fummel

fummels (plural)
funnel (alternative)
fummle (alternative)

After the conclusion of the regular sport, a match, two miles, came off between a fummel (2 yrs old) and a pony (aged, which seemed to excite some interest from the large cavalcade of horsemen who followed them round the course. The fummel won easy.

1839 September 20, “Sporting Intelligence: Lichfield Meeting”, in Stockport Advertiser, volume 18, number 913, Stockport, page 3:

Comprising eleven calved and in-calf cows and heifers, three barren cows, […] fifteen in-lamb ewes and theaves, […] yearling draught colt and filly, pony, yearling fummel, mare ass in-foal to a pony, two waggons, […]

1843 March 3, “To Be Sold by Auction, By B. Cheatle & Son”, in Leicester Journal, and Midland Counties General Advertiser, volume 92, number 4895, Leicester: James Jackson, page 2:

Twelve useful in-calf Short-horned Dairy Cows, eleven in-calf Heifers, eleven Stirks, […] half-bred Filly by Spotswood, Fummel, 50 inlamb Leicester Ewes, 20 Ewe Hogs, […] about 5 Acres of White Turnips to be sold in lots, […]

1845 January 8, “By Mr. Leedam”, in The Derby Mercury, volume 114, number 5870, Derby: Thomas Burroughs, page 2:

(UK, dialectal, obsolete) A hinny (the hybrid of a male horse and a female donkey).


bummle

en-verb

bummle (third-person singular simple present bummles, present participle bummling, simple past and past participle bummled)

bummles (present singular third-person)
bummling (participle present)
bummled (participle past)
bummled (past)


Fenian

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-Fenian.wav

Blend of Irish féinne or fianna, plural of fiann (“soldier”), the name of a legendary band of Irish warriors, and Old Irish Féne or Féni, legendary settlers of Ireland. First attested from 1816.

(British, Ireland) An Irish nationalist or republican.


beef tomato

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-beef tomato.wav


frist

en-noun

frist (countable and uncountable, plural frists)

From Middle English *frist, frest, first, furst, from Old English fierst (“period, space of time, time, respite, truce”), from Proto-Germanic *fristiz, *frestą (“date, appointed time”), from Proto-Indo-European *pres-, *per- (“forward, forth, over, beyond”). Cognate with North Frisian ferst, frest (“period, time”), German Frist (“period, deadline, term”), Swedish frist (“deadline, respite, reprieve, time-limit”), Icelandic frestur (“period”). See also first.

cog

His was a short frist (He had a short life).

Yitt they caused the lordis that war vpoun on the panell, that schould have thoalled judgment, to find cautioun everie ane of thame, vnder the paine of certane soumes, to answer at ane certane apoynted to thame. Yitt all thir lordis war verrie blyth, think and that all evill was guid of frist, in speciall the lord David Lindsay was so blyth at his brothers sayingis, that he burst furth, saying to him: "Verrilie brother, yea have fyne pyatt wordis. I wold not have trowed, be St Amarie, that yea had sick wordis".

1578, Robert Lindsay, The Cronicles of Scotland:

All Ills are good a frist.

My time is short, my frist is o'er, and I have much to say.

(UK dialectal) Time allotted for repayment; a term (in which a debt is to be repaid); a delay; respite; suspension.

Sald tham to fryst to a man of the Hag, […]
Sold them to frist to a man of The Hague, […]

1492–1503, Andrew Halyburton, Andrew Halyburton's ledger

Ane dyvour coffe, that wirry hen, / Distroyis the honor of our natioun, / Takis gudis to frist fra fremmit men, / And brekis his obligatioun.
One bankrupt rouge , that wirry hen, / destroys the honor of our nation / takes goods to frist from fremd men, / and breaks his obligation.

a1568, Sir David Lindsay, Ane Discriptioun of Peder Coffeis

Credit and frist is quyte away, / No thing is lent bot for usure; […]

c. 1568, William Lauder, The Lamenatioun of The Pure:


frist

en-verb

frist (third-person singular simple present frists, present participle fristing, simple past and past participle fristed)

frists (present singular third-person)
fristing (participle present)
fristed (participle past)
fristed (past)

From Middle English *fristen, frysten, fresten, firsten, from Old English *fyrstan (“to defer, delay, put off”), from fyrst, fierst, first (“period, space of time, time, respite, truce”). See Etymology 1. Cognate with Low German versten, German fristen (“to eke out”), Danish friste (“to sustain, support, experience, tempt”), Icelandic fresta (“to delay”).

cog

(UK dialectal) To grant respite; especially, to give a debtor credit or time for payment.

Now, in the strength of Jesus, dispatch your business; that debt is not forgiven, but fristed: death hath not bidden you farewel, but hath only left you for a short season.

1765, Samuel Rutherford, Joshua Redivivus, page 323:

Na, na, lassie. Dinna be too confident. “What's fristed is no forgotten."

1884, Lucy Ellen Guernsey, Loveday's History: A Tale of Many Changes, page 105:

Alexander's early backsliding, when "he thrawed his mouth" at the minister — a sin beside which the modern lèse majesté seems venial, —had been fristed but not forgiven, and again he was summoned to appear before the session.

1924, James S. Wilkie, The History of Fife, page 553:

(ambitransitive, UK dialectal) To defer; postpone.


action stations

(military, British, Canada) The positions or activity assumed by the crew of a warship immediately in advance of combat or other hostile action; general quarters; also, the signal given to indicate such imminent action.


marle

en-noun

marle (countable and uncountable, plural marles)

(now UK dialect) Alternative form of marl.


pando

We have crunched Covid-19 to Covid; the specific coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 is mostly now "coronavirus", and has been joined by "the pandemic" (for some in Australia, the "pando"), "'rona" and even "miss Rona".

[2020 August 20, David Shariatmadari, “Pando, Miss Rona and Covid Toe: how the language of a disease develops – shaped by fear and prejudice”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2021-08-28:

Had a radio job before the pando, now I don't. I went to school for it too. Now I gotta change gears and don't know howwwww

2021 September 30, u/ThrustersOnFull, “what are some of the professions that are slowly dying ?”, in Reddit, r/AskReddit, archived from the original on 2024-02-19:

Pre-pando things were really going well. It's such a shame

2023 May 9, u/Magnus_Veritas, “CTA Hoses Train Cars Down With Fresh Piss”, in Reddit, r/chicago, archived from the original on 2023-05-09:

I really hope the next pando is more effective... ¶ I feel like COVID didn't come through on its promise.

2023 December 4, u/TimothyOilypants, “Out in the wild”, in Reddit, archived from the original on 2024-02-19:

(Australia, UK, slang) A pandemic (chiefly in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic).


shiteload

(chiefly UK, Ireland, Northern England, vulgar, very uncommon) Alternative form of shitload.


bastarding

I had to clean all the bastarding bricks. I had to sit down and scrape all the mortar off them, for fuck's sake...

1983, Richard Jenkins, Lads, citizens, and ordinary kids: working-class youth life-styles in Belfast:

'No, I fucking well haven't,' confirmed George, regarding him bitterly. 'I will call the police.' 'Call the bastarding police,' challenged the angry George.

1989, Leslie Thomas, The adventures of Goodnight and Loving:


whoopsy

whoopsies (plural)
whoopsie (alternative)

From whoops + -y.
(1) Shortening of whoops-a-daisy which in turn is a mispronunciation of upsadaisy.

Ooh, Betty, the cat's done a whoopsy on the carpet!

(British, childish) Urination, or a piece of excrement.

(British, slang) A homosexual man, especially one with camp mannerisms.


elevensies

* From dialectal elevens (“the eleven-o'clock meal”).
* In children's games: eleven + -sies


Order of Australia

The first step towards the new order came with the Whitlam Government of 1972-75. Proudly Australian, it abandoned imperial honours and introduced the Order of Australia.

2002, Owen Parnaby, Australia's First Rotary Club: A History of the Rotary Club of Melbourne, page 146:

On 26 January 1975, Australia Day, the Queen signed the Letters Patent founding the Order of Australia. The Governor General of Australia formally announced the new order in late February.

2005, Christopher McCreery, The Order of Canada: Its Origins, History, And Development, page 176:

I had a similar experience when from 1981 to 1992 I served as a member of the Order of Australia council, which made recommendations for awards in the Order of Australia.

2010, James Gobbo, Something to Declare: A Memoir, page 288:

(chiefly Australia, UK) An order of chivalry established for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement.


AIA

Institute of Actuaries
w:Institute of Actuaries

(British) Initialism of Associate of the Institute of Actuaries (professional qualification).


ETH

(rail transport, UK) Initialism of electric train heat/heating.


FSM

(UK, education) Initialism of free school meals.


FIN

force identification number
w:force identification number

(law enforcement, UK) Initialism of force identification number.


JAM

Well, technically, a Jam is a working-class Brexit voter who feels alienated by the creeping march of globalisation.

2016 November 20, “Jam – the new government acronym ‘just about managing’ to make sense”, in The Guardian:

Although most of the income for JAM families comes from work, it is, in many cases, topped up by welfare support.

2019 February 13, Tahir Maher, “Just About Managing (JAM)”, in Liberal Democrat Voice:

(UK, informal) A household that is only barely able to meet its financial obligations.


MRT

MRT (countable and uncountable, plural MRTs)

(UK, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, India, transport, uncountable) A form of heavy-rail rapid-transit system that utilizes modern Electric Multiple Units to transport commuters between stations.

(UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, India, transport, uncountable) Initialism of mass rail transit.

(UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India, transport, uncountable) Initialism of mass rapid transit.

(UK, Singapore, Philippines, India, transport, uncountable) Initialism of mass rail transport.

(Singapore, Malaysia, India, Thailand, transport, uncountable) Initialism of mass rapid transport.

(India, Philippines, Singapore, transport, uncountable) Initialism of metro rail transport.

(UK, Singapore, India, transport, uncountable) Initialism of metro rapid transit.

metropolitan rapid transport
metropolitan rapid transport#English

(India, Thailand, South Korea, transport, uncountable) Initialism of metropolitan rapid transport.

(Thailand, India, South Korea, transport, uncountable) Initialism of metropolitan rapid transit.

(Philippines, India, transport, uncountable) Initialism of metro rail transit.

(Philippines, India, transport, uncountable) Initialism of metropolitan rail transit.

(UK, India, transport, uncountable) Initialism of metro rapid transport.

(India, transport, uncountable) Initialism of metropolitan rail transport.

After several years of study, the Government of Singapore in 1982 decided to implement a comprehensive mass rapid transit (MRT) system.

2000, Jian Zhao, J. Nicholar Shirlaw, Rajan Krishnan, Tunnels and Underground Structures, page 32:

The origins of the MRT are derived from a forecast by city planners in 1967 which stated the need for a rail based urban transportation system.

2008 September 25, Angela Albanese, bus570 fall 08: The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT):

Bukit Panjang residents will soon enjoy a shorter commuting time to town when Singapore’s latest MRT line, the Downtown Line 2 (DTL2), commences operations on Dec 27.

2015 December 11, Feily Sofian, Esther Hoon, The Edge Property: The impact of MRT on property prices:


MWI

en-adj

MWI (comparative more MWI, superlative most MWI)

more MWI (comparative)
most MWI (superlative)

'Getting MWI', apparently short for Getting Mad With It (or in other words, drunk).

