CB Slang

Handle

Your 'handle' is the nickname you'll use when using a CB radio. Other CB users will refer to you by this nickname. One of the first things you'll be asked during a conversation is "what's your handle?"

Good Buddy

CB users are friendly folk, and everyone you speak to gets to be a good buddy whether you've spoken to them before or not. 'Good buddy' is sprinkled throughout the conversation at ease - e.g. 'what's your handle, good buddy .....'

Ten-Four or sometimes just "Four"

The 10 code is used a lot in CB talk, and this one is probably used the most - Four is short for the ten code 10-4, which means acknowledged, ok, yes, etc.

Ten-Twenty or sometimes just "Twenty"

"What's your twenty?" is asking what their current location is. This term comes from the ten-code 10-20.

Smokey or Smokey Bear

CB slang for a Police officer. A 'Smokey in a plain brown wrapper' is slang for an unmarked police car and a "Smokey report" is what CB users say when they pass on information such as the location of a police speed trap.

I'm gone

Used at the end of the conversation meaning you have finished transmitting and will no longer be listening. Also sometimes said as 'we down, we gone'

Back door

To say "at your back door" means that someone is driving behind you. "Knocking at your back door" means approaching from behind.

Front door

CB users just love to travel in convoy and this is the leader of a convoy.

Put the hammer down & Put the pedal to the metal

Slang for speeding up your vehicle - pressing the accelerator.

Four-wheeler

A small passenger vehicle - car/4x4

Eighteen-wheeler

Articulated Lorry / Large Truck.

Kojak with a Kodak" or Smokey taking pictures

A policeman with a radar gun. This can also refer to a speed camera.

Seat cover

An attractive female passenger in the passenger seat.

Got your ears on?

Calling their 'handle' and asking someone if they are on the air and listening to you.

Breaker .... (followed by channel number)

Telling other CB users that you'd like to start a transmission on a channel. ("One-nine" refers to channel 19, the most widely used among truck drivers.)

Breaker, breaker to (CB user handle)

A slang term telling another user that you'd like to speak to them specifically or 'Breaker breaker - any taker ....' if you're just looking to chat with anyone

Meat Wagon

CB slang for an ambulance