playwork

(UK) A branch of childcare involving the supervision and development of play.


oner

May all your conkers be oners / May your love life fail with dishonours

1993, Henry Normal, Nude modelling for the afterlife:

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

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

Conkers so highly prized that it's a wonder they even manage to hit the ground before being swept away to be pickled or baked and then going on to new careers as 'oners', 'twoers', and so forth.

2006, Charles Campion, Fifty Recipes To Stake Your Life On, page 119:


fifteener

Not intensely bloody decapitation, but the sort of violence you'd see in a fifteener.

2009 January 24, Interviews by Becky Barnicoat, “Good to meet you: The Jackson children”, in The Guardian:

(UK, informal) A film assigned an age rating of 15, those under 15 not being permitted to view it.


theatre

en-noun

theatre (countable and uncountable, plural theatres)

(US, Canada, Southern American English) -iːtə(ɹ)

From Middle English theater, theatre, from Old French theatre, from Latin theatrum, from Ancient Greek θέατρον (théatron, “a place for viewing”), from θεάομαι (theáomai, “to see, watch, observe”).

der

Mother[…]considered that the exclusiveness of Peter's circle was due not to its distinction, but to the fact that it was an inner Babylon of prodigality and whoredom, from which every Kensingtonian held aloof, except on the conventional tip-and-run excursions in pursuit of shopping, tea and theatres.

1921, Ben Travers, chapter 2, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:

City's players and supporters travelled from one end of the emotional scale to the other in those vital seconds, providing a truly remarkable piece of football theatre and the most dramatic conclusion to a season in Premier League history.

2012 May 13, Phil McNulty, “Man City 3-2 QPR”, in BBC Sport:

But the picture was different elsewhere - Theatre Royal Windsor recorded full houses, although the managing director stated that the actors had trouble getting to and from the theatre.

2023 December 27, David Turner, “Silent lines...”, in RAIL, number 999, page 31:

(chiefly Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK) Alternative spelling of theater


shilling shocker

en-noun

shilling shocker (plural shilling shockers)

(British, historical) A cheap paperback book produced for the mass market in 19th-century Britain, often consolidating twelve to fifteen episodes of a serial novel whose chapters had previously been published separately as penny dreadful pamphlets. Shilling shockers were typically focused on the subjects of crime and violence and were especially popular in late Victorian England. The novels were rather short and cost one shilling.


pize

pize (countable and uncountable, plural pizes)

Unknown; perhaps a variant of pest, pox.

Pize on 'em, they never think beforehand of any thing;—and if they commit Matrimony, 'tis as they commit Murder; out of a Frolick: And are ready to hang themſelves, or to be hang'd by the Law, the next Morning.— […]

1695, [William] Congreve, Love for Love: A Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act V, scene ii, page 77:

Ah! a pize upon it! Dick, after all, was the man.

1751, [Tobias] Smollett, “He is Visited by Pallet; Contracts an Intimacy with a New Market Nobleman; and is by the Knowing Ones Taken in”, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC, page 338, column 1:

Dame, what makes your ducks to die? / What the pize ails 'em? What the pize ails 'em?

1818, James Ford, editor, The Suffolk Garland: Or, A Collection of Poems, Songs, Tales, Ballads:

(British, regional, archaic) Used in various imprecatory expressions: a pest, a pox.


ring the changes

en-verb

ring the changes (third-person singular simple present rings the changes, present participle ringing the changes, simple past rang the changes, past participle rung the changes)

rings the changes (present singular third-person)
ringing the changes (participle present)
rang the changes (past)
rung the changes (participle past)

(UK) To enliven by varying combinations.

(slang, UK, 19th century and earlier) To pass counterfeit money.


wheeltapper

(UK, rail transport, historical) A railway employee tasked with tapping the train's wheels with a hammer to detect cracks.


sticky-tape

sticky-tape (third-person singular simple present sticky-tapes, present participle sticky-taping, simple past and past participle sticky-taped)

sticky-tapes (present singular third-person)
sticky-taping (participle present)
sticky-taped (participle past)
sticky-taped (past)

(transitive, UK) To affix or attach with sticky tape.


bona vacantia

"The company asked also for an express vesting order concerning the land, which had legally gone to the Crown as bona vacantia" http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WvY3AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA814&dq=bona+vacantia

(UK, law) The principle that there is no unowned property, and that if there is no other owner then property vests in the Crown.


conveyorised

en-adj

conveyorised (comparative more conveyorised, superlative most conveyorised)

more conveyorised (comparative)
most conveyorised (superlative)

(UK) Alternative spelling of conveyorized


jimmer

From Middle English gemow, from Old French gemel, from Latin gemellus (“twin”).

Although it ſhall appeare that in thoſe few places of antiquity where this word Maſle is found, it is found diuorced by the ſpace of heaven and earth, both from the body and marrow bones of the Popiſh Maſſe, as alſo from the jimmers and trinkets thereof.

1618, Thomas Cartvvright [i.e., Thomas Cartwright], chapter VIII, in A Confvtation of the Rhemists Translation, Glosses, and Annotations on the New Testament. […], page 37:

[…] he is a Chriſtian by Art, not by a new nature , dreſt up like a Puppet, in the faſhion and outward ſhape of a man,that moves by the jimmers which the workman faſtens to it, and not inform'd by a ſoul of its own,and therefore as ſuch an image,when worn by time,or broken by violence, can do nothing to renue it ſelf,but crumbles away by piece-meals,till it comes at laſt to nothing ; […]

1659, William Gurnall, “Of a recovering ſtrength that ſincerity hath, and whence” (chapter XVII), in The Christian in Compleat Armour, or, A Treatise of the Saints War Againſt the Devil, […], 2nd edition, London: […]Ralph Smith […], page 183:

“[…] I also remember the following dialogue in the Suffolk vernacular between a neighbouring farmer and his backus (¹) boy :—‘I sa, Mester?’ ‘ Well, bor.’ (²) ‘If thar ain't Sillett's owd razor-backed hogs broke out agin. That thar owd sarpint of a sow ha' got her snout under the gate, and lifted it off the jimmers, (³) and I ketched a glint (⁴) of the rest on 'em skrigglin' (⁵) thar way through the shruff (⁶) in the hedge holl (⁷) and making another gap right atwin (⁸) the stub-apple (⁹) and the touch-wood (¹⁰) tree, and tha ha' bin' a pamplin' (¹¹) all over the land, and rootin (¹²) up our taters, and not one on 'em ringled (¹³). Mester, I think we'd better pound 'em.'” (¹⁴)

1875, Frederick Clifford, chapter XII, in The Agricultural Lock-out of 1874 […], Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, page 281:

It is unlucky to sit opposite the “jimmers ” (i. e. the hinges) of the table when playing at cards.

