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Solve the Mysteries in the Attic
American - British Slang
wisenheimer, snarky, weasel words, schmoozing, bazoo, scuttlebutt, Zozzled: Drunk, Hoosegow: Prison, Duck soup: Something easy, Pennies from heaven: Easy money,
whangdoodle – mythical creature, akin to the gymnascutus, leg shorter on one side than the other, to let him feed n a hillside; nonsense
All right? — Used most commonly as a greeting and one that doesn’t require a response.
Anorak – someone who’s a bit geeky, with strong interests or expertise in a specific niche.
Bagsy — One of the first words learned by children throughout the British Isles, shouting bagsy is a way of staking a claim on something. The the equivalent of calling “shotgun” or “dibs” when something, like the front seat of the car, is offered up to a group.
Bird — British slang for girl (see also: gal)
Bloke — A guy, equivalent of a dude in American English. Often used with good added (eg: he’s a good bloke.)
Baccy — tobacco, the kind you use to roll your own fags with.
Bog — A toilet. British people will often find themselves bustin’ for the bog.
Bog roll — The paper you use in the bog.
Bender – if someone is on a spree of excessive drinking and mischief, they are “on a bender.” (Sometimes a bender may last 24 hours).
Blinder – When someone “pulls a blinder” it means they achieved something difficult faultlessly and skilfully.
Brolly – an abbreviation of umbrella.
Builders tea – the name for a strongly-brewed mug of English breakfast tea with milk and sugar, the way tea is most commonly drunk in the UK.
Cack handed – Describes a task that is performed in a clumsy and awkward or uncomfortable way. ‘cack’ is an old fashioned term for faeces.
Chips — If you order a fish and chips, don’t expect a side of Lays. In the UK, chips are deep-fried, chunky strips of potatoes. In the US, thin bastardised versions of British chips might call themselves french fries.
Chock-a-block — A place that is very busy. A road, street, or shop full to the rafters could be described this way.
Chin wag – A “good old chinwag” is a good chat, catch up, or gossip with someone.
Codswallop — A load of rubbish, something often made up for dramatic effect.
Collywobbles – a feeling of acute nervousness
Daft — A bit stupid. Not particularly offensive, just mildly silly.
Dim – Someone that lacks common knowledge might be described as “dim,”
Dosh — Money. Cash. Slang for all types of currency.
Doddle – An easy task is a “doddle.”
Easy peasy — If something is not difficult then it is loudly pronounced as being easy peasy.
Faff — Faffing around is a typical British pastime. It’s involves taking unnecessary time over something that should be straightforward.
Filch — To steal.
Flog — To sell something – usually cheaply and quickly
Fluke — If something happens purely by chance then it is a fluke. It’s a lucky occurrence that doesn’t often happen.
Flutter — To bet or place a wager. Most usually used to describe someone who likes to have a small stake on a horse race, for example, Mr. Smith likes to have a flutter.
Full of beans — Someone who is full of energy might be described as being full of beans. It’s possessing endless quantities of get up and go, almost to the point of annoyance.
Gallivanting — To “gallivant” means to roam, or to set off on an expedition, with the sole intention of having some light-hearted fun.
Gander — To take a look around.
Give us a bell — Calling somebody on the telephone. In this instance ‘us’ actually means ‘me’.
Gobsmacked — Completely and utterly awestruck in amazement.
Gormless — A person who has little clue or idea about what is going on around them.
Gutted — Not to be confused with literally being disembowelled, someone that says they’re “gutted” is devastated or extremely upset.
Hanky panky — In American English this would be known as making out.
Half past – While Americans are more likely to say “seven thirty” or “five fifty,” Brits will more often than not refer to times in “minutes past” the hour. Eg, “half past seven,” and “ten to six.”
Hard lines — A way of saying bad luck.
Honking — Used to mean being violently sick.
Jammy — Consistently being on the right side of good fortune. If you are repeatedly lucky you might be described as jammy.
Knackered – tired and exhausted
Khazi — British slang for the toilet. Don’t forget your bog roll.
Knees up — A proper British party, full of warm beer and loud music. Just don’t end up honking.
Knickers in a twist – to become upset about something thats not very important.
Leg it — To run away, usually from trouble.
Lovely Jubbly – to express delight or approval.
Lurgy — If you have the dreaded lurgy then you are unwell with either the flu or a cold.
Mate — A good friend or acquaintance. Regularly used as a greeting or term of affection.
Miffed – Slightly irritated or annoyed.
Mufti — A military term that has seeped its way into British slang to mean casual or civilian clothes.
Mug — If you are a bit of a mug then you are gullible, and will believe anything.
Mush — Slang for your mouth, i.e. shut your mush.
Naff — In old times it used to mean someone who is heterosexual. Now it’s used to describe something lacking in style or good taste.
Narked — Cheesed off, irritated. If you’re in a bad mood you might be labeled as narked or even a bit narky.
Nick — To steal or take something that doesn’t belong to you. If you are then caught by the police/law/fuzz then you would be nicked.
Nitwit — An inoffensive way of describing someone a bit silly.
Nosh — Food! You might describe a tasty meal as a good nosh up.
Not my cup of tea — A classic British phrase that is trundled out to describe a situation or circumstance that does not bring one pleasure.
Nowt — Originating in the North of England (another instance where an entire subcategory of British slang terms could be procured) this word has entered mainstream language to mean nothing.
