CB SLANG AND TECHNICAL TERMS

1962-1998

(from the book "Woody's World Of CB")

The list below represents just about every CB-ism you'll run across. Please keep in mind that if you jump on the air with a sentence full of slang words and phrases below you'll sound like an idiot. These are words that you'll run across throughout a variety of conversations, and it's helpful to know what they mean.

My best advice I can give you is:

1). Listen well before you speak, many parts of the country differ on their protocols and terminology.

2). Always be polite

3). Minimize the "Slang". When you talk to someone on the radio, use it like you would a telephone with one added restraint - don't use profanity. It doesn't take a BIG man to swear, it's takes a BIG man to convey his thoughts and feelings WITHOUT swearing.

(For help with SSB communications - refer to my SSB section)

A

 

ACE - Important CB’er

Apple - A CB addict

AF -Audio Frequency

Afterburner-Linear amp

Alamo City- San Antonio

ALERT -Affiliated League of Emergency Radio Teams

All the good numbers -Best wishes.

Alligator-Tread from the tire of an 18 wheeler on the road

Alligator Station -All mouth and no ears. A person who likes to talk just to hear himself.

Amigo -Friend

ANL -Automatic noise limiter

Ankle biter- Small child or annoying teenager

Antenna Farm- Base station with many antennas strung up in the air

Antler Alley -Deer crossing

Appliance Operator -Non technical person who knows how to turn the rig on, and that’s about all.

AM -Amplitude Modulation

Ancient Mariner -AM, or someone who uses AM

Astrodome City- Houston Texas (see Space City)

B

B Town -Birmingham

Baby Bear- Cop in training, or rookie

Backdoor -Vehicle behind the one who is ahead of it.

Backdoor closed- Rear of convoy covered for police

Back ‘em up -Slow down

Back off the hammer -Slow down

Backslide- Return trip

Bad scene- A crowded channel

Ballet Dancer -A antenna that really sways

Barefoot Using an unmodified CB transmitter

Bar city -Forrest City, AK

Base Station -Radio installed at a fixed location, house, etc.

Bay City -San Francisco

Beast -A CB rig

Beam- Directional Antenna

Be-Bop- Radio control signals

Bean House Bull -Trucker talk exchanged at truck stops, eyeball-to-eyeball

Bean Bopper -Pillhead

Bean Town- Boston, Ma.

Bear Bait -Speeding car

Bear Cage- Police station or jail

Bear Cave -Poice station or barracks

Bearmobile- Police car

Bear Trap -Stationary police vehicle with radar

Bear in the air- Helicopter or other police aircraft

Bear -Cop

Beat the bushes -To drive ahead of the others and try to lure out the police

Beaver -Female

Beaver Bait- Money

Beaver Bear -Female Cop

Beaver Fever -A Cber who misses his girlfriend or wife

Beaver Palace -Niteclub; Singles bar

Beaver Patrol- On the hunt for women

Beaver Trap- Sharp looking rig with custom interior

Beer Bust -Party

Beer Tone -An intermittent tone signal

Beer City -Milwaukee

Beetle -VW

Benton Harbor Lunch Box -Heathkit CB-1

Better Half -The other person (wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, husband)

Big A- Armarillo

Big Charlie- FCC

Big Daddy -The FCC

Big D -Dallas

Big M- Memphis

Big Mack -Mack truck

Big Mama- 9 foot whip antenna

Big R -Trucks running for Roadway Freight

Big Rig -Could mean "18 Wheeler" or "Fancy, expensive radio"

Big Slab -Expressway / Freeway

Big Truck -18 wheeler

Big T- Tucson

Big 10-4- Hearty agreement.

Bikini State -Florida

Bit on the seat of the britches -Got tagged for a speeding ticket

Black’n White- Cop

Black’n White Cber -Cop with CB in his car

Black Ice -A patch of iced over blacktop road.

Bleeding/Bleedover -Strong signals from a station on another channel, interfering with your reception

Blessed Event -A new CB rig

Blew my doors off -Pass by me with great speed, sometimes referenced to loud or strong signal

Blowin’ Smoke -Loud signal

Blue Slip- Ticket

Boast Toastie -A CB expert

Boat Anchor -Either an old tube rig or a radio that is unrepairable.

Bodacious- Awesome

Bootlegger- Running illegal station

Boy Scouts -The State Police

Box -Tractor Trailer

Box- Linear amplifier

Break -Request to use the channel, while other stations are using the frequency

Variations: Breaker, Breaker-Broke, Breakity-Break, Break For

Breaking Up- Audio cutting in and out

Breaker-Breaker -Same as break. Also the title of Chuck Norris’s first mainstream movie.

Breaking the ‘ol needle- Strong signal

Bring it back -Answer back

Bring yourself on it- Request to move into the right lane

Brown paper bag -Unmarked Police car

Brush your teeth and comb your hair-Radar trap ahead

BTO- Big Time Operator

Bubble gum machine- Flashing lights on top of car

Bucket Mouth- Loudmouth, or someone who uses a lot of profanity.

