acid test - an absolute, demanding, or ultimate challenge or measure of quality or capability

above board - honest

across the board - all or everything, or a total and complete achievement
sweep the board - win everything
wouldn't/didn't/don't know him from adam/adam's brother/adam's off ox, etc - a
man completely unknown (to whoever is using the term)
all-singing all-dancing - full of features/gimmicks
smart alec/smart aleck/smart alick - someone who is very or 'too' clever (esp. in a cocky
manner)
ampersand - the '&' symbol, meaning 'and
almanac diary
apple of his eye/apple of your eye/apple of my eye - a person much adored or doted on,
loved, held dearly, and central to the admirer's affections and sensitive
apple-pie bed - practical joke, with bed-sheets folded preventing the person from getting in
arbour/arbor - shady place with sides and roof formed by trees or shrub
(don't) throw the baby out with the bath water - lose a good opportunity as part of a
bigger clear-out, over-react in a way that appears to stem a particular problem, but in so doing
results in the loss of something valuable or good
take a back seat - have little or only observational involvement in something
backs to the wall/backs against the wall - defend fiercely against a powerful threat
bandbox/out of a bandbox/fresh out of a bandbox - smart (of appearance
bring home the bacon - achieve a challenge, bring back the prize or earn a living
save your bacon - to save from injury or loss (material, reputation
my bad/it's my bad - "It's my fault/mistake" (an acknowledgement of blame)
baker's dozen thirteen
balderdash nonsense
balti - curry dish prepared in a heavy wok-like iron pan
barbarian - rough or wild person
bated breath/baited breath - anxious, expectant (expecting explanation, answer, etc)
battle of the bulge - diet/lose weight
battle lines - forces or position organised prior to confrontation or negotiation
beak - judge or magistrate, also nose, alluding to a bird's bill
get out of the wrong side of the bed - be in a bad mood
bedlam chaos
bees knees/the bee's knees - something really good, especially an excellent example of its
type
bereave/bereavment - leave/left alone, typically after death of a close relative
berserk wild
(in the) best of both worlds/best of all worlds - ideally (usually impossibly), satisfying or
achieving two needs, aims, problems that are difficult or impossible to reconcile (and usually
contradictory or mutually exclusive
of biblical proportions - of a vast, enormous, or epic scale
big cheese - important person, or boss
big girl's blouse - timid man, man or boy who fails to take up a challenge
big stick - display of power
bins - spectacles, or the eyes - a simple shortening of the word binoculars, first
appeared in English c.1930, possibly from the armed forces or London, for which this
sort of short-form slang would have been typical.
biscuit - sweet crisp bread-based snack, cookie - from the Latin and French 'bis'
(twice) and 'cuit' (baked), because this is how biscuits were originally made, ie., by
cooking twice. The term is found also in pottery and ceramic glazing for the same
reason.
takes the biscuit/takes the bun/takes the huntley/takes the kettle/takes the
cake - surpasses all expectations, wins, or ironically, achieves the worst outcome/result

bite the bullet - do or decide to do something very difficult
to the bitter end - to do or experience something awful up to and at the last,
experiencing hostility until and at the end
bird - woman or girlfriend
for the birds (also strictly for the birds) - useless, unreliable facts, unacceptable or
trivial, implying that something is only for weaker, unintelligent or lesser people -
blackball - to exclude or shun
black dog - depression or sullen mood -
blackguard - slanderer or shabby person
black Irish - racially descriptive and/or derogatory term for various groups of Irish
people and descendents, or describing people exhibiting behaviour associated with
these stereotypes
blackmail - demand money with threat -
black market - illegal trade in (usually) consumer goods, typically arising in times of
shortages and also relating to the smuggling and informal cash-sales of goods to avoid
tax
blarney - persuasive but empty words -
to have kissed the Blarney Stone - possessing great persuasive ability
bless you/god bless you - customary expression said to someone after sneezing
blighty - england (esp when viewed by an Englishman overseas) -
blimey - mild expletive -
bloke - man, chap, fellow
blood is thicker than water - family loyalties are greater than those between friends
- bloody - offensive expletive adjective, as in 'bloody hell', or 'bloody nuisance' -
blue peter - the children's TV show
board of directors - often reduced simply to 'the board'
bob's your uncle - ironic expression of something easily done
bobby - policeman -
bolt from the blue - sudden shock or surprise - see 'thunderbolt'.
