footy

en-noun

footy (countable and uncountable, plural footies)

(uncountable, UK, Ireland) Football (association football) (soccer in US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand)


chevron

From Middle English cheveroun, from Old French [Term?], the mark so called because it looks like rafters of a shallow roof, from Vulgar Latin *capriō, from Latin caper (“goat”), the likely connection between goats and rafters being the animal's horns.

2009, Jamie Dunn, Truckie has a point, Sunshine Coast Daily Online, June 13, 2009.
I told you that in fact they were called chevrons and it was an exercise by the transport department to teach us to stay two chevrons behind the car in front.

(chiefly British) One of the V-shaped markings on the surface of roads used to indicate minimum distances between vehicles.


swot

en-verb

swot (third-person singular simple present swots, present participle swotting, simple past and past participle swotted)

swots (present singular third-person)
swotting (participle present)
swotted (participle past)
swotted (past)

From a dialectal English word, from Middle English swot, swat, from Old English swāt (“perspiration; sweat”), from Proto-Germanic *swaitą (“sweat”). More at sweat.

inh

You should swot up on your French before travelling to Paris.

(intransitive, slang, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) To study with effort or determination (object of study indicated by "up on").


swot

He liked Tom all right... Sampson and Bullock he could do without, however. Especially Sampson, who was too much of a grammar-school-type swot ever to be quite the thing.

On first listen, Americans of a certain vintage would call one a Poindexter, while older Brits would regard the other as a swot.

2023 August 8, Janan Ganesh, “The oneness of Ron DeSantis and Rishi Sunak”, in Financial Times:

(slang, British) One who swots; a boffin, nerd, or smart aleck.

(slang, British) Vigorous study at an educational institution.


fess

Y'll be fess enough, my poppet, when th'st know!"

1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, volume 1, London: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., page 32:

(UK dialect) Of animals, bad-tempered, fierce.


Administrator

(UK) The queen's representative in some Commonwealth territories, comparable to a Governor General.


stonewall

Fortune favoured the fortunate when Martin Atkinson ignored a stonewall penalty.

2007 February 19, Martin Smith, “Fabregas factor helps Blackburn”, in The Daily Telegraph, London, archived from the original on 2011-05-15:

[Neil] Lennon also pointed to a booking for Niall McGinn for diving as a stonewall penalty to add to his grievances.

2011 January 13, Gordon Parks, “Celtic boss Neil Lennon in new blast at referees after ‘offside’ goal sees two more points dropped in SPL title race”, in Daily Record, Glasgow, archived from the original on 2016-04-07:


Baz

There was me and Baz – Barry Stevens, my DS – in one car.

2003, Peter Robinson, Aftermath: An Inspector Banks Mystery, unnumbered page:

(British, Ireland, Australia) A diminutive of the male given name Barry.

That's what Baz—Basil Younger——said when I put it to him.

2005, Reginald Hill, Who Guards a Prince, page 169:

(British, Ireland, Australia) A diminutive of the male given name Basil.


beetroot

en-noun

beetroot (countable and uncountable, plural beetroots)

[ˈbiː.t͡ʃɹʉːt]

(UK, New Zealand, Australia) A normally deep-red-coloured root vegetable usually cooked or pickled before eating; Synonym of beet.


Benny

From the name of a dull-witted character, Benny Hawkins, in the British soap opera Crossroads.

(British, slang) A stupid or dull-witted person.

(British, slang) A native of the Falkland Islands.


Bill

Hypocorism of William. It is unclear how the initial W became a B; this could have been part of the medieval trend of swapping letters, similar to Dick for Rick.

(British, slang) A nickname for the British constabulary. Often called "The Bill" or "Old Bill"


blare

en-verb

blare (third-person singular simple present blares, present participle blaring, simple past and past participle blared)

blares (present singular third-person)
blaring (participle present)
blared (participle past)
blared (past)

The verb is derived from Late Middle English blaren, bleren, bloren (“to bellow, cry, wail; of a goat: to bleat”), probably from Old English *blǣren, from Middle Dutch blaren, bleren (“to bawl, cry; to shout; to bleat”) (modern Dutch blèren), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁- (“to bleat, cry”) and ultimately imitative.
The noun is derived from the verb.
cognates
* Low German blaeren, blaren, blarren
* Middle High German blêren, blerren (modern German plärren)

der

And the kyne wente ſtraight waye vnto Beth Semes vpon one ſtreete, and wente on blearynge, and turned nether to the righte hande ner to the lefte.

1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, I. Kynges [1 Samuel] vj:[12], folio xxviij, recto, column 2:

The worthies alſo of Moab bleared and cried for very ſorow of their myndes: Wo is my hert for Moabs ſake.

