expressions

‘Colder than a witch’s tit’ and other British phrases set to die out

~ Michael Stevenson ~ Leave a comment

A new poll has revealed a list of traditional British sayings which may become extinct despite the UK having one of the most rich and diverse languages in the world.

By Bill McLoughlin
A new poll has revealed a list of traditional British sayings which may become extinct despite the UK having one of the most rich and diverse languages in the world.

According to a study, there are 50 phrases that are in jeopardy of being lost from the English language.

Of those 2,000 people asked, 78 percent have never used the phrase “pearls before swine”.

A further 71 percent said they had never used “colder than a witch’s tit” or “nail your colours to the mast”.

In the poll, conducted by Perspectus Global, 70 percent do not wave goodbye with a “pip pip”.

A further 68 percent of Brits said they had never heard of or used the phrase “know your onions”.

Ellie Glason from Perspectus Global, said: “It’s interesting to see from our research, how language evolves and changes over the years.

“It would seem that, many of the phrases which were once commonplace in Britain, are seldom used nowadays.”

While a series of phrases may now become extinct, four out of five Brits believe the UK has the most descriptive language in the world.

The survey was based on a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults, aged between 18 and 50.

British sayings such as “colder than a witch’s tit” and “a dog’s dinner” at risk of dying out.

BRITAIN’S ENDANGERED SAYINGS

1.       Pearls before swine 78% (never use the phrase)

2.       Nail your colours to the mast 71%

3.       Colder than a witch’s tit 71%

4.       Pip pip 70%

5.       Know your onions 68%

6.       A nod is as good as a wink 66%

7.       A stitch in time saves nine 64%

8.       Ready for the knackers yard 62%

9.       I’ve dropped a clanger 60%

10.   A fly in the ointment 59%

11.   Keen as mustard 58%

12.   A flash in the pan 57%

13.   Tickety boo 57%

14.   A load of codswallop 56%

15.   A curtain twitcher 56%

16.   Knickers in a twist 56%

17.   Dead as a doornail 55%

18.   A dog’s dinner 55%

19.   It’s chock a block 55%

20.   Storm in a teacup 55%

21.   Could not organise a p*** up in a brewery 54%

22.   Not enough room to swing a cat 54%

23.   Flogging a dead horse 54%

24.   Toe the line 54%

25.   Popped her clogs 54%

26.   Drop them a line 53%

27.   Steal my thunder 53%

28.   A few sandwiches short of a picnic 53%

29.   A legend in one’s own lifetime 52%

30.   Be there or be square 52%

31.   Fell off the back of a lorry 52%

32.   A bodge job 52%

33.   Eat humble pie 52%

34.   Having a chinwag 52%

35.   Put a sock in it 52%

36.   Mad as a Hatter 51%

37.   Spend a penny 51%

38.   Cool as a cucumber 51%

39.   It’s gone pear shaped 51%

40.   It cost a bomb 51%

41.   Raining cats and dogs 51%

42.   See a man about a dog 51%

43.   It takes the biscuit 50%

44.   He’s a good egg 50%

45.   Snug as a bug in a rug 49%

46.   Chuffed to bits 49%

47.   Have a gander 49%

48.   Selling like hot cakes 49%

49.   Pardon my French 48%

50.   A Turn up for the books 45%

Source: ‘Colder than a witch’s tit’ and other British phrases set to die out

50 Cockney slang phrases that you’ve never heard of before

~ Michael Stevenson ~ Leave a comment

How familiar are you with the famous London dialect of Cockney rhyming slang?

Do you like a nice cup of ‘Rosie Lee’ at night before you head up the ‘apples and pears’ to your ‘Uncle Ted’?

Apologies – for those aged under 25, you may not understand the statement above or be familiar with the famous London dialect of Cockney rhyming slang.

For many years, Londoners have been using catchy words and phrases in sentences that rhyme with the actual words they mean to say.

Quite often, this trend can be heard around Essex too.

As an example, the sentence above means ‘Do you like a nice cup of tea at night before you head up the stairs to your bed’.

Cockney rhyming slang was also popularised around the country when it was used during the classic British sitcom ‘Only Fools and Horses’.

