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We don’t live
in the United States, we live... O is for OZONE. That's where my head is at right now. And yours too, I'll warrant, if you've stayed in the city throughout the heatwave. Who needs drugs to get completely addled? In the '70s, it would have taken an entire dime bag to get this zoned. Now, global warming does it for free! Righteous! Power, bro! Totally BOMB! Oh, I'm feeling woozy. Must be the humidity…I'm drifting back…back…to the '70s…and all the wacky slang of that era that began with… -O- -Off an all purpose suffix (e.g. getting off, fuck off). See -DOWN, -ON, -OUT, -TRIP. Oh-Zee phonetic transcription of written diminutive for ounce (OZ). See DIME, NICKEL, LID. Oil diminutive of HASH OIL. See RESIN, TAR, SCREEN. Old lady, old man attempt to sound adult by referring to sexual partner as if he or she were a grown-up. Omnisexual tongue-in-cheek variation on "bisexual" with implication that a person with a broad enough sexual orientation will fuck just about anything. See DRAG, FAG HAG, FLAMING, GLITTER ROCK, QUEEN, UNISEX. On 1. to be influenced by a particular substance or experience (e.g. "He can't drive because he's on too much beer." or "She's uptight because she's on this Moonie trip.") 2. multi-purpose suffix (e.g. right-on, turn-on). See -DOWN, -OFF, -OUT, -TRIP. Organic food manufacturer's warning meaning bland-tasting but loaded with (organic) preservatives, (organic) coloring, and (organic) artificial flavoring. See COOPT. Out suffix with a variety of meanings such as to reveal one's homosexuality (coming-out), to have reached one's limits (fucked-out, munched-out), but more generally simply added for emphasis such as with grossed-out," (to be revolted ) "wiped-out," (to be exhausted or otherwise non compo mentis. Related terms were "out of it," and "out to lunch"). Easily appended to almost any slang (e.g. flipped-out, bogued-out, pysched-out, pudded-out, blissed-out, munch-out, pig-out). See -DOWN, -OFF, -ON, -TRIP. Out-takes musical recordings, film footage, or otherwise memorialized events, that are discarded as unpolished or in some way unacceptable. (e.g. "Dude, when you sneezed into the bong, that was a definite out-take.") Out there 1. unusual. 2. distracted. See OZONE, SPACED OUT. Ozone metaphorically, a region of the atmosphere far above the Earth. -P- Painter's pants a one-piece garment usually made of denim but sometimes of corduroy. Also known as "overalls". Preferred by middle-class urban liberals who had never labored in an rural setting where such clothing was functional. As with blue jeans and the use of the word "ain't", this affectation was a symbolic effort to be one with The People (who despised urban liberals.) Panhandle See BUM, HUSTLE, MOOCH, SPARECHANGE. Panthers 1. political groups that demanded more rights (e.g. money) for their membership which constituted such varied social segments as the Black Panthers (African-Americans), the Gray Panthers (the elderly), and the White Panthers (middle-class college drop-outs). Papers rolling papers used to create a marijuana cigarette. (e.g. Zig Zag brand, manufactured in Israel and possessed of a chic cachet from extensive European use). Paranoia ha! That's what they'd like you to believe! See MIND GAMES. Paraquat poisonous chemical sprayed on marijuana crops by the anti-drugs force of the Amerikan government. See BOGUE. Paraphernalia devices and appurtenances associated with dope smoking (e.g. screens, chillums, bongs, papers, stash boxes). It was more popularly spelled and pronounced "paraphernalia." See POT, etc. Party 1. to socialize, preferably with members of the opposite sex but failing that, with loud rock music and various physical stimulants or depressants. 2. to watch televised sports and/or play cards while wordlessly drinking cheap beer and smoking an occasional joint. Much favored by blue collar freeks. See COMING DOWN, GET DOWN, GO FOR IT Party down same as above but for longer lengths of time. Party hardy see PARTY DOWN. PCP phencyclidine. See ANGELSDUST, DEATHDRUGS, THC. Payback revenge or karmic justice. Peace mocking salutation. See RIGHT ON. See also DUDE, MAN, MY-, HAPPENING, WHAT'S-, SMOKEDOPE. Peel out to move quickly. Originally jock slang metaphor for an automobile suddenly accelerating and peeling off a layer of its tires. Pee Oh'd angry. Phonetic transcription of written diminutive for pissed off (P.O.). (The) People the mythical common man, said to be lower middle-class and lacking in formal education yet possessing great intuitive wisdom. Why Nixon got reelected remains a mystery. Who voted for him? Not The People, surely. See REVOLUTION, STRAIGHT, STRUGGLE, TRIBAL. Pig unenlightened, politically uneducated authority figure. Pig-out to eat a considerable quantity of food, and quickly, in most cases! See DOWN, JUNK FOOD, MUNCHIES, OUT, SCARF, SKONK FOOD. Pimp 1. mythic figure of the underworld ghetto who leads an ideal life of leisure and unlimited sex. Some suburban freeks claim to have actually witnessed such figures, albeit only from passing cars. 2. to procure a commodity for a second party (e.g. "Pimp me some of that bologna for my sandwich, dude.") Pimpmobile impractically large and ornate automobile. Considered by some to be a racist term. See GHETTO BLASTER, WET-LIP. Pissed off angry. Planes layers of perception, the higher layers being theoretically in an interstellar region. See LEVELS. Plastic artificial. See NO-NUKES. Platforms a type of shoe originally worn by short people to enhance their height. Considered stylish by many. Please just joking. This word was never used in the '70s. Other phrases of common politeness, such