# Terms that are only ever heard in certain sub-cultures **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 30, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585 "2013-08-30T15:56:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/1 "2013-08-30T15:56:52Z")
Inspired by the recent thread titled “Cis Women…” Outside of the transexual community, it’s safe to say that few people have heard this term. Unless you’re a stickshift enthusiast, or know some, you’re probably not familiar with the term “slushbox” (an automatic transmission). What other terms can people offer that are pretty much unknown except in certain sub-cultures. (And of course, what does it mean?) ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/2 "2013-08-30T16:24:47Z")
In woodworking, a neanderthal is someone who only uses non-electric hand tools such as planes, handsaws, braces (hand drills), rasps, and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/3 "2013-08-30T16:30:57Z")
I could converse with another soldier while barely using any actual English words and be perfectly understood. Army is pretty much it’s own language. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/4 "2013-08-30T16:53:24Z")
how do you mean the question? a term that is not used elsewhere a term that has a specific meaning unique to a subculture ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/5 "2013-08-30T17:31:25Z")
Do you know what a THACO is? If so, you probably used to play Role Playing games such as D&D. Do you prefer a whisker biscuit or a drop away rest? If so, you are probably an archer. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/6 "2013-08-30T17:49:23Z")
Many sailing terms: Head knocker, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/7 "2013-08-30T17:55:05Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I could converse with another soldier while barely using any actual English words and be perfectly understood. Army is pretty much it’s own language. This. I sometimes think soldiers purposely don’t want to be understood by the general public. If you use “tk” to indicate missing material that will be added later, I’d guess you’d worked in publishing or journalism. Counter-intuitively, it stands for “to come.” ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/8 "2013-08-30T18:25:23Z")
Lots of computer terms. PEBKAM, Three-finger salute, FSCK, RTFM. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/9 "2013-08-30T18:40:34Z")
“In the weeds” is a chef’s term I don’t think the general public is aware of. It means you’re behind. “Frogging” is a knitter’s term. It’s when you take apart a project; you have to rip it, rip it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/10 "2013-08-30T18:48:32Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > “In the weeds” is a chef’s term I don’t think the general public is aware of. It means you’re behind. > > “Frogging” is a knitter’s term. It’s when you take apart a project; you have to rip it, rip it. 🙂 I know the term in the weeds. I have never been in the food service industry and didnt know its origin but I know what it means. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/11 "2013-08-30T18:56:08Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > “In the weeds” is a chef’s term I don’t think the general public is aware of. It means you’re behind. in radio it means receiving a weak signal. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/12 "2013-08-30T18:59:47Z")
Haha shows what I know! ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/13 "2013-08-30T19:02:28Z")
When I worked in restaurants I heard that term used more by the waitstaff. Of course, It’s been a few years and I could be forgetting. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/14 "2013-08-30T19:05:17Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > how do you mean the question? > > a term that is not used elsewhere > a term that has a specific meaning unique to a subculture He is asking for examples of jargon. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/15 "2013-08-30T19:18:33Z")
Among Civil War reenactors, fair-weather reenactors/poseurs are “farbs.” ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/16 "2013-08-30T19:32:52Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > This. I sometimes think soldiers purposely don’t want to be understood by the general public. I think a lot of jargon is used to separate the insiders from the outsiders, whether it be the military or a group of golfers. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/17 "2013-08-30T19:35:07Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > Do you know what a THACO is? > > If so, you probably used to play Role Playing games such as D&D. > > ] Yeah, RPG’s have their own subculture and vocabulary, some of which is shared with online gamers. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/18 "2013-08-30T19:49:42Z")
People who administer construction projects know RTFC (read the fucking contract). In estimating, a ‘bust’ is when a bidder forgets to include important line item costs. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/19 "2013-08-30T19:54:48Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > “In the weeds” is a chef’s term I don’t think the general public is aware of. It means you’re behind. > [@Loach](#): > > I know the term in the weeds. I have never been in the food service industry and didnt know its origin but I know what it means. > [@johnpost](#): > > in radio it means receiving a weak signal. Outside of either of those contexts, I’ve always used/taken it to mean “into something difficult/sticky” As in “I don’t want to get deep into the weeds on this but the quick answer to your question on religion is…” If I heard a chef/radio operator use it in their contexts, I’d have been confused as hell 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585/20 "2013-08-30T20:01:10Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Outside of either of those contexts, I’ve always used/taken it to mean “into something difficult/sticky” > > As in “I don’t want to get deep into the weeds on this but the quick answer to your question on religion is…” > > If I heard a chef/radio operator use it in their contexts, I’d have been confused as hell 😛 In restaurant-speak, “in the weeds” just means “really, really busy”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-that-are-only-ever-heard-in-certain-sub-cultures/667585.md?page=2)