Bucket of bolts -Eighteen wheeler

Buckeye State -Ohio

Bug Out -To leave a channel

Bumper Lane- Passing lane

Button Pusher -Another Cber who is trying to breakup your communication with another station by keying his microphone, playing sounds, etc.

C

Cactus Patch- Phoenix Arizona; Roswell New Mexico

Camera -Police radar

Can- Shell of a CB set, or tunable coil in CB set

Candy Man -FCC

Capital J -Jackson, Mississippi

Cartel- A group hogging a channel

Casa- House

Cash Register -Toll booth

Catch ya on the flip-flop- I’ll talk to you on my return trip

CB -Radio

Cell Block- Location of the base station

Chain Gang -Members of a CB club

Channel 25 -The telephone

Charlie -The FCC (see Uncle Charlie)

Chew ‘n choke -Restaurant

Checking My Eyelinds For Pin Holes -Tired or sleepy.

Check the seatcovers -Look at that passenger (usually a woman)

Chicken Coup- Weigh station

Chicken Coup is Clean -Weigh station is closed.

Chicken Inspector -Weigh station inspector

Circle City -Indianapolis Indiana

Chopped Top- A short antenna

Choo-Choo town-Chattanooga

Christmas Card- Speeding ticket

Christmas Tree -18-wheeler with an excess of running lights

Chrome Dome- Mobile unit with a roof antenna

Cigar City -Tampa

Citizens Band- The radio service used by CB’ers. Also the name of a popular 70’s movie.

City Kitty- City police

Clarifier -Found on SSB rigs, this control varies the receiver frequency to help tune the other station in (called "delta-tune" on AM rigs). Because sideband is so sensitive, it is a common practice to "open" the transmit side of a clarifier so that the Transmit and Receive frequencies are tied together.

Clean Cat- An unmodified rig

Clean Shot -Road ahead is free of obstructions, construction, and police

Clean as a hounds tooth -Same as clean shot

Cleaner channel- Quieter channel ("Lets find a cleaner channel to talk on")

Clear- Final transmission "This is 505 and I’m clear"

Clear after you -You are ending transmission after the other person finishes signing off

Clear as a spring day -Same as "Clean Shot"

Coffee Bean- Waiter or waitress

Coffee Break -Informal gathering of CB’ers

Coke stop- Restroom

Cold Rig- 18-wheeler pulling a refrigerated trailer

Collect Call -Call for a specific Cber

Colorado Kool Aid -Beer

Come again -Repeat your last transmission

Come Back- Answer my call

Comic Book -Truckers log book

Coming in Loud’n Proud- Loud and clear signal

Container -Chassis and shell of a CB rig

Concrete Blonde -Hooker

Convoy- 2 or more vehicles traveling the same route. This term was made popular, then over-used by the entertainment industry via songs and movies.

Cooking -Driving

Cooking Good -Reached desired speed.

Copy -Receiving a message: "Do you copy?"

Copying the mail- Listening to traffic on a given channel. Also referred to as "Reading the mail"

Corn Binder- International Truck

Cotton mouth -Thirsty

Cotton picker- Non-profane profanity. Replaces any variety of four letter words.

County Mountie- County police / Sheriff’s Dept.

Covered Up -Transmission was blocked by interference or high noise level

Cow Town- Fort Worth

Crack’em Up -Accident

Cradle Baby -CB’er who is afraid to ask someone to stand by

Cub Scouts -Sheriff’s men

Cup of Mud -Cup of coffee

Curly Locks- Coils in a CB rig

Cut Out -To leave a channel

Cut Some Z’s -Get some sleep

Cut The Coax -Turn off the radio

CW -Morse Code

D

Daddy-O The FCC

Dang- Country term for darn or damn

Darktime -Night

Dead Pedal- Slow moving car or truck

Dead Key- Activating the microphone, but not talking. Same as "keying the mike".

Decoy- Unmanned Police car

Derby City- Louisville Kentucky

Despair Box -Box where square CB components are kept

Diarrhea of the mouth- Constant, non-stop talking.

Dice City- Las Vegas

Diesel Digit -Channel 19

Diesel Juice -Fuel oil

Dime Channel -Channel 10

Ding-a-ling -Goofy or bad operator. Also referred to as a LID

Dirty Side-Eastern Seaboard

Divorce City -Las Vegas

Dixie Cup- Female operator with southern accent

Dog Biscuits -DB’s

Doing the Five-Five- Traveling at 55mph

Doin’ it to it- Full speed

Doing our thing in the lefthand lane- Full speed in the passing lane

Do it to me -Answer back

Do you copy?- Do you understand?

Dome- Houston

Don’t Tense -Take it easy

Don’t Feed The Bears- Don’t get any tickets

Donald Duck -Sideband station

Double key- Two stations talking at the same time.

Double L- Telephone call. Also referred to as "Landline"

Double Nickel -55mph

Double Nickel Highway -Interstate #55

Double Seven- No, or – "Negative contact"

Down ‘n Out- Signing off / ending transmission

Down’n gone- Signing off

Down and on the side -Through talking but listening.

Drag Your Feet-Wait a few seconds before transmitting to see if there is a "Breaker"

Dream Weaver- Sleepy driver who is all over the road.

