SLANG DICTIONARY

"We caught him playing with queer." (Losing Streak)

also see, Police Terminology, also see, Slang for Common Subjects

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

Want to know if anyone in the show said, “Hang tight,” “Clod kicker” or “Ain’t no great shakes”? The list below can help.

This is a very unscientific collection of the slang and idioms used in Bay City. It is by no means complete, and it is also by no means perfect. What is one person’s slang may be another person’s standard English. What is one person’s idiom may be someone else’s turn-of-phrase, which may be somebody else’s colloquialism, which may be someone’s localism. Or it may be someone else's bit of hooey.

All this slanguage is subjective in terms of the time period, regionalisms, the gender/age/race of the speaker and the context in which they are used. Add that to their definitions being dependent on all of the above, and one needs to stay sharp.

A
back to top

• "APB" = an "all points bulletin" (Texas Longhorn, Silence, Fix, Snowstorm)
• “a lock” = something that can’t be disputed (Death in a Different Place)
• “ace in the hole” = an advantage someone has that others don’t know about (Terror on the Docks)
• “ace” = best (Action, Snowstorm)
• “acting up” = sporadically not working, giving trouble (Pilot)
• “action” = gambling (Action) sex (Murder at Sea)
• “after the post” = after the post mortem (Texas Longhorn)
• “against the grain” = opposite the usual (Murder at Sea)
• “ain’t no snow white” = not innocent (Iron Mike)
• “ain’t that too much” = isn’t that something (Bloodbath)
• “all a front” = a disguise, trick (Pilot)
• “all America on wheels” = Hutch exclaims this is frustration, reference to Ford Motor’s original slogan (Survival)
• “all clear” = no problems (Silence)
• “all heart” = to have sympathy, often said sarcastically (Heroes)
• “all points” = all points bulletin (Nightmare)
• “allergic to green” = can’t be bribed (Iron Mike)
• “angel” = someone who watches over you, possibly someone in organized crime (Heavyweight) a snitch, informant (Game)
• “angling” = trying to get something by indirect or artful means (Action)
• "Anglo" = white person (Texas Longhorn)
• “APB” = all points bulletin (Fix, Silence, Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “ape” = goon, thug (Action)
• “are you in” = do you agree? (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “are you listed” = are you in the phone book? (Manchild on the Streets)
• “arm-break concession” = loan sharks that play rough (Collector)
• “armor” = gun (Blindfold)
• “arms” = guns (Action)
• “as per manual” = by the book (Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty)
• “assist” = getting help from other cops (Trap)
• “ate out” = yelled at, scolded (Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty)
• “ate up” = betrayed (Heavyweight)
• “automatic” = gun (Trap, Committee)
• “ax” = a guitar (Moonshine)

B
back to top
• “babushkas” = breasts (Groupie)
• “back door method” = not the usual way, perhaps underhanded (Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty)
• “back in the bull pen” = back into a temporary holding area (Heavyweight)
• “back it up” = explain it (Murder on Stage 17)
• “back of the neck” = helpless (Bust Amboy)
• “backside” = butt (Manchild on the Streets)
• "bad" = good (Targets 1)
• “bad shape” = not well (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “bad stuff” = bad drugs (Heroes)
• “bag” = thing (Texas Longhorn)
• “bag and baggage” = all the things someone owns (Captain Dobey, You’re Dead)
• “ball and chain” = wife (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “baloney” = nonsense, bullshit (Deadly Imposter)
• “bank on it” = count on it (Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “bang-up job” = a good job (Targets 3)
• “barking’” = insert favorite censored word here (Pilot)
• “batting a thousand” = getting it all right, having complete success (Cover Girl, Black and Blue)
• “be a cowboy” = take unnecessary risks, be macho (Birds of a Feather)
• “be a soldier” = be brave (Fatal Charm)
• “be there yesterday” = be really fast (Quadromania)
• “Bureau” = FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigations (Groupie)
• “beat” = area to patrol (Starsky’s Lady, Nightmare, Captain Dobey, You’re Dead, Pilot, Texas Longhorn) exhausted, tired (Fatal Charm)
• “beat bad” = win by a large margin (Gillian)

• “beat it” = get out of here, leave (Psychic, Heavyweight)
• “beat to a pulp” = beat excessively (Jojo)
• “beating a dead horse” = doing something useless (Set-Up)
• “beats me” = I don’t know (Pilot)
• “beaut” = nice thing, beautiful example (Pilot, Starsky’s Lady, Rosey Malone)
• “beef” = complaint (Losing Streak, Velvet Jungle, Committee, Trap) deal (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “been made” = cover is blown, found out (Rosey Malone, Snowstorm, Partners)
• “before the ink gets dry” = right away (Bust Amboy)
• “behind” = butt (Iron Mike, Groupie)
• “behind the eight ball” = in a vulnerable, unfavorable, uncomfortable position (Targets 3
• “bellyaching” = bitching, complaining (Jojo, Bait)
• “belt out” = sing loudly, enthusiastically (Murder at Sea)
• “bend your ear” = to talk to someone for a long time, usually about something boring (Heroes)
• “bent” = don’t go by the rules, don’t do the expected (Psychic)
• “bent out of shape” = annoyed (Fatal Charm, Starsky’s Brother)
• “best shot” = best try, best attempt (Bloodbath)
• “bet on that” = count on that (Bloodbath)
• “bet our action” = bet what we do (Action)
• “between his horns” = between the ears, in a deadly spot (Silence)
• “beyond the call of duty” = over and above what is required (Targets 3)
• “big banana” = the one in charge (Rosey Malone)
• “Big D” = steroid (Kill Huggy Bear)
• “big one” = a dollar (Discomania) a thousand dollars (Bait)
• “big score” = big prize (Action)
• “big time score” = illegal job that gets a large amount of valuables (Nightmare, Psychic, Action)
• “bimbo” = stupid woman (Heroes, Texas Longhorn)
• “bingo” = confirmation of a guess, occurrence of an idea (Pilot, Manchild on the Streets, Trap)
• “bird brain” = stupid person (Bounty Hunter)
• “birds and the bees” = basics about sexual matters (Rosey Malone)
• “bit” = twenty-five cents (Targets 1)
• “bite” = take the bait (Body Worth Guarding)
• “biz” = business (Murder Ward)
• “black and white” = squad car (Bust Amboy)
• “black book” = snitch book, cop’s personal information book (Iron Mike, Pilot)
• “blank check” = total freedom of action (Death Notice)
• “blast” = kill (Survival)
• “bled” = squeezed, pressured (Bounty Hunter)
• “bleed dry” = completely squeezed, pressured (Golden Angel)
• “bleed it out” = lose it (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “blew away” = murdered (Velvet Jungle)
• “blew” = completely destroyed by explosion (Specialist, Savage Sunday, Velvet Jungle)
• “blind alley” = a mistaken, unproductive undertaking (Kill Huggy Bear)
• “blood” = another black person (Huggy Bear and the Turkey, Huggy Can’t Go Home) man (Game, Bloodbath)
• “blood lines back to Noah’s ark” = an extremely old family (Bloodbath)
• “blood race” = get excited (Murder at Sea)
• “bloody” = expletive (Murder at Sea, Jojo, various)
• “blow” = mess it up, throw it away (Pilot, Body Worth Guarding) explode (Silence)
• “blow away” = kill (Bounty Hunter, Trap, Heavyweight, Foxy Lady, Velvet Jungle, Birds of a Feather, Pariah)
• “blow his bail” = jump bail (Committee)
• “blow in” = suddenly arrive from somewhere (Savage Sunday)
• “blow it” = ruin it, mess it up (Trap, Heavyweight)
• “blow my cover” = reveal my true identity (Tap Dancing)
• "blow the lid off" = expose (Committee)
• “blow the whistle” = to tell of illegal or dangerous activities (Manchild on the Streets, Ballad for a Blue Lady, Blindfold, Birds of a Feather, Rosey Malone)
• “blow you guys out” = freak you guys out (Vendetta)
• “blowing smoke” = posing, acting (Action)
• “blows my mind” = amazes me (Death in a Different Place)
• “blue coat” = uniformed cop (Pariah)
• “boat race” = a race with a number of non-triers which is said to be fixed (Omaha Tiger)
• “body English” = pool term meaning to put spin on ball, means to do something with a sly deception (Discomania)

