british english a to zed phần 3 pot

68 clerk clerk, n. 1. lawyer's assistant 2. church officer 3. town officer 4. office or store worker (Pronounced CLARK.) This word originally meant 'clergyman' in Britain, but that meaning is now archaic. 1. It is commonly used by British solicitors (lawyers) to describe their assistants, and law clerk is a term not unknown in America. 2. The job of a lay person who renders miscellaneous services to a parish church. 3. An official, usually a lawyer, in charge of town records, who acts generally as the business representative of a town. 4. Bank clerks, shop clerks, and the like, are general office workers who keep books, do filing, and take care of miscellaneous office functions. clerk of the works supply man; maintenance man This title denotes a person who acts as overseer of supplies and building materi- als for a contractor on a particular construction site, and acts as a kind of progress reporter, on site, among customer, contractor, and architect. This term also covers the position of one in charge of repairs and maintenance, such as outside painting and sidewalk repair, for instance, of a municipal housing unit (council house estate). clever Dick, Slang. Slang, wise guy clinking, adj. Slang, damned good Slang. Thus, a clinking game, a clinking race, etc. It can also be used adverbially modifying good: a clinking good game, a clinking good race. See also rattling; thun- dering. clippie, n. bus conductress Inf. In Britain there are bus conductors of both sexes. A male conductor is simply a conductor; a female conductor is a clippie. Both male and female bus conductors used to clip your ticket, i.e., punch your ticket, but only the lady conductors are called clippies. The word came into being during wartime when they replaced the men. It is going out of fashion now. cloakroom, n. washroom Both terms are euphemisms for toilet, but beware: Following a cloakroom sign in a public place in Britain may lead you to another destination, because it is also used literally in that country. The British term cloakroom ticket means 'baggage check' or 'hat check.' See loo. clobber, n. 1. Inf. get-up 2. Inf. gear 1. Slang. This word means 'attire' and is generally used when there is something peculiar about the attire, as for example, He appeared in the strangest clobber, or He had borrowed somebody else's clobber. See rig-out. 2. Slang. The word acquired the further meaning of 'gear,' 'junk/ 'one's full equipment' in World War I. close, n. dead-end residential area (Pronounced CLOCE.) A close is a kind of cul-de-sac broadened out at its end. The term is used also to describe the enclosed land around a cathedral. clubland, 69 close crop, n. crew cut See also short back and sides. close season closed season Referring to hunting, fishing, etc. Here, the British omit the d. It's turned the other way around in the legal phrase closed company (British) for close corporation. See Appendix I.A.3. closet, n. toilet bowl A euphemism. Water closet is old-fashioned British for lavatory. Closet (see pedestal) is the polite term seen in house-furnishing catalogues for the bowl itself. A clothes closet in Britain is a cupboard. close the doors, please! all aboard! Heard in railroad stations and often followed by "Train is about to depart!" closing-down sale liquidation sale Although sometimes it seems to mean only a 'closeout' of a particular item or line of merchandise. closing time. See during hours. closure, n. clôture The British form for 'cutting off debate' is not generally used in America, and vice versa. clot, n. Slang, jerk Slang. A strong pejorative. "She is suffering from marital thrombosis," quipped the doctor's wife. "She's got a clot for a husband." cloth, washing-up. See tea-towel; washing-up cloth. cloth-cap, adj. Inf. blue-collar cloth-eared, adj., inf. deaf Characterizing someone who either purposely or through lack of attention mis- understands what is said to him. clothes-peg, n. clothespin clothes-prop, n. clothespole clotted cream. See Devonshire cream. clubland, n. SEE COMMENT St. James's, an area of London including the palace of that name. It is bounded on the north by Jermyn Street, on the west by St. James's Street, on the south by Pall Mall (pronounced Pell Mell or Pal Mai), and on the east by Lower Regent Street, and is called 'clubland' because it houses many of London's famous clubs. St. James's palace was once the royal residence, and although it