The shakes; delirium tremens.
(Australia, rhyming slang) The shakes; delirium tremens.
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"Joe Blakes" means: The shakes; delirium tremens.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
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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delirium tremens, symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
(US, slang) Delirium tremens.
The d.t.'s is slang shorthand for delirium tremens — the severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome that causes shaking, hallucinations, sweating, and in serious cases can be life-threatening. It's the physical reckoning that hits heavy drinkers when they stop suddenly, and the phrase has been in circulation long enough to feel almost casual, despite describing something genuinely dangerous. You'll hear it used both seriously and as dark humour around hangover culture, though the real d.t.'s are no joke.
(slang) Delirium tremens.
The shakes; delirium tremens.
"Joe Blakes" means: The shakes; delirium tremens.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"Joe Blakes" means: The shakes; delirium tremens.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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