Start

the Start (canonical)
start (alternative)
START (alternative)

It is true that certain kinds of documents, especially sham hawkers’ licenses, may be had in the provinces, at prices suited to the importance of their contents, or to the probable gains of their circulation; but all the ‘regular bang-up fakes’ are manufactured in the ‘Start’ (metropolis), and sent into the country to order, carefully packed up, and free from observation.

1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:

(UK, slang, obsolete) The city of London, England.


Tad

There's a new pub opening in Tad next week.


Tower

en-proper noun

Tower (countable and uncountable, plural Towers)

Traitors should be sent to the Tower!

(UK, with 'the') The Tower of London, especially seen as a place of imprisonment or punishment.


Trinity

(UK, Ireland, law, education) Ellipsis of Trinity term.


Tyke

Perhaps a derogatory nickname from Old Norse tík, 'bitch, female dog' (compare English tyke, Icelandic tík). Less likely to be from Old Norse þýzkr, 'of one's nation' or an Old English cognate (compare German deutsch, Swedish tysk).

(UK, informal) a Yorkshireman or Yorkshirewoman; a Yorkshire person


U

An abbreviation of a word or term beginning with the letter U. Adjective sense 1 (“characteristic of the upper classes”) was coined by British linguist Alan S. C. Ross (1907–1980) in a 1954 article, and popularized by the English journalist and writer Nancy Mitford (1904–1973).

(UK) A film with the film classification U (“universal”).


U

en-adj

U (not generally comparable, comparative Uer, superlative Uest)

I may also note here that the U-demarcation is of two types: – (1) a certain U-feature has a different, non-U counterpart as non-U wealthy / U rich; (2) a certain feature is confined to U-speech and it has a counterpart which is not confined to non-U speech e.g. the pronunciations of girl as [ɡɛl], (? [ɡjɛl]), [ɡæl], [ɡɛəl] are U, but many (perhaps most male) U-speakers, like all non-U-speakers, use the pronunciation [ɡəːl].

1954, Alan S[trode] C[ampbell] Ross, “Linguistic Class-indicators in Present-day English”, in Neuphilologische Mitteilungen [Modern Language Communications], volume 55, number 1, Helsinki: Modern Language Society, →ISSN, →JSTOR, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2015-04-15, page 24:

To TAKE a bath is non-U against U to HAVE one’s bath.

[1956], Alan S. C. Ross, “U and non-U”, in David Milsted, Brewer’s Anthology of England and the English, page 120

In a treatise that still causes ripples in English society, Mitford defined various terms as either U (upper class) or non-U.

1956, Nancy Mitford, Noblesse Oblige: an Inquiry into the Identifiable Characteristics of the English Aristocracy

Pudding when used to mean all sweet dishes at the end of a meal is non-U; the U expression is sweet.

1956 February 25, Thought, volume 8, Delhi: Siddhartha Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 16, column 1:

A wedding is a great occasion for u/non-u indicators. The u mother will be quietly dressed; the non-u one will be more ostentatious and have a corsage. The u father will be wearing his own morning coat and a carnation. The non-u father will bolster his carnation—on his hired morning coat—with a sprig of fern, and perhaps even carry a pair of grey gloves.

1968 August 21, “U and Non-U Today: 2. Actions”, in New Society: The Social Science Weekly, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 267, column 2:

The U/non-U priority rule will be in accord with servant master-type rules if masters are U and servants are non-U, for then the rules support each other. But since a master who cannot command is not a master, a non-U sergeant must take priority over a U-recruit, the same with impoverished aristocratic chauffeurs working for nouveau-riche plebeian millionaires.

1976, J[an] T. J. Srzednicki, “Structure of Beliefs and Group Structure”, in Elements of Social and Political Philosophy (Melbourne International Philosophy Series; 2), The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →DOI, →ISBN, page 135:

Was it all a huge joke … this U and non-U business? Yes and no. John Betjeman assured me that it was. But some jokes have an element of cruelty and a great many sensitive people, particularly women, must have suffered agonies of embarrassment because they were uncertain as to what was 'done,' and what was not.

1977, Beverley Nichols, “Toilet-training”, in The Spectator: A Weekly Review of Politics, Literature, Theology, and Art, volume 238, London: F. C. Westley, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 15, column 3:

The concept of U (for upper-class British usage, as opposed to non-U, or everything else) was introduced by Alan S. C. Ross (1954) and was taken up by Nancy Mitford (1956), becoming for a time something of a parlor game in which the participants tested themselves and everyone else for signs of U and non-U status.

1992, John Algeo, “Sociolinguistic Attitudes and Issues in Contemporary Britain”, in Tim W[illiam] Machan, Charles T. Scott, editors, English in Its Social Contexts: Essays in Historical Sociolinguistics (Oxford Studies in Sociolinguistics), New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 165:

Other, perhaps more contentious generalizations, which nevertheless contain a certain amount of truth, are that afternoon tea is U, starts at four and typically consists of tea, thin sandwiches and cakes.

1992, Stephan Gramley, Survey of Modern English, page 38:

To speak of lavatories is U, of bathrooms non-U; to lay cloth napkins at table is U, to lay paper napkins non-U; and so on through a myriad of equally trivial examples. I assume that there is something distinctively collusive in the way Sloanes use the U-concept: that as they individually decide whether something is U or non-U they look over their shoulders to make sure they stay in step—the community is the authority—rather than looking to the thing itself to see what profile it displays.

1993, Philip Pettit, “For Holism, against Atomism”, in The Common Mind: An Essay on Psychology, Society, and Politics, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN; 1st paperback edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 1996, →ISBN, part II (Mind and Society), pages 205–206:

For this we must turn to speculations such as those offered in connection with U and non-U English.

2001, Stephan Gramley, The Vocabulary of World English (English Language Series), London: Arnold; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 205:

Eventually, as we now know, the present-day use of lunch and dinner became established among the fashionable classes. As the 20th century dawned, the pages of Punch magazine are full of references to business lunches and evening dinner parties. Meanwhile, the lower orders of society continued to use dinner for their midday meal, and so the U/non-U distinction was born. But the story of lunch and dinner is not over yet. Expressions such as lunch-box and packed lunch have reinforced a change of usage among many non-U children, so that they now happily talk about school lunches (though still served by dinner ladies).

2011, David Crystal, “65: Lunch: U or Non-U (19th Century)”, in The Story of English in 100 Words, London: Profile Books, →ISBN, page 171:

(comparable, chiefly British, dated) Abbreviation of upper class (“characteristic of the upper classes, particularly in the use of language”).

upper class

(not comparable, UK, film) Abbreviation of universal (“suitable for all ages”), in a film certificate.


Underground

Although some of the stations on ' The Branch ' have not, as yet, suffered any considerable structural alterations, all are now equipped with the familiar Underground type name boards, and as a result the imposing titles of G.N. days have been ruthlessly curtailed.

1940 October, “Notes and News: The High Barnet Branch”, in Railway Magazine, page 569:

Heathrow has a 28% share of passengers arriving by rail, two-thirds of whom come by the Underground.

2019 October, John Glover, “Heathrow rail expansion”, in Modern Railways, page 71:

(UK, rail transport) The London Underground.


United

(chiefly British) any of many football teams formed by the amalgamation of smaller ones


Walker

“Do you know the Poulterer’s, in the next street but one, at the corner?” Scrooge inquired.
“I should hope I did,” replied the lad.
“An intelligent boy!” said Scrooge. “A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they’ve sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there?—Not the little prize Turkey: the big one?” […] “Go and buy it.”
“Walk-er!” exclaimed the boy.
“No, no,” said Scrooge, “I am in earnest. Go and buy it, and tell ’em to bring it here, that I may give them the direction where to take it. Come back with the man, and I’ll give you a shilling. Come back with him in less than five minutes and I’ll give you half-a-crown!”

1843, Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, Stave Five:

(UK, archaic, slang) Expressing scornful rejection or disbelief.


Weald

(British) The physiographic area in south-east England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs.


White

Capitalized due to this racial sense's connotation of (current or historical) European origin, so as to follow the capitalization rules for nationalities and ethne, known in former centuries as “races” (e.g., “the Chinese race”, “the English race”), and also, perhaps, as a way to explicitly distinguish it from the color sense, which is never capitalized outside proper nouns.

White (disambiguation)#Places in the United States

Unfortunately, many White people have been raised to believe that their race is intrinsically more prejudice than others.

2025 April 8, Sarah Stock, “Five Common Myths About White People — Debunked”, in Rift TV:

(chiefly US, sometimes Canada and UK) Alternative letter-case form of white (“of or relating to white complexion or Europeans”).


Worship

(British) A form of address of a mayor and other dignitaries


Yank

“This time,” he General Alphonse-Pierre Juin] told the Yanks, “you have not crossed to win new victories but to preserve peace. […]”

1951 June 11, “The Yanks Are Coming: U.S. shows world we are playing for keeps as 4th Division leaves to join Eisenhower's NATO army”, in Life, page 38:

(slang, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, UK, sometimes derogatory ethnic slur, by extension) An American: someone from the United States.


steam radio

The phrase originated in Britain when television was beginning to take over from radio and steam locomotives were giving way to diesel and electric ones.

(chiefly British, informal) Radio (sound broadcasting), considered as old-fashioned compared to television.


scot

From Middle English scot, scott, from Old English scot, scott, sċeot, ġescot (“contribution; payment; tax; fine”), from Old Norse skot, from Proto-Germanic *skutą (“that which is thrown or cast; projectile; missile”), related to English shoot. Later influenced by Old French escot (Modern écot), itself of Germanic origin. Doublet of shot.

der

(UK, historical) A local tax, paid originally to the lord or ruler and later to a sheriff.


scrummy

en-adj

scrummy (comparative scrummier, superlative scrummiest)

scrummier (comparative)
scrummiest (superlative)

Of course one did get some scrummy things to eat abroad, that cook did not, somehow, produce at home; and the people looked different […]

1930, Ralph Hale Mottram, The English Miss:

There's an all day menu, with lots of fish dishes such as fish soup, tuna, and monkfish. Pudding might include a scrummy rosemary panacotta.

After mopping up the last bits with my scrummy nan breads we settled down to watch the DVD of "The Two Towers" from "Lord of the Rings" […]

2006, Julie Wilson, Our Spanish Winters:


rummy

rummy (comparative rummier, superlative rummiest)

rummier (comparative)
rummiest (superlative)

“You say rummy things and you do rummy things. What I mean to say is, you're impulsive.”

1920, P. G. Wodehouse, Jill the Reckless, page 28:


japan

en-verb

japan (third-person singular simple present japans, present participle japanning, simple past and past participle japanned)

japans (present singular third-person)
japanning (participle present)
japanned (participle past)
japanned (past)

From Japan, due to this varnishing process being an imitation of East Asian processes. Sense “to ordain” in reference to the black clothes worn by the clergy.

Jack, hearing that I was in this part of the world, sent me a very hearty letter, informing me, that he had been double-japanned (as he called it) about a year ago, and was the present incumbent of — […]

1826, George Colman, The Connoisseur, page 179:

(UK, slang, transitive, obsolete, religion) To ordain.


guinea

→ Arabic: جُنَيْه (junayh)

→ Egyptian Arabic: جنيه (ginēh)

→ Irish: gine

→ Scottish Gaelic: gini

→ Spanish: guinea

→ Welsh: gini

From Guinea, the early modern name for West Africa, the coins originally being made of gold from the region, mostly from the 'Gold Coast' (modern Ghana) and used for African trade, and the guinea fowl being found there.
Its use as an ethnic slur against Italians may be due to their darker complexion compared to people of Anglo-American descent.

