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American and British English differences
British English (BrE) American English (AmE) This is one of a series of articles about the differences between American English and British English, which, for the purposes of these articles, are defined as follows: American English (AmE) is the form of English used in the United States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... British English (BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere in the Anglophone world. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... For other uses, see American English (disambiguation). ...
Vocabulary
List of American words not widely used in the United Kingdom List of British words not widely used in the United States List of words having different meanings in British and American English
Pronunciation
American and British English pronunciation differences
Orthography It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into List of words having different meanings in British and American English. ... This is a list of words and phrases having differing meanings in British and American English. ... Differences in pronunciation between American English (AmE) and British English (BrE) can be divided into: differences in accent (i. ...
American and British English spelling differences
Computing
British and American keyboards
Fiction Spelling differences redirects here. ... There are two major English language keyboard layouts, the United States layout and the United Kingdom layout. ...
List of works with different titles in the UK and US
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This is a list of British words not widely used in the United States. British English (BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere in the Anglophone world. ...

• Words with specific British English meanings that have different meanings in American and/or additional meanings common to both languages (eg pants, cot) are to be found at List of words having different meanings in American and British English, as are compounds derived from such words (eg cot death). When such words are herein used or referenced, they are marked with the flag [DM] (different meaning).

• Asterisks (*) denote words and meanings having appreciable (that is, not occasional) currency in American, but nonetheless notable for their relatively greater frequency in British speech and writing.

• British English spelling is consistently used throughout the article, except when explicitly referencing American terms.

An incomplete list of words having differing meanings in standard British and American English. ...

A

about-turn 

an abrupt turn to face the opposite direction, often used metaphorically. Typically also used in the armed forces as a drill instruction. (US and UK also: about-face.)

abseil 

to descend on a rope (US: rappel).

accountancy 

calculating and tracking financial matters (US: accounting).

In the UK accounting is the school subject, but accountancy the professional qualification.

advert 

advertisement (US and UK also: ad, classified ad, commercial).

agony aunt 

the author of an agony column – a magazine or newspaper column advising on readers' personal problems. The image presented was originally that of an older woman providing comforting advice and maternal wisdom, hence the name "aunt". Better known to most Americans as a "Dear Abby" column or advice column.

aggro 

aggressive or confrontational behaviour, extreme irritation or exasperation.

answerphone 

(originally from trademark Ansafone) automated telephone answering device (US and UK also: answering machine).

anti-clockwise 

direction opposite to clockwise (US: counterclockwise).

approved school 

school for juvenile delinquents; reform school. (Note that such institutions have not been referred to officially as "approved schools" since 1969. Juvenile delinquents, depending on their level of malfeasance, are now sent to PRUs (Pupil Referral Units) or YOIs (Young Offender Institutions - a correctional facility for Juvenile Delinquents. (US: juvenile detention center, juvenile hall, (slang) juvie).

Argie 

(pejorative) an Argentine.

argy-bargy 

(informal) pushing-and-shoving or outright fighting.

arse *

(vulgar) buttocks (US equivalent: ass), backside or anus, depending on context; to be arsed: to be bothered to do something, most commonly as a negative or conditional (e.g. I can't be arsed, if/when I can be arsed). Sometimes used in the US but only as a noun.

[to fall] arse over tit 

(vulgar, alternatively arse over tit/tip) [to fall] head over heels. (US: ass over tea kettle).

artic lorry 

(abbreviation of 'articulated lorry') (US: semi, semi-trailer truck)

ashet 

(Scottish) a deep plate or dish.

aubergine

a solanaceous plant bearing a fruit of the same name, commonly used as a vegetable in cooking (US: eggplant).

autocue 

a prompting system for television announcers (genericised trademark, after a leading manufacturer) (US: teleprompter).

In British English, abseiling (from the German abseilen, to rope down) is the process of descending on a fixed rope. ... Accountancy (profession)[1] or accounting (methodology) is the measurement, statement or provision of assurance about financial information primarily used by managers, investors, tax authorities and other decision makers to make resource allocation decisions within companies, organizations, and public agencies. ... Classified advertising is a form of advertising which is particulalry common in newspapers and other periodicals. ... An agony aunt is an advice columnist at a magazine or newspaper. ... Dear Abby Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame memorializing the Dear Abby radio show Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips (born July 4, 1918) started writing the Dear Abby syndicated personal advice column in 1956 under the pen name, Abigail Van Buren. ... It has been suggested that Agony aunt be merged into this article or section. ... Aggro ag·gro Colloquial spelling: Agro English Noun Definition 1. ... An answering machine, also known as an answer machine (especially in UK and British commonwealth countries), ansafone (tradename [1]), ansaphone (tradename [2]), answerphone or telephone answering device (TAD), is a device for automatically answering telephone calls and recording messages left by callers when the party called is unable to answer... A clockwise motion is one that proceeds like the clocks hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top. ... Arse is an English term referring to the buttocks, first recorded circa 1400 (in arce-hoole) and is commonly used in English speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, parts of Canada and former parts of the British Empire. ... Bottom commonly refers to the human buttocks but also has other uses. ... This article is about the bodily orifice. ... 18 wheeler redirects here. ... Genera Acnistus Atropa (deadly nightshade) Browallia Brugmansia (angels trumpet) Brunfelsia Calibrachoa Capsicum (peppers) Cestrum Chamaesaracha Combera Crenidium Cuatresia Cyphanthera Cyphomandra Datura (jimsonweed) Hyoscyamus (henbane) Iochroma Juanulloa Lycianthes Lycium (boxthorn) Mandragora (mandrake) Nicandra Nicotiana (tobacco) Nierembergia or cupflower Nolana Petunia Physalis (tomatillo) Scopolia Solandra Solanum (tomato, potato, eggplant) Streptosolen Withania... For other uses, see Vegetable (disambiguation). ... Aubergine redirects here. ... Autocue are a UK baseed manufacturer of Teleprompter systems. ... A genericized trademark (Commonwealth English genericised trade mark), sometimes known as a generic trade mark, generic descriptor or proprietary eponym, is a trademark or brand name which is often used as the colloquial description for a particular type of product or service as a result of widespread popular or cultural... Schematic representation: A teleprompter (also known as an autocue) is a display device that prompts the person speaking with an electronic visual text of a speech or script. ...

B

balls-up 

(vulgar) error, mistake, (see Cock-up) SNAFU

bang to rights 

(slang) in the act of committing an offence (US: dead to rights)

banger 

(1) a sausage (from the tendency of sausages to burst during frying), (2) a firecracker, (3) an old car (allusion to their tendency to backfire)

bankman 

(not widespread) person in charge of a bus or taxi stand (US: dispatcher)

bap

soft bread roll or a sandwich made from it; in plural, breasts (vulgar slang)

barmaid *, barman 

A woman or man who serves drinks in a bar. Barman and the originally American bartender appeared within a year of each other (1837 and 1836); barmaid is almost two centuries older (circa 1658).

barney 

fight or argument (from the Cockney Rhyming Slang phrase "Barney Rubble" meaning; trouble)

barrister *

a type of lawyer (one qualified to give specialist legal advice and argue a case in both higher and lower law courts). Sometimes used in US with pejorative connotations.

beck 

small watercourse; stream; creek (regional, especially Yorkshire and the Lake District)

bedsit (or bedsitter) 

one-room apartment that serves as a bedroom and a living room (US: see SRO; compare studio apartment, efficiency (apartment))

Belisha beacon 

orange ball containing a flashing light mounted on a post at each end of a zebra crossing (qv); named after the UK Minister of Transport who introduced them in 1934.

berk 

a mildly derogatory term for a silly person. The word is an abbreviation of either 'Berkshire Hunt' or 'Berkeley Hunt' (it is uncertain which is the original phrase), cockney rhyming slang for cunt. (Note that 'berk' rhymes with 'work', whereas the first syllable of both 'Berkshire' and 'Berkeley' is pronounced 'bark'.)

bimble 

to wander aimlessly or stroll/walk without urgency to a destination.

bint 

a derogatory term for a woman. Usage varies with a range of harshness from 'bitch', referring to a disagreeable and domineering woman, to only a slightly derogatory term for a young woman (from the Arabic for a girl).

biro 

a ballpoint pen. Named after its Hungarian inventor Laszlo Biro (IPA: /ˈbaɪroʊ/)

bish bash bosh 

emphatic way of stating that something is simple, and will be/has been easy to do.

black pudding 

blood and oat sausage

blag 

(slang) to obtain or achieve by deception, to bluff, to scrounge, to rob, robbery, tall story, bluff, deception

blimey 

(informal) an exclamation of surprise. (Originally gor blimey, a euphemism for God blind me, but has generally lost this connotation.)

bloke 

(informal) man, fellow

bloody hell

(informal) : oh my god, what the hell.

blues and twos 

(slang, uncommon) emergency vehicle with lights and sirens (emergency services in the UK generally use blue flashing lights and a two-tone siren)

boardies, board shorts. 

long shorts used for surfing or beachwear (US and UK also: swimming trunks)

bobbie, bobby 

police officer, named after Sir Robert Peel, the instigator of the world's first organised police force

Bob's your uncle 

"there you go", "it's that simple".[1] Also used to signify that no further explanation for the situation being described will be forthcoming. Sometimes extended to "Robert's your mother's brother" for emphasis. It derives from the name of a British Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, whose uncle Lord Salisbury (given name Robert), had been his political mentor and also prime minister.

bobbins 

something of low quality or (more commonly) someone who lacks ability at something, (e.g."Our new striker is bobbins")

bodge 

a poor job (repair) that just about works. See Bodger.

boffin 

scientist or engineer, geek, nerd, sometimes abbreviated to boff

bog roll

(roll of) toilet paper (slang)

bog-standard

completely ordinary, run-of-the-mill, unadulterated, unmodified

boiled sweet, boiling

type of confection (US: hard candy)

bollocks 

(vulgar; originally ballocks, colloquially also spelled as bollox) testicles; verbal rubbish (as in "you're talking bollocks") (US: bullshit). The somewhat similar bollix is found in American English, but without the anatomical connotations or vulgar sense meaning 'mess up'. The twin pulley blocks at the top of a ship's mast are also known as bollocks, and in the 18th century priests were colloquially referred to as bollocks; it was by claiming this last usage that the Sex Pistols prevented their album Never Mind the Bollocks from being banned under British obscenity laws. Related phrases include bollocksed, which means either tired ("I'm bollocksed!") or broken beyond repair; bollocks up, meaning to mess up ("He really bollocksed that up"); and [a] bollocking, meaning a stern telling off. Also The dog's bollocks is a fairly common phrase used in British English, although this has the opposite meaning - something described as "The dog's bollocks" is something considered to be very good. In mixed company this phrase may be toned down to "The mutt's nuts", or the phrase "The Bee's Knees" may be used as a polite substitute.

bonce 

(informal) person's head (mainly used in London and the South East, though said in the North too)s

brass-monkeys 

cold - from "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" This is often said to derive from cannonballs stowed on a brass triangle named after a "powder monkey" (a boy who run gunpowder to the ship's guns), spilling due to the frame's contraction in cold weather. However this is doubtful since these were wooden (possibly for this reason) and its more obviously vulgar derivation may be the correct one.