• “bogus bread” = counterfeit money (Losing Streak)
• “bonanza” = jackpot (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “boogeyman” = monster made up to frighten children, thing of which someone has an irrational fear (Deadly Imposter, Snowstorm)
• “book” = bookie (Action, Collector)
• “book, the” = the rules (Nightmare, Iron Mike, various)
• “boom-boom girls” = cheerleaders, pom-pom girls (Shootout)
• “booster” = burglar, thief (Groupie)
• “booze” = alcohol (Death in a Different Place, Manchild on the Streets)
• “bottom line” = final result (Bloodbath)
• “bought it” = believed (A Coffin for Starsky) died, killed (Committee, Snowstorm, Discomania)
• “bought the store” = believed the whole thing (Bounty Hunter)
• “bounce” = get out, leave (Bounty Hunter)
• “bout” = round in a fight (Omaha Tiger)
• “bowl of cherries” = something easy (Discomania)
• “boys upstairs” = Dobey’s superiors (Death Notice)
• “brave soldier” = eager cop (Bust Amboy)
• “bread” = money (Omaha Tiger, Bust Amboy, Fatal Charm, Manchild on the Streets, Losing Streak, Heavyweight, Savage Sunday, Blindfold, Ballad for a Blue Lady, Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “break” = another chance (Las Vegas Strangler, Trap) leave, quit (Heavyweight)
• “break heads = get physical (Iron Mike)
• “break my heart” = very disappointing, used sarcastically (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “break my rhythm” = mess up my usual ways (Kill Huggy Bear)
• “break the bank” = win a lot of money, win more than the house can pay you (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “break this thing wide open” = solve it (Psychic)
• “breathe easier” = relax (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “breathing down my neck” = intense, close pressure or observation (Rosey Malone)
• “breathing fire” = intense, close pressure or observation (Ballad For a Blue Lady)
• “breeze” = easy, simple (Committee)
• “brew” = beer (Blindfold, Birds of a Feather)
• “bring in” = apprehend, arrest (Heroes)
• “bring in from the cold” = come in from undercover (Lady Blue)
• “bring to the outside” = bring out in the open (Murder at Sea)
• “bro” = see "brother" (Manchild on the Streets)
• “broad” = woman (Fix, Snowstorm, Bust Amboy, Velvet Jungle, Texas Longhorn, Fatal Charm, Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty, Terror on the Docks, Cover Girl, Vampire, Groupie)
• “broad daylight” = out in the open, not hidden (Class in Crime)
• “broker” = a go-between in crime, one can ask a broker to get a hit man (Collector)
• “broke up” = end a romantic relationship (Murder at Sea, Crying Child)
• “broken his face” = would have been too intense for him (Committee)
• “brother” = word for a black man used by another black man, used to refer to someone of the same group (Manchild on the Streets, Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “brought along” = supported (Heavyweight)
• “brown bread and white bread” = Hispanic, Latino or Chicano man and a white man (Texas Longhorn)
• "brownie" = camera (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “bucks” = dollars (Long Walk)
• “budding life of crime” = in the early development of becoming a criminal (Trap)
• “budding romance” = early development of love (Trap)
• “bug” = bother (Specialist) electronic surveillance (Death Ride)
• “bug out” = leave alone (Targets 2)
• "buggy" = car (Survival)
• “building line” = building foundation (Iron Mike)
• “bull” = bullshit, nonsense (Psychic)
• “bull moose” = extra large (Murder Ward)
• “bum” = loser, punk (Iron Mike, Heavyweight, Losing Streak)
• “bum rap” = bogus charge, unfair (Huggy Bear and the Turkey, Blindfold)
• “bummed out” = disappointed (Crying Child)
• “bumming around” = hanging out (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “bump in the dark” = one-on-one fight (Bounty Hunter)
• “bump off” = kill (Psychic)
• “buried case” = past case (Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty)
• “burn” = kill (Death Ride, Plague, Black and Blue, Ballad for a Blue Lady, Terror on the Docks, Cover Girl, Tap Dancing, Plague, Death in a Different Place, Class in Crime, Huggy Can’t Go Home , Manchild on the Streets, Savage Sunday, Birds of a Feather, Pariah) cheat (Birds of a Feather)
• “burned away” = killed (Set-Up)
• “burning rubber” = moving fast (Bust Amboy)
• “burns my fuse” = pisses me off (Vendetta)
• “bury” = apprehend, get, hide legally (Targets 1)
• “busman’s holiday” = vacation during which one engages in activity that is similar to one’s usual work. (Deadly Imposter)
• “bus ticket out of here” = chance to leave (Trap)
• “business in the john” = use the bathroom (Trap)
• “bust” = arrest (Snowstorm, Murder at Sea, Amboy, Ninety Pounds of Trouble, Bounty Hunter, A Coffin for Starsky, Blindfold, Iron Mike, Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty, Murder on Stage 17, Silence, Pilot, Rosey Malone, Death in a Different Place, Bait, Manchild on the Streets) jump in, move in quickly (Crying Child), find out (Bait)
• “busted wide open” = reveal (Action)
• “bust ‘em rust ‘em” = tough guy (Texas Longhorn)
• “bust in the chops” = hit in the jaw (Committee, Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “bust the light” = run a red light (Pilot, Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “busting heads” = getting physically rough (Murder at Sea)
• “busting their runners” = arresting their money/drug/gambling go-betweens (Rosey Malone)
• “butt out” = back off, leave alone (Velvet Jungle)
• “buy” = believe (Pilot, Las Vegas Strangler, Committee, Death in a Different Place, Rosey Malone)
• “buy it” = die (Snowstorm, Committee)
• “buy me” = give me (Action)
• “by the book” = to go by the rules (Snowstorm, Iron Mike)
• “by the same token” = in addition, for the same reason (Captain Dobey, You’re Dead)

