Other Definitions
britishism (dict)
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BritishismBritishisms are expressions peculiar to British English. See also List of British English words not used in American English. The word Britishism is an Americanism. - As much use as a chocolate fireguard (or teapot) – useless.
- BBC English – the version of Received Pronunciation once considered typical of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Today regional dialects are frequently heard on the BBC.
- Devils on horseback – sausages covered in bacon
- Egg-cosy or -cozy – meal-time egg warmer, usually knitted.
- Hit for six – to hit mightily, to trounce (to hit a cricket ball off the field without a bounce, scoring 6)
- Industrial action; strike or work-to-rule by employees
- Lovely jubbly; great outcome, popularised by a catchphrase in a BBC TV programme Fools and Horses.
- Not much cop. – Of no consequence.
- Nowt so queer as folk – people are unpredictable (uses the Northern English "nowt" meaning "nothing").
- Go pear-shaped, as in "It all went pear-shaped." – go wrong
- Pukka; good, from a brand of pie.
- Swings and roundabouts – gains in one area will equal losses in another (short for "what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts")
- Not cricket – not fair
- made redundant - laid off, downsized
Caveat lector: these are often very slangy, quickly obsolescent, age-specific and regional terms. Saying "Nowt so queer as folk" in a Cockney accent will get you mentioned in every conversation in that pub for the next six months. And quite possibly local radio.
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