1880, Alfred Nutt, “Notes”, in The Folk-Lore Record, volume III, London: […] The Folk-Lore Society, by Messrs. Nichols & Sons, page 127:

(obsolete, UK, dialectal, chiefly in the plural) A hinge.


flasket

From Middle English flasket, from Old French flaschet, diminutive of Old French flasche, from Late Latin flasca.
Related to Welsh fflasged (“a vessel of straw or wickerwork”), fflasg (“flask, basket”), and English flask.

cog

There, in a meadow by the rivers side, A flocke of Nymphes I chaunced to espy, 20 All lovely daughters of the flood thereby, With goodly greenish locks, all loose untyde, As each had bene a bryde; And each one had a little wicker basket, Made of fine twigs, entrayled* curiously, 25 In which they gathered flowers to fill their flasket**, And with fine fingers cropt full feateously@ The tender stalkes on hye.

1591, Edmund Spenser, The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5:

(dated, UK) A long, shallow basket with two handles.


beauty parlour

(UK) Alternative spelling of beauty parlor


up to standard

en-adj

up to standard (comparative more up to standard, superlative most up to standard)

more up to standard (comparative)
most up to standard (superlative)

(British) of a necessary standard of quality for its intended use


frim

frim (comparative frimmer or more frim, superlative frimmest or most frim)

frimmer (comparative)
more frim (comparative)
frimmest (superlative)
most frim (superlative)

frim folk

(UK, dialectal) Alternative form of fremd


patriality

In the late 1960s, I observed that it also proved a struggle to craft a non-discriminatory policy of patriality that preserved some traditional rights for those descendants of Britons living in white Commonwealth countries.

2009, Geoffrey Luck, Quadrant, November 2009, No. 461 (Volume LIII, Number 11), Quadrant Magazine Limited, page 29

(British, immigration) The right to reside in the United Kingdom, free from the constraints of immigration policy.


chase up

en-verb

chase up (third-person singular simple present chases up, present participle chasing up, simple past and past participle chased up)

chases up (present singular third-person)
chasing up (participle present)
chased up (participle past)
chased up (past)

Could you chase up last month's invoices?

The band chased the video up with an acoustic redux of the track, as well as performances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Macy’s annual Fourth Of July Spectacular in New York.

2021 July 23, Ellie Robinson, “Coldplay shoot for the stars with their cinematic new track ‘Coloratura’”, in NME:

(British, New Zealand, transitive) To follow up, so as to ensure completion.


debendification

(UK) The replacement of bendy buses with non-articulated buses.


pubco

Many tenants complained that the wholesale price they paid for tied products was excessive, which made them uncompetitive in their local marketplace. However, pubcos told us their wholesale selling price was broadly similar to the standard national wholesale prices, before discount, published by the brewers and charged to free house operators.

2009, “House of Commons Select Committee on Trade and Industry Second Report.”, in Hansard:

(UK) A large business enterprise that owns a number of pubs under tenant agreements, or as managed houses.


managed house

(UK) A public house which is owned by a brewery, or other holding company, and run by a manager rather than a tenant.


free house

(UK) A public house that is not owned or managed by a brewery company, and can therefore stock a range of beers from several producers


tied house

[T]he scandal was the pretty common one of a corrupt agreement between hotel proprietors and a salesman who took and gave secret commissions, so that his business had a monopoly of all the drink sold in the place. It wasn't even an open slavery like an ordinary tied house; it was a swindle at the expense of everybody the manager was supposed to serve.

1935, G. K. Chesterton, The Scandal of Father Brown:

(UK) A public house which is either owned by a brewery, or other holding company, and run by a manager, or rented and run by a tenant, or perhaps contractually tied because of loans from a brewery, and which therefore is obliged to purchase a certain percentage of its stock from said pubco.


Bombay mix

(UK) A traditional Indian snack of mixed dried ingredients with spices and salt, often including fried lentils, peanuts, chickpea flour noodles, corn, vegetable oil, chickpeas, flaked rice, and fried onion.


sparko

He will scream the house down during the day when I put him down to sleep. This lasts an absolute maximum of five minutes before he is fast asleep, totally sparko.

2011, Deborah Harrow, A Mummy's New World, AuthorHouse, page 147:

It's the hardest punch I've ever seen or heard. This guy was sparko, covered in blood, and as we found out afterwards, his jaw was shattered, not to mention the glass damage, and it caused a few rows between the rival team's supporters.

2012, Thomas Appleby, Life in the Harsh Lane: The Nine Lives, Mishaps, and Adventures of a No-Body, Xlibris, page 29:

My name was put forward as the driver even though I was sparko in hospital.

2013, Carole McEntee-Taylor, A Battle Too Far: The True Story of Rifleman Henry Taylor, Pen & Sword Military, page 123:


nott

en-adj

nott (comparative more nott, superlative most nott)

more nott (comparative)
most nott (superlative)

From Old English hnot, of unknown origin.

For these and other reasons farmers who occupy good land in the vale with their hill farms are getting tired of the horned sheep, and use their hill farms only as summering-ground for nott sheep and bullocks.

1850, “On the Farming of Somerset”, in Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, volume XI, page 679:

Do ye know that riddle about the nott cows, Jonathan? Why do nott cows give less milk in a year than horned?

1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles:

(now UK dialect, Newfoundland) Of an animal: having no horns; polled.


games room

There is also a fine dance and concert hall, a capacious reading room, a well-appointed billiards room with five tables, various committee and games rooms, photographic dark rooms, and a small but compact ladies' lounge.

1944 May and June, Arthur B. Longbottom, “The Derby Railway Institute”, in Railway Magazine, page 150:

(chiefly UK) Alternative form of game room


Continent

(UK, Ireland) Mainland Europe, as seen from the British Isles.


wike

From Old English wic. See wick (“village”).

(obsolete, UK, dialect) A home; a dwelling.


tenpence

(obsolete, British, Ireland) A coin worth ten old pence.

(rare, British, Ireland) A coin worth ten new pence.

(obsolete, British, Ireland) The value of ten old pence.


your good name

In modern South English, likely calque of Bengali ভালো নাম (bhalō nam), Hindi शुभ नाम (śubh nām, literally “good name”), and similar collocations in other Indian languages.
Good has a sense similar to honourable, as in older English phrases such as “good sir” or “your good wife”.

clq

‘Society ought to be proud of such men as you, Mr. – what is your good name, sir?’ – ‘Phiggins, at your service.’

1838, Bentley's Miscellany: Proceedings of the Wide Awake Club, page 361:

'That must be your nick name. But what's your good name ?' 'I ain't get any bad name only one name Goofy.' She laughs. 'It's a funny name for a man.'

The man moved a little away and cleaned himself. "And your good name?" "You can call me Satyadas."

1998, Civacaṅkari, Knit India Through Literature: The East:

“What's your good name?” I asked him. “Marcos,” he replied.

2004, Michael Muhammad Knight, The taqwacores:

What is your good name, sahib?

