British Slang

I was inspired by Child of the Sixties post about 60s slang, so I thought I would do one on Brit slang, because in 1997, the movie The Full Monty came to American theatres and most of them were issuing brochures to translate the British slang used in the movie. Also included will be words used in both England and the US that have different meanings in both England and the US. Sorry, but some of these words are kinda funny, especially if someone is saying one in surprise with an accent to go with it.


So that people don't think I'm stealing!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_words_not_widely_used_in_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_British_and_American_English:_A–L
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_British_and_American_English:_M-Z


A&E
US: US TV channel
England: accident and emergency department of a hospital

Ace
US: to perform outstandingly, best starting pitcher on baseball
England: good, excellent(1980s slang)

Amber
US. English: orange-yellow color
England: traffic light color

Anorak
US: Hooded, rainproof jacket with out zipper
England: parka; a socially awkward person interested in something to the level of obsession(i.e. geek, nerd, dweeb, etc)

Arse
US: behind
England: your behind

Asian
US: East Asia, southeast Asia
England: originating from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka

Athletics
US: sports
England: sports comprising of track and field, cross country and walking

Balmy
US: hot and humid
England: insane, aka barmy

Banger
US: particularly club friendly beat or song, a gang member
England: type of sausage, i.e. bangers and mash, an old car in disrepair (in US aka a beater)

Batty
US: crazy, nuts
England: homosexual

Bender
US: binge drinking, bending over to puke
England: derogatory term for gay man, for the act of bending over to have anal sex.

Bill
US: paper money
England: the police, aka banknote

Bird
US: avian creature, derogatory gesture of flipping the middle finger up, i.e. flipping someone the bird
England: one's girlfriend, female slang

Biscuit
US: type of quick bread served with savory foods. In the UK, it is similar to a scone
England: baked sweet or cake like item which is hard when baked and softened over time

Blinkers
US: lights on a car to indicate direction
England: leather  flaps on a bridle to restrict a horse's lateral vision

Bloody(this one for some reason cracks me up if I hear someone say it, I die laughing!)
US: covered in blood
England: used in place of the f word i.e Bloody hell, bloody nightmare. People say this in place of saying f---. A bad word used to express anger.

Blow Off
US: not to show up and meet someone
England: break wind

Bog
US: partially flooded farmland used to grow cranberries
England: toilet

Bogey
US: unidentified aircraft
England: dried nasal mucus- yuck!!

Bonnet
US: hat worn over the head
England: hood of the car

Boot
US: type of shoe
England: trunk of car

Bent
US: not straight
England: gay

Callbox
US: emergency phone
England: telephone booth

Canteen
US: cafeteria
England: where you get food

Chaps
US: leather leggings worn by cowboys and designed to protect against thorns.
England: men or boys

Chips
US: long cuts of deep fried potato, aka French fries
England: Crisps

Commissioner
US: political head of police department
England: head of Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police

Constable
US: peace officer in a township without organized police department
England: police officer of any rank

Faggot
US: derogatory term for gay man
England: type of meatball

Flapjack
US: pancake
England: flat oak cake

Flat
US: flat tire,  level and smooth
England: apartment

Frock
US: type of jacket worn as outer garment that goes to the knee
England: shirt

Geezer
US: old person(derogatory)
England: gangster, man(in Cockney accent)

Gob
US: large amounts of
England: mouth, spit

Hole in the Wall
US: out of the way place, i.e. restaurant, can be used as a compliment
England: automatic teller machine

Homely
US: plain, ugly
England: cozy, comfortable

Hooker
US: prostitute
England: rugby position

IRA
US: Individual Retirement Account
England: Irish Repbulican Army

Knickers
US: pants
England: pants, ladies underwear

Knock Up
US: impregnate
England: practice tennis

Mad
US: enraged
England: crazy

Make Out
US: kissing
England: snog, to kiss

Nick
US: small cut, sometimes someone's name
England: to steal, police station

Panda
US: cute little black and white bear
England: police car

Shag
US: type of furry looking carpet
England: to have sex

Smashed
US: extremely drunk
England: destroyed beyond reasoning

Tart
US: sour flavored
England: female prostitute

Tea
US:
England: afternoon snack, sometimes called high tea.

Underground
US: subterranean
England: train system, like in London

Yankee
US: player for the New York Yankees baseball team
England: name for someone from the US


British slang

Baby Minder
England: baby sitter

Barrister
England: judge

Blimey
England: expression of suprise

Bobby
England: police officer

Boffin
England: scientist/engineer

Bollocks
England: talking weird, lies, crazy talk

Brekkie
England: synonym for breakfast

Bristols
England: breasts on a woman

Fortnight
England: period of 14 days and nights or 2 weeks

Git
England: idiot, annoying person

High Street
England: primary business and shopping street

Lollipop Woman/Man
England: school crossing guard

Loo
England: toilet

Lorry
England: in US truck, but in England, a large moving van

Nobble
England: sabotage

Petrol
England: gasoline

Pillar Box
England: for getting outgoing mail, in England these are the tall red mailboxes with black tops on them.

Pillock
England: foolish person, used in northern England

Postie
England: nickname for a postman/woman

Pub
England: bar

Prat
England: incompetent, fool, idiot

Quid
England: money, monetary unit, probably coins

Randy
England:  Horny; used in the Austin Powers movies, along with shag

Rozzers
England: police, male genitals

Rubbish
England: worthless unwanted material

Rucksack
England: backpack

Rug Muncher
England: lesbian

Sod Off
England: go away, get lost, buzz off, or another one, piss off

Spiv
England: unemployed person who lives by their wits

Telly
England: Television

Totty
England: sexually alluring ladies, in 19th century a term for prostitutes