I just read the post about who a "Jody" is.

Which brings up the topic of prison slang in general.

Twenty-four years ago, I was very young and naive, and wrote my first letter to an inmate. His first letter back meantioned the "chicken-hawk" in the cell two doors down.

In absolute innocence I wrote him back and said "What's a chicken hawk?" Boy did I blush when I got the answer! Now that I'm a jaded old dame, nothing phases me, anymore.

So, tell us about your favourite slang expressions.

The one I've heard that MOST made me roll on the floor with giggles, was:

"Porcelain Termite" -That's a guy, who every time he gets upset, busts up the toilet and sink in his cell.

Menolly

I am new to all this so I am looking foward to learning these slangs , then writing a letter to Stephen using them..I think he will get a kick out of it!

Oh Amelia, my little innocent.

The slang is often a way to get messages to the outside, past the guards and prison censors.

If someone writes me that "My favourite hack thumped the porcelain termite, so he's talking about topping off."...

I know EXACTLY who the guard is, who the inmate is, and that the inmate is talking about committing suicide!

By the same token, I've gotten great recipes for hootch, (jailhouse made booze)and hilarious anecdotes about messin' with the guards, for example filling a kitchen fire extinguisher with hootch, then starting a small grill fire, just to see the guard's face when his extinguisher made the fire flare up huge!

The slang is so very useful, at times!

I am with Amelia... I want to learn some of this... but as with the "Jody" thing... I learned that the IL state system has it's own lingo... while many recognize the more "univeral" term "Jody"... the preferred term in IL is "Big D**k Bob".... Haven't heard of THAT one being used anywhere BUT in IL... :) So c'mon all thee with much knowledge... edumacate us!!! :)

Yes, much of it is specific to a certain prison. You might hear "He A6'ed it" meaning "He's in the infirmary for a suicide attempt" because A6 is the wing the infirmary is in. But only in THAT particular prison.

By the way a chicken hawk is a pedophile, but I've only ever heard that in Canada.

Check out

<http://dictionary.prisonwall.org>

Menolly

Also the same term may mean different things in different states, or countries, or prisons.

For example, in Canada when your sentence is up, you get a BLANKET PARTY. That's when your friends throw a blanket over your head, and beat you with mop handles etc, to remind you that life out there is tough too, and the bruises will prove it. (Believe it or not, this is done in good fun, like a going away present.)

But in the U.S. I hear a "Blanket Party" is throwing a blanket over someone's head so you can beat him for REAL, (for ratting, drug or gambling debts etc.) and he can't identify who beat him up.

Menolly

I have a book w/ a section on slang in prisons. I'll have to dig it up and list a few. Then we can see if anyone who was inside heard them or not. It will have to wait until tomorrow. I know, you are all on the edge of your seats...

I'm going to go check out the link, Menolly. I'm sure it will be eye-opening. I need to get up on these things so when Rick goes, I can dazzle him w/ my knowledge! : ) I have to admit to being completely unaware of the slang!!

Colleen

All I know is the "jody" one. I suppose that I'll have to ask Billy what the lingo is in there. Interesting Idea!!!

OK, guys I'll let you know some of them. I'll not get into the sexual or racial ones. These are not all of course & prisons in other states maybe different.

