A

Acapulco Gold

High intoxicating marijuana from Mexico

 

Acid

LSD-25

 

Acid Freak

One who uses LSD frequently

 

Acid Head

see Acid Freak

B

Backtrack

To draw blood up into a syringe so as to see if the needle has hit the vein; cf. Flag

 

Bad Trip

A panic reaction to a hallucinogen; any unpleasant experience

 

Bag

1. A packet or container of a drug, especially heroin;
2. A person's specialty, favorite activity, etc.

Bagman

Drug supplier (rare)

 

Barbs

Barbiturates

 

Behind

Under the influence of ("I can't drive behind acid.")

 

Bennies

Benzedrine, a brand of amphetamine

 

Bent

High on a drug

 

Bit

A term in jail

 

Black Beauties

Bi-phetamine capsules

 

Blank

Non-narcotic white powder (e.g. talcum) sold as a narcotic to cheat the customer

 

Blow

To smoke

 

Bluebirds

Amytal sodium capsules

 

Blue Heavens

See Bluebirds

 

Bombita

(Spanish: little bomb) Amphetamines or cocaine in liquid form

 

Boo

Marijuana (obsolete)

 

Boost

To tap the dropper or plunger of one's syringe, releasing the drug into the bloodstream in small spurts for a prolonged rush and allowing the blood to back up into the dropper

 

Boot

See Boost

 

Bread

Money

 

Brick

Pressed block of marijuana, opium, or morphine for bulk shipment

 

Bring Down

To cause a loss of euphoria; hence, to destroy a good mood

 

British System

Legal prescription of narcotics to registered addicts, now only through certain National Health Service hospitals

 

Bummer

A highly unpleasant reaction to a hallucinogen; any unpleasant situation

 

Bum Trip

see Bummer

 

Bundle

A stack of 25 Bags of heroin

 

Burn

To cheat by not delivering drugs which have been paid for, by delivering short weight or by substituting non-drug materials

 

Burn Artist

A person adept at Burn techniques

 

Bust

Arrest

 

Button

Peyote cactus top, containing mescaline

 

Buzz

Marijuana high

C

C

Cocaine

 

Candy Man

Drug peddler, or Pusher

 

Cap

Capsule

 

Carry

To have drugs on one's person

 

Cartwheels

Amphetamine tablets (double-scored) [a.k.a Crossroads]

 

Changes, Go Through

1. To experience unpleasant interruptions in routine or life style; cf. Hassle
2. 2. To mature through experience

Crossroads

See Cartwheels [this entry is entirely the editor's addition]

 

Chipping

Using narcotic irregularly for pleasure; this stage often precedes one of physical dependency

 

Chippying

see Chipping

 

Clean

1. Not carrying drugs; not using narcotics
2. To remove twigs and seeds from marijuana; to Manicure

Coke

Cocaine

 

Cold Turkey

Sudden withdrawal from narcotics

 

Connect

Purchase drugs

 

Connection

Drug Peddler; meeting with one's drug peddler

 

Contact

See Connection

 

Contact High

Psychologically caused euphoria due to being with others who are High; mild high due to breathing smoke from others' marijuana

 

Cook

To heat and dissolve a drug in water

 

Cooker

A spoon or bottlecap in which drugs are Cooked

 

Cop

To buy drugs

 

Copilots

Dexadrine tablets

 

Crash

Withdrawal from stimulants such as amphetamine, usually involving depression, irritability, and finally a long period of sleep

 

Crystal

White crystalline drug, usually Methedrine

 

Cut

To adulterate a drug, e.g. heroin with milk-sugar or quinine

D

Dabble

To take small amounts of drugs irregularly, usually narcotics

 

Dealer

Drug peddler, usually of marijuana, hallucinogens, and sometimes Ups and Downs, often differentiated from Pusher

 

Deck

A glassine envelope of a narcotic drug

 

Dexies

Dexedrine tablets

 

Dime Bag

Ten dollar package of any drug

 

Dirty

Carrying drugs; cf. Clean

 

