Idioms · 97 entries

Slang

What does "Slang" mean?

Cockney rhyming slang for a row or argument.

A bull and cow

The United Kingdom.

A bunch of fives

The United Kingdom.

A load of cobblers

The United Kingdom.

Abso-bloody-lutely

The United Kingdom - 20th century.

All to cock

Britain. A variant of ‘cocked up’, which is of mid-20th century origin.

Alley cat

USA, 20th century.

Ankle biter

USA, 19th century.

Apples and pears

Britain.

Away with the fairies

From the Celtic folk belief in fairies.

Baby snatcher

Britain.

Barnet Fair

Britain.

Bat from the pavilion end

Britain, 20th century. An allusion to the game of cricket.

Bitch slap

USA, late 20th century.

Blood blister

Britain.

Blow a raspberry

Britain.

Boat race

Britain.

Bottle and glass

Britain.

Brahms and Lizst

Britain.

Brass monkey weather

The UK and USA in the early 20th century.

Brass tacks

Britain.

Bricks and mortar

Britain.

Brighton Pier

Britain.

Brown bread

Britain.

Caught by the short hairs (or short and curlies)

Britain, late 19th century. People assume this expression has a vulgar origin but, in fact, when coined the hairs referred to were those on the back of the neck.

Chasing tail

Cherry ripe

Britain.

China plate

Britain.

Comfort women

WWII

Cream crackered

Britain.

Currant bun

Britain.

Daisy roots

Britain.

Dicky Dirt

Britain.

Dog and bone

Britain.

Donkey’s years

Britain.

Elephant’s trunk

Britain.

Evil twin

USA, 2004.

Flea pit

Britain, mid 20th century.

Frog and toad

Britain.

Funny farm

Gender bender

USA, 1970s.

George Raft

Britain.

Ginger Beer

Britain.

Gnat’s bollock

Britain, 20th century.

Go ape shit

Originally USA (as ‘go ape’). Britain, 1950s (as ‘go ape shit’). Derived from the habit of apes of throwing faeces at adversaries when agitated.

Greasy spoon

USA, 20th century.

Gregory Peck

Britain.

Half inch

Britain.

Have a Captain Cook

Britain.

Hobson’s choice

Britain, 17th century. Derived from the name of the carrier Thomas Hobson.

Holy shit!

USA.

In like Flynn

USA, 1940s.

It’s all gone Pete Tong

Britain, alluding to the popular DJ Pete Tong.

Jack Palancing

Britain.

Jam jar

Britain.

Jimmy Riddle

Britain.

Khyber pass

Britain.

Kick the bucket

Britain - 18th century.

Knee-trembler

Britain, 19th century.

Loaf of bread

Britain.

Lord Fred

Britain.

Mince pies

Britain.

Mutt and Jeff

Britain.

My old Dutch

Britain.

My old china

Britain.

Nip slip

USA, late 20th century.

Nitty-gritty

USA, mid 20th century.

North and south

Britain.

On your Tod

Origin uncertain - possibly related to the US jockey Tod Sloan.

Peachy keen

USA, mid-20th century.

Pen and ink

Britain.

Photo bomb

USA, early 21st century.

Plates of meat

Britain.

Porky pies

Britain.

Potatoes (or taters) in the mould

Britain.

Rabbit and pork

Britain.

Rosie Lea

Britain.

Ruby Murray

Britain.

Sad ass

USA, mid-20th century.

Scarper Flow

Britain.

Sexton Blake

Britain.

Sparrow fart

Britain, 19th century. Originally an example of rural slang.

Syrup of figs

Britain.

Take a butchers

Britain.

Tea leaf

Britain.

That sucks

USA

The tail wagging the dog

USA, 1870s.

The town bike

Titfer tat

Britain.

Trouble and strife

Britain.

Two and eight

Britain.

Uncle Dick

Britain.

Up shit creek without a paddle

USA, 1890s. Note: Shit creek isn’t a real place.

Use your loaf

Britain, mid-20th century.

Veg out

Britain, late 20th century.

Wardrobe malfunction

USA. First said by Justin Timberlake to explain the inadvertent exposure of Janet Jackson’s breast during the half-time show at the 2004 Super Bowl.

Whistle and flute

Britain.

Would you Adam and Eve it?

Britain.

Entry 1

A bull and cow

Cockney rhyming slang for a row or argument.

Mostly in the UK, but occasionally elsewhere too.

  • They were shouting and screaming at each other - a real bull and cow.

Entry 2

A bunch of fives

A fist, as used in a fight.

Mostly in the UK, but occasionally elsewhere too.