fish=a new guy, doing the fish=flopping around like someone having a seizure, drag & drama=lies & exagerations, putting a lot on it=exagerating, chester=child molester, nutting up=going crazy, 5150=crazy, mud=coffee, mailine=general population, lame=a screw up, someone who doesn't fit in, juice=extra privledges a prisoner gets from a guard or staff, point man=a lookout, bullet=a one year sentence, a nickle=a five year sentence, a dime=a ten year sentence, kite=a note to someone, beef= a crime, burn your number out=serve your parole time by going in & out of prison, A.B.=aryan brotherhood, NLR= nazi lowriders (prison gang), PENI=public enemy number I, EME=mexican mafia, BGF=black guerilla family, boneyard=conjugal visit house, bone crusher=shank big enough to crush a bone, beach=area outside of cell, the walkway of a tier, drive=lift weights, iron=weights, peckerwood=white guy who sticks to his race but doesn't belong to a prison gang, wood=short for peckerwood, featherwood=a female peckerwood, shot caller=the person of a paticular race that makes & enforces the rules for his race on a yard or cell block, the guy who gives permission for hits, fights etc. for his race, green light=permission to do something, or go after someone, on his leg=someone pestering someone for something, road dog=guys who hang out together, keester=putting something up your butt to smuggle or hide it, man walking=warning that a cop is walking the tier, or towards you, punk=a guy who submits to homosexual sex because he's to chicken to fight, glass dick=crack or speed pipe, hijack a conversation=jump into the middle of a conversation sometimes without knowing whats being discussed, cadillac=coffee with cream & sugar, talking out the side of his neck=talking crap without backing it up, or talking about something you know nothing about, program=how a prisoner does time, bumped his head=saying something stupid, being completely wrong about something, slinging ink=someone who does tattoos, herman=transsexual, all day=life sentence, NC status=nothing coming, shit out of luck, bonaroo=new items, or your best looking clothes, dope fiend move=pulling a sleazy move on someone, pulling a dirty trick, being underhanded, dump truck=someone whos a fat lazy slob, front=give someone something to be paid back later, checking-putting someone in check=correcting bad behavior, slapping someone around for a minor mistake, done by someone of his own race,

these are a few to give you a good start I'm sure others will add to the list. It will be interesting to see whats being used by people in other prisons.------Ken

OK... Based on Ken's list maybe I knew more of them than I thought... I guess working within addictions I heard some of it before ever working in a prison... Prison slang does come outside the walls, I guess and is accepted in other circles on the street... :)
some that I haven't heard or didn't know I am gonna send off in JD's letter tonight to see if they are used in the IL system...
:) Thanks Ken!! And I will check out that link too Menolly!!

geez, I think he wrote the whole list down that I had access to! LOL saved me a little typing!

Originally posted by Menolly
I just read the post about who a "Jody" is.

Which brings up the topic of prison slang in general.
So, tell us about your favourite slang expressions.

The one I've heard that MOST made me roll on the floor with giggles, was:

"Porcelain Termite" -That's a guy, who every time he gets upset, busts up the toilet and sink in his cell.

Menolly

Menolly,
I just picked myself up off the floor after reading this.. I've never heard it or I swear I would have been using it! This was my neighbor to a "T".. He'd go off at all hours trying to kill the toilett & the sink!

Thanks for the humor!

David

I knew a few that were in Kens list but keep my eyes open to learn more!!

I am going to have to ask EJ tonight about prison slang terms in IL. The only 1 I knew of & that was after JD's brought it up in the "jody" post was Big D**K Bob.
Hopefully I will have some funny 1's to post for you guys tomorrow.

I have heard the prison slang but I forget most of it. If it's not on the street then I really don't know any of it. I'll ask Steven.

there are a few that ant and i use


got his paper=worked out hard
pt=punk tendencys
undercover punk= guy who trys to act strait but fucks like its legal(man to man)
stalker=a guy so jacks off down the run when he sees a woman
cut= miss or want something really bad
laws = prison guards

COLD CELLED: When they turn off the hot water in your cell, as a punishment.

DRY CELLED: when they turn off all the water in your cell, usually so they can retrieve what umm... passes through your intestines. (Uusually looking for drugs.

BALE: a pack of cigarettes, the standard monetary unit, as in "Borrowing my book will cost ya 2 bales."

GO-BOY SEASON: April to October. A go-boy is an old term for an escapee, or escape risk inmate. In Canada, you don't want to escape in winter (Too danged cold, you leave your tracks in the snow etc.) so they put extra staff on during "go-boy season" when escapes are more likely to occur.

GETTING INKED: getting a jailhouse tattoo (A TAT is self-explanatory.)

NORSEMAN or NEO: A sloppy cellmate ( as in a Viking, or Neanderthal)

IRON LODGE: This is what a Native (Indian) calls a prison.

IN THE SHOE: In a Special Handling Unit (The SHU) They are like super-max security.

WICKY DICKY: A member of the Wiccan coven in Kingston Penitentiary.

BB FILLER: stands for Body Bag Filler; usually means either a very sick inmate, or an attitude the guards have, as in "He sees me as a BB Filler."

