(UK) The sedation of a person with chemicals or medication, especially where sedation is unnecessary.
(UK) The sedation of a person with chemicals or medication, especially where sedation is unnecessary.
"chemical cosh" means the sedation of a person with chemicals or medication, especially where sedation is unnecessary. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"chemical cosh" means the sedation of a person with chemicals or medication, especially where sedation is unnecessary. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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"chemical cosh" is informal English meaning the sedation of a person with chemicals or medication, especially where sedation is unnecessary. It is mainly heard in British English (and Irish English). A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "the sedation of a person with chemicals or medication" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "chemical cosh" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
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(UK, _, dialectal) An attack of illness, such as swooning, pangs of childbirth, etc.