has not been so used since the time of Queen Victoria, the British court is still designated as 'the Court of St. James's.' 70 club together club together, v.i. join up; pool Britons, as well as Americans, club together to buy a going-away gift for a friend or a memento for a retiring colleague. clue, n. notion I haven't a clue is a common expression in Britain, meaning 'I haven't the slightest idea.' It is interchangeable with another British expression: I haven't the foggiest. He hasn't a clue, however, means 'he is hopelessly ignorant or stupid.' If the pro- noun is third person, of either gender or number, the expression is pejorative. See next entry. clueless, adj. Inf. hopeless Inf. Describing someone who doesn't know what it's all about or which end is up. See also clue. Clutch, n. SEE COMMENT Inf. Clutch, in addition to its other uses as noun and verb, means a 'set of eggs,' or a 'brood of chickens.' Clutch is also used in a clutch of friends to indicate a swarm of followers that might surround a movie star or other celebrity. clutter, n. junk Clutter literally means litter or any untidy miscellany in both countries. But whereas an American might say, Our weekend guests arrived with an awful lot of junk, a Briton would probably describe them as having brought along a great deal of clutter. See also lumber. C.M.G. See under V.C. coach, n. inter-city bus See also carriage and motor coach. coarse, adj. common A special meaning applied to fresh water fish: coarse would exclude salmon and trout and other sporting fish caught with a fly. Coarse fish are run-of-the-mill types. coatee, n. short coat Worn by women and infants. In American, a coatee historically has been a short coat with tails. cob, n. wall material A mixture of clay, gravel, and straw. cobble, n. SEE COMMENT Lump coal the size of smallish cobblestones. cobble, v.t. run up; put together roughly To cobble something, or to cobble something together, is to put it together roughly. A professor in a hurry will cobble a lecture together. This verb is used also to mean 'mend' or 'patch,' especially of shoes, indicating its back formation from cobbler, which in Britain means not only 'shoemaker,' but also 'clumsy workman,' a sense archaic in American usage. coconut shy 71 cobblers, n. pi, inter]. SEE COMMENT Cockney rhyming slang (see Appendix II.G.3) omitting, as usual, the rhyming word; short for cobblers' awls, rhyming with balls, so that its meaning as an inter- jection is 'balls!' particularly in the sense of 'forget it!' said in response to a pre- posterous proposal. As a noun, it is used to describe anything considered rubbish or nonsense, as in That's a lot of cobbler si cock, n. Slang, bull Slang. Stuff and nonsense. We've all heard of cock and bull stories. The British have chosen the cock, the Americans the bull. Americans are squeamish about using cock. Britons have mocked such delicacy by referring to roostertails for prepran- dial drinks, pet roosters for petcocks, roostered hat, go off half-roostered, and similar constructions. However, cock is generally taboo in mixed company, except when it clearly refers to the male bird, or in that cock won't fight. cock-a-hoop, adj., Slang. Inf. on top of the world Exultant and boastful, as in His cock-a-hoop chortling could be heard everywhere. cock a snook Slang, thumb one's nose Slang. (Snook rhymes with COOK.) Sometimes cock snooks. cockchafer, n. June bug The noisy beetle that usually arrives in May. The British are amused by the Amer- ican name because bug, to them, normally means 'bedbug.' Cocker. See according to Cocker. cockerel, n. 1. young rooster 2. young tough 1. Americans, too, occasionally use this word to mean a 'young rooster.' 2. Metaphorical extension. But not heard in America in this sense. cockney, n., adj. SEE COMMENT Inf. Also used adjectivally meaning, literally, 'characteristic of a born East Ender.' A cockney accent is not deemed one of the more socially acceptable ways to pro- nounce English. But those possessing such an accent are often very proud of it and during the 60s it became a fashionable accent to attempt to imitate. See also Bow Bells. cockshy. See coconut shy. cock-up, n. Inf. mess; muddle Slang. You've never seen such a cock-up in your life! (The bank robbers got away and the police arrested the bank manager by mistake.) See also discussion under balls, 2. coconut shy SEE COMMENT A game in fairs, in which the contestant throws balls at a heap of coconuts (pro- nounced COKER-NUTS) for prizes. More or less interchangeable with cockshy, which is somewhat more general, in that it includes any game in which balls or sticks are thrown at a variety of targets. A cockshy may be the target itself, and the word is also used figuratively to mean a 'butt.' Cockshy is also used to mean 'trial balloon': I put up a cockshy memorandum (to test opinion). 