Cocaine Slang

Drug users often refer to specific drugs by their street names, or slang. Cocaine and crack cocaine users also use street names or slang for cocaine. One of the warning signs of cocaine use is the use of cocaine slang. Keep reading to learn more about cocaine slang.

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Teens often seem to speak in their own language, so parents who want to know if their teens are talking about cocaine may be confused about what their teens are saying. This article will help parents understand some of the slang terms teens use to talk about cocaine and its use. Because slang changes frequently and is different based on location, parents also may want to talk to local law enforcement officers to find out specific cocaine slang terms in their area at present.

Cocaine use slang

Cocaine is an upper, or stimulant. When teen use it they experience a euphoric feeling known as a high, rush or flash. When the high ends, the cocaine user "comes down" from the high. Feeling down after using cocaine is known as the "cocaine blues."

There are many ways that a person may use cocaine. Inhaling cocaine is called "snorting," "blowing," or "toking," or "bipping," if it is mixed with heroin. Cocaine that is dissolved in liquid and snorted is called "liquid lady." Smoking crack cocaine may be called "freebasing" or "chasing."

A cocaine user is sometimes called a "base head." A woman who trades sex for drugs or drug money is known as a "rock star." When someone is using cocaine they are "chalked up," and if the cocaine user loses control they are "based out." When a user is on the floor searching for cocaine this is called "base crazies," "chicken scratch," or "picking."

A person who sells cocaine is called a "snowman," and selling cocaine is known as being "behind the scale" or, if it is powder cocaine, "rocking this P." Crack cocaine may be sold in bags known as "working bags." 3.5 grams of cocaine is known as an "eight ball," and one kilogram is a "girl." A "one on one house" is a place to buy cocaine, and a "smoke house" is another term for a crack house.

Cocaine is usually smuggled into the country. A person who smuggles cocaine across the border in his or her intestines by swallowing bags of cocaine is called a "mule." If someone is turning cocaine into a form that can be smoked, called crack, they are said to be "cooking up."

Because pure cocaine is expensive, cocaine is often mixed with common substances like cornstarch, flour, or sugar. This is called "cutting" cocaine. "Beiging" cocaine means making it look more pure than it actually is, while "chalking" cocaine means making it look whiter.

Street slang for cocaine

Cocaine has many street names. This list is a sample of some of the common slang terms for cocaine:

  • Coke
  • Dust
  • Toot
  • Snow
  • Blow
  • Sneeze
  • Powder
  • Lines
  • Rock
  • Nose candy
  • White
  • Flake
  • C
  • The Lady
  • Cain
  • Stardust
  • Sleigh Ride
  • Inca message
  • Mojo
  • Gift of the sun
  • Happy trails
  • Gold
  • Wings
  • Witch
  • Roxanne
  • Racehorse Charlie
  • Powder diamonds
  • Peruvian

Powder cocaine also has some slang terms that describe it specifically, including:

  • Aspirin
  • Aunt
  • Sugar boogers
  • Yao

Crack cocaine, which is a smoked form of cocaine, also has many street names, including:

  • Cream
  • Yahoo/yeaho
  • Toss up
  • Devilsmoke
  • Glo
  • Casper
  • Fry
  • Ice
  • Cubes
  • White ball
  • Sugar
  • Cloud
  • Gravel
  • Hail
  • Brick
  • Boulder
  • Bones
  • Crank
  • Smoke
  • Sleet
  • Pony

Some slang terms for cocaine are Spanish names for it, such as:

  • Capsula
  • Roca
  • Piedra
  • Patico
  • Dama blanca
  • Esnortiar
  • Mujer
  • Nieve
  • Polvo blanco
  • Talco
  • Basuco
  • Cabello

Cocaine is often used in combination with other drugs. A "blunt" or "woolie" is a cigar filled with a mixture of cocaine and other drugs. "Speedballing" or "serial speedballing" is using a combination of drugs one right after the other. Some other terms for mixtures of cocaine and other drugs are:

  • Banano
  • Bazooka
  • Cigamos
  • Caviar
  • Champagne
  • Cocktail
  • Dirties
  • Draf
  • Five-way
  • Geek-joints
  • Goofball
  • Greek
  • Gremmies
  • Primos
  • Speedball
  • Splitting
  • Wicky
  • Woolas
  • 51

Sources:

Office of National Drug Control Policy, "Street Terms: Drugs and the Drug Trade" [online]

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, "Crack Cocaine" [online]

U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, "What's Up With Cocaine and Crack" [online]

SAMHSA, "Tips for Teens: Cocaine" [online]

Related Article: Crack Cocaine Overview >>