an expression of surprise
blob a contraceptive
blotto drunk
blower telephone
blow your own trumpet to brag; to boast
blubber to cry
bobby dazzler a remarkable person or thing
bog a toilet, a washroom
bollock naked stark naked
bollocks testicles
bonce head
bonk to copulate
bonnet hood of a car
bookie betting shop owner
boot trunk of a car
boracic penniless
bosch a derogative term for germans
bovver trouble
bovver boot a heavy boot, possibly with a toe cap and laces
quite often worn by skinheads
bovver boy a hooligan; a troublemaker
brass monkey weather cold, taken from the phrase, «it's cold enough
to freeze the balls off a brass monkey"
breakdown van a tow truck
brickie a bricklayer
brill ! short form of brilliant, meaning fantastic
brolly an umbrella
browned off bored; fed up
Brummy a native of Birmingham
bubble and squeak fried cabbage and potatoes
bubbly champagne
bugger all nothing; very little
bumf toilet paper
this led to 'bumf' being used for superfluous
papers, letters etc.
bumming a fag requesting a cigarette
e.g. «Can I bum a fag from you mate ?»
Note: This has a VERY different meaning
in the U.S.
bunch of fives a fist
" button it !" «be quiet !»
caff a cafe
cake hole a person’s mouth
cardy abbreviation of cardigan
champers champagne
char tea; a domestic worker
cheeky monkey a rude person
cheesed off bored; fed up
chin chin a drinking toast
chippy a fish and chip shop; a carpenter
chokey prison
chuffed very pleased or proud
clapped out worn out, broken
clappers to go very fast; to work hard
e.g. That car goes like the clappers !
e.g. I have to work like the clappers
to finish it by lunchtime !
clickety click 66 in bingo calling
clink prison
clinker somebody who is outstanding
clobber clothing
clodhopper a clumsy person
clogger a soccer player who tackles heavily
clot a fool
cloth-ears a person with a poor sense of hearing
cobblers testicles; rubbish
cock and bull a story with very little truth in it
cock up to ruin something
e.g. «it was a real cock-up»
e.g. «haved you cocked it up ?»
coffin nail a cigarette
conk nose
conkers a childrens game played with horse chestnuts
copper police man/woman
cough up to pay
crackers crazy
cracking great; fantastic
crackling a woman who is regarded as a sexual object
crate an old name for a very old plane
create to make a fuss or an angry scene
crown jewels male genitalia
crumbly an old or senile person
crumpet a desirable woman
dabs fingerprints
daft stupid
dark horse somebody who suprises others by their actions
des res Estate agents use this to describe a
" desirable residence"
dial face
dickie bow a bow tie
diddicoy a gipsy
dip a pickpocket
dishy good looking
do a runner to leave quickly avoiding punishment
doddle easy
dog’s bollocks something really good
dog’s breakfast a mess
donkey’s breakfast a straw hat
doodah to be in a state of excitement
e.g. «He was all in a doodah !»
doolally scatter-brained; crazy
doorstep a thick sandwich
dosh money
doss house a cheap lodging house
dosser a tramp
do the dirty on to play a mean trick on
dough money
droopy drawers an untidy or sloppy person
drop a sprog have a baby
drum a house or flat
duffer a stupid person
dummy a baby’s pacifier
earful to get a shouting
e.g. «My mum gave me a right earful !»
easy-peasy something very simple
earner a lucrative job or task
elevenses morning tea break
extracting the urine see «taking the piss»
fab fabulous; wonderful
face-ache a miserable looking person
fag cigarette
fag-end a cigarette butt
fairy a homosexual man
family jewels male genitalia
fanny female genitalia
fence a receiver of stolen goods
filth, the police
fishy about the gills looking the worse for drink
fizzog face
flake a stick that is made up of flaky
pieces of chocolate
flicks, the the cinema
flog to sell
footy football; soccer
fuzz, the police
gamboll a somersault done on the ground
gamp an umbrella
gentleman’s gentleman a valet
Geordie a native of Newcastle
gift of the gab being very free with speech
git an insult
e.g. «You stupid git !»
give it a whirl try it out
give someone the pip to get on someone’s nerves
gob mouth
gobsmacked speechless
goes like stink very fast
good nick very good condition
gooseberry a fifth wheel
goosegog a gooseberry
go to the dogs to go to ruin
grass, grasser an informant
hang about wait a moment
hell for leather very fast
hols holidays
home and dry to be safe
hush silence
inexpressibles trousers
in good fettle in good health
in the altogether nude
in the know to have inside information
in the noddy nude
jam packed very full
jar a drink, usually a pint of beer
jelly jello
jerry a chamber pot
jerry builder a builder of unsubstantial houses
Jock a scottish person
Jonah a bringer of bad luck
jumped up to be conceited
jumper sweater
keep you hair on please calm down
kick the bucket to die
kissed the Blarney Stone a person who tells tall stories
knackered tired, worn out
derived from horses being taken to the
'knackers yard'
knockers breasts
leg it ! quick lets run !
legless drunk
like a rat out of a very fast
drainpipe
load of bollocks you’re talking crap
utter nonesense
loo a toilet; a washroom
Liverpudlian a native of Liverpool (also see Scouser)
lorry a truck
man in blue a policeman
marmite a spread for sandwiches
me old cock my old friend
meat and two veg. male genitalia
mind your P’s and Q’s to be careful; to be polite
moggy cat
mom`s the word it’s a secret between you and me
can be abbreviated to «Keep mom !»
