Sorry but why do you guys call it gear?

[Mokelly]

I know you probably think I'm retarded but it's been bugging me for a while. Thanks

[bogumil]

I dont know. I just repeat what others say.:D Im not English speaking, so I pick up what I read on the net ... but it doesnt sound weird to me. Maybe its calle gear cause it speeds your brain chemistry up?

[exitwound]

AFAIK, because it's such a little kit of equipment that the junky carries around with him...lighter, spoon, filters/cottons, needles, syringes, H (sometimes itself called "gear"), etc...I always though of "gear" as another way of saying "H and/or H paraphernalia"

Fuel....equipment....gear....all makes sense.

[skeletontea]

Yeah, the first time I'd heard the word gear, I immediately thought the person was referring to their paraphernalia, rather than their H.

[shaunclo]

Here in the states, I have never ever, ever heard anyone use the term "gear." We call it H, smack, tar, black-tar, etc. Everywhere has different names. I guess we could ask you, "Why dont you call it smack?" Its all the same.

[Mokelly]

oh ok thanks guys just wasn't sure!

[GMorris]

Hell, I always just thought it was a slang term, mostly used in Australia and the UK. I have never heard it called that here in the US, but I always know what it means!

[Zoop]

Hey! why doesnt' someone from the UK tell us? It's just a bunch of silly Americans debating about it so far...

I am wondering what the origin of the name is too.

On the East coast, we tend to call it "dope" or "diesel" or simply, "D" or even "herron" or "herrin"

[jonno]

when i hear the term 'gear' i think of steroids

[insaneike]

No idea but the term 'gear' on this site seems(by most) as refering to their H itself... but int e states you never ehar 'gear', not in th south anyway :p it's smack, china, tar, brown, ect.

To each his own :D

later

[milky_tears]

Here in the UK, H has been called gear for years and years. SWIM's been using for nearly 10 years now and it was called gear before he ever knew anything about it.

In the UK, "gear" isn't just a term for H, it's like a replacement word for "stuff"

[poppy]

I've been using (in the uk) for seven + years and my boyfriend's been using for 20 years and he's always used the term 'gear' to refer to heroin as opposed to any other drug. We use the term dope to refer to cannabis (at least in my area) it may be different in other parts of the country. Laters Poppyx

[kramorph]

Why do you call coke "Charlie", and speed "Billy". Or trees fucken trees!

[mmnyc9]

I know you probably think I'm retarded but it's been bugging me for a while. Thanks

Not stupid at all. I have never heard the term gear except on this site. I thought it meant needles- cotton all the shit that goes with the "Shit". Like Travolta's little leather case in Pulp Fiction. That makes sense to me. I think of it like a rock climber needs his Gear to do what he does. But thats just me.

[SomniGod]

Why do you call coke "Charlie", and speed "Billy". Or trees fucken trees!


Charlie was H....back in the day...... in Colorado.
Billy....you got me....NEVER heard that before...
Trees = weed...been saying that in the South for years!


blowin trees = smoking weed

Then we have:
valerie = valium
Xandar = Xanax bars...or handle bars ..or 2x4's...or footballs
Roxanne = Roxy's
Christie = crystal meth
yellow = crystal meth or crack
hard = crack
soft = powder coke
caliche = rerock coke hcl
dope = anything
work = crack
cookies = $100/crack
kittens = ketamine
rolls = ecstacy
finny = fentanyl
oxiclean = oxycodone
cheese = H
Chiva = H
boy = H
nuff 4 now

~S~

[poppy]

The 'billy' term for speed is used commonly in the UK. I think it comes from 'Billy Whizz' and the word 'cheese' is often used to refer to skunk (at least in my part of the woods)

[mmnyc9]

How about "Works" that's what I've always heard what I thought Gear was Called. Tallywackers,jellybeans etc.....

[candyshop]

lots of cutsey drug names are regional although there are always old standards-when i lived in boston/cambridge area in the late 80's h was called downtown with coke being uptown-i thought that was adorable as well as being convienient for telephone transactions as in "i need to get downtown today can you help me out?"

[Coddfish]

Horse=heroin
Boy=heroin
Girl=coke
Speakin of smack, anybody ever see that ramen noodle? Smack Ramen, it's called. Laughed a bit when I saw that. Yes, I bought some.

[mmnyc9]

It's funny the first time I heard boy or girl wasn't in the City it was way out in New Jersey. I just heard it called Dope or D, Smack, Horse. I eat those noodles all the time the 3 minute meal.

[skeletontea]

Speakin of smack, anybody ever see that ramen noodle? Smack Ramen, it's called. Laughed a bit when I saw that. Yes, I bought some.

No, but I did see a truck that picks up abandoned furniture for resale that has (as a parody of the "Got Milk?" ads), "GOT JUNK?" in a large sans serif font printed across the side of the trailer. I laughed about that one for about 5 minutes.

And Somni, I've not heard oxy called OxiClean before (maybe it's a local thing), but now I won't be able to watch those stain-remover commercials without thinking that the actor is trying to sell me oxycodone.

[milky_tears]

Many people use different names for drugs around these parts, (NW UK) some of them being-

brown + white = heroin + crack
brandy + whiskey = heroin + crack
coffee + milk = heroin + crack
dark + light = heroin + crack
gear + rock = heroin + crack
tackle = heroin
gabs, chabs, wabs, pabs and crabs = heroin,(gear) cannabis,(weed) coke,(charlie) e's,(pills) crack(crack :))

Probably lots more that I can't think of now too!

[RxQueen]

yeah, all the different slang terms.... it's really hysterical when ya think about it!

i too was confused about the term "gear" way back when.... always thought it referred to the equipment too. didn't get it straightened out in my head till i "misused" the word once to a friend..... see, i've had a long-term love/hate relationship with needles, but it started when i was banging speed a lot (LOOOOVE the opies, but never tried heroin..... too scared that i'd like it waaaay too much!) so anyway, during a time that i was forcing myself to stay away from certain drugs for a while, i was talkin with a friend who's spent some time in the UK, and mentioned how much i was missing it.... how i wanted to score something to shoot cuz i was missin my gear (y'know, the ol' "i just wanna shoot something and i don't even care what" thing.... yeh, i DO agree with those who think that IV'ing is sorta an addiction in & of itself)..... well, he looked at me real funny & said that he thought i had still managed to stay away from heroin (usually dope or smack 'round here)! needless to say, we both had a good laugh when he enlightened me to my misunderstanding of the term "gear"!

and to this day, i STILL think that gear sounds more like something i should be calling my works, or kit, or whatever! but, hey.... don't wanna worry my friends needlessly by saying it, and making them think that i finally lost my resolve about the dope.... they tend to agree with me, that i WOULD like it too much and should stay away from it! ;)