English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Georges, and Louises, doubloons and double guineas and moidores and sequins, the pictures of all the kings of Europe for the last hundred years, strange Oriental pieces stamped with what looked like wisps of string or bits of spider's web, round pieces and square pieces, and pieces bored through the middle, as if to wear them round your neck—nearly every variety of money in the world must, I think, have found a place in that collection...

1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:

However, since there are 488 pages in all for a bargain price of a guinea one must not be too carping.

1962 June, “New Reading on Railways: Locomotives of British Railways, by H. C. Casserley & L. Asher, Spring Books, 21s.”, in Modern Railways, page 432:

(British, historical) A gold coin originally worth twenty shillings; later (from 1717 until the adoption of decimal currency) standardised at a value of twenty-one shillings.


mn

mn. (alternative)
mln. (alternative)
mln (alternative)

(chiefly British, Commonwealth except Canada, Ireland) Abbreviation of million.


brim

Clipping of brimstone (“sulphur; (figurative) a domineering, scolding woman”).

clipping

Can mortal ſcoundrels thee perplex, / And the great brim of brimſtones vex?

1767, Homer, “Homer’s Iliad. Book IV.”, in [Thomas Bridges], transl., A Burlesque Translation of Homer, London: […] S. Hooper, […], published 1772, →OCLC, page 134:

She rav'd, ſhe abus'd me, as ſplenetic mad; / She's a vixen, a brim; zounds! ſhe's all that is bad.

1798, [Henry Heartwell], “Song”, in Reform’d in Time. A Comic Opera, […], London: […] Messrs. Cadell and Davies, […], →OCLC, Act II, scene iv, stanza III, page 37:

(UK, slang, obsolete except dialectal) An irascible, violent woman.


Sharon

Biblical place name, Hebrew שָׁרוֹן (šārōn, “the Sharon plain”).

der

2005, Birgitte Tufte, Jeanette Rasmussen, Lars Bech Christensen, Frontrunners Or Copycats? (page 83), quoting a 17-year-old girl
'Cos all the Sharons go with the Rocker type of skaters - because I've got friends who are really good friends with Sharons and they are skaters. And you don't hold it against them that they are Sharons and they are rockers.

(UK, derogatory, slang) A working-class female.


rota

Borrowed from Latin rota (“wheel”). Doublet of rotor and ruote.

[The manager] instituted a rota for having the players attend supporters’ club meetings throughout the season, telling them it was part of the job of being a footballer.

2014 July 25, Paul Rees, “‘We got off the coach and the National Front was there … People spat at us’”, in The Guardian:

(UK, Ireland) A schedule that allocates some task, responsibility or (rarely) privilege between a set of people according to a (possibly periodic) calendar.


peter

Green's Dictionary of Slang
Richard Head

Unknown. Attested from the 18th century. The Canting Academy defines peeter as “A portmantle”; Green’s Dictionary of Slang list a variety of uses for peter – including trunk or portmanteau – in thieves’ cant in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. The OED suggests that it may be related to St. Peter being the holder of the keys to God's Kingdom.

It used to be simple to 'crack a peter'. Safe-breaking (blowing or cracking a 'peter') in the past three or four years shows that the expert cracksman knows his job.

1963, Kenneth Ullyett, Crime out of Hand, page 109:

The forty quid! Gone! ’Ow could she ’ave gotten in there? The peter ain’t broke, no sign of it bein’ bettied, and I the only one w’ the key.

2013, Zack Wentz, “Simplicity itself”, in Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, volume 10, page 161:

[…] the ceremony of 'slopping out', breakfast, across to the main library from nine till half-past eleven, back to my peter for the mid-day meal and two hours' break, then the library again till five o'clock when tea was brought round and the cell door locked for the night.

1955, Rupert Croft-Cooke, The Verdict of You All, page 82:


wally

'Don't be such a wally,' Ruby said. 'Felicity is way smarter than you could ever hope to be.'

2014, Richard Newsome, The House of Puzzles, page 111:

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, slang) A fool.


MAC

en-noun

MAC (countable and uncountable, plural MACs)

Migration Authorisation Code
w:Migration Authorisation Code

(UK, telecommunications) Initialism of Migration Authorisation Code.


DB

defined benefits
defined benefits#English

(UK, pensions) Initialism of defined benefits.


sam

en-verb

sam (third-person singular simple present sams, present participle samming, simple past and past participle sammed)

sams (present singular third-person)
samming (participle present)
sammed (participle past)
sammed (past)
samen (alternative)

From Middle English sammen, samnen, from Old English samnian, ġesamnian (“to collect, assemble, bring together, gather, join, unite, compose, meet, glean”), from Proto-West Germanic *samnōn, from Proto-Germanic *samnōną (“to gather”), from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one”). Cognate with Dutch zamelen (“to collect”), German sammeln (“to collect, gather”), Swedish samla (“to gather, collect”), Icelandic samna (“to gather, collect”). More at same.

(transitive, UK dialectal, of persons) To bring together; join (in marriage, friendship, love, etc.).

I sammed it up for ye

(transitive, UK dialectal, of things) To bring together; collect; put in order; arrange.

(intransitive, UK dialectal) To assemble; come together.

(transitive, UK dialectal) To coagulate; curdle (milk).


fand

fand (third-person singular simple present fands, present participle fanding, simple past and past participle fanded)

fands (present singular third-person)
fanding (participle present)
fanded (participle past)
fanded (past)

From Middle English fanden, fandien, from Old English fandian (“to try, attempt, tempt, test, examine, explore, search out, seek to know, experience, visit”), from Proto-Germanic *fandōną (“to seek, inquire”), from Proto-Indo-European *pent- (“to come, go”). Cognate with North Frisian fanljien (“to visit”), dialectal Dutch vanden, German fahnden (“to search”). Related to find.

der

(obsolete, transitive, UK dialectal) To test; examine; make a trial of; prove.

(obsolete, transitive, UK dialectal) To put someone through a trial; test; tempt; entice.


hoover

The Hoover Company
Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum
hoover

Genericized trademark of Hoover, the brand name of one of the first vacuum cleaners, which was sold by The Hoover Company. The American company was founded by William Henry Hoover (1849–1932) and his son Herbert William Hoover, Sr. (1877–1954). The surname Hoover is an Anglicized version of the German Huber, originally designating a landowner or a prosperous small-scale farmer.

"What do you do about dogs that don't like Hoovers?" […] At the first opportunity place the Hoover in the area where your dog is lying calmly, and since it is normally the noise that sends it into those fits of anger, it should be unconcerned with a silent machine. Continue to place the Hoover in those areas that your pet is relaxing until it is familiar with the Hoover being in such close proximity. […] By continuing to distract your pet each time the Hoover is switched on but stationary, you should be able to move it a little closer without causing your pet any alarm.

2006, William Houston, Party Tricks for Dogs, Victoria, B.C.: Trafford Publishing, →ISBN:

And the brooms lined up behind the buckets, and the dusters, dustpans, cloths and brushes, feather dusters and sweepers all lined up bravely to do battle with the thousand upright Hoovers. The Hoovers charged, engines roaring and bags fully inflated.

2011, Terry Jones, Evil Machines, Clerkenwell, London: Unbound, →ISBN:

Vacuuming the house is a very quick way of sprucing it up simply because you can use the hoover to push everything out of the way. Cleaning an average-size room is also the exercise equivalent of ten minutes on the Nordic Skier, while changing the hoover bag is the mental equivalent of doing a Rubik's cube in a dust storm.

2014, Guy Browning, How to Be Normal: A Guide for the Perplexed, London: Atlantic Books, →ISBN:

(chiefly UK, Ireland) A vacuum cleaner, irrespective of brand.


hoover

en-verb

hoover (third-person singular simple present hoovers, present participle hoovering, simple past and past participle hoovered)

hoovers (present singular third-person)
hoovering (participle present)
hoovered (participle past)
hoovered (past)
Hoover (alternative)

I need to hoover this room.

This time Robbie was dreaming about Mr Spatchley's ducks. They had all come alive and were flying around the office whilst Robbie desperately tried to hoover the floor. There were ducks everywhere, on the desk and mantelpiece and padding around on the floor, knocking things over and quacking indignantly.

2000, Tanya David, Dennis Pepper, comp., “Dogends”, in The New Young Oxford Book of Ghost Stories, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, pages 30–31:

In the freshly hoovered living room of her house in Wokingham, Thelma Dawnton was distinctly miffed.

2006, Stella Rimington, Secret Asset, London: Hutchinson, ISBN 978-0-09-180024-6; republished New York, N.Y.: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 2008, ISBN 978-1-4000-7982-7, page 210

In honour of my visit, he'd gotten rid of 'most' of the cobwebs, and washed and hoovered the walls next to the bed. Hoovered the walls? What sort of creatures were living in the gaps in the stone that would need to be hoovered out?

2009, Ariel Leve, The Cassandra Chronicles, London: Portobello, →ISBN:

After I'd eaten my dinner on Saturday, Mum said I could start earning some money by hoovering the lounge. She got the hoover out, plugged it in and said that she would come and inspect the carpet after she had finished clearing the dinner things away. […] I had started off hoovering the carpet, but after about twelve pushes I got a bit bored.

2015, Kes Gray, Daisy and the Trouble with Piggy Banks, London: Red Fox, →ISBN:

(ambitransitive, British, Ireland) To clean (a room, etc.) with a vacuum cleaner, irrespective of brand.

I'd hoover, iron or dust, but I hated doing windows.

[…] she was always in trouble for not hoovering behind the bed picked up what I could of it still there after he hoovered […]

2001, Ali Smith, Hotel World, London: Hamish Hamilton, →ISBN:

A woman from a funding agency visited the station for a meeting early one morning, and when she arrived I was doing the hoovering. My colleague introduced us and we chatted for a bit. Then she asked me what my job was and I told her 'station manager'. She looked really puzzled, and asked 'so why are you doing the hoovering?' I answered, 'because the floor was dirty.'

2005, Ally Fogg, Phil Korbel, Cathy Brooks, Steve Lee, “Money and Monitoring”, in Community Radio Toolkit, Manchester: Radio Regen, →ISBN, page 78:

Up and down the wooden stairs of the house in Cambridge large balls of dust and dog hair bounced. Toby wondered whether John Lambert III, if he'd stuck around, would have hoovered. The hoover stopped and the man wound in the cord, admiring his handiwork. The silence pounded against Toby's eardrums. It seemed that real men hoovered.

2007, Olivia Liberty, Falling, London: Atlantic Books, →ISBN:

(intransitive, British, Ireland) To use a vacuum cleaner, irrespective of brand.


abe

Let it abe, I say.

1839, The New Monthly Magazine, volume 1, page 527:

But if it amuses her I let it abe.

1864, Charles Dickens, Household Words, page 186:

But let that abe.

1885, Charles Gibbon, Heart's Delight, page 154:

(intransitive, infinitive, British, uncommon) To be.


jasper

(UK, West Country, Somerset, colloquial) A wasp.


wacko

"Wacko! There's a whole pile of letters for me," Jennings cried excitedly, hopping from one foot to the other.

