salmon
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To ride a bicycle the wrong way down a one-way street.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
2014: "Salmon, Don't Shoal: Learning The Lingo Of Safe Cycling" by Marc Silver, NPR
Some cities discourage salmoning with clever signage, like this in London: "If you can read this you are biking the wrong way."
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “salmon” mean?
To ride a bicycle the wrong way down a one-way street.
Is “salmon” formal or informal?
salmon is generally slang.