British English A to Z - past 10

sack, n., v.t. 1. n. dismissal 2. v.t. fire 3. v.t. expel 1. Inf. As in, get or give the sack. 2. Inf. From a job. See synonyms under give (someone) his cards. 3. Inf. From a secondary school. From a university, the term for expel is send down. safari bed. See camp bed. safe storage safekeeping saffron bun see comment Also called saffron cake. A delicacy of Cornish origin, bright yellow in color. If you should happen to look into a 15th-century British cookbook (or cokeryboke, as they were called) you would find that virtually all cakes and many breads were heav- ily “strewn forth” with saffron. St. Luke’s summer Indian summer Also called Luke’s little summer and St. Martin’s summer. St. Martin’s summer Indian summer Also called St. Luke’s summer and Luke’s little summer. saithe. See Appendix II.H. . . . salad, n. . . . and salad Chicken (ham, beef, etc.) salad on British menus means chicken (etc.) and salad: not the chopped up variety familiar to Americans. In Britain you get a serving of chicken or other meat and a portion of salad. Sally Army, abbrev. Salvation Army saloon, n. 1. sedan 2. parlor 1. A saloon motorcar, which can be shortened to saloon in proper context, is what Americans call a sedan. 2. Saloon is commercialese in Britain, except on a ship (and see saloon bar and saloon-car). In the commercial idiom the British use the terms hair-dressing, billiards, etc., saloon where the American term would be parlor; but in ordinary speech, a man would simply refer to his barber, a woman to her hairdresser. saloon bar. See pub. saloon-car parlor car Also saloon-carriage, in a railroad car. S 309 h saloon car, n. sedan salt beef corned beef No matter where served in all of Britain, scarcely resembling New York City’s kosher corned beef. Once a diet staple of the British army in the field, its army nickname is bully beef. See also corned beef. salting, n. 1. salt marsh 2. tide-flat 1. Usually found in the plural. 2. Land periodically flooded by ocean or inlet tides. sand, n. grit Inf. In the sense of determination, courage, steadfastness of purpose. sandboy. See happy as a sandboy. sanitary towel, n. sanitary napkin sanitation officer. See under refuse tip. sap, n., v.i. 1. v.i., Slang. cram 2. n., Slang. grind 1. Slang. To sap is to cram, See also mug; swot. 2. Slang. A sap is a grind, in the two distinct senses of ‘zealous student’ and ‘tough job.’ (The American slang meaning ‘fool’ is shared with Britain.) One wonders whether this latter meaning reflects the anti-intellectual atmo- sphere that gave rise to the term egghead. Verbum sap, or as we usually say, A word to the wise is sufficient. sapper, n. army engineer Especially a private, engaged in the building of fortifications in the field, etc. sarky, adj. abbrev. sarcastic sarnie, n. Inf. sandwich Sassenach, n., adj. see comment A derogatory term for English (man), from the Gaelic for Saxon noun and adjective. sauce, n. Inf. cheek Inf. In the sense of ‘impudence’ or ‘impertinence.’ Often heard in the phrase bloody sauce. sauce-boat, n. gravy boat sausage, n. approx. weather stripping Inf. Sausage-shaped form, velvet stuffed with sawdust, used to keep out under- the-door drafts. sausage roll see comment 1. Baked sausage meat in pastry. See also pie; pasty; stargazey. 2. Inf. Anything sausage-shaped, including people. 310 saloon car saveloy, n. see comment A smoked pork sausage, usually sold only in fish and chips shops. save one’s bacon, Slang. Inf. save one’s skin save the mark! God help us! Sometimes God save the mark! A sarcastic or scornful interjection. He calls himself an impressionist—God save the mark! savoury, n., adj. 1. tidbit 2. see comment 1. A canapé or sometimes something larger served usually at the end of dinner, after dessert; but the term also covers an hors d’oeuvre or appetizer. Examples might be a sardine or anchovy on toast, a modest welsh rarebit, and so on. When served after dessert, it is always served hot. 2. Any dish that is not sweet. As an adjective, used to describe such as dish; I prefer savoury dishes to sweet. say boo to a goose Inf. open one’s mouth Inf. Have the courage to express disapproval. Usually in the negative: He wouldn’t say boo to a goose, meaning ‘He was afraid to open his mouth (to say a word).’ Describes a milquetoast. scarper, v.i., Slang. Slang. scram Escape, run away. scatty, adj. Slang. whacky, absentminded Slang. Americans are more apt to say scatterbrained or feebleminded. scene-shifter, n. stagehand scenic railway miniature railway Child’s railroad train in an amusement park or tourist attraction. scent, n. perfume A scent spray is an atomizer. scheduled building. See listed building. scheme, n. plan In Britain the noun does not always have the American connotation of ‘slyness’ or ‘sharp practice’ (in fact one may talk of government or private housing schemes), but the noun schemer and the verb to scheme do have that connotation. scheme of arrangement reorganization plan Of a corporation in financial difficulties. schemozzle. See shemozzle. scholar, n. scholarship student Learned persons are called scholars in both countries, but the word is not used in America, as it commonly is in Britain, to denote a student on a scholarship. In the scholar 311 North of England the term applies to any schoolboy, as it can in America, and once did all over England. school, n. see comment An American may speak of Harvard as his school; no Briton would apply that term to his university. The word is confined in Britain to the grades below college level (college in the American sense; university in the British). For the distinction in Britain between college and university, see college. schoolboy cake cheap fruit cake Inf. Made with a minimum of fruit, and that consisting almost entirely of cur- rants; the type commonly served at boarding-schools and sold at railroad sta- tions, cheap cafés, etc. In earlier times, it was called shouting cake, and it is still so referred to jocularly by older folk: the currants were so far apart they had to shout at one another—unlike whispering cake, the ubiquitous fruit-laden British wedding cake, so richly laden that the components were close enough to whisper to one another. Now rare. school dance, n. school prom school-leaver, n. approx. high-school graduate A student who has completed formal education at a secondary school level, is not going on to college, and is now ready to go to work for a living. The shorter term leaver is occasionally used in prep school and public school circles to describe a student about to complete the curriculum there. school treat, n. school party Usually away from school, on private grounds thrown open for the occasion. schooner, n. large sherry (port) glass An American schooner is a tall beer glass. In Britain, where beer is usually drunk in very large glasses as a matter of course (see pint), a schooner is a glass reserved for a more than usually generous portion of sherry, or sometimes port. scoff, n., v.t. 1. n., Slang. good eats 2. v.t., Slang. wolf 1. n., Slang. A schoolboy term. 2. v.t., Inf. To gobble or knock back food. sconce, n., v.t. approx. fine Slang. A highly specialized Oxford term, applicable only to undergraduates din- ing in hall (i.e., in the college dining-room). To sconce a fellow student is to fine him a tankard of ale, or the like, for a breach of table etiquette. Sconce, as a noun, means the ‘forfeit’ so imposed. The table of offenses varies with the college. scone, n. approx. baking powder biscuit (Should rhyme with john though the long o is also heard in some circles. See Appendix I.C.6.) Usually served at room temperature, while the approximate American equivalent is served warm. The usual fare for tea. scoop the pool Slang. make a killing Slang. Originally a stock exchange term. 312 school score off, v. get the better of Inf. In an argument or in repartee. Scotch egg see comment This is a pub delicacy consisting of a hard-boiled egg, coated with a blanket of pork sausage meat, which is then breaded and deep-fried. Scotch foursome. See fourball. Scotch woodcock see comment Scrambled eggs (the British sometimes call them buttered eggs) on toast first spread with anchovy paste. The recipe for Scotch woodcook in Mrs. Beeton’s Household Management follows: Scotch Woodcock (Anchois à l’Écossaise) Ingredients.—The yolks of two eggs, one gill of cream (or cream and milk in equal parts), anchovy paste, toast, butter, cayenne, salt. Method.—Cut the toast into two-inch squares, butter well, and spread them with anchovy paste. Season the eggs with a little cayenne and salt; when slightly beaten add them to the hot cream, stir over the fire until they thicken sufficiently, then pour the preparation over the toast, and serve as hot as possible. Time.—Ten minutes. Sufficient for six to eight persons. Scouse, n. see comment Inf. (Rhymes with mouse.) Denotes a native of Liverpool and the Liverpool dia- lect. A native of Liverpool is also called a Liverpudlian. scout. See gyp. scrag, n. neck of lamb A cheap cut used for stewing, and consisting mostly of bone and gristle. scraggy, adj. scrawny Lean and skinny. scrap, n. junk scrapyard, n. junkyard scray, n. tern A seabird. screaming abdabs, n. Inf. nerves She’s had the screaming abdabs ever since that road accident. scree, n. mountain slope But scree (or screes) can also be used to denote the pebbles or small stones and rocks that dribble or slide down when people walk up a steep slope covered with loose gravel. screw, n. 1. approx. Slang. take 2. nag 3. approx. twist; bit 4. n. prison guard screw 313 1. Slang. In the sense of ‘salary.’ It is hard to find an exact American slang equiva- lent. Take may do, but it is broader than screw because it would cover the concept of profit as well as that of regular wages. 2. Slang. An old and shaky horse. 3. Slang. It is occasionally used to mean a ‘rumpled-up ball of paper’—the sort thrown into a wastebasket; at other times a ‘bit of salt or tobacco,’ or anything of that sort contained in a piece of twisted paper. screwed, adj. Slang. tight Slang. Loaded, pickled, stinko, etc. scribbling-block, n. scratch pad Also scribbling-pad. scrimmage. See scrum. scrimshank, v.i. Slang. goldbrick Military slang. To shirk. Originally a nautical slang expression alluding to the man who idly swung the lead he was supposed to be taking soundings with. Medical humor: a doctor fed up with signing excuses so that lazy employees could attend soccer matches attested that a patient was suffering from plumbum pendularum, mock Latin for lead swinging. See also: skive; dodge the column; swing the lead; swing it; skulk; slack; soldier; mike. scrip, n. 1. temporary stock certificate 2. Inf., n. prescription In Britain a scrip is a temporary certificate issued to one entitled eventually to receive a formal stock certificate. In America scrip is applied to a formal certificate representing a fraction of a share. In the bad old days of U.S. company towns (mining towns were a prime example), one company would pay a scrip which could only be used in company-owned stores—now an illegal practice. scrotty, adj. crummy Anything far from first quality can be said in England to be scrotty, thought of in American to be cheesy. scrubber, n. loose woman Slang. A pejorative term for one who gives that impression. scruffy, adj. untidy, shabby scrum, n. scrimmage; melee Inf. Short for scrummage, which is a variant of scrimmage. Scrimmage has the gen- eral meaning of ‘confused struggle’ or ‘melee’ in both countries. In British Rugby football, the scrummage is the mass of all the forwards surrounding the ball, which has been thrown on the ground between them. As a sports term, the Brit- ish usually use the shortened form scrum. scrummage. See scrum. scrump, v.t., v.i. steal fruit Also scrimp, skrump. Particularly apples. Scrumpy is a rough, usually very strong cider. The name implies that it has been made from all old apples lying around. See also cider. 314 screwed scrumpy. See under scrump. scrutineer, n. ballot counter and inspector scug, n. fink School slang. Extremely derogatory in the cruel way peculiar to children. It means a person with bad manners, unfriendly, a bad sport, and generally one to be shunned. scullery, n. back kitchen Room for washing dishes etc. scunner. See take a scunner at. scupper, v.t. Slang. do (someone) in Slang. Scupper is a noun in both countries, meaning a ‘drain in a ship’ designed to carry water off a deck. As a British verb, scupper means ‘ambush and wipe out.’ In nautical circles, to scupper is to sink a ship, with the implication of finishing off the crew as well. scurf, n. dandruff Both terms used in both countries. scutter, v.i., Inf. scurry scuttle, n. see comment A scuttle is a coal pail, usually called a coal scuttle in both countries. The word, however, has an exclusively British additional meaning: a ‘wide shallow basket.’ S.E. See Standard English. sea, n. beach Sea and seaside are used in Britain where Americans would usually say beach, or less commonly, shore, to mean a ‘seaside resort,’ like Brighton in Britain or Atlan- tic City in America. See beach for British use of the word. See also front; bathe. sea fret sea fog Nautical jargon. sea front. See front. season ticket commutation ticket In America one thinks of a season ticket as something entitling one to see all the games at a given ball park. In Britain it usually refers to train travel and can be valid for anything from a month to a year. In this sense, it is occasionally short- ened to season, as in railroad station signs reading please show your season. A season ticket holder is a commuter. Season ticket can also apply to a series of perfor- mances, in which sense it would be synonymous with subscription. secateurs, n. pl. pruning shears (Accent on the first syllable, which rhymes with deck.) Such shears are operated with one hand. secateurs 315 second, n. magna A university term. Second is short for second-class honours just as magna in the U.S. is short for magna cum laude. In some universities a second-class degree is further divided into an upper or (informally) good second and a lower second. See also first; class. second, v.t. transfer temporarily; detail Denotes a temporary transfer of an employee to another department of the com- pany, or of a soldier to another unit. secondary modern. See eleven plus. secondary subject minor At college. In American colleges, students choose a major (in which they special- ize) and usually a minor. In