1952, Anthony Buckeridge, Jennings and Darbishire:


buckle

buckle (third-person singular simple present buckles, present participle buckling, simple past and past participle buckled)

buckles (present singular third-person)
buckling (participle present)
buckled (participle past)
buckled (past)
buckle (infinitive)
buckle (first-person present singular)
buckled (first-person past singular)
buckle (present second-person singular)
bucklest (archaic present second-person singular)
buckled (past second-person singular)
buckledst (archaic past second-person singular)
buckles (present singular third-person)
buckleth (archaic present singular third-person)
buckled (past singular third-person)
buckle (plural present)
buckled (past plural)
buckle (present subjunctive)
buckled (past subjunctive)
buckle (imperative present)
buckling (participle present)
buckled (participle past)

The noun is derived from Middle English bokel (“spiked metal ring for fastening; ornamental clasp; boss of a shield; a shield, buckler; (figurative) means of defence”) [and other forms], from Old French boucle, bocle (“spiked metal ring for fastening; boss of a shield; a shield”) [and other forms], from Latin buccula (“cheek strap of a helmet; boss of a shield”) (from bucca (“soft part of the cheek”)).
Noun sense 2 (“great conflict or struggle”) is probably derived from verb sense 1.2.1 (“to apply (oneself) to, or prepare (oneself) for, a task or work”).
The verb is derived from Middle English bokelen, bukelen (“to fasten (something) with a buckle or clasp; to fasten, make fast; to wrap; to arch the body”) [and other forms], from bokel (noun) (see above) + -en (suffix forming the infinitive of verbs).
In verb sense 1.2.1, the sense “to apply (oneself) to, or prepare (oneself) for, a task or work” was derived from the now obsolete sense “to equip (oneself) for a battle, etc.”, and originally alluded to armour being buckled on to the body.

nb...

bocle, bocul, bocule, bocull, boculle, bogil, bogyll, bokell, bokle, bokull, bokyll, bokylle, boucle, bukel, bukkel, bukle, bukyll, bukylle

der

[T]ake my advice, and marry in the firſt place vvhere vve can find a curate; or make uſe of our friend the licentiate, vvho vvill buckle you handſomely.

1755, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, “The Savoury Conversation that Passed between Don Quixote and His Squire Sancho Panza; with Many Other Incidents”, in T[obias] Smollett, transl., The History and Adventures of the Renowned Don Quixote. […], volume I, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, part I, book IV, page 228:

They were hailed […] as a young strapping Irishman, conveying an ancient maiden to Dr Rigmarole's at Redriffe, who buckles beggars for a tester and a dram of Geneva.

1822 May 29, [Walter Scott], chapter II, in The Fortunes of Nigel. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 34:

(British, dialectal (especially Scotland) or humorous) To unite (people) in marriage; to marry.

Yet thou, they ſay, for Marriage do'ſt provide: / Is this an Age to Buckle vvith a Bride?

1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Sixth Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC, page 90:

(British, dialectal (especially Scotland) or humorous) To unite with someone in marriage; to marry.

So they buckled together, and the Heithen were diſcomfited, and fled ouer the playne felde: but the hynmoſt of them were ſlayne.

1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, 1 Macchabees iiij:[14–15], folio lxij, verso, column 1:

VVell, it chanced that the Lord Protector [Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester] and he [Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester] fell out, and the Biſhop vvould bear nothing at all vvith him, but played me the Satrapa; ſo the Regent of France vvas fain to be ſent for from beyond the ſeas, to ſet them at one, and go betvveen them: For the Biſhop vvas as able and ready to buckle vvith the Lord Protector as he vvas vvith him.

1549 March 25 (Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, “Sermon VI. Being the Second Sermon Preached before King Edward VI. March the Fifteenth.”, in The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, Master Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester. […], volume I, London: […] J. Scott, […], published 1758, →OCLC, page 90:

In ſingle Combat thou ſhalt buckle vvith me; / And if thou vanquiſheſt, thy vvords are true, / Othervviſe I renounce all confidence.

c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 98, column 2:

[B]eing armed vvith patience vvhen thou buckleſt vvith affliction or pouertie, hunger, or any croſſe ſoeuer thou canſt ſay, it is nothing to ouercome them.

1599, Lewis Thomas, “Christ Combating with Satan”, in Seauen Sermons, or, The Exercises of Seuen Sabbaoths. […], [London]: […] Valentine Simmes, →OCLC, folio 50, verso:

And as the vvhole armies vvere thus engag'd, and each man cloſely buckl'd to his antagoniſt, the battles vvere commonly very bloody, and great ſlaughter made on both ſides, but eſpecially on the vanquiſh'd.

1749 (date written), David Hume, “Discourse X. Of the Populousness of Antient Nations.”, in Political Discourses, Edinburgh: […] R. Fleming, for A[lexander] Kincaid and A[lexander] Donaldson, published 1752, →OCLC, page 189:

Algerine Porpoise […] Provoke him, and he will buckle to a shark.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “Cetology”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 158:

(obsolete except British, dialectal) To participate in some contest or labour; to join in close fight; to contend.


sneck lifter

One who goes from door to door, first footing, on New Year's Eve.


whisht

From Middle English qwyst, whisht, whist, imitative, though perhaps influenced by other verbs in wh- used in the imperative or by hust (adjective).

onom

imitative

wheesht (alternative)
weesht (alternative)
whish (alternative)
whist (alternative)

“You must have loved him very much,” she said.
“Whisht,” said the old woman, “there’s a word that you must never use until there's marrying between you […]”

1952, Neville Shute, chapter 9, in The Far Country, London: Heinemann:

(Ireland; British, especially Scotland, Northumbria) Shush, silence, be quiet!


squits

Likely a portmanteau of squirt and shit.

‘Caroline Graham said you couldn’t make it back upstairs. She laid it on as thick as anything for Gibson―said you’d been taken by surprise by something. Now word’s gone round you’ve got the squits.’

2006, Sarah Waters, The Night Watch, Virago Press, page 290:

(plural only, British, colloquial) diarrhoea.


shreddies

From shreddy (“consisting of shreds”) + -ies (plural suffix for nouns ending in -y).

suffix

ies<pos:plural suffix for nouns ending in -y>

1995, Joe Simpson, This Game of Ghosts, The Mountaineers Books, →ISBN,
As Mark came out of the bathroom, I remembered my underpants. ¶ ‘Hey Mark, have you got my shreddies?’

2001, Irvine Welsh, Glue, W. W. Norton & Company, →ISBN, page 40,
As ah stand up n pill oan ma shreddies, then ma jeans in T-shirt, she's staring oaf intae space, then wrappin her clathes roond her.

2004, Harry Foxley, Marking Time: A Soldier's Story, Trafford Publishing, →ISBN, page 165,
So adept did I become, in fact, that I could shower, shave and wash out socks and shreddies on as little as three penn’orth remaining on the meter (which had not yet been decimalized).

2004, Toby Bishop, Cry Havoc: A Trip to Hell for a Group of Ageing Mercenaries Who Should Have Known Better, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 43,
Their luggage was minimal, as he would have expected—shirts, Shreddies, socks, trousers and the rest of the basics of self-maintenance.

2006, Brian Carlin, Boy Entrant, Lulu Press, Inc., →ISBN, page 61,
“Drawers, cellular, six”—that was six pairs of loose-legged underwear that would come down to mid-thigh made from a cellular cotton fabric. We would later learn that the RAF slang name for these garments was “shreddies” because of their tendency to become threadbare and shred at the crotch where they rubbed against the harsh worsted material of our trousers.


Samaritan

/səˈmæɹɪtən/

/səˈmɛɹɪtən/

From Latin Samarītānus, from Ancient Greek Σαμαρείτης (Samareítēs), from Σαμαρεία (Samareía, “Samaria”), derived from Biblical Hebrew שֹׁמְרוֹנִים (Šōmərôním) and שֹׁמְרוֹן (Šōmərôn) respectively. Attested in Old English.

(UK) A person who works for the Samaritans telephone helpline, taking calls from suicidal members of the public.


bisulphite

(inorganic chemistry, British) Alternative spelling of bisulfite.


fanny

en-noun

fanny (countable and uncountable, plural fannies)

19th century. Ultimately from Fanny, pet form of the name Frances. Compare dick, John Thomas, mickey.

Her dress was so short you could nearly see her fanny.

(British, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, vulgar) The female genitalia.

get some fanny tonight

(UK, vulgar) Sexual intercourse with a woman.

This club is full of fanny.

(UK, vulgar, uncountable) Women, regarded as sex objects.


fanny

The British naval slang sense derives from Fanny Adams. Tins of mutton introduced as rations were not liked by the sailors and were taken by them to contain the butchered remains of Fanny Adams who had been brutally murdered and dismembered. The tins were re-used for eating from and cooking with.

I put on a big fanny of Ky, that is a straight-sided pot of cocoa for them returning.

2005, Patrick Halliday, Survival, page 24:

(UK, naval slang) Mess kettle or cooking pot.


racquet

After yet another mid-court volley error, Serena got so upset that she smashed her racquet deep into the clay court. The racquet was unusable after that, and when she went to her bag to grab another, she found that all her other racquets had broken strings.

2003, Dave Rineberg, Venus & Serena: My Seven Years as Hitting Coach for the Williams Sisters, Frederick Fell Publishers, →ISBN, page 165:

(chiefly UK) Alternative form of racket (“implement with a handle connected to a round frame”).


napoleon

napoleon (countable and uncountable, plural napoleons)

napoleons (plural)
Napoleon (alternative)

/nəˈpəʊlɪən/

Borrowed from French Napoléon (“given name, usually in reference to Napoleon Bonaparte”). In reference to coins, via French napoléon (“(slang) a coin that originally had the appearance of Napoleon's face in the obverse”). In reference to guns and possibly cards, in reference to Napoleon III.

bor

(rare UK horse racing slang, obsolete) Alternative form of nap: a horse to go nap on, a sure thing, a certain winner; a prediction of such a horse; a bet on such a horse.


Teletext

(UK, Ireland) A text-based information retrieval system using television sets with a suitable decoder; developed by the BBC.


wald

en-verb

wald (third-person singular simple present walds, present participle walding, simple past and past participle walded)

walds (present singular third-person)
walding (participle present)
walded (participle past)
walded (past)
wauld (alternative)

From Northern Middle English walde, from Old English wealdan (“to rule, control, determine, direct, command, govern, possess, wield, exercise, cause, bring about”), from Proto-West Germanic *waldan, from Proto-Germanic *waldaną (“to reign”), from Proto-Indo-European *waldʰ- (“to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess”).
Cognates
Cognate with German walten (“to prevail, reign, dominate”), Danish volde (“to cause”), Icelandic valda (“to cause”), Lithuanian valda (“land property”), Lithuanian valdyti (“to rule”).

cog

(UK dialectal, ambitransitive) To govern; inherit.


wald

en-noun

wald (countable and uncountable, plural walds)

From Northern Middle English wald, from Old English weald (“power, authority”), from Proto-Germanic *waldą (“power”), from Proto-Indo-European *waldʰ- (“to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess”). Cognate with German Gewalt (“force, power, control, violence”), Swedish våld (“force, violence”).

cog

(UK dialectal) Command; control; possession.


lucerne

The duration of lucerne is 6 to 10 years; though it sometimes, like clover, suffers from the winter. To make lucerne into hay, it should lie in the swath to wilt, and then be put into small grass-cocks with a fork (not rolled) to cure. After standing a day or two, the cocks may be opened two or three hours under a bright sun, the hay turned, and soon after housed. If spread like ordinary grass, the leaves dry and crumble ere the haulm or stalks are cured, and thus the best part of the fodder is lost. I have mixed lucerne, partially cured, in alternate strata with dry barley-straw on the mow, and found that cattle greedily consumed both in winter, when fed out in the yard. Lucerne may be sown till the 15th of May, at the rate of sixteen pounds to the acre. The soil should be dry and loose, rich and clean, and the subsoil pervious, so that the tap-roots may extend down […]

1841, Jesse Buel, The Farmers' Instructor. Consisting of Essays, Practical Directions, and Hints for the Management of the Farm and the Garden. Originally Published in the Cultivator; Selected and Revised for the School District Library, volume 1, Harper and Brothers, pages 202-203:


CB

en-noun

CB (countable and uncountable, plural CBs)

confined to barracks
confined to barracks#English

(British military) Initialism of confined to barracks.