1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Esay [Isaiah] xv:[4–5], folio vi, verso, column 2:

Behold, at eve, the herd returning home / From fruitful meads vvhere they have grazed their fill, / No longer in the ſtalls contain'd, they ruſh / VVith many a friſk abroad, and, blaring oft, / VVith one conſent all dance their dams around, […]

1791, Homer, “[The Odyssey.] Book X.”, in W[illiam] Cowper, transl., The Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, Translated into Blank Verse, […], volume II, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, page 236, lines 496–500:

(archaic except British, dialectal) To make a lengthy sound, as of a person crying or an animal bellowing or roaring.

karjua

to make a lengthy sound, as of a person crying or an animal bellowing or roaring


blare

en-noun

blare (countable and uncountable, plural blares)

The herds [of bison], in their flight from the burning pastures had rushed over the bed of the watercourse—scaled the slopes of the banks. […] One cry alone more wild than their own savage blare pierced the reek through which the Brute Hurricane swept.

1861 September 28 – 1862 March 8, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter XLVII, in A Strange Story. […], volume II, London: Sampson Low, Son, & Co., […], published 1862, →OCLC, pages 369–370:

(obsolete except British, dialectal) A lengthy sound, as of a person crying or an animal bellowing or roaring.


DSL

(UK, education) Initialism of designated safeguarding lead.


castor

Alternative spelling of caster, via cast + -or (the Latinate varient of -er).

(especially UK) Alternative spelling of caster, especially in its senses

A pivoting roller attached to the bottom of furniture to allow it to be moved.

Mrs. Hussey soon appeared, with a mustard-pot in one hand and a vinegar-cruet in the other, having just broken away from the occupation of attending to the castors, and scolding her little black boy meantime.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Ramadan”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 92:

A container with a perforated cap for sprinkling its contents, especially salt, pepper, etc.


Del

(British) A diminutive of the male given name Derek.


dux

Borrowed from Latin dux (“leader”). Doublet of doge, duc, and duke.

[…]on the motion of Sir John Marjoribanks, Bart., Lord Provost, unanimously resolved, July 27, 1814, “that there be annually presented by the town of Edinburgh to the boy at the head of the Greek class, taught by the rector of the High School, a gold medal of the same value [five guineas] as that annually presented to the dux of the Latin class.”

1849, Wilhelm Steven, The History of the High School of Edinburgh, page 191:

He finished the year dux of Form III with an average 90 per cent over eight subjects. The school did not award end-of-year marks in fourth and fifth forms, but Evans′ report for those years shows he passed all subjects in both years and was again dux in Form V.

1999, Keith Scott, Gareth Evans, page 29:

This school was where my father had been dux in his senior year in 1937 just as his father had been dux at the Rockhampton Grammar School²⁷ before the turn of the 19th century.

2010, Roger K. A. Allen, Ballina Boy, page 28:

Quite a few who became national athletic champions were also duxes or top academic pupils at their schools.

2011, A. Lydiard, Running to the Top, page 17:

(UK, Australia, New Zealand) The top (male or female) academic student in a school, or in a year of school; the top student in a specified academic discipline.


Corrie

Diminutive from Coronation Street + -ie.

It all seems to take place in the hiatus between Neighbours and “Brookie”, “Corrie” or EastEnders.

1989 May 20, Stephen Silk, “Campus: All change for housing”, in The Times, page 34:

Linda lives next door and is dead mumsy, even though she's no one's mum, 'cos she cooks my tea sometimes and lets me watch EastEnders on her massive plasma TV, even though she says I should 'stay true to my Northern Roots' and watch Corrie.

2012, Ellie Irving, Billie Templar's War, Random House (The Bodley Head):

(British, informal) Abbreviation of Coronation Street, a soap opera.


City

(UK) The City of London, the historic core of London where the Roman settlement of Londinium was established.

(UK) The United Kingdom's financial industries, which are principally based in the City of London.


Dev

The Dev was a long-standing favourite, as was Hawley Arms and The World's End, but he found greater pleasure in seeking out the smaller, lesser known bars and pubs.

2013, Jon Wilmot, The Reunion, page 135:

The vampire community offers a variety of activities, ranging from obscure events, such as carve your own tombstone, gothic belly dancing, and Kensal Green Cemetery walks to more regular pub and club nights at alternative venues, such as The Dev (the Devonshire Arms, Camden), the Intrepid Fox, Slimelight, and Torture Garden.

2013, Maria Mellins, Vampire Culture, page 47:

(UK, slang) The Devonshire Arms, an alternative pub in Camden, London.


Dando

Hotten explains this as the name of a man once famed for devouring large portions of oysters etc. at restaurants and then admitting he had no money.

It is plaguily annoying to want a dinner, and have the appetite of a Dando — to be asked for a large debt, when your pockets cannot conceal a solitary shilling […]

1844, James MacGauran, Walter Clayton: A tale of the Gordon Riots, page 2:

[…] have we not made out our case that a Master requires the propensities of Bacchus, with the appetite of a Dando […]

1904, Robert Smith Surtees, The Analysis of the Hunting Field, page 9:


Dame

(British) The titular prefix given to a female knight


scramble

Origin uncertain. Perhaps from earlier dialectal scramble, scrammel (“to collect or rake together with the hands”), from scramb (“to pull or scrape together with the hands”) + -le (frequentative suffix) (compare Dutch schrammen (“to graze, brush, scratch”)); or alternatively from a nasalised form of scrabble (“to scrape or scratch quickly”).

cog

(UK) Shouted when something desirable is thrown into a group of people who individually want that item, causing them to rush for it.