2004, James O'Reilly, Larry Habegger, Travelers' Tales India: True Stories:

(respectful, South Asia, also archaic UK) Your name.


oofless

en-adj

oofless (comparative more oofless, superlative most oofless)

more oofless (comparative)
most oofless (superlative)


oofy

oofy (comparative more oofy, superlative most oofy)

more oofy (comparative)
most oofy (superlative)

From oof + -y. Oof is a clipping of ooftish, from Yiddish אויפֿן טיש (oyfn tish, “on the table”) in the phrase געלט אויפֿן טיש (gelt oyfn tish, “money on the table”).

der

How lucky for me she never can have heard of the glorious Tinman, or my oofy maiden-aunt; wouldn't she have jumped at me, if she had?

1896 December, R[ichard] D[oddridge] Blackmore, “Dariel: A Romance of Surrey. Chapter VIII.—Through the Corn.”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLX, number DCCCCLXXIV, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publication Co., 112 Wall Street, →OCLC, page 727, column 1:

Money isn't everything in this world. Youth and love and pluck are the main things. Hang it, what if you do get into debt occasionally? You've got a pretty oofy father-in-law.

1909, J[oseph] Storer Clouston, chapter XI, in The Prodigal Father, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC, page 215:

This Tom has a peculiarity I've noticed in other very oofy men. Nick him for the paltriest sum, and he lets out a squawk you can hear at Land's End. He has the stuff in gobs, but he hates giving up.

1934, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter VII, in Right Ho, Jeeves, London: Herbert Jenkins Limited, 3 Duke of York Street St. James's London S.W.1, →OCLC, page 70:

(British, slang, dated) Having lots of oof (money); rich, wealthy.


scrub up

en-verb

scrub up (third-person singular simple present scrubs up, present participle scrubbing up, simple past and past participle scrubbed up)

scrubs up (present singular third-person)
scrubbing up (participle present)
scrubbed up (participle past)
scrubbed up (past)

He scrubs up well.

(UK, informal) To become clean, handsome, smart in appearance, e.g. for a special occasion, especially when it is out of character to be seen as such.


snagger

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

Snag List Steve is not a happy snagger. […] It's his job to ensure that new homes are finished properly for their buyers - his clients.

2019 February 15, “'Some so-called tradesmen should be truly ashamed of themselves' - Steve's snagging headache bodes badly for buyers”, in Irish Independent:

We've gone from a small company in west Wales to the UK's number one snagger inspectors

2022 October 21, John Cooper, quotee, “The building inspectors exposing cowboy builders on TikTok: Experts' videos blasting 'absolutely shocking' paving, electrics and brickwork have been watched over eight million times”, in Daily Mail:

I was a snagger on the building site, where I was going around pointing out problems.

2024 January 3, Saoirse Monica Jackson, quotee, “Derry Girls star Saoirse Monica Jackson reveals surprising job she did before becoming famous”, in Irish Mirror:

(chiefly Ireland, UK) A person that reviews newly built properties to find issues to be remedied before the client buying the home moves in; someone who produces a snag list.


hard disc

To store immense amounts of valuable data on one hard disc is courting trouble.

1989, Doig Simmons, Linda Reynolds, Computer Presentation of Data in Science, page 23:

A hard disc is both much larger, and very much faster, than any floppy.

1991, M. H. Beilby, R. D. Harding, M. R. Manning, Scientific Programmer's Toolkit: Turbo Pascal Edition, page 1:

We will start with current systems, such as longitudinal hard disc and tape.

2008, Thomas Thomson, Leon Abelmann, Hans Groenland, “Magnetic Data Storage: Past, Present and Future”, in Magnetic Nanostructures in Modern Technology, page 237:


foud

From Old Norse fōgeti, cognate with German Vogt, from Latin vocatus, from vocare (“to call”). Doublet of Vogt.

From the twelfth century Shetland had been administered directly by the Norwegian crown through the 'foud', rather than forming part of the patrimony of a great aristocratic estate. The foud appointed 'underfouds' and the Shetlands evolved their own elected officers, a 'lawman' and parish 'lawrightmen', who adjudicated and negotiated the collection of customary taxes and fines on behalf of the local population.

1983, Paul Thompson, Tony Wailey, Trevor Lummis, History Workshop Series, Living the Fishing, Routledge & Kegan Paul:

(British, Shetland and Orkney) A bailiff or magistrate.


fruit cup

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

(UK) A speciality drink, often gin-based, designed to be made into a long drink by adding a soft drink such as lemonade or ginger ale.


get a word in edgeways

get<,,got,got􂀿UK􂁀:gotten􂀿US􂁀> a word in edgeways

get a word in edgeways (third-person singular simple present gets a word in edgeways, present participle getting a word in edgeways, simple past got a word in edgeways, past participle (UK) got a word in edgeways or (US) gotten a word in edgeways)

gets a word in edgeways (present singular third-person)
getting a word in edgeways (participle present)
got a word in edgeways (past)
got a word in edgeways (UK participle past)
gotten a word in edgeways (US participle past)

The baggage-camel had been bobbing his head to and from for some time past, anxious to get a word in edgeways.

1894 May, Rudyard Kipling, “Servants of the Queen”, in The Jungle Book, London, New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., published June 1894, →OCLC, page 196:

I sat there, letting his voice run on. Even if I'd wanted to, I couldn't have gotten a word in edgeways. Perhaps if life continued thi way, I would gradually lose the faculty of speech, [...]

1999, Zena Collier, chapter 3, in A Cooler Climate, Lincoln, Neb.: toExcel Press, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 24:

I only included the interview because it is revealing of Javanese gender relationships. The young dancer is muted and hardly gets a word in edgeways, as the (male) troupe leader and her mother hijack each question and provide answers which are sometimes contradictory.

1999, Felicia Hughes-Freeland, “Dance on Film: Strategy and Serendipity”, in Theresa J. Buckland, editor, Dance in the Field: Theory, Methods and Issues in Dance Ethnography, Basingstoke, Hampshire, New York, N.Y.: Palgrave Macmillan, →DOI, →ISBN, part II (Methodological Approaches), page 117:

Stanton stood up. It seemed the only way of getting a word in edgeways.

2014, Ben Elton, chapter 5, in Time and Time Again, London: Black Swan, Transworld Publishers, →ISBN, page 57:

Betsy rang me every now and then, but I couldn't get caught up in the 'fight' like she did. Besides, if I got a word in edgeways during each call I'd be lucky.