Dollies

Dolophine (brand of methadone)

 

Dope

Any narcotic; also marijuana, sometimes hallucinogens

 

Dope Fiend

Ironic reference to one drug user by another

 

Do Up

To inject heroin

 

Downer

Depressing experience; cf. Bring Down

 

Downs

Barbiturates and tranquilizers [downers]

 

Dried Out

Having gone through withdrawal from a narcotic

 

Drop

To swallow

 

Dropper

A homemade syringe for injection of drugs

 

Druggie

One who uses many drugs frequently; college term

 

Dynamite

1. Potent heroin
2. First-rate; cf. Groovy

E

 

 

F

Far Out

1. Very strange
2. Expression of strong approbation; cf. Groovy

Fed

Agent of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics; cf. Narc

 

Fix

An injected dose of narcotics

 

Flag

Drop of blood drawn up into a hypodermic syringe to ensure that the needle has hit a vein

 

Flash

1. Sudden "Rush"
2. Sudden realization while High
3. To sniff glue

Flip Out

1. To go through a temporary or permanent panic reaction to a drug
2. To have a mystical experience
3. Loosely, to change one's habits or life style suddenly

Floating

See High

 

Flower Children

A utopian movement among youth of the 1960's, apolitical and pleasure-oriented, with emphasis on communal relationships, love, and the drugs experience, especially that of the hallucinogens

 

Freak

1. Loosely, one who has embraced the drug culture and is no longer Straight; see Head
2. An enthusiast for a particular drug, activity, etc., as, 'meth freak', astrology freak'
3. To hallucinate

Freak Out

See Flip Out. Also, to abandon one's Straight background and suddenly adopt the habits and styles of the drug culture

 

Front

1. To put up money in advance for a drug transaction (thus incurring high risk or expressing great trust)
2. To loan money

Fuzz

A police officer; the police

G

Ganja

Especially powerful marijuana from India

 

Get Off

To inject a narcotic; has sexual connotations

 

Go Up

To achieve drug euphoria

 

Going Down

Happening (as in, "What's going down?")

 

Gold

See Acapulco Gold

 

Goods

Drugs

 

Goofballs

Barbiturates

 

Goofing

Uncoordinated behavior under the influence of barbiturates

 

Gorilla

Large Monkey

 

Grass

Marijuana

 

Gravy

Mixture of blood and heroin which has clotted in the dropper and is reheated for Shooting

 

Green

Low-potency marijuana

 

Grooving

Feeling High and relaxed

 

Groovy

Recent addition to the "cool/neat/keen/crazy/wild/gone" series; expression of approval

 

Guide

Experienced drug user who steers a novice through his first experience, usually of hallucinogens

 

Gun

Hypodermic needle

H

Heroin

 

Habit

Craving for drugs, often accompanied by physical dependence

 

Happening

Large congregation of Flower Children to enjoy drugs, nature, and each others company

 

Hard Drugs

Usually, addictive drugs, may include opiates and cocaine

 

Hash

Hashish

 

Hashbury

Haight-Ashbury section of San Francisco

 

Hassle

1. An annoyance or argument
2. To bargain

Hawk, The

LSD-25 (Chicago term)

 

Head

1. A drug user, or less frequently, addict
2. State of mind ("That messed up my head")
3. (With slang term for drug) Frequent user of a particular drug (Acid head, etc.)
4. One who has been more or less permanently Turned On
5. Person, as in "a good head"

Head Games

Mental trick played on a person using a drug and thus suggestible

 

Hearts

Amphetamines

 

Heat, The

Police, narcotic agents

 

Heavy

Important; grave; impressive

 

Heavy Stuff

See Hard Drugs

 

High

1. In a drug euphoria
2. A drug euphoria; the prolonged pleasurable feeling which follows a Rush

Hippie

One who has "Turned On" to drugs and "Dropped Out" of Straight society and competition; See Flower Children

 

Hit

1. An injection of heroin
2. See Toke

Holding

With drugs in one's possession

 

Hooked

Physically dependent

 