Brown

en-adj

Brown (comparative more Brown, superlative most Brown)

more Brown (comparative)
most Brown (superlative)

From Middle English Broun, originally a nickname for someone with brown hair or a dark complexion. In the United States, sometimes an anglicization and translation of German Braun. Doublet of Bruno and Braun.

(chiefly US, often Canada and UK) Alternative letter-case form of brown (“of a dark complexion”)


Commonwealth

Commonwealth of England
Commonwealth of England

(British, historical) The Commonwealth of England (1649–1653), succeeded by the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland (1653–1660).


Few

From a speech by Winston Churchill that included the phrase "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few".

(British) The pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain.


Eye

(UK, colloquial, "the Eye") the comedic magazine Private Eye.

(UK, "the Eye") The London Eye, a tourist attraction in London.


Garden

(UK, slang, obsolete) Covent Garden in London, England, or its theatre or market.


Farm

And before you mention the plans to fix up the Farm, let me tell you, all that regeneration talk is just about bulldozing the place and shipping us all out to God knows where.

(UK, slang) Broadwater Farm, an area of Tottenham, North London, England.


Grey

(UK, military, historical, chiefly in the plural) A member of the Royal Scots Greys, a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 to 1971.


Germ

From the similarity of the first syllable of German to germ.

(UK, slang, derogatory) a German person.


giddy

giddy (comparative giddier, superlative giddiest)

giddier (comparative)
giddiest (superlative)

The adjective is derived from Middle English gidi, gedy, gydy (“demonically controlled or possessed; crazy, insane; foolish, idiotic, ridiculous, unwise; unsure; (rare) dizzy, shaky; (rare) of an animal: crazed, out of control; a fool”) [and other forms], from Old English gidiġ, gydiġ (“possessed by a demon or spirit, insane, mad”), from Proto-West Germanic *gudīg (“ghostly, spirited”, literally “possessed by a god or spirit”), from *god (“god”) + *-ig, *-g (suffix forming adjectives with the senses of being, doing, or having). The English word is analysable as god + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’, forming adjectives).
The noun and the verb are derived from the adjective.

nb...

gedi, gidie, gidy, gudi, gudiʒe, guidi, guydi, gydi, gydie

лекомислен

unable to concentrate or think seriously; easily excited — see also impulsive

лекомислен

lightheartedly silly — see also frivolous

(British, dialectal) Feeling great anger; furious, raging.

(British, dialectal, agriculture, veterinary medicine) Of an animal, chiefly a sheep: affected by gid (“a disease caused by parasitic infestation of the brain by tapeworm larvae”), which may result in the animal turning around aimlessly.

pyörimistautia poteva

of an animal, chiefly a sheep: affected by gid


giddy

(British, agriculture, veterinary medicine) Synonym of gid (“a disease caused by parasitic infestation of the brain by tapeworm larvae”)


Jock

Believed to be a Scots variant of Jack. Because of its specific association with Scotland, the British English slang term is believed by most sources to be derived from the frequency of the use of the given name in Scotland, rather than from the "common man" etymology.


elector

From Middle English electour (“one with a right to vote in electing some office, elector”), borrowed from Late Latin ēlēctor (“chooser, selector; voter, elector”), from Latin ēligere (“to elect”) + -tor (suffix forming masculine agent nouns), equivalent to elect + -or. Ēligere is the present active infinitive of ēligō (“to extract, pluck or root out; (figurative) to choose, elect, pick out”), from ē- (variant of ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out’)) + legō (“to appoint, choose, select”) (from Proto-Italic *legō (“to gather, collect”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to collect, gather”)).

der

I Think this Letter, which was ſent to me by my Electors, worth printing, becauſe as it has convinced me, it may convince others.

1701, J. D. [Fothers?], H. W., T. S., R. L. [et al.], “To the Bookseller”, in A Letter from Some Electors, to One of Their Representatives in Parliament. Shewing the Electors Sentiments, Touching the Matter in Dispute between the Lords and Commons in the Last Session of Parliament, in Relation to the Impeachments. […], London: […] Booksellers of London and Westminster, →OCLC:

The constitutional right of the Electors to exact pledges, from Candidates who are soliciting the honour of representing the nation in Parliament, has been frequently agitated, and as loudly contended for as manfully resisted, at different periods of effervescence; [...]

1818, Kent [pseudonym], “Pledges for Parliamentary Conduct”, in A View of the Great Constitutional Questions, Addressed to the Electors of the United Kingdom. (Part the First.), Canterbury, Kent: […] Rouse, Kirkby, and Lawrence; and sold by […] Messrs. Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, […], →OCLC, page 8:

India is to have a new Constitution, under which certain limited powers will be assigned to elected representatives. [...] Who, then, are to be the electors in rural constituencies? Only a few general statements can be made on this point. Women must wait, and, in the country at least, they will not mind; there is to be no literacy test, but military service will very properly qualify.