2014, Emma O’Reilly, with Shannon Kyle, “Old Wounds”, in The Race to Truth: Blowing the Whistle on Lance Armstrong and Cycling’s Doping Culture, London: Bantam Press, →ISBN, page 248:

Rishi Sunak:[…]You want to be Prime Minister, how would you resolve the strikes?
Keir Starmer: I wish he had as much— (cut off)
RS: How would you resolve them?
KS: I wish he had as much to say when Liz Truss was crashing the economy.
Julie Etchingham: Can you answer Rishi Sunak's point please, Keir Starmer?
KS: Well I will if I could get a word in edgeways. His record is him saying, "I'm not going to get in the room to negotiate" […]

2024, Keir Starmer, 17:49 from the start, in The ITV Election Debate 2024, ITV:

get a word in edgewise
get a word in edgewise#English

(chiefly British) Alternative form of get a word in edgewise


PAF

Postcode Address File
w:Postcode Address File

(UK) Initialism of Postcode Address File (“the UK Post Office's list of every postal delivery point, which is licensed to most delivery companies and banks, and many retailers”).


pal up

pal up (third-person singular simple present pals up, present participle palling up, simple past and past participle palled up)

pals up (present singular third-person)
palling up (participle present)
palled up (participle past)
palled up (past)

He'd happened to pal up with a Free French bloke who'd been in the orthopaedic wards, and when this fellow went home with a couple of bone grafts Rushleigh got an invitation to stay at his place down at Nice, buckshee.

1955, Richard Gordon, Doctor At Large, House of Stratus:

... you could make a bit of conversation.' 'I don't want to. I'm on holiday with my family. I don't want to pal up with some bloke from the Pru, just because he's asked me to pass the sauce.'

1996, Laurie Graham, The Ten O'Clock Horses, Hachette UK:

Normally in the CID you'd pal up with somebody, but nobody seemed to be his pal. 'He was creepy, a creepy type of bloke, you know. He always seemed to be hanging around, and he always seemed to be bloody listening to other people's[…]

2006, David Seabrook, Jack of Jumps, Granta Publications:

(intransitive, informal, UK, Australia) To become friends.


learning diffculty

en-noun

learning difficulty (plural learning difficulties)

learning difficulty (canonical)
learning difficulties (plural)

(chiefly UK) Any medically recognized condition (as opposed to a disease) that inhibits a person's ability to function in the world.


scrat

en-verb

scrat (third-person singular simple present scrats, present participle scratting, simple past and past participle scratted)

scrats (present singular third-person)
scratting (participle present)
scratted (participle past)
scratted (past)

From Middle English scratten. Origin uncertain; apparently related to Swedish kratta (“to rake”). Also compare German kratzen (“to scratch”).

He himself had scratted in the thin dust of evangelical tracts.

1978, A.S. Byatt, The Virgin in The Garden, Vintage International, published 1992, page 89:


sned

sned (third-person singular simple present sneds, present participle snedding, simple past and past participle snedded)

sneds (present singular third-person)
snedding (participle present)
snedded (participle past)
snedded (past)

From Middle English snid (attested only in the sense of saw and slaughter), from Old English snid, snide (“a cut, incision; cutting implement, saw”), from Proto-West Germanic *snidi; merging with Middle English snede (“a morsel, bite; scythe”), from Old English snǣd (“something cut off, morsel, bit; scythe handle”).

inh

(UK, dialect, transitive) To lop; lop or chop off.


Black

It contained an article written by Lacy Banko summarizing the work of Dr. Herbert Hendin, who had done a comparative study on suicide among Black people in the major American cities. Dr. Hendin found that the suicide rate among Black men between the ages of nineteen and thirty-five had doubled in the past ten to fifteen years, surpassing the rate for whites in the same age range.

1973, Huey P. Newton, J. Herman Blake, Revolutionary Suicide, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, →ISBN, page 3:

A group of Black women came in later but only observed from the sidelines.

1986, Chaya Shalom, “The only dyke from Israel”, in Off Our Backs, volume 16, number 8, →JSTOR, page 26:

Buried among the jargon of the announcement was a mention of a name for AAVE, suggested by a Black scholar in 1975^([sic]) but never adopted by linguists: Ebonics. That word, concocted from ebony (a color term from the name of a dark-colored wood) and phonics (the name of a method for teaching reading), was destined to attach to the board as if chiseled into a block of granite and hung round their necks.

1999, Geoffrey K. Pullum, “African American Vernacular English Is Not Standard English with Mistakes”, in Rebecca S. Wheeler, editor, The Workings of Language, →ISBN, page 40:

Hundreds of Seattle protesters came together Saturday to voice the sadness and fury that has spread across the country over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died after being pinned beneath the knee of a Minneapolis police officer for almost nine minutes.

2020 May 31, “Violence, destruction mar Seattle protests over the death of George Floyd”, in The Seattle Times, page A1:

(chiefly Canada, US, often UK) Alternative letter-case form of black (“of or relating to any of various ethnic groups having dark pigmentation of the skin”).


tracklement

Coined in its current sense by the English cookery writer Dorothy Hartley in her book Food in England in 1954, but probably derived from a similar dialect word with variant spellings (e.g. tranklement, tanchiment) used before that date across North and Central England and meaning "ornaments, trinkets; bits of things".

preserves, conserves and homemade tracklements are sold at

1992, Simon Scott with Nancy Scott, Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands, 1993-1994, page 140:

nestled together in a cunning arrangement, ornamented by the tracklements she had labored to obtain for her friends

2004, Katharine Weber, The Little Women, page 159:

The content of these stores, as well as wine, would mostly be preserved foodstuffs and tracklements.

2006, Janet MacDonald, Feeding Nelson's Navy: The True Story of Food at Sea in the Georgian Era, page 128:

(UK, rare) A savoury condiment (for example a mustard, relish or chutney), especially one served with meat.


gutter press

(British, derogatory) The sensationalist tabloid newspapers in general.


stannary town

(British) A town considered to be the administrative centre of a stannary region in Devon and Cornwall


put through

en-verb

put through (third-person singular simple present puts through, present participle putting through, simple past and past participle put through)

puts through (present singular third-person)
putting through (participle present)
put through (participle past)
put through (past)

Playing football brought people together – we’d play against any brick wall, on any kerb, or see if we could put the window through in the art department.

2005 October 25, “Pete Doherty pens song for his football team”, in NME:

(transitive, UK) To smash (e.g. a window) so as to create an opening.


rafty

en-adj

rafty (comparative raftier, superlative raftiest)

raftier (comparative)
raftiest (superlative)

Perhaps akin to German Reif (“hoarfrost”).


HBMS

(UK, military, nautical, obsolete) Initialism of His/Her Britannic Majesty's Ship, replaced by HMS (His/Her Majesty's Ship).


SPAD

Coordinate term: SPAR

(rail transport, UK) Initialism of signal passed at danger.


SPAD

(rail transport, UK) An instance of a signal passed at danger.


SPAD

en-verb

SPAD (third-person singular simple present SPADs, present participle SPADing, simple past and past participle SPADed)

SPADs (present singular third-person)
SPADing (participle present)
SPADed (participle past)
SPADed (past)

(rail transport, UK) To pass a signal at danger.


shote

The rest are common to other Shires, but the Shote in a maner peculiar to Deuon and Cornwall: in shape and colour he resembleth the Trowt

1609, Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall. […], new edition, London: […] B. Law, […]; Penzance, Cornwall: J. Hewett, published 1769, →OCLC:

Thymallus thymallus
Thymallus thymallus#Translingual

(obsolete, UK, dialect) A fish resembling the trout, the grayling (Thymallus thymallus).


like the clappers

Partridge says: "Possibly rhyming slang for 'clappers of a bell', 'hell'."