[2011, Tanya Cooke, Help! I'm a Facebookaholic: Inside the Crazy World of Social Networking, London: John Blake Publishing, →ISBN, page 185:

The live stream was under way and a total of 1.3million folk tuned in to see me blether with [Ewan] McGregor about blasting Born Slippy at empties and if Irvine Welsh had the Monday aff work to get MWI – mad wae it – after the premiere.

2017 January 27, Grado, “I got blanked by Robert Carlyle for calling him Boaby but I felt like luckiest man on the world at T2 Trainspotting premiere”, in Daily Record, archived from the original on 2022-06-27:

It seemed like a great idea at the time. It was New Year's Day, I was slightly rough (okay completely still MWI) and there seemed absolutely no time like the present to ditch the fags for good as my 2019 resolution.

2019 January 31, “The Glasgow Live girls give up their vices for January”, in Glasgow Live, archived from the original on 2022-01-27:

Sharing his purchase, Andy posted: "Really need to stay aff that wish when I'm mwi"

2020 July 3, David Irvine, “KFC share hilarious response to Scot who bought KFC tracksuit from Wish when he was 'mwi'”, in The Scottish Sun, archived from the original on 2021-10-31:

not just saying this cos im mwi and have ran^([sic]) out of booze but it's actually criminal that scotland has an alcohol curfew

2021 May 20, @normaltiffany, Twitter, archived from the original on 2023-06-05:

(British, especially Scotland, Internet slang) Initialism of mad with it (“extremely drunk or intoxicated”).


PSE

From what I remember, periods of PSE – personal and social education – were mostly spent catching up on work for other subjects or shooting the breeze with the teacher.

2022 July 18, Martin Pengelly, “I grew up where Liz Truss did, attended the same school. She’s not telling you the truth”, in The Guardian:

(UK, education) Initialism of personal and social education.


SEN

(UK, Hong Kong, education) Initialism of special educational needs.


VCT

venture capital trust
w:venture capital trust

(finance, UK) Initialism of venture capital trust.


VIR

V.I.R. (alternative)
V. I. R. (alternative)

Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
w:en:Victoria I of the United Kingdom

(UK) the royal cypher of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, queen regnant.

Abbreviation of Victoria Imperatrix et Regina.


that's the bunny

"Pass the block of gear across will you? It's there on the table beside you." He looked round, and spied a generous block of dark brown resin wrapped in shrink wrap. Where the plastic had been peeled back, a hunk had already been removed, revealing the glassy green inside of the block. "That's the bunny," Rob was saying, "pass the whole lot across on the board."

2006, Jennifer Kirk, Countdown to Extinction:

"I talked very nicely to an Irishman." "The one in the cell?" "That's the bunny."

(UK, colloquial) That is the right person or thing; that's it.


supersaver

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-supersaver.wav

Like airlines, when demand is high for travel to sporting and cultural events, rail customers can expect to pay higher fares with restrictions placed on the sale of discounted saver and supersaver tickets.

2024 April 3, 'Industry Insider', “Passengers returning to rail”, in RAIL, number 1006, page 68:

(UK) A type of railway ticket offering a significant discount on the normal fare.


drinking man's degree

en-noun

drinking man's degree (plural not attested)

From the stereotype of a student who prefers to drink alcohol rather than study and attend lectures; rhymes with thinking man in terms like thinking man's crumpet.

(UK, informal, humorous) A lower second class honours or 2.2 degree.


BL

B.L. cartridges have lubricators choked inside the cartridges of 40-pr. and lower natures.

1879, War Office, Manual of Siege and Garrison Artillery Exercises, page 37:

(UK military) Initialism of breechloader.


BL

(UK military) Initialism of breechloading.


what are you like

(UK, Ireland, colloquial, US, obsolete) Expressing mock despair at somebody's outrageous behaviour.


not bear thinking about

If the train had come just five seconds earlier... well, it just doesn't bear thinking about!

(UK) To be too frightening or upsetting to even contemplate.


hospitium

hospitium (plural hospitiums or hospitia)

Borrowed from Latin hospitium. Doublet of hospice.


give a monkey's

en-verb

give a monkey's (third-person singular simple present gives a monkey's, present participle giving a monkey's, simple past gave a monkey's, past participle given a monkey's)

gives a monkey's (present singular third-person)
giving a monkey's (participle present)
gave a monkey's (past)
given a monkey's (participle past)

Possibly a euphemistic ellipsis of “to give a monkey's toss”, “to give a monkey's shit”, or “to give a monkey's arse”; compare give a rat's arse or give a rat's ass.

He knows what he can do with his calendars. I don't give a monkey's. I'm leaving. I've got another job.

1998, Willis Hall, Keith Waterhouse, Billy Liar:

I couldn't give a monkey's. What I am interested in is the things that drive the big numbers.

2002, a British Manufacturing Director, quotee, edited by Robert Westwood and Stephen Linstead, The Language of Organization, page 71:

Though a huge majority of the population may have continued not to give a monkey's for Derrida, Lacan, or Foucault themselves […]

2004, Randall Stevenson, The Oxford English Literary History, 1960–2000:

A friend living in France reports that the French don't give a monkey's about unpasteurized dairy products (cheese, etc.) but that they are completely paranoid about le toxoplasmosis.

2005, Justine Roberts, Carrie Longton, Mums on Pregnancy: Trade Secrets from the Real Experts:

(informal, UK, idiomatic, in negative constructions) To care; to have an interest or concern.


hillwalker

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were made aware of concern for a group of three hillwalkers who had not returned from the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glen Coe shortly after 9.05pm on Saturday 5 August.

2023 August 7, Nadeem Badshah, “Bodies of three hillwalkers recovered from ridge in Scottish Highlands”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(British, Ireland) A person who takes part in hillwalking.


afternoon tea

en-noun

afternoon tea (countable and uncountable, plural afternoon teas)

Afternoon tea remains at its present price of 4s, but the prices of all other main meals have risen by 1s. Thus a full breakfast now costs 10s, lunch 13s 6d and dinner 14s 6d or 16s 6d according to train.

1964 May, “News and Comment: BR meal prices up again”, in Modern Railways, page 293:

As with luncheon, afternoon tea was often a women's gathering for reasons that take us back to the reign of Charles II.

2007, Andrea Broomfield, Food and Cooking in Victorian England: A History, page 59:

Everyone should indulge in a formal afternoon tea at least once while in London. This relaxing, drawn-out, civilized affair consists of three courses, all elegantly served on fine china: dainty finger sandwiches (with the crusts cut off, of course); then fresh-baked scones served with jam and deliciously decadent clotted cream (the rich, thick cream is also known as Devonshire cream); and lastly, an array of bite-size sweets. All the while, an indulgent server keeps the pot of your choice fresh at hand.

2010, Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince, Frommer's England 2011: With Wales, page 165:

At all the places listed below, it's perfectly acceptable to order one afternoon tea and one cream tea (at about £5) and split the afternoon tea goodies.

2010, Rick Steves, Rick Steves′ England 2011, page 179:

The British tradition of afternoon tea is still observed on the last Friday of each month, from January to August, at the hilltop mansion of the governor-general in Nassau.

2011, Darwin Porter, Frommer's Bahamas 2012, page 67:

(UK) A formal afternoon meal comprising light snacks, accompanied by tea.


country park

An area where people can enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.

(UK, specifically) one designated as such by the former Countryside Commission.


do someone's head in

en-verb

do someone's head in (third-person singular simple present does someone's head in, present participle doing someone's head in, simple past did someone's head in, past participle done someone's head in)

does someone's head in (present singular third-person)
doing someone's head in (participle present)
did someone's head in (past)
done someone's head in (participle past)

Please stop reading the name of every sign we come across; it's doing my head in!

‘So you spend the nights listening to music?’
‘And thinking. Does my head in, thoughts going round and round. Dope stops it. The medication sort of does a bit, but not the same.’

2005, Richard Bryant-Jefferies, Responding to a Serious Mental Health Problem: Person-Centred Dialogues, page 101:

2006, Claire Taylor, quoting “Donnie”, Young People in Care and Criminal Behaviour, page 121,
I just want to get out there to me bird really...′cos she don′t want me in here all the time, it′s doing her head in. It′s doing my head in. It didn′t used to do my head in, it used to be like care, if you know what I mean, when I first started coming to jail. It used to be like ‘yeah, I′m back in care’ kind of thing.

The endless hours spent in my cell did my head in. With my diagnosed mental illness I find it shocking that I should have had to endure this.

2011, Giorgio Pin, An Interesting Life, page 75:

(UK, Australia, informal, idiomatic) To frustrate, infuriate, irritate or disturb someone.


Ind Est

industrial estate
industrial estate#English

(UK, in addresses) Abbreviation of industrial estate.


diddy

Variant of titty. Attested from the late eighteenth century.

Hell, I almost regret editing out my original miss-spelling of the word 'literacy', since your sense of humour seems to be in need of some assistance, and that would have been a classic, one-off opportunity not only to make me look a right diddy, but to finally prove that Americans do understand irony.

2004 September 9, Iain McFadzen, “Remake of Taxi pissing me off”, in CGTalk, archived from the original on 2015-09-14:

(informal, Ireland, British) A fool, a tit.


diddy

en-adj

diddy (comparative diddier, superlative diddiest)

diddier (comparative)
diddiest (superlative)

Me mither mend't me auld breeks, / But ay! but they were diddy;

1894, R. Brimley Johnson, editor, Popular British Ballads Ancient and Modern, “Robbie Tamson’s Smiddie”:

There's a pear orchard, and a knot garden, and a diddy little lake that's just big enough to swim in . . . hey, if the weather stays like this, we can have a dip tomorrow.

2013, Angela Woolfe, The Surprising Life of Charlie Glass (size 18 and a Bit), →ISBN, page 380:


diddy

Likely from Romani didikai; compare didicoy.

Real Gypsies despise them and call them ' diddikais — dirty diddies,' and half the sins laid at their door have been committed by these diddikais.

1943, Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society, page 82:

Last month a diddy told my fortune.

2011, Mary Ellen Dennis, The Greatest Love on Earth, →ISBN, page 90:

To the typical genre reader a diddy would be, to borrow a term from John Dickson Carr, below suspicion.

2012, Curtis Evans, Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery, →ISBN:


drinking-up time

en-noun

drinking-up time (plural drinking-up times)

(UK) The time when customers in a public house should finish consuming their drinks, before closing time.


closing time

closing time (countable and uncountable, plural closing times)

Sometimes when you sit in a restaurant, still stuffing yourself half an hour after closing time, you feel that the tired waiter at your side must surely be despising you.

1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter XIV, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC:

all the women tear their blouses off / and the men they dance on the polka-dots / and it's partner found, it's partner lost / and it's hell to pay when the fiddler stops: / it's closing time

1992, Leonard Cohen, “Closing Time”, in The Future:

(UK, Canada) The time when a public house or restaurant closes. Used to invite final drink orders.

No. You're supposed to die for me. By the way, I did think of asking you to join my little scheme, but somehow I knew that 007's loyalty was always to the mission — never to his friend. Closing time, James. Last call.

1995, Jeffrey Caine, Bruce Feirstein, GoldenEye, spoken by Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean):

(UK, figuratively) Used to suggest that a deadline for action is imminent.


duff up

en-verb

duff up (third-person singular simple present duffs up, present participle duffing up, simple past and past participle duffed up)

duffs up (present singular third-person)
duffing up (participle present)
duffed up (participle past)
duffed up (past)

I heard Nick got duffed up behind the shopping centre at the weekend.