1919 May 23, “The Indian Franchise. The Political Centre of Gravity.”, in The Near East, volume XV, number 420, London: […] St. Clements Press […], →OCLC, page 481:

Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament

(politics) A person eligible to vote in an election; a member of an electorate, a voter.

(British, Commonwealth) A person eligible to vote to elect a Member of Parliament.


Brownie

From brownie (“helpful elf”). Specifically, inspired by the story "The Brownies" by Juliana Horatia Ewing (published in 1870, The Brownies and Other Tales), in which two children, Tommy and Betty, learn that children can be helpful brownies or lazy boggarts.

1958 July 14, Boot by a Brash Brownie, LIFE, page 124,
In Toronto young Brownies of the Girl Guides, the Canadian girl scouts, stood in parade formation with full-fledged Guides.

The ideal Brownie pack, according to the 1960 Guide Commissioner′s Handbook, would contain Brownies who were ‘alert, clean, tidy and punctual. Their uniform should be correct.’

1997, Doug Owram, Born at the Right Time: A History of the Baby-Boom Generation, page 102:

Another Guide group that persevered through internment was the 1st Chefoo (which had Brownies, Guides and Rangers) in Shandong province, China.[…]The November 2, 1942, entry in the Brownie logbook pleads for cheerfulness in the face of adversity: “We are in need of smiles. Have you got them ready, Brownies?”

2009, Tammy M. Proctor, Scouting for Girls: A Century of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, page 85:

(British, Canada, Australia) A junior Girl Guide.


Labour

(UK, New Zealand) Short for the Labour Party.

(UK, Canada) Misspelling of Labor, an Australian political party.


Kirk

en-proper noun

Kirk (countable and uncountable, plural Kirks)

From kirk (“church”). Doublet of Church.

(chiefly British) The Presbyterian Church of Scotland.


Hun

From Old English Hūnas, Hūne (both plural), from Late Latin Hunni, from Koine Greek Οὗννοι (Hoûnnoi), borrowed through Middle Iranian. Cognate with Old Norse húnir, Old High German Hunni. See also etymology of Xiongnu.
Compare Sogdian [script needed] (xwn), Sanskrit हूण (hūṇa), and 匈奴 (OC *hoŋ-nâ) (c. 318 BCE) > *hɨoŋ-nɑ (Eastern Han), which Schuessler (2014:264) proposes to be transcription of foreign *Hŏna ~ Hŭna. More at Huns.
As a derogatory term for Germans popularized by Rudyard Kipling, reacting to Germany's proposal that the Royal Navy be used to collect debts from Venezuela.

(slang, derogatory, UK, Ireland) A Protestant.

(slang, derogatory, UK, Ireland) A Rangers Football Club supporter; an Orangeman.


Lane

As an English surname, from lane; as an Irish surname, from several origins, including Laighin. See Lane.

It was a gala night at the Lane, with Charles Mathews coming over from Covent Garden […]

1950, Basil Francis, Fanny Kelly of Drury Lane, page 37:

(UK, informal, as "the Lane") The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.


Jenny

From Jen + -y, historically as a hypochoristic form of Janet, Jane, etc. or (rarely) Eugenia, Virginia, etc. but now more often used as a diminutive of Jennifer.
Doublet of Ivanka, Jan, Janelle, Janet, Janey, Janine, Jeanette, Jeanie, Jeannette, Jeannine, Jen, Jenna, Jenny, Jessie, Jo, Jody, Juanita, Shanae, Sinead, and Vanna in derivations from Jane etc.
In senses related to inanimate objects, partially derived from the generic senses of Jane and partially an informal pronunciation of engine.

doublet

(UK, informal) A Wren (a member of the WRNS).


Guy

PIE word
 *dwóh₁
From Old French Gui, a form of Proto-Germanic *Wido, a short form of names beginning with the element *widuz (“wood”), such as Witold and Widukind. Cognate with Italian Guido and thus a doublet of Guido. More at wood.

(British) An effigy of Guy Fawkes burned on Bonfire Night


Lords

(British, UK politics, plural only) Ellipsis of House of Lords.


Hall

* As an English, Scottish, Irish, German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish surname: all from the noun hall. The name was likely reinforced by similar sounding words such as Swedish häll (“rock slab”).
* As a Chinese surname, variant Romanization of 何, 賀 /贺 (hè), see He.
** (locomotive): The locomotives were named after English and Welsh country houses with 'Hall' in their titles.
** (British and Scandinavian surnames): From the buildings, halls

Hall (disambiguation)#Places
Hall (surname)

(UK, rail transport) Hall class, a class of steam locomotive used on the GWR.


King

en-proper noun

King (countable and uncountable, plural Kings)

→ Japanese: キング (Kingu)

(UK, rail transport) King class, a class of steam locomotives once used on the GWR.


