Partying & Nightlife

American slang for parties, going out, and nightlife culture

Introduction

American party culture has its own rich vocabulary. From "pregaming" before going out to getting "turnt" at the club, these terms capture the energy and chaos of American nightlife.

This chapter covers American slang for parties, bars, clubs, and going out — the language of a good time.

Themes

All American Slang & Idioms in This Chapter (78)

• Turnt Extremely excited, energized, or intoxicated at a party or social event.
• Turn up To party hard, get wild, or bring high energy to a social event.
• Rager A wild, out-of-control party with lots of energy and people.
• Pregaming Drinking alcohol before going out to a bar, club, or event to save money or g...
• Darty A daytime party, typically held outdoors during warm weather.
• Function A party or social gathering, especially one with a specific vibe or purpose.
• Faded Intoxicated from alcohol or marijuana, feeling hazy and out of it.
• Wasted Extremely drunk to the point of being barely functional.
• Tipsy Slightly drunk — feeling the effects of alcohol but still in control.
• Sloshed Very drunk, similar to wasted but with a slightly lighter, humorous tone.
• Plastered Extremely drunk, to the point of being unable to function properly.
• Cross-faded Intoxicated from both alcohol and marijuana at the same time.
• Blacked out So drunk that you have no memory of what happened — experiencing alcohol-indu...
• Lightweight Someone who gets drunk very quickly or can't handle much alcohol.
• Hair of the dog Drinking alcohol the morning after to cure a hangover.
• Handle A 1.75-liter bottle of liquor — the largest standard size sold in American st...
• Fifth A 750ml bottle of liquor, approximately one-fifth of a gallon.
• Liquor run A quick trip to the liquor store or convenience store to buy alcohol, usually...
• Shotgunning Punching a hole in the side of a beer can and chugging the entire thing as fa...
• Beer pong A popular American drinking game where players throw ping pong balls into cup...
• Flip cup A team drinking game where players drink from a cup then flip it upside down ...
• Chug To drink a beverage very quickly without stopping, especially beer.
• Keg stand A party stunt where a person does a handstand on a keg of beer while someone ...
• Tailgate A party held in the parking lot before a sporting event, with food and drinks...
• Prinks Pre-drinks; alcoholic beverages consumed before going out, short for 'pre-gam...
• House party A party held at someone's home rather than at a bar, club, or venue.
• Throw a party Informal expression meaning to host or organize a party, very common in every...
• Rage To party extremely hard and wildly.
• Blackout drunk So intoxicated that you lose all memory of the events — a more emphatic form ...
• Lit up Intoxicated or high; can also mean very excited or energized.
• Day drinking Drinking alcohol during daytime hours, usually starting before noon or in the...
• Bar hopping Going to multiple bars in one night, spending a short time at each.
• Bar crawl An organized event where a group visits multiple bars along a planned route.
• After-party A gathering or party that takes place after the main event or party has ended.
• Crashed Fell asleep suddenly, usually from exhaustion or intoxication; also means sho...
• Party foul A social mistake or embarrassing action committed at a party, like spilling a...
• DD Short for 'designated driver' — the person in a group who stays sober to driv...
• Uber home To take a rideshare (Uber, Lyft) home after a night out; used as a verb.
• Bouncer A security guard at a bar, club, or event who controls entry and removes trou...
• Cover charge An entrance fee paid to get into a bar, club, or event.
• Fake ID A counterfeit identification card used by underage people to buy alcohol or e...
• Open bar A bar at an event where all drinks are free, usually paid for by the host.
• Cash bar A bar at an event where guests pay for their own drinks rather than the host ...
• Mixed drink A cocktail or any alcoholic drink made by combining liquor with mixers like s...
• Closing time The time when a bar or club stops serving drinks and asks patrons to leave.
• Nightcap A final alcoholic drink consumed before going to bed; can also be a euphemism...
• Pregame playlist A curated music playlist designed to get people hyped up before going out.
• VIP Very Important Person; in nightlife, a roped-off section of a club with bottl...
• Bottle service Purchasing an entire bottle of liquor at a club or bar, which comes with a re...
• Mosh pit An area at a concert where people aggressively push, shove, and slam into eac...
• Crowd surf To be lifted and passed over the heads of a crowd at a concert or event.
• Jello shots Small servings of gelatin made with alcohol instead of water, eaten as a fun ...
• Full send Going all out with maximum effort and zero restraint — the most intense versi...
• Tab A running bill at a bar where drinks are charged to your credit card througho...
• Round A set of drinks bought for everyone in a group at the same time.
• Shots Small, quick servings of straight liquor consumed in one gulp.
• Jungle juice A potent, fruity punch made with cheap liquor and fruit juice, typically serv...
• Power hour A drinking game where participants take a shot of beer every minute for sixty...
• Hit the dance floor To start dancing, usually at a club, party, or wedding reception.
• DJ Disc jockey — someone who plays and mixes recorded music at clubs, parties, o...
• Get down To dance, party, or have a good time with uninhibited energy.
• Good vibes A positive, enjoyable atmosphere or feeling at a social gathering.
• Vibe check An assessment of someone's mood or a group's energy; checking if the atmosphe...
• Dip To leave a place, especially quietly or abruptly — to slip out without making...
• Irish goodbye Leaving a party or social gathering without saying goodbye to anyone.
• Going out out Going out to bars and clubs for a big night, as opposed to casually going out...
• Hangover The unpleasant physical effects (headache, nausea, fatigue) experienced the d...
• Bottomless Unlimited refills, especially of alcoholic drinks like mimosas or Bloody Mary...
• Trashed Extremely drunk; also means destroyed or ruined.
• Pre-funk Pacific Northwest term for pregaming — drinking before going out.
• Party animal A person who loves to party and does so frequently and enthusiastically.
• Buzzkill A person or thing that ruins the fun or dampens the mood at a social event.
• Lit AF Extremely exciting, fun, or wild — an intensified form of 'lit' (AF = 'as f**...
• EDM Electronic Dance Music — a broad category of electronic music genres played a...
• Rave A large, often all-night dance party featuring electronic music, light shows,...
• Getting ready The process of preparing for a night out — showering, choosing an outfit, doi...
• One for the road A final drink before leaving a bar or party.
• Call it a night To decide to stop what you're doing and go home or go to bed, ending the even...