C
back to top
• “C-note” = hundred dollar bill (Action)
• “cahoots” = secret or questionable partnership (Murder on Murder on Playboy Island)
• “call the shots” = make the decisions, be in charge (Specialist, Game)
• “came through when the chips were down” = was there as support when all else failed (Heavyweight)
• “can” = bathroom (Death Ride) butt (Fix, Specialist) jail (Jojo, Crying Child)
• “can of worms” = a messy, complicated situation (Vendetta)
• “can take a punch” = can stand up to adversity (Heavyweight)
• “can the birdseed” = cut the stupid small talk (Vendetta)
• “can you dig it” = do you understand? (Trap)
• “candy store” = liquor store (Kill Huggy Bear)
• “canner” = punk, lowlife (Pilot, Savage Sunday)
• “cannon” = cop (Savage Sunday) huge gun (Trap, Targets 3, Photo Finish)
• “Cantonese” = Chinese food (Deckwatch)
• “canvas kisser” = boxer (Golden Angel)
• “car fare” = enough money to get home, most likely by public transportation (Action)
• “carried away” = so enthusiastic you lose your perspective and good judgment (Rosey Malone)
• “carrying” = armed (Action)
• “case” = closely watch a building or situation for information for the future, surveillance (Heavyweight)
• “case and priors” = legal file (Jojo)
• “case of the cutes” = someone who becomes suddenly self-assertive (Hostages)
• “cash in early” = quit (Action)
• “cat” = guy, dude (Running, Savage Sunday, Pilot, Jojo, Murder at Sea, Gillian, Murder Ward, Long Walk, Fix, Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “cat dragged in” = what suddenly appeared (Birds of a Feather, Sweet Revenge)
• “catches two slugs” = shot twice (Foxy Lady)
• “caution you” = warn you (Nightmare)
• “Central” = central dispatch (Survival)
• “certifiable” = nuts, crazy (Jojo)
• “chariot” = car (Lady Blue)
• “chasing grouse all night” = Hutch uses it referring to Starsky’s wild night of sex (Heavyweight)
• “chasing our tails all over sunset” = wild goose chase, worthless chase (Bloodbath)
• “cheap book” = a book that can’t handle large bets (Action)
• “cheap nickel and dimer” = small time crook (Death in a Different Place)
• “cheap thrill” = something fun that doesn’t cost much, often something of small account (Cover Girl)
• “check for a wire” = determine if person has any secret electronic surveillance on him or her (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “check out the plumbing” = use the bathroom (Partners)
• “check out” = die (Murder on Murder on Playboy Island) investigate (Pilot)
• “check your traps” = ask around your beat (Heroes)
• “cheese it” = exclamation (Murder Ward, Sweet Revenge)
• “chemists” = illegal drug manufacturers (Bloodbath)
• "Chevy" = Chevrolet automobile (Death Ride)
• “Chicanos” = people from Mexico (Velvet Jungle, Manchild on the Streets)
• “chick” = woman (Jojo, Murder at Sea, Nightmare, Pilot, Fatal Charm, Manchild on the Streets, Heavyweight, Foxy Lady, Shootout, Texas Longhorn, Bait)
• “chicken feed” = a very small amount of money (Golden Angel)
• “chit” = a gambling IOU (Birds of a Feather)
• "chitchat" = small, unimportant conversation (Texas Longhorn)
• "chomping at the bit" = eager, anxious (Captain Dobey, You're Dead)
• “chopped channel and lowered short” = car that has been customized, chassis lowered and modified (Jojo)
• “chopper” = helicopter (Set-Up)
• “chops” = jaw (Huggy Bear and the Turkey, Committee)
• “chow” = food (Quadromania)
• “chow down” = eat (Bust Amboy)
• “chow’s on” = time to eat (Targets 1)
• “chump” = sucker (Savage Sunday)
• “chump change” = a very small amount of money (Golden Angel, Birds of a Feather)
• “cinch” = easy (Fix)
• “city tank” = city jail (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “class jock” = popular athletic kid (Bust Amboy)
• “class up” = smarten up (Death Notice)
• "clay pigeon" = a dupe (Death Ride)
• “clean” = honest (Iron Mike) no fingerprints (Class in Crime)
• “clean as a hound’s tooth” = immaculate (Groupie, Targets 1)
• “clean out the old pipes” = ease the respiratory system (Action)
• “clean piece” = a gun that can’t be traced (Birds of a Feather)
• “clean record” = without a criminal past, history (Trap)
• “clean up your act” = get it together, figure it out (Rosey Malone)
• “clobber” = hit (Murder at Sea, Bust Amboy)
• “clod kicker” = rube, turnip, redneck, unsophisticated (Huggy Bear and the Turkey, Tap Dancing, Snowstorm)
• “closet bigot” = a prejudiced person who is trying to keep it a secret (Manchild on the Streets)
• “clowning around” = fooling, playing around (Tap Dancing)
• “code of the subculture” = Rolly refers to this, rules the bad guys live by (Texas Longhorn)
• “coke” = cocaine (Murder at Sea, Bloodbath, Starsky’s Brother, Targets 1) soda pop (Action)
• “coke freak” = cocaine addict (Targets 1)
• “cold shot” = reality, tough, a real bitch (Action)
• “cold turkey” = cease a behavior suddenly, immediate withdrawal (Partners, Action) without question, certainly (Shootout)
• “collar” = arrest (Savage Sunday, Snowstorm, Huggy Bear and the Turkey, Manchild on the Streets, Plague, Collector, Photo Finish, Birds of a Feather)
• “college boys” = the Feds (Bait)
• “colored” = black person (Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “come clean” = admit, be honest (Murder Ward)
• “come in from the cold” = come out from undercover (Lady Blue)
• “come up short” = lacking (Heroes)
• “comfort station” = bathroom (Satan’s Witches)
• “coming down on” = attacking, scolding (Quadromania)
• “coming in for a landing” = arriving, just about finished (Action)
• “commie” = communist (Groupie)
• “con” = trick (Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “conk out” = fail (Bloodbath)
• “connect” = snitch (Groupie)
• “connection” = drug meet (Bust Amboy)
• “conquest” = sexual victory, a date (Hostage)
• “conspiracy” = agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime or accomplish a legal purpose through illegal action (Snowstorm)
• “contact man” = person to whom kidnappers relay information and direction (Psychic)
• “continental kit” = a spare tire mounted on the rear bumper of a car, usually requiring a bumper extension (Running)
• “cook up junk” = manufacture heroin (Bloodbath)
• “cooking the streets” = everybody knows and is talking about it (Nightmare)
• “cool it” = calm down, lay low (Death in a Different Place, Heroes, Hutchinson for Murder One, Cover Girl)
• “cooped up” = held in a small area, detained (Targets 1)
• “cop” = steal (Cover Girl, Photo Finish)
• “cop out” = be a stoolie, fink (Texas Longhorn)
• “copped” = squealed, told (Rosey Malone)
• “copy cat killings” = imitative killings (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “corn business” = in the business of making moonshine (Moonshine)
• “cornpone” = folksy, southern, homespun, as in manner or speech (Death Notice)
• “corny” = silly (Little Girl Lost)
• “cough up” = give up reluctantly (Groupie)
• “count me out” = don’t make me a part of the plan (Death in a Different Place)
• “counter culture” = going against the norms of society (Texas Longhorn, Velvet Jungle, Heroes)
• “courier” = money or information runner (Rosey Malone)
• “cover blown” = been discovered, made (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “cover cop” = under-cover cop (Psychic)
• “cover our tails” = protect ourselves (Action)
• “cover” = disguise (Murder at Sea, Action) protect (Trap, Gillian, various)
• “covers it” = takes care of it (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “cover your beat” = patrol your beat, have your beat (Captain Dobey, You’re Dead)
• “crack” = expert (Murder on Murder on Playboy Island, Terror on the Docks) hostile remark (Partners) solve (Targets 3)
• “crack job of it” = doing an excellent job (Velvet Jungle)
• “crack of dawn” = really, really early in the morning (Rosey Malone)
• “crack up” = car accident (Death Notice)
• "crackers" = craz, insane (Lady Blue)
• “cracker” = white person (Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “crackerjack” = expert (Murder on Playboy Island)
• “cracking heads” = getting rough (Snowstorm)
• “crash” = go to sleep (Foxy Lady)
• “crazy like a fox” = smart, but in an unexpected way (Murder at Sea)
• “crease” = shallow wound, flesh wound from a bullet (Shootout)
• “creep” = weasel, lowlife (Pilot, Iron Mike, Bloodbath, Death in a Different Place, Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “crib” = pimp’s collection of hookers (Bait)
• “crime wave” = explosion of crime (Bounty Hunter)
• “crooked” = illegal (Bust Amboy)
• “cross” = get in the way of or go against (Pilot, Heavyweight)
• “cross-pollinating” = dating/sleeping with someone of a different race (Black and Blue)
• “crossing the last T” = carefully finishing a project (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “crucifies” = treats cruelly, criticizes harshly (Hostages)
• “cruising altitude” = ideal speed (Action)
• “crumb” = loser, bum (A Coffin for Starsky, Bust Amboy, Iron Mike, Action)
• “crummy” = rotten (Little Girl Lost)
• “crying out loud” = exclamation of anger or exasperation (Heavyweight)
• “cuff” = put handcuffs on (Iron Mike, Hutchinson for Murder One, Trap)
• “cut off” = denied drugs (Heroes)
• “cut out” = leave, take off (Snowstorm)
• "cut the ice" = do the job, be sufficient (Vendetta)
• “cut with” = diluted or weakened with (Heroes)
• “cut” = take (Velvet Jungle)

D
back to top
• “DB report” = report of a dead body (Lady Blue, Jojo)
• “DMT” = hallucinogenic (Quadromania)
• “DMV” = department of motor vehicles (Set-Up, Heroes, Class in Crime)
• “DMV read up” = Dobey asks for info regarding license plate (Fix)
• “DR” = daily record (Plague)
• “dame” = woman (Fix, Running)

• “darned your socks” = took care of domestically (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “deadbang” = absolute (Groupie)
• “dead meat” = doomed person, in serious trouble (Iron Mike)
• “dead piece” = gun that can’t be traced (Collector)
• “dead to rights” = in the very act of making an error or committing a crime, certain (Snowstorm)
• “dealing” = selling drugs (Death in a Different Place, Manchild on the Streets)
• “deli” = cold sandwiches (Ballad for a Blue Lady)
• “deluxe reverse Hondo switch” = tactic for throwing loaded dice, by having two sets, keeping one in sleeve (Action)
• “demo” = gig, demonstration (Body Worth Guarding)
• “desert people” = Jewish people (?) (Body Worth Guarding)
• “dice crib“ = place to gamble (Action)
• “dicey“ = tricky, complicated (Ninety Pounds of Trouble)
• “dick“ = detective (Murder on Playboy Island)
• “did a number on“ = really affected something, had a big result (Bloodbath)
• “did me“ = got me (Fatal Charm)
• “did time” = served a sentence in prison (Silence)
• “diddly” = nothing (Texas Longhorn)
• “diddlysquat” = nothing (Photo Finish, Blindfold)
• “didn’t come here for a seminar” = get down to business (Iron mike)
• “didn’t have a dime” = has nothing (Gillian)
• “dig” = understand, like or appreciate (Pilot, Deadly Imposter, Murder at Sea, Huggy Bear and the Turkey, Bloodbath, Targets 1, Murder on Playboy Island, Rosey Malone, Manchild on the Streets Trap)
• “dig up” = locate (Fatal Charm)
• “dim view” = regard disapprovingly (Partners)
• “dingo” = crazy nut (Death Notice)
• “dink artist” = tennis player (Golden Angel)
• “dip and sip” = bar (Trap)
• “dipper” = pickpocket (Plague)
• “dirty cop” = unethical cop, cop gone bad (Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty)
• “dirty work” = unpleasant, thankless task (Rosey Malone)
• "dirty your own hands" = do your own dirty work (Death Notice)
• “disappear” = go into hiding (Death in a Different Place)
• “disappearing act” = to vanish (Groupie)
• “district” = beat, area to patrol (Pilot)
• “ditch” = abandon (Hostages)
• “do a number” = run a scam (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “do” = kill (Lady Blue, Murder at Sea, Manchild on the Streets)
• “do the drop” = deliver something (Psychic)
• “do the number” = do the hit, the job (Jojo)
• “do up” = fix (Bloodbath)
• “do your numbers on” = run a scam (Vendetta)
• “doctored” = tampered with (Bust Amboy)
• “does a duck quack?” = obvious affirmative answer (Cover Girl)
• “does it hold” = still true (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “doesn’t hold a candle to” = doesn’t compare (Birds of a Feather)
• “doesn’t smell good” = suspiciously rotten, not something good (Rosey Malone)
• “dog” = hotdog (Tap Dancing)
• “dog-tailed” = followed (Nightmare)
• “doing a solo” = doing a job alone, without backup (Action)
• “doing an SOS” = asking for help (Trap)
• “doing fieldwork” = working as a prostitute without a pimp (Hostages)
• “numbers in cars” = PatriciaTalbert says she is way past this, is more grown-up (Pilot)
• “doing time” = in prison (Heroes, Silence, Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “doll” = woman (Pilot, Murder on Playboy Island)
• “don’t push it” = don’t force it, tread lightly (Quadromania)
• “don’t start with me” = don’t pick a fight (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “don’t sweat it” = don’t worry about it (Velvet Jungle)
• “done” = raped (Jojo)
• “done for” = all used up (Committee, Bloodbath)
• “don’t’ be a cowboy” = don’t show off or do anything rash (Birds of a Feather)
• “dope” = any narcotic or dangerous drug, usually refers to marijuana or heroin (Bust Amboy, Lady Blue, Heroes, Bait, Targets 1) the deal, the information (Murder Ward)
• “double clutch” = drive right into (Partners)
• “double-dog dare” = challenge (Moonshine)
• “dough” = money (Action, Nightmare, Game, Collector)
• “down Mexico way” = in Mexico (Rosey Malone)
• “down the river” = betray (Set-Up)