72 cod cod, n., v.t., v.i. 1. n., joke; parody; take-off 2. v.t., v.i., tease; spoof 3. Slang, v.i., horse around Slang. In the first meaning, cod is used attributively in expressions like a cod ver- sion of "Hamlet" or a cod cockney accent. codswallop, n. Slang, baloney Slang. (Pronounced and sometimes spelled COD'S WALLOP.) Hot air. Origin unknown. See also gammon; rot; balls; rubbish; all my eye and Betty Martin! and cobblers. C. of E. Church of England The established church. See chapel; dissenter; nonconformist. coffee sugar SEE COMMENT Sugar in large crystals, usually brown or honey-colored; occasionally varicol- ored. Americans tend to approach it cautiously, and it makes for table talk. The usual name for it in shops is sugar crystals. See also demerara. coffee-stall, n. street coffee stand Similar to the hot dog wagon and pretzel stand seen on the streets of some Amer- ican cities. coiner, n., inf. counterfeiter Of counterfeit coins, that is. collar stud collar button Used when shirts had detachable collars. collar-work. See against the collar. collections, n. pi. mid-years Term-end examinations at Oxford and elsewhere. See college. college, n. school; house (dormitory) This word, which in American educational terminology always denotes an insti- tution of higher learning and is roughly synonymous with university, does not necessarily mean the same thing in Britain. Eton College and Lancing College are what are known as public schools, roughly equivalent to what Americans call prep schools, and City of London College is a secretarial school. On the other hand, the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge (about twenty-five at each) are more or less autonomous institutions each with its own buildings, including hall of resi- dence (see hall)—house, in the American 'college dormitory' sense—dining-halls, chapel, principal's residence (see under Fellow), bedrooms and studies for Fel- lows (see also don), tutors (advisers) and undergraduates (students), senior and junior common-rooms, and campus (quad at Oxford, court at Cambridge). Some colleges, like All Souls and St Antony's, Oxford, are for graduates only. Most are now coeducational. The phrase college graduate would not be used in Britain. The person would be called a university man or woman, or graduate. College is also applied to learned or professional institutions, such as the Royal College of Physicians. come a mucker 73 college grounds campus Campus is used increasingly in Britain, especially at the newer (redbrick) univer- sities. college of further education approx. extension school For persons who have left school and wish to continue their general education or learn a trade. colleger, n. SEE COMMENT One of the 70 (out of 1,100) Eton students who live in college (i.e., on campus; see college). The others are called oppidans. collier, n. coal freighter It means 'coal miner' in Britain as well, but not in America. Collins, n. Inf. bread-and-butter letter Inf. Synonymous with roofer. Now obsolescent. coloured, adj., n. approx. non-white Colored in America signifies black, whether of African or West Indian origin. In Britain the term includes Indians, Pakistanis, and persons of mixed parentage. Unfortunately, it has also become a noun in Britain, often in the plural. colt, n. 1. Slang, rookie 2. approx. junior varsity player 1. Inf. In professional cricket, a player in his first season. 2. Inf. At school it can refer to a boy who is a member of any junior team, not nec- essarily cricket. In America, neither sense is heard. combination-room, n. common-room Meeting-room at Cambridge University. There is a junior combination-room for undergraduates. The senior combination-room is for Fellows. combinations, n. pi. union suit Referring to underwear. Union suits are on the way out in America. Combinations are dying out more slowly in Britain. Combs (short o; the b is silent) is an infor- mal abbreviation. comb-out, n. intensive search Inf. Sometimes the Americans also use comb or combing for this process. combs. See combinations. come, v.t. act Slang. To come the hero or the bereaved spouse is to act the part, to put it on. come a cropper Inf. take a tumble Inf. Fail in an endeavor. come a mucker. See under mucker. 