E-KITE: A message conveyed somehow through an illegal email on the outside. Usually through a girlfriend, who then relayus the answer through a phone call.

TO COOK PRUNE: to make homebrew. There's a whole slew of related terms, like a MASTER PRUNER. That's the guy who works in the kitchen who'll smuggle out the ingredients, or someone who's very proficient at making homebrew.

BIBBLE: Rhymes with dribble. It's a Bible. Hence terms like BIBBLE SELLER is the prison chaplain etc.

A SWEAT: a Native sweatlodge ceremony, as in "Sign me up for the Sweat on Saturday morning."

YOUNG TURK: A new inmate who's only done time in the juvenile system, or provincial system, where the max sentence is 2 years less a day.

CASCADING: Gradually moves from max security to minumun security, in preparation for parole.

C.P: A Correctional Plan. Every inmate in Canada has a right to have a C.P. drawn up within (I think( 30 days of entering prison. It outlines what his rehabilitation aims are. It will list things like "drug counselling, getting a high school diploma. It also lists Parole dates etc. It's a central document in every inmates life.

JEFFER or JOINT MAN: An inmate who sucks up to guards or other staff, to get privileges.

Some of the slang terms for Canadian prisons include THE HEAD (William Head, on Vancouver Island), THE DRUM (Drumheller, Alberta), MONTY'S MANOR (Kingston Pen, Ontario, although this term may go out of style, since Monty was Monty Burke, the warden who is no longer there as of a few months ago), BATHCATRAZ (Bath Penitentiary, in Bath Ontario) THE HAVEN, (Millhaven, in Ontario) THE JOLLY HOUSE (in Joliet, Quebec) etc.

GOOD TIME CHARLIE: A disciplinary officer who loves to penalize inmates by revoking their "good time" for infractions.

I'm sure I can think of more, but that's all for now.

Menolly

PTO english101. Should be a required course for us spouses.Steph is in a all female prison and refers to women as bitches and hos now, and did not even realize she did it until i brought it to her attention.Seems like those two words are Ok in there.What dod they call someone that they dont like? Steve&kids

I agree with Steve...we need a refresher course in prison slang. All I know is "jody". Billy doesn't tell me about anything else.

Steve when they don't like someone they call her in some places a skank or the nasty c word.. I hate that word but it does get used.. they also call them bitches but you can tell the difference in the tone of there voice..

WOW, Shortie...I had no idea. I don't like any of those words and the only time I say skank or the "c" word is when I confront Billy's ex. It's not nice...then again, she's not nice.

THIS THREAD HAS MADE FOR SOME VERY INTERESTING READING! :)

I am like you Denise...

EJ doesn't use any of the prison slang when we talk or write each other. Other than a few times w/the IL version of "jody", he hasn't said anything else.

As soon as I can get a call from him I will ask him about some of the prison slang. Who knows maybe IL will be a little bit different.

I agree this thread HAS made for some interesting reading...good work Menolly!!

Yeah, When Billy calls or I write to him, I'll ask him how they talk in there. I'm curious now.

These are new but interesting.... Haven't heard any of these yet...

Donna

Steve, Shortie and Denise;

At the risk of offending people...

I once heard of a woman guard described as a "slunt" because "she's too evil for the usual words."

I laughed my head off at that one, but never heard the word make it into regular vocabulary. Maybe it should... There are some who deserves that extra level of evilness.

Menolly

Menolly,

I will have to use that word...this person is just too evil for words too!!

Anyway, I got a letter from Billy today and he put down some slang that they use---this is not all but the only ones he could tell me in a letter.

bamma--someone who's lame
vicious blister--some who thinks they're bad
gump--homosexual
f**k boy--someone who doesn't matter
rodie--cellie or someone you like
homeboy--guy from your hometown

I am not too smart when it comes to this prison slang stuff. What is a "jody?" PEACE

Cyndie,

"Jody" is a guy who tries to take a girl from her incarcerated man. :wave:

Thanks!

PEACE!

Thanks for asking that Cyndie, I was wondering myself. Won't say what I was thinking it was. LOL
Ya reckin' our not knowin' has sumthin' to do with age?

Probably. I'm not going to say what I thought it was either. LOL

PEACE!