• “down the tubes” = into the trash, into the toilet, go bad (Jojo, Deadly Imposter, Ballad for a Blue Lady)
• “down with the get-down” = understood, along with someone (Black and Blue)
• “downers” = depressant (Manchild on the Streets)
• “drag” = bummer, a disappointment (Partners) dressed in the clothes of the opposite gender (Psychic)
• “dream dust” = heroin (Bust Amboy)
• “dress up a party” = people or things hired to make a party look better (Death Notice)
• “drop a dime” = make a phone call (Huggy Can’t Go Home, Strange Justice)
• “dropped out of action” = disappeared (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “drought” = time of less drug availability (Bust Amboy)
• “drunk tank” = cell to dry out (Running, Bounty Hunter, Survival)
• “dry” = no drugs (Bust Amboy)
• “dud” = unsuccessful, disappointing (Rosey Malone, Las Vegas Strangler)
• “dude” = man (Tap Dancing, Death in a Different Place, Collector, Manchild on the Streets, Hutchinson for Murder One, Trap, Quadromania, Cover Girl)
• “duke you” = give you, lead you to (Texas Longhorn)
• “dumped on” = ratted on, turned state’s evidence (Terror on the Docks)
• “dupe” = fool (Rosey Malone)

• “dusted” = kill (Quadromania, Heavyweight)

E
back to top
• “ETA” = estimated time of arrival (Jojo, Murder at Sea)
• “early bird’= first one there (Trap)
• “ear“ = bug, listening device (Dandruff)
• “ear sore “ = a catchy tune (Discomania)
• “earning our daily bread“ = doing the mundane, perhaps unpleasant parts of job (Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty)
• “ease off“ = back off (Committee)
• “easy does it“ = go carefully, don’t hurry (Action)
• “easy mark“ = easy to take advantage of (Fatal Charm)
• “easy money“ = money obtained easily, possibly illegally (Velvet Jungle)
• “easy time“ = small amount of jail time (Committee)
• “eat it“ = deal with it, take it (Heroes, Action, Body Worth Guarding)
• “eating dirt“ = killed (Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “eating out of a tin dish“ = in jail, going to jail (Action)
• “edge“ = advantage (Bust Amboy)
• “egg money “ = stake, money to start a scam with (Action)
• “egg all over his face“ = embarrassed, humiliated (Targets 1)
• “end of the run“ = end of the shift (Birds of a Feather)
• “energy game“ = natural gas and oil business, off-shore oil (Action)
• “enforcer” = hatchet man, one whose job it is to execute unpleasant tasks for a superior (Death Notice)
• “est" = Erhard Seminars Training (Trap)
• “executive” = impressive (Murder on Playboy Island)
• “extra reach” = bigger gun (Psychic)
• “eyes wide open” = with full knowledge (Targets 3)

F
back to top
• “faded” = as in “you’re faded,” your bet is covered (Ballad for a Blue Lady)
• “fall” = get found out, get in trouble (Bust Amboy)
• “fall behind” = come under (Texas Longhorn)
• “fall guy” = someone who is blamed for someone else’s crime or mistake (Heroes)
• “family” = people who are members or under the protection of the mob/crime syndicate (Shootout)
• “family man” = married guy with kids (Crying Child, Starsky vs. Hutch, Photo Finish, Snowstorm)
• “fan” = admirer (Tap Dancing)
• “fanny” = butt (Class in Crime)
• “fancy talk” = boasting talk (Manchild on the Streets)
• “farm out” = sent away (Little Girl Lost) exclamation meaning “really cool” (Groupie)
• “fast buck” = easy money (Tap Dancing, Psychic)
• “FBI kickback” = requested information from the Feds (Captain Dobey, You’re Dead)
• “feds” = federal government, most likely FBI (Starsky’s Brother)
• “feed your arm” = have a heroin addiction (Bust Amboy)
• “feel on him = a read on him (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “fell off the back of a truck“ = stolen property (Starsky’s Brother)
• “fell off the wagon” = went back to drinking, no longer sober (Losing Streak)
• “fence” = buy/sell stolen goods (Little Girl Lost, Death Ride)
• “feygeleh” = gay man (Vendetta)
• “field day” = do something without holding back (Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty, Crying Child)
• “few falls” = couple of rounds in a fight (Omaha Tiger)
• “few kicks” = a little, harmless fun (Ballad for a Blue Lady)
• “field day” = a time of great activity and opportunity (Vampire)
• “fifteen will get you twenty” = having sex with a minor will get you twenty years in jail (Ninety Pounds of Trouble)
• “fill in” = give missing information (Rosey Malone)
• “finger man” = snitch (Iron Mike)
• “finger” = identify (Nightmare, Little Girl Lost, Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty, Texas Longhorn, Photo Finish, Starsky’s Brother)
• “finish” = kill (Gillian, Jojo)
• “finished” = dead (Psychic)
• “fink” = betrayer, informant (Committee, Snowstorm, Las Vegas Strangler, Iron Mike, Action) person held in contempt, disapproval (Pilot)
• “firepower” = capacity/ability of weapons (Action)
• “first class joint” = really nice place (Action)
• “first name basis” = knows well (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “first thing smoking’” = fastest transport (Snowstorm)
• “fish” = guy, dude (Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “fisheye” = suspicious look (Photo Finish)
• “fish out of water” = not at home, not comfortable (Murder at Sea)
• “fit that jacket” = match that description (Lady Blue)
• “five will get you ten” = certainly, for sure (Heroes, Heavyweight, Murder Ward, Manchild on the Streets, Blindfold)
• “fiver” = five dollar bill (Murder at Sea)
• “fix” = dose of heroin (Fix, Bust Amboy, Heroes)
• “fix a fight” = prearrange the outcome of a fight (Heavyweight)
• “fix a pattern” = discern a pattern (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “fixed ticket” = clear or drop charges on a minor offense (Bloodbath)
• “fixer upper” = something bought cheaply that needs a lot of work (Heroes)
• “fixer upper dinner” = a meal meant to introduce people to each other in hopes of romance (Action)
• “flag waving” = excessive or fanatical patriotism (Body Worth Guarding)
• “flake” = nutty person (Death Notice, A Coffin for Starsky)
• “flash a piece” = show a gun (Body Worth Guarding, Collector)
• “flash” money or props used to impress (Bait) information (Heavyweight), show (Collector)
• “flasher” = indecent exposure (Bust Amboy, Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty)
• “flea bag” = cheap and ratty (Heavyweight)
• “flip your mitts” = put your hands in the air, police demand (Cover Girl)
• “float away” = need to piss badly (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “floating crap game” = a crap game on a boat (Action)
• “floozy” = a woman regarded as sexually promiscuous and tawdry (Starsky’s Brother)
• “flophouse” = cheap rundown hotel or boarding house (Heavyweight)
• “flunk Latin” = to be an average student (Bust Amboy)
• “flunky” = one who does menial work without question (Set-Up)
• “flyer” = an express bus (Nightmare)
• “fold up tents” = give up (Crying Child)
• “fool around” = not serious, doesn’t mean business (Heavyweight)
• “fool with it” = mess around, deal with it (Omaha Tiger)
• “for kicks” = purely for fun (Texas Longhorn, Committee)
• “for love or money” = under any circumstances, usually used in a negative way (Photo Finish)
• “for my health” = for nothing, for the hell of it (Moonshine)
• “for openers” = to start with (Pilot)
• “for starters = start or begin with (Jojo)
• “for the bird“ = ridiculous (Trap)
• “forget it“ = leave alone (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “forget the games“ = get to the point (Gillian)
• “fox” = woman (Iron Mike)
• “foxy“ = sexy (Vampire, Fix)
• “frame“ = set up (Nightmare, Silence)
• “freak“ = weirdo, loser (Bloodbath, Partners)
• “freak of nature” = not normal (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “freaking” = really, very (Murder Ward)
• “free ride downtown” = arrested (Bounty Hunter)
• “freebie” = get something without paying for it (Heroes)
• “freelance mechanic” = independent hit man or general thug (Jojo, Sweet Revenge)
• “freeze” = don’t move (Psychic, Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “from the belly” = deep, sincere (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “from the sticks” = from nowhere, from the boondocks (Groupie)
• “front office” = guy in charge, department in charge (Action, Starsky’s Lady)
• “fuddy duddy” = old-fashioned (Birds of a Feather)
• "fruitcake" = a crazy person (Death Notice)
• “full of hot air” = full of big, useless talk (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “funky” = ratty, low class (Death in a Different Place)
• “funny cigarettes” = marijuana (Blindfold)
• “funny farm” = mental institution (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “funny money” = counterfeit money (Losing Streak)
• “fuzz” = cops (Death Notice, Kill Huggy Bear, Hostages, Silence, Jojo, Little Girl Lost)

