ace boom-boom

One's close friend. Oh, I'm sure he invited Dave—that's his ace boom-boom. It's always great to spend time with my ace boom-boom! A: "How's Stu these days? Isn't he your ace boom-boom?" B: "He is, but I haven't talked to him in a few weeks because he's been traveling for work."

boom

An exclamation used in conjunction with a decisive or impressive statement or action. Boom! You can't argue with that logic. Straight flush, I win the pot! Boom. A: "I told you to get here at 4:00 because I figured you'd be late and hold everybody up." B: "And what time is it? 3:56. Boom!"

boom goes the dynamite

interjection An exclamation used to emphasize when something exceptional has happened, especially when it occurred exactly as one intended. The phrase was popularized after a video of Ball State University student Brian Collins uttering it during a collegiate sportscast went viral on the Internet. A: "You've got to use the sniper rifle to take out the guards in the tower, or else you'll never beat this level!" B: "OK, let me just line up my scope and—boom goes the dynamite!" A: "Hey, nice shot!" "Boom goes the dynamite!" Nick screamed, watching his teammate hit a mammoth home run to tie the game. And boom goes the dynamite! That's why I like equipping long-range weapons in this game—I don't actually have to get close to monsters to take them out!

boom or bust

Resulting in an outcome that will either be very good or very bad. Many professional athletes face a boom or bust situation early in their career, where they are either drafted to a professional league or don't advance at all. Working in the oil fields is always boom or bust: there's either lots of work for everyone, or hardly any work for anyone. The economies of these coastal towns are usually boom or bust, as they tend to be propped up entirely by tourists who only come in the warmer months of the year.

boom out

1. To produce a loud sound that bursts forth. The sound of the car engine boomed out and made us all jump. My dog hates the Fourth of July because of all the fireworks that boom out. I had to cover my ears as a screech of feedback boomed out from the speakers.

2. To speak loudly or forcefully. A noun or pronoun can be used between "boom" and "out." The security guard boomed instructions out at us as we pulled into the parking lot. The kids in the back with never hear you if you don't boom out the morning announcements. The police officer with the megaphone boomed out garbled orders that no one could understand.

See also: boom, out

boom sticks

slang Drumsticks. The band's drummer is refusing to go on stage because he can't find his favorite pair of boom sticks. I can't believe you caught one of the drummer's boom sticks! That's so awesome! That dude may be holding boom sticks, but he's no drummer. He couldn't keep time if he were holding a stopwatch!

boombox

A large, portable radio. The stereotypical image of hip hop in the '80s is a guy walking down the street with a huge boombox on his shoulder. I can't hear myself think, thanks to the kids blasting their boombox at the park. When I was growing up, you could always count on somebody coming to the block party with a boombox and some great tunes.

drop the boom (on someone or something)

1. To punish someone or something harshly. He's a really strict teacher, so he'll definitely drop the boom on you if you don't do your homework. Well, Mom dropped the boom and grounded me for a month because I came home after curfew again. Please don't drop the boom on Tracy. She wasn't the one talking, I was.

2. To halt something or bring about its end. I used demerits to drop the boom on silliness in my class. If our ratings keep plummeting, the network is sure to drop the boom on our show. You can't drop the boom now—this arts program is crucial for my students' development!

lower the boom (on someone or something)

1. To punish someone or something harshly. He's a really strict teacher, so he'll definitely lower the boom on you if you don't do your homework. Well, Mom lowered the boom and grounded me for a month because I came home after curfew again.

2. To halt something or bring about its end. I used demerits to lower the boom on silliness in my class.

boom out

[for a loud sound] to sound out like thunder. His voice boomed out such that everyone could hear. An explosion boomed out and frightened us all.

See also: boom, out

boom something out

[for someone] to say something very loud; to shout. Will someone with a loud voice boom the names out? The announcer boomed out the names of the players.

See also: boom, out

lower the boom on someone

Fig. to scold or punish someone severely; to crack down on someone; to throw the book at someone. If Bob won't behave better, I'll have to lower the boom on him. The teacher lowered the boom on the whole class for misbehaving.

lower the boom on

Scold harshly or punish severely; also, put a stop to something. For example, If you're caught smoking in school, the principal is bound to lower the boom on you, or The new radar equipment enabled the police to lower the boom on speeding. This expression refers to the boom of a sailboat-a long spar that extends from the mast to hold the foot of the sail. In a changing wind, the boom can swing wildly, leaving one at risk of being struck. [Slang; first half of 1900s]

lower the boom on

1 treat someone severely. 2 put a stop to an activity. informal

It has been suggested that this phrase originally meant ‘knocking out an adversary with one punch’ in a fight.

boom out

1. To make a loud, deep sound: Rock music suddenly boomed out from the speakers.

2. To say something very loudly: She boomed her speech out to the entire building over the public address system. He boomed out the sermon in his thunderous voice.

See also: boom, out

ace boom-boom

and ace boon-coon

n. one’s good and loyal friend. (Black. Ace boon-coon is not as common as the first entry and is objected to because of coon.) Hey girlfriend, you are my ace boom-boom. Where is my old ace boon-coon, bro?

boom

in. to listen to music, as with a boom box. If you’re going to boom all the time, why don’t you get some headphones?

boom box

n. a portable stereo radio. (see also box, thunderbox.) Turn down that damn boom box, or I’ll kick it in.

boom sticks

n. drumsticks. (Musicians.) He always carries his boom sticks in his back pocket, and he beats on walls, radiators, desks—you name it.

lower the boom, to

To punish severely, to take a decisive action against. This slangy expression, also sometimes used in the meaning of literally delivering a knockout punch, dates from the first half of the 1900s. It alludes to a sailboat’s boom, which can swing wildly in a changing wind. For example, “The bank lowered the boom on Jim and demanded the collateral on his loan.”