LOL!!! I didn't know it either until Billy got locked up. That's the only word that he and I use on a regular basis!!

The incarcerated have their own language. Wayne wrote part of a letter in prison slang - I'll have to dig through the mound of letter I have and find it - anyway, I had to write back and ask for a translation! The main one he uses a lot is calling the CO's PoPo's. I don't know if that's prison slang or just his own nickname.

Billy used to call the police popo's when he was home. When he talks about the co's now, he just calls them co's.

here's a couple i got out of my friend here in nc:

straight = "ok" as in "he's a straight guy"
police = correctional officers
and of course, the infamous "jody"...he knew that one right off the bat!

not much, but.....lol

Ok I am a little late is posting this...EJ wrote me a few prison slang words that are used. He told me that he will write me more when he gets the chance. He does have a few more on the 1st list he gave me...a little to graphic for posting them so I didn't post them.

Ear Husslin-when someone else is being nosy & listening in on your conversation.

A-Mule-a female that will try to smuggle her man in some drugs, money, or anything that is illegal in the prison.

Wolfin-an inmate or guard running their mouth constantly making idle threats, but don't have the guts to back it up.

G. Money-is an inmate who is a high roller with a lot of connections and has a lot of money on his prison account.

Trick-is a prison snitch.

Viking- is a dirty cellmate who refuses to be clean.

Life on the installment plan-means someone who repeatedly comes to prison for the rest of their lives.

Vick-is a victim or someone who's about to be victimized.

White Head-is a LT. or Captain who wears a white shirt of authority

Favorite slang.......

probably shank=homemade knife

buck=homemade whiskey
hack=guard

oops mental block....temp i hope

Jerry

By the way....'Jody' is also popular in the Marines..
marching or running in cadence

"Jody's got your girl and gone".........

just a thing............
Jerry

I was just reading through old posts and thought I would like this one to be brought back to the top to see if there was anymore people would like to share. The main one I hear Craig say is [ Walking the bricks ] which I guess means being good when you get out. I'm not exactly sure but I'm writing him a letter tonight with some slang talk. I LMAO. Great Post.

HI EVERYONE
THE ONLY WORDS I KNOW WAS KITE, SPREAD,CELLIE, BUT IT WAS INTERESTING TO KNOW THERE WAS SO MUCH SLANG AROUND, I HAVE NEVER USED SLANG, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE USE IT ON THE COMPUTER, BUT I AM ONE OF THOSE OLDIES THAT HAVE TO SPELL EVERYTHING OUT. BUT MY SON AND I HAVE A PASSWORD THAT HE IS TO PUT IN HIS LETTERS TO ME, TO LET ME KNOW IF SOMETHING REAL BAD HAS HAPPENED TO HIM AND I NEED TO INVESTIGATE IT AND FIND OUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO HIM, I KNOW THEY READ ALL THE MAIL AND THAT WAS OUR WAY FOR ME TO KNOW WHEN SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT WITH HIM AND HE NEEDED MY HELP. WE DISCUSSED THIS BEFORE HE WENT IN BUT IF YOU WANTED TO SET UP SOMETHING LIKE THIS WITH YOUR LOVED ONE YOU COULD DO IT ON ONE OF YOUR VISITS. I WENT TO SEE MY SON ONE TIME AND WAITED AND WAITED AND AFTER ABOUT ONE HOUR I WAS GETTING REAL UPSET AND THEY FINALLY TOLD ME HE DID NOT WANT TO SEE ME, I REALLY CAME UNGLUED MY HUSBAND KEEP TELLING ME TO SETTLE DOWN AND I TOLD THE GUARDS I WANTED TO SEE THE WARDEN BECAUSE I KNEW MY SON WOULD NOT REFUSE TO SEE ME, THEY GOT BUSY AND FOUND HIM ASLEEP IN HIS BUNK, I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD EVER REFUSE TO SEE ME AND HE NO NEVER. SO THAT IS WHY WE HAVE A PASSWORD.
IRIST

here's one: "his mouth wrote a check that his body couldn't cash..." -- he mouthed off about someone and couldn't back it up...

I have heard the inmates call women who answer the pen pal sites "newspaper women". Not sure what the reasoning is.