G
back to top
• “G” = a grand, $1000 (Survival, Groupie, Targets 1)
• “G.I.” – general enlisted soldier in the army (Strange Justice)
• “g-man” = an agent with the FBI (Groupie)
• “gambling junkie” = someone addicted to gambling (Action)
• “gambling spree” = gambling indulgence, outburst (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “gamey” = unpleasant smelling (Heroes, Photo Finish, Murder at Sea)
• “gay” = homosexual (Death in a Different Place)
• “gear jockey” = big rig truck driver (Set-Up)
• “gear” = stuff, things (Murder at Sea)
• “geese” = guys (Shootout)
• “geezer” = old man (Survival)
• “get a line on” = get information about (Death Notice, Groupie)
• “get cute” = get tricky (Pilot)
• “get down to it” = face facts, see the truth (Death in a Different Place)
• “get down with the get down” = be really sharp, cool (Black and Blue)
• “get even tip” = information given by a snitch to punish someone else, no compensation wanted (Rosey Malone)
• “get heavy” = become dangerous, intense (Heroes)
• “get in on the ground floor” = get in at the beginning (Committee)
• “get it out on the street” = put information out in public (Death in a Different Place)
• “get it” = get in trouble (Bust Amboy)
• “get loose”= get some time for personal business, perhaps being off-duty (Photo Finish)
• “get me a shovel” = aware that someone is talking bullshit (Quadromania, Deckwatch)
• “get me a tracer” = trace this phone call (Bloodbath)
• “get my drift” = understand (Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “get off” = have the right (Heroes)
• “get off my back” = leave me alone (Murder on Playboy Island)
• “get off the ground” = start (Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty)
• “get on it” = start moving on it, make headway (Captain Dobey, You’re Dead)
• “get on the slab” = do an autopsy (Avenger)
• “get on the table” = do an autopsy (Jojo)
• “get out” = stop it (Crying Child)
• “get out of town money” = money used to leave town suddenly and necessarily (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “get some shuteye” = get some sleep (Quadromania)
• “get some Z’s” = get some sleep (Fatal Charm)
• “get the bugs out” = simply fix (Bloodbath)
• “get the kewpie doll” = be the winner (Heavyweight)
• "get the smarts" = have the intelligence (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “get the word out” = let it be known, get information to the public (Heroes)
• “get up” = disguise (Tap Dancing)
• “get worked up” = become agitated (Gillian)
• “gets his kicks” = gains pleasure, gets excitement (A Coffin for Starsky, Bounty Hunter)
• “getting ripped” = getting made or ripped off (Survival)
• “ghetto” = a section of a city occupied by a poor minority group (Black and Blue, Targets 1, Birds of a Feather)
• “gigolo” = man who has a continuing sexual relationship with and receives financial support from a woman (Death in a Different Place, Groupie, Tap Dancing)
• “give a break” = give a chance (Bounty Hunter, Death in a Different Place, Heroes, Heavyweight)
• “give a jingle” = call on the phone, or in person (Starsky’s Brother)
• “give a line” = bullshit someone (Death Notice)
• “give it a shot” = try (Bloodbath, Set-Up)
• “give it a whirl” = try (Set-Up)
• “give it to me straight” = tell me the truth (Snowstorm)
• “give me a blast” = give me a call (Ballad for a Blue Lady)
• “give some room” = back off, gives some space (Heavyweight, Body Worth Guarding)
• “give static” = give trouble, hassle (Snowstorm)
• “give the course” = run for the money, a good opponent (Heavyweight)
• "give the nod" = give approval to go ahead (Action)
• "give the time of day" = bother with, pay attention to (Ballad for a Blue Lady)
• “give you a holler” = let you know (Murder on Stage 17)
• “gives me the creeps” = makes me uncomfortable (Bust Amboy)
• “gives the source” = tells/informs who is the boss in a drug deal (Death in a Different Place)
• “glued into” = interested in (Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “go a round” = have a session (Heavyweight)
• “go back on your word” = break a promise (Pilot)
• “go bananas” = go really crazy (Golden Angel, Huggy Bear and the Turkey, Murder Ward)
• “go for it” = take your best shot, try (Bloodbath)
• “go in like the Marines” = go in with force and enthusiasm (Action)

• “go on record” = testify (Heavyweight)
• “go straight” = follow the rules, be good (Bust Amboy)
• “go that way” = die that way (Trap)
• “go this route” = go this way, down this path (Action)
• “go through the numbers” = follow the rules, procedure (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “go up again” = go back to jail (Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty)
• “goes the other way” = gay (Nightmare)
• “gofer” = a lackey who runs errands. (Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “going down” = get in trouble, get caught (Bounty Hunter) happening (A Coffin for Starsky, Fatal Charm, Manchild on the Streets)
• “going in naked” = going in without backup (Action)
• “going on” = what’s happening (Murder at Sea)
• “going out” = dying (Velvet Jungle)
• “going steady” = dating one person regularly and exclusively (Photo Finish)
• “gone bail” = paid the bail, see “went bail” (Strange Justice, Nightmare)
• “gone down” = what happened (Murder at Sea, Bust Amboy, Action, Trap)
• “gone legit” = become law abiding, legitimate (Death Notice)
• “gone rotten” = takes bribes (Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty)
• “gonna rattle” = have to have information forced out (Murder Ward)
• “gonna shake” = tell information (Murder Ward)
• “good clean bust” = arrest with no complications (Iron Mike)
• “good lift” = a good example of fingerprints (Groupie)
• “good looker” = attractive woman (Fatal Charm)
• “goodnight Irene” = goodbye, it’s over, it’s done (Golden Angel)
• “goodies’= illicit drugs (Manchild on the Streets) valuables (Lady Blue)
• “goods“ = the stuff (Captain Dobey, You’re Dead)
• “gook“ = Vietnamese person, a slur (Starsky vs. Hutch)
• “goon” = punk (Bounty Hunter, Murder Ward, Bait, Body Worth Guarding)
• “gorilla” = thug (Trap, Action)
• “got a bead” = got in sight (Trap)
• “got a line” = got information (Iron Mike)
• “got a lot of fight left in him” = is still capable (Heavyweight)
• “got a lot of nerve” = ballsy, has chutzpah (Bust Amboy)
• “got blood” = recognize blood (Murder at Sea)
• “got heart” = brave enough (Manchild on the Streets)
• “got him made” = got him cold, without question (Committee)
• “got involved” = had sex (Groupie)
• “got me” = I don’t know (Psychic, Nightmare)
• “got nothing on” = don’t have enough evidence (Crying Child)
• “got off light” = didn’t do much jail time (Trap)
• “got pegged” = figured out (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “got the goods on” = have the evidence (Murder Ward)
• “got wise” = figured it out (Heavyweight)
• “gotta boogie” = got to get going (Quadromania)
• “gotten to” = influenced unduly (Heavyweight)
• “grab some deli” = go out for sandwiches (Ballad for a Blue Lady)
• “grab you” = what do you think of that? (Snowstorm)
• “grand” =one thousand dollars (Fatal Charm, Survival, Targets 1, Birds of a Feather)
• “grant” = fifty dollar bill (Iron Mike)
• “grape” = wine (Committee)
• “grapevine” = communication on the streets (Bust Amboy, Terror on the Docks, Game, Heavyweight)
• “grease job” = a bribe (Targets 1)
• “great big yuk” = big crude laugh (Bust Amboy)
• “green around the gills” = not well, nervous (Starsky vs. Hutch)
• “green light” = permission (Targets 3)
• “green paper” = currency (Iron Mike)
• “green” = money (Iron Mike, Action, Savage Sunday, Bait)
• “greenbacks” = paper currency (Tap Dancing)
• “groovy” = neat (Deadly Imposter)
• “groupie” = an enthusiastic supporter or follower (Dandruff, Groupie)
• “grub” = food (Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “guilt money” = money one gives to someone else to make him or herself feel better about a crummy situation (Pariah)
• “guilt trip” = strong feeling of guilt (Heroes, Blindfold)
• “gung ho” = enthusiastic (Murder at Sea)
• “gunned down” = shot, presumably fatally (Captain Dobey, You’re Dead)
• “gut feeling” = know intuitively without rational proof (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “guys upstairs” = the boss, Dobey’s bosses (Death Notice)
• “gypped” = cheated out of (Texas Longhorn)
• “gypsy” = someone with crude manners (Death Notice)