break (one's) duck 

(informal) A player who has scored (a goal, a point, a run) after not having scored for an extended period. It appears to have been an English public school slang of the 1850s to call a score of nought/zero against one player a duck's egg. A duck's egg is round like a zero and larger than, say, a chicken's egg, and therefore more prominent. Commonly heard in a sentence as "He's broken his duck". (US: get the monkey off one's back)

bristols 

(vulgar, Cockney rhyming slang) breasts; from football team Bristol City = titty

brolly 

(informal) umbrella

bubble and squeak 

dish of cooked cabbage fried with cooked potatoes and other vegetables. Often made from the remains of the Sunday roast trimmings. (Irish: colcannon)

bugger 

male homosexual, act of sodomy. Often used as an exclamation of frustration in itself, as a verb 'bugger up' (US and UK: screw up), or as a very mild insult ("silly bugger"). Has passed into Tok Pisin as bagarap. Becoming more common in the US due to British media.

bugger-all 

little or nothing at all; "I asked for a pay rise and they gave me bugger-all"; "I know bugger-all about plants"; damn it all (US: zip, damn it; US and UK also fuck-all)

building society 

an institution that provides mortgage loans and other financial services (US equivalent: savings and loan association)

bum bag 

a bag worn on a strap around the waist (US: fanny [DM] pack)

bumf 

useless paperwork or documentation (from "bum fodder" (toilet paper)), often spelled bumph

bunk off 

(informal) to play truant from school (US also play hooky)

bureau de change 

an office where money can be exchanged (US and UK also: currency exchange)

burgle *

(originally colloquial, back-formation from burglar) to commit burglary (in the US, burglarize is overwhelmingly preferred, although burgle is occasionally found).

busk 

1: * to play live music, perform or otherwise entertain in a public place, usually in the hope of receiving small monetary contributions from spectators and passersby. American English has no exact equivalent, but a busker is a "street musician" or "street performer". Gradually, "busk" (v) and "busker/busking" (n) are becoming increasingly common in US English usage, at least among professional musicians.
2: used to imply rapid improvisation in a working environment, for example: "we'll have to busk it" (we'll have to make it up as we go along). The latter meaning comes from the former, specifically from the concept of performing without sheet music or script.

butcher's 

(informal, Cockney rhyming slang) meaning a look. From the term "butcher's hook" = look. Example of usage: "have a butcher's at that woman over there" (look at that woman)

butty 

(North England colloquialism, also understood in the south) a buttered sandwich, often with chips [DM] (chip butty)

(Northern and Central England) a workmate, and thus an unpowered barge towed by a powered one, such as a narrowboat

(Welsh English colloquialism) friend, similar to usage of word mate (usually "butt").

SNAFU is an acronym meaning things are in a mess – as usual. The most commonly accepted rendering is Situation Normal: All Fucked Up, or, in polite use, Situation Normal: All Fouled Up. ... For other uses, see Firecracker (disambiguation). ... Look up backfire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For the song by Dave Matthews Band, see Bartender (song). ... Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London. ... For the musician, see Sikiru Ayinde Barrister. ... Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England. ... The panorama across Eskdale from Ill Crag. ... The expression single room occupancy or, more commonly SRO, refers to a building that houses people in single rooms. ... Studio apartments are small, single-level living quarters intended for use by an individual. ... Top of a Belisha Beacon A Belisha Beacon is a flashing orange globe atop a tall black and white pole. ... A zebra crossing in Sydney, Australia A zebra crossing in Marine Parade, Singapore A zebra crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing used in many places around the world. ... Berk was also used frequenly in the show The Trap Door a british claymation-style animation comedy where the main character is called berk. ... Hunt Country The county lies in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire, between Gloucester and Bristol. ... Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London. ... Cunt is an English language vulgarism most commonly used in reference to vulva or vagina and, more generally, the pubis, from the mons veneris to the perineum. ... Look up bint in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Ballpoint pen, disassembled (top) and complete (bottom) A ballpoint pen (also eponymously known in British English as a biro and pronounced bye-row in Britain but sometimes bee-row elsewhere), is a modern writing instrument. ... Ladislao Laszlo Josef Biro (A FAMOUS BASEBALL PLAYER FOR THE ST. LOUIS CARDNALS!!!) (Bíró László József, September 29, 1899 - November 24, 1985) is considered the inventor of the modern ballpoint pen. ... Black pudding (Boudin noir), before cooking Black pudding or less often blood pudding is a sausage made by cooking blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. ... For other people named Robert Peel, see Robert Peel (disambiguation). ... Bobs your uncle is a slang expression in British English meaning no problem or the solution is simple, as in: insert the plug, press the switch, and Bobs your uncle. ... Balfour may refer to: Arthur Balfour United States Balfour, North Dakota Balfour, North Carolina South Africa Balfour, South Africa This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The best-known Lord Salisbury was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (1830–1903). ... The craft occupation of Pole Lathe turning. ... A boffin in action: Dr Alexander Thorkel (Albert Dekker) from Dr. Cyclops (1940) In the slang of the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, boffins are scientists, engineers, and other people who are stereotypically seen as engaged in technical or scientific research. ... Bog roll is British slang for the term Toilet paper ... Bollox redirects here. ... Horseshit redirects here. ... Roman Catholic priest A priest or priestess is a holy man or woman who takes an officiating role in worship of any religion, with the distinguishing characteristic of offering sacrifices. ... Sex Pistols are an iconic and highly influential English punk rock band, formed in London in 1975. ... Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London. ... Bubble and squeak (sometimes just called bubble) is a traditional British dish made with the shallow-fried leftover vegetables from a roast dinner. ... Colcannon is a tradaitional Irish food made of mashed potatoes, cabbage, garlic, leeks, butter, salt, and pepper. ... Bugger is an expletive used in vernacular British English, South African English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Sri Lankan English. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... A savings and loan association is a financial institution which specializes in accepting savings deposits and making mortgage loans. ... A fanny pack [also called, in the USA, a fag bag (offensive slang)], belt bag, butt bag, waist pack , belly bag or bum bag (in the United Kingdom and Australia) is an accessory often worn by travelers. ... For the South Park episode, see Toilet Paper (South Park episode). ... Busking is the practice of doing live performances in public places to entertain people, usually to solicit donations and tips. ... Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London. ... Chip butty with tomato ketchup A chip sandwich or sometimes in the United Kingdom, a chip butty is a sandwich made with bread (usually white and buttered) and chips, often with some sort of sauce such as tomato sauce. ... Moored narrowboats near Tardebigge, Worcestershire, England Horse drawing a narrowboat on the Kennet and Avon Canal. ...

C

Cach 

commonly used in Scotland (from the Gaelic word for Fæces), See cack below.

cack 

(slang) faeces (feces); nonsense or rubbish: "what a load of cack" could equally be used to describe someone talking nonsense or as a criticism of something of poor quality. Also spelt "kak". (derived from an ancient Indo-European word, kakkos, cognate with German word Kacke), (US: caca). See also kaka one's grits below

cack-handed 

(informal) clumsy; left-handed. Derived from cack, meaning "fæces (feces)", with reference to the Quranic rules that only the left hand should be used for cleaning the 'unclean' part of the human body (i.e. below the waist).

cafetière 

device for making coffee (US: French press)

cagoule 

type of lightweight hooded waterproof clothing

call box, phone box 

public phone (US and UK also: payphone)

call minder 

(rare) telephone message recorder (US and UK also: answering machine; voicemail)

call up 

compulsory enlistment into the military (US: the draft)

candidature 

synonymous with candidacy

candy floss 

spun sugar confection (US: cotton candy). Otherwise, 'candy' is a not a broadly used term, though it would be understood if used in an American context.

canny 

(primarily used in Northeast England), nice (e.g., "he is a canny person") or very, as in "it is canny big"

caravan park 

area where caravans are parked (US: Trailer park)

car hire 

car rental

car park 

area where cars are parked (US usually parking lot if outdoor, parking garage if indoor).

carriageway 

the part of a road that carries the traffic; see also s.v. dual carriageway (US and UK also: lane)

carrier rocket 

a rocket used to place a satellite in orbit (rare, US: "launch vehicle" generally used in both).

cash machine, cashpoint 

automated teller machine. ("Cashpoint", strictly speaking, refers only to the ATMs of Lloyds TSB, although the term has become generic.)

cat's eye 

reflector used to mark lane divisions and edges of roads, also written cat's-eye, genericised from the trademark Catseye (US: raised pavement marker; Botts' Dots are similar)

catwalk 

long platform for performance, usually fashion shows (US: runway)

central heating boiler 

(US: furnace)

central reservation 

division between carriageways of a road (US: median strip)

chamber pot

porcelain receptacle kept under the bed

chancer 

(slang) an opportunist

char, cha

(informal) tea. From the Chinese, chá.

char 

(informal) short for charwoman or charlady, a domestic cleaner

Chartered Accountant 

one authorised to certify financial statements (US: Certified Public Accountant)

char-wallah

a usually South Asian servant whose role is to provide freshly brewed tea on demand. From Urdu chai, tea, and -wallah, -man.

charv or chav 

(slang, often derogatory) typically a working class person of lowish intelligence who wears designer label (eg Burberry) copies, fake gold bling, and is a trouble-maker. "Chav" is more common in Southern English. Charv or charva was originally used in the northeast of England, from the adopting the Roma word charva, meaning disreputable youth. Often referred to as Wiggers in the US, although the cultural differences are vast.

charwoman 

(dated) a woman employed as a cleaner, especially as an office cleaner

cheeky 

impertinent

chimney pot 

smoke-stack atop a house. But refers to the cylindrical topmost part. The part below is the chimney or chimney stack.

chinagraph pencil 

pencil designed to write on china, glass etc. (US: grease pencil, china marker)

chip shop 

(informal) fish-and-chip shop (Scot, Ire: chipper), also chippy (see also List of words having different meanings in British and American English)

chinwag 

(slang) chat

choong 

(slang) attractive person - usually referring to a female. Used mostly in a urban youth/chav setting.

chuffed 

(informal, becoming somewhat archaic, originally Liverpudlian) proud, satisfied, pleased. Sometimes intensified as well chuffed; cf. made up

chunter * 

(sometimes chunner) to mutter, to grumble, to talk continuously; "What's he chuntering on about?"

City, The 

financial markets and investment banking, from the City of London, London's financial centre (cf. the US Wall Street)

clanger 

(informal) a big mistake, blunder, bad joke or faux pas ('to drop a clanger')

clapped out 

(informal) worn out (said of an object)

cleg 

horse fly

clingfilm 

thin plastic film for wrapping food (US: plastic wrap, Saran wrap)

cobblers 

shoemakers; (slang) a weaker version of bollocks, meaning 'nonsense' (often "a load of old cobblers"), from rhyming slang 'cobbler's awls' = balls

cock/cockle 

(informal) affectionate term used in Northern England, London and elsewhere, similar to love or darling. "Are you alright, cock?"^{[citation needed]}

cock-up, cockup 

(mildly vulgar) error, mistake

codswallop, cod's wallop 

(becoming old-fashioned) similar to bollocks but less rude, "You're talking codswallop" (US: You're talking trash)

compère 

master of ceremonies, MC

compulsory purchase 

the power of the governmental authority to take private property for public use (similar to US: eminent domain)

conservatoire 

music school (US usually conservatory)

cool box 

box for keeping food and liquids cool (US and UK also: cooler)

cop off with 

(slang) to successfully engage the company of a potential sexual partner, to "pull"; to copulate (have sexual intercourse) with.