  • Punch me would you? How’d you like a bunch of fives in your eye?

Entry 3

A load of cobblers

Nonsense.

Widely used, especially in the UK. Slang and borderline swearing - not one for your Grandma.

  • He says he has invented a perpetual motion machine, which is clearly a load of cobblers.

Entry 4

Abso-bloody-lutely

A more emphatic version of ’Absolutely’.

Mainly in the UK.

  • Would I like to borrow your new Maserati for a day? Abso-bloody-lutely I would!

Entry 5

All to cock

Ruined or shambolic.

Predominantly Britain.

  • I put in tablespoons instead of teaspoons and my cake recipe has gone all to cock.

Entry 6

Alley cat

1. A cat that lives wild in a town. 2. Slang term for a prostitute.

Mostly USA

  • 1. Those alley cats were screeching and chasing rats in the yard all night. 2. Jack's getting to be a sex addict. He spends all his time with bimbos and alley cats.

Entry 7

Ankle biter

A slang term for small child.

Worldwide.

  • Janice is pregnant again. With the twins still only two there's soon going to be three ankle biters around the place.

Entry 8

Apples and pears

Cockney rhyming slang for stairs.

Mostly Britain.

  • Time for bed Jimmy - get yourself up the apples and pears.

Entry 9

Away with the fairies

Not facing reality; in a dream world.

In Ireland, but also spreading to other countries.

  • She says she is going to star in Johnny Depp's next movie. If you ask me, she's away with the fairies.

Entry 10

Baby snatcher

Someone who enters into an amorous relationship with a much younger person.

Worldwide.

  • Jerry Lee Lewis never really recovered from being labelled a baby snatcher after he married his 13 year old cousin.

Entry 11

Barnet Fair

Cockney rhyming slang for hair.

Mostly Britain.

  • I'm not sure about that new hairdresser - he cut my barnet much too short.

Entry 12

Bat from the pavilion end

Slang term for a homosexuality.

  • If Julian didn't want us to know he was batting from the pavilion end he shouldn't keep wearing those lilac loafers.

Entry 13

Bitch slap

An open-handed slap in the face intended to be humiliating.

Widely used, but mainly amongst the young.

  • He wasn't worth the respect of a punch. Bitch-slapping was more humiliating.

Entry 14

Blood blister

Cockney rhyming slang for sister.

Mostly Britain.

  • There were five of us at home - three brothers and two blood blisters.

Entry 15

Blow a raspberry

Cockney rhyming slang for fart.

  • Not good timing - we were sitting at the table when Granny said grace and he let go a raspberry.

Entry 16

Boat race

Cockney rhyming slang for face.

Mostly Britain.

  • Stupid am I! Look into my boat and say that again!

Entry 17

Bottle and glass

Cockney rhyming slang for arse.

Mostly Britain.

  • He slipped on those wet leaves by the gate. Legs in the air and landed on his bottle.

Entry 18

Brahms and Lizst

Cockney rhyming slang for pissed.

Mostly Britain.

  • Two bottles of wine at home and then four pints in the pub - he was totally Brahms by ten-o-clock.

Entry 19

Brass monkey weather

Extremely cold weather. The full expression is 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'.

Worldwide, mostly among people in their 20/40s, as a slang expression.

  • The weatherman says minus 10 degrees and strong winds for tomorrow. That's brass monkey weather.

Entry 20

Brass tacks

Cockney rhyming slang for facts.

Mostly Britain.

  • I'm telling you brass tacks mate. Florida is bigger than England.

Entry 21

Bricks and mortar

Cockney rhyming slang for daughter.

Mostly Britain.

  • The girls got into trouble but her mother and I still love them - they are our bricks and mortars after all.

Entry 22

Brighton Pier

Cockney rhyming slang for queer (i.e. homosexual).

Mostly Britain.

  • Quite appropriate that James lives with Julian in Brighton - they are Brighton Pier after all.

Entry 23

Brown bread

Cockney rhyming slang for dead.

Mostly Britain.

  • That bird just landed on the live power cable. He's brown bread for sure.

Entry 24

Caught by the short hairs (or short and curlies)

Trapped by an opponent in a situation you can't escape.

Worldwide.

  • I knew he had been stealing but he was the boss's son. If I said anything he would get me sacked - he had me by the short and curlies.

Entry 25

Chasing tail

Of a man pursuing women.

  • Jack is a borderline sex addict. He's certainly always chasing the tail.

Entry 26

Cherry ripe

Cockney rhyming slang for pipe.

Mostly Britain.

  • Get me twenty cigarettes while you are out would you? - and some tobacco for my cherry ripe.