money for jam an easy job
money for old rope an easy job
mother’s ruin gin
mucker mate, friend
mucky pup someone who has soiled themselves
e.g. «You mucky pup !»
mug face
mutton chops side whiskers
nancy boy an effeminate male
nark a police informer
nightie a nightdress
nick prison; to steal
e.g «Hey, my bike’s been nicked !»
nick, the prison
nincompoop a fool
nipper a young or small child
nippy (1) fast, or (2) cold
e.g. (1) «that car is nippy !»
e.g. (2) «it's nippy out today»
nix nothing
none too easy very difficult
e.g. «that exam was none too easy !»
nosey parker somebody who is nosey
not bad very good
not so hot not very good, awful
old man father
old girl mother
old lady mother
one in the oven pregnant, also «a bun in the oven» ,
" up the plum duff" and «in the pudding club»
on spec on chance
on the nod on credit
on the razzle dressed up and looking for sex
on the tap looking for sex
on your bike! go away!
out for a duck obtained a zero score
Paddy an Irishman
paralitic to be drunk
pavement sidewalk
pictures, the the cinema
pick-me-up a tonic
pie eyed to be drunk
pigs, the police
pigs breakfast a mess
pigs ear a mess
pig in muck somebody in their element
e.g. «he is as happy as a pig in muck»
pillock an insult
pinny apron
pissed drunk
pissed off to be annoyed
e.g. «I was pissed off !»
e.g. «He really pissed me off !»
The US replace «pissed off» with «pissed» alone.
piss head somebody who is drunk quite often
plastered drunk
e.g. «He's plastered !»
play hookey to play truant
plimpsolls childrens non-laced sneakers
plod police man/woman
plonk cheap wine
e.g. «This plonk’s not bad !»
plonker (1) penis, (2) fool
e.g. «you silly plonker !»
plus fours trousers
ponce a homosexual
pong a bad smell
pooh pooh to reject an idea
e.g. «He pooh pooh’d my idea !»
pools, the a weekly betting game based on the outcome
of soccer matches; run by Vernons and
Littlewoods (and possibly others)
pratt an insult
e.g. «you stupid pratt !»
preggers pregnant
pudding dessert
pull a bird meet a woman; pick up a girl
quite often shortened to 'pull'
e.g. «Did you pull ?»
pull a fast one to fool or swindle somebody
pull a pint hand pump beer into a glass
pull a stroke to outsmart
pull the other one I don’t believe you
short form of «pull the other one, it has
bells on"
pull your pud to masterbate
pumps running shoes
punter a customer
purse a ladies wallet
put a sock in it to be quiet
put the anchors on to apply the brakes; to slow down
put the boot in to beat somebody up
put the kibosh on to put a stop to something
put the wind up to scare
Queer Street where you are if you don’t have
any money
quiff a fancy hairstyle
randy horny
rave up a good party
readies cash
ropey flaky or dodgey
rozzer policeman
rug a wig; a toupee
rubbed the wrong way to upset somebody
salt a sailor
same to you with brass usually said in response to a derogatory
knobs on !! remark
sarnie a sandwich
scab a strike breaker
scallywag a mischevious person
scarper to run away fast, possibly avoiding
punishment
Scouser a native of Liverpool (see also Liverpudlian)
scrap a fight
scrubber a cheap or loose woman
shag to copulate
shake a leg to get a move on
shall I be mother? shall I pour the tea ?
sheckels money
silly arse a foolish person
skivvy a domestic servant
slash to urinate
e.g. «I'm going for a slash.»
smalls underwear
smart alec a clever person
snifter a drink of spirit
snog to kiss
snuff it to die
sod derogatory remark, derived from sodomy
soldiers bread cut into thin strips for dipping into
a boiled egg
so stick that in your usually said after a derogatory remark
pipe and smoke it !
sozzled drunk
spam a rather tasteless form of tinned meat
spanner a wrench
sparky an electrician
splice the main-brace to drink
spread a good meal; a feast
sprog a young child or baby, could also
mean illegitimate
spud a potato
squiffed drunk
stewed drunk
strides trousers, pants
subway an underpass
a pedestrian walkway beneath a road
swag stolen money; a thief’s plunder
swing the lead a malingerer
swizz a swindle or cheat
swot somebody who studies
ta thankyou
Taffy a Welshman
ta muchly thankyou very much
Tandy Radio Shack
take French leave to leave without permission
taking the piss making fun of
tea leaf thief
terminus the end of the bus route
the smoke London
three sheets in the wind drunk
Tic Tac Man a bookmakers signaller
ticker the heart
tights pantyhose
" Time gentlemen please !" Usually said as the pub is closing,
so as to request that the patrons
finish their drinks.
tip a mess
e.g. «Your room is a tip !»
toff a posh person
tomato sauce ketchup
Tommy Rot nonsense
top sad extremely bad
torch flashlight
tosser see wanker
toss pot one who drinks too much
trainers running shoes
trollop not a nice girl
trousers pants
tube London Underground
tuck in schools it means cake, crisps,
sweets etc.
turf accountant betting shop owner
turn-ups trouser cuffs
turps turpentine
under the weather ill; sick
unmentionables underwear
vest a man’s undershirt
wag a joker
wagging it to play truant
wallflower a woman who does not dance
wanker infers that the subject masturbates
weed a weak person
welly wanging the art of throwing wellington boots
white elephant a valuable, but useless article
willies, the nerves
willow a cricket bat
wings fenders of a car
Winkle Pickers shoes with pointed toes
wireless a radio
wishy washy feeble; stupid