CDT

CDT (countable and uncountable, plural CDTs)

(UK, education, historical) Initialism of craft, design, and technology.


CSA

Child Support Agency
w:Child Support Agency

(British) Initialism of Child Support Agency.


dimpsey

She sat telling with the old Jane a good two hours, for 'twas getting dimpsey when she started up hill to Grange, and that she took easy as she was getting a bit stoutish, and it made her bad to hurry.

1896, Gratiana Longworth Knocker, “Of the Evil Doings of Nance Darvel”, in The Witch of Withyford, page 11:

If we two poor wayfarers could have sat quietly beside each other and chatted in 'e dimpsey light, it would not have been a bit bad, but there was something eternally doing.

1910, Kate Douglas Wiggin, Mary Findlater, Jane Findlater, Allan McAulay, chapter VI, in The Affair at the Inn:

There was the river: woodland paths skirting in the evening a world of silver and grey, across which bats sketched zigzag flights. Very nice in the dimpsey light, but stuffy in the daytime.

1915, Sir Lewis Anselm da Costa Ritchie, “An Off-Shore Wind”, in A Tall Ship:

(UK, West Country, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset) The time in the evening just before dusk.


lucifer

→ Dutch: lucifer

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

Originally a brand name for matches made by Samuel Jones from 1830, soon used generically for self-igniting matches of any brand. From Latin lucifer (“bringer of light”).

1915, George Asaf, song Pack up your Troubles
While you’ve a lucifer to light your fag,
Smile, boys, that’s the style.

(British, archaic) A self-igniting match, i.e. one which could be lit by striking on any surface (as opposed to safety matches which only light against the material on the side of the box).


settler

(British) The person in a betting shop who calculates the winnings.


betting shop

(chiefly British) The premises of a bookmaker, where people may place bets, watch horse races etc on television, and collect their winnings.


leery

en-adj

leery (comparative leerier, superlative leeriest)

leerier (comparative)
leeriest (superlative)
leary (alternative)

1718, “untrustful, suspicious”, either from leer (“sideward look”) + -y, lear (“learning, knowledge”) + -y. More at leer, lear.

(UK, obsolete, slang) Sly; artful; knowing.


joe

Name me a joe in a bad country ... who doesn't fall for a pretty face if she's on his side against the world.

2001, Tod Hoffman, Le Carré's Landscape, page 193:

Soviet troops were permitted to enter the American sector, where they could easily capture and torture an agent to confirm the existence of a Joe house, then cripple American espionage efforts by kidnapping a nest of spies in one fell swoop.

2004, Richard W. Cutler, Counterspy, page 96:

Then Hapgood turned him into a joe — that is, he works for the British.

2009, John Fleming, Stoppard's Theatre: Finding Order amid Chaos, page 178:

Lamb didn't look any different, was still a soft fat rude bastard, still dressed like he'd been thrown through a charity shop window, but Jesus, River thought—Lamb was a joe.

2010, Mick Herron, Slow Horses, page 215:

(UK, slang) A spy, especially a double agent.


UCO

en-noun

UCO (countable and uncountable, plural UCOs)

(UK, law enforcement) Initialism of undercover officer.


exigent

exigents (plural)
exigeant (alternative)

From Latin exigēns, present active participle of exigō (“demand, require”). Doublet of exigeant.

They also make forthe writs of executions, and of seifin, writs of super seders, for appearance to exigents

(obsolete, British, law) A writ in proceedings before outlawry.


petrol blue

(British) A greyish blue colour, tinted with green.


petrol blue

(British) Of a greyish blue colour, tinted with green.


caput

kaput (for pronunciation with stress on second syllable)

Learned borrowing from Latin caput (“the head”). Doublet of cape, capo, chef, and chief, and distantly of head and Howth.

lbor

D. has been engaged, he tells me, through a course of laborious years, in an investigation into all curious matter connected with the two Universities; and has lately lit upon a MS. collection of charters, relative to C⸺, by which he hopes to settle some disputed points—particularly that long controversy between them as to priority of foundation. The ardor with which he engages in these liberal pursuits, I am afraid, has not met with all the encouragement it deserved, either here, or at C⸺. Your caputs, and heads of colleges, care less than any body else about these questions.

1823, Elia [pseudonym; Charles Lamb], “Oxford in the Vacation”, in Elia. Essays which have Appeared under that Signature in The London Magazine, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, page 22:

(UK) The council or ruling body of the University of Cambridge prior to the constitution of 1856.


take on

en-verb

take on (third-person singular simple present takes on, present participle taking on, simple past took on, past participle taken on)

takes on (present singular third-person)
taking on (participle present)
took on (past)
taken on (participle past)

(intransitive, UK, military) To enlist into military service.


cottaging

Most homosexuals have at some periods in their lives been out 'trolling' and many of them admitted to 'cottaging' in their earlier days, especially those who lived outside London where this practice seems to be much more widely established.

1960, Gordon Westwood, A Minority: A Report on the Life of the Male Homosexual in Great Britain, London: Longmans, →OCLC, page 76:

"MSM," a term that is reportedly English social-work jargon for "men seeking sex with men," explores the reasons why men, including heterosexuals, cruise in English lavatories, which are, believe it or not, called "cottages." The text is made up of actual interviews with those who go "cottaging."

1993 October 6, Anna Kisselgoff, “Upstart and Formal Styles in Montreal”, in The New York Times, page C14:

(British, slang) Sexual activity in a public lavatory, especially homosexual activity between men.


smoot

smoots (plural)
smoat (alternative)
smout (alternative)
smeut (alternative)
smot (alternative)
smut (alternative)
smute (alternative)
smeyut (alternative)

From Middle English *smote, *smotte, from Old Norse smátta (“narrow passageway, gap”), from Proto-Germanic *smēhtǭ (“narrow path”), from Proto-Germanic *smēhaz (“small, narrow”).

der

(British, dialectal) A small opening built into a dry-stone wall, fence, or hedge to allow sheep (and hares) to pass through; a thirl.


all-rounder

all-rounders (plural)
all-arounder (alternative)
all rounder (alternative)

From earlier all-round (“versatile”) + -er, sense “versatile person” from 1875.

(chiefly British) A versatile person, able to do many things well; used especially in reference to being good at various sports.


johnny

Alternative letter-case form of Johnny, diminutive of John.

toilet

place or device for urination and defecation


hog

hogs (plural)
'og (alternative UK dialectal)

Sranan Tongo: agu

From Middle English hog, from Old English hogg, hocg (“hog”), possibly from Old Norse hǫggva (“to strike, chop, cut”), from Proto-Germanic *hawwaną (“to hew, forge”), from Proto-Indo-European *kewh₂- (“to beat, hew, forge”).
Cognate with Old High German houwan, Old Saxon hauwan, Old English hēawan (English hew). Hog originally meant a castrated male pig, hence a sense of “the cut one”. (Compare hogget for a castrated male sheep.) More at hew.
Alternatively from a Brythonic language, from Proto-Celtic *sukkos, from Proto-Indo-European *suH- and thus cognate with Welsh hwch (“sow”) and Cornish hogh (“pig”).

(UK) A young sheep that has not been shorn.

“’Ere y'are, the best rig-out you ever ’ad. A tosheroon [half a crown]^([sic]) for the coat, two ’ogs for the trousers, one and a tanner for the boots, and a ’og for the cap and scarf. That's seven bob.”

1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter XXIX, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC, pages 214–215:

hog (pl hog). A shilling: orig. (ca 1670), c.; in C.19–20, low s.

1961, Eric Partridge, The Routledge Dictionary of Historical Slang:

(UK, historical, archaic slang, countable and uncountable) A shilling coin; its value, 12 old pence.

hog (pl hog)... 2. In C.18–early 19, occ. a sixpence: also c., whence the U.S. sense. Prob. ex the figure of a hog on a small silver coin.

(UK, historical, obsolete slang, countable and uncountable) A tanner, a sixpence coin; its value.

hog (pl hog)... 3. A half-crown: ca 1860–1910.

(UK, historical, obsolete slang, countable and uncountable) A half-crown coin; its value, 30 old pence.


Estuary English

received pronunciation
received pronunciation

(British) A variety of English accent, spreading out from London into the area of the Thames estuary, containing features of received pronunciation, Cockney and other regional accents.

Estuaryn murre (no established translation)


Essex man

(British, derogatory) A stereotype of a working class conservative voter in the south-east of England, characterized by brash and right-wing views and few cultural or intellectual interests, save an interest in wealth and material goods.


Essex girl

(British, derogatory) A stereotype of a young woman from Essex, characterized as vacuous, promiscuous, and materialistic.


stop press

From stop the presses, US newspaper-printing jargon.

1989, Textual Introduction to The Anatomy of Melancholy, Robert Burton http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=C64iQVqCm3MC&pg=RA1-PR51&lpg=RA1-PR51&sig=JpcrTaGG5EdPxJjr2U8VwuilsEw
Three of the errata corrections had already been made as stop-press corrections …

Faked Stop Press! announcements in newspapers. A valuable trick because it can always be claimed that the announcement was ‘hushed up’. It is also easy to fake the printing of the Stop Press.

2002, Russell Miller, Behind the Lines http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=iAtuxaBlfRkC&pg=PA103&lpg=PA103&sig=erWM7_pq0H8pCDJnv5W4-5bxlv0

2005, Mary Norway, The Sinn Fein Rebellion As I Saw It, http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=kdp6DLzb6KcC&pg=PA65&lpg=PA65&sig=TWkyRKxWPtmbwiGPh_BvuIQNwlA
Another lady thought she would drive a lesson home, so she said: “But you said it was a ‘Stop press,’ and you knew it was not.”
“It is, miss, but sure they hadn’t time to print the ‘stop press’ on it!!”
(“Stop press” is the latest news, usually printed on the back of the paper.)

STOP PRESS: As this issue of RAIL went to press, the RMT announced that it too would be taking strike action on the Tube on March 15

2023 March 8, “Tube drivers announce "first day of action"”, in RAIL, number 978, page 11:

(UK, journalism) The event or news article important enough to delay or interrupt the print, or require a reprint, of a publication, particularly of a newspaper edition.


stop press

en-verb

stop press (third-person singular simple present stops press, present participle stopping press, simple past and past participle stopped press)

stops press (present singular third-person)
stopping press (participle present)
stopped press (participle past)
stopped press (past)
stop-press (alternative)

(UK) Used to announce an event or news article important enough to delay or interrupt the print, or require a reprint, of publication, particularly of a newspaper edition.