Nippy

It was the task of the Lyons' waitress, the Nippy, groomed and trained by the management to be an efficient public servant, to mediate between patrons and the establishment as well as between different classes and tastes […]

2012, Judith Walkowitz, Nights Out: Life in Cosmopolitan London, page 195:

The Nippy became a national icon, symbolic of the girl next door, always approachable and proper; […]

2014, Paul Chrystal, Tea: A Very British Beverage:

(UK, historical) A waitress in a Lyons Corner House.


Marmite

en-noun

Marmite (countable and uncountable, plural Marmites)

From French marmite (“flesh-pot”). The common-noun sense derives from an advertising campaign featuring the slogan "love it or hate it".

A pink gin is prepared by swirling a few drops of bitters round the glass and throwing any excess away. It's the Marmite of the drinking world.

2000 May 30, Mike Page, “Re: Milk bar [WAS: Re: Great googly-moogly]”, in alt.usage.english (Usenet):

Ah, anchovies - the marmite of the marine world. Personally, I love them, at least on pizzas.

2001 March 6, Mark Blunden, “Re:Another Recipe Request”, in alt.babylon5.uk (Usenet):

I have a feeling that this pie is the Marmite of the school pie world. You either loved it or you hated it.

2008, Becky Thorn, “Pies”, in School Dinners: Recipes and Reminiscences of the Good, the Bad and the Spotted Dick, Anova Books, →ISBN, page 24:

Catamarans are the Marmite of powerboating – you either love them or you hate them.

2008, Tim Bartlett, Simon Collis, Tony Jones, “Design and Construction”, in Complete Powerboating Manual, New Holland Publishers, →ISBN, page 164:

A LOT of people could ask me that question. It’s a Marmite thing, you either love him or hate him,” admits Consett actor Chris Coxon who is one of the first people on the planet to attempt to become a real-life version of cult animated character Spongebob Squarepants^([sic])

2009 April 16, “Bobby dazzler”, in The Northern Echo:

“I’ve always been quite a Marmite personality,” she says, comparing herself to the divisive umami toast spread.

2022 June 2, Anna Peele, quoting Olivia Attwood, “Inside ‘Love Island,’ From the Tragic Suicide Deaths to New Mental Health Protocols”, in Vanity Fair:

(UK, informal) Something which people either love or hate.


Marmite

en-adj

Marmite (comparative more Marmite, superlative most Marmite)

more Marmite (comparative)
most Marmite (superlative)

But that 10% gap between fans and detractors leaves room for an interesting concept: is there something more Marmite than Marmite?

2019 October 25, “What’s more Marmite than Marmite?”, in YouGov:

'Hangry', fittingly, is very Marmite. For some it is newfangled and unpalatable, but for others it is an essential description of everyday life.

2022 October 13, Susie Dent, Words from the Heart: An Emotional Dictionary, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

London is perhaps the ultimate Marmite city. One second you're head over heels in love with it; the next you're searching 'Manchester' on Rightmove. But what are the most Marmite things IN London? These six things, we reckon.

2023 October 11, Will Noble, “Are These The 6 Most Marmite Things In London?”, in Londonist:


Muppet

Diane Sawyer
Elmo
Jim Henson
Kevin Clash
Muppet

Coined by Jim Henson as an alteration of puppet. Henson had claimed the word was a blend of marionette + puppet, but later recanted.

'I'll come, if you like,' Paul says. 'I'm not asking you, Muppet,' Kit snaps.

English version: I'm A Cockney Geezer, You Muppet. No, you are an upper middle class, public school educated wanker (it takes one to know one) and I feel I must apologize to everyone on behalf of the land of my birth for the many crimes to cinema committed in the wake of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998).

2011, Julian Hoxter, Write What You Don't Know, page 45:

She tilts her head towards him, and whispers in his ear, “Of course I do, you Muppet. I keep telling you to trust The Source and our guides; don't I?"

2013, Guy Dance, Soul Brigade: The Mission of Light, page 245:

What's your fucking name you Muppet? I won't ask you again.

2018, Peter D. Bull, Undercover, page 13:

Not that kind of atmosphere, you Muppet. A cut it with a knife atmosphere.

2021, Margaret de Rohan, The Icarus Affair:

(UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Eastern US, South Africa, slang, derogatory) Alternative form of muppet (fool).


Northeast

(UK) Alternative form of North East (“a region of England”)


North

English surname, from the adjective north. This is also translated from other surnames of the same meaning, such as Irish Mac an Ultaigh (“son of the Ulsterman”), Ulster being the northern part of Ireland.

The northern part of a region (alternative letter-case form of north), especially:

(UK) The North of England, a cultural region.


Pam

In October 1865, the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, died in office two days before his 81st birthday. 'Old Pam' had been a member of every government since 1807, […]

2004, Matthew J. B. Campbell, Jacqueline M. Labbe, Sally Shuttleworth, Memory and Memorials, page 64:

w:Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston

(UK, historical, slang) Nickname for Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston.


Peta

(chiefly UK, Australia) A female given name from Ancient Greek.


