pep pill

pep pill

A drug, typically amphetamine and especially one prescribed for medical use, that acts as a stimulant. They were originally advertised as pep pills to give people more energy in the '60s, then they were rebranded as diet pills in the '70s and '80s, before being taken off the market in the early 1990s. I was starting to wonder if my mother had gotten hooked on pep pills, judging by the way she'd been so jumpy and erratic lately.
See also: pep, pill
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

pep pill

n. a stimulant pill or capsule, such as an amphetamine. The doctor prescribed some kind of pep pills, but I refused to take them.
See also: pep, pill
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • pep
  • go-pills
  • tweeked
  • tweak
  • tweaked
  • speed freak
  • speedhead
  • meth
  • meth head
  • meth monster
References in periodicals archive
"A young man in Bray gouged his eye out with a pair of pliers - and these pep pills could cause the same type of reaction."
HEAD HUNT; Call for ban on shops that sell pep pills over counter
And if you have a teenager and suspect that he is taking diet or pep pills, don't shrug it off as harmless kid's stuff, just because the pills are so readily available.
The scoop on ephedrine and ma huang
words of wisdom I told my doctor I get very tired when I go on a diet, so he gave me pep pills. Know what happened?
The big truth
"Willie took all the blame but it is most certainly true three others in the team took the same pep pills," said Scotland Under-19 boss Gemmill.
Football: Archie: 'Drugs rife'
Jones had been preaching all week to keep the faith after the dreadful bore draw with Stoke City had left supporters reaching for the pep pills.
FOOTBALL: Wolves cane Gills with six of the best; Wolves 6 Gillingham 0
They used to be called 'Mother's little helpers', pep pills or uppers.
Change Your Life in 5 Minutes
"Willie took all the blame but three others in the team took the same pep pills," said Gemmill.
Football: Archie: 'Drugs rife'
In the book, Gemmill - whose wonder goal against Holland wasn't enough to prevent Scotland crashing out in '78 - recalls: "Willie took all the blame but it is most certainly true that three others took the same pep pills.
WORLD CUP 78 TEAM IN NEW DRUG CLAIMS; Holland goal hero Gemmill says Johnston was scapegoat
If last year it was Victor Meldrew on Valium, this year it looked like the party faithful had been given pep pills.
Noisy leader unveils his secret weapon; CONSERVATIVE PARTY CONFERENCE
And the Boston Globe declared: "Hurley careers around barking her lines like an Afghan hound on pep pills."
Is it all over for Liz at 40?
Prescriptions for pep pills have jumped from 1.1million in 1992 to 2.8million in 2001.
Scots pep pill bill hits new high