Here is a list of 50 Cockney terms that you’ve probably never heard – along with their translation and an example of use in a sentence:

1. Able and Willing

Translation: Shilling

Use: “I’m so skint until payday, could you lend us an Able?”

2. Alan Minter

Translation: printer or splinter

Use: “The Alan’s jammed with paper again.”

3. Alex Nash

Translation: slash (urinate)

Use: “Where’s your loo? I’m desperate for an Alex.”

4. Apple pip

Translation: dip

Use: “Let’s all go down to Brighton for an apple pip.”

5. Arthur Conan Doyle

Translation: boil

Use: “Oi mate, would you put that kettle on the Arthur?”

6. Atilla the Hun

Translation: 2:1 degree

Use: “I graduated last year with an Atilla in Business Studies.”

7. Baa lamb

Translation: tram

Use: “I’m on the lamb over from Ikea.”

8. Basil Brush

Translation: thrush

Use: “I’ve got a bad case of the old Basil.”

9. Betty Boo/ Eartha Kitt

Translation: poo

Use: “Where’s the lav, I need a Betty!”

10. Bill Oddie

Translation: voddie (vodka)

Use: “Get us a Bill and cola.”

11. Billie Piper

Translation: windscreen wiper

Use: “Someone’s gone and ripped off my Billies.”

12. Billy Ray Cyrus

Translation: virus

Use: “I had to take my laptop to the shop because I opened an email with a nasty Billy Ray attached.”

13. Boracic lint

Translation: broke, skint

Use: “I can’t come out tonight, I’m completely Boracic.”

14. Brad Pitt

Translation: fit

Use: “Mate, that girl is proper Brad Pitt.”

15. Britney Spears

Translation: ears, tears, or beers

Use: “Dry those Britneys.”

16. Charlie Drake

Translation: steak

Use: “I’ll have chips with me Charlie.”

17. Cheese and kisses

Translation: Mrs

Use: “I got some flowers to surprise me cheese, she loved it.”

18. Cheesy Quaver

Translation: favour

Use: “Do us a cheesy Quaver, pal.”

19. Coat hanger

Translation: clanger, mistake

Use: “I’ve only gone and sent it to print with a huge coat hanger in the headline!”

20. Cuff link

Translation: drink (alcoholic)

Use: “Let’s go down the rubber dub for a cuff link.”

21. Cuppa, sausage and a slice

Translation: nice

Use: “He’s a cuppa lad.”

22. Daisy dancers

Translation: stairs

Use: “I’m off up the Daisys to bed.”

23. Damien Hirst

Translation: first class degree

Use: “My cousin only went and got a Damien from Oxford!”

24. Diet Coke

Translation: joke

Use: “These train strikes are a Diet Coke!”

25. Donald Trump

Translation: hump

Use: “What’s given you the Donald, then?”

26. French egg

Translation: enough (un ouef)

Use: “That’s it, I’ve had a French egg now.”

27. Gamma ray

Translation: stray

Use: “This cat keeps hanging about my garden, I reckon it’s a gamma.”

28. German beer/ ginger beer

Translation: engineer

Use: “If you need some work done on your car my cousin’s a great ginger beer.”

29. Godforsaken

Translation: bacon

Use: “I’m craving a godforsaken sarnie.”

30. Gordon Brown

Translation: clown

Use: “My dad’s a bit of a Gordon.”

31. Harry Hill

Translation: pill, birth control

Use: “I can’t be pregnant, I’m on the Harry.”

32. Holy Grail

Translation: email

Use: “Send us the details in a holy.”

33. Hovis

Translation: dead (from brown bread)

Use: “He’s been Hovis for years now.”

34. Ian Beale

Translation: real

Use: “I’m keeping it Ian Beale.”

35. Itchy ring

Translation: Burger King

Use: “I’m Hank Marvin mate, wanna go get an itchy?”

36. Jabba the Hutt

Translation: shut

Use: “I just went down the tin tank for some cash but it was Jabba.”

37. Jet fighter

Translation: all-nighter

Use: “I had to pull a jet fighter to catch up with my work.”

38. KY Jelly

Translation: telly

Use: “Get in here quick, your trouble’s on the KY.”

39. Kangaroo pouch

Translation: couch

Use: “Help us move my kangaroo.”