Plough

Later on, as I walked home / The Plough was showing, and Orion

1998, Belle and Sebastian (lyrics and music), “Ease Your Feet in the Sea”, in The Boy with the Arab Strap:

(astronomy, British, common name) The brightest seven stars of the constellation Ursa Major. They are Alkaid, Mizar, Alioth, Megrez, Dubhe, Merak, and Phecda.


Poppy

"It is a very pretty name, Mma. I should like to be called Poppy."
The compliment drew a smile. "I used to be very embarrassed about it," said Poppy. "I used to try to hide my name from people. I thought it was a very silly name."
Mma Ramotswe shook her head. There was nothing embarrassing about the name Poppy, but there was no telling what names people would find embarrassing.

2006, Alexander McCall Smith, Blue Shoes and Happiness, →ISBN:

(chiefly UK) A female given name from English, a flower name used since the end of the 19th century.


Lent

Shortened form of Lenten, from Old English lencten, from Proto-West Germanic *langatīn (“spring”), as in a season into which days lengthen as it progresses. Related to German Lenz and Dutch lente (“springtime”).

الصَّوْم الْأَرْبَعِينِيّ

Christian period of penitence before Easter


Island

(UK, colloquial) HM Prison Parkhurst, a prison on the Isle of Wight


Henry

From Middle English Henry, from Old French (and Anglo-Norman) Henri, from Frankish *Haimrik, from Proto-Germanic *Haimarīks. Cognate with German Heinrich, Dutch Hendrik, Estonian Hendrik, and Old Norse Heimríkr (Danish Henrik).

Grab the Henry and give it a once over, would you?

(UK) Ellipsis of Henry hoover; a common brand of vacuum cleaner.


Ram

From ram the animal of the mascot for the sports team.

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


Punch

(British) A glove puppet who is the main character used in a Punch and Judy show.


Septic

Short form of Australian rhyming slang septic tank (“Yank”).

Not only didn′t he want to tour he didn′t even want “Septics” (“Septic Tanks,″ meaning Yanks) to buy his records.

1992 February, “The Brit Pack”, in Spin, page 41:

Cockney rhyming slang
Cockney rhyming slang

(UK, Australia, New Zealand, Cockney rhyming slang) Alternative form of septic; an American.


parade

en-noun

parade (countable and uncountable, plural parades)

→ Hindi: परैड (paraiḍ)

→ Urdu: پریڈ (paraiḍ)

From French parade (“an ostentatious display, a military display”), from parer (“to beautify, prepare, take pride in”) + -ade probably under influence from earlier Italian parata (“preparation, a military parade, an ostentatious display”) and Latin magnō parātū (“with great preparation”). Various senses similarly influenced by earlier French and Italian uses. Doublet of pare.

der

Most new shopping centres... have broken away from the old strip parades which usually face each other across heavy inter-town traffic.

1968, Roger Kenneth Cox, Retail Site Assessment, page 15:

(UK, figurative, uncommon) A row of shops beside a street.

Scottish Programme Parade

Listen to your regional Programme Parade at 8.10 a.m. daily.

programme parade
programme parade#English

(UK, figurative, now uncommon) Short for programme parade: a description of the programming schedule formerly announced on the radio and various television channels.


Sellotape

en-noun

Sellotape (usually uncountable, plural Sellotapes)

Brand name, from cellophane tape. The first letter was changed to avoid infringing the then-extant trademark on cellophane.

(UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand) A brand of adhesive tape (and similar products) similar to Scotch tape (US).


Sally

A diminutive lambdacism of Sarah. Compare Hal from Harry and Moll from Mary.

(British, slang) A nickname for the Salvation Army.


Saint

(UK, rail transport) Saint class, a class of steam locomotives used on the GWR.


Tad

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


Pan

(UK, slang, obsolete) The workhouse in St Pancras, London.


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.


United

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


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


Sir

(British) The titular prefix given to a knight or baronet.


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.


Weald

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


Republican

(British, Ireland) An Irish nationalist; a proponent of a united Ireland.


Worship

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


Star

* As a German and Jewish surname, from Star (“starling”).
* Also as a German and Jewish surname, semantic loan from German Stern (“star”).
* As a Dutch surname, from star (“stiff, rigid”).
* As a Slovene surname, from star (“old”).
* As an English given name, from star, sometimes originating as a nickname.

semantic loan

(UK, rail transport) Star class, a class of steam locomotives used on the GWR.


Slav

From Middle English sclave, borrowed from Medieval Latin Sclavus, from Byzantine Greek Σκλάβος (Sklábos); see that entry for more. Doublet of slave and ciao. Displaced native Old English Wined.

(British, birdwatching) The Slavonian grebe.


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.


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, by extension) An American: someone from the United States.


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:


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.


White

White (disambiguation)#Places in the United States

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


Trinity

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


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.


Hansard

Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Luke Hansard
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Thomas Curson Hansard

From Hansard, the surname of Thomas Curson Hansard (1776–1833), an English printer who inherited the business of printing reports of parliamentary debates and proceedings from his father Luke Hansard (1752–1828). T. C. Hansard added his name to the title of the reports from 1829, and from about 1859 they began to be referred to generically as “Hansards”.

