English as She's Brit'ed

How many times have you heard it said that Americans have desecrated the 'mother tongue'? Well, to be honest, what most British speak isn't exactly the Queen's English either. For example, use of 'me' instead of 'my' is pervasive in informal speech ("Where's me book?"). But what might be lacking in diction and formality is made up for in style. Generally, the English have a much firmer grasp of the basic language than Americans, allowing them to wield words with enviable pinpoint accuracy. Whether expressing themselves verbally or on paper, the British are indeed in command of their language.

Of course, no language would be complete without its slang, idioms and colloquialisms. Conversational British English is rife with such usage, endowing each speaker with the unique charm of his regional and national heritage.

My husband Paul and I live in the East Midlands, about 50 miles NW of London. This area, I'm told, has no distinctive dialect of its own -- in other words, natives to this region speak a non-accented (to the British ear) national vernacular comparable to the American west coast radio-announcer voice. However, Paul is originally from Yorkshire (the north), and he has one son in Devon (the southwest) and one in Cardiff (Wales, the west), so what I hear on a daily basis is anything but bland....

The Point Cinema Complex,
Milton Keynes City Center.

Below is a list of common British words and phrases, their definition, style (slang or not), and region of use if applicable:

British Words and Phrases

Word / Phrase	Definition
advert	TV or radio commercial.
barrister	A lawyer specialized in a specific area of the law.
bin	Garbage pail.
bleeper	A pager; beeper.
bog off	[slang] Go away; usually used as an imperative. ("Bog off!")
bonnet	The hood of a car
boot	The trunk of a car.
brill	[slang] Shortening of 'brilliant'; complimentary. ("That play was brill!")
bugger off	[slang] Leave; sometimes used as an imperative. ("When the window broke we buggered off.")
bung	Another word for a bribe.
cheers	Thanks.
chips	French fries.
chuck	[slang; Yorkshire] Term of endearment equivalent to 'dear'.
cinema	Movie theater.
cow	[slang; derogatory] Used only for women. ("Silly cow.")
crumpet	Similar to the English muffin; [slang] a good-looking person.
cuppa	[slang; Yorkshire] Used specifically when referring to a cup of tea.
don't give a toss	Don't care one bit.
fag	[slang] A cigarette.
fanny	[slang; vulgar] AVOID: refers to female anatomy, and not the derriere!
football	Soccer.
garage	[Pronounced with the accent on the first syllable] Gas station.
garden	Might be the real thing, but also means the backyard.
geordie	[slang] Someone from Northumberland, e.g. Newcastle.
gi's	[slang; Yorkshire] Give us; literally, give me. ("Gi's a cuppa, chuck.")
git	[slang; derogatory; pronounced with a hard 'g'] Silly person. ("Stupid git.")
gypsy	[Also known as traveller or New Age Traveller] A nomadic society drop-out; usually seen dwelling in caravans parked off the road in the country. A bit of a misnomer as it also refers to the Rom, who are true gypsies. See traveller.
High Street	Equivalent to American 'Main Street'.
holiday	Vacation.
Jack the Lad	[slang] Someone out for a good time; not a serious person.
jam	American jelly or jam. See 'jelly'.
jelly	American Jell-o. The British don't call anything they put on bread 'jelly'.
jumper	Sweater.
kip	[slang] Sleep.
kit	[slang] Clothing. ("I don't get my kit off for just anyone.")
knackered	[slang] To be exhausted. ("I did so much today I'm knackered.")
(to) let	For rent.
lorry	Any truck, including semis.
luvvie	[slang] An effusive person in the acting profession.
Marks and Sparks	[Cockney rhyming slang] What some call Marks & Spencer, a national department store chain.
moggy	[slang] A cat.
naff	[slang] Useless; silly; doesn't work properly. ("Our car is naff; let's get another.")
nick	[slang; informal] To steal something; also jail ("The police threw me in the nick.")
Old Bill, the	[slang] The police.
on the dole	To be on welfare.
'owt and n'owt	[slang; Yorkshire; rhymes with 'out'] 'Owt means 'something', n'owt means 'nothing' or 'anything'. ("I haven't got n'owt.")
petrol	Gasoline.
post	Mail. ("I'll post it to you." -- "It's in the post.")
prat	[slang] Idiot; total jerk.
pudding	Dessert. ("We had sticky toffee cheesecake for pudding.")
punter	Any type of gambler; anyone in a lower-end client position (as a regular in a pub); one who uses a pole to propel a punt (a long, narrow boat with flat ends -- common at Oxford and Cambridge).
quid	[slang] Pound -- reference to British currency. ("I won ten quid in the lottery.")
rugby	Like American football but without the padding.
scouse or scouser	[slang] Someone from Liverpool.
series	A TV show season. ("The new series of Superman starts tonight.")
serviette	Napkin.
shreddies	[slang] Underwear; also, of all things, the brand name of a shredded wheat cereal.
slag off	[slang] To put down in a derogatory manner. ("It made me angry when he slagged me off.")
smarmy	Unpleasantly polite and flattering, usually to get something from you.
snog	[slang] Kiss.
solicitor	A lawyer versed in all aspects of general law.
spam	[slang] An American. Came into use during WWII, when America sent food aid in the form of innumerable cans of Spam to England.
ta'	[slang; informal] Thanks.
tea	The drink; also, a full evening meal.
till	A cash register.
tin	A can. ("Tin of dog-food.")
totty	[slang] A good-looking woman. ("A nice bit of totty.")
town centre	The main shopping area in any town. Usually the High Street runs through it.
trainers	Sneakers.
traveller	[Also known as New Age Traveller or gypsy] A nomadic society drop-out; usually seen dwelling in caravans parked off the road in the country. See gypsy.
treacle	Molasses.
trolley	Cart, especially a supermarket cart.
trunk road	A major road; dual carriageway.
wide boy	[slang] Smooth-talking rogue.
wind up	To pull someone's leg ("You're winding me up!"); also the joke itself ("I know this is a wind up.").
winge	To complain about something. ("He winges all the time about his salary.")
yob	[slang] A young male hoodlum.