Randy Chandler
The slang usage of the word cheese varies depending on the context. In video games, cheese is used to describe a player who exploits the game to get around difficulty or uses an unbecoming tactic to win. In sports, cheese is used as a synonym for smoke and heat to describe pitches that are fastballs. Cheese can also be used as a verb to mean to put an end to something. In this context, cheesed off means to be angry or irritated. Cheese can also be used to refer to someone important or in authority, like a boss or supervisor. In this case, the term is often used ironically.
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What You'll Learn
'Cheese' as a slang term for money
The use of the word "cheese" as a slang term for money has multiple speculated origins. One theory suggests that the phrase "government cheese" was used to refer to the welfare system in the US, where people in poverty would receive cheese as part of their benefits. This dates back to the end of World War II when welfare packages included cheese. Over time, the term "government cheese" evolved into a slang term for money, as people would receive their benefits in the form of cheese. This usage of "cheese" as slang for money is considered old and can be found in many old movies.
Another possible origin of the slang term comes from the Urdu word "chiz," which means "thing." According to this theory, the phrase "the big cheese" would simply mean "the big thing," referring to an important person or authority figure. This usage of "cheese" as slang for an important person is also found in the phrase "big cheese," which can refer to a boss or supervisor.
In hip-hop lyrics, the phrase "government cheese" is often mentioned, which could have contributed to the association of "cheese" with money. Additionally, in British slang, "monkey" is a term for £500, derived from the Indian 500 Rupee note of the 19th century, which featured a monkey. This term made its way to Britain during the British Raj. While the ape has since been removed from the note, the slang term "monkey" persists.
It is worth noting that "cheddar" is also used as slang for money, especially in hip-hop lyrics and by Americans referring to cash. This usage may have originated from the phrase "the big cheese," with "cheddar" being a variation of "cheese."
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'Cheese' as a verb meaning 'to put an end to something'
Cheese, as a verb, can mean "to put an end to something." It is a lactic synonym of transitive stop. The word is sometimes used in the phrase "cheese it" to warn someone of impending danger. For example, in Herman Gastrell Seely's 1917 novel, A Son of the City (A Story of Boy Life), the phrase "Cheese it, the cop!" is used to alert someone of the police.
"Cheese it" can also be an interjection meaning to run away from something or someone, usually the police. This usage is now considered outdated.
In sports, "cheese" has various slang meanings. In hockey, "cheese," top cheese, or top cheddar means to score a goal off the crossbar. In 9-ball pool, "to cheese" means to slop the 9-ball in and win the rack. In baseball, "cheese" is a slang term for "pitches that are fastballs," synonymous with "smoke" and "heat."
In video games, "to cheese" means to exploit a game by using strategies that require minimal skill or knowledge or by taking advantage of glitches.
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'Cheese' as a noun to refer to someone important
The noun "cheese" is not limited to its literal uses. Beyond referring to the food, the word "cheese" can also refer to someone important. The phrase "big cheese" is often used to refer to an important person, such as a boss or supervisor, and sometimes even Jesus or God. The phrase "top cheese" is also used in hockey slang to refer to scoring a goal off the crossbar.
The origin of the phrase "big cheese" is debated. One theory suggests that it comes from the Italian/Latin word "Cesare," pronounced "Che-sa-reh," which refers to a powerful figure like Caesar from the old Roman Empire. Another theory proposes that it originates from the Hindi word "cīz" and the Urdu word "chīz," both meaning "thing" and tracing back to the Persian "chīz." The phrase may have entered American slang through the British, who derived it from Anglo-Indian sources.
The earliest citations of "big cheese" as a slang term for an important person date back to 1908 and 1913, with earlier uses of whole cheese and main cheese in newspaper data pre-dating the personified "big cheese" by several years. There is also a nineteenth-century history of "the big cheese" referring to a large cheese that was presented at special events and occasions, which could have laid the foundation for the slang term.
In addition to referring to someone important, "cheese" can also be used in slang to refer to money, especially in the context of welfare or government assistance, where it is derived from the term "government cheese". It can also refer to a mixture of drugs, specifically Black Tar Heroin and crushed Tylenol PM tablets, known for its addictive and disorienting effects.