74 come a purler come a purler Slang, fall on one's face Slang. Like the American equivalent, used both literally and figuratively. Thus, it might apply not only to the physical act of stumbling, but also to a business or theatrical fiasco, or the messing up of plans for a picnic. comeback, n. Slang, oomph Inf. A person who does not have much comeback is one who does not have much on the ball,' i.e., is dull and not very good company. come-by-chance, n. love child Inf. See chance-child. come-day-go-day, adj. shiftless Too easygoing, apathetic; a drifter. It sometimes has the additional connotation of carelessness about money—easy come, easy go. come down 1. graduate 2. SEE COMMENT 1. Inf. This is a university term. To come down is to graduate. 2. Inf. To leave university finally or to commence vacation. A vacation from work, generally, is called a holiday in Britain; but in university life, holidays at Christmas, Easter, and the summer hiatus are known as vacations, and the same is true of the Law Court calendar. The long university summer vacation is known as the long vac. Come down means the same thing as go down, and the choice of phrase depends on the vantage point of the speaker: if you are at the university you talk of going down; the student's parents, however, would talk to their friends and relations about Sam's coming down. It depends on the position of the speaker in relation to the university. Come down and go down are not to be confused with send down, also a university term, meaning 'expel.' No colloquial American counterpart. come expensive Inf. come to a lot Inf. To cost too much. come home trumps. See come up trumps. come it strong Inf. lay it on thick Inf. To overdo it. Applies, e.g., to excessive demands. It has been used about an ostentatious party: That's coming it strong, isn't it? come on menstruate Inf. One of many euphemisms. come on to begin Thus: It came on to snow last night. come over, v.i. Inf. go (become) Inf. As in I was so astounded I came over numb. come the acid Slang, be a wise guy Slang. Usually in the negative imperative: Don't come the acid with me! as a reproof given to a smart alec who has given a snide answer to a question. Has other shades of meaning as well, depending on context: 'exaggerate/ 'be too big for commode 75 one's breeches/ 'try to burden someone else with one's own job,' generally, to 'make oneself objectionable.' come top Inf. come out on top Inf. To win. come to the horses, Slang. Slang, get down to brass tacks come to the wrong shop. See shop. come up trumps Inf. come up roses Inf. Also turn up trumps and come home trumps. In context, it means 'not fail or dis- appoint/ to 'be there when you're needed': He came up trumps when the going was bad. comforter, n. 1. baby pacifier 2. woolen scarf Two distinct meanings, as opposed to the American meaning of comforter, which is 'quilt.' See also duvet; eiderdown. comic, n. humorous comic Americans use the term comics to designate all narrative newspaper strips, whether horror, macabre, tales of adventure, or funny. In Britain, the term tends to mean 'funny comics/ unless otherwise specified, e.g., as in horror comic. coming, adv. going on Used adverbially in expressions of age: Mary is coming seventeen. command paper. See Paper. commem, n. SEE COMMENT Inf. Abbreviation of commemoration, an annual celebration at Oxford in commem- oration of founders and benefactors. commercial traveller traveling salesman In the proper context, traveller by itself is understood in this sense. commission agent bookmaker A lofty euphemism. See also turf accountant. commissionaire, n. uniformed doorman and the like In Britain, commissionaires, usually doormen but sometimes also messengers and other types of clerk, are normally pensioned military men. More specifically, they are members of the Corps of Commissionaires, an organization formed many years ago to provide decent employment for ex-regular army men, and run on military lines. A more common British term is porter. Commissioner for Oaths notary public commode, n. chamber pot Commode in America usually means a 'chest of drawers.' It has the secondary meaning there, rarely used, of a chest or box holding the chamber pot. In Britain, it signifies this homely commodity, usually in the form of a chest or chair. 