throw me a bone/throw a bone/throw someone a bone/toss me a bone - give
me/someone at least a tiny piece of encouragement, reaction, response, help,
(especially when seeking a positive response from others in authority or command).
booby - fool or idiot, breast
the bottom line - the most important aspect or point
bottoms up - drinking expression, rather like cheers, good health, or skol -
boxing day - the day after Christmas
box and die/whole/hole box and die - see see 'whole box and die' possible
meanings and origins below.
brass monkeys/brass monkeys weather/cold enough to freeze the balls off a
brass monkey - very cold weather
brass neck/brass-neck/brass necked - boldness or impudence/audacious, rude,
'cheeky'
brassic (mistaken pronunciation of boracic) - broke, having no money - from
'boracic lint' see cockney rhyming slang.
break a leg - expression wishing good luck (particularly) to an actor about to take the
stage -
give me a break/give him a break - make allowance, tolerate, overlook a mistake -
buckshee/buckshees - (anything) free, or a tip or gratuity
pass the buck/passing the buck - delegate or avoid responsibility by passing a
problem or blame to another person
the buck stops here - acceptance of ultimate responsibility
bugger - insult or expletive
bulls and bears, bull markets and bear markets (stock exchange and financial
markets terminology) - generally: optimists and pessimists, or more specifically:
bulls (stock traders) and bull markets refer to upward price trends and tactics; bears
and bear markets refer to downward price trends and tactics
get/give the bum's rush - to be ejected or eject someone from premises, typically by
a bouncer or security staff, and can also apply to the firm rejection of ideas or
suggestions or involvement or employment of a person in relation to a project or group
or relationship
takes the bun - surpasses all expectations, wins - see 'cakewalk' and 'takes the cake'.
bury the hatchet - agree to stop arguing or feuding
by and large - generally/vaguely/one way or another
caddie or caddy - person who carries clubs and assists a golfer - caddie is a Scottish
cachet - mark of prestige or stylish, fashionable quality
(you can't) have your cake and eat it/want your cake and eat it too - (able or
unable or want to) achieve or attain both of two seemingly different options - cake
walk, piece of cake/takes the cake/takes the biscuit/takes the bun - easy
task/wins (the prize)
to call a spade a spade - to use simple language
can of worms/open a can of worms - highly difficult situation presently unseen or
kept under control or ignored/provoke debate about or expose a hitherto dormant
potentially highly difficult situation
he's/she's a card - (reference to) an unusual or notable person
hold all the cards/play your cards right/hold your cards to your chest/card
up your sleeve/put, lay your cards on the table - be in tactical control/make the
right tactical moves/keep your tactics secret from your opponents/keep a good tactic in
reserve/reveal your tactics or feelings
carte-blanche - full discretionary power, freedom or permission to do anything
cat-call - derisory or impatient call or cry or whistle, particularly directed by audience
members or onlookers at a performer or speaker
cat and fiddle - common pub name
cat got your tongue? - why are you not talking?/have you nothing to say?
