British English A to Z - past 4

125 f fab, adj. Slang. cool Slang. A teenage truncation of fabulous, largely out of fashion now, though it can be used as a jocular exaggeration. facecloth, n. see comment The British call an ordinary washrag or facecloth a flannel. facer, n. Inf. obstacle Inf. Facer is rarely heard in either country in its literal meaning of ‘blow in the face.’ In Britain it has the special meaning of a difficulty you suddenly come up against. faculty, n. college department In America, the faculty of a college is its entire teaching body. In Britain, this is called staff, and faculty is confined to groups of academically related subjects, i.e., departments, as in Faculty of Medicine, Law, etc. faddy, adj. Inf. picky Inf. Often used to describe persons who are fussy about their food and difficult to please. See also dainty. fadge, v.i. suit Slang. Especially in the expression It won’t fadge, meaning ‘It won’t suit’ (or ‘do’ or ‘fit’). “How will this fadge?” asks the sleuth, “No good, it won’t fadge.” faff, v. Inf. dither, fuss Often used in combination with about: If you don’t stop faffing about, we’ll miss the train. fag, n., v.t., v.i. 1. v.i., toil 2. v.i., exhaust 3. n., Slang. drag 4. n., Slang. cigarette 5. see comment 1. v.i., Slang. To toil painfully. 2. v.t., Slang. To tire or wear (someone) out. 3. n., Slang. In the sense of ‘drudgery’; a painfully boring job. 4. Slang. Cigarette in Britain. 5. Slang. In public school slang, when seniors fag, it means that they are using the services of juniors; when juniors fag, it means that they are rendering services to seniors and the junior so serving is known as a fag. faggot, n. 1. crone 2. spiced meatball 1. Inf. Chiefly a country term, summoning the image of a battered old slut. h 2. Made of chopped pig innards (see offal) and fairly heavily spiced. The com- mon American slang use of faggot to mean ‘male homosexual’ has caught on in Britain. fains I! see comment Slang. Also fain I! vains I! and other regional variants like fainites! vainites! and even cribs! scribs! crosses! keys! and goodness knows what else, usually accompa- nied by conspicuously crossed fingers. All these are truce words meaning that the crier wants his pals to wait a minute—calling for a halt, for example, in a fast children’s game. Only an unscrupulous bully would take advantage of a call for truce. See a special use of fains under Quis? Bags I! is the opposite of fains I! Exceedingly rare. fair, adv. Inf. surely Inf. That sermon fair set us thinking! Substandard; mostly rustic. fair cop Inf. justified arrest Always used in the expression It’s a fair cop. Criminal slang that has found its way into common usage as a way of expressing acceptance of wrongdoing, justified punishment, etc. fair do’s Inf. fair enough Implying acceptance of a less-than-perfect outcome or decision. fair-light, n. transom fair old . . . , adj. Inf. quite a . . . Inf. A fair old job means ‘quite a job’ (a major chore); a fair old mix-up means ‘quite a mix-up’ (a snafu of major proportions). fair’s on Inf. what’s fair is fair Inf. To the friend who paid for a round of drinks, a Briton might say: “Fair’s on . . . , this one’s on me.” fairy cake cupcake fall about laughing Slang. die laughing Slang. Sometimes shortened to fall about, with laughing understood, especially in the cockney idiom. fallen off the back of a lorry Slang. hot Slang. A lorry is a truck. A thief or black marketeer, seeking to dispose of ill-gotten wares, approaches a pedestrian and assures him that the fur coat or wristwatch or whatever fell off the back of a lorry and went unclaimed by police. fall over backwards Inf. bend over backwards Do one’s darndest to accomplish something worthwhile. family butcher butcher shop Often first-class family butcher, typically one that does not serve institutions. See also butchery. 126 fains I! fancy, v.t. see comment To find (someone or something) attractive. The usual object of fancy is a person, but may just as easily be an article of clothing or a particular dish or meal. fancy goods notions See also draper’s shop; haberdashery. fancy one’s chances Inf. have high hopes Inf. The hopeful swain fancies his chances with the girl; the team with a comfort- able margin fancy their chances for the cup. One may fancy one’s own or anoth- er’s chances, but when the expression applies to a third party, it is often found in the negative. After attending a disappointing first night: I don’t fancy its chances, or, about a friend about to enter a tournament: I don’t fancy his chances. fanny, n. 1. Slang. backside 2. vulgar. cunt 1. Slang. Originally, this word meant the female pudenda, but the American sense—‘backside,’ ‘behind,’ ‘derrière’—appears to have become its primary meaning now in Britain, as a result of importation from America, where it has never had the second meaning. Yet it might be just as well to avoid its use in Britain, because there are those, among the elderly at least, and perhaps