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Lad:
Boy
Ladder:
Run in stockings
Ladies:
The Women's room
Ladybird:
Ladybug
Lager:
Non-British beer resembling, but still
stronger than, American beer
Larder:
Pantry
Lardy:
Fat, dumpy: "I ate too much yesterday and now I
feel lardy."
Lashings:
Lots
Lavatory:
See Toilet. Can be abbreviated to Lav or Lavy. Also Bog, Kharzi,
Loo, Privy, Throne, WC
Lawks!:
An exclamation of surprise
Lay-by:
Roadside pull over
Lay off!:
Cease, desist, leave me alone! "Lay off me!"
L-Driver:
Learner driver. A learner driver must sport a large
red "L" on his vehicle to warn other motorist of his novice status
Lead:
Dog's leash
Leader:
Editorial
Leave off!
Stop, cease, desist!
Leg it:
Go by foot
Legless:
Drunk. Also Blotto, Bombed,
Paralytic, Pissed, Sozzled, Tanked
Lemonade:
Any type of carbonated drink except Coke flavoured
Let one:
When one farts
Lido:
Outdoor swimming pool
Lift:
Elevator
Linctus:
Cough syrup
Loaf:
A person's head
Local:
The local pub
Loft:
Attic
Lollypop Man/Woman:
Crossing guard
Lolly:
Money
Lolly:
Candy sucker
Loo:
See Toilet. Can also mean the commode. Also Bog,
Kharzi, Lavatory, Prive, Throne, WC
Loofah:
Bath sponge
Looker:
A good looking person
Loo
Roll:
Bathroom tissue
Lorry:
Truck
Lounge:
Sitting room
Love:
Neutral form of address
for a person of either sex. Does not denote affection and can be used by a complete stranger: "A pint of bitter, Love."
Lucky
Dip:
Grab bag
Lug or Lughole (lug'ole):
A persons' ear
Lumber:
To burden a person with a task,
giving them no choice in the matter
Lumber:
Timber
Lumber:
Junk; clutter.
Lumber Yard:
Timber yard
Lumme:
Wow! Phew! A corruption of "love me!"
Lurgey:
More often "dreaded lurgey." A completely fictitious ailment. If a person is acting a bit peculiar or is feeling unwell,
the comment might be: "Ah, must have a touch of the dreaded lurgey!"
M
Mac:
Raincoat. Also Macintosh
Maisonette:
Upscale apartment
Mange Tout:
Snow peas
Mangle:
Contraption with large rollers to squeeze the
water out of laundry
Mankey:
Old, rotten, bad, nasty
Marmite:
A spread made of yeast extract
Marrow:
Type of squash (vegetable)
Mars Bar:
Milky Way candy bar
Marzipan:
Almond paste
Mash:
To brew tea. From "mashing" the tea leaves to get the most flavour out of them
Match:
Game (football, tennis,
etc.)
Mate:
Slang name for a friend
Me:
In some parts of the country this is substituted for "my."
"I want me tea, Mam."
Mean:
Stingy
Mick:
An Irishman
Miffed:
Offended
Mild:
Type
of English beer
Milk Churn:
Milk can.
Milk Float:
The electric vehicle used for home delivery of milk and dairy produce
Milk Shake:
Milk shakes in the UK are
made with milk, not ice cream
Milky Way:
Three Musketeers candy bar
Minced beef:
Ground beef. Often
called Mince
Minder:
Babysitter or bodyguard
Mingy:
Mean, stingy
Moggy:
A cat, especially
one without a pedigree.
Monkey Nut:
Peanut.
Moo:
Derogatory name for a woman
Moolah:
Money
Moot:
Debatable: "The point is moot."
Motion:
Bowel movement.
Motorway:
Interstate
highway
Moving Stairway:
Escalator.
Mr. Plod:
Policeman,
from the children's TV program "Noddy and His Friends." Also Bobby, Bogey, Copper, Old Bill, Peeler
Muck about:
Fool
around; mess about
Mucker:
Friend, mate
Muesli:
Swiss granola
Mug:
Face
Mug:
A gullible person
Mug Up:
Bone up; cram (for a test)
Muggins:
Simple-minded person
Mull:
Mess; mess up.
Mum or Mummy:
Mom or Mommy:
Mush (moosh):
A person's face
Music Center:
Stereo and components.