as "thank you" and "you're welcome" were also notable by their absence. Such mannered phrases were considered antiquarian, bourgeois, and artificial. Sentiment should be expressed by actions, not empty ritual phrases. The same goes for ritual holidays and ceremonies such as Passover, Easter, weddings, and funerals. However, these were all good occasions on which to get ripped. The one archaic ritual phrase that remained in common usage was "I'm sorry." There always was a lot to apologize for (e.g. "Sorry I toked up your stash, bro. I needed to mellow out my harsh acid buzz.") Politically correct the correct politics were, of course, liberal or radical politics which are marvelous in sensible moderation. This term, as with other political terms such as "right wing" and "left wing," originated during the French Revolution. The darkly ironic tone of the term from the years of The Terror was lost on the college kids of the '70s who used it with an naiveté more characteristic of the previous decade. However, the phrase again acquired its layers of irony by the 80s. See ALTERNATIVE. Poorboy a clinging, ridged pullover top worn to best effect without a bra. Poppers capsules of amyl (or the allegedly inferior butyl) nitrate. Pot marijuana. See DOPE, GANJA, GRASS, HASH, HASH OIL, JAY, JOINT, NUMBER, POT, REEFER, ROACH, SPLIFF, THAI STICK, WEED. -Power 1. suffix appended to almost anything (e.g. people power, veggie power, dance power, hair power). Meaning varied with speaker. 2. vague sense of control, largely economic and political, assumed to be held by aged Republican and desired by youthful radicals. Power shake secret Freek handshake where thumbs are extended and grasped. Powertoke an assisted toke where one person placed the lit end of a joint in their mouth and blew a toke down the throat of the person at the other end. Immortalized in the Pink Floyd instrumental "Pow R. Toch," a three minute cut that simulated the entire arc of a strong marijuana buzz. Unfortunately, the real thing lasted much longer and was far more boring. Power to the people Marxist slogan that replaced the '60s phrase "right on." Also used as salutation, congratulatory expression, and temporizing term. Originally intended to convey a wish for political authority to be extended to the middle and lower class. However, when it became obvious that the middle and lower classes were inherently anti-Marxist, the phrase lost some of its potency. See PEOPLE, THE. See also DUDE, HAPPENING, WHAT'S-, MAN, WHAT IT IS, MY-, PEACE, SMOKEDOPE. Pre-op diminutive for "pre-operation," referring to a transvestite optimistically (seldom did they actually save enough money as they tended to make their living through panhandling and the occasional hustle -for drugs or sex) preparing for a sex change operation by taking regular dose of estrogen. This resulted in hairless faces and rather decently-sized breasts. Like most transvestites of the era, pre-ops were heterosexual and used their non-threatening sexual status as a come-on for free sex. Pre-ops tended to be prettier than real girls. Pre-rip, -tear, -fade ingenious labor-saving method to spare teens and young adults the effort of wearing jeans until they look like they should be replaced. This time-effective technique enables the young buy brand new clothing that already looks used. See COOPT. Primo superlative meaning the first in its class. Usually applied to consumable items. Pronounced as "pree-moh." See BOMB, BAD, BAD ASS, BODACIOUS, COSMIC, HEAVY, HOT, KILLER, MEGA-, MINDBLOWER, RIGHT ON, RIGHTEOUS, SERIOUS. Problem, what's your automatic response to any request for housecleaning, personal hygiene, fiscal responsibility or any other demand which might cut into partying time. See BUMMER, CASE, COMING DOWN, FREAK, HASSLE, NO PROBLEM, PARTY, RAG, RANK. Pseudo a person or cultural artifact that not authentically rooted in the esthetics and politics of the Counterculture. See QUASI, SEMI. Psyched 1. to be enthused. 2. to un-nerve or out-think (e.g. "That old dude was boguing me out with his talk of social responsibility but I psyched him out by iterating the principles of syndical anarchism.") Pud 1. ineffectual fool. Assumes verb form when appended with the all-purpose suffix "-out." (e.g. "I was going to tell my parents what I really think of their crass materialism but I hadn't gotten my allowance yet so I pudded-out.") 2. male sexual organ. Relationship to previous definition is assumed to be direct in the case of most adolescent males, despite some impressive storytelling, with the notable exception of an unaccountable few. See HUSTLE, RAP. See also CHOMP. Puka shells necklaces or chokers of white sea shells worn usually with open-necked, big-collared shirts. Dawn-of-disco male accessory, much preferred by jocks. Originally used for good luck charms in the Caribbean. Pure superlative sometimes meaning undiluted. Usually applied to consumables and guitar solos. Put-Down an insult. Link Yaco has written comic books for several publishers. He is currently working on a couple comics-related paperbacks. He has been a copywriter, technical writer, newspaper journalist, and magazine entertainment writer. He has a Masters' degree in Telecommunications and was a technical manager at MIT for five years. Link lives in West Greenwich Village with his wife, Susannah, a Senior Vice President at an independent film company. Check out his web page here Read last week's column Visit Link Yaco Home Page COPYRIGHT 1999 LINK YACO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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richard e. schiff,
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