Cor Blimey 

see Gor Blimey

cotton bud 

wad of cotton wool fixed to a small stick, used for cleaning (US: cotton swab, Q-Tip)

cotton wool 

Spun cotton, used for cleaning wounds or make-up (US: Absorbent cotton, cotton ball)

council house/flat , also council housing or estate 

public housing. (US: projects)

counterfoil *

stub of a cheque, ticket etc.

courgette 

the plant Cucurbita pepo (US: zucchini)

cowl 

a wind deflector fitted to a chimney top.

craic 

joking talk among lads, common over cards or pints. Pronounced "crack." Irish and Northern British usage.

crikey 

(becoming old-fashioned) exclamation of surprise (once a euphemism for Christ's keys or perhaps Christ Kill Me)

crisps 

very thinly sliced fried potatoes, often flavoured, eaten cold as a snack (US: potato chips)

cuddly toy 

soft toy (sometimes used in the US; also stuffed animal, plush toy)

current account 

personal bank account used for everyday transactions (US: checking account)

curriculum vitae

a document summarising occupational experience used to obtain a job, often abbreviated CV (US: resume)

A French press. ... Look up Candidate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Candyfloss redirects here. ... For the Beth Orton album, see Trailer Park (album). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A multi-storey car park is a building or part thereof which is designed specifically to be for vehicle parking and where there are a number of floors on which parking takes place. ... A carriageway is a part of a road referring to the part that will technically carry the traffic. ... A Saturn V launch vehicle sends Apollo 15 on its way to the moon. ... Cash machine redirects here. ... Lloyds TSB Group plc is a group of financial services companies, based in the United Kingdom, which was created in 1995 following the merger of the TSB Group and the Lloyds Bank Group. ... A regular white cats eye of the kind invented by Shaw, marking the middle of the road. ... The amber markers separate opposing traffic lanes. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A furnace is a device for heating air or any other fluid. ... On an expressway, motorway, or autobahn, the median (North American English) or central reservation (British English) is the strip of grass or the wall which separates opposing lanes of traffic. ... For other uses, see Tea (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Chai (disambiguation). ... Look up chav, charva in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... A bling bling-heavy album cover from The B.G. For the Marvel Comics character, see Bling (comics). ... The Roma people (pronounced rahma, singular Rom, sometimes Rroma, and Rrom) along with the closely related Sinti people are commonly known as Gypsies in English, and as Tsigany in most of Europe. ... A serving of fish and chips Fish and chips (sometimes written fish n chips), a popular take-away food with British origins, consists of deep-fried fish in batter or breadcrumbs with deep-fried chipped (slab-cut) potatoes. ... This is a list of words and phrases having differing meanings in British and American English. ... Look up chav, charva in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ... Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state Constituent country Region Greater London Status City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor David Lewis  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - Total 1. ... Genera as listed in ITIS: Subfamily Chrysopsinae: Merycomyia Chrysops Neochrysops Silvius Subfamily Pangoniinae: Apatolestes Asaphomyia Brennania Esenbeckia Pangonia Pegasomyia Stonemyia Goniops Subfamily Tabaninae: Anacimas Bolbodimyia Catachlorops Chlorotabanus Diachlorus Dichelacera Holcopsis Lepiselaga Leucotabanus Microtabanus Stenotabanus Haematopota Agkistrocerus Atylotus Hamatabanus Hybomitra Poeciloderas Tabanus Whitneyomyia Not placed: Zophina Insects in the order Diptera... A roll of LDPE plastic wrap in a box. ... Saran may refer to: Locations: Saran, Kazakhstan (Сарань), a city in Kazakhstan Saran, Loiret, a commune of the Loiret Department, France Saran District, Bihar, India Saran Division, Bihar, India People: Saran, a clan of Jats in India Saran (director), a Tamil film director Shyam Saran (b. ... Eminent domain (United States), compulsory purchase (United Kingdom, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Australia) or expropriation (Canada, South Africa) in common law legal systems is the inherent power of the state to seize a citizens private property, expropriate property, or rights in property, without the owner... A music school or conservatoire (British English) — also known as a conservatory (American English) or a conservatorium (Australian English) — is an institution dedicated to teaching the art of music, including the playing of musical instruments, musical composition, musicianship, music history, and music theory. ... This article is about the fruit. ... Cowl designs from a 1910 catalogue A cowl is a usually hood-shaped covering used to increase the draft of a chimney and prevent back flow. ... A plush toy or plushie is a soft, often furry, stuffed toy made of plush. ... Includes demand deposits, ATS, NOW, and other checkable deposits. ... ... A résumé (in North American English; also sometimes spelled resumé or resume) or curriculum vitae (in Commonwealth English; sometimes abbreviated to CV) is a document containing a summary or listing of relevant job experience and education, usually for the purpose of securing a new job. ...

D

daft * 

odd, mad, eccentric, crazy – often with the implication of it being amusingly so. "Don't be daft" and "don't be silly" are approximately synonymous.

dekko 

(informal) a look, reconnoître "I'll take a dekko at it later." – British military slang derived from the Hindustani dhek/dekho meaning "to see". Also less commonly decco, deccie,deek, deeks.

dene 

wooded valley or seaside dune

Desmond 

an undergraduate degree where the candidate has gained Lower Second-Class Honours, colloquially a '2-2'. Derives from the name of the South African religious leader, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

div 

(slang) a fool or idiot, hence divvy foolish or idiotic.

dodgems 

fun-fair or fairground bumper cars

dodgy 

(informal) fake (e.g. "dodgy money"); possibly (but not definitely) illegal; of dubious origin; acting suspiciously; poorly done or in poor condition (e.g. "a dodgy car", which could also mean it was possibly stolen); homosexual (rare) (U.S.: sketchy; shady)

dogsbody * 

someone who carries out menial tasks; a drudge

the dog's bollocks 

(vulgar) something excellent or top quality, the "bee's knees" (the business), the "cat's whiskers". Nowadays is becoming "mutt's nuts".

dole 

(informal) welfare, specifically unemployment benefit. Sometimes used in the US, esp. older generation

don 

a professor or teacher

dosh 

(slang) money (US: dough) "how much dosh you got on ya?"

doss 

(from docile) to be lazy, "I've been dossing all day", "doss-house", "dosser" (US bum) Also can mean to truant, "dossing off" (similar to bunking)

double first 

an undergraduate degree where the candidate has gained First-Class Honours in two separate subjects, or alternatively in the same subject in subsequent examinations (see British undergraduate degree classification)

double parked 

(slang) having two drinks in your hand at once (US: double fisting). Could also mean, or even originate, from the term 'double park'; which involves leaving a car in a restricted area

draper 

a dealer in drapery (i.e. clothing, textiles, etc.) (US: dry goods [DM])

draughts 

the board game (US: checkers)

drawing pin * 

pin with a large, flat head, used for fixing notices to noticeboards etc. (US: thumbtack)

dress circle 

the seats in the first balcony of a theater (US: balcony or loge although dress circle is used in a few very large opera houses that have many levels of balconies)

driving licence 

document authorising the holder to drive a vehicle (US: driver's license, driver license)

dual carriageway

major road with some physical barrier or separation between the lanes going in opposite directions (US: divided highway)

duck 

(informal) affectionate term used in the East Midlands, similar to love or darling. "Are you alright, duck?" (similar to Northern cock or West Country My lover etc.)

dustbin 

(sometimes used in the US) receptacle for rubbish, very often shortened to simply 'bin'. (US: trash can; wastebasket)

dustman 

rubbish collector (US: garbage man; trash man; sanitation engineer)

The word Hindustani is an adjective used to denote a connection to India, or, more precisely, the historical region that encompasses Northern India, Pakistan, and nearby areas. ... An undergraduate degree (sometimes called a first degree or simply a degree) is the most common and primary academic degree available and is normally studied at a higher education institution, such as a university. ... Unemployment benefits are payments made by governments to unemployed people. ... The British bachelors degree classification system is a grading scheme used to distinguish between the achievements of bachelors degree graduates in the United Kingdom. ... An undergraduate degree (sometimes called a first degree or simply a degree) is the most common and primary academic degree available and is normally studied at a higher education institution, such as a university. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Draft. ... This early German Autobahn uses a dual carriageway design. ... The West Country dialects and West Country accents are generic terms applied to any of several English dialects and accents used by much of the indigenous population of the southwestern part of England, the area popularly known as the West Country. ...

E

Elastoplast 

an adhesive bandage placed on a minor cut or scrape (UK also: sticking/sticky plaster [DM]; US: Band-Aid)

electric fire 

domestic electric heater (US: space heater)

engaged tone

tone indicating a telephone line in use, (US: busy signal)

estate agent

a person who sells property for others (US: realtor)

ex-directory 

(of a telephone number) unlisted; also informally of a person "he's ex-directory", meaning his telephone number is unlisted

extension lead 

mains extension cable, (US and UK also: extension cord)

Elastoplast is a trademark name of a brand of sticking plaster (bandage) or medical dressing made by Beiersdorf AG. (They were made by Smith and Nephew until 2000. ... Band Aid can refer to: BAND-AID, a brand of adhesive bandage Band Aid, a musical ensemble raising money for famine relief. ...

F

faff 

to dither, futz, diddle, “I spent the day faffing about in my room”. Also related noun ("That's too much faff")

fairing 

a gift, particularly one given or bought at a fair (obsolete); type of cookie (biscuit) made in Cornwall

fairy cake 

a small sponge cake (US and UK also: cupcake)

fairy lights 

Christmas lights

fancy dress 

a costume worn to impersonate a well-known character, animal etc., typically at a fancy dress party (US: costume party)

feck 

(vulgar) mild expletive employed as an attenuated alternative to fuck (including fecker, fecking, etc.) (originally Hiberno English)

fettle 

(uncommon except in dialect) state of something, as in "My business is in fine fettle"; to fettle (dialect word) : to sort out, fix (e.g. "that's fettled it") : to adjust with the intention of fixing (e.g. "He's got his head under the bonnet fettling the engine")

fiddly * 

requiring dexterity to operate ("the buttons on the tiny mobile phone were too fiddly")

fittie 

(slang) one who is sexually attractive

fiver 

five pounds

fiz, fizog, fizzog 

(dated slang, now uncommon) face, also spelled phiz etc. (from physiognomy)

fizzy drink 

carbonated soft drink (US: soda, pop, coke depending on the region)

flex 

electrical cord or audio cable

fortnight *

a period of 14 days (and nights) or two weeks

fourpenn'orth 

(old-fashioned) four pence worth (fourpenn'orth is literally "four pennies' worth")

french letter

(slang) condom [2]

funfair 

a travelling fair with amusements, stalls, rides etc. (US: carnival; in the UK "amusement park" refers to a larger and more permanent establishment)

Full stop  

a dot that comes after the ending of a sentence (US: period)

For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... Frosted chocolate cupcakes Chocolate Moist Cupcakes Gumpaste Flower Cupcakes A cupcake (the common US term) or fairy cake (the common British term, although it is now used interchangeably with the US term), is a small cake designed to serve one person, usually made in a small paper cup container. ... For the ITV Christmas special, see Christmas Lights. ... Halloween costumes A costume party (chiefly in the U.S. and Canada) or a fancy dress party (chiefly in Britain and Australia), mainly in contemporary Western culture, is a type of party where guests dress up in a costume. ... Feck (or, in some senses, fek) is a monosyllable with several vernacular meanings and variations in Irish English, Scots, Middle English, and Esperanto: // Slang expletive employed as an attenuated alternative (minced oath) to fuck Verb meaning to steal (e. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Hiberno-English — also known as Anglo-Irish and Irish English — is English as spoken in Ireland. ... This article is about a part of a vehicle. ... A soft drink is a drink that contains no alcohol. ... Look up fortnight in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A travelling funfair has many attractions, including adult or thrill rides, childrens rides, and sideshows consisting of games of skill, strength, or luck. ... A full stop or period (sometimes stop, full point, decimal point, or dot), is the punctuation mark commonly placed at the end of several different types of sentences in English and many other languages. ...