Mustard
and Cress:
In American supermarkets you'll find this labelled "bean sprouts." But mustard and cress are nothing like the bean
sprouts you see in a Chinese restaurant. They have long, hair-thin, almost transparent stems topped by three small green leaves
which should have a black mustard seed nestled among them. About 20 years ago mustard and cress was grown from a 50/50
mixture of mustard and cress seeds, which gave it a good, peppery tang; but nowadays the sort you get in supermarkets is often
made up of 5% mustard, 10% cress and 80% rapeweed, which makes it rather bland. You can still get the good stuff at farmer's
markets and farm shops. Mustard and cress is unique in that it grows of damp fibre instead of soil, e.g. damped cotton wool,
paper towel or blotting paper.
N
Nab:
To catch or be caught, when doing something illicit: "Our Sid was nabbed stealing apples."
Naff:
Worthless
Naff off:
Go away: "I told her to naff off."
Nancy:
A fop
Nancy Boy:
An effeminate man
Nappy:
Baby's diaper, made of towelling material
Narked:
Annoyed
Nashed:
Unwell
Natter:
Chatter incessantly
Natty:
Smart in appearance; dapper
Naturist:
Nudist
Navvy:
Labourer
Neat:
Undiluted (alcohol)
Nelly:
Silly person
Nets:
Lace curtains
Never
mind:
Forget it: "Never mind doing the dishes - we have to leave now."
Newsagent:
Seller
of newspapers, books and magazines
Nick:
Steal
Nicked:
Apprehended during a criminal
act
Nicker:
One pound sterling
Niff:
Bad smell
Nifty:
Clever or cleverly
done: "That's a nifty little gadget."
Ninny:
A spineless person; wimp
Nip:
Do
something quickly: "Nip into the shop and get some lettuce." Also Pop
Nip off:
Take off; leave
Nipper:
Small child
Nippy:
Chilly
Nit or Nitwit:
An idiot
Nit pick:
Be overly particular
Nobby:
Nickname for any person with the surname Clark
Noddy:
Simple-minded, from the children's television program "Noddy and His Friends."
Noodle:
Brain, or head: "Use your noodle!"
Norfolk Broads:
System of manmade, connecting waterways
in the county of Norfolk
Nosey Parker:
Someone who snoops into other people's business; busybody
Nosh:
The act of eating
Nosh:
Food
Nosh-Up:
Large meal
Not
half!:
This is the opposit of what it appears to be. When you say "not half" your actually mean "definitely
yes." "Do I want tickets to the concert? Not half!"
Nought:
Zero
Noughts and
Crosses:
Tic tac toe
Nowt:
Nothing; zero
Nuddy:
Naked
Number plate:
Licence plate
Nut:
A person's head
Nutcase:
Crazy person
Nutter:
Crazy person
O
Oblong:
Rectangle
Off:
Spoiled (food):
"The cheese was off."
Off:
No longer available on the menu: "Sorry, salmon's off."
Off License:
Liquor
store
Old Bill:
Policeman. Also Bobby, Bogey, Copper, Mr. Plod, Peeler
Oodles:
A lot: "He has oodles
of money."
Opposite:
Across from: "Woolworth's is opposite the baker's."
Overalls:
Coveralls. Also
Boiler suit
Overtake:
Pass another vehicle
Old Age Pensioner:
Senior citizen who receives a pension
from the state
Opal Fruits:
Star Burst candy
Outhouse:
Any building built near or against the house. Not an outdoor
privy as in the USA.
P
P:
Penny; pence
Packet:
A lot: "It
cost a packet."
Paddling pool:
Wading pool
Paddy:
Tantrum
Paddy:
An Irishman
Paki:
A Pakistani
Palava:
A discussion
Palava:
Rigmarole; confusing process
Pancake Day:
Shrove
Tuesday when, traditionally, pancakes are eaten as dessert
Panda car:
Small police car
Pantomime:
Christmas
play performed as a farce
Pants:
Underwear
Paper Handkerchief:
Facial tissue
Paper round:
Paper route
Paracetamol:
Acetaminophen
Paraffin:
Kerosene
Paralytic:
Drunk. Also Blotto,
Bombed, Legless, Pissed, Sozzled, Tanked
Parky:
Chilly: "It's parky outside." or to feel chilly: "I feel a mite
parky now."
Parlour:
Living room
Parp:
To fart. Also Trunkle, Toot
Pash:
Pashionate
Pastie:
A pie shaped as a pastry pocket, stuffed with meat and vegetables. The very first pasties were created by the wives of
farm labourers and miners. They would stuff half the pastie with a meat filling and the other with a fruit filling, so their
men had their meat and pudding in a convenient package. See Cornish Pastie
Patience:
The game of Solitaire
Pavement:
Sidewalk
Pearly Whites:
A person's teeth
Peckish:
Hungry
Peeler:
Policeman, after
Sir Robert Peel, Home Secretary in 1828. Also Bobby, Bogey, Copper, Mr. Plod, Old Bill.