Dress For Sale -Hooker

Dressed for the ball -You have your "Ears ON", listening to the road conditions

Drop Out -Fading signal

Drop Stop Destination -where freight will be dropped off.

Drop the Hammer -Go as fast as you can

Drop the hammer down -Same as above

Dropped a carrier -Keyed the microphone to prevent someone else to talk

Dropped it off the shoulder- Ran off the side of the highway

Duck Plucker -Obscene term

Dusted yer britches- Keyed up at the same time.

Dusted my britches -Passed me

Dusted Your Ears- Transmission interrupted.

DX -Long Distance

E

Eager beaver -Anxious young woman

Ears- Receiver / Radio

Ears ON -CB radio turned ON

Eastbound -Vehicle moving in the eastern direction

Easy chair- Middle CB vehicle in a line of three or more.

Eighteen wheeler -Tractor trailer truck

Eighteen legged Pogo Stick -18 wheeler

Eight’s -Love and kisses

Eight’s and other good numbers -Love and kisses, and best wishes

Eighty-eight’s -Love and kisses

Eighty-eight’s around the house - Good luck and best wishes to you and yours.

Equalizer - High-gain antenna, high-power transmitter, and sometimes "radar detector"

Eatum-up Roadside diner

Eyeball Que-so Personal meeting

Eyeball- Personal meeting

Eyeball’s -Headlights

Everybody must be walking the dog- All channels are busy.

Evil Knievel -Motorcycle cop

F

Fake brake- Driver with his foot on the brake

Fat load- Overweight truck load

FCC -Federal Communications Commision

Fed- Federal officer

Feed The Bears -Paying a speeding fine or ticket

Feed the ponies- Loose at the racetrack

Fender bender -Traffic accident

Fer sure -Affirmative/Yes/10-4

Fifth wheel -Trailer hitch on tractor trailer trucks

Fifty Dollar Lane -Passing lane

Fingers -A channel-hopping CB’er

First Sargent -Wife

Flag waver -Highway repair crew

Flaps down -Slow down

Flappers -Ears

Flatbed -Track trailer with flatbed.

Flight Man- Weigh station worker on wheels.

Flip flop -Return trip

Flip-Flopping Bears -Police reversing direction

Flipper -Return trip

Flop it -Turn around.

Flop box -Motel, or room in truck stop

FM- Frequency Modulation

Fog Lifter -Interesting CB’er

Follow the stripes home- Have a safe trip

Footwarmer- Linear amplifier

Forty weight -Coffee sometimes Beer.

Forty fours - Childern; kisses

Four - Shortened version of 10-4

Four Wheeler - Car

Four lane parking lot - Interstate highway

Four legged go-go dancers - Pigs

Four Roger - OK/ 10-4/ Four / Roger

Four Ten - OK/ 10-4 / Four / Four Roger / Roger

Fox - Sexy lady

Fox Charile Charlie - FCC

Fox hunt - FCC hunting for illegal operators

Fox jaws - Female with nice voice, but not necessarily a body to match

Free Ride - Prostitute

Freight Box - Trailer for big rig

Friendly Candy Company - FCC

Front Door - The lead car/truck in a convoy

Fugitive - CB’er operating on a different channel than favorite

Full of vitamins - Running full bore

Full Bore - Traveling at full speed

Full Throttle - Traveling at full speed

Funny Candy Company - FCC

Funny channels - Channels that are outside the legal 11meter band.

G

Gallon - 1000 watts of power

Garbage - Too much small talk on a channel

Gas Jockey - Gas station attendant

Gateway City - St.Louis Missouri

Gear - Overnight bag

Geological Survey - CB’er who looks under his set

Get horizontal - Lie down to sleep

Get Trucking - Make some distance.

Getting out - Putting out a good signal

Ghost Town - Casper, Wyoming

Girlie Bear - Female cop

Give me a shout - Call for me on the radio

Glory Card - Class D License

Glory Roll - CB’er who gets his name in S9

Go Breaker - Invitation to break

Go Ahead - Answer back.

Go Back to him - Talk to him.

Go Juice - Truck fuel

Go to channel 41 - In the 23ch days – a joke to get someone off the airwaves.

Going Horizontal - Lying down;sleeping; or switching antenna polarization

Going like a raped ape - Moving fast

Gone - Leaving the airwaves or channel

Gone 10-7 - permanently Dead, deceased.

Goodies - Extra accessories for a CB rig

Good Buddy - At one time it meant "Friend" or "buddy", today it means "Homosexual"

Goon Squad - Channel Hoggers

Gooney Box - Gonset G-11

Got a copy? - Can you hear me?

Got my shoes on - Switched the linear ON

Got your ears on? - Are you on this frequency

Got my eyeballs peeled - I’m looking hard

Got my foot in it - Accelerating.

Go to 100 - Restroom stop.

Grab Bag - Illegal hamming on CB

Grass Median - strip along the highway

Green light - You have the go ahead.

Green Stamps - Money

Green Stamp Collector - Police with radar

Green Stamp lane - Passing lane

Green Stamp Road - Toll road.