cat's paw - a person used by another for an unpleasant or distasteful task
let the cat out of the bag - give away a secret -
a cat may look on a king/a cat may look at a king/a cat may laugh at a queen
- humble people are entitled to have and to express opinions about supposedly
'superior' people. In other words; a person's status or arrogance cannot actually control
the opinions held about them by other people of supposedly lower standing
catch-22 - an impossible problem in which the solution effectively cancels itself out -
caught red-handed - caught in the act of doing something wrong, or immediately
afterwards with evidence showing, so that denial is pointless
charlie - foolish person, (usage typically 'he's a right charlie' or 'a proper charlie') -
chav - vulgar anti-social person, male or female, usually young (she was/they were)
all over him like a cheap suit - the expression 'all over him like a cheap suit'
normally (and probably originally) refers to a woman being publicly and
clingy/seductive/physical/possessive towards a man, where the man does not
necessarily desire the attention, and/or where such attention is inappropriate and
considered overly physical/intimate/oppressive
checkmate - the final winning move in a game of chess when the king is beaten, also
meaning any winning move against an opponent
Chinese fire drill - chaotic situation, especially one involving a group's incompetence
in carrying out instructions or a plan (more recently the term also describes a student
prank where a car-full of students stops at red traffic lights, all occupants leap out, run
around the car, return to their seats and drive off as the lights turn green)
a chip off the old block - a small version of the original -
christmas crackers/christmas crackered - knackers/knackered, i.e., testicles/worn
out or broken or exhausted
ciao - Italian greeting or farewell, and common English colloquialism meaning
'goodbye' -
clap-trap - nonsense
close but no cigar - narrowly failing to get something right or win
cleave - split apart or stick/adhere
clean someone's clock/clean the clock/clean your clock - beat up, destroy, or
wipe out financially, esp. via competitive gambling
clerk - a office worker involved in basic administration
living in cloud cuckoo land - being unrealistic or in a fantasy state
cloud nine/on cloud nine - extreme happiness or euphoria/being in a state of
extreme happiness, not necessarily but potentially due drugs or alcohol
cobblers - nonsense (from 'a load of balls', meaning testicles) - see cockney rhyming
slang. See also knackers.
cock and bull story - a false account or tall tale
knocked into a cocked hat - beaten or rendered useless or shapeless
codswallop/cod's wallop - nonsense
cold turkey - withdrawal effects from abruptly ending a dependency such as drugs or
alcohol -
condom - birth control sheath
cook the books - falsify business accounts
cop/copper - policeman
send to Coventry/sent to Coventry/send someone to Coventry - cease
communications with, ignore or ostracize someone, or to be ignored or ostracized,
especially by a work or social group
cried all the way to the bank - financially successful despite apparent problems
cul-de-sac - dead-end street, a road closed at one end/blind alley (figurative and
literal)
cut and dried - already prepared or completed (particularly irreversibly), or routine,
hackneyed (which seem to be more common US meanings)
cut and run - get what you want then leave quickly
cut to the chase - get to the point, get to the important or exciting part (of a story,
explanation, presentation, etc)
cut the mustard - meet the challenge, do the job, pass the test
cut to the quick - offend a person sharply and deeply
Cutty Sark - based in Greenwich, London, the only surviving tea clipper and 'extreme'
clipper (fast sailing ship used especially in the China tea trade) -
dachshund - short-legged dog -
dad gummit - expression of annoyance or surprise -
who's your daddy?/who's yer daddy?/who's ya daddy? - (effectively) I control
you
damp squib - failure or anti-climax -
dandelion - wild flower/garden weed
get my/your/his dander up - get into a rage or temper
days of wine and roses - past times of pleasure and plenty - see 'gone with the
wind'.
dead pan - expressionless
dead wood - someone serving no use (especially when part of a working group) -.
the devil to pay and no pitch hot - a dreaded task or punishment, or a vital task to
do now with no resource available
devil's advocate - someone posing a hypothetical argument against a logical
proposition
no dice - not a chance
dickens - (what the dickens, in dickens' name, hurts like the dickens, etc) - Dickens is
another word for devil, and came to be used as an oath in the same way as God, Hell,
Holy Mary, etc.
dicker - barter, haggle, negotiate, (usually over small amounts; sometimes meaning to
dither, also noun form, meaning a barter or a negotiation) -
die hard - fierce or resilient -
the die is cast - a crucial irreversible decision has been made
dildo - artificial penis
dipstick - idiot
dog in a manger - someone who prevents others from using something even though
he's not using it himself
doldrums - depressed lazy state
doolally - mad or crazy (describing a person)
doss-house - rough sleeping accommodation
dosh - a reasonable amount of spending money (enough, for instance enough for a
'night-out')
double cross - to behave duplicitously, to betray or cheat, particularly to renege on a
deal
double whammy - two problems in one
down in the dumps - miserable
draconian - harsh (law or punishment)
main drag - high street/main street
at the drop of a hat - instantly
drum - house or apartment
dum-dum bullet - a bullet with a soft or cut nose, so as to split on impact and cause
maximum harm
duck (also duckie) - term of endearment like 'my dear' or 'darling', from the east
midlands of england
lame duck - person or thing no longer for purpose -
ducks in a row - prepared and organised
dunderhead - muddle-headed person
dutch courage - bravery boosted by alcohol
dutch auction - where the price decreases, rather than increases, between bidders
(sellers in this case) prior to the sale
dyed in the wool - deeply and resolutely (especially having a particular belief or
behaviour) - from the process of colouring wool, which can be done at various stages;
to dye 'in the wool', before spinning is the earliest stage it can be done, and it gives the
most thorough effect.