Hophead

Narcotic addict (now nearly obsolete)

 

Horse

Heroin

 

Hot

Stolen

 

Hot Shot

1. A fatally strong dose of a narcotic
2. A dose of poison instead of narcotic

Hustle

1. To obtain money for drugs by illegal or shady means
2. To act as a prostitute

Hype

1. A narcotics addict (rare) [short for hypodermic?]
2. A phony story or deception [short for 'hyperbole']

I

Into

1. Using a particular drug or interested in a specific subject ("into mescaline", "into science fiction")
2. (Get ____) To become engrossed in ("I can really get into ice cream when I'm high")

J

J

See Joint

 

Joint

Marijuana cigarette

 

Jones

Heroin habit

 

Joypopping

Using heroin occasionally for pleasure without developing physical dependence; usually leads to dependence

 

Juicer

One who prefers alcohol to other drugs; a lush or alcoholic

 

Junk

Heroin

 

Junkie

Heroin addict

K

Key

Kilogram (2.2 lb.) of a drug, usually marijuana, hashish, or opium; see Brick

 

Kick

To break one's drug habit; from the typical leg jerks of narcotic withdrawal

 

Kicks

Sheer pleasure or hedonism; used disapprovingly by drug foes, approvingly by Heads

 

Kif

Moroccan cannabis preparation

 

Kilo

See "Key"

 

Kit

Equipment for injecting drugs; also "Fit", "Works"

L

Lay On

Give ("Let me lay this joint on you")

 

Lexington

U.S. Public Health Service (Narcotics) Hospital, Kentucky

 

Lid

Approximately one ounce of marijuana, prices at $10 to $25, depending on supply and quality

 

Load

Package of about 25 Decks of narcotics

M

M

Morphine

 

Mainline

1. To inject narcotics into the large veins on the inside of the forearms, leaving Tracks
2. The large vein in the forearm

Man, The

Police

 

Manicure

To clean seeds and stems from marijuana, often with a sieve or strainer

 

Meet

See Connection

 

Mellow Yellow

Scraping from banana peels, dried and smoked in a 1966 fad. Supposed to be a mild hallucinogen or euphoriant. Effectiveness remains unproven, now considered by many Heads to have been just a Hype

 

Mesc

Mescaline

 

Meth

Methedrine

 

Mexican Green

See Green

 

Mic, Mike

Microgram (millionth of a gram)

 

Mojo

Morphine; also heroin or cocaine

 

Monkey

Addict's habit ("Monkey on my back")

N

Nail

Hypodermic needle

 

Narc

Originally, police informer (sp. "Nark"); now, narcotics agent of any police or treasury force

 

Nemmies

Nembutal capsules

 

Nickel Bag

Five Dollar packet of any drug, usually heroin or marijuana

 

Nod

A state of semi-consciousness and total relaxation with characteristic lolling of the head, following injection of an opiate ("on the nod"). Compare Goofing

O

O.D.

Overdose, fatal or otherwise

 

O.Z.

Ounce

P

Pad

Originally, a room for taking narcotics or smoking marijuana; now one's room or apartment

 

Panama Red

Potent marijuana from Central America

 

Panic

Narcotics shortage in a given city or district due to arrests or interception of a shipment

 

Paper

Small folded packet of a narcotic, similar to Deck

 

Pass

Transfer of drugs ("make a pass")

 

Pep Pills

Amphetamines (infrequent among drug users)

 

Pills

Inaccurate slang reference to capsules and tablets; usually signifies barbiturates or amphetamines as opposed to to hallucinogens, etc.

