score n.2
1. the situation, the facts, what is going on; esp. in know the score , what’s the score? what’s going on?
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Oliver Twist (1966) 102: ‘Don’t fret your eyelids on that score,’ said the young gentleman. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Aus. Sl. Dict. 70: Score, a reckoning. | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 28 Dec. 15/2: Awful Effects of Blighted Love. / Cobber: ‘What’s the score, Gibber?’ / Gibber (who has just got the ‘chuck’ from the only girl he ever really loved): ‘Yah! G’on ter ’ell! I wouldn’t care if der was no more score, never no more.’. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | ‘Blood Pressure’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 75: ‘Hello, Rusty,’ I say [...] ‘What is the score?’. | |
| Really the Blues 163: They dug what the score was with us that night. | |
| Cop This Lot 93: Now wot’s the score? | |
| With Hooves of Brass 46: ‘It seems the score is he belongs to some kind of mission, and he’s been sent up this way to see if he can do a bit of preaching’. | |
| Last Exit to Brooklyn 45: Harry kept staring, not digging the score. | |
| Animal Factory 34: Well, I’m gonna find out what the score is. | |
| A-Team Storybook 40: Hannibal told Face Man the score. | |
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | Trainspotting 5: Hi! Whit’s the fuckin score? | |
![[SA]](/static/img/flags/sa.png "South Africa") | Acid Alex 91: Well, what’s the score? | |
| Crongton Knights 5: Why won’t he give me the full score on what’s going on? |
2. a successfully made point in an argument.
| Edinburgh Eve. News 26 June 2/7: A Score Off Sir William Harcourt. The neatest thing uttered [...] in the debate. | |
| Hy Lit’s Unbelievable Dict. of Hip Words 34: score – A victory; you win. |
In phrases
(US) to reminisce with an old friend (cf. cut up old scores under score n.3 ).
| ‘The Lemon Drop Kid’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 381: We are standing there carving up a few old scores. |
to understand a situation, to know what is going on; often as negative.
| Wash. Post 29 Sept. 19: Bill Lajousky [...] will be in the Cards’ front line trenches this year, and Coach Art Bergman expects him to be one of his most valuable men because when it comes to war-fare--gridiron or the real McCoy--Bill knows the score. | |
| Reading (PA) Eagle 20 Mar. 7/3: A freshman is one who ’doesn’t know what the score is’. | |
| Really the Blues 50: Murph was a professional musician now, and he knew the score. | |
| letter 26 Nov. in Leader (2000) 347: Thanks for letting me know the score about the dollars. | |
| On The Road (1972) 135: She gave Dean a dirty look; she knew the score. | |
| Mad mag. Mar. 7: Just make sure that you know the score! | |
| Howard Street 164: The new man didn’t know the score yet. | |
| ‘New Faces, Old Hands’ Porridge [TV script] He’s the one I brought up from Brixton. Knows the score. | |
| Brown’s Requiem 100: Jews got big money but they don’t know the score. | |
| in That Was Business, This Is Personal 22: He kept putting his foot in it and getting bashed up because he didn’t know the score. | |
| Yes We have No 217: We know the score. | |
| Guardian Guide 8–14 Jan. 26: I know the score, bro. | |
| Grits 59: Liam knows-a score. | |
 | ‘Allure Furs’ in ThugLit Feb. [ebook] ‘You know what I come here for [...] What’s-her-name knows the score’. |
to work out what is going on, to work out a situation.
| in Sweet Daddy 18: Maybe that’s why they never learned the score. |
SE in slang uses
In compounds
1. (US) a menu.
| 42nd Parallel 160: He handed her the menu. ‘Here’s the scorecard.’. |
2. (US gay) an address book.
| Queens’ Vernacular 112: When arrested on the usual vag (vagrancy) charge, he may need to rapidly flip the pages of his score card (address book). |