rough adj.
1. unpleasant, uncomfortable, difficult.
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Dublin Wkly Nation 3 May 10/3: A Rough Rhyme on a Rough Matter. Is there anybody [...] to write a ballad like this about an Irish eviction? [...] There is a sullen brooding passin in this Rough Rhyme. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | (con. c.1840) Huckleberry Finn 17: It was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | ‘’Arry on Equality’ in Punch 22 Feb. 85/2: If arf their reforms they can carry, / The enjoyers will have a rough time. | |
| Tales of Mean Streets (1983) 51: Trampin’ ain’t so rough on a man, is it, after all? | |
| Dope 139: ‘Blimey!’ he said pathetically. ‘’Ere’s a go! I been done brown, guv’nor.’ ‘Lough luck,’ murmured Sin Sin Wa. | |
| West Broadway 7: It ain’t working either one way or another, which is maybe rather a rough thing for one which is at once a lady, a mother and a admittedly great actress like myself to say. | |
| Asphalt Jungle in Four Novels (1984) 221: If it looks too rough, I’m going to back out. | |
| Corner Boy 199: Monk had said it would be rough, but Jim! | |
| Carlito’s Way 19: Times were rough. | |
| London Fields 23: When I take on Chapter 3, when I take on Guy Clinch, I’ll have to do, well, not happiness, but goodness, anyway. It’s going to be rough. | |
| Stormy Weather 161: ‘Old lady was killed.’ [...] ‘Man, that’s rough.’. |
2. of foodstuffs, coarse, stale, ‘off’, decaying.
| Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. (2nd edn). | |
| (con. 1840s–50s) London Labour and London Poor I 53/1: The poorer classes live mostly on fish, and the ‘dropped’ and ‘rough’ fish is bought chiefly for the poor. | |
| Sl. Dict. | |
| Bath Chron. 24 Dec. 11/1: A choice assortment of stale [...] bread and odds and ends of meat — usually called ‘rough stuff’. |
3. a general pejorative; the inference is physically or mentally run-down or depressed.
| in Life on the Mississippi (1914) 459: [as spelt] I felt pretty rough & was thinking I would have to go on the dipe (Picking Pockets) again. | |
| You’re in the Racket, Too 110: He guessed he was too old to stop off at Chelmsford. Anyway, that was a rough old dump by all accounts. | |
| et al. DAUL 180/2: Rough. 1. (To look rough) Pale; sickly; poorly garbed; drunken. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Storms of Summer 35: Some day somebody’s going to up and kill that big rough bastard. | |
| He who Shoots Last 81: He reckons ya got a rough nut, dat’s all. | |
| Breaking Out 125: And rough! | |
| Down and Out 38: You look a bit rough [...] you’ll have to clean yourself up if you’re going to get work. | |
| Vinnie Got Blown Away 115: ‘How you doin’ Jimmy?’ ‘Rough.’. | |
| Outlaws (ms.) 78: She’s rrrruff! (Ruff!) But I’d shaaag her! |
4. exhausting, demanding.
| Sporting Times 6 Jan. 1/2: John Bull’s in Africa hunting the fox, / It’s a stiffish country with roughish knocks. | |
| Gonif 76: I had been through some rough action — but a bank, and that kind of money! | |
| 8 Ball Chicks (1998) 38: After rough nights [...] she walked around with dark bags beneath her seventeen-year-old eyes. | |
| Shame the Devil 115: His first few days on the job had been pretty rough. |
5. (US black/campus) excellent, admirable, very good.
| ‘A Word List From Southeast Arkansas’ in AS XIII:1 6: rough, adj. Good-looking; attractive. ‘That is a rough hat.’ College slang. | |
| (con. 1920s–30s) Youngblood (1956) 482: That Jim Collins is about the roughest stud this side of nowhere, I’ll tell anybody. He’s truly great. | |
| (con. 1930s–50s) Night People 118: Rough. outstanding. | |
| Campus Sl. Sept. 6: rough – nice: I bought a rough suit yesterday. | |
| Scholar 11: Ruff innit? |
6. (US) sexually unrestrained.
| ‘Movie Stuff’ in Detective Story Apr. 🌐 I bet they have some rough parties upstairs in the penthouse [...] I just happened to hear about that little love nest. | |
| ‘Dead Men Don’t Move’ in Smashing Detective Stories Jan. 🌐 I heard they had some rough parties on the penthouse roof. |
7. (Aus.) promiscuous.