G

gaff 

(dated Cockney slang) cheap music hall, theatre, pub, club, shop, hangout; home

gaffer

(informal) old man; (informal) boss; football manager (US: soccer coach); Also in US: (professional) chief electrician on a theatrical or film set.

gaffer tape

strong, woven, cloth adhesive tape, originally sourced from the gaffer on a film set. (US: gaffers tape, gaff tape)

gangway

a path between the rows of seats in a theatre (US aisle; gangway is a naval command to make a path for an officer))

gearbox 

system of gears in a vehicle or other machinery (US transmission)

gear-lever / gearstick 

handle for changing gears in a vehicle or other machinery (US stick shift)

gen 

(informal) information, info (short for "intelligence")

get off with * 

same as cop off with (q.v.)

Ginger

(dated Cockney rhyming slang) homosexual, short for Ginger Beer, rhymes with "queer" (somewhat known in US due to use by radio personality and rock musician Steve Jones)

git 

(mildly derogatory) scumbag, idiot, annoying person (originally meaning illegitimate)

gobsmacked 

(slang) utterly astonished, openmouthed

go pear-shaped 

see pear-shaped

googled 

confused (from a cricketing term for a type of delivery bowled, the googly; predates Google)

Gor Blimey 

exclamation of surprise, also Cor Blimey (originally from "God blind me")

gormless 

lacking in intelligence; with a vacant expression

go-slow 

a protest in which workers deliberately work slowly (US: slowdown or work to rule)

grotty 

disgusting, dirty (originally from grotesque, though now rarely used with quite that meaning). In a scene from the 1964 film A Hard Day's Night, George Harrison has to explain the meaning and origin of the word; the impression is given that it was then considered modern slang, known only to trendy youngsters (this is no longer the case). [3]

green fingers 

talent for growing plants (US: green thumb)

greengrocer 

a retail trader in fruit and vegetables

greengrocery 

a greengrocer's profession, premises or produce

guff 

(informal) extraneous or useless things, ideas, or paperwork/documentation; also to break wind ("Have you guffed, Dr Watson?")

guitar lead 

high impedance coaxial guitar cable (US guitar cord)

gurn/girn 

(colloquial) To pull a face; grimace deliberately (England); to cry/weep (Scotland, Northern Ireland).

A penny gaff was a popular entertainment for the lower classes in 19th century England. ... St Mary-le-Bow The term cockney is often used to refer to working-class people of London, particularly east London, and the slang used by these people. ... Gaffer tape Gaffer tape, sometimes shortened to gaff tape (especially by theater and photographic professionals), or made possessive, as gaffers tape, is a strong, pressure-sensitive, cotton cloth adhesive tape. ... Look up Gaffer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Gaffer (Gaffa) tape Gaffer tape (also, gaffers tape, gaff tape, gaffing tape, cloth tape, and more colloquially Jesus Tape or The Force) is a tough, fabric backed adhesive tape used in the motion picture, television, stage (music and theater) and other entertainment industries, and elsewhere. ... For other uses, see Gear (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Gear (disambiguation). ... Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London. ... Stephen Phillip Jones (b. ... This article is about the corporation. ... A Hard Days Night (1964) is a British comedy film originally released by United Artists, written by Alun Owen and starring The Beatles during the height of Beatlemania. ... A greengrocer in central Milan with a sign in Milanese, the local dialect, claiming to be the oldest greengrocer of Milan (lortolán püŝee vêcc de Milan) A greengrocer is a retail trader in fruit and vegetables; that is, in green groceries. ...

H

ha'penny 

(pronounced "HAY-penny" or "HAYP-nee") half a penny; a coin of this denomination, no longer in circulation

hash sign 

the symbol "#" (US: number sign, pound sign [DM])

haver 

(Scottish and Northern English) talk nonsense or babble

headmaster, headmistress, headteacher *

the person in charge of an educational institution (US: principal [DM]; headmaster and the like are usually used for private schools)

Heath Robinson 

(of a machine or contraption) absurdly complex (see Rube Goldberg machine).

hey up 

(informal greeting) ( often pronounced: AY up) how's it going?

high street 

primary business and shopping street (US: main street)

higgledy-piggledy 

in disarray

hob 

the hot surface on a stove (US: burner)

holidaymaker 

person on holiday [DM] (US: vacationer)

hols 

(informal) short for holidays [DM]

home and away 

fixtures played at alternating venues (US: home and home). Also 'first and second leg' (US series).

hoover 

vacuum [cleaner], to vacuum (archaic in the US) (genericised trademark, from The Hoover Company, the first main manufacturer of vacuum cleaners)

hot up 

to become more exciting or intimate (US: heating up)

how do, 'ow do 

terse greeting in the north of England, shortened from formal 'How do you do?'

hundreds-and-thousands

coloured sugar sprinkles used for dessert decoration (US: non-pareils)

New half penny, 1982 The British decimal half penny (½p) – (pronounced as HAY-pnee, IPA: ) and also written halfpenny or hapenny – was first issued on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was decimalised. ... Number sign is one name for the symbol #, and is the preferred Unicode name for the codepoint represented by that glyph. ... William Heath Robinson (May 31, 1872 - September 13, 1944) was a British cartoonist and illustrator, who signed himself W. Heath Robinson. ... A Rube Goldberg machine performs a simple task in a complex way. ... Main Street in Los Altos, California. ... A genericized trademark (Commonwealth English genericised trade mark), sometimes known as a generic trade mark, generic descriptor or proprietary eponym, is a trademark or brand name which is often used as the colloquial description for a particular type of product or service as a result of widespread popular or cultural... Hoover Company logo, originally designed by Henry Dreyfuss The Hoover Company started out as an American floor care manufacturer based in North Canton, Ohio. ...

I

ice lolly 

frozen fruit juice on a stick; ice pop (US: Popsicle)

iced water 

(US: ice water)

icing sugar 

(UK, Canada) (US: powdered sugar)

industrial action 

(see article; US: job action)

inverted commas 

quotation marks (see also American and British English differences – Punctuation)

indicate 

signal a direction change in a car (US : blink, turn signal)

invigilator 

person who monitors an examination (US: proctor [DM])

ironmongery 

ironware, hardware; hardware store

This article is about a brand of ice pop. ... Industrial action (UK) or job action (US) refers collectively to any measure taken by trade unions or other organised labour meant to reduce productivity in a workplace. ... Quotation marks or inverted commas (also called quotes and speech marks) are punctuation marks used in pairs to set off speech, a quotation, a phrase or a word. ... This is one of a series of articles about the differences between American English and British English, which, for the purposes of these articles, are defined as follows: American English (AmE) is the form of English used in the United States. ...

J

jab 

injection with a hypodermic needle (ex: "flu jab") (US: shot)

jam sandwich 

(slang) police car (US: cruiser, squad car, patrol car). So called as, in the past, most UK police vehicles were white with a horizontal yellow-edged red fluorescent stripe along the entire length of their sides, giving a certain resemblance to a white bread sandwich with a coloured jam (jelly) filling.

jammy (git) 

(slang) lucky (person)

jemmy 

To break into a lock

jerry 

(slang) pejorative term for a German or Germans, (US and sometimes Canada: Kraut)

jimmy 

(Rhyming slang) urinate, as in jimmy riddle - piddle

jobsworth 

(slang) Originally a minor clerical/government worker who refuses to be flexible in the application of rules to help clients or customers (as in "it will cost me more than my job's worth to bend the rules"). Also used more broadly to apply to anyone who uses their job description in a deliberately obstructive way.

johnny 

(slang) a condom (US: rubber [DM])

John Thomas 

(slang) To engage in sexual intercourse. Better known as slang for penis or "dick" (US: cock, dick, or johnson)

jumble sale 

(see article; US: rummage sale)

jump leads 

booster cables used to jump-start a car (US: jumper cables)

Jerry was a nickname given to World War II German soldiers, the German armed forces, or collectively the entirety of Nazi Germany. ... The German word Kraut is a generic term that is often used in compound nouns for cabbage, cabbage products and many herbs: Sauerkraut = pickled sour cabbage Weißkraut = green cabbage Blaukraut or Rotkraut = red cabbage (also called Rotkohl) Rübenkraut = thick sugar beet syrup Bohnenkraut = Savory Unkraut = Weed The word... Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London. ... A jobsworth is a person who uses his or her job description in a deliberately obstructive way, a minor factotum whose only status comes from enforcing otherwise petty regulations.[1] The term comes from the phrase I cant do that, its more than my jobs worth. ... This article is about the male contraceptive device. ... A Jumble sale or rummage sale is a social event at which second hand goods are sold, usually by an institution such as a local Scout Group or church, as a fundraising or charitable effort. ...

K

kaka one's grits 

(not in widespread use) to soil one's pants

Karno's Army

a chaotic, ineffective team (usually: Fred Karno's Army)

kappa-slappa 

(derogatory slang) promiscuous lower-class female, similar to "kev" or "chav" (from Kappa, a clothing brand supposedly worn by such women, and slapper, a slovenly, sluttish woman)

kecks 

(informal) trousers or underpants

keep fit costume 

exercise, dance or training suit

ken 

to know (Northern England and Scotland)- also used to refer to one's specific range of knowledge (e.g. "beyond my ken"), ; can also mean "house" (e.g.: our ken = our house)

kerfuffle 

A disorderly outburst, disturbance or tumult, from Scottish origin (UK, Canada)

kev 

(slang) equivalent to "chav", derivative of "Kevin" – typically a working class person that wears designer labels, fake gold, has to always be "in", is most likely a troublemaker and most likely smokes. Popularised by British comedian Harry Enfield.

khazi 

(slang) lavatory (numerous alternative spellings are seen, such as karzy, karsey, carzey etc.)

kip 

(informal) sleep (US: nap)

kit 

gear, equipment, uniform, sports attire

kitchen roll 

paper towels

klaxon 

(insult) an idiot, simple folk (in reference to Devo the Internet chav). verb: Klaxonate, to do something idiotic.

knackered 

(slang) exhausted, originally 'sexually exhausted', perhaps derived from knacker's yard

knackers 

(colloquial) testicles ( e.g., "Ouch, she kicked me right in the knackers")

knacker's yard 

premises where superannuated livestock are sent for rendering, etc. (glue factory). Sometimes refers to the same for vehicles, a scrapyard (US: junkyard)

knicker 

(colloquial) 1 pound, maintains singular form when used in a plural context (it cost me 2 knicker)

knickers 

girl's and women's underpants (US: panties)

Promiscuity is the practice of making relatively unselective, casual and indiscriminate choices. ... Kev can refer to either: A regional term for the chav social group in the United Kingdom An abbreviation - keV - of the unit Kiloelectronvolt An abbreviation for the given name Kevin. ... Look up chav, charva in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Kappa is an Italian clothing company that started as a sock and underwear manufacturer in 1916 in Turin. ... Harry Enfield (born 30 May 1961 in Sussex, England) is an English comedian. ...