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'Cheese' as a noun to refer to a mixture of drugs
"Cheese" is a slang term for a mixture of drugs, specifically heroin and crushed tablets of certain over-the-counter cold medications. The drug first appeared in public middle and high schools in Dallas, Texas, in the early 2000s and quickly spread to other areas outside of Dallas County.
The term "cheese" is believed to have originated from "chiva," a Mexican slang term for heroin. The drug is created by mixing black tar heroin with crushed tablets of Tylenol PM or other over-the-counter night-time sleep aids containing diphenhydramine (DPH) and acetaminophen (APAP). This process converts the gummy "tar" into a dry powder that can be easily snorted or injected.
Cheese is often packaged in small bindles or ziplock baggies and sold for as little as $2 a dose. It creates a feeling of euphoria, disorientation, lethargy, sleepiness, and hunger. Withdrawal symptoms can occur as soon as 12 hours after discontinued use and include headaches, chills, muscle pains, and anxiety.
The presence of DPH in the mixture initially hampered the identification of heroin in overdose victims, as chemical spot tests did not detect it. However, comprehensive laboratory testing confirmed the presence of heroin, APAP, and DPH in the drug mixture. Due to the high concentrations of non-opiate substances, overdose and abuse of cheese are more dangerous than pure-form opiate overdoses.
Efforts to eradicate the drug from schools in Dallas have been made, including increasing drug-sniffing dog patrols. Despite these efforts, the drug continues to be a problem, with almost daily arrests and confiscations in the northwest quadrant of Dallas as of mid-2007.
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'Cheese' as an adjective meaning 'cliché' or 'cringy'
The word "cheese" has a variety of slang meanings, and while it is not a common slang term, it can be used as an adjective to describe something as clichéd or cringy. In this context, "cheese" is often associated with something of poor quality, overly dramatic, or excessively emotional. For example, one might say, "that show is heavy on the cheese" to mean that it is full of clichés and melodrama. This usage of "cheese" is related to the more common adjective "cheesy," which is often used to describe something as corny or tacky.
The term "cheesy" has been around for a while and is well-known, especially in reference to food or cultural products. For instance, a "cheesy" pizza crust might be one that is overly thick or loaded with cheap, processed cheese. Similarly, a movie might be described as "cheesy" if it relies on overused tropes and clichés, or if its special effects are noticeably low-budget.
In addition to its slang meanings, "cheese" can also refer to a solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk, often seasoned and aged. This is the most common and widely recognized meaning of the word. However, in certain contexts, "cheese" can take on a variety of other slang meanings.
For example, in hockey slang, "cheese" or "top cheese" means to score a goal off the crossbar. "The big cheese" is another slang phrase that refers to an authority figure like a boss or supervisor and is sometimes used humorously to refer to God or Jesus. "Cheese" can also refer to money, especially in older slang, and may be related to the concept of "government cheese," or welfare.
"Cheese" has also been used to refer to a mixture of drugs, specifically black tar heroin and crushed Tylenol PM tablets, due to the resulting powder's resemblance to grated cheese. This usage is reflected in phrases like "I'm making mad cheese" or "Sell me some cheese, man." In video game culture, "cheesing" refers to exploiting a game's mechanics to avoid difficulty, and in 9-ball pool, "to cheese the 9-ball" means to slop it in and win the rack.
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Frequently asked questions
In baseball, "cheese" is a slang term for fastballs. In hockey, "cheese," top cheese, or top cheddar means to score a goal off the crossbar. In 9-ball pool, to "cheese" the 9-ball means to slop it in and win the rack.
"Cheese" is a slang term for money, which may have originated from government cheese, or welfare. Someone might say they "like cheese" or want to "get some cheese" to indicate that they want to make money.
"Cheese" can be used to describe someone who is important or powerful, like a boss. This usage may originate from the Hindi or Urdu word "chīz," meaning "thing."
"Cheese it" is an outdated slang phrase meaning to run away, usually from the police. "I'm cheesed" means that someone is angry or irritated.