| (con. 1944) Rats in New Guinea 65: The trail’s up and down like a rough sheila’s pants. | |
| Penguin Bk of Aus. Jokes 330: A tough-looking bloke turned up at the red light district in Kalgoorlie and said to the Madam, ‘Give us the roughest sheila you’ve got.’. | |
 | The World Don’t Owe Me Nothing 18: I can remember everything about my mother. I loved her, but she was kind of rough. She had two babies wasn't none of my daddy’s. |
In compounds
(US) a hard time; a challenge, a problem.
| Woodfill of the Regulars 26: Well, I’d a rather rough go of it and didn’t see much of old San Francisco. | |
| Battle Cry (1964) 205: I told you you’d be in for a rough go. | |
| Loser 2511: ‘It's a rough go beating the ponies’ [ibid.] 49: Tom handed her a ten-dollar bill. ‘Let her keep the change,’ Sue said. ‘She's got a rough go. Two kids to support’. |
intimidatory speech, threats.
| Morn. Post (London) 4 Feb. 3/5: The Charleys outside began to chaunt rough music, soon kobbled the trio and [...] lumbered them in the scout ken. |
(Aus.) a tough, a thug.
| (con. 1943) Irish Fandango [ebook] [T]he drinkers were a mangy lot [...] Fishermen and general roughnuts seemed to be the flavour. |
(N.Z. prison) one who enhances sexual pleasure by inserting marbles or fake pearls into their penis.
![[NZ]](/static/img/flags/nz.png "New Zealand") | Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 156/1: rough rider n. an inmate who has performed a bodypiercing procedure whereby marbles (or small faux pearls) are inserted into his penis, in order to create a bumpy ridge under the skin for purposes of sexual stimulation. |
In phrases
(Aus.) unreasonable, unfair.
| Teleg. (Brisbane) 10 Oct. 3/1: It was a little bit rough on the boys belonging to the band, because [...] they are respectable lads and play very well. | |
| Aus. Town & Country Jrnl (Sydney) 15 July 39/3: Now the whole has to be gone over again, which is — well, just a little bit rough on the town clerk. | |
| Quiz & Lantern (Adelaide) 25 July 4/3: It was a bit rough on him though to insist upon his making a speech after it was all over, especially when it is known that the gallant captain would rather face death than do so. | |
| Eve. News (Sydney) 3 Jan. 3/2: It was a bit rough on us to be ordered out again the whole of Wednesday during the day and night, as we had been out the whole of the previous day. | |
| Sth Eastern Times (Millicent, SA) 21 Jan. 3/1: It does seem a bit rough on indoor workers that they cannot go for a ride to get a breath of fresh air on Sunday mornings. | |
| Lifting of the Shadow in Broadford Courier (Vic.) 6 Feb. 4/1: It’s [...] a bit rough on me that you didn't let on who you were when we met, but instead let me go on drivelling on without warning. | |
| News (Adelaide) 4 July 3/4: THIS IS A BIT ROUGH ON A FELLOW is what the artist was asked to illustrate. This is what he did. | |
| Mudgee Guardian (NSW) 30 Mar. 10/7: [headline] He Can’t Shoot / A Bit Rough on Daddy. | |
| Popular Dict. Aus. Sl. 61: A bit rough, unreasonable, unfair. | |
| Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 94/1: a bit rough unfair; e.g., ‘He wants full payment now. That’s a bit rough.’. | |
| Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988]. |
see separate entries.
to feel very bad, whether emotionally or physically.
| Frying-Pan 19: I’m sorry, I was feeling rough. | |
| DSUE (8th edn) 384/2: from ca. 1917. | |
| Salesman 99: ‘You look rough,’ I told him. ‘I feel rough as a bear’s arse,’ he laughed. ‘Was out on the pull last night.’. |
(US) in difficulties.
| White Moll 180: We ain’t fer puttin’ his place on de rough, an’ gettin’ him raided by de bulls. |
see separate entry.
see separate entry.