Peep-toes:
Open toed shoes.
Pelican
Crossing:
Pedestrian crossing controlled by a light
Pelmet:
Window valance
Perisher:
Small child
Perspex:
Plexiglass
Perv:
A pervert
Pervy:
To act in a perverted manner
Petrol:
Gasoline
Phone Box:
Telephone booth. Also Call Box
Pickle:
Relish, both sweet and otherwise
Pickle:
A mess, or to make a mess of something: "He lost the account - now he's in a pickle."
Pictures:
Movies
Piffle:
Nonsense
Piggle:
That scrabbling motion small babies make with their fingers
Pilchards:
Large
sardines canned in tomato sauce
Pillock:
Useless person
Pinch:
Steal
Pissed:
Drunk. Also
Blotto, Bomber, Legless, Paralytic, Sozzled, Tanked
Piss Artist:
Useless person
Piss off!:
Go away!
Pissed off:
Annoyed, angered
Piss poor:
Describes a useless person or object
Pitch:
Sports
playing field
Plaits:
Hair braids
Plasterboard:
Sheetrock
Plasticine:
Forerunner to Play
Doh
Play Time:
School reccess.
Plimsolls:
Sneakers
Plonk
Cheap wine
Plonk:
Set down heavily;
plunk
Plonker:
An idiot
Ploughman's Lunch:
Traditional pub meal of bread, cheese and picked onions
Pocket Money:
Child's allowance
Poke:
Sexual congress
Pokey:
Prison. Also Chokey, Clink,
Porridge
Ponce:
An affected person
Pong:
Aroma, more often bad, but not always so
Poof or
Poofter:
A homosexual
Pooped:
Weary; worn out
Pootle:
Putter; potter about
Pop:
Do
something quickly: "I'll pop over to Mrs. Smith's for a moment." Also Nip
Porridge:
Oatmeal
Porridge:
Prison, or to do time in prison: "He's doing porridge for ten years." Also Chokey, Clink, Pokey
Posh:
Indicative
of the upper class: "You do sound posh."
Postal code:
Zip code
Post Box:
Mail box
Postman:
Mailman
Pother:
Fluster; worry; fuss: "in a pother."
Potter:
Putter about
Potty:
Crazy
Potty:
Commode in the form of a china bowl that is hidden beneath the bed.
Pound:
Basic monetary unit of Great Britain
Power point:
Electrical outlet
Pram:
Perambulator;
baby buggy
Prang:
Fender bender
Prat:
Stupid person
Pratfall:
Began as a word describing
a fall in slapstick comedy (i.e. a prat falling down.) Became something one does to make oneself look stupid: "You insulted
the boss when he was right behind you! Now that was a pratfall if ever there was one!"
Prawn:
Shrimp
Precinct:
Mall
Preggers:
Pregnant
Presenter:
Newscaster
Presently:
Later: "Ill do it presently."
Press studs:
Snaps (clothing)
Press ups:
Push ups
Primary School:
School for children
5-11 years old
Privy:
Toilet. Also Bog, Kharzi, Lavatory, Loo, Throne, WC
Prize:
Unique, special; but used in a sarcastic manner: "He's a prize idiot!"
Processed peas:
Marrofat peas
canned in a solution of sugar, salt and water. They are huge, pale, soft and the difference in taste between them and other
tinned peas is impossible to describe. Americans usually hate them
Proper:
Word which provides emphasis: "He's
a proper moron." Also Dead, Right
Pub:
Public house; bar. See Local
Pub crawl:
To spend the evening
going from pub to pub
Publican:
Licencee of the pub
Public School:
Private school
Pudding
or Pud:
Dessert
Pulses:
Beans
Pumps:
Sneakers, often a slip-on style
Punch Up:
A fight
Punnet:
Small basket woven of straw or plastic, to hold soft fruit
Punter:
Gambler, usually one
who bets on a horse or on the stock market.
Purse:
Ladies wallet; change purse
Push Chair:
Baby's
stroller
Push Pin:
Thumbtack.
Put down:
To euthanise
Q
Quay:
Warf; dock
Queer:
Feel unwell: "I feel right queer; must be something I ate."
Queer:
A homosexual
Queue:
To stand in line
Quid:
One pound sterling
Quite:
Absolutely, completely: "It's quite the thing to do."
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