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It's a colorful world - yellow jacket!

Colorful idioms used in English
This page ©2000 by Nicholas E. Miller



Colorful English!
Word or Phrase:Part of Speech:Idiom or General?:Usage?Restricted?
yellow jacketnoun1) general
2) slang
1) extremely common
2) only used among the
recreational drug culture
1) No
2) Language dealing with
recreational drugs is
not consider proper
in the USA today.
Meaning:
1) a small yellow type of wasp which usually builds its nest in the ground, and, unlike a bee, can painfully sting repeatedly
2) the drug pentobarbital which often comes in a yellow capsule
Example(s):
1) He was walking barefoot by his pool, and stepped on a yellow jacket.
2) Hey, bro, if the man catches you with those
yellow jackets, he's gonna toss you in the slammer.
Plain English of the above slang:
Hey, friend, if the police find you carrying those pentobarbital containing drugs, he is going to put you in jail.

Note: both of these can be dangerous and have painful consequences.