H
back to top
• “hack” = cab (Tap Dancing) reporter (Golden Angel) deal with, handle (Blindfold)
• “had better days” = not doing very well (Rosey Malone, Discomania)
• “had cold” = no chance of escape from being shot (Snowstorm, Committee)
• “had it up to here” = have had enough of, reached my limit (Committee)
• "hairy" = complicated (Kill Huggy Bear)
• “hand in the cookie jar” = caught doing something wrong, stealing (Groupie, Action)
• “handle it” = take it, deal with it (Trap) explain it (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “handle the rough stuff” = deal with the difficult part (Action)
• “handle their action” = take their bets (Savage Sunday)
• “handle with kid gloves = handle carefully and gently (Heroes)
• “hands are tied“ = unable to assist (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “hands in the register“ = stealing (Heroes)
• “hang“ = charge with (Vendetta)
• “hang in there“ = don’t falter, stay the course (Action)
• “hang it on“ = pin or blame it on (Death in a Different Place)
• “hang of it“ = gain a proficiency (A Coffin for Starsky, Bust Amboy)
• “hang out to dry“ = abandon someone to danger, to not support (Rosey Malone, Manchild on the Streets, Targets 1, Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “hang tough“ = stick with it (Snowstorm)
• “hang up“ = something that makes one uncomfortable (Murder on Playboy Island)
• “hanging by a shoestring“ = remaining by very little (Murder at Sea)
• “hard buck” = hard way to make money (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “hard evidence” = evidence that can’t be disputed (Death in a Different Place)
• “hard nosed” = tough minded, hard headed (Pilot, Iron Mike, Murder on Stage 17)
• “hard to swallow” = difficult to believe (Targets)
• “hardware” = gun (Huggy Bear and the Turkey, Pilot)
• “has certain tendencies” = Hutch suggests a guy with these is gay (Death in a Different Place)
• “has some words” = has information (Fix)
• “hassle” = bother (Lady Blue) deal (Little Girl Lost)
• “hatchet job” = strong and unfair criticism of someone (Heroes)
• “hate his guts” = despise (A Coffin for Starsky, Committee)
• “haul in” = bring in for arrest (Heavyweight)
• “have a day in court” = have the court decide (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “have some laughs” = party, possibly have sex (Photo Finish)
• “head in the sand” = unaware by choice, in denial (Pilot)
• “heads are going to roll” people are going to have serious trouble (Strange Justice)
• “heap” = crummy car (Manchild on the Streets)
• “hear me out” = listen to me, right to the end (Rosey Malone)
• “heat” = cops (Set-Up, Iron Mike, Foxy Lady, Bait, Silence) pressure (Nightmare, Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “heater” = gun (Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “heaven-sent” = occurring at an opportune time, providential (Death Notice)
• “heavy” = serious (Hostages, Cover Girl)
• “heavy action” = heavy gambling (Action)
• “heavy date” = important date (Trap)
• “heavy fall” = go down hard (Pilot)
• “heavy trade” = the busy time (Fix)
• “heist” = a robber, a thief (Collector)
• “held a gun to his head” = forced, pressured (Heavyweight)
• “he-man” = macho guy (Bust Amboy)
• “hero” = cop (Quadromania)
• “high rollers” = big spenders (Las Vegas Strangler, Action, Savage Sunday, Terror on the Docks)
• “highfalutin” = pompous, pretentious (Crying Child)
• “hinky” = odd, not quite right (Targets)
• “hip to it” = is aware, understand (Murder on Playboy Island)
• “hit” = job, crime target (Iron Mike) kill (Snowstorm, Tap Dancing, A Coffin for Starsky) shot (Gillian, Trap)
• “hit all rooms” = thorough body search (Action)
• “hit it” = hit the sack, go to bed (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “hit me” = really affected me (Death in a Different Place)
• “hit on” = ask for a date, proposition (Death Notice)
• “hit the deck” = get down, fall down to safety (Heavyweight, Bait)
• “hit the heavy bag” = do the hard work (Heavyweight)
• “hit the road” = get going, leave (Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “hit the streets” = get out and see what’s going on (Silence)
• “hit town” = arrive in town (Bounty Hunter)
• “hitch” = problem, stipulation (Gillian)
• “hitting the bottle” = drinking alcohol (Quadromania)
• “hitting the tables” = gamble (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “hitting” = giving attention (Quadromania) reaching a certain age in years (Photo Finish)
• “hogwash” = bullshit (Lady Blue, Pilot)
• “hold a candle to” = compare favorable with (Birds of a Feather)
• “hold her hand” = guide her, be a source of comfort (Ballad For a Blue Lady)
• “hold it” = stop (Bust Amboy, Committee)
• “hold the fort” = keep on top of things, stay in charge (Murder at Sea, Bust Amboy)
• “hold tight” = stay put, wait (Action)
• “hold your water” = wait (Deadly Imposter)
• “holding out” = not paying (Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “holding” = go between selling and supplying drugs (Death in a Different Place)
• “holed up” = hiding (Iron Mike, Trap)
• “home free” = in a secure or comfortable position (Partners)
• “honkie= white person, a slur (Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “honky tonk“ = a bar with musical entertainment common in the south (Moonshine)
• “hophead“ = loser, punk (Cover Girl)
• “hood“ = bad guy (Death Ride, Iron Mike, Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “hook, line and sinker” = the whole thing (Bounty Hunter)
• “hooker” = prostitute (Heroes)
• “hop it” = shut up (Murder at Sea)
• “horn” = telephone (Fix)
• “hornet’s nest” = a dangerous situation (Targets 3)
• “horse” = heroin (Fix, A Coffin for Starsky)
• “horse hider” = baseball player (Golden Angel)
• “hot” = recognizable (Rosey Malone) stolen (Death Ride, Nightmare, Blindfold, Starsky’s Brother)
• “hot and heavy” = very intense (Rosey Malone)
• “hot dog” = showy, over-the-top, loud (Heroes)
• “hot on” = enthused or excited about (Committee)
• “hot plate” = hot food special at a café (Death Ride)
• “hot streak” = run of good luck (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “hot stuff” = stolen goods (Nightmare)
• “hot tip” = excellent information (Bust Amboy)
• “hot to trot” = ready, willing, eager (Jojo)
• “hotter” = more important (Body Worth Guarding)
• “hounding” = badgering, bothering (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “house dick” = house detective (Murder on Playboy Island)
• “house to house” = a thorough, building to building search (Deckwatch)
• “how does that grab you?” = what do you think of that? (Snowstorm)
• “how executive” = how impressive (Murder on Playboy Island)
• “how is it" = how’s it going? (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “how’s it shakin'" = what’s happening? how’s it going? (Gillian)
• “hubby” = husband (Texas Longhorn)
• “humbug” = nonsense (Strange Justice)
• “humor us” = do it for us to make us feel better, even though you think it isn’t worthwhile (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “hung up” = addicted (Fix)
• “hungry” = ready to deal or exchange goods or information (Death in a Different Place)
• “hushed up” = kept quiet (Murder Ward)
• “hustled” = tricked by making opponent think you are not very good (Savage Sunday) cheated, tricked (Birds of a Feather, Game)
• “hustler” = someone who cheats for a better deal, always out for a fast buck (Action) male prostitute (Death in a Different Place)
• “hype” = someone who uses a hypodermic needle to inject an illegal drug, heroin addict (Heroes, Texas Longhorn)