(UK, transitive, slang) To beat up, to give a beating to.


Gossage

Named after Air Marshal Sir Ernest Leslie Gossage, Commander-in-Chief RAF Balloon Command 1940-4.

(slang, UK, World War II, RAF) A barrage balloon.


absolute drought

en-noun

absolute drought (plural absolute droughts)

(UK, climatology) A period of drought where there has been no precipitation for at least 15 days.


ginger knob

(UK, slang, idiomatic, derogatory) A male redhead; a ginger-haired male.


bladdered

en-adj

bladdered (comparative more bladdered, superlative most bladdered)

more bladdered (comparative)
most bladdered (superlative)


sevenpence

A newspaper cost sevenpence; there were no national schools or Sunday schools, no penny publications, no penny postage, no railways, no gas, and no free libraries, and no free education!

"A Costermonger in this street," says Crabbe, "finding lately that his rope of onions, which he hoped would have brought a shilling, was to go for only sevenpence henceforth, burst forth into lamentation, execration and the most pathetic tears.

1850, Thomas Carlyle, Latter-Day Pamphlets:

(UK, obsolete) The value of seven old pennies.


sevenpence

(UK, obsolete, rare) Construed as singular.


elevenpence

en-noun

elevenpence (countable and uncountable, plural elevenpences)

Now the dealer was a young man, who did not know the ways of Castellybryn, and he was aware that the first dealer was a big buyer and a cunning bargainer; so he purchased the butter for elevenpence farthing a pound, being a farthing a pound above the market price of that day.

1915, Caradoc Evans, “A Heifer without Blemish”, in My People: Stories of the Peasantry of West Wales, New York: Boni & Liveright, published 1918, page 35:

(UK, obsolete) the value of eleven old pennies


builder's cleavage

(chiefly British, slang) The top of the buttocks showing when a pair of trousers are worn too low, or when the wearer is bending over.


disso

“I was just annoyed when I worked out all the rounding and I knew it would be 69 – which sucked, because it was so close – but I was also glad that at least I got a 2:1. For a while I didn’t think I’d even get that. I think because my disso just wasn’t that great it dragged my overall percentage down and I couldn’t fix that.

2020 July 30, Maddy Mussen, “We spoke to people who finished with 69 per cent at uni about how they handled it”, in The Tab:


sattle

en-verb

sattle (third-person singular simple present sattles, present participle sattling, simple past and past participle sattled)

sattles (present singular third-person)
sattling (participle present)
sattled (participle past)
sattled (past)

From Middle English sahtlen, which merged with set(t)len, as in the standard English form settle (which see).

He'll seun sattle obstropolous Billy — Nee mair he'll refuse for a way-leave to pay.

1829, William Oliver, A Collection of Original Local [Newcastle] Songs: Tim Tunbelly, page 16:

Ah can sattle a dog and cat wivoot thah help.

1889, John Nicholson, The Folk Speech of East Yorkshire, page 35:

Well, we'll sattle him, only how!

1870, Jabez Oliphant, quoted in The English Dialect Dictionary

(UK, dialectal) Alternative form of settle, especially in the senses of "silence; become or make calm or orderly; adjust differences or accounts; settle down".


summet

The langer they gaze, still the mair they may wonder,
And aye, as they wonder, may fin summet new.

1805, R. Anderson, Ballads in the Cumberland Dialect, 105

(British, dialectal, obsolete) Alternative form of summat.


dimmet

en-noun

dimmet (countable and uncountable, plural dimmets)

W.] How, huſſey! ya confounded traſh ! Diſt remember whan tha wenſt out in tha Vuzzey-Park, in the deſk o' tha yeaveling, jeſt in tha dimmet, wi' tha young Humphry Hoſegood,–and how ha mullad and ſoulad about tha? Ha bed tha zet down;—and tha zedſt tha wudſt net, nif ha ded net blow tha down. Zo ha blow'd, and down tha valſt. Who ſhud be hard by (vor 'twas in tha dimmet) but tha ſquare's bealy;—and vorewey ha cry'd out that oll windvalls belongad to's meaſter.

1746 July 10, Peter Lock, “An Exmoor Scolding; in the Propriety and Decency of Exmoor Language, between Two Sisters, Wilmot Moreman and Thomasin Moreman, as They Were ſspinning”, in The Gentleman's Magazine, volume XVI, page 354, column 1:

AQUILA.
Dewy dimmet!* silent hour!
Welcome to our cottage bow'r !
[…]
BOTH.
Dusky dimmet! dewy hour!
Welcome to our lonely bow'r!

1836, Gerald Griffin, chapter VIII, in The Duke of Monmouth, London: Richard Bentley, pages 108-109:

Rab. If I let thee go now, will meet me agen to morrow evening in the dimmet ?
Bet. No. To-morrow morning at milking time I woll.

1837, Mary Palmer, A Dialogue in the Devonshire Dialect, London: Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman; P. Hannaford, page 23:

The ' dimmet ' was fast fading into dark night when the outbuildings of Watercombe were at length reached ; […]

1876 January 10, Edward W. L. Davies, “Frank Raleigh of Watercombe”, in Baily's Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, volume XXVIII, number 191, Chapter XXII, page 73:

But, perhaps, reflecting that cowardice, in any form, is disgraceful to a soldier, he jumped off his horse, and rang the bell with an energy that startled Mrs. Trelawney and Maude, as they sat pretending to sleep by the fire, “in the dimmets,” between daylight and candle-light; and elicited a vigorous “Lawk a mussey !”

1869, Frances Mary Oxenham, chapter XXII, in Not Yet: A Tale of the Present Day, London: Burns, Oates, & Co., page 271:

In this village the word twilight is almost unknown. It is the “dimmets ” that describes the evening hour.

1887 November 19, Lymington, “Richard Jefferies, and the Open Air”, in Littell's Living Age, volume 175, number 2264, page 434, column 2:

If it be moonlight, or dimmets (twilight), and I see the little silver tuft glitter above her head, then I shall know where her be.

1894, Sabine Baring-Gould, “Kitty Alone: A Story of Three Fires”, in Good Words, volume XXXV, number 21, Chapter XXL.–An Offer, page 295:

" I suppose, sir, yu'Il give up they evening services to Torford now the nights be getting long?"
[…]
" Can you see in the dark, Will? "
" Ah, folks may laugh from hignorance ; but there's the dimmet, my dear, that's neither to zay light nor darkness, when they be abroad that's not living nor quite in their graves. […]"

1892 December 10, Sybil Maxwell, “Bargis: A Story of Superstitions”, in The Gentleman's Magazine, volume CCLXXIII, number 1944, page 604:

‘I told you we’d get here by dimmet-time,’ Robin said with a smile in his eyes.
‘And we did,’ said Jenna, wondering why he was so amused.
‘This time of day is called “evening” in these parts, or sometimes “dusk”.’
‘Not dimmet?’
‘No. They’d probably think you meant dinner-time,’ he said, ‘so you'd get nothing to eat. Well, I did warn you!’ Jenna groaned at him but took the advice to heart.

2016, Mari Griffith, “Midsummer 1435” (chapter 2), in The Witch of Eye, Headline Book Publishing:

(UK dialectal, West Country) Twilight; dusk; crepusculum.


pipeclay

en-verb

pipeclay (third-person singular simple present pipeclays, present participle pipeclaying, simple past and past participle pipeclayed)

pipeclays (present singular third-person)
pipeclaying (participle present)
pipeclayed (participle past)
pipeclayed (past)

to pipeclay accounts

(transitive, slang, dated, UK) To clear off.


bogger

boglander

(originally UK, derogatory) Synonym of boglander: an Irishman, now (Ireland, derogatory) a yokel, an Irishman from the countryside or (sometimes) from anywhere other than Dublin and the Pale.


narky

en-adj

narky (comparative narkier, superlative narkiest)

narkier (comparative)
narkiest (superlative)

The war had made Stan narkier than ever.

1995, Linda Grant, The Cast Iron Shore, Granta, published 1998, page 61:

2003, Justine Larbalestier, A Buffy Confession, Glenn Yeffeth (editor), Seven Seasons of Buffy: Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors Discuss Their Favorite Television Show, BenBella Books, US, page 83,
I′m now one of those people I used to defend the show against. There is no one more bitter than an ex-true believer. Color me narky and picky.

It was a special request and Mrs. Fleming had to do it all on the spot, so that′s made her even more narky than usual.

2005, Maxim Jakubowski, editor, The Best British Mysteries 2005, page 191:

Foolishly, I went to the National Right dinner last night. What a narky, miserable bunch of sods.

2005, Mark Latham, The Latham Diaries, page 141:

I had to endure the narkiest taxi driver complaining about ‘Foreign lads takin′ taxi plates’, who then managed to test my patience even more by leaving me a good walk from Parker′s apartment block.

2008, Amanda Brunker, Champagne Kisses, page 46:

2008, Claudia Carroll, Do You Want to Know a Secret?, Random House, UK, unnumbered page,
Age is definitely making me narkier. The only difference between me and my moany Auntie Maisie is a plaid shopping trolley and a tracheotomy.

(UK, Australia, Ireland, slang) Irritated, in a bad mood; disparaging.


histrionical

histrionical (comparative more histrionical, superlative most histrionical)

more histrionical (comparative)
most histrionical (superlative)

(British) Alternative form of histrionic.


stylisation

(British) Alternative spelling of stylization.


tyre bead

(British) Alternative form of tire bead.


quidlet

From quid (“pound”) + -let (“forming diminutives”).

suffix

All we want to see is that our three hundred quidlets are sitting comfy in the bank.

1935, George Goodchild, Carl Eric Bechhofer Roberts, They all do it!: and two other plays:

Say he had lost five thousand quidlets. And what about it? What were five thousand paper quidlets to him?

Two-fifty quidlets, Mr. Duncan — you can't get a really posh stone for less. In any case it wouldn't be only an emerald or a sapphire you'd be buying […]

(UK, colloquial) Synonym of quid: one pound sterling.


handbagging

(UK, humorous) A verbal attack or criticism.


cheeky monkey

(UK, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, idiomatic) An impudent person, usually a child.


gally

en-verb

gally (third-person singular simple present gallies, present participle gallying, simple past and past participle gallied)

gallies (present singular third-person)
gallying (participle present)
gallied (participle past)
gallied (past)

April 8 1700, Tom Brown, letter to Mr. Briscoe in Covent-Garden
The next Day being Sunday, call'd by the Natives of this Country Maze Sunday, (and indeed not without some Reason, for the People look'd as if they were gallied) […]

(UK, dialect) To frighten, spook; to appall; to worry.


nonstreamed

(UK, education) Not divided into academic streams.


knobber

From knob + -er; the deer sense derives from the fact that a young buck's antlers begin diminutively as mere knobs; the fool sense derives indirectly from a reference to the penis; the two senses are ultimately cognate.

Harry chuckled. 'What is it, old son? Are you worried Natalie will go for a rummage in your undercarriage and come away empty-handed?'
Ad spat Tango across the table, missing me by inches.
'No, you knobber,' I said. “I'm meeting her parents for the first time tomorrow.'