(Aus.) hostile or unfair treatment.
| Dead Bird (Sydney) 21 Dec. 8/3: ‘You’ll get the rough end of the dog yet, Smiler, you are always a fighting the battles of the workmen. Do you think they’re worth it?’. | |
| ‘Best Man’ in Shaw Hard-Boiled Omnibus (1946) 348: Letty heard them two heels jawing each other about a money deal. Joe said Nick had given him the prickly end of the pineapple. | |
| Piccadilly Bushman 37: He’ll know what I mean when I talk of getting the wrong end of the pineapple. | |
| in Age (Melbourne) 29 Sept. 19: Despite the club’s glorious past, your modern Collingwood supporter has, to be absolutely frank, had the rough end of the pineapple. I got home from Denmark and the buggers lost again [GAW4]. | |
| Dinkum Aussie Dict. 44: Rough end of the stick: Someone has had the dirty done on him or her and is thus left holding the rough end of the stick. | |
| Pushed from the Wings (1989) 72: If any of those Bowen bastards cause you trouble [...] We’ll really give them the rough end of the pineapple. | |
| Senate Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts References Committee (Aus.) ‘Arts Education’ Oct. 🌐 [Ch. heading] University reforms: the rough end of the pineapple for arts? | |
| Age (Melbourne) 26 Oct. 🌐 ‘Most journalists lean to the left,’ he told a caller who thought the Prime Minister was getting the rough end of the pineapple in the newspapers. ‘Talk radio appears to be more right-wing.’. | |
| Jake’s Long Shadow 112: Yes we did get given the rough end of the stick. | |
| Stoning 83: ‘Kate’s gotten the rough end of the pineapple’. |
unpleasant for, unfair on.
| Luck of Roaring Camp 2: Yet a few of the spectators were, I think, touched by her sufferings. Sandy Tipton thought it was rough on Sal. | |
| Jasper Wkly Courier (IN) 24 Sept. 6/4: Rough on John, wa’n’t it? | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 1 May 5/1: If the book is ‘rough’ on any individual it is on ‘Lord ’Arris’ himself. | |
| Bristol Magpie 4 Jan. 4/2: The President [...] was rather ‘rough’ on that obnoxious nuisance the Salvation Army. | |
| Anderson Intelligencer (SC) 6 Mar. 3/4: ‘Rough on Colds’ Knocks a Cough or Cold endwise. | |
| Observer and Freelance (Wellington) 5 Sept. 4/4: Professor Hugo was rather rough on poor T. at his recent lecture. | |
| Minor Dialogues 283: Rough on you, old chap. | |
| Hull Dly Mail 30 Apr. 5/2: [headline] Rough on Women. | |
| Hull Dly Mail 16 June 5/5: Rough on Niggers [...] The landlord then descended upon the darkies with one week’s notice. | |
| Chelmsford Chron. 3 Oct. 2/9: Rought on Rats [...] mo less than 225,000 rats have been destroyed. | |
| Boys’ Realm 16 Jan. 264: Bit rough on me [...] but I wish you luck. | |
| Mirror (Perth) 19 May 4/1: [heading] Rough on Dingoes. | |
| Manchild in the Promised Land (1969) 303: I said [...] the job was kind of rough on me. |
(Aus.) bad luck.
| Bulletin (Sydney) 31 Jan. 20/1: This is ‘rough on rats,’ if you like. |
SE in slang uses
In compounds
(US) crude, coarse.
| (con. late 1940s) Tattoo (1977) 475: Don’t be surprised if you don’t have some very roughass uninvited guests at that goddamned party! |
see under banana n.
(US black) very kinky hair.
| ‘Story in Harlem Sl.’ in Novels and Stories (1995) 1001: He was born with this rough-dried hair, but when he laid on the grease and pressed it down overnight with his stocking-cap, it looked just like that righteous moss, and had so many waves you got seasick from looking. |
(UK Und.) a waistcoat pocket.
| Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 262: rough-fam, or rough-fammy the waist-coat pocket. | |
| Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1812]. |
(N.Z.) a hooligan, an uncouth person.
| Landfall 9 50: How dare that little roughguts make fun of Firpo [DNZE]. |
see roughneck adj.
see separate entries.
the vagina.
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | ‘Supplication Against Syde Taillis’ in Laing Works I 131: I dreid rouch malkin die for drouth, / Quhen sic dry dusy blawis in hir mouth. | |
| Sl. and Its Analogues. |
see separate entries.
see tough nut n. (1)
see under spin n.3
see separate entry.
see separate entries.
see under trot n.2