# Drug Slang: What is "Tweak?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-slang-what-is-tweak/255203>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 15, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-slang-what-is-tweak/255203 "2004-07-15T03:05:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-slang-what-is-tweak/255203/1 "2004-07-15T03:05:35Z")

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Well, what is it? Is it a kind of amphetamine?

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**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-slang-what-is-tweak/255203/2 "2004-07-15T03:08:59Z")

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Methamphetamine. Users are called “tweakers”.

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**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-slang-what-is-tweak/255203/3 "2004-07-15T03:10:02Z")

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Its usually used to mean crystal meth. Its also used to describe going through withdrawl or a “tweak Mission” is to go and try to by crack.

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**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-slang-what-is-tweak/255203/4 "2004-07-15T06:06:24Z")

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Say, as long as we’re discussing drug slang and meth, why is meth known as “tina”?

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**Author:** ![vinniepaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@vinniepaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vinniepaz)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-slang-what-is-tweak/255203/5 "2004-07-15T06:08:00Z")

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> [@PaulFitzroy](#):
>
> Well, what is it? Is it a kind of amphetamine?

Well, actually, to “tweak” is to continuously remain high for an extended period of time by taking a little bit of meth at short intervals.

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**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-slang-what-is-tweak/255203/6 "2004-07-15T06:13:39Z")

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Sounds like people I know.

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**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-slang-what-is-tweak/255203/7 "2004-07-15T06:30:22Z")

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> [@Otto](#):
>
> Say, as long as we’re discussing drug slang and meth, why is meth known as “tina”?

IANATweaker, but possibly Crystal -\> Chris -\> Christina -\> Tina

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**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-slang-what-is-tweak/255203/8 "2004-07-15T06:41:57Z")

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When I was a regular user “tweaking” meant being in that state where the lack of sleep brought on by crystal was starting to affect your brain.

I’ve never heard “Tina”, but we did used to refer to the drug as “Christine”, so I’ll go with **xgxlx** ’s theory.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-slang-what-is-tweak/255203/9 "2004-07-15T06:46:57Z")

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I remember a classic story from Gilbert Shelton’s _Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers_ comic – from the '80s – where Fat Freddy made himself a drug-war celebrity by putting together an organization to fight a completely imaginary drug called “squeak.”