L

launderette 

self-service laundry (US: Laundromat )

lav 

also, lavy (informal, increasingly uncommon) lavatory, toilet (in the US, airplane restrooms are typically called lavatories)

lead 

(rhymes with "speed") cable (US: cord)

legacy accounts 

funds left in a budget (US: funds remaining)

let-out (n.) 

a means of evading or avoiding something

letter box 

1. a slot in a wall or door through which incoming post [DM] is delivered (US: mail slot, mailbox)

2. (less common) a box in the street for receiving outgoing letters and other mail (more usually called a postbox or pillar box) (US: mailbox)

See also Letterbox (US & UK): a film display format taking its name from the shape of a letter-box slot

loch, lough 

lake or narrow sea inlet. Loch primarily used in Scotland, as in "Loch Ness", Lough primarily used in Ireland, as in "Lough Neagh"

lock-in 

illegal gathering in a pub at night to drink after the pub is supposed to have stopped serving alcohol, where the landlord "locks in" his guests to avoid being caught by police. Unless the landlord charges for the drinks at the time, the people in the pub are considered his personal guests; if money is exchanged beforehand or afterwards then it is considered a gift from the guest to the landlord for the hospitality.

lodger 

tenant [4]

lollipop man / woman / lady 

a school crossing guard who uses a circular stop sign

lolly * 

1. lollipop /ice lolly (US: popsicle); (q.v.)

2. (slang) money

loo 

toilet

lorry 

a large goods-carrying motor vehicle (US and UK also: truck)

loudhailer 

megaphone (US: bullhorn)

lower ground 

the lower of two floors at ground level (for example, if a building is built on a slope). See "ground floor". Also used as a euphemism for "basement" when trying to sell a flat [DM].

lurgy 

An imaginary illness allegedly passed on by touch--used as an excuse to avoid someone. (c.f. US: cooties)

A laundromat in California powered by solar panels on the roof. ... Look up Cord on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Cord has several meanings: String or Rope Cord Automobile Vibrating cord A measurement of the volume of firewood A power cord or extension cable In electronics, a cable Cord, a former American car marque founded by Errett Lobban Cord. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Mail (disambiguation). ... The term mailbox may refer to: The storage space used for Electronic Mail or Voicemail messages. ... A British pillar box The postal system is a system by which written documents typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages containing other matter, are delivered to destinations around the world. ... // Collection of British Pillar boxes at the Inkpen Post Box Museum, near Taunton,Somerset In the UK, a pillar box is a free-standing post box where mail is deposited to be collected by the Royal Mail and forwarded to the addressee. ... The term mailbox may refer to: The storage space used for Electronic Mail or Voicemail messages. ... For the mail collector, see letter box. ... View across Loch Lomond, towards Ben Lomond. ... Look up Lough in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Please see also Loch A Lough is a body of water and either: a lake or; b sea lough, which may be perceived also as a fjord, estuary, bay or sea inlet. ... For other uses, see Loch Ness (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Stop sign used in English-speaking countries, as well as in most European countries, including Russia A stop sign is a traffic sign, usually erected at road junctions, that instructs drivers to stop and then to proceed only if the way ahead is clear. ... For other uses, see Truck (disambiguation). ... A megaphone, with a three-inch lighter to scale. ...

M

made up 

(informal, Liverpudlian origin) pleased, satisfied; cf chuffed

mains power, the mains 

240V AC electrical current, provided by the electricity grid to homes and businesses; also attrib. ("mains cable") (US: variously called: line power, grid power, AC power, household electricity, etc.)

manky 

(slang) feeling ill, rough, out of sorts; filthy, dirty, rotten. (poss. from French "manqué" - missed, wasted or faulty)

mardy 

(derogatory, mainly Northern and Central England) describes someone who is in a bad mood, or more generally a crybaby or whiner or "grumpy, difficult, unpredictable". Used, for example, by children in the rhyme "Mardy, mardy mustard...", and in the title of the Arctic Monkeys song "Mardy Bum". The verb to throw a mardy means to display an outburst of anger.

marrow, vegetable marrow 

a gourd-like fruit (treated as a vegetable) (US: squash)

mash 

(informal) mashed/whipped potatoes

maths 

mathematics (US: math)

MD (managing director) 

equivalent of US CEO (Chief Executive Officer), also used in the UK

mentioned in despatches 

identified for valor or galantry in action (US: decorated)

mercer 

(rare, old-fashioned) a dealer in textiles, esp. expensive ones; a dealer in small wares

merrythought 

(rare or old-fashioned) wishbone

mince 

1. ground meat, especially beef (US: ground beef, hamburger meat, mince typically describes a chopping style) 2. Walk daintily. 3 "Mince your words;" to obfuscate or conceal when talking or writing.

mind 

be careful of, as in "mind the gap" (US: watch for, lookout for or beware of)

minge 

(vulgar) (rhymes with singe) female genitals or pubic hair

minger 

(slang, rhymes with singer) slob, someone who is unattractive

minging 

(slang, rhymes with singing) dirty, rotting, smelly, unattractive etc

mither 

(Northern England) to complain annoyingly ("Stop mithering!"). To whinge (Aus), to haver (Scots). First vowel as in "eye"; also spelt myther, moither.

mobile 

mobile telephone (US: cell phone)

moggie, moggy 

(informal) non-pedigree cat; alley cat

mong 

(slang) disgusting, dirty, foul, idiotic person, possible derivation from mongoloid, now obsolete term for someone with Down's syndrome

monged (out) 

(slang) being incapable of constructive activity due to drug use, alcohol consumption or extreme tiredness

motorway 

a class of major road designed for fast, high volume traffic, usually with three lanes in each direction (US: occasionally used; alsofreeway, expressway, superhighway)

MOT, MOT test 

(pronounced M-O-T) mandatory annual safety and roadworthiness test for motor vehicles (from "Ministry of Transport", now renamed "Department for Transport")

mousetrap

(slang) cheese [5]

move house, move flat, etc. 

to move out of one's house or other residence into a new residence

mullered 

(slang, Southern England) to be comprehensively beaten up ("He got mullered by the school bully"), to be beaten in competition (widely in use since the 50's), to be drunk and incapable ("Went to the pub; three hours later we were totally mullered on Tanglefoot"). Also mullared or mullahed. Derivation unknown, possibly from German Müller, or (less likely) Persian mullah.

muppet 

(slang) silly person; a milder alternative to "idiot" ("You forgot to get the paper, you muppet!"). From the Muppets.

mustard 

(slang) Something of high quality or (more commonly) someone who is extremely proficient at something ("Our new striker is mustard"). Possible derivation from to cut the mustard, meaning to achieve, or better, a required standard.

For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ... A mains cable (International English) or power cord (American English) is cable that connects an electrical appliance to an electrical power source. ... Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band from High Green, a suburb of Sheffield. ... Species - hubbard squash, buttercup squash - cushaw squash C. moschata- butternut squash C. pepo- most pumpkins, acorn squash, summer squash References: ITIS 223652002-11-06 Hortus Third Squashes are four species of the genus Cucurbita, also called pumpkins and marrows depending on variety or the nationality of the speaker. ... Managing director is the term used for the chief executive of many limited companies in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth and some other English speaking countries. ... Chief Executive redirects here. ... The original definition of a Mercer is a merchant or trader, though its current meaning is more specifically a merchant who deals in textiles. ... This article is about the type of fabric. ... Image:Minced beef USDA.jpg Minced beef in industrial grinder Ground beef, beef mince or hamburger meat, is a meat product, made of beef finely chopped by a meat grinder. ... Typical Mongoloid Skull A portrait of the Mongol ruler Genghis Khan; the Mongolians, for which the term Mongoloid was named after, are an example of the prototype Northern Mongoloid. ... A child with Down syndrome Down syndrome (also called Downs syndrome) encompasses a number of genetic disorders, of which trisomy 21 (a nondisjunction) is the most representative, causing highly variable degrees of learning difficulties and physical disabilities. ... Motorway symbol in UK, Australia, Spain, France and Ireland. ... For specific systems, such as the Autobahns of Germany, see list of highway systems with full control of access and no cross traffic. ... A typical expressway in Santa Clara County, California. ... A highway is a major road within a city, or linking several cities together. ... MOT test, or just MOT (pronounced by spelling out the letters) is a mandatory annual test of safety and roadworthiness aspects of vehicles over a certain age in the United Kingdom. ... In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the transport network. ... House at Cúcuta, Colombia A house is a building typically lived in by one or more people. ... Badger Brewery is an independent family brewery based in Blandford Forum, Dorset, UK since 1899. ... The Germanic word Müller means Miller (as a profession). ... Mullah (Persian: ملا) is a title given to some Islamic clergy, coming from the Arabic word mawla, meaning both vicar and guardian. ... John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together The Muppets are a group of puppets and costume characters created by Jim Henson and the company he created. ... Look up Mustard in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

N

naff 

(slang) lame, tacky, cheap, low quality (origin uncertain – numerous suggestions include backslang for fan, an old term for a vagina), also gay slang for a straight man (said to mean "Not Available For Fucking")

naff off 

(dated slang) shove it, get lost, go away – a much less offensive alternative to "fuck off" (originally obscure Polari slang, made popular by prison sitcom Porridge and famously used by Princess Anne)

nark 

1. (v.) (informal) irritate

2. (n.) (slang) police informer (US: narc, derived from narcotics agent, but often used in a general sense)

nappy 

absorbent garment for babies (US: diaper)

nash 

(northern England) go

ned 

(Scotland) (slang) a working class person with a certain cheap and tasteless style (see chav)

neeps 

(Scotland) Rutabaga, "Tatties and Neeps" traditionally served with the Scottish national dish of Haggis as the main course of the Burns supper. Derived from turnips.

nesh 

(central England, north-west, south Yorkshire, gently derogative) of a person, sensitive to the cold, delicate (typical usage, of someone who wears a coat on a mildly cold day: "He's nesh", meaning "He's a bit soft").

newsagent 

strictly a shop owner or shop that sells newspapers, usu. refers to a small shop, e.g. corner shop, convenience store, newsstand, or similar (US: newsdealer)

newsreader 

someone who reads the news on TV or radio. See news presenter for a description of the different roles of a newscaster, a British newsreader and an American news anchor.

nil * 

nothing (used in reporting sport scores) (US: occasionally used; also zero or nothing)

nob 

see knob

nonce 

1. (slang) paedophile, pimp, child molester, idiot

2. the present time or occasion – now usually encountered only in the compound nonce word, meaning an ad hoc word coinage, and the somewhat old-fashioned phrase for the nonce, meaning "for now". See also the Wiktionary definition.

