Ralph

Ralph, besides being an English name, is also a colloquial verb for vomit. A colloquialism is a word or phrase that has arisen from English but is not considered formal or grammatical. Colloquial words or phrases are used very frequently in spoken English. It is likely that the word ‘ralph’  was coined because it mimicks the sound people make when they vomit. Along with rolf, the term has been used in English since at least the 1960s. According to the OED, it was first seen in print in 1966 in a book called Current Slang.  1“Ralph, V.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, July 2023, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/2593408551.

Meaning of ‘Ralph’ (verb)

To ralph means to vomit or forcefully empty one’s stomach contents.

Some other slang or colloquial terms for vomit are puke, barf, heave, upchuck, retch, hurl, spew, and toss one’s cookies.

Some other slang or colloquial words for money are dough, bread, scratch and cabbage.

Examples of Ralph In Sentences

“The first time I drank alcohol I ended up ralphing for about an hour.”

“My brother never liked fishing. He spent the whole time ralphing over the side of the boat.”

“I shared a bathroom with the adjacent room in my college dorm. Once I had food poisoning so bad I ralphed for about six hours straight. The guy in the other room laughed about how he could hear me retching all night.”

“If you need to ralph don’t do it in my car!”

“If one person ralphs then everyone in the room will start spewing their guts. It’s like a chain reaction.”

More English Colloquialisms