Radio DX Glossary and Q-Codes
A plain-English reference to common radio terms. Meanings can depend on context and service.
CQ
A general call inviting any station listening to respond. Exact calling practice depends on the band, mode and local convention.
QSO / QSL / QTH
QSO commonly means a contact; QSL can mean confirmation or “I acknowledge receipt”; QTH commonly refers to location.
73
A traditional sign-off meaning “best regards” or “best wishes.” It is not a literal numeric signal report.
SWR
Standing-wave ratio, a measurement related to impedance matching in a transmission line system. Low SWR does not guarantee an efficient antenna.
USB / LSB
Upper sideband and lower sideband, two forms of single-sideband operation.
Skip / skywave
Longer-distance propagation using the ionosphere. Actual paths and range depend on conditions and frequency.
QRM / QRN
Commonly used for man-made interference and natural noise respectively, though usage varies.
UTC
Coordinated Universal Time, useful for recording radio activity consistently across time zones.
Vintage UK CB slang
From “breaker” to “wall to wall,” this A–Z collects terms heard on CB radio and on the road. Meanings varied by region and era. Entries were selected from a scanned glossary where the term and its definition could be matched with confidence.
A
- After burner
- A linear amplifier.
- Alligator station
- A station that transmits strongly but hears other stations poorly.
- Anchorman
- A driver ahead who reports road conditions.
B
- Back door
- The last vehicle in a convoy.
- Back to you
- An invitation for the other operator to reply.
- Bareback
- Driving a vehicle without CB radio.
- Base station
- A radio station operated from a fixed location.
- Bear
- Police officer.
- Bear trap
- A radar speed trap.
- Benny chaser
- Strong coffee.
- Bible
- A logbook.
- Bleed-over
- A transmission heard on a neighbouring channel.
- Blinky
- A vehicle with only one headlight working.
- Brain bucket
- A crash helmet.
- Breaker
- A call asking to speak on a channel already in use.
- Breaking up
- A signal that keeps cutting out.
- Bumper jumper
- A vehicle following too closely.
C
- Catch you later
- A farewell meaning the operators can talk again later.
- Chew and choke
- A roadside café or service area.
- Christmas card
- A speeding ticket.
- Chrome dome
- A roof-mounted aerial.
- Clear
- Signing off.
- Coax is ringing
- Someone is calling for a particular operator.
- Come back
- An invitation to reply.
- Convoy
- A line of vehicles keeping in touch by CB.
- Copy
- To receive or understand a transmission.
- Copying the mail
- Listening to other operators without joining in.
- Cut the coax
- Sign off.
D
- Dead wheel
- A flat tyre.
- Diesel digit
- Channel 19 in this historical glossary.
- Dinosaur juice
- Petrol.
- Do you copy?
- Can you hear and understand me?
- Doughnuts
- Roundabouts.
- Down and gone
- Ending a transmission and switching off.
- Down on the side
- Finished transmitting but still listening.
- DX
- Long-distance radio communication.
E
- Earache
- Trouble with an aerial connection.
- Ears on
- The CB is switched on.
- Eyeball
- Meet another operator in person.
F
- Fender bender
- A road accident.
- Fishtank
- A bus.
- Five by five
- A strong, clear signal.
- Fixed station
- A base station.
- Flip-flop
- A return journey.
- Flop stop
- An overnight stop.
- Foot warmer
- A linear amplifier.
- Four-wheeler
- A car or small van.
- Front door
- The lead vehicle in a convoy.
- Fuzz buster
- A radar detector.
G
- Green light
- The road ahead is clear of police.
J
- Jump down
- Switch to a lower channel.
K
- Keying the mike
- Pressing the microphone’s transmit button.
- Kicker
- A linear amplifier.
L
- Land line
- A telephone.
- Lead foot
- A fast driver.
- Little mama
- A short aerial.
- Loud and proud
- A clear, easy-to-hear signal.
M
- Make a trip
- Change channels.
- Making the trip
- Getting a good signal through.
- Meat wagon
- An ambulance.
- Meeting twenty
- A meeting place.
- Mike
- A microphone.
- Mike fright
- Nervousness about speaking on the radio.
- Mobile rig
- A radio installed in a vehicle.
- Monitor
- Listen to the channel.
- Motion lotion
- Fuel.
- Motor mouth
- An operator who talks too much.
N
- Nap trap
- A motel or rest area.
- Negative copy
- No answer, or a reply that could not be understood.
- Nerve curve
- A bad bend in the road.
O
- On the peg
- Travelling at the speed limit.
- On the side
- Listening without transmitting.
- Out to lunch
- Away from the radio or failing to answer.
P
- Polo mint
- A roundabout.
R
- Reefer
- A refrigerated lorry.
- Ride shotgun
- Ride as a passenger.
- Rig
- A CB radio. The source also uses the term for a truck or other vehicle.
- Ringing your bell
- Someone is calling you.
- Road tar
- Coffee.
- Rocking chair
- The middle position in a line of three or more vehicles.
- Roger
- An acknowledgement that a message was received.
- Roller skate
- A small car.
- Rubber duck
- The lead CB operator in a convoy.
S
- Saltmines
- A place of work.
- Say again
- Repeat the transmission.
- Set of dials
- A CB radio.
- Shack
- The room where a station is set up.
- Shoes
- A linear amplifier.
- Show-off lane
- The overtaking lane.
- Side door
- The overtaking lane.
- Silly side
- Single sideband, or SSB.
- Skin clock
- A watch.
- Skins
- Tyres.
- Sky bear
- A police helicopter.
- Sky hook
- A base-station aerial.
- Slab
- A motorway.
- Slappers
- Windscreen wipers.
- Sleeper
- A lorry with a sleeping compartment.
- Smokey bear
- Police.
- Smokey with ears
- Police using CB.
- Snoreshelf
- A bed.
- Sore foot
- A flat tyre.
- Spaghetti bowl
- A motorway interchange.
- Splash
- A signal spilling over into another channel.
- Splatter
- Interference spilling into a channel.
- Square wheels
- Parked.
- Squawk box
- A CB radio.
- Stack
- A diesel vehicle’s exhaust.
- Stage stop
- A lorry stop.
- Stepped on
- Interrupted by another transmission.
- Stomped
- Drowned out by a stronger signal.
- Stroller
- An operator using a walkie-talkie.
- Stuffy
- A busy or congested channel.
- Suds
- Beer.
T
- Talking skip
- Talking to a distant station using skywave propagation.
- Thermos bottle
- A milk tanker.
- Threes
- Best wishes.
- Throw a shoe
- Get a flat tyre.
- Throw that back at me
- Please repeat what you said.
- Throwing
- Transmitting.
- Tied up
- Held up by an obstruction on the road.
- Tiger in the tank
- A linear amplifier.
U
- Under the hump
- A tunnel.
W
- Walked all over
- Drowned out by a stronger transmission.
- Wall to wall
- A good, strong signal.
- Wearing socks
- Using a linear amplifier.
Y
- Yodel
- Give me a call.
- You got a copy on me?
- Are you receiving me?
Z
- Z’s
- Sleep.
- Z’sville
- Sleeping.
Further reading
Always check current rules for the country and radio service you are using. A community convention or software feature is not proof that a transmission is authorised.
This guide is educational and may need updating as regulations, software and community information change. Check linked primary sources before relying on technical or regulatory details.