2015, Ben Davis, The Private Blog of Joe Cowley: Return of the Geek, page 29:

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, slang, derogatory) A stupid, obnoxious, or otherwise contemptible person.


wine gum

(UK, Canada, New Zealand) a chewy, pastille-like jelly candy, usually brightly coloured and fruit flavoured.


overwin

overwin (third-person singular simple present overwins, present participle overwinning, simple past and past participle overwon)

overwins (present singular third-person)
overwinning (participle present)
overwon (participle past)
overwon (past)
owerwin (alternative Yorkshire dialectal)

From Middle English overwinnen, from Old English oferwinnan (“to contend with, overcome, subdue”), equivalent to over- + win.

inh

(transitive, UK dialectal) To overcome; gain one's point; exceed.


overwin

overwins (plural)
owerwin (alternative Yorkshire dialectal)

(UK dialectal) The win or winning of a game.


colleger

(UK, education) One of the 70 foundationers at Eton College.


freshie

en-noun

freshie (countable and uncountable, plural freshies)

From fresh + -ie. In the sense of an immigrant, shortened from fresh off the boat.

(countable, colloquial, UK) A new immigrant (usually to the UK).


further education

(UK) Education beyond compulsory schooling, not including university-based higher education.


fuzzy-wuzzy

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-fuzzy-wuzzy.wav

Adjective: Reduplication of fuzzy. Noun: From the adjective, in reference to their fuzzy hair texture.

(UK, historical) A Hadendoa warrior of the Mahdi army in the 19th century.


roke

roke (countable and uncountable, plural rokes)

rokes (plural)
roak (alternative)
rook (alternative)
rouk (alternative)

From Middle English roke (“fog, vapour, cloud”), probably from Old Norse roka ("whirlwind, fine spray"; compare Old Norse særoka (“seaspray”)), reinforced later by Middle Dutch roke, rooc (“smoke”), from Old Dutch rouc (“steam, vapour”), from Proto-Germanic *raukiz (“smoke”), from Proto-Indo-European *rewg- (“to erupt, vomit, burp”), from *rew- (“to roar, growl, grumble”). Cognate with Scots rok, roik, rouk (“mist, fog, cloud”), Dutch rook (“smoke, fog”), German Rauch (“smoke, fume”), Swedish rök (“smoke, fume, steam, reek”), West Frisian reek, riik (“smoke, fume”). More at reek. Compare dialectal rawk, which is related, and rag (“fog”) (see raggy (“foggy”)), which may or may not be.

gloss

"whirlwind, fine spray"; compare Old Norse <i class="Latn mention" lang="non">særoka</i> (“seaspray”)

cog

(UK, dialect) Fog, mist; light rain; smoke, vapour; damp.


roke

Unclear; perhaps related to dialect rauk, rawk, a northern English dialectal word for a mark, including e.g. a defect on cloth.

of which custom the aforesaid John Parlby being not in the least ignorant, on the 20th day of Jun, in the second year of the reign of our Lord the present King, at the same pit, received and had a whole roke of coals, value 18d., by the delivery of the said Richard, together with a sign for one whole roke, according to the custom aforesaid;

1889, “Action for Breach of a Custom observed in delivering Coal at Wollaton Pit, 1549, April 1”, in Records of the Borough of Nottingham: 1547-1625, page 11:

In 1450 certain lands at Codnor were exchanged subject to the condition that one of the parites should receive yearly three roke of coal if any 'myne of cole' were got.

1907, William Page, The Victoria History of the County of Derby - Volume 2, page 351:

Account of coal getting, from 13 February to 24 December, 17 Henry VIII., giving the quantity got by each collier week by week, in the following form: “ L. Lambe gatt xiii roke

1924, The Mining Engineer - Volumes 66-67, page 226:

(UK, dialect, mining) A measurement of coal ore.


delf

delfs (plural)
delves (plural)
delft (alternative)
delve (alternative)

From Middle English delf, delve, dælf (“a quarry, clay pit, hole; an artificial watercourse, a canal, a ditch, a trench; a grave; a pitfall”), from Old English delf, ġedelf (“delving, digging”) and dælf (“that which is dug, delf, ditch”), from Proto-West Germanic *delban (“to dig”), from Proto-Germanic *delbaną (“to dig”). More at delve.

(archaic, UK, dialectal) A mine, quarry, pit dug; ditch.


there you are

Right, the committee has considered your request and denied it, so there you are.

(idiomatic, British) Said to indicate that one has finished talking, or to express finality or fatalism, particularly regarding unpleasant news.


mooey

From Angloromani mui, from Sanskrit मुख (mukha, “mouth, face”). Compare Swedish knoparmoj.

Now, one day, right, he's staggering across the pub pissed from the night before. He's gone over, crunch, right on his mooey, like a fucking ironing board.

1997, Gary Oldman, Nil by Mouth, screenplay

Her ex-husband accompanied her to her boyfriend's place and she shaved her mooey on the way.

2006, handbag.com forums
Why does she insist on wearing shorts so short that you can see her mooey too?


sumet

...naw yaurs may git while they er young, an seaav sumet agayn they er aud.

1790, Ann Wheeler, The Westmorland Dialect, with the Adjacency of Lancashire & Yorkshire, in Four Familiar Dialogues, 59 (1821 ed.)

I laaid me dawn on a breaad scar an sean fel asleep, tul sumet weaakend me varra caad omme feace.

1839, Westmoreland and Cumberland Dialects: Dialogues, Poems, Songs, and Ballads, by Various Writers in the Westmoreland and Cumberland Dialects, John Russel Smith, section 35:

(British, dialectal, obsolete) Alternative form of summat.


unparished

/(ˌ)ʌnˈpæɹɪʃt/

/ˌʌnˈpɛɹɪʃt/

From:
* un (prefix meaning ‘not’) + parish (noun) + -ed (suffix forming possessional adjectives from nouns); and
* un- + parished (“organized into parishes; possessing parishes”, adjective).

prefix

(British, Ireland, Christianity) Not designated as a parish (“an administrative part of a diocese that has its own church”).


forby

en-adj

forby (comparative more forby, superlative most forby)

more forby (comparative)
most forby (superlative)
foreby (alternative)
forbye (alternative)

From Middle English forby, forbi, of Middle Low German or North Germanic origin, equivalent to fore- + by. Compare Saterland Frisian foarbie (“beyond, past”), West Frisian foarby (“over, beyond, past”), Dutch voorbij (“beyond, past”), Low German vörbi, vörbie (“over, up, gone, finished, past”), German vorbei (“over, gone, past”), Danish forbi, Swedish förbi. More at fore, by.

cog

He's a forbye man.

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) Uncommon; out of the ordinary; extraordinary; superior.


forby

To see the world and folk that went forby, […]

1899, Richard Garnett, Alois Leonhard Brandl, The universal anthology:

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) Past; by; beyond.

He was forby kind.

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) Uncommonly; exceptionally.


forby

foreby (alternative)
forbye (alternative)

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) Beyond; past; more than; greater than; over and above; moreover.

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic, of time) Past; gone by; over.

Those were the two sonnes of Acrates old / Who meeting earst with Archimago slie, / Foreby that idle strond, of him were told, / That he, wich earst them combatted, was Guyon bold.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) Near; beside; by, close to.

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) On one side; out of the way.

There was other six forby me.

[T]hey ca' it fasting when they hae the best o' fish frae Hartlepool and Sunderland by land carriage, forbye trouts, gilses, salmon, and a' the lave o't, and so they make their very fasting a kind of luxury and abomination; […]

1817 December 31 (indicated as 1818), [Walter Scott], chapter [VI], in Rob Roy. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 133:

They call it fasting when they have the best of fish from Hartlepool and Sunderland by land carriage, forby [i.e., besides] trouts, grilses, salmon, and all the rest of it, and so they make their fasting a kind of luxury and abomination; […]

"Put on your dress, ye shameless witch, standin' there in your pelt I'll take a strap to, for havin' the conceit out of you, forby your idling had lost me the sup of gin to keep the breath of life in me."

1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 173:

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) Besides; in addition to; as well as; not to mention.

With the exception of
with the exception of

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) With the exception of; not taking into account.


bring to book

en-verb

bring to book (third-person singular simple present brings to book, present participle bringing to book, simple past and past participle brought to book)

brings to book (present singular third-person)
bringing to book (participle present)
brought to book (participle past)
brought to book (past)

The perpetrators of this atrocity must be brought to book.

For the most part this happens in Britain, but there can be chilling lapses in the most serious cases, as was seen in the pall thrown over Blair Peach's killing for 30 years, and in the failure to bring the Met to book over the de Menezes case, other than through health and safety laws.

2011 May 4, Ian Tomlinson, “Unlawfully killed by the law”, in The Guardian:

[Indira] Jaising is openly irritated that she was brought to book after being credited with landmark human rights cases and helping to draft India's domestic violence law.

2024 February 17, John Reed, “Modi is supposed to represent all of us”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 3:

(UK) To penalise someone for a punishable offence.


bollocks more like

2000, Danny McNeil, “DC @ £100 - bollocks more like”, in uk.games.video.dreamcast (Usenet):

"Bollocks more like," returned Smith. He was loving the moment, revelling in getting the upper hand.


more like

"Load of old rubbish, more like. Just a daft story from a time when folk didn't know any better."

Syllabics? Silly bollocks, more like.

2005, Stephen Fry, The ode less travelled: unlocking the poet within:

"Gloriously unpredictable?" Fucking rubbish, more like.

Nothing to do with his physical prowess. Bullshit and crap more like — very funny though.

(chiefly UK) Used to challenge another's use of a term, replacing it with something the speaker or writer considers more pertinent.


indicavit

Borrowed from Latin indicāvit (“he has indicated”).

bor+

This act recited, that thentofore suits met with unmeet delays, by the indicavits being sued out before the suit in the spiritual court was recorded

1791, John Mallory, Modern Entries, in English:

(UK, law) A writ of prohibition against proceeding in the spiritual court in certain cases, when the suit belongs to the common-law courts.


billy cart

billy carts (plural)
billy-cart (alternative)

From billy (“male goat”) + cart, referring to the former practice of hitching a cart behind a large goat.

1954 December, Rotary Reporter: Brief Items on Club Activities around the World, The Rotarian, page 38,
Whether you call them billy carts or soap-box racers, they're one and the same: homemade, four-wheeled, motorless racers that depend on a downhill course for their speed. […] In Coffs Harbour, Australia, for example, the Rotary Club recently held its third annual Billy Cart Derby for cars in two divisions: homemade racers and special championship cars.

It was in the billy cart, I suppose, that I had my first-ever races.

2004, Jack Brabham, Doug Nye, The Jack Brabham Story, page 19:

A few wheels and a crate to make a billy cart would probably be acceptable, or the odd old alarm clock, but nothing more.

2006, Alan Greenhalgh, Gathers No Moss, page 20:

The kids wanted a hole put in a piece of piping to make an axle for a billy-cart, but we had no drill, so Mac stood the steel pipe up against a gum tree, up with the rifle and shot a hole clean through it. The kids were delighted - they put a bolt through and screwed the nut in place and they had a billy-cart.

2007, Ruby Langford Ginibi, Don't Take Your Love to Town, page 98:

(UK, Australia) A rudimentary child's cart; a soapbox car.


pair of stairs

en-noun

pair of stairs (plural pairs of stairs or pair of stairs)

pairs of stairs (plural)
pair of stairs (plural)

The lines snaked around the block and down a pair of stairs, into a large exhibition hall.

1995, Daily News (N.Y.) (Nexis), 16 Oct. 20

(chiefly British, rare or dated) A flight of stairs


the world and his wife

all the world and his wife (alternative)

The world and his wife were at the opening – we could barely move.