the not- so-elderly in less chic circles, who might be shocked, and certainly puzzled, if it were applied to a male. 2. Vulgar Slang. This is the original British meaning, and the word is still under- stood or may be understood that way in some circles. Fanny Adams. See sweet Fanny Adams. fare stage bus fare zone limit In both countries stage appears in the phrase stage of a journey, and as part of stage- coach, especially in American movies about the Wild West. In Britain, fare stages are the zone limits for purposes of computing bus fares. farthing n. see comment One fourth of an old penny, a coin long since demonetized; but the term is still used figuratively to mean a ‘bit’ in expressions like It doesn’t matter a farthing. See Appendix II.A. and, for idiomatic use, halfpenny. fart in a colander, Slang restless soul One who jumps around from one chore to the next, unable to make up his mind what to start first. This indelicate expression suggests an anal wind emission unable to decide which hole in the colander to pass through. Synonymous with tit in a trance. Little used. fashionista, n. Inf., see comment A person who is unusually interested in clothing and fashion; usually used ironi- cally or derogatorily. fast, adj. express Applied to trains and to roads (express or limited highways). A local train is called a stopping train, or slow train. Father Christmas Santa Claus The British also use Santa Claus. Father Christmas 127 Father of the House, n. see comment The MP with the longest continuous service in the House of Commons. If that person is a woman, the term will be Mother of the House. fat rascal soft bun Inf. Stuffed with black currants. faults and service difficulties telephone repair department This was the department you asked for on your neighbor’s telephone when yours wasn’t working. A faulty telephone is one that is out of order. Now obsolete. feed, n. 1. feeding 2. straight man 1. Usually in the context of formula feeding. To go onto feeds is to go onto formula, e.g., My little one is on six feeds a day. Technically, a feed can be any variety—breast, formula, or cereal. 2. The member of the comedy duo who feeds cues to the gag man. feeder, n. child’s bib feel, v.i. feel like For example, I feel a perfect fool! feeling not quite the thing, Inf. Inf. feel below par felicitate, v.t. congratulate Fellow, n. member of college governing body In Oxford and some other universities, also called don. The chairman of the gov- erning body is called the Master in most Oxbridge colleges, but in addition to the eight Masters, there are seven Wardens, five Principals, three Provosts and two Rectors. At Cambridge, Master is the title with only four exceptions: one each of Provost, President, Mistress and Principal. At Oxford and Cambridge Fellow can best be defined as ‘senior teaching or administrative member’ of a college. There are all sorts and varieties of Fellow: Research Fellows, Junior Research Fellows, Honor- ary Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Quondam (or ex-) Fellows. fender, n. bumper Old automobile term; but American fender is British wing. Bumper is now univer- sal. (See also Appendix II.E.) (the) Fens, n. pl. see comment Name given to the marshy district of the eastern part of the country, west and south of the Wash, a shallow bay in that section of England. fetch, v.t. bring As in, to fetch a price in an auction. The British use make in the same way. fête, n. fair (Pronounced fate.) An important part of British life. Most organizations, as well as every village in Britain, down to the smallest, organize a fête. The village fête is annual and is a small-scale country fair, sometimes preceded by a parade with floats. 128 Father of the House fiddle, n., v.t., v.i. swindle To fiddle is to cheat, and to fiddle the books is to engage in shady dealings. A fiddle is usually a minor cheat. To be on the fiddle is to engage in minor swindling. When the offense is of major proportions, the British use swindle. See also diddle; do; carve up; ramp; sell a pup; swizz; take down; cook. fiddling, adj. petty; futile; contemptible field, v.t. put up Speaking of political candidates. Americans and Britons alike field teams or armies, i.e., put them in the field, but only the British field candidates. fieldsman, n. fielder Cricket vs. baseball (See also batsman). Fielder is commonly used in Britain, but fieldsman is unknown in America. fifty-fifty sale split even You collect all those things you want to get rid of, take them to a scheduled char- ity sale, and split the proceeds fifty-fifty with the charity. file, n. loose-leaf binder A British schoolboy or university student will keep his notes in a file. filibuster, n., v.i. buccaneer Filibuster originally meant the same thing in both countries: as a verb, ‘engage in unauthorized warfare against a foreign power,’ as a noun, a ‘buccaneer’ or ‘pirate’ engaged in that activity. In Britain, it does not have the specialized American sense of