nosh 

1. food, meal; also "nosh up", a big satisfying meal ("I could do with a good nosh up")

2. (slang) oral sex

nosy parker 

a busybody (similar to US: butt-in, buttinski)

nous 

Good sense; shrewdness: “Hillela had the nous to take up with the General when he was on the up-and-up again” (Nadine Gordimer)

nowt

(Northern English) nothing. From Standard English "nought".

number plate 

vehicle registration plate (sometimes used in the US; also license plate or license tag)

numpty 

(mainly Scottish) a stupid person

nutter

(informal) a crazy or insane person, often violent; also used as a more light-hearted term of reproach ("Oi nutter!") (occasionally used in the US) (US and UK also: nut, nutcase)

Two forms of slang are known as Backslang. ... Polari (or alternatively Parlare, Parlary, Palarie, Palari, Parlyaree[1], from Italian parlare, to talk) was a form of cant slang used in the gay subculture in Britain. ... Porridge is a British BBC television sitcom (1974–1977), written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais and starring Ronnie Barker. ... Princess Anne may refer to more than one person: Anne, Princess Royal (born 15 August 1950), daughter of Elizabeth II of the UK Anne, Princess of Orange (1709‑1759), daughter of George II of Great Britain Anne (1637‑1759), daughter of Charles I of England Princess Anne may refer to... Baby cloth diaper filled with extra cloth. ... Binomial name Mill. ... an uncooked small haggis Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish. ... A Burns Supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, author of the version of the Scots song Auld Lang Syne, which is generally sung at Hogmanay and other New Year celebrations around the English-speaking world. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England. ... The Brick Store in Bath, New Hampshire, the oldest continually operating general store in the U.S. A general store is usually a retailer located in a small town or in a rural area with a broad selection of merchandise crammed into a relatively small space. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A typical newsstand in New York City. ... Anchorman redirects here. ... In the UK, the term nonce (sometimes spelled nonse) is a slang word used to refer to a sex offender and/or child sexual abuser, and thus as an insult. ... Not to be confused with Ephebophilia. ... A nonce word is a word used only for the nonce—to meet a need that is not expected to recur. ... Oral sex consists of all sexual activities that involve the use of the mouth, which may include use of the tongue, teeth, and throat, to stimulate genitalia. ... A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. ...

O

OAP 

Old Age Pensioner (qv) (US: Senior Citizen)

off-licence 

shop licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises, infomally abbreviated to offy; also known as an Outdoor (West Midlands) (US equivalent: liquor store)

off-the-peg 

of clothes etc, ready-made rather than made to order (US: off-the-rack)

oi 

coarse exclamation to gain attention, roughly equivalent to "hey" ("Oi, you!" = "Hey you!")

the Old Bill 

(slang) The police

one-off 

something that happens only once; limited to one occasion (as an adjective, a shared synonym is one-shot; as a noun, it has no exact US equivalent)

on the piss 

(vulgar) drinking heavily; going out for the purpose of drinking heavily; at a slight angle, said of an object that should be vertical

orientate 

less common alternative to orient, deprecated by some as an unnecessary back-formation from orientation

Other Ranks

members of the military who are not commissioned, warrant or non-commissioned officers (US:junior enlisted personnel)

outwith

(Scotland) opposite of within and a local alternative to one meaning of without. For example, "Advanced Quantum Mechanics is outwith the scope of an introductory physics textbook".

overleaf

on the other side of the page

owt 

(Northern English) anything. From Standard English "ought"

oxter

(Scotland and Northern Ireland) armpit

oy

See "oi".

An off licence is a shop that sells alcoholic beverages in the United Kingdom, for consumption off the premises. ... Alcoholic beverages An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol, although in chemistry the definition of an alcohol includes many other compounds. ... Old Bill is a pejorative English (chiefly London) slang term for the Police (cf. ... In etymology, the process of back-formation is the creation of a neologism by reinterpreting an earlier word as a compound and removing the spuriously supposed affixes. ...

P

package holiday 

a holiday whose transport, accommodation, itinerary etc. is organised by a travel company (US and UK less frequently: package tour). Cf holiday [DM]

paki 

(often offensive) Pakistani; loosely applied to anyone from South Asia, or of perceived South Asian origin (sometimes used in the US; in the US "paki", spelled packy, can suggest a package store, i.e. a liquor store, which could not be referred to as such under blue laws).

panda car 

(informal) police car. Small police car used for transport, as opposed to a patrol or area car (analogous to US: black-and-white)

paper round 

(the job of making) a regular series of newspaper deliveries (US: paper route)

paracetamol 

a common and widely available drug for the treatment of headaches, fever and other minor aches and pains (US: acetaminophen, Tylenol)

parkie 

(informal) park-keeper

parky 

(informal) cold, usually used in reference to the weather

(Cornish) pasty 

hard pastry case filled with meat and vegetables served as a main course, particularly in Cornwall and in the north of England

past 

the last occurrence of a day, as in "Sunday past" (US:last Sunday)

pear-shaped 

usually in the phrase "to go pear-shaped", meaning to go drastically or dramatically wrong (possibly from the idea of a ball deflating). cf tits-up

Peelers 

The Police. Named after Sir Robert Peel, who founded the service. The slang is only regularly still in use in Northern Ireland.

pelican crossing 

pedestrian crossing with traffic lights operated by pedestrians (from Pedestrian Light-Controlled)

pernickety 

fastidious, precise or over-precise (US: persnickety)

petrol 

refined mixture of hydrocarbons, used esp. to fuel motor vehicles (short for petroleum spirit, or from French essence de pétrole) (US: gasoline, gas). Also variously known as motor spirit (old-fashioned), motor gasoline, mogas, aviation gasoline and avgas (the last two being a slightly heavier type designed for light aircraft)

petrol-head, petrolhead 

someone with a strong interest in cars (especially high performance cars) and motor racing (US: gearhead or motorhead).

pikey 

a pejorative slang term, used originally to refer to Irish travellers

pillar box 

box in the street for receiving outgoing mail, in Britain traditionally in the form of a free-standing red pillar; also called postbox or, less commonly, letter box (US: mailbox)

See also Pillar box (film): an aspect ratio named for a supposed resemblance to the dimensions of the slot found on a pillar box.

pillar-box red 

the traditional bright-red colour of a British pillar box

pillock 

(slang, very mildly derogatory) foolish person, used esp. in northern England but also common elsewhere. Derived from the Northern English term pillicock, a dialect term for penis, although the connection is rarely made in general use.

pish 

(vulgar) Scottish variant of piss.

pisshead 

(vulgar) someone who regularly gets heavily drunk (cf. BrE meaning of pissed).

pissing it down [with rain] 

(slang, mildly vulgar) raining very hard (sometimes "pissing down" is used in the US, as in "It's pissing down out there.") Also "pissing it down the drain" or "pissing it away" meaning to waste something.

pleb 

(derogatory) person of lower class, from plebeian; similar to townie. Also commonly used to mean idiot.

pleck 

also: guitar-pleck; plectrum (US: guitar pick)

plimsoll 

a type of shoe with a canvas upper and rubber sole, formerly the typical gym shoe used in schools (US: sneaker or Tennis shoe)

plod 

police - from PC Plod in Enid Blyton Noddy books.

plonk 

a disparaging term for cheap wine, especially cheap red wine, is now widely known in the UK and also to a lesser extent in the USA.

plonker 

(very mildly derogatory) fool. Used esp. in the south-east of England, although not unknown elsewhere. Derived from a slang term for penis, and sometimes used in this fashion, e.g. "Are you pulling my plonker?" (to express disbelief)

ponce 

(n.) (slang) someone with overly affected airs and graces; an effeminate posturing man; a pimp. Originates from Maltese slang.

(v.) (slang) to act like a pimp; to cadge, to borrow with little or no intention of returning, often openly so ("Can I ponce a ciggie off you, mate?")

ponce about/around 

(v.) (slang) to act like a fop, to wander about aimlessly without achieving anything

ponce off 

(v.) (slang) to mooch, to hit up, to leave in a pompous manner

poof, poofter  

(derogatory) a male homosexual (US equivalent: fag, faggot)

poof, poove 

A small drum-shaped soft furnishing used as a foot rest.

porky(ies) 

slang for a lie or lying, from rhyming slang "pork pies" = "lies"

postage and packing, P&P 

charge for said services (US: shipping and handling, S&H; the word postage is, however, used in both dialects)

postal order 

a money order designed to be sent through the post, issued by the UK Post Office (US: money order, or postal money order if the context is ambiguous)

postbox, post box 

box in the street for receiving outgoing mail (US: mailbox; drop box); see also letter box, pillar box

postcode 

alphanumeric code used to identify an address, part of a UK-wide scheme (US equivalent: ZIP Code)

poste restante 

service whereby mail is retained at a post office for collection by the recipient (from the French) (US: general delivery)

postie 

(informal) postman

postman 

person who delivers mail (post) to residences and businesses (US: letter carrier, mailman, mail carrier; the term postman is also sometimes used in the US, esp. by older generations)

pot plant 

a plant growing in a pot (US: potted plant; in the US the term "pot plant" would suggest a marijuana plant)

poxy 

(slang) something that is unsatisfactory or in generally bad condition.

pram, perambulator 

wheeled conveyance for babies (US: baby-carriage) Similarly, a "pram-face" sometimes refers to a very young or young-looking mum.

prat 

(slang) an incompetent or ineffectual person, a fool, an idiot

press-up 

a conditioning exercise in which one lies prone and then pushes oneself up by the arms (US: push-up)

provisional licence, provisional driving licence 

a licence for a learner driver, who has not yet passed a driving test (US: learner's permit)

pud 

(informal) short for "pudding", which may mean dessert or occasionally a savoury item such as Yorkshire pudding or black pudding; a fool (informal term usually used good-naturedly between family members). pulling his pud, means male masturbation.

pukka 

(informal) legitimate, the real thing, of good quality (usually Southeastern England term, recently made famous by Jamie Oliver but dating back to the 19th century). From Hindi.

punch-up 

a fistfight

punkah-wallah 

a usually South Asian servant whose role is to operate a manual fan. From Urdu pankhaa, fan, and -wallah, -man

punnet 

basket for fruit, usually strawberries

pushbike 

(informal) bicycle (pre-dates modern safety bicycle q.v. velocipede)

pushchair 

forward-facing baby carriage (US: stroller)