Mr. BURNS thought that if they were to have a Hansard at all, they should take steps to have it thoroughly well done, and he would be very glad if they could get rid of these corrections altogether. He thought the exact words, or as nearly as possible the exact words, should be put into the Hansard, and the staff should be so efficient that there would be no necessity for corrections.

1868 October 16, A[rthur] J[ohn] Burns, “Reporting Debates”, in New Zealand. Parliamentary Debates. Third Session of the Fourth Parliament. […] (House of Representatives), volume IV, Wellington: G. Didsbury, government printer, →OCLC, page 372, column 1:

Now, Hansard's Debates originated in the year 1803, and through the enterprize of a son of the late Mr. Luke Hansard, who had been so long connected with the printing of the House, these Debates had supplied the Parliament with a very accurate record of its proceedings. They were cited continually in the House, and so great was their reputation that even in Prussia they had a Preussiches Hansard; there was also a Hansard's Debates both in Canada and Australia. [...] Suppose, then, that these Debates came to an end to-morrow; [...] the newspapers would not supply them with the materials which were now contained in Hansard. It was impossible that the newspapers could report the proceedings of the House at sufficient length.

1875 May 4, Mitchell Henry, “Parliament—Publication of Debates and Exclusion of Strangers.—Resolution.”, in Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, […] (House of Commons), volume CCXXIV (Third Series), 3rd volume of the session, London: Published by Cornelius Buck, at the office for “Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates,” […], →OCLC, columns 68–70:

He, for example, who would essay to take account of Mr. [William Ewart] Gladstone, must read much else besides Hansard; he must brush up his Homer, and set himself to acquire some theology.

1885, [Augustine Birrell], “Carlyle”, in Obiter Dicta, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 1:

In any case, the judges are not allowed to read Hansard in order to see what the sponsors, or any other member, may have said. This is a much criticised rule, but there is a certain amount to be said for it. The legislative processes, through which the parliamentary draftsman's work must pass, are confusing and muddled.

1983, Geoffrey Lewis, “Statutory Interpretation”, in Lord Atkin, London: Butterworths, →ISBN, page 118; reprinted Oxford, Oxfordshire, Portland, Or.: Hart Publishing, 1999, →ISBN:

In a country like India with a vibrant democracy, parliamentary debates play a very crucial role and are watched with keen interest by the people, who are politically conscious. The Reporters' Branch is entrusted with the responsibility of producing the Indian Hansard, i.e., the Official Report of the proceedings of Lok Sabha.

1992, “The Indian Hansard”, in Parliament of India: The Ninth Lok Sabha 1989–1991: A Study, New Delhi: Northern Book Centre for the Lok Sabha Secretariat, →ISBN, part I (Articles), page 63, column 1:

The object of the court in interpreting legislation is to give effect so far as the language permits to the intention of the legislature. If the language proves to be ambiguous I can see no sound reason not to consult Hansard to see if there is a clear statement of the meaning that the words were intended to carry. The days have long passed when the courts adopted a strict constructionist view of interpretation which required them to adopt the literal meaning of the language. [...] I cannot agree with the view that consulting Hansard will add so greatly to the cost of litigation, that on this ground alone we should refuse to do so. Modern technology greatly facilitates the recall and display of material held centrally. I have to confess that on many occasions I have had recourse to Hansard, of course only to check if my interpretation had conflicted with an express Parliamentary intention, but I can say that it does not take long to recall and assemble the relevant passages in which the particular section was dealt with in Parliament, nor does it take long to see if anything relevant was said.

1992 November 26, Lord Griffiths [Hugh Griffiths, Baron Griffiths] (judge of the House of Lords), “Pepper (Inspector of Taxes) … Respondent and Hart … Appellant [[1993] Appeal Cases 593]”, in The Law Reports of the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting: House of Lords, Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and Peerage Cases, London: Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales, published 1993, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2019-09-18, pages 617–618:

Imagine a parliamentary stenographer scribbling furiously in the days before tape recorders. His job is to record politicians' speeches so they can be written up and preserved in an official parliamentary record like Hansard. [...] When some dramatic break or swerve in the speech seems too uncertain to sort out there and then, the stenographer sticks in clumps of hyphens, partly as a signal to himself that he will need to sort this out later when "correcting" and "clarifying" his final copy for Hansard.

1993, Graham Bradshaw, “Appendix: Dashing Othello’s Spirits”, in Misrepresentations: Shakespeare and the Materialists, Ithaca, N.Y., London: Cornell University Press, →ISBN, page 258:

Following the debate in question, Tim Loughton sent an unmarked copy of Hansard to his constituent to inform him that he would no longer be acting as his MP as the constituent had made this position untenable. [...] However, and unbeknown to Loughton, the constituent reported the debate to the police as a 'hate crime' and complained that sending a copy of Hansard was 'harassment'.