an endless speech, especially in the Senate and the House of Representatives, designed to obstruct proceedings and prevent a vote on unwanted legislation. fillet, n. 1. tenderloin 2. filet (Rhymes with millet, not millay.) On an American restaurant menu the equiva- lent would be tenderloin steak, or perhaps filet mignon. The term may also be applied to pork, lamb, etc. 2. A piece of fish served without the bones. fill in fill out The British fill in or fill up a form; the Americans fill in or fill out a form. See Appendix I.A.1. Fill out is creeping into Britain. film, n. movie A film is a movie (i.e., a motion picture). A cinema is the theater that shows it. In old-fashioned slang, one went to the flicks to see a flick. filthy, adj. Inf. lousy Inf. As in Filthy weather we’re having; She’s had a filthy time of it; He has a filthy temper. financial, adj. Inf. well-heeled Inf. Mainly Australian and New Zealand, but used jocularly in Britain on occa- sion. Let me buy the drinks; I’m financial tonight or, I’m feeling financial. financial year fiscal year An accounting term. financial year 129 find, v.t. like When the manager of the inn asks you as you are leaving, “How did you find us?” he is asking you how you liked his inn. fine down Inf. thin down; clear up Inf. To fine (something) down, away or off is to make it thinner. Transitively, refer- ring to the brewing of beer, it means to ‘clear up’. Intransitively, referring to any liquid, it means to ‘become clear,’ as in the case of a wine whose sediment has settled. finger shot of booze Slang. An alcoholic drink one finger-thickness in the glass. fingerling, n. young salmon In America, more broadly, it means anything small and specifically any fish no longer than your finger. fire, n. heater As in electric fire; gas fire; but also used eliptically meaning either. See also -fired. fire brigade fire department -fired see comment The British speak of oil-fired, gas-fired, etc., central heating. This is shortened to oil heat, gas heat, etc., in America. See also fire. fire-flair n. stingray firefly, n. lightning bug fire-guard, n. fire screen fire-irons, n. pl. fireplace implements fire lighter, n. fire starter fire office fire insurance company office fire-pan, n. metal grate fire-raising, n. arson A fire-raiser is an arsonist. fire station, n. firehouse firewood, n. kindling Firewood, in America, is any wood for burning, usually in a fireplace for heat, but also outdoors for cooking. The American term includes kindling. In Britain where many fireplaces contain grates for the burning of coal, firewood denotes merely 130 find wood to start the fire with, and is either gathered outdoors or is bought at the ironmonger’s (hardware store) in small wire-bound bundles of thin, short sticks. first, n. Inf. summa Inf. First is a university term which is short for first-class honours and is roughly equivalent to summa in America, which is short for summa cum laude. There are seconds and thirds as well. See class. One says, He got a first in physics. first class approx. major league Sports terminology. This pairing is as approximate as the respective national games; first-class cricket, major league baseball. There is also second-class cricket, very roughly analogous to minor league baseball, involving the second elevens of first class counties and the first elevens of second class counties, each category with its own championship. First Division see comment The old term for the premier league in the football standings, now called Pre- miership. The term is still used, informally, for any grouping that is considered to be preeminent in its field, and is also the name of the trade union for top civil servants. first floor second floor Americans use first floor and ground floor interchangeably to describe an apart- ment on the ground level, and main floor or street floor to describe the ground level of a shop or office building. The British use ground floor to describe all of those things, but when they say first floor, they mean the next floor up, i.e., the floor above the ground floor, or what Americans call the second floor. This difference continues all the way to the top, of course. Though Americans call the floor above the ground floor the second floor, inhabitants of that floor are also heard to say that they live one flight up. first knock. See take first knock. fish, n. fish and seafood In Britain fish usually includes seafood, edible salt water shellfish. fish, wet. See wet fish. fisher. See bradbury. fish fingers fish sticks fishing story, n. fish story fishmonger’s fish store fish ‘n’ chips see comment Fish fried in batter and served with French fried potatoes (see chips). This fish used to be cod, most of the time, in the cheaper places, and plaice, a European flatfish, in the better places, and here and there other varieties of fish. As a result of overfishing the price of cod has rocketed, and haddock and hake are the nor- mal fare in the usual fish ‘n’ chips