76 Common Entrance Examinations Common Entrance Examinations SEE COMMENT Prep school entrance exams. Prep school, in the American sense, is what the British call public school. Common Entrance Examinations, though national in scope, are prepared by a private body organized by the public schools of Britain. The same entrance examinations are given to all candidates for the schools, but each public school has its own requirements as to the grades achieved in these examinations. See also council school. commoner, n. SEE COMMENT Anyone below the rank of peer. common lodging-house. See Rowton House. (the) Commons, n. SEE COMMENT Shortening of House of Commons, the lower legislative chamber. The upper one, the House of Lords, is a respected debating chamber but has little power in nor- mal times except to delay or amend non-financial measures. company, n. corporation A business term; sometimes called limited company or limited liability company, the essence of this form of business organization in either country being the limitation of its liability to the value of its net worth, thus insulating from risk other assets of the individual(s) involved. Ltd. is the British equivalent of Inc. Company does not necessarily connote incorporation in either country. It may denote a partner- ship or even a sole proprietorship. See corporation. company director. See director. compensation, n. damages In America, compensation includes not only damages but also more generally, emol- ument or payment, whether salary or fee. In Britain compensation is not used except to indicate restitution or damages after suffering physical injury or any other kind of loss. compère, n. (Pronounced COM'-PARE.) completion, n. Term used in real estate transactions. master of ceremonies; emcee title closing compliments slip SEE COMMENT A transmittal slip, usually printed, that is sent with enclosures by professionals and tradesmen, and sometimes accompanies their bills. The slip contains the phrase With compliments, followed by the name and address of the sender. The phrase does not mean that the sender is giving anything away, as it might sug- gest in America, where With so-and-so's compliments indicates a gift. compositor, n. comprehensive school. See eleven plus. typesetter consols 11 compulsory purchase condemnation A legal term, meaning the forcible sale to a public authority of property for pub- lic use, pursuant to the right of eminent domain. conchy, n., Slang. conscientious objector confectioner's, n. candy store Synonymous with sweet-shop. confidence trick confidence game confined to barracks Inf. confined to quarters Int. An ambulatory but slowly convalescing invalid might say: I'd love to come, but I'm afraid I'm confined to barracks. confinement theatre. See theatre. conjurer, conjuror, n. magician All three terms are used in both countries. conk, n. 1. Slang, beak (nose) 2. Slang, noodle (head) Slang. In meaning 2., it is used in the expression off one's conk, i.e., nuts. Synony- mous with loaf. conker, n. 1. horse chestnut 2. rubber Slang. No American slang equivalent. Meaning 2. applies exclusively to the game of darts, which is standard equipment at every proper British pub. When the game score is one-all, if there's time someone says, Let's play the conker, meaning the rubber. See also the next entry. conkers, n. pi. horse chestnut game Every child has a string with a horse chestnut (called a conker) tied to the end, and, in turn, tries to break the other children's chestnuts. conservancy, n. river or port commission For example, the Thames Conservancy. conservatoire, n. conservatory (music school) Conservatory, in Britain, would usually mean 'greenhouse,' but it can also be used to mean a 'music school.' consignment note bill of lading Railroad term. consols, n. pi. SEE COMMENT Abbreviation of consolidated annuities, government securities of Great Britain which were consolidated in 1751 into 3 percent bonds, which in Britain are known as stocks. They have no maturity, but are part of the national debt. There are now both 2V2 percent and 4 percent consols which sell at heavy discounts that vary with fluctuations in prevailing interest rates. Accent on either syllable. [...]