1957 July 4, General Secretary, The Textile Institute, A Guide to Careers: No. 32: Textile Technology, New Scientist, page 42,
The world and his wife are the customers for whom the textile industry supplies the greatest necessity next to food, and some of the greatest luxuries.

The punk explosion of 1977 prompted the world and his wife to pick up guitars, just as they had grabbed washboards in the skiffle era 20 years before.

1986 April, Jessica Berens, “Scots on the Rocks”, in Spin, page 29:

1972 (1905), Natsume Sōseki, Aiko Ito, Graeme Wilson (translators), I Am a Cat (吾輩は猫である), Volume 2, 2002, combined edition, page 187,
“ […] But they have to consider what the world and his wife will say, and when dealing with the world one simply cannot be too careful.”

“Why not just hire a crier to go around the city, telling all the world and his wife — all the world and our wives — we had our turns riding Connie to hounds?”

1998, Kasey Michaels, Indiscreet, published 2000, page 229:

2001, advertisement, quoted in 2001, Guy Cook, The Discourse of Advertising, page 112,
Gripping stuff, Subaru four-wheel drive. The world and his wife′s favourite in fact.

(hyperbolic, chiefly UK, Australia) Everyone; a great crowd; a jumbled assortment of people.


rip the piss

en-verb

rip the piss (third-person singular simple present rips the piss, present participle ripping the piss, simple past and past participle ripped the piss)

rips the piss (present singular third-person)
ripping the piss (participle present)
ripped the piss (participle past)
ripped the piss (past)

(UK, Ireland, intransitive, slang, vulgar) To ridicule or mock severely.


twattock

I find it chuffin' alarming because your dinner is s'posed to end up there, not start out there, y'daft twattock! Now bend over.

2008, Lynn Connolly, Close Encounters... of the Shirley Kind:


diddums

Contraction of did 'em (they) do something (to you)?.

(UK) A term of commiseration to a child who has suffered a mildly painful situation.


sprack

en-adj

sprack (comparative more sprack, superlative most sprack)

more sprack (comparative)
most sprack (superlative)
sprag (alternative)
sprak (alternative)

From Middle English sprak, from Old Norse sparkr, sprekr (“lively”) and/or Old Norse sprækr (“lively”), from Proto-Germanic *sparkaz, *sprēkijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *sp(h)er(a)g- (“to strew, sprinkle”). More at spark.

der

She was apprenticed as a 'pupil teacher,' at fourteen years of age, and deemed to have a more than ordinary chance of doing well and getting on, for she was clever, and what is called 'sprack' in the part of the country where she lived.

1864, Jean Ingelow, chapter 1, in Studies for Stories: Emily's Ambition:

"Yes, that I be, and I 'ave a little boy, he be a sprack little chap."

1916, J. H. Morgan, Leaves from a Field Note-Book:


werry

Better let me make you up a little fire, the nights is werry cool," continued Ben.

1857, Frank J. Webb, The Garies and Their Friends:

"We must be off if we're to lie at Uxbridge overnight; for there hath been rain beyond, sir, and the roads be werry deep."

I spent a werry plessant arternoon there, and drove home in style on the Box Seat of a reel Company's Bus. The nex day I went to Higate Wood, another of the grate works of the good old Copperashun.

1890, Various, Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 99, August 30, 1890.:


TCCB

(UK, cricket, historical) Initialism of Test and County Cricket Board.


two-up-two-down

Mansions and workers' two-up-two-downs sprawled all over the town, higgledy-piggledy.

1992, Fernand Braudel, Civilization and Capitalism, 15th-18th Century: The perspective of the world:

Houses from Second to Fifth Street were two-up-two-downs and had few amenities, no bathrooms, and were therefore cheap to rent. Some had no hot water.

2005, Mark Crinson, Urban memory: history and amnesia in the modern city:

(UK) A traditional house with two rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs.


umbrella company

en-noun

umbrella company (plural umbrella companies)

(UK) A company that acts as an employer to fixed-term contractors, usually through an employment agency.


hail and ride

(UK) A system of public transport in which the vehicle only stops if a passenger or pedestrian specifically signals to the driver.


prinks

(UK, university slang, humorous) Contraction of pre-drinks.


podge

Perhaps from pudsy (“plump”), which could be a diminutive of pud (“child's hand, forepaw”).


wall plug

wall plugs (plural)
wallplug (alternative)

(UK) A fixing that allows screws to be fitted into masonry walls, a dowel or screw anchor.


overgo

en-verb

overgo (third-person singular simple present overgoes, present participle overgoing, simple past overwent, past participle overgone)

overgoes (present singular third-person)
overgoing (participle present)
overwent (past)
overgone (participle past)

From Middle English overgon, from Old English ofergān (“to pass over, beyond, across, traverse, cross, transgress, overstep, overrun, overcome, overspread, conquer, come upon, overtake, seize, attack, pass off, pass away, end, overreach”), equivalent to over- + go. Cognate with Dutch overgaan, German übergehen, Swedish övergå.

inh

He did not rave, he did not stare aghast, / For all those visions were o'ergone, and past […]

1818, John Keats, “(please specify the page)”, in Endymion: A Poetic Romance, London: […] T[homas] Miller, […] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC:

(intransitive, UK, dialectal) To pass by, pass away; often, to go unnoticed.


oo-er

Oo-er, how peculiar.

(UK) An expression of surprise or befuddlement.

So, I went around the back with her...

Oo-er!

(UK) Said to acknowledge a double entendre or innuendo.


ooer

(UK) Said to acknowledge a double entendre or something that sounds sexually suggestive.


cocking of a snook

en-noun

cocking of a snook (plural cocking of snooks)

(UK, derogatory, as a gesture) A disrespectful gesture; a snook.


nosethirl

nosethirls (plural)
nosethril (alternative)

From Middle English nosethirl. By surface analysis, nose + thirl. Compare nostril.

proud Encelade, whose wide nosethrils burnd / With breathed flames, like to a furnace red [...].

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:


pranny

Uncertain; perhaps compare prat, fanny, prannet.

And stop staring at my daughter, man! She's got nothing but bubs and a pranny like any other gal!

1985, Paul Quarrington, The life of Hope:


tricast

(British) A specific kind of horse race betting, made by choosing the first three horses home in the correct order.


kelter

Fiscal—Something has been out of kelter at Washington these two years with regard to the rigid application of appropriations, at least in the Indian Department.

1851, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, Personal Memoirs Of A Residence Of Thirty Years With The Indian Tribes On The American Frontiers:

—All over, resemblance to a particular object, as a ship in bad kelter: "she's a privateer all over."

1867, William Henry Smyth, The Sailor’s Word-Book:

It was intimated to me that such "frivolousness" was out of kelter with the profession of a Christian.

1910, Alexander Irvine, From the Bottom Up:

(British dialectal, US, chiefly in the negative) Archaic form of kilter (“(good) condition, form, or order; fettle”).


kelter

(obsolete, British dialectal) Rubbish; trifle; hodgepodge.


tanglesome

en-adj

tanglesome (comparative more tanglesome, superlative most tanglesome)

more tanglesome (comparative)
most tanglesome (superlative)


penny for them

penny for your thoughts
penny for your thoughts#English

(UK) Alternative form of penny for your thoughts.


get one's eye in

en-verb

get one's eye in (third-person singular simple present gets one's eye in, present participle getting one's eye in, simple past and past participle got one's eye in)

gets one's eye in (present singular third-person)
getting one's eye in (participle present)
got one's eye in (participle past)
got one's eye in (past)

(chiefly UK, sports) To become accustomed to the playing conditions, and thus bring one's hand-eye coordination to a reasonable level.

Having thus got my "eye in" for Bledii, numerous casts in my drive and garden footpaths were explored, and turned out to be those of B. opacus

1881, The Entomologist's monthly magazine, page 163:

To know fiddles and judge them you must be always looking at them. For a time, at least, I got my eye in by dwelling on the best models.

1898, Hugh Reginald Haweis, My musical life, page 217:

Why, I myself, old hand as I am, after being away for some months about town, or looking at other things, can't get my eye in and down to it for two or three days; then it kind of comes natural.

1899, Arthur Lakes, Prospecting for Gold and Silver in North America, page 259:

Roberto then took three swings, but did not move his legs or hips, just the arms and wrists-he was merely getting his eye in.

1973 March, Baseball Digest, volume 32, number 3, page 20:

He felt elated. Till now he had been living too much in the past, he decided. Time to get my eye in again.

1974, John Le Carré, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, page 95:

She had now got her eye in. A 10000-ton tanker heading for Tunisia with powerful escort got no farther than the north coast of Sicily.

1997, His Majesty's Submarines, page 53:

Once I'd got my eye in, it was quite impossible — without looking away first — to see the ceiling as flat again.

2008, Poppy Adams, The Sister, page 147:

Someone who has 'got their eye in' has internalized an ability to draw to scale. While the new recruit stops all the time to take measurements, the drawing of someone with 'their eye in' flows.

2009, Leo Duff with Phil Sawdon, Drawing - The Purpose, page 21:

(chiefly UK) To develop a perceptual skill, especially visual.


honour system

(British, Canada) Alternative spelling of honor system.


keep one's eye in

keep one's eye in (third-person singular simple present keeps one's eye in, present participle keeping one's eye in, simple past and past participle kept one's eye in)

keeps one's eye in (present singular third-person)
keeping one's eye in (participle present)
kept one's eye in (participle past)
kept one's eye in (past)

A man must have some work to keep his eye in and his muscles at work.

1906 July 19, Mr. Crooks, The parliamentary debates, volume 161:

He'd have a beer first, just to keep his eye in; and afterwards he would have a little of the hard stuff.

1968, John Le Carré, A Small Town in Germany, page 29:

He went trap-shooting to keep his eye in, out of season

1981 July, Nadine Gorimer, “July's People”, in Mother Jones Magazine, volume 6, number 6, page 46:


ducket

Uncertain; perhaps a variant of dovecote. First attested in the late 1900s.

Access to the veranda is by means of hinged doors, and a deep ducket or projection is provided on each side to form a lookout.

1952 January, “British Railways Standard Wagons”, in Railway Magazine, page 59:

(historical, British) A windowed, box-like structure mounted to the top or side of the brake van of a train, from which the guard has a clearer view along the railway track.


Cottager

From the name of the stadium, Craven Cottage.

(UK, soccer) Someone connected with Fulham Football Club, as a fan, player, coach etc.


Palace

Crystal Palace Football Club
w:Crystal Palace Football Club

(UK, soccer) Ellipsis of Crystal Palace Football Club (“a football team from London”).


arsemunch

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, sometimes vulgar, humorous, slang) Alternative form of assmunch.


arseface

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, vulgar, slang, derogatory or offensive) A contemptible person.

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, vulgar, slang, derogatory or offensive) An ugly person.


scummer

(UK, soccer, slang, derogatory, offensive) A supporter of Southampton F.C..


knicks

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-knicks.wav

“People never notice you when you are looking half- decent. During the sales I was in a communal changing room and was stripped down to my knicks — and not my best car accident knickers either — when a woman said, ‘Aren’t you that woman off the telly?’ and everyone stared.”

2003 February 9, “The Greenham Common girl done good”, in The Times:

Despite all the attention focused on Beth, when Gossip performs, they are without doubt a band: Nathan and Hannah Billie, the drummer, being just as cartoon charismatic as Beth herself, though perhaps less likely to strip to their knicks and dive-bomb the crowd.