2015, Roger Williams, “Harassment in Sussex”, in Rough Justice: Citizens’ Experience of Mistreatment and Injustice in the Early Stages of Law Enforcement, Hook, Hampshire: Waterside Press, →ISBN, part 1 (Contributions, Media and Experiences), page 106:

(chiefly British, Commonwealth) The official report of debates and other proceedings in the British and some Commonwealth parliaments.


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.


rummy

en-adj

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:


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 others of European 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.


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.


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.


mn

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


DB

defined benefits
defined benefits#English

(UK, pensions) Initialism of defined benefits.


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:


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.

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:


sneck lifter

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


fand

en-verb

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.


shreddies

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.


whisht

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

“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!


bisulphite

(inorganic chemistry, British) Alternative spelling of bisulfite


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.


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.


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)

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:

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

My husband is upstairs, hoovering.

[…] 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.


CDT

(UK, education, historical) craft, design, and technology


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”)


CB

en-noun

CB (countable and uncountable, plural CBs)

confined to barracks
confined to barracks#English

(British military) Initialism of confined to barracks.


jasper

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


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.


John

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

From Middle English John, Johan, Johannes, from Anglo-Norman Jehan, Johan, and also Old English Iohannes, both from Late Latin Iōhannēs, variant of Latin Iōannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Biblical Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yôḥānān), perhaps contracted from a former יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān, “God is gracious”).
Doublet of Jack, Jon, Johan, Johann, Johannes, Jean, Sean, Shane, Shaun, Ian, Ivan, Evan, Juan, Giovanni, and Yahya.

doublet

I and the other "Johns," as I soon discovered all new-comers at Sandhurst were, and are still, styled, although at the time I was unconscious of it, managed to troop in after the A company, but although not two minutes after them, found all the different messes already seated and hard at work.

To avoid bullying, first-year “Johns” (from Johnny Raw) “fagged” for senior classmen known as “Regs.” Fagging included making beds, running messages, and smuggling contraband.

(UK, military, slang) A new recruit at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.


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.


Teletext

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


CSA

Child Support Agency
w:Child Support Agency

(British) Initialism of Child Support Agency.


brim

She's a vixen, she's a brim, zounds! she's all that is bad.

(UK, obsolete, slang) A violent irascible woman.


betting shop

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


napoleon

en-noun

napoleon (countable and uncountable, plural napoleons)

/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.


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)

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, transitive, intransitive) 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.


UCO

en-noun

UCO (countable and uncountable, plural UCOs)

(UK, law enforcement) Initialism of undercover officer.


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.


petrol blue

petrol blue:

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


petrol blue

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


F

Abbreviation.
# (stenoscript) Abbreviation of full, fully.
# (stenoscript) suffixes -full, -fully.

ng

<i class="Latn mention" lang="en">fully</i>.

(UK) A grade lower than E but higher than G.

An academic grade, specifically:
A grade lower than E but higher than G.


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

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


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).


all-rounder

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.


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.


settler

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


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.


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 girl

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


C

The programming language is so named because it followed on from an earlier language called B.

(British) Head of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).


johnny

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

toilet

place or device for urination and defecation


exigent

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

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.


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.


stop press

From stop the presses, US newspaper-printing jargon.

stop-press when used as a noun in attribution

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

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)

(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.


south-eastern

en-adj

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

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

(chiefly UK) Alternative form of southeastern


south-western

(chiefly UK) Alternative form of southwestern


piccalilli

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.


north-western

en-adj

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


north-eastern

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


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).


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.


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)

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).


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 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”)


rat-arsed

en-adj

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.


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.


caput

Learned borrowing from Latin caput (“the head”), from Proto-Indo-European *káput (English head), itself from Proto-Indo-European *kap-. 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.


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.


A&E

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.


grammar school

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


B

From abbreviations of various terms beginning with or containing the letter ‘B’.
* (billion): abbreviation of billion
* (cricket): abbreviation of balls
* (bitch): abbreviation of bitch

(British) The grade of pencil, “black”, that makes darker marks than grade HB but lighter marks than grade 2B; a pencil with soft lead.


cross-eyed

en-adj

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

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

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


Abram cove

"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.


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.


hunt saboteur

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


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:


ER

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


autem dipper

From autem (“church”) + dip (“The action of dipping or plunging for a moment into a liquid.”) + -er, referencing the practice of baptism by being dipped in water.

suffix

(idiomatic, obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) An Anabaptist.


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.


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


arse about

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)

(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.


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.


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.


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 14, 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:

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:

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


make a pig's ear of

en-verb

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


H

(British) A grade of pencil with lead that makes darker marks than a pencil of grade 2H; a pencil with hard lead.


H

(British) Abbreviation of hard in reference to a grade of pencil lead.

(UK, film, historical) Abbreviation of horrific. (former film classification)


P

en-noun

P (countable and uncountable, plural Ps)

product placement
product placement#English

(UK, television) Initialism of product placement. (displayed on screen as an indicator to viewers)


P

(UK) Abbreviation of probationary (used on a vehicle's P-plate)


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.


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.


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.


Banbury story of a cock and a bull

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)

/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”)


guzzle

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.


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!


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.


autem

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:


three card brag

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