SCRIBE=LETTER DOES ANYONE NO WHAT "GERMS" ARE?FROM THE LETTER I GOT ITS SOMETHING TO SMOKE BUT I DONT KNOW WHAT.HARD PLASTIC=MEAL ROUTE(THEY HAVE THEIR MEALS DELIVERED IN SOLITARY) IM SURE I HAVE MORE BUT I GOTTA FIND THEM

How bout "Your aligator mouth is overloading your canary ass!" Meaning you're talking a bunch of s--t you know nothing about.

I GUESS MY FAVORITE IS WHAT THEY USE TO DESCRIBE A GUARD.

THE WORD IS POLICE.... BUT, THEY PRONOUNCE IT
PO-LIECE...

DONNA

FOUND OUT GERMS ARE TOBACCO!!

We RARELY fight and/or argue, but one night my hubby called me and he was "yelling" at me. I was trying really hard not to cry and off of a sudden he said, "I'M ABOUT TO GO ZIGGEDY BOOM." I'd never heard that one so I started to laugh. When he finally calmed down he told me that meant he was about to lose it and would probably end up in the hole. Fortunately he was able to get his temper under control and calmed down before our call ended. Mrs. Dragon

ZIGGEDY BOOM?!!! ha ha. that's cute...not exactly the response someone wants when they are angry!

;)
em

Ken's list had the slang - Keester...

Teddy says - "It's in my safe" I sat there staring at him and stupidly did not have a clue what he was talking about... well, it is the same as Keester on Ken's list!

This "Jody" one got me in a bit of trouble! I said it to Teddy and he really got indignant with me... His first question was
'where did you hear that?" and then just said 'don't ever say that word around me again!' Guess I hit a soft spot...

Anyway, cool reading here - Teddy does not use any slang with me. In fact I have never even heard him swear! I have a feeling that there is another whole person inside of those walls that I know nothing about.

Oh, Menolly...

I am disappointed with you! Now, granted, Chicken Hawk may have a different meaning in prison but how can you call yourself the OYSFH and not know that term?

This is an educational thread. I am wondering if anyone out there has anymore prison slang that wasn't already mentioned? Can we increase our vocabulary, here?

Females in Maine "pack it in the couchie luggage" - I'm sure that one can be figured out all on it's own.

Sheila

""Porcelain Termite" -That's a guy, who every time he gets upset, busts up the toilet and sink in his cell."


I...can't....stop.....laughing!

this is probably not a "funny" thing but the story was classic...my son has a tat with the number 187 going down his leg...when he was released from prison i was checking out all of those tats...i asked what that number was and he said his favorite basketball players number... then when my daughter saw it (she's 16)...she said OMG....and i said what???that is a basketball players number....lol....joke was on me....whoops another joke may be on me....my younger son says the number was 182....i don't know...anyway i found out that was homicide or murder.....hope he didn't do that but one never knows.....

Real World- life outside of prison. The first time my husband said it I said what do you mean real world are you living in a different one? Then MTV came out with Real World and I really had to laugh. I wonder if someone there did time?

All I know is J-Cat which is someone who needs mental help!

Okay this was fun to read all your responses! I heard about Jody from my pen pal in New York. Guess it gets him because he lost me to a "Jody" who is really named Jody, but the difference is he is locked up and not in the "Free World" LOL Jody himself told me one when my friend knew someone who was supposed to have AIDS. He referred to it as the "Ninja". It happens to appear in the prison dictionary too and I told him about that.


Lea-Ann

Kconnor56 listed most of the ones I've heard. Here's a few more that my boyfriend and ex-prison buddies use...

"Sancho" - Another version of "jody".
"Hook-up" - To obtain someone's address and phone number.
"Kick Rocks" - Go away or leave alone.
"Roll Up" - To move to other housing.
"Wham Whams" - Canteen goods, such as candy or cookies.

my friend mentioned that the guys on one of his old companies on rikers island used the term "DRIVE BY" when it was mail time and the mail guy would walk by their cell with no deliveries for him that day.

My man doesn't talk too much about his time in the joint. But when I visited him he would rub the palm of my hand. When he got out he told me that it meant he wanted "sex". So I love it when he rubs the palm of my hand!!!!