A package holiday or package tour consists of transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. ... Map of South Asia (see note on Kashmir). ... The term British Asian is used to denote a person of Southern Asian ancestry or origin, or sometimes Western Asian origin, who was born in or was an immigrant to the United Kingdom. ... A liquor store in Decatur, Georgia. ... This article is about laws created to enforce moral standards. ... Paracetamol (INN) (IPA: ) or acetaminophen (USAN), is the active metabolite of phenacetin, a so-called coal tar analgesic. ... A pasty from Cornwall A pasty from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan A Cornish pasty or Cornish pastie is a type of pie, originating in Cornwall, United Kingdom. ... A European Pear. ... This is about the British Prime Minister. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... A pedestrian crossing or crosswalk is a designated point on a road at which some means are employed to assist pedestrians wishing to cross. ... Petrol redirects here. ... Look up Pikey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... // Collection of British Pillar boxes at the Inkpen Post Box Museum, near Taunton,Somerset In the UK, a pillar box is a free-standing post box where mail is deposited to be collected by the Royal Mail and forwarded to the addressee. ... For other uses, see Mail (disambiguation). ... A British pillar box The postal system is a system by which written documents typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages containing other matter, are delivered to destinations around the world. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A 4:3 image pillarboxed into a 16:9 display The pillar box effect occurs in widescreen video displays when black bars (mattes or masking) are placed on the sides of the image. ... // Collection of British Pillar boxes at the Inkpen Post Box Museum, near Taunton,Somerset In the UK, a pillar box is a free-standing post box where mail is deposited to be collected by the Royal Mail and forwarded to the addressee. ... This is a list of words and phrases having differing meanings in British and American English. ... In Ancient Rome, the plebs was the general body of Roman citizens, distinct from the privileged class of the patricians. ... Townie is a term used by born and bred countrymen to describe people who live in towns, particularly when they come to live in a village and then complain about farmyard smells, noises etc Townie is a term commonly used in university towns to refer to residents not affiliated with... Plimsoll shoe A plimsoll or plimsoll shoe is a type of athletic shoe with a canvas upper and rubber sole, developed as beachwear in the 1830s by the Liverpool Rubber Company (later to become Dunlop). ... Enid Mary Blyton (August 11, 1897–November 28, 1968) was a popular English childrens writer. ... For other uses, see Noddy (disambiguation). ... A fool can refer to: Look up fool in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A postal order is used for sending money through the postal system. ... Post Office Ltd (Welsh: Cyrchwr Codau Post) is a retail post office company in the United Kingdom that provides a wide range of products including postage stamps, welfare and banking to the public through its nationwide network of post office branches. ... A British pillar box The postal system is a system by which written documents typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages containing other matter, are delivered to destinations around the world. ... The term mailbox may refer to: The storage space used for Electronic Mail or Voicemail messages. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... // Collection of British Pillar boxes at the Inkpen Post Box Museum, near Taunton,Somerset In the UK, a pillar box is a free-standing post box where mail is deposited to be collected by the Royal Mail and forwarded to the addressee. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... Mr. ... Poste restante is a service provided by postal systems where the post office holds mail that has a notation written on it until the recipient calls for it. ... A Melbourne postie riding a motorbike A postwoman with her bicycle in China. ... A Melbourne Postie riding a walkthrough A postman (sometimes known as a mailman or letter carrier in North America and a postie in Australia) delivers the post (sometimes known as mail in North America. ... A Melbourne postie riding a motorbike A postwoman with her bicycle in China. ... Cannabis, also known as marijuana[1] or ganja (Hindi: गांजा),[2] is a psychoactive product of the plant Cannabis sativa. ... For transportation of a baby or toddler there are special vehicles, special car seats, and devices for carrying. ... Pudding can be prepared with a large variety of toppings such as fresh fruit and/or berries, and whipped cream Christmas pudding Dessert pudding Illustrations from Isabella Beetons Mrs Beetons Book of Household Management, 1861 Pudding most often refers to a dessert, but can also be a savory dish. ... Sunday roast consisting of roast beef, roast potatoes, vegetables and Yorkshire pudding Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on Yorkshire Pudding Yorkshire pudding is an English savoury dish made from batter. ... Morcilla cocida: Spanish-style blood sausage Blood sausage or black pudding or blood pudding is a sausage made by cooking down the blood of an animal with meat, fat or filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. ... Woman masturbating, 1913 drawing by Gustav Klimt. ... This article is about the TV chef. ... The velocipede was the predecessor of the bicycle, a human-powered vehicle introduced in the Victorian age. ...

Q

quango 

Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation. A semi-public (e.g. non-governmental) advisory and administrative body funded by the government and having most of its members appointed by the government.

queue 

N. a waiting line (as of persons, vehicles etc.) * (US usually: line [DM]; queue is used in computer applications, such as printer queue or render queue); hence jump the queue); V. to wait in line (US line up)

quid 

(informal) the pound sterling monetary unit; remains quid in plural form ("Can I borrow ten quid?") (similar to US buck, meaning dollar)

quids in 

(informal) a financially positive end to a transaction or venture "After all that, we'll be quids in!"

quieten 

used in the phrase "quieten down" (US: quiet down)

quiff 

forelock (initially Hiberno-English); a hairstyle (from the 1950s onward).

The acronyms Qango and Quango, variously spelt out as QUAsi Non Governmental Organisation, Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation, and Quasi-Autonomous National Government Organisation have been used, notably in the United Kingdom, but also in Australia, Ireland and other countries, to describe a range of organisations to which governments have... GBP redirects here. ... A 2000s youth wearing a 1950s-style Teddy Boy quiff Another, perhaps more extreme, version of the quiff The quiff is a hairstyle that combines the 50s pompadour hairstyle, the 50s flattop, and sometimes a mohawk. ... The forelock is a part of a horses mane, that grows from the animals poll and falls between the ears and onto the forehead. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

R

randy 

(informal) having sexual desire, lustful, horny (now more common in the US because of the Austin Powers franchise)

ranker 

an enlisted soldier or airman or (more rarely) a commissioned officer who has been promoted from enlisted status ("the ranks")

rashers *

cuts of bacon

rat-arsed 

(slang) extremely drunk

recce 

(informal) reconnoître, reconnaissance (pronounced recky) (US: recon)

Register Office, Registry Office 

official office where births, marriages and deaths are recorded; usu. refers to local Register Office (in each town or locality). General Register Office is the relevant government department. In England and Wales until 2001, almost all civil (non-church) marriages took place in the local Register Office; different laws apply in Scotland and N. Ireland.

road-works 

upgrade or repairs of roads (US: construction; roadwork [singular])

ropey 

(informal) chancy; of poor quality; uncertain (see dodgy). Can also mean unwell when used in the form to feel ropey

reverse charge call 

a telephone call for which the recipient pays (US and UK also: collect call); also v. to reverse [the] charge[s] *, to make such a call (dated in US, used in the 1934 American film It Happened One Night – US usually: to call collect)

rota 

a roll call or roster of names, or round or rotation of duties

(the) rozzers 

(rare slang) Police ("Quick, the rozzers!") – possibly from Robert Peel, who also gave his name to two other slang terms for the police: peelers (archaic) and bobbies (becoming old-fashioned).

rubber 

(US eraser)

rubbish *

refuse, waste (in the US found mainly as regionalism or legal/technical term – US usually: garbage or trash); something worthless (as writing, talk, etc.), often used to impugn a statement (US speakers deriding an idea as 'rubbish' can sometimes sound 'stuck up' or pompous).

rucksack *

a backpack

rumpy pumpy 

(informal) Sexual intercourse, used slightly jokingly.

For other uses, see Birth (disambiguation). ... Matrimony redirects here. ... For other uses, see Death (disambiguation). ... General Register Office is the name given to the government agencies responsible for registering births, marriages and deaths in the United Kingdom. ... It Happened One Night is a 1934 romantic comedy directed by Frank Capra, in which a pampered socialite (Claudette Colbert) tries to get out from under her fathers thumb, and falls in love with a roguish reporter (Clark Gable). ... For other people named Robert Peel, see Robert Peel (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ...

S

salad-dodger 

(informal) an overweight person

sanitary towel, sanitary pad 

sanitary napkin, maxi pad

sarky 

(informal) sarcastic (abbrev.) "why are you being so sarky for?"

sarnie, sarny 

(informal) sandwich (abbrev.)

Sapper 

an enlisted member of the Royal Engineers (US:Combat Engineer)

scrumpy 

cloudy cider, often high in alcoholic content

scrumping 

action of stealing apples from an orchard; also v. to scrump

self-raising flour 

self-rising flour

secateurs 

gardening tool for pruning plants (US:pruners of clippers)

Sellotape 

from Cellophane, transparent adhesive tape (genericised trademark) (US: Scotch tape)

serviette 

(from French) table napkin [DM]. Regarded as a non-U word, but widely used by non-U people.

shandy 

lager or beer mixed close to equal parts with lemonade [DM]

shite 

(vulgar) variant of shit, often seen as more jocular. rhymes with 'kite'. Used esp. in Northern England, Ireland and Scotland, but not unknown in Southern England.

singleton 

a single, unmarried person

sixes and sevens 

crazy, muddled (usually in the phrase "at sixes and sevens"). From the London Livery Company order of precedence, in which position 6 is claimed by both the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors and the Worshipful Company of Skinners.

skew-whiff / skew-whift 

skewed, uneven, not straight

skint 

(informal) out of money

skip 

large container used for trash or waste (U.S.-dumpster)

skive [off] 

(informal) to sneak off, avoid work; to play truant (U.S.-"Play Hookey")

slag 

slut (but in a milder sense); [DM]

slag off 

to diss, to badmouth

slaphead 

(informal) bald man

slapper 

(vulgar) slut, skank (but in a milder sense)

sleeping partner 

a partner in business, often an investor, who is not visibly involved in running the enterprise (US: silent partner)

sleeping policeman 

mound built into a road to slow down vehicles (UK also: hump [DM]; US & UK also: speed bump)

(have a) slash 

(slang) to urinate

smalls 

underclothing (US: panties)

smart dress

formal attire

smeghead 

(slang) idiot; a general term of abuse (for discussion of origin, see smeg (vulgarism)). Popularised by its use in the sitcom Red Dwarf.

snog 

(slang) to kiss amorously with petting and fondling (US: make out)

solicitor 

a legal representative, (U.S. - attorney or lawyer)

soap dodger 

one who is thought to lack personal hygiene

sod off 

(vulgar, moderately offensive) go away; get lost

spacker (spacky) 

(vulgar, offensive to many) idiot, general term of abuse: from "Spastic", referring in England almost exclusively (when not used as an insult) to a person suffering from cerebral palsy.(variant forms spaz/spastic, are used in American English)

Spanish archer

give someone the "elbow", which means to sack or fire them

spawny 

lucky

spiffing 

(informal) very good (old-fashioned, or consciously used as old-fashioned, associated stereotypically with upper-class people)

spiv 

an unemployed person who lives by their wits; someone who shirks work or responsibility; a slacker, a dealer in black market goods (during World War II). The term wide boy is also often used in the same sense

spliff

(slang) a hand-rolled cigarette containing a mixture of marijuana and tobacco (Also used in US, j or blunt more widely used)

spod 

someone who spends too much time in internet chat rooms and discussion forums. Also verb: to spod.

sport 

recreational athletics (usually singular) (US: sports (usually plural))

spot on 

exactly (US: right on)

squaddie 

(informal) a non-commissioned soldier

squidgy 

(informal) soft and soggy

squiffy 

(informal) intoxicated (popularly but probably erroneously said to be from British Prime Minister (Herbert)Asquith, a noted imbiber). The word can also be synonymous with skew-whiff.

squint, squintie 

crooked; cf on the skunt

squiz 

(rare) look, most often used in the form to have a squiz at...