eat crow - acknowledge a mistake (giving rise to personal discomfort), suffer
humiliation
eat humble pie - acknowledge one's own mistake or adopt a subordinate position,
particularly giving rise to personal discomfort
eeny meeney miney moe/eenie meenie miney mo - the beginning of the 'dipping'
children's rhyme, and an expression meaning 'which one shall I choose?'
egg on your face - to look stupid -
eleventh hour - just in time -
make ends meet - budget tightly -
put some english on it - add side-spin, distort, deceive (when striking or throwing a
ball in sport, or metaphorically when communicating something)
an Englishman's home is his castle - a person's home is or should be sacrosanct -
etiquette - how to behave in polite society -
the exception proves the rule - the common meaning today is that the existence of
an exception is in some way evidence that the rule exists (which is somewhat illogical) -
even stevens/even stephens - equal measures, fair shares, especially financial or
value -
expat/ex-pat - person living or working abroad
farce - frivolous or inane comedy, and a metaphor for a ridiculous situation
fart - blow-off, emit air from anus, especially noisily -
play fast and loose - be unreliable, say one thing and do another
a feather in your cap - a recognised achievement
fiasco - something gone badly wrong - from the Italian metaphor; when making
Venetian glass if the slightest flaw was seen the glassblower turned the article into a
'fiasco' - a common flask.
make a fist of/make a good fist of/make a bad fist of - achieve a
reasonable/poor result (often in the case of a good result despite lack of resources or
ability) -
whatever floats your boat - if it makes you happy/it's your decision/it's your choice
(although I don't necessarily agree and I don't care anyway)
flash in the pan - brief, unexpected, unsustainable success
flogging a dead horse - trying to sell the unsaleable
fly in the face of - go against accepted wisdom, knowledge or common practice
fly in the ointment - a unwanted inclusion within something otherwise good, notably
an obstruction or problem in a plan or structure
font - typeface - from the French 'fonte', in turn from 'fondre' (like 'foundry') meaning
to melt or cast (printing originally used cast metal type, which was 'set' to make the
printing plates).
foolscap - a certain size of paper
footloose/footloose and fancy free - free of obligations or responsibilities/free and
single, unattached
fore! - warning shout in golf when a wildly struck ball threatens person(s) ahead
can't see the forest for the trees - see 'I can't see the wood for the trees'.
forget-me-not - the (most commonly) blue wild flower
hold the fort/holding the fort - take responsibility for managing a situation while under
threat or in crisis, especially on a temporary or deputy basis, or while waiting for
usual/additional help to arrive or return
there ain't no such thing as a free lunch - you never get something for nothing
pardon my French/excuse my French - an apology for using crude language
funny bone - semi-exposed nerve in elbow - a pun based on 'humerus', the name of
the upper arm bone.
the full monty - the full potential of anything, or recently, full frontal nudity (since the
film of the same name)
gall - cheek, boldness, extreme lack of consideration for others - gall in this sense of
impudence or boldness (for example - "He's got a lot of gall..." - referring to an
inconsiderate and bold action)
gamut - whole range
gander - to look at something enthusiastically
gaolbird - see jailbird.
last gasp - see entry under 'last'.
gerrymander - to divide an area into representative districts to the advantage of one
political party -
Gestapo - Nazi Germany's secret police
gibberish - nonsense
you go girl/go girl - expression of support and encouragement, especially for
(logically) a woman taking on a big challenge - when the Nurse encourages Juliet to
"Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days." Beat that, as the saying goes. For a while I
reported here the suggestion that Katharine Hepburn uses the phrase, "You go girl," in
the 1957 movie Desk Set. It seems however (thanks P Hansen) that this is not the case.