2009 July 5, Miranda Sawyer, “Everything that you think is weird is normal to me”, in The Observer:


gamebook

(UK) A written record of the game that has been shot in a certain area (date, hunter, species, etc.).


pop sock

After her show, designer Miuccia Prada blamed the accidents on the pop socks worn by the models inside their platform sandals, making them impossible to grip.

2008 September 28, Charlie Porter, “Heels prove too tall an order for Milan models”, in The Observer:

(chiefly UK) A type of short, knee-high stocking with an elasticated top.


copperfasten

copperfasten (third-person singular simple present copperfastens, present participle copperfastening, simple past and past participle copperfastened)

copperfastens (present singular third-person)
copperfastening (participle present)
copperfastened (participle past)
copperfastened (past)
copper fasten (alternative)
copper-fasten (alternative)

/ˈkɒpəˌfɑːsn̩/

From copper + fasten. From copper sheathing of ship hulls (to protect from damage by marine organisms. Originally copper sheathing but non-copper bolts were used, leading to corrosion. Later copper bolts (fasteners) were also used, eliminating corrosion issues. Literal sense from 18th century, metaphorical sense attested 1948.

We had some striking examples of what happens when a guy gets so big for his britches that any pal of his is automatically a copper-fastened genius.

1948, The Evening Independent, November 1948

This brings to an end a ten-year campaign by Pol O Murchú and other Irish language activists to copperfasten rights to have Irish language legislation made available […]

2010 “Supreme Court rules on law translation”, RTÉ News, May 6, 2010

(transitive, figuratively, British, Ireland) To reinforce, strengthen; to make permanent, embed.


Nana

(informal, originally British) A governess.


tn

tn. (alternative)
tln (alternative)
tln. (alternative)

(chiefly UK, Commonwealth except Canada, Ireland) Abbreviation of trillion.


dize

dize (third-person singular simple present dizes, present participle dizing, simple past and past participle dized)

dizes (present singular third-person)
dizing (participle present)
dized (participle past)
dized (past)
dise (alternative)

From Middle English *disen, from Old English *disan, *disian, from *dise (“bunch of flax on a distaff”), from Proto-Germanic *disanō (“distaff”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Middle Dutch disen (“to dress or prepare a distaff with flax for spinning”), Middle Low German dise, disene (“bunch of flax, distaff”).

cog

(transitive, UK dialectal) To put tow on a distaff.


WIWAL

(UK, Internet slang) Initialism of when I was a lad/lass.


youth worker

At the moment, she’s a youth worker with the local council, primarily dealing with teens who’ve got into trouble. “I think I can save them,” she says. “Open their eyes to uni or a job.” But she can’t save any money on two contracts, one of which is zero-hours and the other guaranteeing only nine hours’ pay a week.

2023 August 17, Aditya Chakrabortty, “Can’t pay and they really do take it away: what happens when the bailiffs come knocking”, in The Guardian:

(UK, Australia) A person who works with youngsters, to promote informal education.


Cameronite

From the surname of David Cameron, former British Prime Minister (2010–2016) + -ite.

(chiefly British, informal) A supporter of David Cameron or his policies.


AHB

(UK, rail transport) Initialism of Automatic Half Barrier, a type of level crossing.


surgical spirit

en-noun

surgical spirit (usually uncountable, plural surgical spirits)

(UK, medicine) Ethanol with small quantities of additives (typically 2% castor oil and 0.5% methyl salicylate), used primarily as a topical antiseptic.

leikkaussprii

ethanol with small quantities of additives


rammy

en-adj

rammy (comparative more rammy, superlative most rammy)

more rammy (comparative)
most rammy (superlative)

Galen takes exception at mutton, but without question he means that rammy mutton which is in Turkey and Asia Minor […]

(now UK regional) Of a food, taste, odour etc.: like a ram; pungent, rank.


stail

(UK, obsolete) Alternative form of stale (“a long, thin handle, as of mops, rakes, etc.”).


hen do

From hen + do, by analogy with hen party.


ICB

integrated care board
w:integrated care board

(UK, healthcare) Initialism of integrated care board.


Triple Crown

(horse racing, UK) The three greatest thoroughbred races of the year restricted to three-year-olds: the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, Derby Stakes (aka "Epsom Derby"), and St. Leger Stakes


BTEC

The adjective derives from the belief, held by some students, that BTEC qualifications are easier than other equivalent qualifications.


absobloodylutely

Result of tmesis between absolutely + -bloody-.

Theatre is marvellous, he says, absobloodylutely marvellous.

2006, Bearnárd O'Riain, Running to Stand Still, page 212:

(British, slang, euphemistic) absolutely


on the turps

From on (“regularly taking”) + the + slang turps (“any alcoholic drink”).

1992, Di Morrissey, The Last Rose of Summer, 2011, Read How You Want, EasyRead Large Edition, page 201,
‘Been on the turps last night, I′d say,’ whispered Tony to Odette.
‘He′ll start to steady down and focus after three cups of my tea,’ laughed Odette.

You might spot the odd parliamentarian on the turps at the Backbencher, a pub opposite the Beehive where rubbery puppets of NZ pollies are mounted trophy-style on the walls (David Lange is a beauty).

2010, Brett Atkinson, Sarah Bennett, Scott Kennedy, New Zealand′s South Island, Lonely Planet, page 107:

1998, Harry Bowling, When the Pedlar Called, 2010, Headline Publishing, eBook, unnumbered page,
Frank an′ ′is ole woman don′t get on, yer see, an′ ′e′s gone on the turps ter drown ′is sorrows.

Out on the water, Jonesy and I also talked about the similarity of the bond we felt with a fellow adventurer after, say, a challenging bushwalk, and the camaraderie of a huge night on the turps with your mates.

2009, James Castrission, Crossing the Ditch, HarperCollins, unnumbered page:

(UK, Australia, slang) Drinking alcohol to excess.


barkled

barkled (comparative more barkled, superlative most barkled)

more barkled (comparative)
most barkled (superlative)

'Aven't you got a drink, Missis, for a man when he comes home barkled up from the pit?

1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “chapter 2”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:

(UK regional) Encrusted, especially with dirt and grime.


pancheon

pancheons (plural)
panchion (alternative)
pansion (alternative)
panshin (alternative)

The poem was finished, he took the bread out of the oven, arranging the burnt loaves at the bottom of the panchion, the good ones at the top.

1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:

(now UK regional) A shallow dish used to stand milk while the cream separates, or in which to bake bread.


water-blob

Then she sat on the bank with her hands full of flowers, mostly golden water-blobs.

1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “chapter 11”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:

Caltha palustris
Caltha palustris#Translingual

(UK regional) The marsh marigold, Caltha palustris, or any of various similar plants.


noser

You got your grade back already? Let's have a noser!

(British, slang) An indulgence in nosiness or other curiosity.


eat in

en-verb

eat in (third-person singular simple present eats in, present participle eating in, simple past ate in, past participle eaten in)

eats in (present singular third-person)
eating in (participle present)
ate in (past)
eaten in (participle past)

to go

antonym(s) of “eat a meal on the premises”; as an instruction

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-eat in.wav

(UK) To eat a purchased meal on the premises where one bought it, rather than taking it away.

itt/helyben fogyaszt

to eat a purchased meal on the premises where one bought it, rather than taking it away


subspeciality

(UK) Alternative spelling of subspecialty.


popsy

Pilots are often interested in nothing but popsies, kites, and beer.

1943, H. E. Bates, There's Something in the Air:


waker

en-adj

waker (comparative more waker, superlative most waker)

more waker (comparative)
most waker (superlative)

From Middle English wakyr, from Old English wacor, waccor (“watchful, vigilant”), from Proto-West Germanic *wakr, from Proto-Germanic *wakraz (“awake, watchful”), equivalent to wake + -er.
Cognate with Scots wakir (“watchful”), Dutch wakker (“awake”), German wacker (“awake, alert, capable, brave”), Swedish vacker (“wakeful, watchful, fair, comely”). Also precisely cognate with Sanskrit वज्र (vájra, “adamantine”), both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wóǵ-ros (“strong, lively”), and therefore a doublet of vajra. Further related through the same Indo-European root to vigil, vigor, and vegetable.

inh

(now chiefly UK dialectal) Watchful; vigilant; alert.


sea dragon

sea dragons (plural)
seadragon (alternative)

(UK, dated) An ichthyosaur (dinosaur-age delphine marine reptile)


other side

This is boring. What's on the other side?

(UK, slang, dated) The other television channel (when only two were available).


repmobile

(UK, slang, sometimes derogatory) A car of a kind popular with sales representatives.


ecotown

ecotowns (plural)
eco-town (alternative)

(UK) Any of a number of government-sponsored new towns which are intended to achieve exemplary standards of sustainability


green-fingered

en-adj

green-fingered (comparative more green-fingered, superlative most green-fingered)

more green-fingered (comparative)
most green-fingered (superlative)

Your basil is doing well, you must be green-fingered.

1989, University of Idaho College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Range Sciences, Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory of Anthropology, Women in Natural Resources, Volumes 8-10, page 23,
Some of the most green fingered may also want to propagate and graft on our existing specimens.

2002, Margaret Smith, Aspects of Teaching Secondary Geography: Perspectives on Practice, The Open University, page 250,
Failing that, the more green-fingered students may be encouraged to volunteer time to maintain the garden,which should be low-intervention maintenance to preserve the area for wildlife.

My garden was rather outstanding, the work of Mrs Poole and myself during our more green-fingered moments.

2007, Andrew O'Hagan, Be Near Me, page 122:

NATURE'S most green-fingered creatures, ants have been cultivating gardens of tasty fungus for 50 million years, according to scientists.

2006, Augustus Brown, Why Pandas Do Handstands: And Other Curious Truths about Animals, page 200:

Cherries were first cultivated in the region by Richard Harrys, one of the Tudor era′s most green-fingered and forward-looking experts.

2008, Christopher Somerville, Walks in the Country Near London, page 98:

(chiefly UK) Having a seemingly natural gardening ability.


thioguanine

en-noun

thioguanine (countable and uncountable, plural thioguanines)

/ˌθʌɪ.ə(ʊ)ˈɡwɑː.niːn/

(pharmacology) US and UK spelling of tioguanine.


mufti day

“Is it Halloween already?”
 “Erm, no…” spluttered Zoe. “It’s, er, mufti day at school, you know, where you can wear whatever you like.”

2012, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Ratburger, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:

(Australia, British, New Zealand) A day on which school pupils are allowed to wear casual clothes which would on any other day be against the school's uniform policy.


kiss arse

en-verb

kiss arse (third-person singular simple present kisses arse, present participle kissing arse, simple past and past participle kissed arse)

kisses arse (present singular third-person)
kissing arse (participle present)
kissed arse (participle past)
kissed arse (past)
kiss ass (alternative)

(UK, Ireland, idiomatic, sometimes vulgar, colloquial) Alternative form of kiss ass, to curry favour with the powerful by obsequious flattery.


good value

He is a good value—earnest, sympathetic, solid to the bone and not overcomplicated—just the way you′d hope your undertaker would be.

2007, Richard Ford, The Lay of the Land, page 95:

(UK, Australia, idiomatic, slang) Someone who is friendly and easy-going.