Grease monkey - Mechanic

Greasy Spoon - Bad place to eat

Ground Clouds - Fog

Guitar Town - Nashville

Gypsy - Independent trucker

H

Hack - Taxi

Hag Feast - Group of female CB’ers on the channel

Haircut palace - Bridge or overpass with low clearance

Hairpin - Sharp curve

Hamburger helper - Linear Amp

Hamster - One who "hams" on CB, or a HAM operator.

Hammer - Accelerator

Hammer Off - slow down

Hammer Down - Accelerate

Hang it in your ear - Response to a foolish remark

Hand - Truck driver

Handle - Moniker/ Name i.e.- "What’s the handle on that end?"

Happy Number - An "S" meter reading

Hanker - Getting a "notion" to do something. A "Want".

Have a nice one - Have a good trip, weekend, day, etc.

Hay Shaker - Trailer transporting a mobile home

Heading for a hole - Giving someone advance notice you are going into a low spot for communications.

Heavenly Body - Peterbilt semi

Heater - Linear amplifier

Hell bent for leather - Traveling really fast.

Here’s looking at you - Another way to sign off

Henchmen - A group of CB’ers

Hiding in the grass - Police on a median strip

Hiding in the bushes, sitting under the leaves - Hidden police car.

Highball - Go nonstop to your destination at a rapid pace.

High Rise - A large bridge or overpass.

Hippie Chippie - Female hitchhiker.

Hip Pocket - Glove box.

Hit the cobblestones - Hit the road.

Hog - Harley Davidson

Hog country - Arkansas

Holler - Give me a call.

Holler in a short - I’ll call you back shortly.

Home Twenty - Home location

Home Port - Residence

Horizon - An imaginary line

Horse - Mustang

Hot Stuff - Cup of coffee

Hot Lanta - Atlanta, Georgia

Hot Town - Atlanta

Hotwater City - Hot Springs, Arkansas

Hound Men - Policemen looking for CB’ers using rigs while mobile

How am I hitting you? - How do you receive me?

How tall are you? - How tall is your truck?

H Town - Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Hung Up - CB’er who can’t leave set

Hundred mile coffee - Strong coffee

I

I’m gone - Leaving the airwaves, or frequency.

Ice Box - Refrigerated trailer.

Ice Box - International Crystals first CB rig

Idiot Box - TV set

Indian - Neighbor who has TVI from you

In a short - Real soon.

In a short-short - Real soon

In the mud - Noise or other signals on the channel.

In the Pokey with Smokey - Arrested.

Indians TVI from CB transmissions

Invitations -Traffic citations, tickets.

J

Jack - CB term for brother or friend.

Jack Rabbit - Police of any kind

Jam - Deliberately interfere with another station.

Japanese toy - CB

Jargon - CB lingo

Jaw Jacking - Talking, Jaw boning.

Jewelry - Lights on a rig.

Jimmy - GMC truck.

Jingle - To contact a CB’er via the telephone.

Johnny Law - Cop

John Law - Cop

"J" Town - Jackson, Tennessee

J Trail - CB Jamboree season

Juke Joint - Small, inexpensive eating or drinking place.

Jump Down - Switching to a lower channel.

Jump Up - Switching to a higher channel.

K

Keep ‘em Between the Ditches - Have a safe trip

Keep the bugs off your glass and the trouble off your… - CB Sign-off.

Keep the whites on your noise and the reds on your tail - Stay on the road. Drive carefully and have a good trip.

Keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down - Drive safely.

Keep the wheels spinning - Drive safely.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your black stack smokin’ - Be alert and make good time.

Keep your noise between the ditches and smokey out of your britches - Drive carefully, lookout for speedtraps.

Keep your rubber down and your metal up – Drive carefully and have a good trip.

Kenny Whopper - Kenworth tractor equipment.

Keyboard - Controls of a CB set

Keying the mike - Activating the microphone without speaking. Same as "Dead Key".

Keydown - RF power contest. Operators travel from all parts of the country to attend keydown events. Their trucks/vans put out well over 10kw (10,000 watts) and use expensive amplifiers and many alternators! The object of the game is to see who is "Top Dog", or more powerfull than the others.

Kicker - Linear amplifier.

Kiddie car - School bus.

Kitty Cat - Catepilar powered tractor.

Knock the stack out - Accelerate.

Knuckle Buster - Fight.

Kojak - Cop

Kojak with a Kodak - Cop with radar.

K.W. - Kenworth tractor equipment.

L

Lady Bear - Female police officer

Lady Breaker - Female CB operator asking for a break.

Lame - Broken down vehicle

Land Line - The telephone

Land Yacht - Mobile home or camper.

Lane Flipper - Car or truck that keeps changing lanes.

Lane Lover - Someone who won’t budge out of a particular lane.

Latrine Lips - One who has a dirty mouth.

Lay an eye out - Take a look at this…

Let the channel roll - Telling other CB’ers to break in and use the channel.

Legal Beagle - One who always follows the rules

Lettuce - money

LID - CB’er with poor operating skills. The Term LID originated in Amateur radio and the CW mode. It meant "Poor Fist".

