Addiction Drug Use Cocaine Common Street Names for Cocaine Slang Terms Based on Appearance, Effects, Drug Culture By Buddy T Buddy T Facebook Twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial process Updated on March 24, 2020 Fact checked by Emily Swaim Fact checked by Emily Swaim on March 04, 2020 LinkedIn Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell. Learn about our editorial process Print Jose Azel / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Appearance Cultural Influences Geographical Origin Effects People and Characters Plays on the Word Cocaine Purely Deceptive Street Names Cocaine Mixed With Other Drugs At the peak of its use in the 1970s and 1980s, cocaine began to influence many aspects of the American culture. Glamorized in songs, movies, and throughout the disco music culture, cocaine became a very popular recreational drug. Some of the cocaine street names, slang terms, and nicknames were given to cocaine during the height of its popularity have become part of the American lexicon. Some of those names are based on the appearance of the drug, the effect cocaine has on users, the influence the drug has had on many aspects of society, and merely to cover up the topic of conversation. Appearance Cocaine begins as green leaves of the coca plant, but by the time it reaches users, it is a flaky white powder or hard, white rocks in the form of crack cocaine. The appearance of the drug has been the basis for many of its street names or nicknames. Bernie's FlakesBernie's Gold DustBig BlokeBig FlakeBlancaCrackFlakeGold DustHave a DustHaven DustIcingLineParadise WhitePearlSleigh RideSnow WhiteSnowconesWhite MosquitoWhite Powder This Is What Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Look Like Cultural Influences As the drug began to gain popularity in the 1970s, it also began to influence many areas of society, particularly the entertainment industry. Many of the slang terms that evolved into the language were the result of cocaine's influence on American culture, as well as the culture's influence on the use of the drug. All-American DrugCalifornia CornflakesDouble BubbleDreamFlorida SnowFoo FooFoo-Foo DustGift-of-the-SunGift-of-the-Sun-GodGinGirlfriendHunterKingKing's HabitLate NightLove AffairMovie Star DrugPimpSchoolboyScorpionSevenupSociety HighStardustStar-Spangled PowderStudio Fuel Cocaine: Everything You’ve Been Afraid to Ask Geographical Origin Some names used for cocaine are based on the geographic origin of the drug, or at least the perceived geographic origin of the drug. Some of these street names may be used for the sole purpose of enhancing the perceived market value of the drug. BurneseInca MessagePerciaPercioPerico CocainePeruvianPeruvian FlakePeruvian Lady Effects More names, however, were derived from how the drug affects its users. The potency or the pureness of the drug also prompted many of its colorful nicknames and street names. Big RushBolivian Marching PowderBouncing PowderFriskie PowderGlad StuffHappy DustHappy PowderHappy TrailsLove AffairMarching DustMarching PowderNose CandyNose PowderNose StuffParadise The Different Effects of a Cocaine High on Your Body People and Characters Typical for most illegal drugs, some of the street names used to refer to cocaine sound like names of people, at least in part to disguise the subject of the conversation. Some of these nicknames are based loosely on the word "cocaine" while others seem to have no apparent logical connection at all. AngieAunt NoraBerniceBernieBillie HokeCarrieCarrie NationCecilCharlieChippyChoeCorrineCorrinneHenry VIIIHerJejoLady SnowMerckMerkMujerNieveSchmeckScottieSerpico 21 Plays on the Word Cocaine Some of cocaine's street names are simply derivatives of the word "cocaine" itself. Or plays on the word "cocaine" or "coke." Big CCC-GameCocaCoconutCokeColaLady CaineMama Coca Purely Deceptive Street Names There are dozens of slang terms for cocaine that seem to be based on no other criteria except that they are deceptive. These names are used by cocaine users to cover up the topic of their conversations about the drug in case they are overheard by others. BarbsBasaBaseBazulcoBeamBoyBureseCameCandy CCarnieC-DustChollyCombolDuctEl PericoEsnortiarJellyMonsterMosquitosTardustTeenagerYescaYescoZambi Cocaine Mixed With Other Drugs There are also slang terms used to describe cocaine when it is combined with other illicit substances, including: Cocaine with PCP: Space, Whack Cocaine paste with marijuana: Bazooka Cocaine mixed with heroin: Belushi, Bombita, Speedball Crack cocaine mixed with fentanyl: Dirty Fentanyl, Takeover If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 3 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Goldstein RA, Deslauriers C, Burda AM. Cocaine: history, social implications, and toxicity--a review. Dis Mon. 2009;55(1):6-38. doi:10.1016/j.disamonth.2008.10.002 National Institute on Drug Abuse. What is Cocaine? Updated July 2018 National Institute on Drug Abuse. Cocaine. Updated May 2016. Additional Reading Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Slang Terms and Code Words: A Reference for Law Enforcement Personnel. DEA Intelligence Report. 2018. Drug Policy Alliance. 10 Facts About Cocaine. 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