In 1973, the US government imposed a 55 mph speed limit in response to the oil crisis. The citizen’s band radio had been around for years prior, but now became very useful to truckers. It was used to find gas stations that hadn’t run out of fuel, and let other truckers know about speed traps which had sprung up everywhere after the new speed limit was established.
In the 50s and 60s, you had to be licensed to use a CB and had to use a registered call sign. However, once the CB became widely used on the interstates throughout the country, all rules were thrown out the window. Truckers started making up their own “handles”.
Well, it was around this time that America became fascinated with the blue-collar lifestyle – this “lust for lowbrow” has been covered extensively on Retrospace. Nothing epitomized the fad more than truckers – they were the cowboys of the 70s, wild and free, answering to nobody. It was only a matter of time before their means of communication captured the public interest.
In many ways, it was not that different than the social networks of today. People got to know each other anonymously, used a fake name, and developed their own culture and language.
It didn’t take long for the popular media to capitalize on the craze. Numerous trucker movies flooded the theaters, all prominently spotlighting the CB. Televison also featured the CB via shows like Dukes of Hazzard, Movin’ On (1974) and BJ and the Bear. To add to the frenzy, C.W. McCall’s “Convoy” (1976) became a number one hit.
All this popularity actually helped bring about its own demise. Millions of users jammed the frequencies, making communication almost impossible – or, at the very least, annoyingly noisy.
Like the ancient Etruscan language, the CB language is also largely extinct. The truckers of the 1970s sure had a way with words, and I want to keep it alive. Below is the Retrospace CB Slang Dictionary. Let me know if there's any I should add. Until then, "Keep your eyes and ears open and your black stack smokin.’
Alamo City- San Antonio
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
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.
Ancient Mariner -AM, or someone who uses AM
Astrodome City- Houston Texas (see Space City)
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 -"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.
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
Cell Block- Location of the base station
Chain Gang -Members of a CB club
Channel 25 -The telephone
Charlie -The FCC
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
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 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 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
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.
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
Fake brake- Driver with his foot on the brake
Fat load- Overweight truck load
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
Fog Lifter -Interesting CB’er
Follow the stripes home- Have a safe trip
Forty weight -Coffee sometimes Beer.
Four Wheeler - Car
Four lane parking lot - Interstate highway
Four legged go-go dancers - Pigs
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.
Garbage - Too much small talk on a channel
Gas Jockey - Gas station attendant
Gateway City - St.Louis Missouri
Gear - Overnight bag
Get horizontal - Lie down to sleep
Get Trucking - Make some distance.
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 Juice - Truck fuel
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
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?"
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
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.
Hippie Chippie - Female hitchhiker.
Hip Pocket - Glove box.
Hit the cobblestones - Hit the road.
Hog country - Arkansas
Holler in a short - I’ll call you back shortly.
Home Port - Residence
Hot Stuff - Cup of coffee
Hot Lanta - Atlanta, Georgia
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’m gone - Leaving the airwaves, or frequency.
Ice Box - Refrigerated trailer.
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.
Invitations -Traffic citations, tickets.
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
"J" Town - Jackson, Tennessee
Juke Joint - Small, inexpensive eating or drinking place.
Jump Down - Switching to a lower channel.
Jump Up - Switching to a higher channel.
Keep ‘em Between the Ditches - Have a safe trip
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.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
M20 - Meeting Place
Machine - Same as "Rig"
Mad Money - Expense account.
Magic Mile - The last mile of any trip.
Magnolia State - Mississippi
Make it a best seller - Have a good trip.
Mama Bear - Policewoman.
Man in Blue - Policeman
Man in Slicker - Fireman
Man in White - Doctor
Mardi Gras Town - New Orleans, Louisiana
Mare - Woman
Mashing the mike - Same as "Deadkey"
Meatwagon - Ambulance.
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.
Money Bus - Armored truck.
Monkey Town - Montgomery Alabama
Monster Lane - Speed lane
Motion Lotion - Gas; fuel.
Moth Ball - Annual CB Convention
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
Nail it down - Pinpoint or recollect
Nap Trap - Place to sleep.
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.
Ninety Weight - Liquor
Nix - No
Nobody knows where the teddy bear goes - State troopers criss-crossing the freeway.
Oil burner - Diesel truck
Old Kitty - Whomper Truck
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.
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
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.
Petro Refinery - Truck hauling gas or oil.
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
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
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
Posse - Police
Pounding the pavement - Walking
Pregnant Roller Skate - VW
Press some sheets - Sleep.
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.
Quasar - Female
Queen City - Cincinnati, Ohio
Quck trip around the horn - Scanning the 40channel band.
Radar Alley - Ohio Turnpike
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
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-em-up - Roadside rest stop
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
Super Slab - Highway
Superdome city - New Orleans, Louisiana
Sunbeam - A CB’er who livens the channel with witticisms.
Sweet thing - Female CB operator.
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
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.
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
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.
Wall-to-wall - Very strong signal. Often used in conjunction with "Treetop Tall"
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 down, out, and on the side - Through transmitting but listening.
Wearing socks - Has linear amplifier.
We’re trying - Trying to make a contact.
What am I putting on you? - What kind of signal am I giving you on the meter?
What’s your twenty? - What is your location?
Whip - Long cb antenna
Who do you pull for? - Who do you work for?
Whomping on you - Another station is talking over your signal.
Wheels - The mobile unit
Wierdy - A home made CB rig
Wilco Roger - affirmative.
Wind Jammer - A long winded CB’er
Windy City - Chicago
Wooly Bear - Woman
Wooly-wooly - Woman
Working man - Truck driver (today they use "hand" for this term).
Work Twenty - Place of employment.
Wrapped Leaf - A CB rig in its original carton
XYL - The wife of a CB’er
Youngville - Young children using the channel
You got it - Letting another station know he has the "floor".You gone? - Are you still there?
Your telephone is ringing - Someone is calling for you.
Z’s - Sleep