Nut — To headbutt someone. Not pleasant.
Off-colour — Sick, poorly, or generally under the weather. If you are looking off-colour then the chances are you don’t look well.
Off your trolley — Someone who is described as such is usually behaving in a crazy manner.
On your bike — A not so polite way of telling someone to go away.
Pants — Slightly tricky one for our American cousins, but British pants are our undergarments. They go underneath our trousers. Pants can also mean something that’s rubbish.
Parky — Used to describe cold weather. Not drastically cold, just a bit chilly.
Pear-shaped — When something has not gone entirely to plan, it is said to have gone a bit pear-shaped.
Piece of cake — When something is easy peasy it could be described as a piece of cake. No food or confectionery necessary.
Pinch — Another word for stealing, or purchasing something at a heavily discounted rate.
P*ssed — “P*ssed” usually means “angry” in the US. However, in the UK, someone that’s “p*ssed” is most probably drunk.
Plastered — Another British slang term for being drunk. Anyone would think the Brits like a drink.
Porkies — Spreading lies. Anyone not being straight with the truth could be accused of telling porkies.
Porridge — Doing a stretch in porridge means serving time in prison.
Prat — A low-key curse work for a stupid person. Pratting around could also be used to describe someone behaving in a foolish way.
Put a sock in it — This is a fairly rude way of telling someone to be quiet.
Quids in — Someone who’s “quids in” has invested in an opportunity which is probably going to benefit them massively.
Rubbish — Everything a Brit throws in the bin is called rubbish. Not trash or garbage, but rubbish.
Round – You might buy a “round” of drinks for your friends at the pub, in the understanding that they will each buy you a drink as part of their “rounds” later on.
Shambles – A disorganised mess or chaotic environment might be described as a “shambles.”
Scrummy — A word to describe something deliciously tasty.
Skive — To skive off work or school is to bunk off or play truant. Hopefully not getting caught in the process.
Sloshed — drunk again. Or pissed, blotto, trashed, plastered.. eg: “I had a few too many sherberts last night mate, I was sloshed.”
Smarmy — Someone that comes across as scheming or untrustworthy might be described as “smarmy.”
Snog — A kiss.
Snookered — Appearing in the English dictionary thanks to the ancient game of snooker, to be snookered means you are in a situation from which you can see no obvious escape.
Sod’s law — A British axiom that boils down to the idea that: “If anything can go wrong, then it definitely will go wrong.”
Shirty — Someone who is demonstrating signs of irritability might be described as getting shirty.
Splash out – To “splash out” means spending significant amounts of money on a particular item or event.
Squiffy — On the way to being drunk. Not quite sloshed but only a few drinks away.
Starkers — Nude. Naked. Without clothing.
Strop — A public display of displeasure might be described as having a strop.
Swear — In the United Kingdom to swear is the same as to cuss or curse.
Ta — Short for thanks.
Twee — Small, dainty, or quaint. A very British term to describe lots of aspects of life in the United Kingdom.
Taking the biscuit — if you are taking the biscuit when you are starting to push your luck. A similar phrase in American English is to take the cake.
Tickety boo – in good order, fine
Welly — If you give something welly you’ve given it a really good go.
Wobbler — To have a tantrum or throw a strop.
Yakking — Talking too much.
Yonks — A general term for a long period of time, i.e. We haven’t visited there for yonks.
Zonked – Exhausted; tired.
Rupert Scrivener
67. Sue Birtwistle
66. Clive Swift
65. Ridgewell Hawkes
64. Vincent Brimble
63. Talfryn Thomas
62. Nigel Plaskitt
61. Felicity Gibson
60. Malcolm Terris
59. Nicholas Hawtrey
58. Royston Farrell
57. Prentis Hancock
56. Terrance Dicks
55. Nigel Humphreys
54. Mervyn Pinfield
53. Valerie Pye
52. Fionnula Tambling-Goggin
51. Bryonie Pritchard
50. Pat Pennelegion
49. Eunice Montjoy
48. Antonia Pemberton
47. Cedric Kerr
46. Fitz-Lloyd Smith
45. Imogen Bickford-Smith
44. Camilla Griffith-Jones
43. Gillian Tullett
42. Nuala Alen-Buckley
41. Pip Torrens
40. Cyril Swern
39. Laurence Luckinbill
38. Celestia Fox
37. Royston Munt
36. Mia Fothergill
35. Giles Oldershaw
34. Rosalie Crutchley
33. Imogen Millais-Scott
32. Gwenda Hughes
31. Dermot Crowley
30. Joan Dainty
29. Cordelia Ditton
28. Arthur Nightingale
27. Jemima Rooper
26. Prunella Scales
25. Anne Trickelbank
24. Rodney Cammish
23. Valerie Unwin
22. Alexander Faris
21. Nicola Pagett
20. Rosamund Pike
19. Jeremy Silberston
18. Pippa Harris
17. Lesley Altringham .
16. Graham Crowden
15. Cyril Coke
14. Helen Slaymaker
13. Gillian McCutcheon
12. Eve Petcher
11. Lulu Popplewell
10. Nicola Parfit
9. St. John O’Rorke
8. Alf Tramontin
7. Jayne Spooner
6. Marnie Dickens
5. Nigel Bunyan
4. Felix Pickles
3. Camise Oldfield
2. Nimmy March (Lady Naomi Burke, née Gordon-Lennox)
1. Derek Honeybun
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