The Rice University Neologisms Database

one’s smile or teeth, especially if it is metal-plated OR metal plate on the front of cars OR one’s private business This word has multiple meanings in slang today. First, it means to prod into someone’s affairs like when someone says, “Get out of my grill!” They mean get out of my business. I am not sure of the origin of grill meaning someone’s personal life. I assume that because a man takes grilling meats very seriously, he would not want anyone to interfere with his cooking, just like he would not want anyone interfering with his personal life. It also means the metal guarder put on the front of cars to make them look tough and rugged. Its origin is its resemblence to the metal plate or grill on which one cooks food. Yet another meaning of grill that I have not heard very much before coming to Rice is the grill in one’s mouth. In some cases it means the actual smile, but technically it is the metal plate covering the teeth that some people have in their mouth. I never saw on until I was here, but I heard people talking about this guy at my college that had one and got it polished every weekend. It is basically another way for people, especially people of the black race, to show that they have more ‘bling’ and jewels. All are example of metaphorical extensions originating from the grill that people cook on because the metal plates either resemble it in shape or because it is a symbol of one’s ownership and personal belongings.