After hurling their insults, they ran like the clappers to get away.

And when it started off they first studied them, and of course they went like the clappers to prove what they could do, which was the thing they shouldn't be doing because it was a study, and of course, they've got to work like the clappers all the time once it came into operation.

1998, Diana Gittins, Madness in its Place: Narratives of Severalls Hospital, 1913-1997:

We've gone through regional and rural Australia like the clappers, and everywhere we went, irate voters shouted at us and we stuck our heads out the windows and shouted: "What?" and the electorate respected us for it.

In fact she made quite a nice little rider — a bit rough, like these Australians always were, but quite secure in her seat and going like the clappers.

2006, Kerry Greenwood, Murder in the Dark:

(simile, UK, informal) Very hard or very rapidly.


mappen

Dunnet gowl, Aggy. Mappen I'll be maister man mysel' soon.

1887, Hall Caine, chapter VII, in A Son of Hagar: A Romance of Our Time […], volume I, London: Chatto and Windus, […], →OCLC, 1st book (Retro Me, Sathana), page 128:

(UK, dialectal, obsolete) It may happen that; maybe, perhaps.


prink

prink (third-person singular simple present prinks, present participle prinking, simple past and past participle prinked)

prinks (present singular third-person)
prinking (participle present)
prinked (participle past)
prinked (past)

(UK, university slang, humorous) To pre-drink.


head

/laɪk ˌtɜːkiz ˈvəʊtɪŋ fɚ‿n̩ ˌɜːli ˈkɹɪsməs/

/laɪk ˌtɝkiz ˈvoʊtɪŋ fɚ‿n̩ ˌɝli ˈkɹɪsməs/

En-au-like turkeys voting for an early Christmas.ogg

like turkeys voting for Christmas#English

(British, simile, humorous) Synonym of like turkeys voting for Christmas


sturt

Lift up your hart and be of gude curage,
Sturt in na way your leiknes can asswage

1837, John Rolland, The Seven Sages: In Scotish Metre:

(obsolete, UK, Scotland, dialect) disturbance; annoyance; care


sturt

en-verb

sturt (third-person singular simple present sturts, present participle sturting, simple past and past participle sturted)

sturts (present singular third-person)
sturting (participle present)
sturted (participle past)
sturted (past)

(obsolete, UK, Scotland, dialect, transitive) To vex; to annoy; to startle.

(obsolete, UK, Scotland, dialect, intransitive) To start with fear.


bone-idle

Laziness that penetrates the very bones. Attested 1836. Similar terms (bone-lazy, bone-sore, bone-tired) pre-dated it in The Vocabulary Of East Anglia, 1830, Robert Forby.

For the last three weeks I have been going what you call bone-idle.

(chiefly British, Ireland, Commonwealth, idiomatic) Utterly lazy.


like turkeys voting for Christmas

En-au-like turkeys voting for Christmas.ogg

Because turkeys are commonly eaten at Christmas, turkeys voting for (an early) Christmas would be hastening their own death. The phrase is thought to have been coined by the British Liberal Party politician David Penhaligon (1944–1986) who used it to express opposition to the 1977 Lib–Lab pact. It was popularized by the British Prime Minister James Callaghan (1912–2005) who used it in the House of Commons in March 1979 when his Labour Party lost a vote of no confidence: see the 1977 and 1979 quotations.

coinage

The next morning [14 December 1977] the Liberals held a two-and-a-half meeting at which Steel let them have their head. Only two MPs, Howells and Johnston, said they were willing to continue the Pact. The opponents were delighted. […] ‘Us voting for the Pact is like a turkey voting for Christmas’, said David Penhaligon

[1977 December 14, Alistair Michie, Simon Hoggart, “The Wispy Beards Strike Back”, in The Pact: The Inside Story of the Lib-Lab Government, 1977–8, London: Quartet Books, published 1978, →ISBN, page 156:

The minority parties have walked into a trap. If they win, there will be a general election. I am told that the current joke going around the House is that it is the first time in recorded history that turkeys have been known to vote for an early Christmas.

[1979 March 28, James Callaghan, Prime Minister, “Her Majesty’s Government (Opposition Motion)”, in House of Commons Debates (House of Commons of the United Kingdom), volume 965, London: Parliament of the United Kingdom, archived from the original on 2022-12-07, column 471:

Many of the responses to proposals, particularly regarding deregulation, were unsupported: it would have been like turkeys voting for Christmas in some respects.

1998, Philip Allmendinger, Huw Thomas, “Conclusions”, in Philip Allmendinger, Huw Thomas, editors, Urban Planning and the British New Right, London, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 247:

Bear in mind, however, that for some purchasing people, deciding to use an agent is a little like turkeys voting for Christmas.

2001, Trevor Kitching, “The Internet – the New Frontier for Scam Merchants”, in Purchasing Scams and How to Avoid Them, Aldershot, Hampshire, Burlington, Vt.: Gower Publishing, →ISBN, page 90:

The anti-divorce rallying cry of Fine Gael’s Alice Glenn, ‘Women voting for divorce is like turkeys voting for Christmas’, captured the sense of fear felt by many at the economic consequences of divorce for women.

2002, Frances Gardiner, Mary O’Dowd, “The Women’s Movement and Women Politicians in the Republic of Ireland, 1980–2000: Introduction”, in Angela Bourke et al., editors, The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing, volumes V (Irish Women’s Writing and Traditions), New York, N.Y.: New York University Press, →ISBN, page 233, column 1:

(British, simile, humorous, of an action) Self-defeating; serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer of the action.

James Callaghan
Lib–Lab pact
Oxford University Press

sahata omaa oksaansa

of an action: self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer

scier la branche sur laquelle on est assis

肉屋を支持する豚 (nikuya wo shijisuru buta, literally “pigs who support butchers”)

пчёлы про́тив мёда (pčóly prótiv mjóda, literally “bees against honey”)


dinner hour

(British) The midday break in British schools (some areas), lunchtime.


Jedward

(UK, Ireland, informal) John & Edward, an Irish singing duo who achieved fame in The X Factor in 2009.


Rhodie

[…] the British squaddies look with faint contempt on the Rhodesians (or "Rhodies" as they sometimes call them; military slang mushrooms overnight).[…]

1980, Simon Hoggart, “Ironing the lawn in Salisbury - the last days of Rhodesia”, in The Guardian:

Remaindered from the Rhodesian war, all they have now is their ghosts inadequately repressed by extreme religion, alcohol, purple pills or a penchant for tearing down bars. Don't believe these guys don't exist. Spot them at the end of a Harare Rhodie bar or even worse stumbling towards you across the terrace of a bush hotel […]

2004 September, Peter Longworth, “Dark hearts”, in The Guardian:

(British, South Africa, informal, sometimes derogatory) A white person who is resident in, or self-identifies with Rhodesia, particularly in its pre-independence days.


passivisation

en-noun

passivisation (countable and uncountable, plural passivisations)

(British) Alternative form of passivization


yure

From Middle English ȝowre, from Old Norse júr, júgr (“udder”), from Proto-Germanic *eudarą, *ūdarą. More at udder.