stalls 

the seats closest to the stage in a theater/orchestra

starter 

appetiser (most common); also from French "entrée" or "hors d'œuvre", used less often

sticky-backed plastic 

large sheet of thin, soft, coloured plastic that is sticky on one side; see Blue Peter (US similar: contact paper)

stockist 

a seller (as a retailer) that stocks merchandise of a particular type, usually a specified brand or model

straightaway 

immediately (sometimes used in the US; also right away)

strop 

(informal) bad mood or temper

stroppy, to have a strop on 

(informal) recalcitrant, in a bad mood or temper

suck it and see 

to undertake a course of action without knowing its full consequences (US: take your chances)

summat 

(Northern English) something

suss [out] 

(informal) to figure out (from suspicion)

suspender belt

a ladies undergarment to hold up stockings (US: garter belt)

swot 

1. v. to study for an exam (US cram)

2. n. (derogatory) aloof and unpopular schoolchild or student who studies to excess

sweet FA 

(slang) nothing (from "Sweet Fanny Adams", alternative: "Sweet Fuck All"), "I know sweet FA about cars!"

swimming costume

swimsuit or bathing suit; also cozzy for short.

swither

(Scottish/Northern) to hesitate, be undecided, dither

Wingless type (left) and winged type (right) of disposable sanitary napkin. ... An ingredient used in many foods, flour is a fine powder made from grain or other starchy food sources. ... A genericized trademark (Commonwealth English genericised trade mark), sometimes known as a generic trade mark, generic descriptor or proprietary eponym, is a trademark or brand name which is often used as the colloquial description for a particular type of product or service as a result of widespread popular or cultural... U and non-U English usage, with U standing for upper class, and non-U representing the rest, were part of the terminology of popular discourse of social dialects (sociolects) in 1950s Britain and the northeast United States. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Livery Companies are trade associations based in the City of London. ... The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. ... The Worshipful Company of Skinners is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. ... Smeg is a mild vulgarism. ... This article is about the British sitcom. ... Category: ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Shredded tobacco leaf for pipe smoking Tobacco can also be pressed into plugs and sliced into flakes Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. ... The Right Honourable Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC (12 September 1852–15 February 1928) served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. ... For other uses, see Blue Peter (disambiguation). ... A swot is British slang term for an inoffensive person who offends his peers by too careful attention to schoolwork. ... Alton is a small town in Hampshire, England, to the southwest of Farnham. ...

T

ta 

(informal) thank you; TA also standing for "thanks awfully" (rare)

takeaway 

food outlet where you can order food to go (or be delivered) (not usually applied to fast food chains). Usage: "we had a takeaway for dinner", "we went to the local takeaway". [DM]; (US: takeout)

take the piss / take the mickey

(vulgar slang) to make fun of somebody; to act in a non-serious manner about something important (also: take the pee)

takings 

receipts of money

tannoy 

loudspeaker (a proprietary brand name), PA system

tarn 

small mountain lake. Used especially in the Lake District

tatties 

(Scotland and Northern England) Potato, "Tatties and Neeps" traditionally served with the Scottish national dish of Haggis as the main course of the Burns supper.

telly 

(informal) television

tenner 

ten pounds

Territorial

a member of the Territorial Army (US: Army Reserve)

Tiger nuts

(vulgar slang) small remnants of toilet paper that cling to body hair after bowel movement clean-up (originates from small chocolate covered caramel candy of the same name). (Commonly "tigers"). .

tingy 

(from Ireland) cf wotsit

throw a wobbly 

(informal) to lose one's temper, throw a tantrum

thruppennies 

(Cockney rhyming slang) breasts/tits (from thruppeny bits, obsolete British coin)

titfer 

(Cockney rhyming slang) hat (from tit-for-tat)

[go] tits up 

(mildly vulgar) to suddenly go wrong (literally, to fall over). cf pear-shaped (appears in the US mainly as military jargon, sometimes sanitized to "tango uniform")

toad-in-the-hole 

batter-baked sausages, sausages baked in Yorkshire Pudding

toff 

(slang) member of the upper classes

toffee apple 

a sugar-glazed apple on a stick eaten esp. on Bonfire Night and Hallowe'en (US: caramel apple or candy apple)

toffee nosed 

anti-social in a pretentious way, stuck up

toilet 

US; restroom.

tonk 

(informal) to hit hard, sometimes used in cricket to describe a substantial boundary shot: "he tonked it for six". In Southern England can also mean muscular. (US: ripped).

tony 

expensive or luxurious.

toss [off] 

(offensive slang) to masturbate; hence tosser, literally a masturbator, used as a general term of abuse

tosspot 

(colloquial) a drunkard. (slang) a no-good waster, a jerk.

totty 

(informal, offensive to some) sexually alluring woman or women (more recently, also applied to males). Originally a term for a prostitute in the late 1800s.

training shoes, trainers

athletic shoes. (US: sneakers).

training suit 

clothes worn while practicing for an atheltic event (US: track suit' or sweat suit)

tuppence 

two pence, also infantile euphemism for vagina. cf twopenn'orth

tuppenny-ha'penny 

cheap, substandard

turf accountant 

bookmaker for horse races

turn-indicator 

direction-indicator light on a vehicle (US: turn signal)

turn-ups

an arrangement at the bottom of trouser-legs whereby a deep hem is made, and the material is doubled-back to provide a trough around the external portion of the bottom of the leg. (US: cuffs)

twee 

excessively cute, quaint, or 'precious'

twonk 

idiot. Probably a portmanteau construction of twat and plonker

twopenn'orth, tuppenn'orth, tup'en'oth 

one's opinion (tuppenn'orth is literally "two pennies worth" or "two pence worth", depending on usage); (US equivalent: two cents' worth, two cents). cf tuppence

Tannoy Ltd is a British manufacturer of loudspeakers and public-address (PA) systems. ... For the Marty Friedman album, see Loudspeaker (album) An inexpensive low fidelity 3. ... A genericized trademark (also known as a generic trade mark or proprietary eponym) is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for (or synonymous with) a particular class of product or service. ... The panorama across Eskdale from Ill Crag. ... For other uses, see Potato (disambiguation). ... an uncooked small haggis Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish. ... A Burns Supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, author of the version of the Scots song Auld Lang Syne, which is generally sung at Hogmanay and other New Year celebrations around the English-speaking world. ... The Territorial Army (TA) is the principal and Volunteer reserve force of the British Army, the land armed forces branch of the United Kingdom, and composed mostly of part-time soldiers paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents. ... Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London. ... Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London. ... Sunday roast consisting of roast beef, roast potatoes, vegetables and Yorkshire pudding Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on Yorkshire Pudding Yorkshire pudding is an English savoury dish made from batter. ... Bonfire Night can refer to a number of occasions: St. ... Halloween (disambiguation). ... The vagina, (from Latin, literally sheath or scabbard ) is the tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. ... A portmanteau (IPA: ) is a word or morpheme that fuses two or more words or word parts to give a combined or loaded meaning. ... Look up Twat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up Plonker in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

U

uni 

short for university, used much like US college

up himself 

(informal) someone who is stand-offish, stuck-up, snobby. "He's a bit up himself."

up sticks 

(US: pull up stakes)

V

verger 

someone who carries the verge or other emblem of authority before a scholastic, legal, or religious dignitary in a procession; someone who takes care of the interior of a church and acts as an attendant during ceremonies.

verruca 

a wart which occurs on one's foot. Called a plantar wart in USA

W

wage packet 

weekly employee payment (usually in cash) (US: paycheck)

wally 

(informal) buffoon, fool; milder form of idiot. Now considered an old-fashioned word. See muppet.

wank * 

(offensive slang) to masturbate; similar to US jerk off; hence wanker, literally a masturbator, used as a general term of abuse. The term is becoming more common in the US as a generic insult.

WC 

toilet (short for Water Closet). (US: bathroom [DM], US old-fashioned, Canada washroom). See also loo.

washing up 

dish washing, "the dishes": "it's your turn to do the washing up"; hence washing up liquid: dish washing detergent (US: dish soap, dishwashing liquid)

way out 

exit. Used primarily on signs

Wellington boots, wellies 

waterproof rubber boots, named after the Duke of Wellington. (more common in the US now)

welly 

(informal) effort (e.g.: "Give it some welly" to mean "put a bit of effort into an attempt to do something"); also the singular of "wellies", for Wellington boots

welly 

(slang) condom; stems from "Wellington boots" which are also known as "rubbers"

whilst *

while (US and UK), (archaic in US)

whinge 

(informal) complain, whine, especially repeated complaining about minor things (e.g. "Stop whinging" meaning "stop complaining"); a different word from whine, originated in Scottish and Northern English in the 12th century. Hence whinger (derogatory), someone who complains a lot. As in "My wife Kerry is always whinging about the state we leave the house in".

white pudding 

oat and fat sausage often eaten at breakfast, common in Ireland and Scotland

witter 

(informal) to continue to talk trivially about a subject long after the audience's interest has gone. "He wittered on."

wibble 

(informal) to talk at length aimlessly

wide boy 

see spiv, above

willy * 

(slang) a childish term for a penis. (sometimes used in the US)

wing mirrors 

the external mirrors on a vehicle – though no longer normally attached to the 'wings' (US: fenders) but to the doors (US: sideview mirrors, side mirrors)

winkle * 

(slang) another childish term for a penis.

wobbler, wobbly (to have or to throw)

(informal) tantrum

wonky 

(informal) wrong, awry, not straight or stable; shaky, feeble

Masturbation is the manual excitation of the sexual organs, most often to the point of orgasm. ... Look up loo in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A pair of Wellington boots The Wellington boot, also known as a welly, a wellie, a gumboot or a rubber boot, is a type of boot based upon Hessian boots. ... Italic text His Grace Field Marshal the Most Noble Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS (c. ... A pair of Wellington boots The Wellington boot, also known as a welly, a wellie, a gumboot or a rubber boot, is a type of boot based upon Hessian boots. ... An Irish breakfast consisting of sausages, black and white pudding, bacon and fried eggs, served with orange juice. ... Breakfast is the first meal of the day, eaten in the morning. ... This article is about the country. ...

Y

Y-fronts

men's briefs with an inverted-Y-shaped frontal flap; originally a trademark (US: jockey shorts/briefs; US slang: tighty whities)

yob 

lout, young troublemaker (from boy spelt backwards)

yomp 

(military slang from Falklands war) to move on foot across rough terrain carrying heavy amounts of equipment and supplies without mechanised support

A man in briefs Briefs are a type of short, tight Y-shaped underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where the material extends down the legs. ...

Z

Zed 

last letter of the alphabet, usually called "zee" in United States

Look up zed in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Zee could refer to the letter Z of the English alphabet Zee TV Zuider Zee This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

References

• Hargraves, Orin (2002). Mighty Fine Words and Smashing Expressions: Making Sense of Transatlantic English. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515704-4.
• Peters, Pam (2004). The Cambridge Guide to English Usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-62181-X.

External links

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/ A large project being undertaken by the BBC to document and chart the different word-usage and accents in the British Isles.
• Effingpot.com An American's guide to speaking British, written by a Brit living in Texas.
• Translating American to British A guide to British slang.
• American-British/British-American Dictionaries An American to British dictionary and a British to American Dictionary.
• The English-to-American Dictionary A very large British to American dictionary.