English Phrases

 

British Phrase - Approximate U.S. Meaning
Example, if appropriate

Note: Most of these were new to me, a couple were not. They are all, in my opinion, lesser known in the U.S. and by virtue of being listed here, they were phrases I actually heard someone in the UK use (although the example does not necessarily reflect the context in which I first heard the phrase).
  • Gypsy’s kiss – take a leak
    After my third pint, I went for a gypsy's kiss
  • Tipple – generalization for a drink or refreshment
    Fancy a tipple?
  • Sherbert - refers more directly to a specific beverage
    Shane fancied a tipple after work, so we stopped into the pub for a few sherberts.
  • Blooded – drunk
    We stopped for a few sherberts after work and got blooded.
  • Good'n - singular or plural way of saying a 'good one'; expression of goodness
    After a few sherberts, times were good'n.
  • Bits - pieces or parts
    After I put the unit together there were a few bits left over.
  • Bob’s your uncle - simple, guaranteed success
    You take the bits off the plane, put the new bits on, Bob's your uncle, parts are good'n.
  • Brick shithouse - a measure of speed and agility
    With only one engine working, that plane will fly like a brick shithouse.
  • Shit off a shovel - fast
    A brick shithouse would fall out of the sky faster than shit off a shovel.
  • Jacket potato - baked potato
  • Spot on - perfect; well done
  • Useless as tits on a warthog - impractical
    Without any street signs, following directions in England is as useless as tits on a warthog.
  • Bees knees - sweet; awesome
    My new International cell phone is bees knees.
  • Fuck that for a game of soldiers - to give up or refuse to do something; expression of disgust or futility
    When we approached the parking structure and saw that it was closed--with our car still inside--Kevin exclaimed "fuck that for a game of soldiers".
  • Gutted - to feel awful about something
    The bus driver was just gutted about having to charge us two pounds for a five minute ride.
  • Shag ass - An expression of extreme speed
    When we finally got back to the parking lot, we paid our bill and shagged ass out of there.
  • More than you can shake a hairy stick at - a lot
    England has more roundabouts than you can shake a hairy stick at.
  • Skinful – to have lots to drink
    We stopped at the pub and had a skinful.
  • Ham shank - stupid American tourist
    The cabbie tried to charge us twelve pounds for an eight pound cab ride, he must have thought I was a pretty big ham shank.
  • Wanker - an idiot or a person who likes to show off
  • Cheers - thanks; have a good day
  • She's the cat's mother - a rebuke for referring to a woman as "she" instead of by her name
  • Bin - verb meaning "to throw something away"
    I no longer needed the report so I binned it.
  • Someone wearing much longer trousers than mine - someone more important or with more authority than I have
    The decision to buy a new car will have to be made by someone with much longer trousers than mine.
  • Sort your dog out - to get something in order, like a barking dog
  • Go on then
  • It doesn't take the brains of an arch bishop
  • Brilliant - excellent, totally cool
    You have to go see the new Bourne movie, it's brilliant.
  • Canteen - cafeteria
  • Nick - Jail also nicked - to get arrested
  • Smiling assassin
  • Useless as a chocolate teapot
  • Square root of useless
  • Hoover - v. the act of vacuuming
  • Craic pronounced crack - fun; jolly good time

 

 

English Lesson #12: No Recuerdo

English Lesson #11: The french (lower case 'F')