"fall off the back of a truck" means: Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession through illegal or otherwise dubious means.. 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.
fall off the back of a truck
(idiomatic, AU, US, euphemistic) Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession through illegal or otherwise dubious means.
Definitions
(idiomatic, AU, US, euphemistic) Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession through illegal or otherwise dubious means.
"fall off the back of a truck" means: Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession through illegal or otherwise dubious means.. 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.
"fall off the back of a truck" means: Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession through illegal or otherwise dubious means.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. 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
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
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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🇦🇺About Australian & NZ slang slang
Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary — bogan, daggy, brekkie, sheila, bach, jandals — the whole Antipodean lexicon, including outback dialect, surf and beach culture, and Sydney/Melbourne street slang.
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Semantically related
- 93%
(idiomatic, US, euphemistic) Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession without having been paid for; to be acquired illegally; to have been stolen.
- 92%
(idiomatic, British, euphemistic) Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession without having been paid for; to have been acquired illegally.
- 72%
(chiefly, US, stative, idiomatic) To be naive, uninformed, or unsophisticated, in the manner of a rustic person.
- 68%
(informal, idiom, mostly, finance, mostly, US) To take advantage of favourable pricing by purchasing a large amount.
- 66%
To fall off.