Supernatural has always leaned into pop culture and rock music references throughout its 15 seasons, and it gave the show its distinctive charm. However, there were times when Sam and Dean Winchester used these references as more than just a funny comparison point. As avid hunters, Supernatural’s Winchester brothers mastered the art of stealth and combat against a variety of adversaries, including humans. Therefore, it makes sense that Sam and Dean developed their own codewords or “hunter’s lingo” in order to be discreet while hunting monsters.
Sam and Dean’s codewords have appeared just a few times throughout the show, mainly becoming a piece of interesting Supernatural trivia. Yet, other words, like the famous “Poughkeepsie,” have cropped up more than once. Either way, whether it is simply a singular or repeated occurrence, the Winchesters’ lingo has certainly left its mark, demonstrating their proficiency in working together as hunters.
1
Five-O
Used: Season 1, Episode 1
Although it is not used exclusively by the Winchesters, “five-o” is definitely part of Sam and Dean Winchester’s hunter lingo. In the pilot episode, the brothers impersonate US Marshals to get information on the Woman in White case. Later in the episode, when he spots the same police outside the motel, Dean quickly calls Sam to alert him, saying, “Dude, five-o, take off.” The police, unfortunately, figured out that the Winchesters were fake US Marshals and were also using fake credit cards to pay for their motel room, leading to Dean’s arrest.
However, Dean’s quick thinking allowed Sam to escape, to continue the investigation, and later help Dean escape custody. The use of “five-o” is likely in reference to Hawaii Five-0, a cop show from the 1970s, and is a common slang term for police. Considering the Winchesters often resort to illegal practices to do their job, it is a useful codeword to subtly alert each other of nearby cops, especially ones that are actively suspicious of them, although it hasn’t really been used since.
2
Jim Rockford
Used: Season 2, Episode 7
Despite being taken into custody in Supernatural season 2, episode 7, “The Usual Suspects,” Sam and Dean prove their ingenuity once again with another codeword. When Sam escapes custody, thanks to a clever note and distraction from Dean, the investigating detective Ballard suddenly falls victim to a haunting by the very ghost the Winchesters are hunting. Seeing the marks on the detective’s wrists, Dean gives up his brother’s location by revealing another codeword they use.
Detective Diana Ballard in Supernatural’s “The Usual Suspects” is played by Linda Blair, an actress best known for playing the possessed child, Regan, in 1973’s The Exorcist.
Dean tells Ballard to “Go to the first motel listed in the yellow pages. Look for Jim Rockford – it’s how we find each other when we’re separated.” This practice of checking into the first motel under the name “Jim Rockford” shows that Sam and Dean Winchester learned from their past mistakes, having set up a secret meeting point system that no one else knows about. “Jim Rockford” refers to the fictional private investigator from the 1970s TV series, The Rockford Files, a relatively obscure reference considering Supernatural season 2 takes place around 2006.
3
Funkytown
Used: Season 2, Episode 10
“Funkytown” is an unusual codeword used by Sam and Dean in Supernatural to signify that they are in trouble, without alerting the likely troublemaker. The word’s first and only appearance is in season 2’s “Hunted,” in which Gordon Walker holds Dean hostage in order to lure Sam in and kill him, believing him to be an evil soldier in the demon army. Dean uses it during a phone call to Sam, saying that he “Just got here myself. It’s a real funky town.”
“Yeah, I talked to Ellen. Just got here myself. It’s a real funky town. You ditched me, Sammy.” – Dean to Sam
While the codeword doesn’t mean much to anyone else, besides the possible connection to the famous 1980 disco song by Lipps Inc., when Sam hears the codeword, he immediately proclaims, “Someone’s got a gun on him.” The origin of this particular Winchester codeword is unknown, as Sam simply says Dean thought of it and “It’s kind of a… long story.” However, the somewhat silly codeword is a testament to Sam and Dean’s brotherly relationship in Supernatural.
4
“Something Stuck To My Shoe”
Used: Season 8, Episode 13
Season 8’s “Everybody Hates Hitler” contains the first Winchester codeword to appear outside the Eric Kripke-era episodes of Supernatural, as an astonishing 6 seasons pᴀssed without another utterance of “hunter’s lingo.” Interestingly, the phrase used by Sam is not a hard one to figure out in the right context. However, given that the seemingly innocent phrase can be used in a normal conversation quite easily, while alerting your desired target, it makes it a pretty good secret codeword.
At the beginning of Supernatural season 8, episode 13, “Everybody Hates Hitler,” we see the Men of Letters’ secret bunker for the first time.
When Dean talks to Sam on the phone in the episode, he says, “I think we still got a case,” to which Sam realizes he is being followed by the Golem, and tells Dean, “That would explain why I have something stuck to my shoe.” Dean immediately picks up on the meaning, asking questions that Sam can answer without giving himself away. The effortless manner of the conversation hints that the Winchesters may have used this code phrase before, although it doesn’t appear again on-screen in Supernatural.
5
Poughkeepsie
Used: Season 9, Episode 10 & 21 / Season 14, Episode 10
Appearing three times throughout the show, “Poughkeepsie” is the most famous codeword in Supernatural and means “drop everything and run.” In season 9, episode 10, “Road Trip,” Dean and Castiel enlist the help of Crowley to remove Gadreel from Sam, as the angel has been possessing his body since Supernatural’s “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here.” As Crowley needs to alert Sam that he is being possessed by the angel to expel him, Dean lets Crowley in on a secret Winchester codeword to get Sam to trust him.
Interestingly, Crowley utilizes “Poughkeepsie” once again a few episodes later, to warn the Winchesters that they are heading into a trap, although this warning was ignored and hidden by Dean. Furthermore, Sam emotionally uses the word “Poughkeepsie” to implore Dean to snap out of his infinite mind loop in season 14, episode 10, “Nihilism.” The official origins of the word are unknown to viewers, but the context seems to insinuate that something really bad went down in Poughkeepsie, as the codeword is only ever used by Sam and Dean in the most dire circumstances in Supernatural.