‘Not anymore,’ she said, quickly ‘But he′s worth his weight in gold at a party. He always has something to say, and most of the time it′s interesting. That reflects well on me for inviting him.’
‘He is a good value.’

2003, David Philip Reiter, Interactive Publications, Liars and Lovers, page 79:

Hugh Grant is always good value, and Martin Freeman and Joanna Page do very well as a couple who fall in love while working as stand-ins for what is apparently an expensively produced hardcore porn film.

2003 November 21, Peter Bradshaw, “Love Actually”, in The Guardian:

Friday, 17 July 1981
Yesterday: morning with Germaine Greer – she is a good value, stimulating company and completely ridiculous: for the original feminist she is hilariously man-mad.

2010, Gyles Brandreth, Something Sensational to Read in the Train: The Diary of a Lifetime, unnumbered page:

(UK, Australia, idiomatic, slang) Someone who is funny or witty.


PCSO

Police community support officer
w:Police community support officer

(UK) Initialism of Police community support officer.


plastic plod

(UK, slang, derogatory) A police community support officer, a PCSO.


clomiphene

en-noun

clomiphene (countable and uncountable, plural clomiphenes)

(pharmacology) UK and US spelling of clomifene.


belonger

All British subjects (i.e., any Commonwealth citizens) born in Hong Kong were belongers.

1999, Yash P. Ghai, Hong Kong's new constitutional order, page 158:

(UK) One who has close ties to a specific overseas territory, normally by ancestry, and is therefore granted certain rights.


belongership

/bɪˈlɒŋəʃɪp/

/bɪˈlɔŋɚʃɪp/

/bɪˈlɑŋɚʃɪp/

He's got his Hong Kong belongership now. All his papers are in order. As long as he keeps out of trouble I can't touch him.


qualified majority

qualified majority (plural qualified majorities)

three-fifths qualified majority

two-thirds qualified majority

(chiefly UK) A majority in a vote that reaches a preset threshold value significantly larger than 50%, such as ²⁄₃, often required instead of a simple majority for reaching a decision; particularly on important matters, such as modifying the bylaws of an association.


BAME

"It's useful in that it promotes a kind of solidarity between the people that come under it belong to a BAME background, but it does lack nuance.

2018 May 17, Rajdeep Sandhu, “Should BAME be ditched as a term for black, Asian and minority ethnic people?”, in BBC News, spoken by Darren Barnes, BBC:

Ryan, Pollock and Antonelli (2009) reported that several teachers in Canada ‘struggle’ to interact with students of BAME origin who were often ‘othered’, in particular, those of migrant origin.

2019, Tony Bush, Les Bell, David Middlewood, Principles of Educational Leadership & Management, SAGE Publications Limited, →ISBN, page 225:

Ironically, there is some evidence that BAME parents want white teachers and leaders for their children, a form of ‘reverse racism’, suggesting that neocolonial attitudes persist through different generations.

2019, Paul Miller, Christine Callender, Race, Education and Educational Leadership in England, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 82:

(UK) Initialism of black, Asian, and minority ethnic.


Paki shop

(UK, Ireland, offensive slang, derogatory) A corner shop run by a Pakistani or any other person of South-West Asian and South-Asian descent. Hence also any corner shop.


gyno

gyno (countable and uncountable, plural gynos)

(UK, US, Australia, informal) Clipping of gynecologist.


trialist

trialists (plural)
triallist (alternative)

From trial (“test; experiment; court proceedings”) + -ist.

suffix

The following Saturday morning, with other members of the committee, I was on the touchline observing the trialists in action. It was a very good trial, with plenty of exciting talent on view.

1998, Bill Samuel, chapter 7, in Rugby: Body and Soul, Edinburgh: Mainstream, page 88:

1998, John Gordon, Three Sheep and a Dog, Auckland: Reed, Chapter 8, p. 107,
Event I, the long head […] ends with the hold: sheep at a standstill in a 20-metre ring and held there, with the dog and triallist balanced on either side.

2012, Robert Earnshaw, Earnie: My Life at Cardiff City, Bedlinog: Accent, Chapter 4, p. 22,
A [Youth Training Scheme] place would be the first step on the ladder, a contract with the club which would see you move from triallist to employee, someone the club was willing to invest in.

(sports, chiefly UK) An athlete who participates in a trial (competition to select players for a team); a person who enters a dog (especially a sheepdog) in a competition.


coatstand

coatstands (plural)
coat-stand (alternative)

(UK) Alternative spelling of coat stand.


hat-stand

hat-stands (plural)
hat stand (alternative)


hat stand

hat stands (plural)
hat-stand (alternative)


hollo

holler (alternative)
holla (alternative)
holloa (alternative)
hollow (alternative)
hulloa (alternative)

‘Hollo!’ he cried. ‘The blind’s down!’ I had noticed, when we were outside, that the blind was down at the front room window.

(UK, dated) hello (expressing puzzlement or discovery)


workly

en-adj

workly (comparative more workly, superlative most workly)

more workly (comparative)
most workly (superlative)
warkly (alternative)

From Middle English *workly, *werklich, from Old English *weorclīċ (“suitable for work”) (attested in unweorclīċ), equivalent to work + -ly. Compare Scots warkly (“diligent, industrious”), West Frisian werklik (“real, actual”), Dutch werkelijk (“real, actual, factual, effective”), German wirklich (“real, actual, true, substantial”), Hunsrik werklich, Swedish verklig (“real, actual, true”).

gloss

attested in <i class="Latn mention" lang="ang">unweorclīċ</i>

cog

(UK dialectal) Diligent; industrious; given to work.


noice

en-adj

noice (comparative noicer, superlative noicest)

noicer (comparative)
noicest (superlative)

'Ye be noice chaps,' said John, looking steadily round. 'What's to do here, thou yoong dogs?'

1839, Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby:

“The Celtics won. Noice.”

2023 August 31, William Meny & Paul Simms, “A Weekend at Morrigan Manor” (15:51 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 5, episode 9, spoken by Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch):

(originally UK, pronunciation spelling, slang or humorous) Nice.


nature's scythe

en-noun

nature's scythe (plural nature's scythes)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-nature's scythe.wav

Love's meadow happy Dick with nature's scythe was mowing.


bastille

bastilles (plural)
bastile (alternative)

French Revolution
Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
William Cobbett
William IV
storming of the Bastille

The noun is derived from Middle English bastile, bastel (“fortification for attack mounted on a barge or wheels; projecting part of a fortification, bastion, turret; fortified encampment of a besieging army; structure carrying armed men on an elephant’s back; (figuratively) refuge, shelter; protector”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman bastile, bastille, Middle French bastille, and Old French baastel, basstel (“fortification; fortified tower; temporary fortification constructed for attack or defence; (small) castle or fortress”) (modern French bastille; compare Medieval Latin bastīle), from bastide (“fortification; fortress”) with the ending modified after nouns ending in -ille (from Latin -īle (suffix forming place names)). Bastide is derived from Old Occitan bastida (“fortification; (Provence) country mansion”), from bastir (“to build, construct”) + -ida (suffix forming nouns); while bastir is from *bastīre, from Frankish *bastijan (“to sew; to weave”), from Proto-West Germanic *bast (“fibre; rope”), from Proto-Germanic *bastaz (“fibre; rope”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *bʰask- ~ *bʰasḱ- (“bundle, heap, load”) but this is disputed.
Sense 2.1 (“jail or prison, especially one regarded as mistreating its prisoners”) is from the Bastille in Paris, France. Known in full as the Bastille Saint-Antoine, it was a former fortress used as a prison by the French monarchy in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Bastille was stormed by a crowd on 14 July 1789 at the start of the French Revolution and later demolished, becoming an important symbol for the French Republican movement.
Sense 2.2 (“workhouse”) was possibly popularized by the English politician William Cobbett (1763–1835) who opposed the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 (4 & 5 William IV, chapter 76; often called the “New Poor Law”). This Act made relief or welfare for poor people only available through workhouses, and ensured that the working conditions were harsh so that only the truly destitute would apply for relief.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Cognates
Late Latin bastile (“wooden siege tower”), bastilla, bastillia, bastillus, bastellum (“fortification; wooden siege tower”)

nb...

bastayle, bastele, bastell, bastelle, bastil, bastill, bastyle, bastyll, bastylle, (Northern England) baistell,

nb...

Commencing with the Accession of William IV.

J. Booker; Longman, Rees, Orme, and Co.; J. M. Richardson; Parbury, Allen, and Co.; J. Hatchard and Son; J. Ridgway; E. Jeffery and Son; J. Rodwell; Calkin and Budd; R. H. Evans; J. Booth; and T. C. Hansard.

col

Cognates

(British, derogatory) Synonym of workhouse (“an institution for homeless poor people funded by the local parish, where the able-bodied were required to work”).


scriggle

en-verb

scriggle (third-person singular simple present scriggles, present participle scriggling, simple past and past participle scriggled)

scriggles (present singular third-person)
scriggling (participle present)
scriggled (participle past)
scriggled (past)

(UK, dialect) To squirm, wriggle or squiggle.


friggle

friggle (third-person singular simple present friggles, present participle friggling, simple past and past participle friggled)

friggles (present singular third-person)
friggling (participle present)
friggled (participle past)
friggled (past)

(rare, intransitive, UK dialectal) To fiddle, fumble, potter around.


financial year

As yet, we don't know what the comparable figures will be like for the current financial year which ends in March 2022, but we can have a good stab at approximating them.

2022 January 12, Sir Michael Holden, “Reform of the workforce or death by a thousand cuts?”, in RAIL, number 948, page 22:

(British, accounting) Synonym of fiscal year.


one-up-one-down

(UK) A traditional house with one room upstairs and one room downstairs.


tricker

[W]e pull'd aſide the Tricker, and obſerv'd, that according to our expectation the force of the Spring of the Lock vvas not ſenſibly abated by the abſence of the Air.

1659 December 30 (date written), Robert Boyle, “[Experiment 14]”, in New Experiments Physico-Mechanicall, Touching the Spring of the Air, and Its Effects, (Made, for the Most Part, in a New Pneumatical Engine) […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] H[enry] Hall, printer to the University, for Tho[mas] Robinson, published 1660, →OCLC, page 89:

(British, dialectal, obsolete) A trigger.


solebar

solebars (plural)
sole-bar (alternative)

The underframe, which has been designed to take buffing loads of 200 tons both on the centre coupler and on the retractable side buffers, consists of two centre girders from which cantilevers project to support the solebars, which in turn carry the bodyside structure.

1951 May, “British Railways Standard Coaches”, in Railway Magazine, page 327:

The shuttle locomotive body is a conventional stress-skin monocoque structure, with longitudinal members at solebar and cantrail levels.

1995, Roger Ford, “Locomotives”, in Colin J. Kirkland, editor, Engineering the Channel Tunnel, Taylor & Francis, →ISBN, Rolling stock, page 178:

The bolster to solebar weld on one side, and the weld between the solebar and the front headstock on the other side had broken completely.

2001, A.P.Brights, N. Kirk, S. Manteghi and P.J. Murrell, edited by Brain S. Neale, Forensic engineering: the investigation of failures, Thomas Telford, →ISBN, Ladbroke Grove crashworthiness accident investigation, page 16:

[...] the original Chalice built coaches have a deep solebar, while the Keef coaches were much shallower.

2001, Peter Scott, A History of the Butlin's Railways: The Story of Billy Butlin's Amusement Park and Holiday Camp Miniature Railways, Including Other Associated Railways and Transport Systems, →ISBN, page 72:

Sometimes the door also cuts off main structural components such as the solebar or cantrail.