... began to talk freely as soon as director, n approx executive To the British layman director means about the same thing in the context of business epithets as executive would mean to an American layman Directorships in 96 directory enquiries British companies and American corporations (see chairman; company; managing director) amount roughly to the same thing, although their duties and prerogatives (as... Britain the muffin is a light, flat, round, spongy cake which is toasted and buttered In America a muffin is a quick bread made of batter, baked in a cup-shaped pan, which does not have to be toasted The nearest thing to a British crumpet is what Americans call an English muffin 2 Slang A crumpet means a 'head/ for which American slang supplies nut, bean, noodle, etc It is used in Britain especially... Good heavens! crinkle-crankle, adj winding Inf A rare adjective used to describe serpentine red brick garden walls, full of twists and turns crisps, n pi potato chips Crisps (short for potato crisps) are called potato chips in America The British shorten potato crisps to crisps British chips are French fried potatoes in America The Americans often shorten French fried potatoes to French fries See also... demobilize and demobilization A military term See bowler-hatted demonstrator, n At an academic institution laboratory assistant detain dene, n denominational school 93 1 sandy stretch by the sea 2 dune 3 wooded vale parochial school denture, n removable bridge A denture, in America, is usually understood to denote a set of upper or lower false teeth It is used that way in Britain, too, but the term is also... was originally located in London near Hyde Park Corner corner-boy, n Slang Slang, tough; loafer cornet, n Brass musical instrument and a conical wafer to hold ice cream cone corporation, n municipality The American corporation has its equivalent in the British company The British corporation is generally understood to be a municipal corporation Thus, a corporation swimming-bath would be a municipal... Clubs all over Britain is open to those whom Americans so tactfully call Senior Citizens and Golden Agers and the British Old Age Pensioners, usually shortened to O .A. P.s dashed, adv Slang, damned Slang Milder than damned in expressions like dashed good, dashed bad, and the like Also heard in Well, I'm dashed, where Americans would say, Well, I'll be damned! Dashed may be on the way out as language becomes... usually sounds like AY; sometimes like EH.) Used occasionally in America to describe the traditional nativity scene credit slip A banking term deposit slip creek, n inlet In Britain a creek usually means an 'inlet on a seacoast' or a 'small harbor.' Its secondary British meaning is the same as its principal American meaning: a 'small stream/ or 'minor tributary of a river.' creepy-crawly, n insect Slang... Used as a noun, it means an 'exercise in syntactical analysis/ as in the teacher's warning: Next Tuesday, we'll have a construe of an unseen (a passage for sight translation) consultant, n 1 specialist (medical) 2 counsel (legal) These are special meanings in the respective professions, but the word has the same general meaning as in America For those unfamiliar with the American term counsel as used... force and put them into administrative jobs, rather than keep them on the regular force to train and set examples for new recruits creamed potatoes mashed potatoes cream tea SEE COMMENT Afternoon tea with Devonshire cream, which is rich, sweet, delicious, thicker than American whipped cream, and is meant to be piled on top of the jam on top of the scones, creating in all likelihood a dish with more calories... constable constable, n policeman; patrolman A constable is a policeman and is the usual form of address to a policeman below the rank of sergeant A chief constable would be known in America as a chief of police See also bobby for slang synonyms, and P.C constituency, n district A Parliamentary constituency is roughly equivalent, in British politics, to a Congressional district in America See also Member . Britain a creek usually means an 'inlet on a seacoast' or a 'small harbor.' Its sec- ondary British meaning is the same as its principal American meaning: a 'small stream/ . (short for potato crisps) are called potato chips in America. The British shorten potato crisps to crisps. British chips are French fried potatoes in America. The Americans often shorten . honey-colored; occasionally varicol- ored. Americans tend to approach it cautiously, and it makes for table talk. The usual name for it in shops is sugar crystals. See also demerara. coffee-stall,