Lights green, bring on the machine - Road is clear of police and obstructions.

Lil ‘Ol modulator - CB Set

Line - Freight line company.

Linear - RF amplifier

Little Bear - Local cop.

Little Beaver - Daughter.

Little Bit - Prostitute

Little Brother - Same as "Good Buddy".

Little Footwarmer - Linear

Load of rocks - Bricks

Load of sticks - Lumber

Local Bear - Local cop

Local Yokel - Small town cop

Lock-Em-Up - Police station or jail.

Log - Truckers log book.

Log some Z’s - Get some sleep.

Lollipop - D104 desk microphone.

Loot Limo - Armored Car.

Loser - LID

LSB - Lower Sideband.

M

M20 - Meeting Place

Machine - Same as "Rig"

Mad Money - Expense account.

Magic Mile - The last mile of any trip.

Magnolia State - Mississippi

Make a trip - switch channels.

Mail - Conversation on a channel.

Make it a best seller - Have a good trip.

Make the trip - A transmitted signal making it to another station: "Did I make the trip?"

Mama - Girlfriend or wife.

Mama Bear - Policewoman.

Man in Blue - Policeman

Man in Slicker - Fireman

Man in White - Doctor

Mardi Gras Town - New Orleans, Louisiana

Mare - Woman

Marker - Milepost on highway.

Mashing the mike - Same as "Deadkey"

Mayday - Distress call.

Mate - Good buddy or friend.

Meatwagon - Ambulance.

Mercy! - Exclamation. "Mercy sakes alive", "Mercy sakes".

Mercy Sakes - See above.

Mess-em-up - Accident.

Mike Fright - Shy person, afraid to talk on the radio.

Mikey Mouse - Temporary, non professional fix to a situation.

Mile High - Denver, Colorado

Mile Marker - Milepost on interstate highways.

Mile Post - Same as Mile marker.

Mini Skirt - Woman, girl

Mini State - Rhode Island

Mobile - CB radio station in a car or truck.

Mobile Eyeball - Checking out another truck while passing it.

Mobile - Forrest Logging truck

Mobile Mattress - 4 wheeler pulling a camper.

Modulate - Talk

Modulating - Talking

Modulation - Audio portion of your signal.

Modulation Booster - Microphone pre-amp/compressor either external or internal to the microphone or radio. External devices between the mike and rig are called Modulators.

Modulator - Some refer to it as a linear. It’s actually a device to boost the transmit audio.

Money Bus - Armored truck.

Monkey Town - Montgomery Alabama

Monitor - To listen, i.e.- "I monitor channel 16"

Monster Lane - Speed lane

Motion Lotion - Gas; fuel.

Moth Ball - Annual CB Convention

Motor Boat - Rapid fluttering signal.

Motor City - Detroit

Motoring On - Traveling on.

Motorcycle Mama - Woman riding on a motorcycle.

Mouth Piece - Lawyer

Mr. Clean - Overtly cautious driver.

Muck Truck - Cement truck.

Mud Ball - Donut

Mud - Coffee

Mud Duck - Someone with a very weak signal / very hard to copy.

Muff - Woman/girl

Mumbo Jumbo - CB Jargon for "I don’t copy"

Music City - Nashville

My Goodness Gracious - Term for surprise, or excitement.

N

Nail it down - Pinpoint or recollect

Nap Trap - Place to sleep.

Negative - No

Negative Contact - Didn’t make contact with the desired station.

Negative Copy - Didn’t hear.

Negatory - No.

Neon, Freon, Ion Jockey - Truck driver with many lights on his rig.

Nightcrawlers - Many police in the area.

Niner - Channel 9

Ninety Weight - Liquor

Nix - No

Nodding off - Getting tired.

Nobody knows where the teddy bear goes - State troopers criss-crossing the freeway.

Noise Blanker - Circuit to reduce receiver noise

Noise Limiter - Another noise reduction circuit. This reduces impluse type noise.

Numbers - Best wishes. "3’s and 8’s".

Also used on SSB – "What are your numbers?" (call numbers).

O

O.L. - Old Lady

Oil burner - Diesel truck

Old Kitty - Whomper Truck

On the by - Listening, not talking.

On the standby - Monitoring but not talking.

On the side - Standing by, available for a call, listening on frequency.

O.M. (old man) - A CB’er

On a [insert city name] Turn - i.e.- "I’m on an Alamo turn" (I’ll make my return from San Antonio).

One eyed monster - TV Set

One foot on the floor, one hanging out the door, and she just won’t do no more - Full speed.

Open Season - Cops are everywhere

Other Half - The wife, or husband. Boyfriend or girlfriend.

Out - Through transmitting.

Outdoor TV - Drive-in movie.

Over - Your turn to transmit.

Over and out - Closing the transmission.

Over modulation - Talking too loud; audio is distorted or otherwise unreadible.

OW - Old woman.

P

PA - Public Address. This feature isn’t used a lot nowadays except as a switch for internal, illegal modifications.

Pack it in - Ending transmission

Pair of sevens - No contact or answer.

Panic in the streets - Area being monitored by the FCC

Papa Bear - State trooper with CB.