(UK, dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) udder


noit

noit (usually uncountable, plural noits)

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) Alternative form of note (“business”)


accident and emergency

(chiefly British, New Zealand) The department of a hospital that deals with injuries and medical emergencies.


invaliding

(UK) The act of exempting someone from duty because of injury or ill health.


tidgy

en-adj

tidgy (comparative more tidgy, superlative most tidgy)

more tidgy (comparative)
most tidgy (superlative)

[…] all we could scrape up was jobs selling things for tidgy little firms that weren't big enough to be mopped up into any of the nationalisation schemes...

'It's only a tidgy one,' he said. 'Nobody in Huguenot seems very impressed.'

'She says Indian elephants are tidgy little things.' 'They're not then.' Emma was getting heated. 'They're– ' 'Emma!' said Jenny sharply. The child subsided.

2001, Eric Malpass, At the Height of the Moon:

I was going to let him have one in the tidgy triangle below the throat like Suze taught me, but everything stopped at the sound of Paulie retching.

2008, Jim Cartwright, Supermarket supermodel:


double cream

en-noun

double cream (usually uncountable, plural double creams)

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

(UK, Ireland) A relatively thick cream suitable for pouring, whipping and piping.


stone frigate

(UK, naval slang) A shore establishment of the Royal Navy and some Commonwealth navies.


tits up

Perhaps derives from an expired animal lying on its back, or the behaviour of aeroplanes' attitude indicators, which in some regional conventions turn upside down when faulty and display an inverted 'W' resembling a pair of breasts.

The vast majority go tits up in the first year. Basic economics, even if the people have some training and education in retail.

1987, Nora Roberts, Daring to dream, page 157:

But believe me, sunshine, if this show goes tits up, none of us are going to come out smelling of roses."

2007, Gemma Townley, The Hopeless Romantic's Handbook, page 102:

(idiomatic, slang, vulgar, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Broken; failed; inoperable.

(idiomatic, slang, vulgar, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Dead.


voddy

voddy (countable and uncountable, plural voddies)

'There's sure to be a fridge for keeping the beer cold.' 'I don't drink beer — it's fattening. Voddy and lime is my tipple.

1993, Anne Weale, Footprints in the Sand:

A man, only a few metres away, standing up in plain view, swigged on a bottle of voddy. Talk about careless! Egan couldn't believe his eyes.

2004, Catherine Bateson, The Air Dancer of Glass:

“Oh yeah, I owe you for a bottle of voddy by the way.” “Why?” he asked, screwing his face up in puzzlement.

True, we are fond of a voddie or nine, but we know how to handle our liquor, with the emphasis being on "handle".


lightsabre

British standard spelling of lightsaber.


luvverly

en-adj

luvverly (comparative more luvverly, superlative most luvverly)

more luvverly (comparative)
most luvverly (superlative)

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

(UK, nonstandard) Pronunciation spelling of lovely.


lurvely

lurvely (comparative more lurvely, superlative most lurvely)

more lurvely (comparative)
most lurvely (superlative)


loverly

loverly (comparative more loverly, superlative most loverly)

more loverly (comparative)
most loverly (superlative)

(UK, nonstandard, pronunciation spelling) lovely


chiplike

chiplike (comparative more chiplike, superlative most chiplike)

more chiplike (comparative)
most chiplike (superlative)

...the chemical structure required for the generation of chiplike flavor during deep fat frying of methionine is specific.

1987, William F Talburt, Ora Smith, Science:

(UK, Australia, New Zealand) Resembling or characteristic of a chip (wedge of fried potato).


if the cap fits

if the cap fits, wear it
if the cap fits, wear it#English

(British) Ellipsis of if the cap fits, wear it.


cross-channel

The intelligent ship-owner will rejoice to find, that in the partition of trade, which is the inevitable consequence of a state of peace, England still retains the lion's share; whilst for a fine weather and cross channel trade, our neighbours (to use a mariner's phrase) can put to sea in a hencoop, the superiority of our ships and crews secures a preference for British bottoms where dangers are to be run and risks surmounted.

1834, M.T. Sadler, “The Sadlerian School of Political Economy”, in Selections from the Edinburgh review, volume 6, page 154:

the Gauls, who carried on the cross-channel trade between Gaul and Britain, were the inhabitants of the northern coast.

1858 (May 1) Notes & Queries, 2nd Series, v.122 p.349

was it not worth while ... for the country to ... make Dover Harbour really safe and adequate ... they thereby greatly promoted the convenience and safety of the cross-Channel traffic

1876 (May 23) Baron Carlingford, House of Commons, v229 c1108

With her graceful lines she is a fine example of the modern cross-channel steamer, and her interior arrangements are considerably superior to those of her predecessors.

1939 June, G. W. Tripp, “The Modern Railway Steamer”, in Railway Magazine, page 392:

Montgomery to command the British land forces under Eisenhower in the cross-Channel invasion

1951 October 29, “F.D.R.'s big decision”, in Life, page 76:

2004 (April 5), Nicholas Watt, The Guardian, After 100 years, we love France - but they don't like us and we don't like them
The poll, a joint cross-channel venture carried out by ICM in Britain and BVA Institute in France on behalf of the Guardian and the newspaper Libération, follows a difficult period in Anglo-French history in the wake of the Iraq conflict.

That travels across a channel of water; relating to somewhere on the opposite side of the channel

(British) Relating to the English Channel; to, from, or on the Continent; involving both Britain and the Continent, especially France

outre-Manche

on the other side of the English channel

Effect on the Revenue by the alteration of the Cross Channel Trade: The Acts of last Session of Parliament in regard to the removal of foreign goods between Great Britain and Ireland...

1825 (February 24) House of Lords Sessional Papers, v.120: Tenth report of the Commissioners of Inquiry into the Collection and Management of the Revenue arising in Ireland, Scotland, etc. p.233

the complete freedom given to general commercial intercourse, by which the cross-channel trade was made, by 6th Geo. 4th c. 107, a coasting-trade; and the intercourse with Ireland was left as unrestricted as that between London and Newcastle.

1834 (April 23) Thomas Spring Rice, House of Commons, v22 c1208

Arriving in Dublin from the Cross Channel steamer

1940 (June), Norman Somerville, The Rotarian, "Rotary in a Confused World", p.7

The Central Statistics Office publishes annual figures on the estimated total earnings from all visits to Ireland. These figures include a breakdown into the following categories for overseas travel routes: air cross-channel, sea cross-channel, continental and transatlantic.

2005 (November 29) Tom Kitt, Dáil Éireann, v611 c8

2008 (January 23) Tommy Marren, Western People "All-Ireland League could be soccer’s saviour"
Our fascination for cross-channel soccer never ceases to amaze me. We head to places like Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and even Elland Road week in week out in our droves to support teams that have little or no Irish involvement yet we find little or no attraction in attending matches in the eircom League that are virtually on our doorstep.

