gutshot Straight [ebook] He tended to fold with a bullet showing and his opponent betting big. |
2. (US) $1; in pl., money in general.
| Chicago Trib. 2 Mar. 10: He promised me a hundred bullets [HDAS]. | |
| Boston Globe Sun. Mag. 21 Dec. 7–8: A man who has money has ‘bullets’ or ‘plunks’ or ‘simoleons.’. | |
| Wash. Post 11 Nov. Misc. 3/4: Money is given a score of names [...] the ‘Humble Dutchman’, a well-known underworld character, was wont to call it ‘bullets’. | |
| Gay-cat 99: I thought I’d git a thousand bullets in good solid jack for him. | |
| , | | DAS. |
| Underground Dict. (1972). | |
| More You Bet 67: ‘Money’ [...] might also be referred to as ‘cash’, or ‘coin’, or ‘oscar’, or ‘moolah’, or ‘notes’, or ‘bills’, or ‘chips’ or ‘brass’, or ‘dosh’, or ‘dough’, or ‘bread’, or ‘biscuits’, or ‘bullets’, or ‘ammunition’. |
3. a French franc.
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Scarperer (1966) 109: Where would the likes of me get a pint? Ninety bullets for a bottle. |
4. (US prison) a one-year sentence.
| Underground Dict. (1972). | |
| Silent Terror 67: My year sentence was called a ‘bullet’. | |
| Homeboy 141: What’s another bullet, wild or bowlegged. | |
| Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Bullet: One year prison sentence [...] such as ‘They gave me a bullet.’. | |
| Royal Family 498: You was in Soledad? [...] How many bullets they give you? |
5. in drug uses.
(a) (drugs, also bullethead) a single capsule of a drug.
| Urban Black Argot 134: Bullets, Bulletheads i.e. large capsules of ‘Seconal’ ii. any barbiturate in bullet-headed capsule form. | |
| Runnin’ Down Some Lines 168: Bullets they uncut red devils – any kinda pill dat’s uncut. Could be red devils or Truinal or yellow jacks, blue heavens or pink lady. [Ibid.] 231: bullet, bullethead See apple [i.e. a barbiturate]. |
(b) (N.Z. drugs) a portion of cannabis wrapped in silver foil.
 | Press (Christchurch) 21 Aug. 19: When a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s flat they found 19 cannabis ‘bullets’ [DNZE]. | |
| Press (Christchurch) 7 Dec. 4: Entering the toilet he saw Mr Maddox handing over money for marijuana. He snatched the bullet out of his hand [DNZE]. | |
| ‘Morning Report’ on National Radio 4 Apr. [Auckland detective explains] Drug distributors organize young people to run drug houses, with the locations continually changing, and deal drugs to customers from them. The drug is usually cannabis in the form of ‘bullets’, that is enough cannabis for about 3 cigarettes wrapped in aluminium foil [DNZE]. |
(c) (Aus. drugs/prison) marijuana that has been compressed around a thin stick.
| Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 Bullets. 2. Marijuana compressed around sticks. |
(d) (US gay) amyl nitrite.
| Gay Sl. Dict. 🌐 amyl nitrite: [...] Syn: bullet. |
(e) isobutyl nitrite.
| ONDCP Street Terms 4: Bullet — Isobutyl nitrite; inhalants. |
(f) (N.Z. prison/und.) a hypodermic syringe [both are used for ‘shooting’].
![[NZ]](/static/img/flags/nz.png "New Zealand") | Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 33/1: bullet n. a hypodermic syringe . |
(g) (N.Z. drugs) a cannabis cigarette.
| Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 37: bullet A cannabis cigarette, from its shape, invariably crimped at both ends to stop the crumbled leaf falling out. |
In compounds
(N.Z. drugs) a house or flat used for cannabis dealing.
| National Radio ‘Morning Report’ 4 Apr. [Auckland detective explains] Drug distributors organize young people to run drug houses, with the locations continually changing, and deal drugs to customers from them. The drug is usually cannabis in the form of ‘bullets’, that is enough cannabis for about 3 cigarettes wrapped in aluminium foil. Hence they get their names ‘bullet houses’ [DNZE]. |
In phrases
(orig. milit.) in pl., peas.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Yorks Eve. Post 16 Oct. 5/4: The jargon of the ‘Tommy’ [...] is a never-ending source of wonder to canteen workers and barmaids [...] Peas are always spoken of in Army canteens as ‘green bullets’. |
(drugs) Seconal, a barbiturate.
| Drug Crisis in Spears (1986). | |
| ‘Gloss. of Drug Terms’ National Instit. Drug Abuse. | |
| ONDCP Street Terms 18: Red bullets — Depressants. |
SE in slang uses
In compounds
(Aus.) lard, sold in bulk [? ref. to the 1857 Indian Mutiny].
| Laverton Mercury (WA) 31 Oct. 3/7: A whole case of eggs coming from many quarters gets the name of ‘raffles,’ and a certain kind of butter sold in large quantities is ‘promoted lard,’ while lard itself, even of the best kind, is termed ‘bullet grease.’. |
see separate entries.
1. immune, irrefutable; beyond criticism.
| Thicker ’n Thieves 234: They asked if I had an alibi. I assured them that I had one and that it was bullet proof. | |
| Buddy Boys 111: [T]he 77th Precinct cops were untouchable. [...] Their moles in the Internal Affairs Division and police union kept them well insulated. ‘Hell, guys,’ they told each other, ‘We’re practically bullet proof’. | |
| Change of Gravity [ebook] ‘We become bulletproof. Bulletproof even from them. In this job, we’re immortal’. | |
| Guardian Weekend 14 Aug. 14: I’m bullet-proof on that. | |
| Rakim Told Me 83: ‘[T]hey responded to that by becoming the best live group in hip-hop. Over a year they made their show absolutely bullet-proof’. |
2. (orig. US black) very drunk.
| (con. 1940s–60s) Straight from the Fridge Dad. |
In phrases
see under eat v.
(US black teen) remember that, don’t forget.
| ‘Rassassination’ 🎵 on Rassassination [album] Nigga, rassasanation’s the name / Imma put it on a bullet, and put it in ya brain. |
see under sweat v.2