Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ALLOTMENT n. 1. A collection of rented plots of land usually for the growing of fruit
and vegetables.
BANK HOLIDAYS n. banks are officially closed, legal holiday, equivalent to a national
or federal holiday
BARMY. adj. Strange or very silly. Often said in jest amongst friends
BIRO (bi-row) n. 1. Ball point pen. The name biro was named after the inventor -
Hungarian Laszlo Biro - who made the first ball-point pen in 1938. In 1944 the US Army
bought 30,000 of them because the soldiers could write with them
outside in the rain.
BITTER n. 1. Name for a type of English beer. This is served at cellar temperature and
is a bit darker than LAGER.
BLACK PUDDING n. 1. Not a pudding at all, but rather a form of blood sausage.
BOBBY n. 1. Policeman in the UK. The term came from Robert Peel, the "inventor" of
the policeman.
BLOODY. adj. Descriptive term for something that frustrates or bothers someone, as in
"that bloody boss!"
BONKERS adj. 1. Acting crazy or mad. Other variations include CRACKERS, DAFT
and BARMY.
BONNET n. 1. That part of an automobile which is at the other end from the BOOT.
Some countries refer to it as the hood.
BOOT n. 1. That part of an automobile which is at the other end from the BONNET.
Some countries refer to it as the trunk.
Boxing day n. 1. A holiday which falls on the day after Christmas (the Feast of St.
Stephen). In earlier years the wealthy would put leftover Christmas food in boxes for
their servants or the poor.
BRACES n. 1. Suspenders.
BRICKIE n. 1. A bricklayer.
BROLLY n. 1. Umbrella.
BUBBLE AND SQUEAK n. 1. Fried left-over potatoes and greens (with perhaps some
onions added for flavour).
BUGGY n. 1. A stroller.
BUM n. 1. Slightly jocular name for the posterior / buttocks.
CANTEEN n. 1. Cafeteria.
CATS EYES n. 1. The reflectors that are imbedded in the middle of the road to make it
easier to see the middle line at night.
CELLOTAPE n. Clear plastic sticky tape, often sold in rolls; cellophane tape.
CENTRAL HEATING n. A system for heating a whole building, by means of pipes,
radiators, etc connected to a central source of heat.
CHAV n. Typically a working class person of lowish intelligence who wears designer
label copies.
CHEERS phrase. 1. A typical English drinking toast. 2.Thanks. .3. Good bye.
CHUFF. v. (1) To make loud puffing or breathing noises. (2) slang To speak nonsense.
Chuffed, chuffing.
CHUFFED adv. 1. Happy, as in, "I was really CHUFFED when I passed my exams."
CHUTNEY n. A preserve made with vegetables and mild spices, used by the English to
accompany cold meats, cheeses and savoury pies.
CIDER n. 1. Not apple juice, but a rather strong alcoholic drink made from apple juice.
CLOTTED CREAM n. 1. A cream so thick that you can spread it with your knife.
CLOAKROOM n. 1. Toilet.
COCKNEY n. 1. Anyone born within the sound (hearing distance) of the Bow bells in
London (the East end).
COPPER n. Policeman
CRAZY. adj. 1. Acting mad. Other variations include CRACKERS, DAFT, BONKERS,
BARKING MAD and BARMY.
CRUMPET. n. A small, round, bread muffin cooked on a griddle. It is often toasted and
served with butter. Americans know it as an "English muffin."
DEAD ON adj. 1. Exactly (when said of time), as in, "The meeting will start DEAD ON
9:00".
DIGS n. 1. Long term rented accommodation in a private house, often used by university
students.
ENGAGED adj. 1. Busy. A telephone may be ENGAGED. Similarly, a public toilet may
also be ENGAGED. 2. Commitment with a view to marriage.
ESTATE AGENT n. One who advertises and acts as an agent for the sale or letting of
houses and property. What the Americans mean by a Realtor
FLOOR n. 1. The British (and Europeans as well) start counting floors of a building with
zero. The first floor is the GROUND FLOOR, the second is the FIRST FLOOR etc.
FRINGE n fringe - Collective strands of hair covering part or all of the forehead
GAMMON n. 1. Ham.
GATEAU (ga-toe) n. 1. Rich cake.
GIRL GUIDE n. 1. Girl Scout. The (Girl) Scouts are usually called the GUIDES.