(chiefly Ireland, dated in British) Relating to the body of water between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland (the Irish Sea, Saint George's Channel, and the North Channel); to, from, or in the other of the two islands


streaky bacon

(UK) Bacon made from pork belly rather than from side or back cuts


period pants

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

(British, informal, plural only) Underwear worn by a woman or girl during menstruation, typically old, cheap, or of a dark colour in case of staining.


jogging bottoms

(British) tracksuit bottoms, (US) sweatpants


the world is one's lobster

Originally a malapropism spoken by character Arthur Daley in the British TV comedy-drama Minder.

the world is one's oyster
the world is one's oyster#English

(British, humorous) Intentional misrendering of the proverb "the world is one's oyster".


tracksuit bottoms

(British) A type of soft, lightweight trousers used for sports or informal occasions, (US) sweatpants.


adjustable spanner

en-noun

adjustable spanner (plural adjustable spanners)

(British) An adjustable hand tool for tightening and loosening nuts and bolts.


IFA

independent financial adviser
w:independent financial adviser

(UK, finance) Initialism of independent financial adviser.


sedentarise

en-verb

sedentarise (third-person singular simple present sedentarises, present participle sedentarising, simple past and past participle sedentarised)

sedentarises (present singular third-person)
sedentarising (participle present)
sedentarised (participle past)
sedentarised (past)

(British, anthropology) Alternative spelling of sedentarize


curry favour

curry favour (third-person singular simple present curries favour, present participle currying favour, simple past and past participle curried favour)

curries favour (present singular third-person)
currying favour (participle present)
curried favour (participle past)
curried favour (past)

(British, Canada) Alternative spelling of curry favor


unitary council

en-noun

unitary council (plural unitary councils)

(UK) A single-tier local authority that has responsibility for all government functions in its area


grist to the mill

What evil will not a rival say to stop the flow of grist to the mill of the hated one?

1875, Anthony Trollope, chapter 58, in The Way We Live Now, London: Chapman and Hall, […]:

This might all seem grist to Berkeley’s mill. Berkeley himself knew that we interpret our experience in spatio-temporal, objective terms. But he thought we had to ‘speak with the vulgar but think with the learned’: in other words, learn to regard that interpretation as a kind of façon de parler, rather than the description of a real, independent, objective world.

1999, Simon Blackburn, Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (Oxford University Press paperback, ch. 7 section 6: "Kant’s Revolution", pp. 258–259

grist for the mill
grist for the mill#English

(idiomatic, chiefly UK) Alternative form of grist for the mill


bummle

en-verb

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

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


fummel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


thrutch

thrutch (third-person singular simple present thrutches, present participle thrutching, simple past and past participle thrutched)

thrutches (present singular third-person)
thrutching (participle present)
thrutched (participle past)
thrutched (past)

From Middle English thrucchen (“to push, rush”), from Old English þryċċan (“to push, press, trample on, crush”), from Proto-West Germanic *þrukkijan, from Proto-Germanic *þrukkijaną (“to press”). Cognate with West Frisian drukke (“to press”), Dutch drukken (“to press, squeeze”), German drücken (“to press, push, squeeze”), Swedish trycka (“to press, push, squeeze”).

cog

If awd known wot aw know neaw, says Bobby, thrutchin his honds deep into his breeches pockets un hutchin up his shilders, theaw'd not ha getten me t' Knottmill fair.

1857 February 14, James Taylor Staton, “Dumplin Haw Ghost”, in The Bowtun Luminary, volume 8, number 7, Bolton, page 52:

GOOD. A class o' folk ut thinken theirsels so perfect they need no thrutch for t' get a front place i'th' top shop. But if they yerd th' trumpet seaund they'd be off like red-shanks; an' wouldno' care whoa they elbowed back at th' gates.

1881, Benjamin Brierley, Ab-o'th'-Yate's Dictionary; or, Walmsley Fowt Skoomester, Manchester: Abel Heywood & Son, page 91:

(UK dialectal, Northern England) To push; press; shove; thrust.

Thrutchings.—To thrutch is to squeeze. The whey which is squeezed out of the cheese when under pressure and after being salted, is called thrutchings.

1891 March 4, Robert Holland, “Cheese-making and Butter-making Terms in Use in 1688”, in The Cheshire Sheaf, Chester: The "Chester Courant" Office, published 1895, Replies, page 39:

(UK dialectal, Northern England) To press or squeeze cheese in a vat.

Thir wur o lot o foke thrutchin reawnd summut; un aw thrutcht mi sel omung um , for to see whot wur gooin on.

1857, “Part Sixt Un Last”, in Sam Sondnokkur's Ryde fro Ratchda to Manchistur, 2nd edition, Manchester: John Heywood, page 14:

But, there it wur,—an' there it had to stop! for noather her nor me could stir a peg. ... Well; they olez say'n there's th' most thrutchin' wheer there's th' least reawm, an' it wur so theer, by th' mon;[…]

1874, Edwin Waugh, “The Nomination”, in The Chimney Corner, Manchester: Abel Heywood & Son, published 1879, page 40:

(UK dialectal, Northern England) To crowd; throng; squeeze; huddle together.

Then he grunted, an' mumble't, an' glendur't around,
An' he tooted about o'er th' neighbourin' ground;
Still, never a soul to turn th' stone could he find,
An' it made him a little bit thrutched in his mind.

1874, Edwin Waugh, “The Old Coal Man”, in The Chimney Corner, Manchester: Abel Heywood & Son, published 1879, page 74:

(UK dialectal, Northern England, figuratively) To trouble; oppress; distress.


thrutch

(UK dialectal, Northern England) A narrow gorge or ravine.

There wur nowt left for Yem, theerefore, but to rouse up hur conshusness, so so settin his feet ogen hur un his bonds, he gien one sammin good thrutch, un sent hur slap off th' bed on to th' floor;

1857 January 10, “Jealousy”, in The Bowtun Luminary, volume 8, number 2, Bolton, page 15:

(UK dialectal, Northern England) A push; shove; thrust.

(UK dialectal, Northern England) A throng; crowd.


Fenian

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

taig

Irish Catholic or supporter of Celtic F.C

(British, Ireland) An Irish nationalist or republican.


beef tomato

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


frist

en-noun

frist (countable and uncountable, plural frists)

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

cog

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

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

1578, Robert Lindsay, The Cronicles of Scotland:

All Ills are good a frist.