good-bye - originally a contraction of 'God be with ye (you)'; 'God' developed into
'good', in the same style as good day, good evening, etc.; 'good be with ye' would have
meant 'may you fare well'.
goody goody gumdrops/goodie goodie gumdrops - expression of joy or delight,
or more commonly sarcastic expression acknowledging a small reward, or a small gain
made by another person
goody two shoes/goodie two shoes/little miss goody two shoes - a person
who behaves and performs extremely well (and particularly beyond the normal
expectation, perhaps smugly, as to prompt cynicism, criticism and more accurately a
little jealousy from others)
Gordon Bennett - exclamation of shock or surprise, and a mild expletive
greenback - American dollar note -
greyhound - racing dog -
gringo - slang term for a foreigner or a white person used by some Spanish-speaking
people, most famously by Mexicans and Hispanic Americans, and especially by Mexican
bandits characterised in cowboy films
grog - beer or other alcoholic drink (originally derogatory, but now generally
affectionate) - Grog is especially popular as a slang term for beer in Australia. (With
thanks to Katherine Hull)
guillotine - now a cutting device particularly for paper, or the verb 'to cut' (e.g., a
parliamentary 'guillotine motion'), originally the guillotine was a contraption used as a
means of performing the death penalty by beheading, it was thought, without
unnecessary pain
guinea-pig - a person subjected to testing or experiment - not a reference to animal
testing, this term was originally used to describe a volunteer
looking down the barrel of a gun - having little choice, being intimidated or
subdued by a serious threat
son of a gun - see entry under 'son'
gung-ho/gung ho - very enthusiastic or belligerent, particularly in international
politics
guy-rope - used to steady or or hold up something, especially a tent - from Spanish
'guiar', meaning 'to guide'.
ham - amateur or incompetent - ham in this context is used variously, for example,
ham actor, radio ham (amateur radio enthusiast), ham it up (over-act), ham-fisted
(clumsy). Views are divided about the origins of ham meaning amateur and amateurish,
which indicates there is more than one simple answer or derivation. Theories that can
probably be safely discounted include links with cockney slang 'hamateur' meaning
amateur from the insertion and emphasis of the 'H' for comedic effect, which does
occur in cockney speech sometimes
hand over fist - very rapidly (losing or accumulating, usually money)
hard and fast - firmly, especially rules - another nautical term; 'hard' meant that the
ship was immovable, 'hard and fast' meant in dry dock.
hair of the dog - a small drink of alcohol to cure a hangover - and very old
expression; the full expression is 'a hair of the dog that bit you/me/us',
handicap - disadvantage
hat-trick - three scores/wickets/wins
heads or tails - said on flipping a coin
hell hath no fury like a woman scorned - ignore a woman's wishes (especially
feelings, loyalty, love, etc) and she is liable to be extremely angry
hell to pay - seriously bad consequences - Probably derived from the expression 'the
devil to pay and no pitch hot', in which the words hell and pay mean something other
than what we might assume from this expression.
hickory dickory dock - beginning the nursery rhyme (... the mouse ran up the clock,
etc.) - Specifically for example the number sequence 'hovera dovera dik' meaning 'eight
nine ten',
neither hide nor hair - entirety of something or someone (usually elusive, lost or
missing) - also expressed less commonly as 'hide or hair' and in misspelled and
misunderstood (corrupted) form as 'hide nor hare' and 'hide or hare'.
highbrow/lowbrow - clever/unclever - brow is the forehead
hike - raise or force up sharply
hitchhike - travel free with a motorist while ostensibly journeying on foot -
hobson's choice - no choice at all
hoi polloi - an ordinary mass of people - it literally means in Greek 'the many', (so the 'the' in
common usage is actually redundant).
not know someone/something from a hole in the wall/ground/a tree - ignorance or
indifference towards the identity of someone/something - this expression is simple up to a
point, but potentially more complex depending on context and precise usage. The cliche
basically describes ignorance (held by someone about something or someone) but tends to
imply more insultingly that a person's capability to appreciate the difference between something
or someone of quality and a 'hole in the ground' is limited.
