throw it up
v. phr.— «She and other deputies exchange gang information. “Kids try to fly in under the radar, try to keep their gang links secret.” But, she said, you might see a student “throwing it up,” jargon for making gang hand symbols, and that’s when she moves in.» —“Resource officer battles gang activity” by Hugh Muir Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Maryland) Nov. 6, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Aubrey in Waco, Texas, says her mother used to warn the kids against contracting honkus of the bonkus, a fanciful name for a contagious disease. This colloquial term probably comes from the words bonk and konk, meaning “to hit” or...
Lucy in Louisa, Virginia, recalls that if her mother was exasperated when the kids were misbehaving, she’d announce I’m going to put you both in a wet paper bag and see who falls out first! This is part of a complete episode.
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