rack

Question

Do you say Margarita off the rack? I think I always hear waiters use the word 'rack' when asking about how I want my Margarita. What does the word rack mean?

By the way, does rack also mean boobs? For example, she has nice rack.

Thanks!

Nona the brit · Accepted Answer

off the rack - can mean something ready made, i.e. buying suits off the rack, but I've not heard it used with drinks. Possibly means a bottled pre-mixed one? But that is just my guess.

rack/***** - yes it can but it is offensive/vulgar. Not common slang. Use '*****' and you are unlikely to offend anyone. Use 'rack' and you are a slime-ball.

Goodman · Answer

Nona The Britoff the rack - can mean something ready made, i.e. buying suits off the rack, but I've not heard it used with drinks. Possibly means a bottled pre-mixed one? But that is just my guess.

rack/***** - yes it can but it is offensive/vulgar. Not common slang. Use '*****' and you are unlikely to offend anyone. Use 'rack' and you are a slime-ball.

Hi Nona,

It's fun, my perception is that it would be the other way around. If I were to make a comment about a lady, I would more likely to choose "rack" to minimize the vulgarity over other expressions. Maybe that's just me.

Nona the brit · Answer

REally? Can you imagine your grandma talking to the doctor about her 'rack'?

I can't believe 'rack' is polite in any form of English, surely? Could be wrong but it would be such an offensive/tacky thing to say here.

Of course, commenting on a woman's ******* isn't exactly polite behaviour however you phrase it.

BarbaraPA · Answer

I dearly hope the waiters are asking if you want it "on the rocks" -- which means with ice.

I too find "rack" a rather degrading term. "****" isn't really that bad... I used to use the word "boobage" as a joking reference to "cleavage." (She's got rather a lot of boobage there for the office, hasn't she?) Also when talking to other women about hard it can be to find clothes that fit when you have "rather ample boobage." It was a made up word, but everyone knew what I meant and it made them smile. (Okay, men, you can come out of hiding now.)

Goodman · Answer

Grammar GeekI dearly hope the waiters are asking if you want it "on the rocks" -- which means with ice.

I too find "rack" a rather degrading term. "****" isn't really that bad... I used to use the word "boobage" as a joking reference to "cleavage." (She's got rather a lot of boobage there for the office, hasn't she?) Also when talking to other women about hard it can be to find clothes that fit when you have "rather ample boobage." It was a made up word, but everyone knew what I meant and it made them smile. (Okay, men, you can come out of hiding now.)

Well, I don't want to sound like I am making a "special" discussion about a particluar part of a woman's anatomy. But I find it surprising that you ladies are ok with "boobies" and "*******". While we are on this subject, how do you perceive “****”, “melons” or “knockers”? Are they equally as demeaning as “rack”? I personally feel awkward using these descriptions. I am just curious and you don’t have to comment on it if you find these questions inappropriate.

Nona the brit · Answer

on the rocks! doh! of course. They must be saying that.

Nona the brit · Answer

******* is just the normal word for them, not slang or anything. It's no different to saying 'legs' or 'arms'. It's not a rude or embarrassing word to anyone other than little children (who like to giggle at anything).

***** is a fairly widely accepted slang word for them. Not offensive. I'd quite happily use the word around my 80 year old parents for example. (in some weird circumstance where I had to discuss ******* with them, lol). I don't like the word boobies though. Couldn't really tell you why. I suppose it's because it's not really a word I've heard women using. Just little kids or weird men. ***** is a popular word for women to use in informal situations where '*******' would be too formal.

I'd tell the doctor I had a pain in my breast; I'd tell my friends I had a pain in one of my *****. If you don't think women use these words, what on earth would we call them? I'm certainly not asking my doctor to look at my 'rack'. He'd probably throw me out of the surgery.

Your '****' word (ha, we can look up what you were saying even though the censor got there) is a stronger slang word. Would offend some people. Wouldn't offend others. It's sort of in between the words above and the words below. Not something I'd say to my parents but possibly some of my friends. It is a pretty strong word though.

Knockers - very old fashioned slang. Not horrendously offensive but pretty vulgar. Makes me think of a 1970s bad comedy. Melons - see knockers. Not exactly offensive but 'nasty' somehow. Women would never use these words to describe *******, so they tend to be rather disrespectful. Rack - very disrespectful. All of these are, yes, GG had the right word, demeaning. Someone using these is only looking at that part of the woman's body; not the whole woman. It's about the attitude really.

The difference is that two of these words are just used to describe anatomy - women use them as well. We sometimes discuss our legs and sometimes we discuss our *******/*****. The words are no more offensive than 'legs'.

The other words are used pretty much only by men and it tends to be in a demeaning/judgemental way.

Of course, what you are saying overall is important, as well as the actual words. Like I said, you can't comment on the quality/size of a random woman's ******* without it being demeaning, whatever word you use. Whereas perhaps a man might whisper to his wife "I love your knockers' and it would make her laugh. Context is everything.

But really, rack, no, stop using it right now!

It's hard to make a comparison to words for men's 'equipment' to help you understand as I don't think a man would feel offended by any of the normal slang words. But then men use those words. Suppose I invented a nasty word for them that only women use, to comment on/laugh at/snigger about men, that men were embarrassed by...that's what some of these words are like.

Feebs11 · Answer

Margarita off the rack: It is clearly a mishearing for "off the rocks" - some American accents could easily be heard as "racks".

Goodman · Answer

Yuh! Grandma's rack sound pretty gross...

Before this subject is shut down, I have this comments to make.

Margareta is a slush like drink made in a blender with tequila, lime juice and iced and I have never seen it "on the rock".

Secondly, as man, I don't think men are as sensitive or even mind for if women make comments about his "manhood". Perhaps that's difference between being a man and a woman. What I am seeing is that the MTV and Y generation females are a lot more vulgarity tolerant than the earlier generation, and I don't see it as a good thing. That's all.

BarbaraPA · Answer

Okay, I've asked my colleague, and the slushy one is a frozen margarita, but you can also have it NOT all slushed up, and that's "on the rocks." So someone who orders simply a margarita would very likely be asked "frozen or on the rocks."

(On a side note:

the MTV and Y generation ~~females~~ are a lot more vulgarity tolerant than the earlier generation, and I don't see it as a good thing

- Aside from the inclusion of the word "females" there, I completely agree.)

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