the pill
1. The birth control pill (an oral contraceptive that inhibits ovulation to prevent conception). I tried the pill for a while in college, but it really didn't agree with my body. A: "Why on worth wouldn't you use a condom, dude?" B: "She told me she was on the pill!"
2. Some fact or piece of information that is particularly bad, unpleasant, or dissatisfactory. Used exclusively in constructions like "sweeten the pill," "sugar-coat the pill," etc. The bosses are giving everyone an extra 10% bonus this year, but I suspect it's a way of sugar-coating the pill that there will be massive pay cuts in January. I have to tell my mom about wrecking her car, but I need to find a way to sweeten the pill first.