Paper hanger - Police giving ticket.

Paperwork - Speeding ticket

Parking Lot - Traffic jam

Pavement Princess - Hooker

Part 15 - Relates to the section of FCC rules which pertain to unlicensed stations

Part 95 - FCC Rules and Regulations.

Pass the numbers - Best wishes

Patch City - Town

Peanut butter in his ears - Is not listening.

Pedal against the middle - drive fast

Pedaling in the middle - Straddling both lanes.

Peeling Off - Getting of the freeway.

PEP - Peak Envelope Power; most often refers to SSB output.

Petro Refinery - Truck hauling gas or oil.

PF Flyers - Truck wheels.

Pill (s) - Reference to transistor finals in linear amplifiers. The greater number of "pills", the larger the amplifier is.

Plain Wrapper - Unmarked police car

Play Dead - Stand by

Penman - CB’er –to-be who has filed for license

Pedal to the metal -Running flat out, in excess of the speed limit

Peel your eyeballs - Be on the lookout.

Peter Rabbit - Used in the Western US for "Smokey"

Phone Patch - A device which hooks a base unit to the telephone.

Pick’em up - Pickup truck

Picture taking machine - Radar

Piece of paper - Speeding ticket.

Pigeon - someone caught speeding.

Pigeon Plucker - Police ticketing speeders.

Pig Pen - Another name for weigh station / chicken coop

Pink Panther - Unmarking police vehicle; one with CB

Pink QSL Card - Warning ticket.

Pinning the needle - Strong signal being received.

Pipe Line - Specific Channel

Pit Stop - Gas stop; Restroom stop; just about any kind of stop.

Play Dead - Stand by

PLL Phase-Lock-Loop. The digital circuitry which determines your frequencies. One chip does it all compared to the "olden" days where a separate transmit and receive crystal was required for each channel.

Polack kids - Cattle

Polack school bus - Cattle truck

Pole Cat - Black and white patrol car; sometimes refers to sneaky person.

Politz-eye - The police

Popcorn - Hail

Porcupine - Car with a lot of antennas on it.

Porky Bear - Cops

Portable Barnyard - Cattle Truck

Portrait Painter - Radar gun

Positive - Yes

Posse - Police

Post Mile - marker post along the highway.

Pounds - "S" units on your meter. "You’re giving me 10 pounds over on this end"

Pounding the pavement - Walking

Prescription - FCC rules

Pregnant Roller Skate - VW

Press some sheets - Sleep.

PTT Switch - Push-to-talk switch on microphone

Professional Beaver - Hooker

Pull in for a short - Quick stop.

Pull the big one - Signing off for good

Pull the hammer back - Slow down – police ahead.

Pull the plug - To signoff the air and turn the radio OFF.

Pushing a truck - Driving a rig.

Put an eyeball on him - Saw him.

Put it on the floor and looking for some more - Full speed.

Put the word on the base - Mobile unit to a base unit with phone patch.

Put your foot on the floor and let the motor toter - Accelerate.

Q

Q-bird - An intermittent tone generator

QSL Card - Personalized postcard sent to confirm a conversation.

QSL - Term used on SSB for "Roger"; i.e.- "QSL on that". While the Q signals were originally used on CW in the Amateur Radio Service, and often are the butt of complaints, they have found their way into CB’s society, and live with them we must.

QSK - Another Ham term, reformatted for CB. Means – "Break"

QRM - Noise or interference

Q-R-Mary - Noise or interference.

QSY - Change or changing channels/frequency.

QRT - Off the air; Signing OFF.

QRX - To wait, or standby.

QSB - Noise

QSO - Pronounced "Que-Sew", meaning "conversation" or "communication".

QSY - Move to a different channel or frequency.

QTH - Location

Quasar - Female

Queen City - Cincinnati, Ohio

Quck trip around the horn - Scanning the 40channel band.

R

Radar Alley - Ohio Turnpike

Radio - "Rig" or CB transceiver.

Radio Check - Meter reading, Signal report, statement of the quality of the signal. Often mis-used, and a joke on channel 19. Too many people use this as an excuse to start a conversation.

Radio Runt - Child or young person breaking in on a channel.

Rain Locker - Shower room

Raise - To try and contact someone

Rake the leaves - Last vehicle in a CB convoy

Ratchet-Jaw - Non-stop talker

REACT - Radio Emergency Associated Citizens Teams.

Read - To receive; or "hear" ("How do you read me?")

Rebound - Return trip.

Red Lighted - Police with someone pulled over.

Redneck radio - Someone who talks on the CB using only slang terms.

REST - Radio Emergency Safety Teams

Rest-em-up - Roadside rest stop

RF - Radio Frequency

RF Gain - This control, found on many CB radios, comes in handy when you have a station close by, which is overloading your radios "Front-end". It de-sensitizes the incoming signal.

Rig - Radio

Rig Rip - off Stolen CB

Riot Squad - Neighbors who have TVI

River City - Memphis Tennessee in the Southeast; Paducah, Kentucky in the midwest.

Road Jockey - Driver of tractor trailer.