GRAVY n. A sauce made from meat juices, usually combined with a liquid such as
chicken or beef broth, wine or milk and thickened with flour, cornstarch or some other
thickening agent. Gravy may also be the simple juices left in the pan after meat, poultry
or fish has been cooked.
HANDBAG n. 1. A bag, often a shoulder bag, where a lady puts her purse
(money container). Handbags come in all sizes. Some are carried in the
hand.
HIGGLEDY-PIGGLEDY V. in disarray
HOOTER n. 1. A horn. 2. A derogatory term for the nose, as in, "He's got
quite a HOOTER".
JELLY n. Jelly (Jello.) is a sweet or savoury food gel, usually made through the addition
of gelatin. It wobbles when you move it. It is usually sweetened, flavoured with fruit
juices, and eaten as dessert.
JUMPER. n. A sweater.
KIT n. 1. Gear.
KIP. v. To sleep.
KIPPERS. N. 1. A male salmon or seatrout during or shortly after the spawning season
2. A herring or salmon that has been split, salted, and smoked.
LARDER n. 1. Pantry.
LAVER BREAD (lavah bred) n. 1. An edible seaweed (originally from Wales). LAVER
means seaweed.
LAY-IN. n. A time of sleeping late into the morning; v. LAY IN (no hyphen) to sleep in.
LIFT n. 1. Elevator.
LORRY n. 1. Truck.
MANKY. adj. 1. Dirty and very used, as in the "manky old boot" 2. feeling ill, rough, out
of sorts 3. Rotten.
MARMITE n. 1. A spread made from yeast extract
NARK v. annoy
NICK. v. To steal.
PANTS n. 1. Underwear
PAVEMENT n. The sidewalk. In American English, this word usually means the
concrete or asphalt used in roads or sidewalks.
PEAR-SHAPED expression used to indicate that something has gone horribly wrong
with a person's plans
pillar box n. 1. Mail box for mailing letters. See also POST BOX
POST BOX n. 1. Mail box for posting letters. See also PILLAR BOX
POSTMAN n. 1. Mailman.
POUND or POUND STERLING n. 1. The basic monetary unit used in the United
Kingdom.
PRAT. n. A derogatory term for someone stupid or foolish. Originally meant the butt.
Equivalent to "ass" (a stupid person) in American English.
PUB Short for 'public house'. A place where people can buy drinks and food and chat
with friends.
RUBBER n. 1. Eraser.
RUBBISH n. 1. Trash.
SCOTS n. The people originating from Scotland (“Scots what hae wi’ Wallace bled”),
the dialect of English spoken by those people.
SELLOTAPE. n. Trademark for a clear plastic adhesive tape used for repairing tears or
broken items. See also cellotape.
SKIVE. v. (Rhymes with "jive" or "hive") To avoid work of any kind. Skived, skiving.
SLEEPING POLICEMAN. n. A speed hump or
speed bump.
SPEND A PENNY phrase. 1. To go to the toilet. From the days when public
conveniences required a penny to be put in the slot to enter.
SPIFFING. adj. Excellent or first-rate (upper-class schoolboy slang, but often used in a
sarcastic way to make fun of wealthy or pompous people).
SQUAT. v. 1. To sit in a crouching position with knees bent and the buttocks on or near
the heels. 2. To crouch down, as an animal does.
SUSS OUT v. 1. To figure something out, to investigate. As in, "to SUSS OUT the
answer ".
SWEETS. n. Candy.
TAP. n. A faucet.
TEA (the drink) n. An infusion made by pouring freshly boiled water onto the leaves of
the Tea plant, widely regarded by the English as improving every situation (Your house
has fallen down? Never mind love, just have a cup of tea).
TEACAKE n. 1. A kind of sweetened bread with raisins, often served toasted. There are
lots of CAKES like this: BATH BUNS, CHELSEA BUNS and ECCLES CAKES.
Telephone box.
THEATRE n. 1. An establishment where one may see plays, ballet etc. This is most
certainly not a place to see movies.
TISSUE n. 1. Kleenex.
TROLLEY. n. A small wheeled cart used to move a great deal of objects or heavy items.
(Trolley most often means a type of streetcar in American English.)
UNDIES n. 1. Underwear
V
WASH UP or WASHING UP v. 1. To wash plates, pans, knives, forks etc. It does not
mean to wash hands and face.
WONKY. adj. 1. Not straight, crooked, kilter / out of line. 2. Shaky or weak.