I
back to top
• “ID” = identify (Running, Blindfold)
• “IOU” = a promise to pay a debt (Action)
• “ice” = diamonds, precious gems (Lady Blue, Iron Mike, Blindfold) kill (Fix)
• “ice skate” = something easy, simple (Black and Blue)
• “I’ll write you letter” = I don’t feel like telling you what I know (Plague)
• “I’m hip” = I get it, I understand (Texas Longhorn)
• “imported” = from out of town (Pilot)
• “in a flash” = quickly (Velvet Jungle)
• “in a jam” = in trouble (Lady Blue)
• “in aces” = large quantity (Murder on Playboy Island)
• “in another movie” = somewhere completely different (Ballad for a Blue Lady)
• “in black and white” = clear (Bounty Hunter)
• “in capital letters” = for sure, big time (Bounty Hunter)
• “in for” = owes (Action)
• “in hock” = in debt, owes (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “in line” = following the rules, obeying (Iron Mike)
• “in over you head” = in a difficult situation (Action)
• “in the clear” = safe (Pilot)
• “in the closet” = hiding homosexuality (Death in a Different Place)
• ‘in the junk“ = in jail (Pilot)
• “in the Mobs“ = with organized crime (Groupie)
• “in the slams“ = in jail (Snowstorm, Groupie)
• “in the wind“ = in trouble (Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “indisposed“ = using the bathroom (Trap, Rosey Malone)
• “inside man” = contact on the inside (Survival)
• “into” = owe (Nightmare, Birds of a Feather)
• “into a shark” = owe money to a loan shark (Nightmare)
• “isn’t talking” = isn’t telling what he or she knows (Heavyweight)
• “is the Pope a Pole?” = an obvious affirmative (Sweet Revenge)
• “it figures” = expected, I thought so (Captain Dobey, You’re Dead)
• “it’s been real” = farewell greeting, but with a negative connotation, person is annoyed at the person to whom he or she was talking to (Cover Girl)
• “it’s your funeral” = it’s your problem, you’ll have to take responsibility (Golden Angel)

J
back to top
• “jabbering” = talking quickly and a lot (Velvet Jungle)
• “jacked up” = lifted (Psychic)
• “jake” = okay (Murder Ward)
• “jam” = trouble, tough spot (Velvet Jungle)
• “jamming with me” = messing with me (Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “java” = coffee, though Starsky has to explain this is trucker talk and waitress appears disdainful (Set-Up)
• “jawing” = complaining, bitching about (Action)
• “jazzed up” = fancy, fixed up nice (Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty)
• “jerry” = World War One/Two term for the German enemy (Survival)
• “jeez” = Jesus, used as mild oath expressing surprise (Little Girl Lost)
• “jerk” = punk, loser (Murder on Stage 17)
• “jerked around” = take unfair advantage of, manipulate (Bloodbath)
• “jet setters” = fast living, upper class people (Cover Girl)
• "Jewish Penicillin" = chicken soup (Shootout)
• “jingle” = a phone call (Starsky’s Brother)
• “jive” = business (Psychic) cheap (Jojo) nonsense, bullshit (Quadromania, Kill Huggy Bear, Lady Blue) unfair, wrong (Manchild on the Streets, Snowstorm) make sense (Groupie)
• “job” = car (Game)
• “joe” = regular guy (Savage Sunday)
• “joeing about” = bitching, complaining (Action)
• “john” = man who solicits a man or woman for sex (Death in a Different Place) regular guy (Fix) bathroom (Pariah, Shootout, Lady Blue, Bloodbath)
• “joint” = jail (Bait, Nightmare, Specialist, Psychic, Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty, Black and Blue, Blindfold) place, establishment (Psychic, Iron Mike, Heroes, Class in Crime, Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “joker” = idiot (Heroes)
• “juice” = energy, fuel (Bloodbath, Trap, Action) inject drugs into (Fix)
• “juices are flowing” = becoming energized (Action)
• “jump” = to attack by surprise (Gillian, Murder at Sea) get busy (Kill Huggy Bear)
• “jump to it” = get to it, get busy with it (Psychic)
• “jump bail” = fail to appear for court date after posting bail (Bounty Hunter, Committee)
• “jungle law” = primitive rules, street rules, every person for him or herself (Bounty Hunter)
• “jumping bad” = giving orders (Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “jumping me out” = ordering me around (Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “juniflip” = beginner with little experience (Vendetta)
• “junk” = heroin (Bloodbath) drugs (Pilot, Bait)
• “junkie” = drug addict (Fatal Charm, Death in a Different Place, Heroes)
• “just deserts” = getting what someone deserves, note the single “s.” (Photo Finish)
• “just for openers” = to start with regarding a long list (Action)
• “juvie” = child protection (Little Girl Lost)

K
back to top
• “keep a tail” = maintain following or observing (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “keep in touch” = stay connected (Tap Dancing)
• “keep it in the closet” = hide homosexuality (Quadromania)
• “keep it under your hat” = keep it a secret (Heroes)
• “keep on ice” = keep contained and ready (Blindfold)
• “keep your britches on” = relax, be patient (Partners)
• “kick” = sudden surprise (Action) thrown out of court (Targets)
• “kick around” = take advantage of, beat up (Crying Child)
• “kick back” = official request for information , “FBI kickback” (Captain Dobey, You’re Dead) bribe (Captain Dobey, You’re Dead, Velvet Jungle)
• “kick in the head” = an amazing, surprising thing (Murder on Stage 17, Murder on Playboy Island)
• “kick it” = overcome an addiction (Fix)
• “kick it in” = surrender (Silence)
• “kicking in the shins” = bothering (Bust Amboy)
• “kid” = amateur, immature (Heavyweight)
• “kid stuff” = for amateurs (Murder at Sea)
• “kiddo” = child, kid (Trap)
• “killjoy” = someone who spoils the fun (Savage Sunday)
• “kind of action” = kind of business (Bounty Hunter)
• “king’s ransom” = a hug sum of money (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “kinky” = difficult, weird (Tap Dancing, Bait, Heroes) sex involving whips and chains, porno (A Coffin for Starsky, Murder at Sea)
• "kit and caboodle" = the whole thing, everything (Texas Longhorn)
• “klepto phase” = kleptomania, temporary pattern of stealing things (Trap)
• “knee slapper” = very funny joke (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “knife man” = person who did the actual killing (Deadly Imposter)
• “knock it off” = quit it, stop it (Pilot, Bounty Hunter, Rosey Malone, Body Worth Guarding)
• “knock it” = disregard or belittle something (Death in a Different Place)
• “knock me out” = really amaze me (Rosey Malone)
• “knock off for the day” = quit work for the day (Death Notice)
• “knock-out” = really important (Photo Finish)
• “knock down” = knocked out (Deadly Imposter)
• “knock someone off” = murder someone (Snowstorm, Bloodbath)
• “knock them dead” = really impress (Murder at Sea, Groupie)
• “knock your head” = threaten or hurt someone (Heavyweight)

L
back to top
• “lab boys”= guys in the police evidence lab (Bloodbath)
• “Lady Jane” = queen, disparaging term for a homosexual man (Death in a Different Place)
• “lady of questionable repute” = prostitute (Texas Longhorn)
• “laid down” = gave up a fight, quit (Heavyweight, Jojo)
• “laid it out” = explained (Bloodbath, Savage Sunday, Hutchinson for Murder One, Trap)
• “laid out” = dead (Shootout)
• “laid out on a slab” = dead (Action, Ninety Pounds of Trouble)
• “laid some on me” = gave me (Manchild on the Streets)
• "Latino" = someone from Latin America, in this case is Puerto Rican (Texas Longhorn)
• “laundry list” = goods from a heist (Foxy Lady)
• “lay down a couple of yards” = do some of, participate (Losing Streak)
• “lay it on you” = get it for you (Bait)
• “lay off the sweets” = go on a diet (Partners)
• “lay off” = ease off (Snowstorm)
• “lay some” = give (Iron Mike)
• “layered look, half baked, half staked” = not sufficiently prepared with flash (Action)
• “lead” = good clue, a line (Bounty Hunter) a gun (Photo Finish)
• “leaked” = got out, a secret revealed (Rosey Malone, Death Ride)
• “lean on” = pressure, threaten (Bust Amboy)
• “leave well enough alone” = don’t pursue (Body Worth Guarding)
• “legit” = legitimate, straight (Death Notice, Omaha Tiger)
• “let me give you a flash” = let me tell you something (Heavyweight)
• “let the green ride on” = let the money come to me (Action)
• “let’s boogie” = let’s get moving (Vendetta)
• “let’s do it” = let’s get going (Tap Dancing)
• “let’s have it” = spill it, tell it all (Texas Longhorn, Iron Mike, Body Worth Guarding)
• “let’s split” = let’s get going (Nightmare)
• “level with” = be honest with (Psychic, Kill Huggy Bear, A Coffin for Starsky)
• “lift” = a ride (Fatal Charm) steal (Trap)
• “lighten up” = go easier, calm down (Rosey Malone, Action)
• “lights out” = time of death (Quadromania)
• “like a stuck pig” = reference to squealing like one, a long, high sound made when injured (Pilot)
• “like the Marines” = strong and enthusiastic (Action)
• “liking it less than spit” = disliking something intensely (Body Worth Guarding)
• “Lincoln” = five dollar bill (Iron Mike)
• “line of retreat” = an opening or opportunity to get away (Trap)
• “line” = job (Action)
• “lines” = information (Action, Fix)
• “listed” = in the phone book (Manchild on the Streets)
• "lit the fuse" = started something in motion (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “little bird” = snitch, fink (Iron Mike)
• “little bit of old times” = sex with an old love (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “little boys’ room” = bathroom (Partners, Collector, Blindfold)
• "little girl" = cocaine (Targets 1)
• “little pretty” = pretty woman (Manchild on the Streets)
• “little show” = a diversion (Trap)
• “little touch” = an alcoholic drink (Texas Longhorn)
• “live one” = current situation (Psychic, Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “liven up” = perk up, wake up (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “loaded” = drunk (Groupie)
• “loaded dice” = dice that have been tampered with (Action)
• “lock-up” = holding cell at Metro (Texas Longhorn, Strange Justice, Pilot)
• “long gone” = dead (Running)
• “long one” = $1000 (Bait)
• “long run” = in the end (Murder on Playboy Island)
• “long shot” = a bet made at great odds (Losing Streak)
• “long suit” = strong point (Murder at Sea)
• “long time no see” = haven’t seen in a while (Starsky’s Lady)
• “long yard of green” = big flash, a lot of money, a yard is one hundred dollars (Action)
• “look out” = person who watches for the cops during a crime (Nightmare)
• “looked the other way” = ignored a crime or bad action as a favor (Iron Mike)
• “looker” = an attractive woman (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “looks cool on the blind side” = everything seems all right, even in the places that aren’t easily visible (Iron Mike)
• “looney tunes time” = crazy time (Bounty Hunter)
• “looney” = crazy person (Murder Ward)
• “loose ends” = things left over (Murder at Sea)
• “lose your cool” = lose calm thinking (Rosey Malone)
• “loser” = bum, punk (Bloodbath)
• “losing streak” = unbroken series of bad luck, streak of losses (Losing Streak)
• “loudmouth” = moonshine
• “lovelies” = attractive women (Action, Savage Sunday)
• “low blow” = underhanded attack (Murder on Playboy Island)
• “low” = pretty bad (Heroes)
• “lucked on” = stumbled across (Murder at Sea)
• “ludes” = Quaaludes (Quadromania, Targets 1)