(idiomatic, UK) Used to grab attention, implying importance, news-worthiness, etc.


piccalilli

piccalillis (plural)
picalilli (alternative)

Hannah Glasse
The Art of Cookery
piccalilli

First attested in the from 1845. Unknown. Presumably variant of pickle, which itself is from Middle English pekille (“spicy sauce served with meat or fish”) or pikel, from Middle Dutch pekel (“brine”); perhaps influenced by dialectal variants.
Alternatively, may be related to paco lilla (“ginger-spiced pickle”), in 18th century British cookbook The Art of Cookery (1747–1843; e.g., 1805 edition) by Hannah Glasse (1708–1770), also referred to as “Indian pickles”, which suggests an Indo-Aryan source; compare mulligatawny, of Tamil origin, which also features turmeric prominently, and curry, of Tamil or Middle English origin (or blend). No relation to Piccadilly.

der

There are, however, exceptions. Piccalilli – aka “mustard with other stuff”, aka “that noble Anglo-Indian spiritual creation” – is great with ham, he conceeds^([sic]).

2020 April 9, Sam Jones, “Spanish writer spills beans on UK's saucy secrets”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(British) A yellow pickle relish made from cauliflower, vegetable marrow, and other vegetables, pickled with vinegar, salt, sugar, and spiced with mustard, turmeric, and other spices.


swizzle

en-noun

swizzle (countable and uncountable, plural swizzles)

Unknown etymology, 1813. Original sense “alcoholic drink”, possibly a variant of switchel (“a drink of molasses and water, often mixed with rum”), attested 1790, itself of uncertain origin. Possibly influenced by swirl or fizz.
In verb sense “to stir”, from swizzle stick (“stick for stirring alcoholic drinks”), itself attested 1859.

“Coo! What a swizzle!” Relief at their safe deliverance was mingled with disappointment that the spider was not a rare specimen after all.

1950, Anthony Buckeridge, Jennings Goes to School:

(UK, informal) Synonym of swizz (“swindle, disappointment”).


off one's nut

Old Smith was awfully bucked because he'd taken four wickets. I should think he'd go off his nut if he took eight ever.

1909, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 17, in Mike: A Public School Story:

"[I]f I was to spring this news in Mr. Wright's hearin', why, such a sensitive, high-tempered gentleman as he would go plumb off his nut."

1914, Zane Grey, chapter 13, in The Rustlers of Pecos County:

"Look at them rapids ahead of us! Why, the guy that laid out this river was off his nut!"

1918, Rex Ellingwood Beach, chapter 11, in The Winds of Chance:

(chiefly British, dated in US, idiomatic) Insane, crazy.


north-eastern

en-adj

north-eastern (comparative more north-eastern, superlative most north-eastern)

more north-eastern (comparative)
most north-eastern (superlative)

I first examined the large series of fine skulls from the Chen-kou-ting district of North-eastern Ssuchuan, close to the border of Shensi and Hupei.

1917 [1916 October 9], Arthur de Carle Sowerby, “On Heude's Collection of Pigs, Sika, Serows, and Gorals in the Sikawei Museum, Shanghai”, in Proceedings of the General Meetings for Scientific Business of the Zoological Society of London, Longmans, Green, and Co., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 21:

(chiefly UK) Alternative form of northeastern.


south-eastern

south-eastern (comparative more south-eastern, superlative most south-eastern)

more south-eastern (comparative)
most south-eastern (superlative)

(chiefly UK) Alternative form of southeastern.


north-western

north-western (comparative more north-western, superlative most north-western)

more north-western (comparative)
most north-western (superlative)

In Shenmu County, Shensi Province in the north-western part of China, a medical school for barefoot doctors offers a two year programme.

1972, Paul G. Pickowicz, “Barefoot Doctors in China: People, Politics, and Paramedicine”, in Eastern Horizon, volume XI, number 5, Hong Kong: Eastern Horizon Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 34, column 1:

(chiefly UK) Alternative form of northwestern.


south-western

(chiefly UK) Alternative form of southwestern.


hols

Where are you off to on your hols this year?

"A lot of queer things happened to me in the hols," said Eustace mysteriously.

1953, C. S. Lewis, chapter 1, in The Silver Chair, Collins, published 1998:

(UK, Ireland, informal) Holidays (time off work or time spent travelling).


cross-eyed

cross-eyed (comparative more cross-eyed, superlative most cross-eyed)

more cross-eyed (comparative)
most cross-eyed (superlative)
crosseyed (alternative)

(British) Having both eyes oriented inward, especially involuntarily.


navvy

Clipping of navigator, in reference to the navigation canals upon which these workers first toiled, + -y.

Suppose two lads, fresh from school, go out into the world to earn their living; one becomes a navvy and one a clerk. In five years' time these two young men will probably be very different in appearance from one another. The navvy will have developed his muscles; he will be broad-built, broad-chested, and strong.

1909, B. Lindsay, Stories of the Universe: Animal Life:

His proper trade's a navvy; and he works at it sometimes too—for exercise—and earns good money at it.

1912 (date written), [George] Bernard Shaw, “Pygmalion”, in Androcles and the Lion, Overruled, Pygmalion, London: Constable and Company, published 1916, →OCLC, Act II, page 143:

The navvies of the Midland Railway toiled for years to build it, enduring grim conditions in shanty towns that were built miles from civilisation. But build it they did, to form part of the Midland's main line between London St Pancras and Carlisle via Sheffield and Leeds from 1876.

2020 May 20, Philip Haigh, “Ribblehead: at the heart of the S&C's survival and its revival”, in Rail, page 26:

(chiefly UK, historical) A laborer on a civil engineering project such as a canal or railroad.


navvy

en-verb

navvy (third-person singular simple present navvies, present participle navvying, simple past and past participle navvied)

navvies (present singular third-person)
navvying (participle present)
navvied (participle past)
navvied (past)

But by pretending to believe he's navvied before, I've given him double reason to drive himself hard.

1974, Malcolm MacDonald, World From Rough Stones, published 2013, unnumbered page:

Before my time of navvying I believe the times were still worse.

1978, John Shaw Neilson, The Autobiography of John Shaw Neilson, page 104:

Three terms to use for George Eliot: the feminine imagination and sensibility; Intellect, the capacity for higher navvying; Intelligence.

1995, F. R. Leavis, Ian Duncan MacKillop, Richard Storer, editors, F.R. Leavis: Essays and Documents, published 2005, page 89:

(intransitive, UK, historical) To carry out physical labor on a civil engineering project.


flaming

en-adj

flaming (comparative more flaming, superlative most flaming)

more flaming (comparative)
most flaming (superlative)

I wasted three hours in that flaming traffic jam!


rat-arsed

rat-arsed (comparative more rat-arsed, superlative most rat-arsed)

more rat-arsed (comparative)
most rat-arsed (superlative)

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

I got completely rat-arsed last night, and ended up tied naked to a lamp post. I'm not going to do that again.

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, colloquial, mildly vulgar) Extremely drunk.


grammar school

The largest building at one end, now used as a church hall, was originally the village's one-roomed grammar school, also endowed by the Lumleys.

1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 382, about Thornton Dale:

Bradshaw eulogises again about "considerable manufactures of woollen cloth", plus the "excellent grammar school, founded by Edward VI".

2022 October 5, Stephen Roberts, “Bradshaw's Britain: Reading to Southampton: Frome”, in RAIL, number 967, page 56:

(chiefly UK) A secondary school that stresses academic over practical or vocational education, until recent times open to those pupils who had passed the 11-plus examination.

文法學校 /文法学校

secondary school that stresses academic education


11-plus examination

en-noun

11-plus examination (plural 11-plus examinations)

secondary modern school
secondary modern school

(British) An examination, now mostly phased out, taken at age 11, to select the type of secondary education – either a grammar school or a secondary modern school.


secondary modern school

secondary modern school (plural secondary modern schools)

(British, somewhat dated) a type of school, for pupils who had failed the 11-plus examination, that concentrated on practical and vocational rather than academic subjects


comprehensive school

comprehensive school (plural comprehensive schools)

(British) a normal secondary school, accepting pupils of all abilities; replaced the secondary modern schools and grammar schools


fundholder

general practitioner
general practitioner

(British) A general practitioner who manages his or her own budget, purchasing healthcare from one or more hospital trusts.


A&E

A & E (alternative)
A and E (alternative)

It is too soon to measure the impact of Hubbard’s work on hospital admission figures. But a practice frailty nurse helped reduce A&E attendances and admissions by 54% and GP home visit requests by 81%.

2016 June 30, Kate Murray, “How occupational therapists help keep older people out of hospital”, in The Guardian:

accident and emergency
accident and emergency

(chiefly UK, Commonwealth) The accident and emergency (casualty) department of a hospital.


ER

(British) Initialism of Edward Rex (on coins, letterboxes, etc.) The royal cypher for Edward VII, king of Great Britain


gagging order

The figures, uncovered by the BBC, have prompted allegations that universities are deliberately using gagging orders to stop grievances becoming public.

2019 April 17, Simon Murphy, “UK universities pay out £90m on staff 'gagging orders' in past two years”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

public interest immunity certificate
public interest immunity certificate

(British) An official order forbidding press or broadcast discussion of a specified subject; a public interest immunity certificate.


Abram cove

Abram coves (plural)
Abraham-cove (alternative)
Abraham cove (alternative)

"Curse him, Squire," croaked Chinnery, "don't suffer such an Abram cove to play the counterfeit crank. If he were to refuse to booze it at the George in White Friars, the Bear and Harrow in Chancery Lane, the Setting Dog and Partridge in Jackanapes Alley, or any of the loyal houses in London, they would mill him with a filch, or give him a worse Rose-Alley salutation than Johnny Dryden's."

1827, Horace Smith, Reuben Apsley, page 121:

Duds and Cheats thou oft hast won, / […] / Cank and Dommerar thou couldst play, / Or Rum-maunder in one day; / And like an Abram-cove couldst pray, / Yet pass with Jybes well jerk'd away.

1869, William Hugh Logan, A pedlar's^([sic]) pack of ballads and songs:

What, you — you bit av a beak and trail. Ecod, but Bess is meat for your master, and that's me, as you'll soon know. She's an old wench o' mine, and I'll buss her when I choose, and ask no leave of an Abram cove of corporal like you afore I run you through the body."

1902, Herbert Compton, A Free Lance in a Far Land, page 94:

So loathly was he and verminous they scarce could seize and bind him, but when haled before the magistrate he proved to be an abram-cove named Jacques Roulet, who with his brother Jean and a cousin Julien[…]

(obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) Synonym of Abraham man.


aegrotat

/ˈʌɪ.ɡɹəʊˌtæt/

/ˈiː.ɡɹəʊˌtæt/

UK 19th century. Latin aegrotat, literally “he/she is ill”, third-person singular present active indicative form of aegrōtō.

Near-synonym: sick note

I sent my servant to the apothecary for a thing called an ægrotat, which I understood, for I never saw one, meant a certificate that I was indisposed, and that it would be injurious to my health to attend chapel, or hall, or lectures. This was forwarded to the college authorities.