holy cow, holy cripes, holy hell, holy macaroni, etc - oath or exclamation of surprise
Holy Grail - the biblical and mythical cup or dish, or a metaphor for something extremely
sought-after and elusive (not typically an expletive or exclamation) -
holy mackerel - exclamation of surprise - A blasphemous oath from the same 'family' as
goddam and darn it, etc.
honcho - boss - originally an American expression from the 2nd World War, derived
from the Japanese 'hancho' meaning squad leader.
hoodwink - deceive deliberately - Today's metaphorical expression and meaning 'to deceive'
developed in the early 17thC from the earlier use of the word to mean 'conceal' in the late
16thC.
by hook or by crook - any way possible - eg: we will enter 'by Hook or by Crook'
hookey walker/walker/with a hook - no way, nonsense, get away with you, not likely - an
expression of dismissive disbelief, from the early 1800s. The word walker itself also naturally
suggests dismissing someone or the notion of being waved away - an in the more modern
expression 'get out of here' - which we see in the development of the expressions again from
the early 1900s 'my name's walker' or 'his name's walker', referring to leaving, rather like saying
'I'm off' or 'he's off'.
hope springs eternal - wishful thinking in the face of almost certain disappointment - "Hope
springs eternal in the human breast: Man never is, but always to be blest." The full passage
seems to say that humankind is always hoping, optimistically, even if never rewarded; which is
quite a positive sentiment about the human condition. Nowadays 'hope springs eternal' often
tends to have a more cynical meaning, typically directed by an observer towards one thought to
be more hopeless than hopeful.
horse-shoe - lucky symbol
get on/off your high horse - behave/desist from behaving arrogantly- metaphor based on
the ceremonial tradition from 1700s England and earlier, for very important people - military
leaders, nobility etc - to lead parades on horseback, as a sign of their superiority and to
increase their prominence.
hue and cry - noisy mob
eat humble pie - acknowledge one's own mistake or adopt a subordinate position -
iota - very small amount
i'm alright jack - humourous boast at the expense of a lumbered mate - this expression
derives from the military acronym 'FUJIYAMA' and its full form meaning: Fuck You Jack I'm
Alright;
indian summer - summer-like weather during Autumnal months, notably September and
October
lots of/many irons in the fire/too many irons in the fire -a positive situation of having
several options or activities, or having too many options or activities that can be successfully
managed. when several options/activities exist, careful management is required
jailbird/gaolbird - prison inmate or former inmate, especially habitual offender
jam (jam session) - improvised musical performance by a group of musicians
jimmy/jimmy riddle - urinate, take a pee, or the noun form, pee - cockney rhyming slang
(jimmy riddle = piddle).
juggernaut - huge vehicle
open a keg of nails - have a (strong alcoholic) drink, especially with the purpose of getting
drunk
khaki - brown or green colour, or clothing material of such colour, especially of military
uniforms - the word khaki is from the Urdu language, meaning dusty,
kick the bucket - die
kill with kindness - from the story of how Draco (see 'draconian') met his death, supposedly
by being smothered and suffocated by caps and cloaks thrown onto him at the theatre of
Aegina, from spectators showing their appreciation of him, 590 BC.
kiss it better - the custom of kissing someone where injured - originates from the practice of
sucking poison from a wound or venomous bite.
knackers/knacker/knackered - testicles/exhaust or wear out/worn out or broken beyond
repair (see also christmas crackers) - people tend to think of the 'worn out' meaning ("It's
knackered" or "I'm knackered" or "If you don't use it properly you'll knacker it..") coming after
the meaning for testicles, as if to 'knacker' something is related to castration or some other
catastrophic debilitation arising from testicular interference.
knees-up - wild dancing or partying behaviour eg: Knees up Mother Brown!
knuckle-duster - weapon worn over fist
kowtow - to show great deference to someone, or do their bidding
lame duck - person or thing no longer for purpose -
last gasp - at the point of death, exhaustion or deadline - commonly used as an adjective, for
example, 'last gasp effort'; the last gasp expression is actually as old as the bible ('...when he
was at the last gasp..')