place. In the more casual type of establishment, fish ’n’ chips 131 this dish used to be served wrapped in a piece of newspaper (a practice made illegal), and some gourmets insist that the newspaper ink lent an incomparable flavor that cannot be duplicated. The normal procedure is to douse this dish in malt vinegar, Brown Sauce, or Daddy’s Sauce, and/or ketchup. fish-slice, see comment Inf. Literally, a cook’s implement for serving and for turning fish while it is cook- ing, and for removing it from the pan. fit?, adj. Inf. all set? Inf. Usually asked in the form, Are you fit? fitments, n. pl. fixtures Of a shop or factory. fits. See give (someone) fits. fitted, adj. wall-to-wall Used of carpeting. Another phrase, though less common, is edge-to-edge. Wall-to- wall is beginning to be used frequently, especially in its extended senses. fitter, n. plumber; mechanic Americans use the phrase steam fitter to refer to a mechanic who installs or repairs steam pipe systems but do not use fitter, as the British do loosely, to mean a ‘repairman’ or ‘plumber.’ In Britain you send for the fitter whether your home radiator or your boat engine, as just two examples, is out of order. fittings, n. pl. fixtures Shop fittings in Britain are called store fixtures in America. fit-up, adj. 1. Slang. pick-up 2. frame-up 1. Slang. Theatrical slang, to describe a temporary touring company, assembled from hither and yon and provided with portable stage scenery. The term can be applied to other types of organization. 2. Also used in phrases such as The cops fitted me up. five honours. See four honours. fiver, n. approx. five A fiver is a five-pound note (see note), worth about $8. A fiver (more commonly a five) in America is, of course, a five-dollar bill. fives, n. handball The games are roughly similar. five-star. See four-star. fixings, n. pl. hardware What Americans call the hardware on a window, swinging gate, or other such equipment, is called the fixings in Britain. 132 fish-slice fixture, n. scheduled sporting event In the British sports world what the Americans call an event is called a fixture. fizz, n. Inf. sparkling wine Including Champagne, though not confined to it. Flag Day Tag Day The day on which people solicit you for contributions to a cause and give you something to put on your lapel to prove you’ve come through. In Britain you get little flags; in America you may get paper poppies on the end of a pin. Obsolete, but see Poppy Day. flake out Inf. pass out Inf. Faint, collapse from exhaustion. flaming, adj., adv. Slang. damned Inf. Synonymous with flipping, ruddy, bloody. flan, n. see comment Sponge cake or pastry with fruit filling, usually with a layer of whipped cream as well. Flan in America is caramel custard. flannel, n. face cloth Also known in America as washcloth or washrag. But when the British talk of a wash-cloth they mean what is known in America as a dishcloth. flannel, n., v.t., v.i., Slang. 1. n., Slang. soft soap; flattery 2. v.t., Slang. soft-soap; flatter 3. v.i., Slang. talk one’s way out 4. n., Slang. nonsense flapjack, n. 1. see comment 2. lady’s flat compact 1. Type of cookie. Flapjack now also means ‘pancake’ in Britain. 2. A portable container for face powder. flares, n.,pl. bell-bottoms flash, adj. flashy flash Harry see comment Someone who is flash in his manner or habits, i.e. ostentatiously and obnoxiously displaying the evidence of his wealth. flat, n. apartment A block of flats is an apartment house. See block; apartment. flat, adj. dead Describing batteries that have come to the end of their useful lives. flatmate, n. roommate More precisely: someone with whom one shares an apartment without sharing a bed. flatmate 133 flat out at full speed Inf. Flat out to a Briton suggests a race, particularly a horse race, with the winner (by a nose) going all out, using every ounce of power. In Britain, it does not have the sense of ‘plainly’ or ‘directly,’ as in (American) I told him flat-out what I thought of him. flat spin. See in a flat spin. fleck, n. lint Inf. The bits that cling annoyingly to dark woolen clothing. Fluff and lint are the usual terms in Britain and America. fleet, n., adj. 1. creek 2. shallow Heard from time to time. Fleet Street the press Inf. See Throgmorton Street, Wardour Street, and other street names used synec- dochically, to indicate various businesses and professions. Fleet Street, EC1 and EC2, once housed nearly all of Britain’s national press and major news agencies. Even though the last moved out in 2005, the term is still used. flex, n. electric cord; extension Abbreviation of flexible, used as a noun. flexible (table) lamp gooseneck lamp flexitime, n. flextime A system in Britain and America whereunder an employee works a fixed number of hours but at times partly as the worker chooses. flick-knife, n. switchblade flicks, n. pl. movies Slang. Still heard. See film. flies, n. pl. fly The fly of a man’s trousers is commonly heard as flies in Britain. flimsy, n. thin copy paper Inf. Particularly the type favored by Her Majesty’s ministries. The word can also mean a carbon copy of something typed on such paper. Now rare. flipping, adj., adv. damned Slang. More or less equivalent to bloody but thought to be more polite. Pejorative and intensive. See synonyms under bloody. flit, v.i.,n. move on, depart Especially from one abode to another, with the intention of escaping from some- thing undesirable. He’ll probably flit to escape his debts. As a noun, used in the phrase to do a flit. float, n. petty cash fund 134 flat out [...]