1864, Charles Babbage, “Cambridge”, in Passages from the Life of a Philosopher, page 37:

(British, dated) A certificate indicating that a student is ill, excusing attendance at lectures and examinations and allowing courses to be passed without finishing the work.

certificat médical

Aegrotat and posthumous awards will normally be considered only when no interim award is available, no degree award may be made within the regulations, and the student is/was close to completion of the award.

2018, “Aegrotat and Posthumous Awards”, in Academic Quality Handbook, Aberystwyth University, retrieved 2018-04-19:

(British) An unclassified degree awarded to such a student.


spanker

Egad, Jack, I am glad to see you, for I want a few spankers.

1772, The Town and Country Magazine, volume 4, page 344:


alderman

From Middle English alderman, aldermon, from Old English ealdorman, ealdormann, from ealdor (“elder, parent, chief, prince, author”) + mann (“person”). See ealdorman.

The price of a case (five shillings piece bad) from the smasher is about one shilling; an alderman (two and sixpence) about sixpence; a peg (shilling) about threepence; a downer or sprat (sixpence) about twopence.

1859, Snowden's magistrates assistant, page 90:

Half-a-crown is known as an alderman, half a bull, half a tusheroon, and a madza caroon; whilst a crown piece, or five shillings, may be called either a bull, or a caroon, or a cartwheel, or a coachwheel, or a thick-un, or a tusheroon.

[1859, J. C. Hotten, A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words:

(UK, historical, slang, obsolete) A half-crown coin; its value, 30 pence.


within ames ace

[…]The possibility that he might prefer the excitement of such an adventure to an expedition into Yorkshire did occur to the Major, but he discarded it: Richmond had been within ames-ace of jumping at the chance offered him,[…].

1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 17, in The Unknown Ajax:

(obsolete, British, idiomatic) Nearly, very near.


angler

/ˈæŋ.ɡlə(ɹ)/

From Middle English angler, angleer, angeler, equivalent to angle + -er.

They are sure to be clyd in the night by the angler, or hooker, or such like pilferers that liue upon the spoyle of other poore people.

c. 1608–1610, Samuel Rid, Martin Mark-all, Beadle of Bridewell:

Rogue or rascal, frater, maunderer, / Irish Toyle, or other wanderer; / No dimber damber, angler, dancer, / Prig of cackler, prig of prancer

1834, William Harrison Ainsworth, Rookwood, volume 2, Oath of the Canting Crew, pages 339–340:

(archaic, UK, thieves' cant) A thief who uses a hooked stick to steal goods out of shop-windows, grates, etc.


hunt saboteur

(British) A person who does not approve of hunting and tries to sabotage it; used especially in reference to fox hunting.


guzzle

guzzles (plural)
guzle (alternative)
guzzel (alternative)

Attested since 1576. Possibly imitative of the sound of drinking greedily, or from Old French gouziller, gosillier (“to pass through the throat”), from gosier (“throat”), and akin to Italian gozzo (“throat; a bird's crop”).

Means't thou that senseless, sensual epicure, / That sink of filth, that guzzle most impure?

1598, John Marston, The Scourge of Villanie:

This is all one thing as if hee should goe about to jussle her into some filthy stinking guzzle or ditch.

(obsolete, British, provincial) A drain or ditch; a gutter; sometimes, a small stream. Also called guzzen.


arse about

en-verb

arse about (third-person singular simple present arses about, present participle arsing about, simple past and past participle arsed about)

arses about (present singular third-person)
arsing about (participle present)
arsed about (participle past)
arsed about (past)
arse-about (alternative)

(Commonwealth, UK, Ireland) Alternative form of arse around.


arse about

You've got this arse-about!

For the dome of the belly turned arse about has its parallel in the eye that falls out like the contents of a broken egg and that in its evocation of and preempting of regeneration becomes, in Bataille's novel, unremittingly erotic and polymorphously perverse.

1995, David Wills, Prosthesis, Stanford University Press, page 207:

Strike me if wasn't thinking old Colonel Bill had got it arse about.

2007, L. J. Spears, Jack Flagg, page 66:

‘This is arse-about, you know,’ I said. ‘You′ve got the athletic skills, and I'm the one going mountain climbing.[…].’

2008, Kieran Kelly, Aspiring, Pan MacMillan Australia, page 65:

(slang, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) The wrong way round; exactly opposite to that which is desirable; contrary; conceptually inverted; wrong.


autem

autems (plural)
autum (alternative)
autom (alternative)

UK 16th century. Possibly borrowed from Yiddish אַ (a, “indefinite article”) + טומאה (tume, “church (derogatory); forbidden; impure”).

THESE Autem Mortes be maried wemen, as there be but a fewe: For Autem in their language is a Church, so shee is a wyfe maried at the church, and they be as chaste as a cowe: I haue yt gooeth to bull euery moone, with what bull she careth not.

1566, Thomas Harman, A Caveat or Warning for Common Cursetors, page 49; republished 1814:

As ſoone as euer the pꝛoclamation was ended, Loꝛd, what a Companie of petitioners pꝛeſſed to the barre to pꝛeferre their papers of iniuries, that were offred and done among themſelues, here one complaines that hee could not trauell ſafely, noꝛ cary any money without danger of the vpꝛight man and Tinker, but that they would robbe and ſpoyle them of all that was ought about them, here another that they could not quietly take their reſt in the night, noꝛ keepe his Autem, oꝛ doxie ſole vnto himſelfe: but that the Ruffler, padder, oꝛ any vpright man, would take them away perfoꝛce, and others that they could not conuerſe, and keepe company with thoſe that they met, but that in the night they are ſure to be Clyd in the night, by the Angler, oꝛ hooker, oꝛ ſuch like pilferers that liue vpon the ſpoyle of other pooꝛe people.

1610, Samuel Rowlands, Martin Mark-All, Beadle of Bridewell; His defence and the Anſwere to the Belman of London.:

[…] but in the mean Time he taught his Pupil a deal of canting Words, telling him Autem was Arabick for a Church; […]

1714, Alexander Smith, The History of the Lives Of the moſt Noted Highway-men, […] , 2nd edition:

Come, I say, who’s a going-out? Autem is over […]

1823, Jon Bee, Sportsman's Slang; a New Dictionary of the terms used in the affairs of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, and the Cock-pit; with those of Bon-ton, and the Varieties of Life; […] :

Vell, vell, a few minutes will settle that. Come, pals, to the autem ken. Avay. Mind and obey orders.

1837, W. Harrison Ainsworth, Rookwood, revised edition, page 246:


autem cackler

On one occasion a Jew was selling cocoa-nut when the "autem cackler," i.e., dissenting minister, came and wanted to impart to the Israelite the sin he committed in carrying on his vocation on such a day.

1876, Charles Hindley, editor, The Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack, London: Tinsley Brothers, page 260:

'Get the autem cackler,' his companion says, pointing at Tyers, mistaking him for a preacher.

2014 December 12, Sheena Vernon, Messiah: Love, Music and Malice at a Time of Handel, John Hunt Publishing, →ISBN:

"A military cove will damn us first, then tip us a sixpence, whilst an autem cackler calls down God's blessing and parts not from a thin farthing."

2015 January 31, Lucia St. Clair Robson, Mary's Land, Lucia St. Clair Robson, →ISBN:

(idiomatic, obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) A Dissenter; a Protestant who is not a follower of the Established Church (i.e. Church of England, Church of Scotland, etc).

Oh! where will be the culls of the bing / A hundred stretches hence? / The bene morts, who sweetly sing, / A hundred stretches hence? / The autum-cacklers, autum-coves, / The jolly blade who wildly roves; / And where the buffer, bruiser, blowen, / And all the cops and beaks so knowin', / A hundred stretches hence?

1859, George Washington Matsell, The Vocabulum: or Rogues Lexicon, A Hundred Stretches Hence:

(obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) A married woman


make a pig's ear of

make a pig's ear of (third-person singular simple present makes a pig's ear of, present participle making a pig's ear of, simple past and past participle made a pig's ear of)

makes a pig's ear of (present singular third-person)
making a pig's ear of (participle present)
made a pig's ear of (participle past)
made a pig's ear of (past)

England responded with goals of their own from Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck and, on the balance of play, deserved the victory. Yet there were long spells when they threatened to make a pig's ear of it.

14 August 2013, Daniel Taylor, “Rickie Lambert's debut goal gives England victory over Scotland”, in The Guardian:

Instead, he had lain awake for hours, knowing he'd made a pig's ear of everything, and trying to think of a way to sort things out.

2003, Kate Walker, Desert Affair, →ISBN, page 140:

(British, idiomatic, transitive) To do badly; to make a mess of.

make a silk purse of a sow's ear and variants


gobsmacked

en-adj

gobsmacked (comparative more gobsmacked, superlative most gobsmacked)

more gobsmacked (comparative)
most gobsmacked (superlative)

As if smacked (“hit”) in the gob (“mouth (Irish / Scottish gaelic)”).
Attested since 1959, from Northern English dialect, particularly Liverpool, popularized via television.

That wad mack im about yam sick, so ower Ilkla' moor bar-tat wish un best of luck at Ilkley Station, and when he landed back Martha wad be fare gob smacked at the yarns he wad tell 'er about Yorkshire clod-hoppers.

1925 December 10, A Yorkshire Clod-Hopper, “From a Yorkshire Clod-Hopper”, in The Bee-keepers' Record, volumes 49-53, J. Herrod-Hempsall, retrieved 2018-06-08, page 175:

We were as appalled and stunned and confused and gobsmacked (punched on the mouth) as anyone else.

1989 August 7, Glenn Frankel, “Salman Rushdie's Life on the Run”, in Los Angeles Times:

"I guess the word would be gobsmacked," Barclay said, of his reaction. "I am stunned."

2008 June 16, Caroline Mallan, “Linwood Barclay novel wins a plug on key UK book list”, in Toronto Star, Canada, page A2:

Peterik told CNN that the use of the song caught him by surprise.
“I was gobsmacked,” he said. “We were not asked about this at all. The first time we saw it was on national TV.”

2015 September 9, Todd Leopold, “Band unhappy with use of ‘Eye of the Tiger’ for Kim Davis”, in CNN:

Far from the stage, a woman approached them and said she could tell they were big fans, so she was upgrading them to the front row. “We were absolutely gobsmacked,” Ryan said.

2023 August 10, Matthew Cantor, “‘Paul McCartney winked right at me’: the fans who buy nosebleed seats – and get whisked to the front”, in The Guardian, UK:

A hospital consultant who treated Sergei and Yulia Skripal after they were poisoned with the nerve agent novichok was “gobsmacked” when Yulia woke and began trying to get out of bed four days after the attack.

2024 October 31, Steven Morris, “Consultant who treated Yulia Skripal ‘gobsmacked’ when she woke up, inquiry hears”, in The Guardian:

(chiefly UK, Commonwealth, Ireland, slang) Flabbergasted, astounded, speechless, overawed.


extra time

(sports, UK) An additional period played at the end of a game if the score is tied after the standard allocation of time.


run down

en-verb

run down (third-person singular simple present runs down, present participle running down, simple past ran down, past participle run down)

runs down (present singular third-person)
running down (participle present)
ran down (past)
run down (participle past)

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

The board of directors have decided to run down the stocks held in storage prior to offering the company for sale.

Social media has been full of strident criticism of a Government perceived as pursuing a conscious policy to run down - even destroy - our railway.

2022 November 30, Nigel Harris, “A bid to break the other side?”, in RAIL, number 971, page 3:

(British, transitive) To reduce the size or stock levels of a business, often with a view to closure.


masthead

Maree said she felt worse after articles were written about the video, including by this masthead.

