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(A through D):
ace - adj.
- excellent, great
A-levels - n.pl.
- exams taken to qualify for entrance to college (more advanced
than O-levels)
anorak - n.
- hooded jacket; parka
as a sop to - phrs.
- to respond to someone or something, make amends for
at weekends - phrs.
- over the weekend, on weekends
aubergine - n.
- eggplant
bang on - adj.
- exactly, right
banjaxed - adj.
- ruined (Ir.)
bap - n.
- soft roll such as might be used for a sandwich
barking - adj.
- crazy (as in "barking mad")
barrister - n.
- a type of lawyer who may plead a case in court (compare to solicitor)
bedsit - n.
- studio apartment
bird - n.
- girl; a woman as an object of attraction
biscuit - n.
- cookie
bloke - n.
- guy
bog - n.
- toilet
bog brush - n.
- toilet brush
bog roll - n.
- toilet paper
bonnet - n.
- hood (of a car)
boot - n.
- trunk (of a car)
boot sale - n.
- something like a flea market, except that objects are sold from the trunk (boot) of a person's car
bounder - n.
- a rude or ill-mannered person
braces - n.pl.
- suspenders
brilliant - adj.
- excellent, great, good (used more extensively than in the U.S.)
British cuisine - n. phrs.
- an oxymoron, like "military intelligence."
Admittedly pub food has improved, but a traveler would be wise to
contemplate the saying: "In heaven, the police are British,
the trains are Swiss, the lovers are French, the cars are German,
and the chefs are Italian. In hell, the police are German,
the trains are Italian, the lovers are Swiss, the cars are French, and the
chefs are British."
brolly - n.
- umbrella
brown sauce - n.
- brown gravy (served with meat). Compare:
"British cuisine."
BSE - n.
- Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, known
colloquially as "mad cow disease."
bum - n.
- one's posterior. "Get off yer bum."
bumbershoot - n.
- umbrella (this is probably more an American
term than a British one; e.g., Seattle hosts the Bumbershoot Festival
at the end of summer).
by-election - n.
- special election to elect a Member of Parliament (MP)
car park - n.
- parking garage
caravan - n.
- motorhome, RV
caught out - adj.
- left in the lurch. "Don't let yourself be caught out."
charlady - n.
- cleaning woman, maid
cheers - exclam.
- thanks. "Cheers for that, mate."
cheesed off - adj.
- angry, annoyed
chips - n.pl.
- french fries (compare: crisps). Often served with fish (fish and chips).
chock-a-block - adj.
- full (chock-full)
clearway - n.
- akin to a freeway or parkway; a road on which you may not stop, except in an emergency. A road may temporarily be designated a clearway during a special event.
climbdown - n.
- the act of backing away from (a fight, etc.) or retreating from one's position
clinker - n.
- something remarkable (quite opposite the American meaning of "total failure")
close - n.
- narrow residential street. Pronounced as in "a close call," not as in "please close the door." Compare "mews."
clotted cream - n.
- a rich, thickened cream, usually served with jam and scones
clubbing - v.
- visiting nightclubs
coach - n.
- bus (specifically an intercity bus)
cock-up - n.
- screw-up, disordered situation
colliery - n.
- coal mine
concessions - n.pl.
- discounted prices
conker - n.
- horse chestnut
conkers - n.; n.pl.
- game played with a horse chestnut on a string; testicles (slang)
cooker - n.
- stove
cottage - v.
- to solicit illicit and anonymous sex in a public place (by gay men). The so-called 'cottage' is frequently a public lavatory.
cotton bud - n.
- cotton swab
courgette - n.
- zucchini
crisps - n.pl
- potato chips. Crisps in the UK come in many bizarre flavors: prawn, etc.
dear - adj.
- expensive
diversion - n.
- detour
DIY - n., adj.
- tools or supplies for home repairs ("do it yourself"). A DIY is similar to a hardware store.
do - adv.
- (an intensifier)"I shall do."
do - n.
- party, event
dodgy - adj.
- of uncertain or unreliable nature (e.g., "That's a dodgy scheme.")
donkey's year - n.phrs.
- dog's age (i.e., a long time)
drink driving - n.phrs.
- drunken driving
drives - addr.
- informal form of address for a hired driver (NZ). "Drives, it's another mile down this road."
dustbin - n.
- trashcan
dustman - n.
- trashman
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