... Usually in the expression gammy leg, meaning ‘game leg.’ An arm may be gammy as well gamp, n umbrella Inf A big one, named after Sarah Gamp, in Martin Chuzzlewit, a bibulous lady who carried a large cotton umbrella The common slang term in Britain is brolly G&T, n abbrev gin and tonic gang See breakdown gang; navvy ganger, n gang foreman In charge of a gang of workers Often applies to a foreman in charge... Slang bust Slang If an American went to a party that he would later describe as a bust (or a dud), his English counterpart would have characterized it as a frost Now rare frosted food frozen food Sign in Harrods, the great store in London: frosted foods A refrigerator salesman (shop assistant in a fridge shop) would point with pride to a large frosted foods compartment, which Americans would call a. .. B.Sc (Cantab.), etc (Oxon and Cantab are abbreviations reflecting the Latin spellings of Oxford and Cambridge.) A particularly old-fashioned male might use the term university man to mean graduate graft, v.i Slang knock oneself out grammar school, n see comment A state-maintained school that selects its students by an academic exam at the age of 11 See also eleven plus gramophone, n phonograph greedy... grassed me up See also supergrass gratuity, n veteran’s bonus Government bonus to war veterans; a special British usage, in addition to meanings shared with America Grauniad, n see comment An affectionate nickname, coined by Private Eye, for the Guardian newspaper, renowned in the past for its typographical errors grease-proof paper approx waxed paper Not quite the same but generally serving the same... decisions Perhaps six of one and a half a dozen of the other gall, n rancor In Britain gall (apart from its medical implications) is also slang for impudence or effrontery, as it is in America gallon, n See Appendix II.C.2 .a gallop, n bridle trail gallows, n pl gallows tree galoshes, n pl rubbers In America galoshes are overshoes, waterproof boots that are worn over shoes and reach to about the ankle They... led a civilian march on Washington in 18 94 to petition Congress for unemployment relief (He died in 1951 at the age of 97.) Old-fashioned Americans use the phrase Coxey’s army to describe any motley throng Among old-fashioned Britons, Fred Karno’s army is a term usually applied to any sort of chaotic organization Free Church See chapel freefone, n Also given as freephone toll-free number freehold, n approx... (usually) vegetable oil or (occasionally) butter Served as part of a fry-up, more often than not in a café Very bad for you, and very tasty friendly, n approx Inf exhibition game Inf Adjective used as a substantive with match understood It means a game the result of which is not reflected in any official record and has no effect on championships friendly action action for a declaratory judgment A legal... ‘male college society’ (frat), an institution unknown in Britain frazzled, adj Inf worn out Slang Applied to a person who has looked after obstreperous children for far too long, put in too much overtime, etc Fred Karno’s army approx Inf Coxey’s army Inf Fred Karno was a music-hall (vaudeville) comedian during World War I and did an act involving a joke army Jacob Sechler Coxey was a U.S political... exhilaration or despair Slot machine is a British term for what Americans call a vending machine fruity, adj Inf Inf spicy; sexy fry-up, n approx fry A fry in America is any fried dish, or more generally a social function involving the eating of a fried dish (e.g., fish-fry; cf clambake) In Britain it is a concoction of eggs, bacon or sausage, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes, fried bread, or any... Slang A British worker might speak of his boss as his governor and would address the person that way A cab driver in Britain might well address a passenger as guv’nor, equivalent to the American doc or mister Old-fashioned Britons may still use guv’nor in the sense of dad gownsman See town and gown G.P.O see comment Stands for General Post Office, the old name of the organization that handles the mail, . Britain are called store fixtures in America. fit-up, adj. 1. Slang. pick-up 2. frame-up 1. Slang. Theatrical slang, to describe a temporary touring company,. usually used ironi- cally or derogatorily. fast, adj. express Applied to trains and to roads (express or limited highways). A local train is called a stopping