left in the lurch - left stranded or perplexed
legend in his/her own lifetime - very famous
let sleeping dogs lie - don't stir up a potentially difficult situation when it's best left alone -
level best - very best effort -
liar liar pants on fire - children's (or grown-up sarcastic) taunt or accusation of
fibbing or falsehood - the full 'liar liar pants on fire' expression is typically appended
with a rhyming second line to make a two-line verse, for example "liar liar pants on fire,
your nose is a long as a telephone wire" or "liar liar pants on fire, sitting on a telephone
wire".
lick and a promise - the hasty performance of a task, or something not done properly, also
(originally) a hasty wash, or a taste of more to come -
life of Riley - very comfortable existence - based on the 1880s music-hall song performed by
Pat Rooney about the good life of a character called O'Reilly; the audience would sing the
chorus which ended '..are you the O'Reilly who keeps this hotel? Are you the O'Reilly they speak
of so well? Are you the O'Reilly they speak of so highly, Gor Blime me O'Reilly, you're looking
well'. The expression 'Blimey O'Riley' probably originated here also.
lifelonging/to lifelong - something meaningful wished for all of your life/or the verb sense
(to lifelong) of wishing for something for your whole life
limbo - state of uncertain balance or being between two situations
end of the line - point at which further effort on a project or activity is not possible or futile
line your pockets - make a lot of money for yourself, perhaps not legitimately -
lingua franca - a vaguely defined mixed language or slang, typically containing blended words
and expressions of the Mediterranean countries, particularly Italian, French, Greek, Arabic and
Spanish
lion's share - much the largest share - originally meant 'all of it',
a licence to print money - legitimate easy way of making money
lock, stock and barrel - everything -
loony/looney/loonie/loon/crazy as a loon - lunatic or person behaving bizarrely
loose cannon - a reckless member of a team
luddite - one who rejects new technology -
there ain't no such thing as a free lunch - you never get something for nothing -
mad as a hatter - crazy (person) -
man of straw - a man of no substance or capital -
mealy-mouthed - hypocritical or smooth-tongued -
metronome - instrument for marking time
mews house - house converted from stables
take the micky/mickey/mick - ridicule, tease, mock someone - Also extends to noun use,
as in micky-take (or mickey-take).
go missing/gone missing/went missing - disappear/disappeared, not been where
expected to be (of someone or something)
mistletoe - white-berried plant associated with Christmas and kissing
mob - unruly gathering or gang
mojo - influence, confidence, personal charisma, magic spell
moniker/monicker/monica/monniker/monnicker/moneker/monarcher - a person's
name title or signature. 'tip someone's monniker'. Monicker means name or title, not just
signature. It originally meant a tramp's name. To 'tip a monniker (or monnicker etc)' meant to
tell someone's name (to another person), and it appears in military slang as 'lose your
monnicker' meaning to be 'crimed' (presumably named or cited) for a minor offence.
moon/moony/moonie - show bare buttocks, especially from a moving car
movers and shakers - powerful people who get things done yet we are the movers and
shakers, of the world forever, it seems.'
mum's the word/keep mum - be discreet/say nothing/don't tell anyone -
here's mud in your eye - good luck to you, keep up with me if you can (a sort of light-
hearted challenge or tease said to an adversary, or an expression of camaraderie between two
people facing a challenge, or life in general
to the nth degree - to the utmost extent required - 'n' is the mathematical symbol meaning
'any number'. 'cut to the nth', meaning 'to be completely spurned by a friend' (similar to the
current 'cut to the quick') has since faded from use.
nail your colours to the mast - take a firm position
the naked truth - the completely unobscured facts
narcissism/narcissistic - (in the most common psychological context, narcissism means)
very selfish, self-admiring and craving admiration of others
navvy - road workman
navy cake - buggery, anal sex, between men
needle in a haystack - impossible search for something relatively tiny, lost or hidden in
something that is relatively enormous
niche - segment or small area, usually meaning suitable for business specialisation
nick - arrest (verb or noun) or prison or police station, also steal or take without permission
(give something or someone) the whole nine yards - to give absolute maximum effort
when trying to win or achieve something