Road Ranger - Smokey

Rock - Slang for crystal.

Rock City - Little Rock, Arkansas.

Rockin’ chair - car in the middle of a convoy

Rodeo Town - Cheyenne, Wyoming

Roger - O.K.

Roger Dodger - Same as "Roger"

Roller Skate - A car

Rolling - Moving.

Rolling Bears - Cops on the move.

Rolling Ranch - Cattle truck

Rolling Refinery - Truck hauling gas or oil.

Rookie Rig - Newbie CB’er

Rubber City - Akron, Ohio

Rugrats - Children/kids.

Rubberneckers - lookers.

Running Barefoot - Using a radio at the legal output – no extra "help"

Run interference - CB-less car speeding along past you.

Running on rags - Driving a vehicle with little to no tread on the tires.

Running Shotgun - Driving partner

Running together - CB’ers traveling in the same direction, keeping in contact with each other.

S

Sailboat fuel - Running on empty

Salt mines - Place of employment.

Salt Shaker - Highway department Salt truck

San Quentin Jailbait - Under age female hitch hiker.

Sandbox Dump - truck hauling dirt or stones

Savages - CB’ers who hog the channel

Scale house - Weigh station

School twenty - Location of school.

Scrub brush - Street cleaning truck

Seatcover - Attractive female occupant in a car

Set of Dials - A CB rig

Seven-thirds - Best regards

Seventy-Thirds - Sign-off meaning "Best wishes"

Shake the bushes - Lead CB’er looking for radar traps or other police.

Shakey City - Los Angeles

Shaking it - Moving

Shaking the windows - Clear reception of signal.

Shim - To illegally soup up a transmitter

Shoot the breeze - Casual conversation.

Shout - Calling someone on the CB

Short-short - Soon.

Shot an eyeball on it - Saw it.

Shovelling coal - Accelerating.

Show-off lane - Passing lane.

Skates - Tires

Skip - Atmospheric conditions that cause signals to travel much farther than they normally would. Typically signals are line-of-sight, but when the ionosphere is "charged" by the sun, signals that would normally pass through it are now reflected back to Earth, or "Skip" a large distance. Hams refer to this as a "Band opening".

Skipland - Distant stations

Skippers - CB’ers who talk a long distance.

Skip Talk’n - Someone who has been talking a long distance.

Sidedoor - Passing lane.

Sidewinder - Someone talking on sideband.

Sin City - Cincinnati, Ohio (Midwest); Las Vegas, Nevada (West)

Sitting in the saddle - Middle CB vehicle in a line of three or more vehicles

Six wheeler - Small truck.

Slaughter house - Channel 11

Slammer - Jail.

"S" Meter - The meter on your radio which indicated incoming signal strength. Usually calibrated in "S" units (1 "S" unit = 1DB). S units are also referred to as "Pounds".

Slave Drivers - CB’ers who take control of a channel

Slider - VFO, sometimes referred to clarifier

Smile and comb your hair - Radar trap up ahead.

Smokey - State Police

Smokey Bear - State Police

Smokey report - Police location report.

Smokey Beaver - Woman police officer.

Smokey Dozing - Police in a stopped car.

Smokey’s thick - Police are everywhere.

Smokey with a camera - Cop with radar

Smokey with ears - Cop with CB in car.

SNAFU - Foul up

Sneakers - Linear amp i.e.- "Do you have your sneakers on?"

Sneaky Snake - Hidden patrol car

Snooperscope - An illegally high antenna

Solid-state - Electronic device that doesn’t use tubes.

Someone spilled honey on the road - State troopers ahead everywhere.

Somebody stepped on you - Another station transmitted at the same time and was stronger

Sonnet - A CB’er who advertises products over the air

Souped Up - A rig modified to run illegally high power.

Sounding Choice - Clear, strong signal.

Sport City - Shreveport, Louisiana

Splashed - Getting bleedover from another channel

Splashover - Same thing as splashed

Splatter - Same thing as splashover

Spreading the greens - Cops giving out tickets.

Spud town - Boise Idaho

Squelch - Control on radio which silences the speaker until a signal of a certain strength breaks through it.

SSB - Single-Sideband

State Bear - State Trooper.

Stepped on - Reception squashed by bleedover or another strong signal. "Come on back, you got stepped on"

Stepped all over you - Similar to "Stepped On"

Stop to get groceries - Stop and eat.

Straight Shot - Road is clear of police and other obstructions.

Stroller - CB’er with a walkie-talkie

Struggle - Trying to "Break" a channel

Sucker - A CB rig on the service bench

Suds - Beer

Super Slab - Highway

Superdome city - New Orleans, Louisiana

Suppository - Negative.

Sunbeam - A CB’er who livens the channel with witticisms.

Sweet thing - Female CB operator.

SWR - Standing Wave Ratio. An incorrect impedance match can cause some of the transmitted signal to "reflect" back to the transmitter, which can reduce your signal, and possibly damage the Finals section of your transmitter. While a good match (1:1) is desirable, anything under 2:1 is safe. In my opinion, if you have two identical stations, at the same location, with one station having an SWR reading of 1.2:1 and another at 1.7:1, a receiving station at the other end, won’t see a noticeable difference between the two signals. Sometimes referred to in the plural sense (SWR’S) which makes about as much sense as "We" (see WE in the "W" section).