 

Plant

Form of entrapment where agents conceal or pretend to find drugs on a suspected user or in his room or vehicle

 

Point

Hypodermic needle

 

Pop

To inject under the skin or into a muscle; to swallow

 

Pot

Marijuana. Now rare among users, who prefer terms like grass and weed

 

Pusher

Peddler of drugs, in general; may mean peddler of Hard Drugs, as opposed to Dealer

Q

 

 

R

Rainbow

Tuinal Capsule

 

Reader

Prescription for narcotics

 

Red

"Panama Red" (marijuana)

 

Red Devils

Seconal capsules

 

Red Birds

See Red Devils

 

Reds

See Red Devils

 

Reefer

Marijuana cigarette, now also marijuana in general

 

Rip Off

To steal

 

Roach

Butt of a marijuana cigarette

 

Rope

1. Marijuana (ref. to hemp)
2. Vein in forearm

Run

1. Period of narcotic addiction
2. Period of amphetamine use without sleep

Rush

Sensation when a drug dose "kicks in"; cf. Boost, Flash, High

S

Scag

Heroin

 

Scoop

V-shaped, folded matchbook cover, used to hold powder for sniffing

 

Score

To buy drugs

 

Script

Prescription for narcotics; cf. Reader

 

Set Up

To "frame" a drug seller or user by planting drugs or by arranging a sale to a narcotics agent

 

Shoot Up

To inject a narcotic or other drug

 

Skin Popping

See Pop

 

Smack

Heroin (supposedly a corruption of Yiddish "schmeck": to sniff)

 

Snort

To sniff, or inhale a drug through the nose

 

Snow

Cocaine

 

Source

See Dealer

 

Spaced Out

High on a hallucinogen; in a state of altered consciousness and non-communication

 

Speed

Any amphetamine, especially methedrine

 

Speedball

Heroin mixed with cocaine or amphetamine; cf. Bombita

 

Spike

Hypodermic needle

 

Stash

Cache of drugs and/or equipment for taking drugs

 

Steamboat

Pipe or roach holder made from toilet tissue or paper towel roller

 

Stoned

In a state of pleasurable stupor; usually refers to marijuana or hashish use

 

Straight

1. Not using drugs
2. Nor connected with the drug scene, used disparagingly
3. ("Get straight") To avoid incipient withdrawal symptoms and return to narcotic euphoria

Street, The

The addicts' world, outside of prison and treatment centers

 

Strung Out

Badly addicted

 

Stuff

Narcotics

T

Tab

Tablet

 

Tea

Marijuana

 

Tie Up

To wrap a necktie, belt, etc. around an arm or leg prior to injecting a drug

 

Toke

Puff on a marijuana cigarette

 

Tooies

Tuinal capsules

 

Tracks

1. Veins in the forearm, sometimes collapsed from too-frequent injections
2. Needle scars along a vein, like blue-black discolorations

Trip

1. Hallucinogens experience
2. Favorite preoccupation or activity; cf. Bag

Turn On

1. To introduce someone or be introduced to drugs
2. To take a drug, esp. marijuana or hallucinogens

Twenty-Five

LSD-25

U

Ups

Amphetamine pills [uppers]

V

 

 

W

Wasted

In a deep drug stupor; very Stoned

 

Weed

Marijuana

 

Weekend Habit

Occasional use of a narcotic

 

Weight

Bulk amounts of any drug ("He usually dealt weight, but I copped a Lid off him")

 

Works

Equipment for Cooking and injecting narcotics

X

 

 

Y

Yellow Jackets

Nembutal capsules

 

Yen

Originally a craving for opium, from a Chinese word, now, any craving

Z

Zigzag

Brand of cigarette papers used for marijuana cigarettes

 

Zonk

Marijuana [this entry entirely the editor's addition]

 

Zonked

See Stoned; Wasted

Note: The source document was found by myself many years ago amongst student papers belonging to my elder half brother, dating from approximately 1968; a photocopy of a neatly typewritten 'original'. Transcribed and presented with minimal additions [enclosed in square brackets] and no notable typographic corrections, it is a surprisingly comprehensive "period" piece - informative, neutral in stance and exhibiting remarkably few inaccuracies - presented as a record of its time and a valuable measure of both the enduring nature and shifting fashions of popular (sub)culture, especially in language artifacts; many, if not most, of the expressions it records having then already been in circulation for decades, several represented as such were not so deep in decline as the 'author' believed, as most were still common in some circles at that time, while not a few persist to a degree in contemporary slang, A.D. 2002.