Glossary & Slang Terms used in The Outsiders
amplifier (1) a person or thing that amplifies (2) Electronics a device, especially one with electron tubes or semiconductors, used to increase the strength of an electric signal.
booze-hound [Slang] a drunk.
buckskin a yellowish-gray horse.
chessy cat [Slang] Cheshire cat, a proverbial grinning cat from Cheshire, England, especially one described in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
conformity the condition or fact of being in harmony or agreement; correspondence; congruity; similarity.
contemptuously in a manner full of contempt; scornfully; disdainfully.
the cooler [Slang] jail.
corn-poney [Slang] unsophisticated, cornball.
Corvair a Chevrolet automobile model.
cur a dog of mixed breed; mongrel.
doggedly not giving in readily; persistent; stubborn.
elude to avoid or escape from by quickness, cunning, and so on; evade.
exploit an act remarkable for brilliance or daring; bold deed.
the fuzz [Slang] a policeman or the police.
gallant (1) showy and lively in dress or manner (2) stately; imposing (3) brave and noble; high-spirited and daring.
groggy shaky or dizzy, as from a blow; sluggish or dull, as from lack of sleep.
guardian (1) a person who guards, protects, or takes care of another person, property, and so on; custodian (2) a person legally placed in charge of the affairs of a minor or of a person of unsound mind.
Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams) (1923-53) U.S. country music singer and composer.
heater [Slang] a pistol.
indignant feeling or expressing anger or scorn, especially at unjust, mean, or ungrateful action or treatment.
JD short for juvenile delinquent.
madras a fine, firm cotton cloth, usually striped or plaid, used for shirts, dresses, and so on.
ornery (1) having an ugly or mean disposition (2) obstinate.
Paul Newman (b. 1925) popular actor known for his good looks and blue eyes.
peroxide hydrogen peroxide, a liquid used to bleach hair.
Perry Mason a television drama from the l960s that featured a lawyer by the same name.
pickled [Slang] intoxicated; drunk.
premonition (1) a warning in advance; a forewarning (2) a feeling that something, especially something bad, will happen; foreboding; presentiment.
quarter short for "quarter horse," any of a breed of light, muscular horse of a solid, usually dark color: because of its quick reactions, it is much used in Western range work and in rodeos.
Robert Frost (1874-1963) U.S. poet.
savvy [Slang] to understand; get the idea.
snooker a variety of the game of pool played with fifteen red balls and six other balls.
soused [Slang] intoxicated.
stupor a state in which the mind and senses are dulled; partial or complete loss of sensibility, as from the use of a narcotic or from shock.
T-bird [Slang] a Ford Thunderbird.
weed [Informal] a cigar or cigarette.
Will Rogers (born William Penn Adair Rogers) (1879-1935) U.S. humorist and actor.
Ref: CliffNotes. (2020). Study help full glossary for The Outsiders. https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/o/the-outsiders/study-help/full-glossary-for-the-outsiders
Dialect is the way people talk which differentiates them, as individuals or as groups, from others and places them in a recognizable place and time.
In the case of The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, the main characters all speak in the dialect of a 1960s white gang in Oklahoma. Just as today's gang culture has its own vocabulary and way of speaking, the Greasers and the Hoods in this novel have their own language and way of speaking...continue reading...
The language and details of the novel root the story in the sixties. Characters call fights “rumbles,” and people listen to the Beatles and Elvis Presley. The novel is set in the Southwest, as evidenced by the fact that many greasers ride in local rodeos. Despite its location in a specific time and place, however, the novel is remarkable for its ability to transcend location. The Outsiders examines the universal urge to form factions, compete, and unite for survival. With only a few minor cosmetic changes, the novel could easily take place in a contemporary setting. This fact has given it universal appeal for the last few decades.
Ref: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/outsiders/context/