Numbers for words (was Teen Lingo Site)

[Jonathan Lighter]

DSB's understanding of "eightball" (almost certainly authentic) seems to have been influenced by "behind the eightball." As "1/8 ounce" it's been around for nearly a decade, likewise as "Olde English 800."  The Usenet groups show exx. of each.

JL

Douglas Bigham <TlhovwI at AOL.COM> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Douglas Bigham
Subject: Re: Numbers for words (was Teen Lingo Site)
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Wow. I really wish that site had cites. The number code myth for 8-ball, as
I know it, would get me neither OE800 or an eigth of an ounce. I'd get some
speed/coke/rat poison mixture. Like really low grade crystal meth or
something.

Also, IMHO, Van Halen was the last of the metal bands (before Metalica sold
out), were they not? Allmusic.com lists them as: "hard rock, pop/rock, heavy
metal, arena rock, album rock, pop-metal". But that's not the point. The
rumor about 5150 as I remember it was that it was penal code for "sex with
animals" or maybe "death by sex" or something like that. Definitely sexual, though.



In a message dated 2/2/2005 7:46:29 AM Central Standard Time,
gbarrett at WORLDNEWYORK.ORG writes:
On Feb 2, 2005, at 06:59, Ron Silliman wrote:
> Thus a heavy metal band some years back had an album (in
> pre-CD days) called 5150

I would hardly call Van Halen a heavy metal band. Maybe not even metal.
How about just rock? Loud rock? Hair band? Hair band formerly fronted
by a guy who's now a balding EMT?

Also, nitpick central, but in 1986 53 million CD players were sold in
the US (according to this page:
).

-dsb
Douglas S. Bigham
Department of Linguistics
University of Texas - Austin
http://hometown.aol.com/capn002/myhomepage/index.html


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