Entry 27

China plate

Cockney rhyming slang for mate.

Mostly Britain.

  • We've been friends since school, haven't we my old china?

Entry 28

Comfort women

women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese in WWII.

  • The Japanese called their prostitutes comfort women - nothing comfortable for them I think.

Entry 29

Cream crackered

Cockney rhyming slang for knackered. - note, when this term was coined, cream crackers were a popular snack in the UK.

Mostly Britain.

  • That's an hour on the exercise bike. I can't do any more - I'm crackered.

Entry 30

Currant bun

Cockney rhyming slang for sun.

Mostly Britain.

  • It's rained every day for ages. I can't remember the last time I saw the currant bun.

Entry 31

Daisy roots

Cockney rhyming slang for boots.

Mostly Britain.

  • I can't get them on. Either my feet have got bigger or these daisies have shrunk.

Entry 32

Dicky Dirt

Cockney rhyming slang for shirt.

Mostly Britain.

  • Jane's wedding today. I'll need a newly pressed dickie dirt for that.

Entry 33

Dog and bone

Cockney rhyming slang for telephone.

Mostly Britain.

  • I need to talk to Jackie. Get her on the dog and bone for me would you?

Entry 34

Donkey's years

1. Cockney rhyming slang for ears. 2. A very long time.

Mostly Britain.

  • 1. Prince Charles has a fine pair of donkeys. 2. This is the first school reunion we've had since 1982. I haven't seen some of these people in donkey's years.

Entry 35

Elephant's trunk

Cockney rhyming slang for drunk.

Mostly Britain.

  • He's been in the bar since we opened six hours ago. It's fair to assume that he's totally elephants by now.

Entry 36

Evil twin

An imaginary double, humorously referred to in order to explain the uncharacteristic bad behaviour of a normally moral person. Usually used light-heartedly. The expression formed as an allusion to plots in films involving actual evil twins.

Worldwide, but mostly amongst the young and hip.

  • Jane's such a good girl and I took it as read that she would come to the wedding dressed appropriately, but she's turned up in full goth makeup. At first I thought it must have been her evil twin.

Entry 37

Flea pit

A downmarket cinema - allegedly verminous.

Worldwide.

  • When we were kids we used to go to the local flea pit every saturday to watch B-movies.

Entry 38

Frog and toad

Cockney rhyming slang for road.

Mostly Britain.

  • Hurry up and move the car - I can see a traffic warden coming just down the frog and toad.

Entry 39

Funny farm

A mental hospital.

Worldwide.

  • Sadly, Jack was so psychotic they had to take him to the funny farm.

Entry 40

Gender bender

A person who adopts a deliberately androgynous appearance, by use of uni-sex make-up, hair-style and clothing. Probably influenced by 'bender' being an earlier slang term for homosexual.

Worldwide.

  • With his eye-liner and lurex catsuits, David Bowie was the archetype gender bender.

Entry 41

George Raft

Cockney rhyming slang for daft.

Mostly Britain.

  • That handstand on the window ledge. You could say he was brave or you could say he was George Raft.

Entry 42

Ginger Beer

Cockney rhyming slang for queer.

Mostly Britain.

  • Julian is ginger - and I don't mean that he's got red hair.

Entry 43

Gnat's bollock

A very small (imaginary) unit of measurement.

Mostly Britain.

  • I was lucky to survive - the bullets were flying everywhere. One missed me by a gnat's bollock.

Entry 44

Go ape shit

Become excessively agitated and excited.

Worldwide, but not in polite company.

  • John had been promised the job. He went ape shit when he found out it went to one of his subordinates.

Entry 45

Greasy spoon

A small cheap cafe selling fried food.

Worldwide.

  • We had been driving all night. A fried breakfast in a greasy spoon was just what I fancied.

Entry 46

Gregory Peck

Cockney rhyming slang for neck.

Mostly Britain.

  • It's freezing out there. Better get a scarf round your Gregory if you're going out.

Entry 47

Half inch

Cockney rhyming slang for pinch.

Mostly Britain.

  • It's hopeless - whenever I try to start a DIY job I find that someone has half-inched some of my tools.

Entry 48

Have a Captain Cook

Cockney rhyming slang for look.

Mostly Britain.

  • Now madam, have a Captain Cook at these men and point out the one who attacked you.

Entry 49

Hobson's choice

1. A choice forced upon someone. 2. Cockney rhyming slang for voice.

Worldwide, although mostly amongst the older generation.

  • 1. There was only one room left in the hotel when we arrived, so we got Hobson's choice. 2. I've had a sore throat for a couple of days - now I'm beginning to lose my hobsons.