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

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

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

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

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

a1568, Sir David Lindsay, Ane Discriptioun of Peder Coffeis

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

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


frist

en-verb

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

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

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

cog

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

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

1765, Samuel Rutherford, Joshua Redivivus, page 323:

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

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

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

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

(transitive, intransitive, UK dialectal) To defer; postpone.


action stations

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


marle

en-noun

marle (countable and uncountable, plural marles)

(now UK dialect) Alternative form of marl


shiteload

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


bastarding

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

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

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

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


whoopsy

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

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

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

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


elevensies

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


pando

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


AIA

Institute of Actuaries
w:Institute of Actuaries

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


Order of Australia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


FIN

force identification number
w:force identification number

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


SEN

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


ETH

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


VCT

venture capital trust
w:venture capital trust

(finance, UK) Initialism of venture capital trust.


JAM

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

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

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

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

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


FSM

(UK, education) Initialism of free school meals.


VIR

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

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

Abbreviation of Victoria Imperatrix et Regina.


PSE

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

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

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


MWI

en-adj

MWI (comparative more MWI, superlative most MWI)

more MWI (comparative)
most MWI (superlative)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


MRT

en-noun

MRT (countable and uncountable, plural MRTs)

mass rail transit
mass rail transit#English

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

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

mass rapid transit
mass rapid transit#English

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

mass rail transport
mass rail transport#English

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

mass rapid transport
mass rapid transport#English

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

metro rail transport
metro rail transport#English

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

metro rapid transit
metro rapid transit#English

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

metropolitan rapid transport
metropolitan rapid transport#English

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

metropolitan rapid transit
metropolitan rapid transit#English

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

metro rail transit
metro rail transit#English

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

metropolitan rail transit
metropolitan rail transit#English

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

metro rapid transport
metro rapid transport#English

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

metropolitan rail transport
metropolitan rail transport#English

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


that's the bunny

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

2006, Jennifer Kirk, Countdown to Extinction:

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

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


supersaver

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

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

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

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


drinking man's degree

drinking man's degree (plural not attested)

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

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


BL

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

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

(UK military) Initialism of breechloader.


BL

(UK military) Initialism of breechloading.


what are you like

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


not bear thinking about

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

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


give a monkey's

en-verb

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

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

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

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

1998, Willis Hall, Keith Waterhouse, Billy Liar:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


hillwalker

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

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

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


country park

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

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


afternoon tea

en-noun

afternoon tea (countable and uncountable, plural afternoon teas)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Ind Est

industrial estate
industrial estate#English

(UK, in addresses) Abbreviation of industrial estate.


do someone's head in

en-verb

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


drinking-up time

en-noun

drinking-up time (plural drinking-up times)

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


duff up

en-verb

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

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

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

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


Gossage

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

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


diddy

Variant of titty. Attested from the late eighteenth century.

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

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

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


diddy

en-adj

diddy (comparative diddier, superlative diddiest)

diddier (comparative)
diddiest (superlative)

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

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

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

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


diddy

Likely from Romani didikai; compare didicoy.

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

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

Last month a diddy told my fortune.

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

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

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


closing time

en-noun

closing time (countable and uncountable, plural closing times)

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

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

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

1992, Leonard Cohen (lyrics and music), “Closing Time”, in The Future:

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

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

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

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


absolute drought

absolute drought (plural absolute droughts)

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


ginger knob

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


bladdered

en-adj

bladdered (comparative more bladdered, superlative most bladdered)

more bladdered (comparative)
most bladdered (superlative)


elevenpence

en-noun

elevenpence (countable and uncountable, plural elevenpences)

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

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

(UK, obsolete) the value of eleven old pennies


sevenpence

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

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

1850, Thomas Carlyle, Latter-Day Pamphlets:

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


sevenpence

(UK, obsolete, rare) Construed as singular.


builder's cleavage

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


sattle

en-verb

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

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

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

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

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

Ah can sattle a dog and cat wivoot thah help.

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

Well, we'll sattle him, only how!

1870, Jabez Oliphant, quoted in The English Dialect Dictionary

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


summet

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

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

(British, dialectal, obsolete) Alternative form of summat


dimmet

en-noun

dimmet (countable and uncountable, plural dimmets)

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

1746 July 14, Peter Lock, “An Exmoor Scolding; in the Propriety and Decency of Exmoor Language, between Two Sisters, Wilmot Moreman and Thomasin Moreman, as They Were ſspinning”, in The Gentleman's Magazine, volume XVI, page 354, column 1:

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

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

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

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

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

1876 January 14, Edward W. L. Davies, “Frank Raleigh of Watercombe”, in Baily's Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, volume XXVIII, number 191, Chapter XXII, page 73:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1892 December 14, Sybil Maxwell, “Bargis: A Story of Superstitions”, in The Gentleman's Magazine, volume CCLXXIII, number 1944, page 604:

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

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

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


pipeclay

en-verb

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

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

to pipeclay accounts

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


bogger

boglander

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


histrionical

en-adj

histrionical (comparative more histrionical, superlative most histrionical)

more histrionical (comparative)
most histrionical (superlative)

(British) Alternative form of histrionic


stylisation

(British) Alternative spelling of stylization


narky

narky (comparative narkier, superlative narkiest)

narkier (comparative)
narkiest (superlative)

The war had made Stan narkier than ever.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2008, Amanda Brunker, Champagne Kisses, page 46:

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

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


handbagging

(UK, humorous) A verbal attack or criticism.


cheeky monkey

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


quidlet

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

suffix

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

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

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

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

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


nonstreamed

(UK, education) Not divided into academic streams.


gally

en-verb

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

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

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

(obsolete, UK, dialect) To frighten; to worry.


knobber

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

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

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

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


wine gum

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


overwin

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

overwins (present singular third-person)
overwinning (participle present)
overwon (participle past)
overwon (past)

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

inh

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


overwin

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


colleger

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


freshie

en-noun

freshie (countable and uncountable, plural freshies)

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

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


fuzzy-wuzzy

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

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

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


slape

en-adj

slape (comparative more slape, superlative most slape)

more slape (comparative)
most slape (superlative)

Old Norse sleipr (“slippery”); akin to English slip.


further education

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


there you are

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

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


roke

en-noun

roke (countable and uncountable, plural rokes)

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

gloss

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

cog

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


roke

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


sumet

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

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

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

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

(British, dialectal, obsolete) Alternative form of summat


mooey

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

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

1997, Gary Oldman, Nil by Mouth, screenplay

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

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


unparished

/(ˌ)ʌnˈpæɹɪʃt/

/ˌʌnˈpɛɹɪʃt/

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

prefix

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


bring to book

en-verb

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

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

The perpetrators of this atrocity must be brought to book.

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

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

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

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

(UK) To penalise someone for a punishable offence.


bollocks more like

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

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


more like

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

Syllabics? Silly bollocks, more like.

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

"Gloriously unpredictable?" Fucking rubbish, more like.

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

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


indicavit

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

1791, John Mallory, Modern Entries, in English:

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


forby

en-adj

forby (comparative more forby, superlative most forby)

more forby (comparative)
most forby (superlative)

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

cog

He's a forbye man.

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


forby

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

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

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

He was forby kind.

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


forby

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

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

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

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

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

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

There was other six forby me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

With the exception of
with the exception of

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


pair of stairs

en-noun

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

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

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

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

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