40. Lager and lime

Translation: spine

Use: “I’ve got a terrible pain in me lager.”

41. Lisa Tarbucks

Translation: Starbucks

Use: “I’ve not got enough wonga to get coffee from Lisa.”

42. Lump of lead

Translation: head

Use: “Use your lump!”

43. Malcom X

Translation: text

Use: “Send us a Malcom.”

44. Merlyn Rees

Translation: piece, lunch

Use: “I’m off to the caff for some Merlyn, are you coming?”

45. Noddy holders

Translation: shoulders

Use: “I’ve got a terrible pain in me Noddys.”

46. Obi Wan Kenobi

Translation: mobile phone

Use: “Send us a Malcom on me Obi Wan.”

47. Perpetual loser

Translation: boozer

Use: “Me local perpetual has been no cop since it got taken over.”

48. Pineapple chunk

Translation: bunk bed

Use: “You and your sister will have to share the pineapple.”

49. Ricky Gervais

Translation: face

Use: “You should’ve seen the look on her Ricky when I told her the news.”

50. Rock of Ages

Translation: wages

Use: “With rent like this they better give us higher Rock of Ages.”

Source: 50 Cockney slang phrases that you’ve never heard of before

Letters to The Hobbledehoy: “Twat”

~ Michael Stevenson ~ 2 Comments

Steven writes to The Hobbledehoy:


“Is there an alternative British meaning to the word: “twat?” or is it the same over here? the [Trump] essay is brilliant until the very last line.”

Interesting question, Steven. I do believe that expression is used far more extensively in Britain than in the U.S. The wonderful Scottish singer Shirley Manson discusses her use of the word ‘twat’ and other swear words here.

I myself use the expression only occasionally, and exclusively in reference to men.

What do you think? Please post your comment

British Slang: It’s Bucketing Down – Lovely British Words and Phrases for Rain

~ Michael Stevenson ~ Leave a comment

Britain is known as a rainy country, despite the fact that it doesn’t get any more rain than say, Seattle. But it’s true that Britain is very wet. Their soggy maritime climate has shaped their history and culture, and it’s no surprise that like the Inuit with multiple words to describe snow, the British also […]

Britain is known as a rainy country, despite the fact that it doesn’t get any more rain than say, Seattle. But it’s true that Britain is very wet. Their soggy maritime climate has shaped their history and culture, and it’s no surprise that like the Inuit with multiple words to describe snow, the British also have many different phrases to describe the different kinds of rain. Here are our favorites.

Pissing down – In America, variations of the word ‘piss’ are considered quite coarse language, it’s not so in Britain, it’s a much softer connotation. Pissing down is torrential rain.

Bucketing down – A nice way of saying ‘pissing down’ – raining very hard.

Tipping Down – Raining heavily.

Mizzly – A common Cornish phrase for rain – it’s a misty rain that seems to settle on the landscape. It’s doesn’t feel like it’s actively raining, but everything is wet.

Spitting – Very light rain – with only a few drops at a time.

Plothering – A phrase often used in the Midlands or Northeast that describes is heavy rain that, well, plothers (the sound it makes hitting the ground).

Lovely weather for ducks! – A jovial phrase that the terrible weather must be good for something at least – like Ducks.

It’s chucking it down – Heavy and constant rain.

It’s siling/syling down (N. England) – A heavy rain.

Sea Fret – A wet mist or haze that comes inland from the sea (see Mizzly)

Smirr – A Scottish term for an extremely fine and misty rain that comes from a poem by George Campbell Hay.

Scotch mist – A thick mist and drizzling rain.

Letty – A West Country term that says that there is just enough rain to make outdoor work impossible (coming from a word that once meant disallow).

Cow-quaker – A sudden massive rainstorm characteristic during the month of May when the cows are traditionally let back on the fields.

Snell – A Scottish phrase for a very, very cold rain.

Smizzle – A Scottish phrase for a light rain.

Duke of Spain – Cockney Ryhming Slang for rain.

Raining forks’tiyunsdown’ards – A colorful Lincolnshire phrase meaning heavy rain like it’s raining pitchforks.

Source: British Slang: It’s Bucketing Down – Lovely British Words and Phrases for Rain