Entry 50

Holy shit!

An expression of extreme surprise or disbelief.

Mostly USA.

  • Two lottery wins in our street in one week! Holy shit - that's next to impossible.

Entry 51

In like Flynn

To be easily successful, especially concerning sex or romance.

Worldwide, but more common in the USA than elsewhere.

  • Since he had that lottery win and the nose job, he's in like Flynn with the girls.

Entry 52

It's all gone Pete Tong

Cockney rhyming slang for gone wrong.

Mainly Britain.

  • I thought I could make mayonnaise with butter. When I tried it all went Pete Tong.

Entry 53

Jack Palancing

Cockney rhyming slang for dancing.

Mostly Britain.

  • Julie wants me to go with her to the ballroom for a night of Jack Palancing.

Entry 54

Jam jar

Cockney rhyming slang for car.

Mostly Britain.

  • Check my new Audi. Its the best jam jar I've ever owned.

Entry 55

Jimmy Riddle

Cockney rhyming slang for piddle.

Mostly Britain.

  • Now kids, this is going to be a long car trip and we don't want to be stopping every five minutes. Just go and have a Jimmy before we set off.

Entry 56

Khyber pass

Cockney rhyming slang for arse.

Mainly Britain. Note that the original pronunciation of 'pass' would have been 'parse', to rhyme with 'arse'. This reflects the 'long r' vocalisation of Cockneys. Current pronunciation depends on where you come from

  • That was really insulting to my mother. When he bends over he's going to get a good kick up the khyber.

Entry 57

Kick the bucket

Die.

Worldwide.

  • Grandad kicked the bucket last week. No real surprise - he was 96.

Entry 58

Knee-trembler

Sexual intercourse between two people standing up.

Mostly Britain.

  • They had nowhere to go to make love and had to resort to a knee-trembler in the alley.

Entry 59

Loaf of bread

Cockney rhyming slang for head.

Mostly Britain.

  • Betting your wages on the toss of a coin isn't the best way to get out of debt - use your loaf mate.

Entry 60

Lord Fred

Cockney rhyming slang for bed.

Mostly Britain.

  • The hamster escaped and the cat got it - it's Lord Fred for sure.

Entry 61

Mince pies

Cockney rhyming slang for eyes.

Mostly Britain.

  • If that traffic warden comes back let me know - keep your minces open will you?

Entry 62

Mutt and Jeff

Cockney rhyming slang for deaf.

Mostly Britain.

  • You have to shout - he's almost completely mutton.

Entry 63

My old Dutch

Cockney rhyming slang for duchess.

Mostly Britain.

  • This year will be our silver wedding, the old dutch and me.

Entry 64

My old china

Cockney rhyming slang for mate.

Mostly Britain.

  • We've been best pals since schooldays. He's my best china plate.

Entry 65

Nip slip

The inadvertent exposure of a womans nipple.

Mostly USA and UK and not amongst the older generations.

  • Wearing a low cut dress like that, a nip slip was almost inevitable.

Entry 66

Nitty-gritty

The important aspects of a situation; the heart of the matter.

Worldwide.

  • The solicitor spent ages listing the business details of Grandad's will. We were all waiting for him to get to the nitty-gritty when we found out how much money we would inherit.

Entry 67

North and south

Cockney rhyming slang for mouth.

Mostly Britain.

  • No, it's true! I heard it straight from her own north and south.

Entry 68

On your Tod

Cockney rhyming slang for alone.

Worldwide.

  • The others have all gone out - I'm on my tod.

Entry 69

Peachy keen

Excellent; wonderful.

Mostly USA.

  • Wow, that 20-year old whiskey is peachy keen..

Entry 70

Pen and ink

Cockney rhyming slang for stink.

Mostly Britain.

  • That drain cover should be an airtight seal but it's broken. There's a real pen and ink in here.

Entry 71

Photo bomb

Spoil a photograph by unexpectedly appearing in the picture and taking the attention away from the intended subject - usually as a prank.

A recent derivation, not yet taken up by the older generations.

  • Jack is so annoying. We were all posed for my graduation picture and he photobombed us wearing a pink cowboy hat.

Entry 72

Plates of meat

Cockney rhyming slang for feet.

Mostly Britain.

  • I knew I shouldn't have agreed to help with the Christmas post. Ten miles up and down stairs today - my plates are killing me.

Entry 73

Porky pies

Cockney rhyming slang for lies.

Mostly Britain.

  • You can't trust what he tells you - half of his stories are porkies.

Entry 74

Potatoes (or taters) in the mould

Cockney rhyming slang for cold.