2005, Jan Prockat, Developing large structural parts for railway application using a fibre reinforced polymer design, Univerlagtuberlin, →ISBN, Lightweight Design, page 44:

(rail transport, UK, Australia) One of the longitudinal beams running along either side of a railway vehicle, onto which the bodywork is mounted, in passenger-carrying vehicles usually forming the side or the base of the floor.


knockback

knockbacks (plural)
knock-back (alternative)

He got a few knockbacks today when he tried to give his resume out at the local shops.

The only other knockback in the Port Kembla-Wollongong district was from Benny Westwood of the Advance Tyre Service. He, too, ordered us off the premises.

1987, Rupert Lockwood, War on the Waterfront: Menzies, Japan, and the Pig-Iron Dispute, page 199:

1995, Heather Hogarth, Your First Job: Getting It, Keeping It, and Going Further, MacMillan Education Australia, page 82,
So you′ve had a knockback. All right, we don′t all get the first job we apply for.

They asked matter-of-fact questions about harrowing tales that the victims had been trying to tell other media outlets, only to receive knockback after knockback for more than a year.

2010, Chris Rau, Dealing With the Media: A Handbook for Students, Activists, Community Groups and Anyone Who Can′t Afford a Spin Doctor, page 3:

Nicole Kidman got a knockback because Su-Man was too busy whipping a certain Oscar-winning French actress into shape.

2010, Tony Parsons, Tony Parsons on Life, Death and Breakfast, unnumbered page:

(UK, Australia, informal) A rejection; a refusal.


spence

From Middle English spence, spense, borrowed from Middle French despense, from Medieval Latin dīspēnsa, noun use of feminine of Latin dīspēnsus, past participle of dīspendere (“weigh out”).

'I expect it was a dog which got into the spence and licked up the junket and ate the biscuits,' put in the old turf-cutter. 'I would lock and bar the spence-door, if I were you, the next time I put such nice things in there.'

1906, Enys Tregarthen, North Cornwall Fairies and Legends, page 77:

(UK, dialect, dated) A buttery or pantry.


old sweat

old sweats (plural)
old-sweat (alternative)

(British, military slang, chiefly World War I) An experienced soldier.

A lifelong buddy of mine, this Herring, linked to me by what are called imperishable memories. Years ago, when striplings, he and I had done a stretch together at Malvern House, Bramley-on-Sea, the preparatory school conducted by that prince of stinkers, Aubrey Upjohn MA, and had frequently stood side by side in the Upjohn study awaiting the receipt of six of the juiciest from a cane of the type that biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder, as the fellow said. So we were, you might say, rather like a couple of old sweats who had fought shoulder to shoulder on Crispin's Day, if I've got the name right.

1960, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter I, in Jeeves in the Offing:

(British, military slang) A veteran soldier or war veteran.

(British, slang, figuratively) Someone experienced in his or her field.


up oneself

en-adj

up oneself (comparative more up oneself, superlative most up oneself)

more up oneself (comparative)
most up oneself (superlative)

I don't like her; she is really up herself.

Don't be so up yourself.

2010, Deb Fitzpatrick, 90 Packets of Instant Noodles, Fremantle Press, page 151,
They′re older and taller and more up themselves.

There was a lot of yard bitching about Michelle, who was getting more and more up herself.

I had felt too that Putin was far grander than before, much more up himself, a bit peevish.

2012, Alastair Campbell, The Burden of Power: Countdown to Iraq - The Alastair Campbell Diaries, unnumbered page:

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, slang) Smug; arrogant; self-important and self-satisfied.


bumfluff

From bum + fluff, from its resemblance to the sparse hair on the buttocks.

bum fluff (alternative)
bum-fluff (alternative)

He still had bumfluff on his cheeks, he was that young. About once a month he used to shave it off, and come skiting about it. I smiled at the memory of him all lathered up, grinning at me through the mirror as he went to work on the bumfluff.

1983, John Carroll, Token Soldiers, Boronia, Vic.: Wildgrass Books, →ISBN, page 247:

Dad'd kill me for doing this. It's so obvious that I mustn't touch his shaver, he's never even told me not to. […] His shaver came closer to the bumfluff on my upper lip ... closer ... It bit me! I unplugged it. Oh God. Now my bumfluff had a ridiculous patch missing.

2006, David Mitchell, Black Swan Green: A Novel, London: Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN:

There was a basic core of twelve: hard, canny females, with a few young males coming into their strength, just beginning to grow manes: bumfluff lions.

2008, Simon Barnes, How to be Wild, London: Short Books, →ISBN, page 18:

In my peer group I looked the oldest because I had bum fluff. Who can forget bum fluff? Wispy growths of hair around your chin that you thought made you look like Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

2008, Christian O'Connell, The Men Commandments: The Bible for Blokes from the Daddy of Breakfast Radio, London: Collins, →ISBN:

Sometimes the post-pubertal life stage of a young male figure is indicated by the appearance on his cheeks of ‘bum fluff’ or an incipient beard. […] The pictorial context would, therefore, suggest that the representation of ‘bum fluff’ on the cheeks of a male youth usually indicates that he has passed beyond the limits of minority status and has already reached at least his eighteenth year when in civic, legal, military and social terms he was accorded new roles and responsibilities not appropriate to the status of those who were still paides, or boys.

2012, Lesley A. Beaumont, Childhood in Ancient Athens: Iconography and Social History (Routledge Monographs in Classical Studies), London: Routledge, →ISBN, page 27:

There was me, Eddie, Wilco and a guy called Bobby Thomlinson who we never went around with much because he wore a lot of crushed velvet and had bumfluff. Our thinking was he could get the tickets because, thanks to the bumfluff on his face, he looked much, much older than the fourteen-years-old that he was.

2013, Rikki Brown, Frankie Vaughan Ate My Hamster: Growing Up in the East End, Edinburgh: Black & White Publishing, →ISBN:

There was no way I was twenty-one. I looked nineteen at a push. Maybe sixteen-and-a-half, which is what I was. Big though – not fat – but tall. No baby-face and no bum-fluff moustache. The fisher boys had their bum-fluff moustaches and they looked total pricks.

2016, James Yorkston, Three Craws, Glasgow: Freight Books, →ISBN:

(Australia, British, New Zealand, derogatory) The first, sparse beard growth of an adolescent.


bummaree

The bummaree is the jobber or speculator on the fish-exchange. Perhaps on every busy morning 100 men buy a quantity of fish, which they account likely to be remunerative, and retail it, or dispose of it in lots to the fishmongers or costermongers. Few if any of these dealers, however, are merely bummarees. A salesman, if he have disposed of the fish consigned to himself, will turn bummaree if any bargain tempt him. Or a fishmonger may purchase twice the quantity he requires for his own trade, in order to procure a cheaper stock, and “bummaree” what he does not require.

1851, Henry Mayhew, “Of the Forestalling of Markets and the Billingsgate Bummarees”, in London Labour and the London Poor:

(UK, dated) A porter or dealer of fish at Billingsgate Fish Market in London.

(UK) A person fulfilling a similar function at the Smithfield Meat Market in London.


crotched

crotched (comparative more crotched, superlative most crotched)

more crotched (comparative)
most crotched (superlative)

Are you, madam, '(returned the officious chamber-maid)' then determined to go moping with that crotched old woman into the country?

1754, Miss Smythies, The History of Lucy Wellers, page 42:

The officer is away about the guagin' business, and the men have Billy Short in with them, purtendin' to be crotched with some sperrits from an ould run, that he gives to them, to have the evening a hearty one;

1843 January, “The Smuggling Run”, in The Dublin University Magazine, volume 21, page 85:

"You telling me the crotched old merc actually gives a crap now?" he asked.

2011, General Rage, When There Was a Tomorrow:


diethylstilboestrol

(pharmacology) UK spelling of diethylstilbestrol.


fundholding

en-noun

fundholding (countable and uncountable, plural fundholdings)

general practitioner
general practitioner

(UK, historical) A former system of state funding of general practitioners in which they were allocated a budget for services by the local hospital.


green labelling

(British, Canada spelling) Any of various labelling systems intended to help customers make informed choices concerning the environmental consequences of the manufacture, use and disposal of a product.


seedcorn

(UK, economics) Financial assets set aside for the generation of future profits.


at the coal face

From being in a coal mine, at the face where the mining is actually occurring, especially in dark, cramped, dirty, hazardous conditions. Compare front line and trenches, of similar formation.

(UK, idiomatic) Directly engaged in the operations of a business, rather than in a hands off, managerial position.


scraight

en-verb

scraight (third-person singular simple present scraights, present participle scraighting, simple past and past participle scraighted)

scraights (present singular third-person)
scraighting (participle present)
scraighted (participle past)
scraighted (past)

An' stop they scraightin' childt, Do shut thy face! - From "The Collier's Wife", a dialect poem by D. H. Lawrence

(UK, regional) To cry; to clobber; to conk.


winterbourne

[ˈwɪ̃.ɾɚˌbɝːn]

From winter + bourne (“seasonal brook or stream”), partly also from the placenames Winterborne, Winterbourne, which are derived from Old English winterburna (“stream that is full in winter”), from winter (from Proto-Germanic *wintruz, further etymology uncertain) + burna (“stream”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to boil; to brew”)). The Old English word appears to have survived only in placenames.

inh

[F]rom the graveyard itself burst up one of those noble springs known as winter-bournes in the chalk ranges, which, awakened in autumn from the abysses to which it had shrunk during the summer's drought, was hurrying down upon its six months' course, a broad sheet of oily silver, over a temporary channel of smooth green sward.

1848, [Charles Kingsley], “The Philosophy of Fox-hunting”, in Yeast: A Problem. […], London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], published 1851, →OCLC, pages 14–15:

The stream is a winterbourne - it flows only in winter or other periods of high rainfall and is usually dry in summer.

1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 334, about Rockbourne:

(British) A stream that only flows in winter or after wet weather, particularly in an area rich in limestone.


sixer

The history of 'oners' becoming 'sixers' through successive victories[…]

2005, Benedict Le Vay, Eccentric Britain, page 32:


fibrescope

fibrescopes (plural)
fiberscope (alternative)

(British) An instrument, consisting of a fibre optic bundle, used to observe inaccessible areas


muttonheaded

en-adj

muttonheaded (comparative more muttonheaded, superlative most muttonheaded)

more muttonheaded (comparative)
most muttonheaded (superlative)

“And I suppose you're delighted?” “Of course I am.” “Yes, of course you are! I can well imagine that it's your dearest wish to see that unfortunate muttonheaded girl become the wife of a man who lets off stink bombs in night clubs and pinches the spoons and has had three divorces already and who, if the authorities play their cards right, will end up cracking rocks in Sing-Sing. That is unless the loony-bin gets its bid in first. Just a Prince Charming, you might say.”

1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XVII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

(British, slang) Being a muttonhead; stupid or foolish.


lovey

“Now, my lovey, eat it up like a good girl,” said nurse, setting her lips in a way that Bertha knew, and that meant she had come into the nursery at another wrong moment.

1918 August, Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “Bliss”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, page 118:

The number one I hope to reap / Depends upon the tears you weep / So cry, lovey, cry

1989, Paul Heaton, Dave Rotheray, “Song for Whoever”, performed by The Beautiful South:

(UK) An informal mode of address (associated most often with actors and the like).