T

Taco Town - Corpus Christi, Texas

Taking pictures - Police radar

Taking pictures each way - Two-way radar

Tanker - Truck hauling liquid

Tennessee Valley Indians - TV Interference

Tearjerker - A CB’er who always cries the blues

10-1 Receiving poorly

10-2 Receiving well

10-3 Stop transmitting

10-4 Ok, message received. Variations:

Big Ten-four

Four-Ten

Ten-Forty

Forty-Ten

That’s a four

Four

Four-Roger

10-5 Relay message

10-6 Busy, stand by

10-7 Out of service. Leaving the air.

10-8 In service, taking calls.

10-9 Repeat message

10-10 Transmission complete, standing by.

10-11 Talking too fast.

10-12 Visitors present

10-13 Advise weather conditions

10-16 Make pickup at_________

10-17 Urgent business

10-18 Anything for us?

10-19 Nothing for you, return to base.

10-20 My location is_______. (i.e.- "My 20 is____", or "What’s your twenty?")

10-32 Radio Check

10-33 Emergency traffic at this station

10-34 Confidential information.

10-36 Correct time. An overused term that gets more grief than it’s worth

10-77 Negative contact

10-100 Restroom stop

Ten Roger - Message received.

Ten-ten - we’ll do it again Signoff.

The dirty side - New York City

Thread - Wires in a CB rig.

Three’s and eights - Signoff- Best wishes.

Thin - A very weak signal

Thin Man - CB’er with a weak carrier

Ticker Tape - The FCC rules

Ticks - FCC rules

Tin Can - CB rig

Tighten up on the rubber band - Accelerate

Tighten your seat, we’re running heavey - We are accelerating.

Tijuana Taxi - Police car; Wrecker; Taxi

Tinsel City - Hollywood California

Toenails are scratching - Full speed.

Toenails in the radiator - Full speed

Toenails on the front bumper - Full speed.

Toilet mouth - Foul mouth. Someone who uses obscene language.

Tooled-up - A souped up rig

Top Twenty - National CB Jamboree held 3 days each year in a different city.

Trading Stamps - Money.

Transceiver - Combination of Transmitter and Receiver in one box.

Treetop Tall Strong, - Loud signal

Trick babe - Prostitute

Tricky Dick’s - San Clemente, California

Truck ‘em easy - Drive safely

Truck ‘em up stop - Truck Stop

T-R Switch - Transmit Receive switch found on older radios.

T – Town - Texarkana

Turkey - Dumb

Turkey Call - An intermittent tone generator

Turning around my house - Rotating my antenna for better reception.

Turn Over - Stop

Turn Twenty - Location of exit or turn.

TVI - Television Interference.

Twelves - I have company present.

Twenty - Location.

Two Stool beaver - Very fat woman.

Twin huskies - Dual antenna’s

Twin Pets - A CB’er who has 2 sets from the same manufacturer

Two miles of ditches for every mile of road - Drive safely, keep in the middle.

Tx - Transmit

U

U.C.B.T.A. - United CB Truckers Association

Ungowa Bwana - O.K.

Uncle Charlie - FCC

Uppers and Lowers - Indicates that the radio will go above channel 40 and below channel 1

USB - Upper Sideband

USCRC - United States Citizens Radio Council

Use the Jake - Slow down

V

Valve -Tube

V.F.O. - Variable Frequency Oscillator, sometimes called a "Slider".

VOX - Voice operated relay. Allows the operator to transmit with the sound of his voice, rather than using a microphone push-to-talk switch.

W

Wall-to-wall - Very strong signal. Often used in conjunction with "Treetop Tall"

Walkie-talkie - Portable, battery operated, handheld transceiver.

Walking in here blowing smoke - Clear signal.

Walking on you - Covering up your signal i.e.- "Try it again, the other guy is walking on you".

Walking the dog - Clear reception

Wallpaper - QSL cards

Wall-to-wall bears - Police are everywhere.

Wall-to-wall and treetop tall - Strong, clear signal – the loudest.

Wall-to-wall and ten feet tall - Strong clear signal

Warden - The wife, the FCC

Walked on - Same as "Stepped On"

Watch the pavement - Drive safely

Watch your donkey - Police are coming up behind you.

Water hole - Truck stop

Watergate City - Washington DC

Watt - RF power rating. "My rig puts out 5 watts".

Way is bueno - The road ahead is clear.

Wear your bumper out - Following too close.

Welfare station - CB setup bought with welfare money.

We’re c lear - Signoff

We’re down - Signoff

We gone - Signoff

We’re down, out, and on the side - Through transmitting but listening.

We’re listening - Monitoring the channel

We - While "We" normally means two or more, in most cases when you hear someone say "we" on the radio, he is referring to himself only. This strange use of the word "we" is not confined to the CB band spectrum only. Many hams use (or mis-use) this as well.

Wearing socks - Has linear amplifier.

We’re trying - Trying t