Mostly Britain.

  • Whoa, it's the coldest day of the winter so far - really taters.

Entry 75

Rabbit and pork

Cockney rhyming slang for talk.

Mostly Britain.

  • He just goes on and on about his hobbies - rabbit, rabbit, rabbit!

Entry 76

Rosie Lea

Cockney rhyming slang for tea.

Mainly Britain.

  • Put the kettle on would you? I'd love a nice cup of rosie lea.

Entry 77

Ruby Murray

Cockney rhyming slang for curry.

Mostly Britain.

  • Every Friday night after work, the lads all pile into the Star of India for a ruby.

Entry 78

Sad ass

A reference to an inept or undesirable person or thing.

Mainly USA.

  • Since the coal mines and steelworks have closed many places in the Rust Belt have become real sad-ass towns.

Entry 79

Scarper Flow

Cockney rhyming slang for go.

Mostly Britain.

  • The police are on there way. With your record they are bound to think the fight was your fault - you'd better scarper before they get here.

Entry 80

Sexton Blake

Cockney rhyming slang for fake.

Mostly Britain.

  • That picture was supposed to be by Monet but there was a mobile phone in the background - I knew right away it was a sexton.

Entry 81

Sparrow fart

Jokey term for the early morning.

Mostly Britain.

  • I know we have to get the early flight but isn't 2am too soon to be getting up? It isn't even sparrow fart yet.

Entry 82

Syrup of figs

Cockney rhyming slang for wig.

Mostly Britain.

  • That thatch on Donald Trump's head - it has to be a syrup.

Entry 83

Take a butchers

Cockney rhyming slang for look.

Mainly Britain

  • There's a triple rainbow over there. If you don't believe me take a butchers yourself.

Entry 84

Tea leaf

Cockney rhyming slang for thief.

Mostly Britain.

  • Just be careful to keep your purse safe when you go down to the market - there are plenty of tea leaves ready to steal it.

Entry 85

That sucks

1. An expression of sympathy. 2. Said of something that the speaker rates very lowly.

Mostly USA, bit spreading Worldwide in recent years.

  • 1. I heard that your child has leukaemia. That sucks - I'm so sorry. 2. His singing is out of tune and he just can't dance. The whole performance sucks.

Entry 86

The tail wagging the dog

A small and usually insignificant factor (or person) dominates over one that is normally more powerful and influential.

Worldwide.

  • Even small countries like Estonia have a veto in European Union voting and can't be over-ruled. I'd call that the tail wagging the dog.

Entry 87

The town bike

Promiscuous woman.

Mostly Britain.

  • She's been with every boy in the neighbourhood - they even call her the town bike.

Entry 88

Titfer tat

Cockney rhyming slang for hat.

Mostly Britain.

  • It looks like rain - I think I'll need a coat and my titfer.

Entry 89

Trouble and strife

Cockney rhyming slang for wife.

Mostly Britain.

  • Twenty years we've been married now, the trouble and strife and myself.

Entry 90

Two and eight

Cockney rhyming slang for state.

Mostly Britain.

  • His clothes were awry and he'd lost one of his shoes - he was in a right two and eight.

Entry 91

Uncle Dick

Cockney rhyming slang for sick.

Mostly Britain.

  • Sorry, I won't be into work today. I'll feeling Uncle Dick.

Entry 92

Up shit creek without a paddle

In serious difficulty, with no hope of respite.

Worldwide.

  • We were halfway across the Australian outback when we realised our water bottle had leaked. We really were up shit creek.

Entry 93

Use your loaf

Think smart.

Worldwide, but most commonly in Britain.

  • Sending money to that Nigerian email scam. Use your loaf, mate - wasn't it obvious it was a con?

Entry 94

Veg out

Relax in a slothful manner, usually watching tv while lying on a sofa - (that is, become a 'couch-potato').

Worldwide, but most commonly restricted to the under 40s.

  • Such a stressful time at work this week. Come Friday night all I was good for was to veg out binge watching Friends.

Entry 95

Wardrobe malfunction

Referring to an item of clothing slipping out of place to expose part of the body.

Worldwide.

  • Her top slipped down in front of the boys. She said it was a wardrobe malfunction but I think it was deliberate.

Entry 96

Whistle and flute

Cockney rhyming slang for suit.

Mostly Britain.

  • That important interview is coming up next week. I think I ought to get a new whistle.

Entry 97

Would you Adam and Eve it?

Cockney rhyming slang for would you believe it?

Mostly Britain.

  • Amazing - he hit double top six times with six darts. Would you Adam and Eve it?