Britain, the student reads his main subject, and elects a secondary subject. second class. See first class. second eleven second rank Inf. Or Grade B—a term borrowed from cricket. See eleven. sectioned see comment Compulsorily detained under a section of the Mental Health Act 1983. This may come about because a person is considered a danger to himself or others, and unable to consent to vital medical treatment. see a man about a dog see comment A term used in answer to the question Where are you going? when the respondent doesn’t want to answer honestly. It is almost always used when the destination is the bathroom (loo, lavatory), and is sometimes offered pre-emptively as one rises from the table at the pub: I’ve got to go see a man about a dog. see (someone) far enough Inf. see one in hell Inf. As in I’ll see him far enough before I invite him to dinner again. Sometimes given as to see one further. Seeing-to, n. 1. Inf. act of sexual intercourse 2. Inf. beating A curious and unpleasant pairing of usages. In sense 1, the term may be jocular or insulting. In sense 2, of course, it is always a euphemism for cruel violence. see (someone) off, Slang. Slang. polish (someone) off Nothing to do with fond good-byes. see (someone) out last for the rest of (someone) life Inf. This coat will see me out, says the elderly person who feels guilty about an expenditure at a sale. It’ll outlive me, he or she might have said. see the back of Inf. see the last of Inf. Almost always after I’ll be glad to . . . select committee see comment A small committee of MPs set up to investigate and report on a particular subject. Subcommittees in the House and Senate are the U.S. equivalents. 316 second self-selection, n., adj. self-service Applying to retail stores. sell (someone) a dummy Inf. put it over on (someone) Inf. A term borrowed from rugby. sell (someone) a pup Slang. stick (someone) Inf. To sell someone a pup is to stick him, i.e., to cheat him, especially by getting a high price for inferior merchandise. Sellotape, n., TM adhesive tape Proprietary names. In Britain also given as sellotape. sell the pass betray a cause or trust Inf. To cede the advantage to one’s adversaries. Term borrowed from the lan- guage of mountain warfare. sell up Inf. sell out Inf. If a Briton were to sell his residence and also wanted to liquidate the furnish- ings he would speak of selling up everything, i.e., selling out lock, stock, and barrel. It means ‘sell out’ also in the sense of ‘sell out a debtor’s property’ in a forced sale. semibreve, n. whole note Musical term. See Appendix II.F. semi-detached, adj. two-family In America a two-family house may be divided horizontally or vertically. In Britain a semi-detached residence is a one-family house joined to another by a common or party wall. The two halves are often painted different colors. When more than two residences are joined together, the series is called a terrace. semiquaver, n. sixteenth note Musical term. See Appendix II.F. semolina, n. milled durum wheat S.E.N. practical nurse Stands for State Enrolled Nurse. See also sister. send down expel A term from university life. In referring to school, the British slang term is sack. See also rusticate. send (someone) spare Slang. drive (someone) nuts Slang. See also go spare. send to Coventry Inf. turn one’s back on Inf. To ignore socially; give the cold shoulder to. The primary factor of this punish- ment is that nobody is to speak to the poor chap. send-up, n. Inf. take-off Inf. Or put-on. A send-up of a music hall song in America would be a take-off on it. To send someone up is to make fun of him. Incidentally, in both countries one can be sent up (to jail or gaol). send-up 317 send up rotten pan Slang. To ‘deprecate, to get bad reviews.’ senior lecturer assistant professor Approximate equivalent in the teaching hierarchy. See reader. Senior Service Royal Navy Senior Service does not mean the Army. Senior Wrangler. See wrangler. Senior Wrangler sauce. See brandy-butter. septillion. See Appendix II.D. sergeant-major top sergeant See also R.S.M. serve, v.t., v.i. wait on In a shop, to serve someone is to wait on a customer. Are you being served? (some- times shortened to Are you served?) would usually come out as, Is someone helping you? in an American store. servery, n. approx. service counter Generally a room from which meals are served. Thus, at a pub one might find a sign pointing to the garden and bar servery, indicating the room to which one must go in order to obtain food and drink to be consumed in the garden or the bar. service engineer skilled mechanic An epithet applied to one experienced in refrigerators, dishwashers, etc. service flat, n. hotel apartment In the plural, service flats is seen in the expression block of service flats, which would correspond to an American apartment hotel or residential hotel. See also apartment; flat. service lift dumbwaiter A dumb-waiter in Britain is also what is known in America and in Britain as a lazy Susan. service occupancy. See under vacant possession. serviette, n. napkin Still used occasionally but table-napkin is widely used. servitor. See sizar. set, n. 1. approx. group 2. apartment; suite 3. paving block 4. badger’s burrow 318 send up rotten [...]