2022 July 14, Stephen Johnson, “Aussie woman given flowers in viral stunt blasts TikTok star”, in Mail Online:

(UK, Australia) The title (normally in a large and distinctive font) of a newspaper or other periodical at the top of the front page; (by extension) the publication itself or the rights to it.


balsam

en-noun

balsam (countable and uncountable, plural balsams)

balsams (plural)
balsem (alternative)
balsum (alternative)
balsome (alternative)

Borrowed from Latin balsamum, from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon, “balsam”), of Semitic origin (Hebrew בושם (“spice, perfume”)); compare Old English balsam, balsamum (“balsam, balm”), Doublet of balm and desman. Not related to balsa.

der

(chiefly UK) A sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from various plants.

balzám

sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants

(chiefly UK) A plant or tree yielding such substance.

Classical music is a sweet balsam for our sorrows

(chiefly UK, figuratively) Something soothing.


humbug

en-noun

humbug (countable and uncountable, plural humbugs)

→ Finnish: humpuuki

→ German: Humbug

→ Hungarian: humbug (perhaps in part through German)

→ Polish: humbug (perhaps in part through German)

John Camden Hotten
Oxford English Dictionary
Piccadilly

Origin unknown; the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) states that “the facts as to its origin appear to have been lost, even before the word became common enough to excite attention”. It has been suggested that the word possibly derives from hummer (“(slang) An obvious lie”), or from hum (“(dialectal and slang) to cajole; delude; impose on”) + bug (“a goblin, a spectre”). In his Slang Dictionary (1864), English bibliophile and publisher John Camden Hotten (1832–1873) suggested a link to the name of the German city of Hamburg, “from which town so many false bulletins and reports came during the war in the last century”, or alternatively a derivation from ambage.
Hotten also said he had traced the earliest occurrence of the word to the title page of Ferdinando Killigrew’s book The Universal Jester (see quotations), which he dated to about 1735–1740. This dating has therefore been adopted by other dictionaries. However, the OED dates the word to about 1750, as the earliest edition of Killigrew’s work has been dated to 1754.

unk

unknown

Humbugs are sweet, hard candies with a mild peppermint flavor, which are traditionally made in small batches by hand. […] Humbugs often feature the old-fashioned peppermint-stripe coloration, dark brown and off-white; are usually oblong or square (about the size of your thumb); […]

2003, Michael Morpurgo, “How to Make Old-fashioned Peppermint Humbugs”, in Private Peaceful, London: HarperCollins, →ISBN:

At half past five in the evening, Anpa sat up in bed and said he'd like a packet of humbugs. Nick and Kate looked at each other and grinned, and Nick immediately picked up his jacket and said he'd go and find some. 'Is he allowed them?' Kate whispered so that Anpa couldn't hear her. / Nick shrugged. 'Can't see how humbugs will do any harm. But I might get soft mints instead so he doesn't choke on them.'

2011, Jo Cotterill, “White Clover”, in Sweet Hearts (Forget Me Not), London: Red Fox, →ISBN, page 216:

(countable, British) A type of hard sweet (candy), usually peppermint flavoured with a striped pattern.


gherkin

gherkins (plural)
gerkin (alternative archaic)

From a form of Dutch gurk, an archaic variant of augurk (“small pickled cucumber”), from Low German, from Middle Low German agurke, augurke, probably via Slavic (compare Polish ogórek), from Byzantine Greek ἀγγούριον (angoúrion, “cucumber”). The underlying Dutch form may be a diminutive (gurkijn) or perhaps more probably the plural (gurken), which was then associated with the English suffix -kin (itself incidentally from Dutch or Low German). Compare German Gurke.

der

(UK, Ireland) Pickled cucumber regardless of size; a pickle


Banbury story of a cock and a bull

en-noun

Banbury story of a cock and a bull (plural Banbury stories of a cock and a bull)

Banbury stories of a cock and a bull (plural)
Banbury story (alternative)
Banbury story of a cock and bull (alternative)

/ˈbænb(ə)ɹi ˈstɔːɹi əv ə ˈkɑk ənd ə ˈbʊl/

En-au-Banbury story of a cock and a bull.ogg

Origin unknown. Folk history claims derivation from the rivalry between two inns in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, England, one called “The Cock” and the other called “The Bull”, where travellers would congregate to hear fanciful stories told; one such story involved travellers destined for the city of Banbury. However, there is little evidence supporting this etymology.

unk

Origin unknown

BANBURY STORY, of a Cock and a Bull, an Idle relation, in order to pick Acquaintance on the Road, till a convenient Place and Opportunity offer to rob or plunder.

[1725, “BANBURY STORY”, in A New Canting Dictionary: Comprehending All the Terms, Antient and Modern, Used in the Several Tribes of Gypsies, Beggars, Shoplifters, Highwaymen, Foot-Pads, and All Other Clans of Cheats and Villains. …, London: Printed; and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, →OCLC:

Banbury story of a cock and a bull. A roundabout nonſenſical ſtory.

[1785, [Francis Grose], “Banbury story of a cock and a bull”, in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, London: Printer for S. Hooper, No. 212, High Holborn, →OCLC:

A Banbury Story of a Cock and a Bull.—The saying "It is a cock and bull story" is common enough, as every one knows, at the present day; but in former times—I mean in the last century—the phrase always ran thus "It is a Banbury story of a cock and a bull." Can you inform me why was Banbury in particular fixed upon as the locality of the story? —Falgate.

[1856 April 26, Supplement to the Illustrated London News, volume XXVIII, number 796, London: Illustrated London News & Sketch, →OCLC, page 455:

Fanny, how is this? I promise you I thought the whole tale a Banbury story, but, upon my soul, what do I find but that fellow closeted with you!

1955, Georgette Heyer, Bath Tangle, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, page 149:

Balderdash! Do not seek to pull wool over my eyes, miss! Fabricate me no Banbury stories!

1981, Joan Aiken, The Stolen Lake, London: Jonathan Cape; republished Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, page 75

Nor was she uncaring, mean-spirited or likely to go about spreading a Banbury story of a cock and a bull.

2003, Connie Lane [pseudonym; Constance Laux], The Viscount's Bawdy Bargain, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, →ISBN, page 56:

'I never got the chance. Mama sent me to my room for telling fibs.' Nella's bottom lip trembled. 'She threatened to paddle me with a hairbrush. Called it a Banbury story of a cock and bull.'

2010, Michelle Styles, chapter 4, in Compromising Miss Milton (Mills & Boon Historical), Richmond, Surrey: Mills & Boon, →ISBN:

(idiomatic, obsolete, slang, British) A roundabout, nonsensical story.

ска́зка про белого бычка (skázka pro belovo byčka, literally “tale of the white bull”)

бред си́вой кобы́лы (bred sívoj kobýly, literally “rave of the grey mare”)


bantling

Uncertain. Perhaps from band(s) (“swaddling clothes”) + -ling, or a modification of German Bänkling (“bastard-child”), equivalent to bench + -ling.

And I even question whether any tender virgin, who was accidentally and unaccountably enriched with a bantling, would save her character at parlour fire-sides and evening tea-parties, by ascribing the phenomenon to a swan, a shower of gold, or a river god.

1809, Washington Irving (as Dietrich Knickerbocker), A History of New-York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty:

"You!--half-grown, venison-hunting bantling!..."

1841, James Fenimore Cooper, The Deerslayer:

"As if he'd let a cow-handed bantling like you handle them," Cecily muttered.
"Children!" Meredyth protested, her face flushing. "What must Lord Englemere think, to hear you brangle so?"

(archaic, UK dialectal) An infant or young child.


blob

en-verb

blob (third-person singular simple present blobs, present participle blobbing, simple past and past participle blobbed)

blobs (present singular third-person)
blobbing (participle present)
blobbed (participle past)
blobbed (past)

From Middle English *blob (“attested in blobby”). Possibly onomatopoeic, similarly to bleb and blubber.

inh

attested in <i class="Latn mention" lang="enm">blobby</i>

(intransitive, UK, colloquial) To spill sauce on oneself while eating.


frankfurter

From German Frankfurter, the demonym of Frankfurt. Specifically, a reference to Frankfurt-am-Main.

(UK, US, Canada) A moist sausage of soft, even texture and flavor, often made from mechanically recovered meat or meat slurry.


tiller

From Middle English teler, from Anglo-Norman telier (“beam used in weaving”), from Medieval Latin telarium, from Latin tēla (“web”).

der

But search her cabinet, and thou shalt find
Each tiller there with love-epistles lin'd

1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Sixth Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:

(UK, dialect, obsolete) A small drawer; a till.


three card brag

(chiefly British) A card game somewhat like a simplified form of poker, and one of poker's several ancestors


ploy

en-noun

ploy (countable and uncountable, plural ploys)

Possibly from a shortened form of employ or deploy. Or from earlier ploye, from Middle English, borrowed from Middle French ployer (compare modern plier), from Latin plicāre.


eid

eids (plural)
ed (alternative)
aith (alternative)

From Old Norse eið (“an isthmus, neck of land”), from Proto-Germanic *aidiją (“isthmus, strait”), of uncertain origin, but probably from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- (“to go”). Cognate with Icelandic eið, eiði, Faroese eið, eiði (“isthmus”), Norwegian eid (“isthmus”), Swedish ed. Compare Latin eō (“go, proceed”, verb).

der

(UK dialectal, Scotland) An isthmus or narrow neck of land jutting out into the sea; a sandbank cast up by the sea across the head of an open bight or inlet and having a lagoon inside it.


TUPE

w:Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006

(UK, law) Acronym of Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006.


TUPE

en-verb

TUPE (third-person singular simple present TUPEs, present participle TUPEing, simple past and past participle TUPEd)

TUPEs (present singular third-person)
TUPEing (participle present)
TUPEd (participle past)
TUPEd (past)

(British, colloquial) To transfer (an employee or group of employees) to another employer under TUPE regulations.


shitty

en-adj

shitty (comparative shittier, superlative shittiest)

shittier (comparative)
shittiest (superlative)

From shit + -y. Cognate with German Low German schittig (“dirty, shitty”), German scheißig (“shitty”).

cog

better than a poke in the eye with a shitty stick

Don't get shitty with me!

(UK, Australia, New Zealand, vulgar, slang) Annoyed.


FSA

The FSA believed in ‘market discipline’ and failed to get its message across. The PRA will be different, its boss promises[.]

2011 May 19, Jill Treanor, “Spotlight falls on City watchdog Sants”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Financial Services Authority
w:Financial Services Authority

(UK, historical, 2001–2013) Initialism of Financial Services Authority.


NHS

Thank god for the NHS, because if I had to pay for these sessions myself I wouldnʼt get close to halfway to recovery before bankrupting myself.

2019, Candice Carty-Williams, Queenie, Trapeze, page 294:

The NHS is essentially a system of mutual medical aid with state funding, paid for by income tax – the more you earn, the more you contribute – which means it is firmly rooted in the socialist principle “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”.

2024 June 9, “What is socialism? Just look at the NHS”, in The Guardian:

National Health Service
w:National Health Service

(British) Initialism of National Health Service.


