than sung.
San Francisco (n) worldwide center of hippie activity and general weirdness.
scene (n) place, situation, or circumstances.
sock it to me (phrase) let me have it.
spaced out (adj) dazed, not alert.
split (v) to leave, depart.
square (adj) old-fashioned, not aware of new thinking and customs. (n) one who is square.
system, the (n) the system of laws, governance, and justice. see "establishment, the".
tie dye (v) a method of coloring clothing where the article of clothing is tied in knots, then dying it to produce an abstract pattern. (n) an article of clothing dyed in this manner.
trip (n) an unusual experience. (v) to have an unusual experience.
turn on (v) to become enlightened to new ways of thinking or experiencing reality.
uptight (adj) concerned about maintaining set ways of thinking and doing things.
Dictionary of modern British slang
These phrases are in everyday use around most of Britain.
Phrase Meaning
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99 a popular style of ice cream, usually
ordered with a 'flake'
'A' levels exams taken at age 18
abso-bloody-lutely a more definite form of 'absolutely'
afters dessert
aggro trouble; violence
all broke up on holiday, usually from school
all of a twitter very nervous or apprehensive
aluminium aluminum
arse bottom, or ass
arse bandit a homosexual
arse over tit to fall head over heels
arse about playing around, being silly
e.g. "stop arsing about!"
artic an articulated lorry; a bick truck
Aussie an Australian
backhander a bribe
bag an unattractive or elderly woman
balderdash rubbish; nonsense
balls-up a mess; a confusion
banger (1) an old car; (2) a sausage
barking mad crazy
batty dotty; crazy
beak magistrate
beehive a tall hairstyle
bees knees something really good
beetle crusher a boot; a foot
behind bottom; buttocks
berk a stupid person
e.g. "you silly berk"
bevvy a drink
bit of fluff a pretty young single woman
bill, the police, sometimes called "the old bill"
binge a drinking bout
bin liner garbage bag
bin men garbage collectors
bint a rough girl
biro a ballpoint pen
bit of alright something highly satisfactory
black maria a police van
black pudding a sausage like food made from
- pigs blood
- oats
- fat
black sheep of the family a relative who gets into trouble with the
police
blag a robbery; to rob
blagger a robber
Blighty England
blimey ! an expression of surprise
blob a contraceptive
blotto drunk
blower telephone
blow your own trumpet to brag; to boast
blubber to cry
bobby dazzler a remarkable person or thing
bog a toilet, a washroom
bollock naked stark naked
bollocks testicles
bonce head
bonk to copulate
bonnet hood of a car
bookie betting shop owner
boot trunk of a car
boracic penniless
bosch a derogative term for germans
bovver trouble
bovver boot a heavy boot, possibly with a toe cap and laces
quite often worn by skinheads
bovver boy a hooligan; a troublemaker
brass monkey weather cold, taken from the phrase, "it's cold enough
to freeze the balls off a brass monkey"
breakdown van a tow truck
brickie a bricklayer
brill ! short form of brilliant, meaning fantastic
brolly an umbrella
browned off bored; fed up
Brummy a native of Birmingham
bubble and squeak fried cabbage and potatoes
bubbly champagne
bugger all nothing; very little
bumf toilet paper
this led to 'bumf' being used for superfluous
papers, letters etc.
bumming a fag requesting a cigarette
e.g. "Can I bum a fag from you mate ?"
Note: This has a VERY different meaning
in the U.S.
bunch of fives a fist
"button it !" "be quiet !"
caff a cafe
cake hole a person's mouth
cardy abbreviation of cardigan
champers champagne
char tea; a domestic worker
cheeky monkey a rude person
cheesed off bored; fed up
chin chin a drinking toast
chippy a fish and chip shop; a carpenter
chokey prison
chuffed very pleased or proud
clapped out worn out, broken
clappers to go very fast; to work hard
e.g. That car goes like the clappers !
e.g. I have to work like the clappers
to finish it by lunchtime !
clickety click 66 in bingo calling
clink prison
clinker somebody who is outstanding
clobber clothing
clodhopper a clumsy person
clogger a soccer player who tackles heavily
clot a fool
cloth-ears a person with a poor sense of hearing
cobblers testicles; rubbish
cock and bull a story with very little truth in it
cock up to ruin something
e.g. "it was a real cock-up"
e.g. "haved you cocked it up ?"
coffin nail a cigarette
conk nose
conkers a childrens game played with horse chestnuts
copper police man/woman
cough up to pay
crackers crazy
cracking great; fantastic
crackling a woman who is regarded as a sexual object
crate an old name for a very old plane
create to make a fuss or an angry scene
crown jewels male genitalia
crumbly an old or senile person
crumpet a desirable woman
dabs fingerprints
daft stupid
dark horse somebody who suprises others by their actions
des res Estate agents