... fraudulent but with the implication of sharp practice share raid See raid shares, n pl stocks Usual name for corporate equities Stock, or stocks, in British financial circles, usually means ‘government bonds,’ but can mean ‘corporate stock’ as well, as in America; and stockholder can refer to either type of security Tap stocks are those that are always available The term is applied also to government bonds sold... a disagreement between two persons An American would be likely to say: I am one hundred percent with (or against) him slap-head, n slapper, n., Slang A derogatory term for a sexually promiscuous woman Slang bald man see comment slap-up, adj Inf bang-up Inf First rate, great, terrific, up to date The British once used both slap-up and bangup commonly; both would be considered old-fashioned now A slap-up... Often called the snuggery snuggery, n den Slang One’s particular hideaway at home Also applied to a bar-parlor in a pub See snug sociable, n Designed for two occupants partly facing each other S-shaped couch social contract see comment Historically, this phrase has meant a presumed voluntary agreement among individuals pursuant to which an organized society is brought into existence, or an agreement... anchorage near Portsmouth, the nightingale the sound of a bosun’s whistle spiv, n Inf sharp operator Inf A person who lives by his wits, managing to skirt the law More specifically, a petty criminal small-scale black market operator Also applied to race-track touts 342 spliff spliff, n Slang joint; marijuana cigarette split-arse, adv., Slang split of a hurry, Inf Slang lickety-split Inf one hell of a. .. particularly hotels, restaurants and the like Short-staffed would be short-handed in America Staff finder is occasionally seen as a heading in British newspapers where the American equivalent would be help wanted Staff vacancies is another phrase meaning the same thing Staff bureau and staff agency are somewhat more elegant terms for employment agency In educational institutions, staff is used to denote... sly fox See Tom Tiddler’s ground smack, v.t spank A euphemism applied solely to the hitting of (usually) a child, for purposes of chastisement Whereas spanking is usually taken to mean the application of palm to backside, smack can mean any type of slap Used also as a noun I gave her a smack smacker, n see comment Slang Pound (currency) Smacker is also old-fashioned American slang for dollar, in this... Scottish, and referring particularly to turnip and potato crops sheaf, n Inf wad; bankroll Inf Referring to paper money: sheaf of notes would be a bankroll or a wad in America Sheaf is usually used for a tied-up armful of wheat shebeen, n approx speakeasy (Accent on the second syllable.) An unlicensed pub in Ireland See licensed shelf company see comment A corporation formed by a lawyer (solicitor) or an accountant,... abolished smarmy, adj Slang In the sense of ‘toadying,’ or fulsomely flattering Slang oily smartish, adv Slang on the double Slang Tell the doctor to get here smartish! To walk smartish or smartly is to be going at a rapid pace For a different and more common use of -ish, see -ish smash, n Slang Traffic accident Slang smashup smashing, adj Inf terrific Inf And a smasher, meaning ‘something terrific,’ usually... in a narrower use, a row, in the sense of ‘dispute,’ a rhubarb, a melee The British spell this word variously; a sampling of variants: schemozzle, shemozzl, shimozzel, chimozzle, shlemozzl, shlemozzle, schlemozzle, schlemazel Its origin is in London racetrack cant The first l, and certainly the spelling schlemazel, crept in out of confusion with the totally unrelated Yiddish term schlemaz(e)l, meaning... washes everybody else’s dirty linen but nobody’s gets clean slang, back See back slang slant-tailed, adj Automotive term See also Appendix II.E fastback slap, adv Inf right Inf Examples: slap through is right through; slap into is right into To walk slap into someone is to bump into him Now rare 332 slap-down slap-down, adv Inf one hundred percent Inf As in: I am slap-down on his side, referring to . Describes a milquetoast. scarper, v.i., Slang. Slang. scram Escape, run away. scatty, adj. Slang. whacky, absentminded Slang. Americans are more apt to say scatterbrained. to keep out under- the-door drafts. sausage roll see comment 1. Baked sausage meat in pastry. See also pie; pasty; stargazey. 2. Inf. Anything sausage-shaped,