M
back to top
• “MO” = method of operation (Heroes, Death in a Different Place, Lady Blue, Quadromania)
• “macho power trip” = a guy’s action taken to exercise one’s power over another (Partners)
• “made a bundle” = made a lot of money (Heroes)
• “made“ = recognized, found out (Bust Amboy, Rosey Malone)
• “madhouse“ = a place of confusion and disorder (Death in a Different Place)
• “magic mushrooms“ = hallucinogenic mushrooms (Lady Blue)
• “main man" = most important person (Iron Mike)
• “major collar” = important arrest (Birds of a Feather)
• “major league” = important level, big time (Jojo)
• “make” = recognize (Pilot, Texas Longhorn) prove (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “make a buy” = purchase drugs (Bust Amboy, Fatal Charm)
• “make a case out of it” = make it a big deal (Snowstorm)
• “make a mint” = make a lot of money (Las Vegas Strangler)
• “make a pass” = exchange something (Pilot)
• “make book on” = count on (Captain Dobey, You’re Dead)
• “make it stick” = ensure arrest (Iron Mike)
• “make it” = do it (Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty)
• “make you book” = bet you (Committee)
• “making a run for it” = trying to get away, escape (Manchild on the Streets)
• “mark” = victim in a scam (Action)
• “marked bills”= paper currency marked in a way to identify later (Tap Dancing)
• “marker“ = a term in gambling meaning a commitment to pay up (Ballad for a Blue Lady)
• “mean mistreater” = bad, crabby dude (Texas Longhorn)
• “meat wagon” = coroner’s wagon (Starsky’s Lady, Kill Huggy Bear)
• “mechanic” = hired thug (Jojo, Birds of a Feather, Huggy Can’t Go Home, Sweet Revenge)
• “men’s room” = bathroom (Shootout)
• “menu” = stomach contents (Deckwatch)
• “mess up my action” = get in the way of making a sexual conquest (Murder at Sea)
• “mess” = really hurt or damage (Action)
• “mess around” = cheat, sexually, on a committed relationship (Photo Finish)
• “messing up the streets” = causing trouble on the streets (Gillian)
• “Mexican Brown H” = kind of heroin (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “Mexican standoff” = a situation where no one can emerge as the clear winner (Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “mind the store” = remain in charge, keep on top of the home base (Murder at Sea)
• “Mr. Big” = guy in charge (Targets)
• “Mr. Nice Guy” = quintessential nice person (Psychic)
• “mitts” = hands (Starsky vs. Hutch)
• “mix it up” = to fight (Trap)
• “mob” = organized crime (Heavyweight, Shootout)
• “monkey” = hired thug (Heavyweight)
• “monkey suit” = formal outfit (Photo Finish)
• “month of Sundays” = a really, really long time (Blindfold, Moonshine)
• “moonlight” = take a second job, perhaps illegally (Pilot)
• “moonshine” = homemade, rough, illegal alcohol (Moonshine)
• “more like it” = better (Bloodbath)
• “mouth can’t be no prayer book” = not an honest person, can't be trusted (Huggy Can’t Go Home)
• “move on” = capture (Long Walk)
• “moves” = business (Bust Amboy)
• “moving” = going fast (Bust Amboy)
• “mug book” = photos of convicted felons (Running, Hostages)
• “mug” = face (Iron Mike, Murder Ward, Partners, Starsky’s Brother)
• “mulched” = kill (Pilot)

• “mule” = person who acts as a courier for something illegal (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “mumbo jumbo” = nonsense (Murder on Playboy Island)
• “mum's the word” = keep a secret (Murder Ward)
• “murder one” = murder in the first degree (Hutchinson for Murder One, A Coffin for Starsky)
• “muscle” = physical back-up, help (Bust Amboy, Ballad for a Blue Lady)
• “my party” = I’m the one in charge (Rosey Malone)

N
back to top

• “nabbed” = caught, arrested (Death Notice, Partners)
• “nail to the wall” = have good, no chance of escape (Committee)
• “nail” = catch, kill (Hutchinson for Murder One, Trap, Bounty Hunter, Murder at Sea, Las Vegas Strangler, Ninety Pounds of Trouble, Iron Mike, Body Worth Guarding, Snowstorm)
• “naked” = without proper backup or supplies (Action)
• “Narco” = Narcotics (Bait)
• “’Nam” = Vietnam War (Deadly Imposter)
• “narked” = squealed (Heavyweight)
• “negro” = black person (Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• “netted” = captured (Action)
• “neutral territory” = not either side’s area (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• “nickel and dime” = minor (Death in a Different Place, Blindfold, Shootout, Lady Blue)
• “nigger” = black person, offensive slur (Manchild on the Streets)
• “night cap” = last alcoholic drink (Foxy Lady)
• “night is young” = it is still early (Action)
• “nitty gritty” = specific, practical details, the heart of the matter (Starsky vs. Hutch)
• “nix” = quit, stop (Murder Ward)
• “no false moves” = be straight, no funny stuff (Lady Blue)
• “no good punk” = complete loser (Committee)
• “no problem” = don’t worry about it (Death in a Different Place)
• “no skin off me” = no account to me, doesn’t bother me (Committee)
• “no skin off my nose” = no account to me, doesn’t bother me (Golden Angel)
• “no sweat” = no problem (Partners)
• “no taste bum” = loser (A Coffin for Starsky)
• “nobodies” = people of no importance (Bust Amboy)
• “noise it around” = ask around (Fix)
• “nook” = place, apartment, pad (Fatal Charm)
• “noise it around” = look for information (Iron Mike, Velvet Jungle, Rosey Malone)
• “not a nickel” = nothing (Action)
• “not holding” = don’t have drugs on me (Heroes)
• “not in this life” = no, absolutely not (Photo Finish)
• “not my bag” = not my thing (Kill Huggy Bear)
• “not too hot” = not good (Iron Mike)
• “nothing supernatural” = nothing too strange, weird (Bloodbath)
• “number bank” = place to collect and launder money in relation to gambling (Bust Amboy, Kill Huggy Bear)
• “number one boy” = most important employee (Iron Mike)
• “number one man” = most important person (Iron Mike)
• “number” = act (Rosey Malone) deal (Murder at Sea, Trap)
• “number one fan club” = great admirer (Heavyweight)
• “numbers clearing house” = headquarters for gambling/drug/money exchange (Rosey Malone)
• “numbers drop” = business used by the mob to transfer cash (Kill Huggy Bear)
• “nursemaid” = babysitter, someone to watch over someone else (Body Worth Guarding)
• “nuts” = crazy (Bust Amboy, Crying Child, Quadromania), Body Worth Guarding)
• “nuttier than a pecan pie” = really crazy (Murder Ward)

O
back to top

• “OC” = organized crime (Groupie)
• “OD” = overdose (Fix, Bust Amboy, Bait)
• “off” = kill (Bait)
• “off the cuff” = casually (Ninety Pounds of Trouble)
• “off the hook“ = out of trouble (Bounty Hunter, Fatal Charm)
• “off your back“ = stay away from (Bust Amboy)
• “okey dokey“ = all right (Fatal Charm)
• “old lady“ = wife or girlfriend (Foxy Lad