SIS

Secret Intelligence Service
w:Secret Intelligence Service

(British) Initialism of Secret Intelligence Service.


louse around

en-verb

louse around (third-person singular simple present louses around, present participle lousing around, simple past and past participle loused around)

louses around (present singular third-person)
lousing around (participle present)
loused around (participle past)
loused around (past)

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

(British, slang) To slack off; to be lazy or a parasite on others.


MCR

Manchester City Region
w:Manchester City Region

(UK) Abbreviation of Manchester City Region.


hole-in-the-wall

en-noun

hole-in-the-wall (plural hole-in-the-walls or holes-in-the-wall)

hole-in-the-walls (plural)
holes-in-the-wall (plural)
hole in the wall (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-hole-in-the-wall.wav

automated teller machine
automated teller machine#English

(colloquial, chiefly British) Synonym of automated teller machine.


home cinema

(UK) A system for showing cinema-quality films at home; usually comprising high-definition television and surround sound.


Horlicks

Horlicks (countable and uncountable, plural Horlicks)

Horlicks (plural)
horlicks (alternative)

Sir James Horlick, 1st Baronet
William Horlick

The name of the drink, first sold as "Horlick's Infant and Invalids Food", is derived from the surname of its developers, James (1844–1921) and William Horlick (1846–1936); equivalent to Horlick + -'s (possessive marker). The term later became a euphemism for bollocks (“mess; to make a mess of”).

When the theatres turned out, people flocked back for their Horlickses and cocoas. Because of the summer visitors, we were open till one o'clock in the morning.

1990, Barbara Hanrahan, A Chelsea Girl, Ulverscroft Large Print Books, →ISBN:

Kathy, drinking Horlicks and laughing about the impossibility of custard (she could not cook – she could not even stir), and obsessive about everything, found out for me that Dylan Thomas had invented a fantasy[…]

2016 December 6, Jeanette Winterson, Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days, Grove/Atlantic, Inc., →ISBN:

It did seem very odd though, drinking Horlicks in the middle of the day. From then on, first thing in the morning, after all meals, and last thing at night, Ruth made me a big mug of Horlicks. Every day, Horlicks. All day, Horlicks.

2021 March 10, Helen Jones, I Am a Real Person, AuthorHouse, →ISBN:

(chiefly British) A hot bedtime drink made with malted milk.

McDonald & Dodds is back, with episode one so deliberately hammy and meta that, technically, it should have been a complete horlicks. In one scene, when they were all hanging on to the balloon ropes, Mr Bean-like, to stop Jason Watkins flying away, it sort of was.

2021 March 1, Carol Midgley, “McDonald & Dodds review – cheerful escapism and filth-free distraction”, in The Times:

(chiefly UK, slang, euphemistic) Bollocks, a mess or balls-up.

As sleep patterns come unstuck and more and more people complain of not getting enough shuteye, so businesses have spotted an opportunity. […] And beware any consumer product which claims it will transform your slumber: it’s probably a load of Horlicks.

2018 October 8, Hannah Devlin, “Sleep: how much do we really need?”, in The Guardian:

“I don’t condone any abuses of human rights anywhere. But if we’re not condoning human rights abuses anywhere, I wouldn’t even be able to perform in my kitchen.” Which is total Horlicks, clearly, but did at least bless us with this cheering reply: “Robbie, what are you doing in your kitchen?”

2022 December 23, Archie Bland, “Friday briefing: The Crown discourse, Elon Musk tweets and 15 more things to leave behind in 2022”, in The Guardian:

(chiefly UK, slang, euphemistic) Bollocks, nonsense, false statements.


Horlicks

en-verb

Horlicks (third-person singular simple present Horlickses, present participle Horlicksing, simple past and past participle Horlicksed)

Horlickses (present singular third-person)
Horlicksing (participle present)
Horlicksed (participle past)
Horlicksed (past)
horlicks (alternative)

I have seen a priest massacred in charge of a Mass, experienced schoolmasters carbonated in charge of a class and felt hairdressers Horlicksed in charge of hair clippers. / On a more lasting level, it is possible for surprisingly long periods of time to be drunk in charge of a relationship.

1993 September 25, Stuart Wolfendale, “Column Eight”, in South China Morning Post:

Mr O'Brien has admitted that he was tempted to pay £100,000 to Mr Lowry, out of his own personal generosity, because he had heard pub talk that Mr Lowry's Streamline Enterprises was "Horlicksed"[—]that's a word the Irish Independent has to use as an "intermediary" because the real word is too rude.

2001 June 28, Senan Molony, “Inquiry a training ground for linguistic acrobatics”, in Irish Independent:

One does wonder how the history books will treat Gordon if, as it now looks, he won't even still be PM by the time the next election comes along. / Indeed, if he hadn’t horlicksed the economy with nuclear abandon would they have even mentioned him at all?

2009 April 15, alland...@live.co.uk, “SKY News - Dead Man Walking”, in uk.media.tv.misc (Usenet):

Not the groundsman's fault Australia horlicksed it all up in the space of a couple of hours on Friday.

2009 August 23, Ben Dirs, “Strauss's England worthy winners”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 2021-01-09:

Assuming the Citroen engineers haven’t really Horlicksed things up, which I suspect they haven’t, electric should be the neatest of fits for the comfy, untaxing C4.

2022 March 14, Sam Philip, “Citroen C4 PureTech 130 – long-term review”, in Top Gear:

(chiefly UK, slang, euphemistic) To make a mess of (something); to bollocks.


horsiculture

(chiefly British, slang) the commercial development of the countryside for pasturing or exercising horses


NHS Trust

(British) a self-governing administrative body within the NHS; usually a group of hospitals


diver

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-diver.wav


swottiness

(British) studiousness, the state of studying hard, the state of being swotty.


swotty

en-adj

swotty (comparative swottier, superlative swottiest)

swottier (comparative)
swottiest (superlative)

(British, slang) studious; being a swot.


V sign

(chiefly UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) A gesture of contempt or insult made by raising the index and middle fingers with the palm inwards; apocryphally originated by English bowmen at Agincourt (in actuality attested only from 1901).


CIO

Charitable incorporated organisation
w:Charitable incorporated organisation

(UK) Initialism of Charitable incorporated organisation.


RFC

(British) Initialism of Rangers Football Club.


JIC

Joint Intelligence Committee
w:Joint Intelligence Committee

(British) Initialism of Joint Intelligence Committee.


PII

public-interest immunity
w:public-interest immunity

(UK, law) Initialism of public-interest immunity.


PUS

(UK) Initialism of permanent undersecretary.


CPS

‘Itʼs entrapment,’ said Silver. ‘The CPS wonʼt prosecute.’

2020, Ben Aaronovitch, False Value, Gollancz, page 233:

Big showering of affection at beginning of relationship can be used to confuse victims and gain control, CPS warns[.]

2023 April 23, Amelia Gentleman, “CPS includes ‘love-bombing’ in guidance on abusive partners prosecution”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Crown Prosecution Service
w:Crown Prosecution Service

(UK, law) Initialism of Crown Prosecution Service.


OT

Unbankin' packs and touches faeces, I was OT, you would find it gross

2024, “Entrapreneur”, performed by Central Cee:


daddy longlegs

en-noun

daddy longlegs (plural daddy longlegs or daddy longlegses)

daddy longlegs (plural)
daddy longlegses (plural)
daddy-longlegs (alternative)
daddy-long-legs (alternative)

/ˈdædɪ ˈlɒŋ(ɡ)lɛɡz/

From daddy + longlegs. First attested in 1810s. Preceded by father longlegs, attested from 1740s.

Daddy longlegs adults are weak flyers, falling onto the water surface in the lightest of breezes, and even on calm days.

2004, Bill Hansford-Steele, African Fly-fishing Handbook, page 316:

(UK, Ireland) The cranefly; any insect of the suborder Tipulomorpha.


oof

“Oh,” Johnnie was saying, “so Quest is his name, is it, and he lives in a city called Boisingham, does he? Is he an oof bird?” (rich)
“Rather,” answered the Tiger, “if only one can make the dollars run, but he's a nasty mean boy, he is.

1888, H. Rider Haggard, Colonel Quaritch V.C. (archive.org ebook), page 232

Burlington Bertie's the latest young jay
He rents a swell flat somewhere Kensington way
He spends the good oof that his pater has made
Along with the Brandy and Soda Brigade.

1900, Harry B. Norris, “Burlington Bertie”:

What's he after? Oof—oof—oof, that's what he's after. He's for his own pocket, he's for being boss of all the woolly West. He's after keeping us poor and making himself rich.

1911–1912, published 1916, Gilbert Parker, The World For Sale, book 2, chapter 10 (Gutenberg ebook, archive.org ebook)

Chuffy: It's on a knife edge at the moment, Bertie. If he can get planning permission, old Stoker's going to take this heap off my hands in return for vast amounts of oof.

1991 May 12, “Kidnapped!”, in Jeeves and Wooster, Series 2, Episode 5:

pad the oof

to fold banknotes to appear twice as much


whew

en-verb

whew (third-person singular simple present whews, present participle whewing, simple past and past participle whewed)

whews (present singular third-person)
whewing (participle present)
whewed (participle past)
whewed (past)

(UK, Scotland, dialect) To whistle with a shrill pipe, like a plover.


whew

(intransitive, UK, dialect) To bustle about.


bailiff

From Middle English baillif, baylyf, from Anglo-Norman and Old French bailif (plural bailis), probably from Vulgar Latin *bāiulivus (“castellan”), from Latin bāiulus (“porter; steward”), whence also bail. As a translation of foreign titles, semantic loan from French bailli, Scots bailie, Dutch baljuw, etc. Mostly replaced the role of native reeve. Doublet of bailo.

Bailiffs of Jersey and Guernsey
High Bailiff of the Isle of Man
Landvogt
bailiff

مَأْمُور

equivalent officers of the court in foreign contexts

(law enforcement) An officer of the court, particularly:

(UK) A high bailiff: an officer of the county courts responsible for executing warrants and court orders, appointed by the judge and removable by the Lord Chancellor.

(UK) A bound bailiff: a deputy bailiff charged with debt collection.

(UK, slang) Any debt collector, regardless of his or her official status.


GMC

(politics, UK) Initialism of General Management Committee (“the general committee of a constituency party of the British Labour Party”).


GMC

General Medical Council
w:General Medical Council

(health, UK) Initialism of General Medical Council.


freeloader

freeloaders (plural)
free-loader (alternative)

From free + load + -er, originally US 1930s.

(UK, New Zealand, Canada) A person who takes expired unsold merchandise from the back of supermarket premises.


haricot bean

Phaseolus vulgaris
Phaseolus vulgaris#Translingual

(UK) A herbaceous plant from the Americas, Phaseolus vulgaris, the bean of which is eaten as both a green bean and dried, when it is cooked slowly as Boston baked beans.


Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod

(British) The sergeant-at-arms in the House of Lords.


rouse

rouses (plural)
rouze (alternative obsolete)

From Middle English rousen, from Anglo-Norman reuser, ruser, originally used in English of hawks shaking the feathers of the body, from Latin recūsō, by loss of the medial 'c.' Doublet of recuse.
Figurative meaning “to stir up, provoke to activity” is from 1580s; that of “awaken” is first recorded 1590s.

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

(military, British and Canada) The sounding of a bugle in the morning after reveille, to signal that soldiers are to rise from bed, often the rouse.


fancy man

fancy men (plural)
fancy-man (alternative)
fancyman (alternative)

(UK, dated slang) Synonym of ponce (“a pimp hired by a prostitute”).