h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I used to live up Bristol way, and there's a word they often use round there - Gert. It basically means 'very' and is derived, I assume, from 'great'. Example - I was gert drunk last night, ie, I was rather intoxicated last night. You might also want to include the increased use of Random, which I've heard quite recently in both Bristol and London. It's a bit hard to pin down the exact slang meaning, but I've heard it used in the following ways:

"That Steve's a bit random isn't he?" - Your friend Steve is behaving in a somewhat disquieting manner.

"Last thing we want is loads of random people turning up for Phil's do." - We do not want many uninvited guests for Phil's soiree.

Not sure if anyone else has noticed this.

Others I just thought of:

"He looks like a bulldog chewin' a wasp" - He's ugly
"Munter" - Derogatory term for an unattractive woman, cross between moose and grunter.
"Mullered" - Drunk

There you go. Laters. GD

Another question if anybody knows.
What si the meaning / origin of the expressions

fanantut, fananblot, fan-anne-tut

These may be spelt differently, but have thse sounds.

I understand them to be a reference, disparagingly, to a woman who is a bit of a pain in an organisation or a family, but I cannot find any dictionary reference, slang or otherwise,
any ideas gratefully accepted.

One that springs to mind for me is "Chick Flick", a term coined to describe those Hollywood movies aimed directly at women that poor, unfortunate males get dragged along to every now and then. The definitive chick flick would be "Steel Magnolias", two hours of women talking - and that is it. "Titanic" is also a chick flick, even though there is a ship sinking and lots of people perish, simply because it stars Leonardo Di Caprio.

BTW, if you want the definitive guide to "London Slang" try [url removed by moderator]- warning, there are rude words on that site!

Another one that came up in conversation the other day was Bar Steward. We all know what that means. RE: guy above with your fannantut enquiry - I've got no idea what that means at all. Sorry.

in the same vein as bar steward there's merchant banker.

Would "fanantut, fananblot, fan-anne-tut" have any connection with "Sweet Fanny Adams" aka "Sweet F A" meaning of no value, nothing, as in "You think you know it all, but you know sweet F A".
p.s. F A has also been known to represent "F*** All".

On the same subject you can have a smooth talking barsteward. One of my favourite sayings is "bolloeuex.. as in gatocks" which says exactly what you want it too whilst be suitable for public hearing.

The word 'Minging' in Northern England means disgustingly filthy or smelly. As in expressions like " I need a bath, i'm minging".

Is also generally used as a term of abuse against unclean people (tramps, ladies who may not wash after sex etc.).

Sweet Fanny Adams has a grizzly history behind it. Fanny Adams was a young girl who was murdered in Alton, Hampshire (and possibly dismembered too) - some time back in the 19th Century. The Navy at that time had recently taken to keeping tinned mutton stew - which was nick-named "Sweet Fanny Adams" - (yes rather bad taste perhaps!)

After that the expression was used for anything of little value or worth - and of course Sweet F.A. can also be short for Sweet F*** All.

Also I've heard 'Face like a bulldog licking piss off a nettle'

Just thought of another one that's missing - 'it's all gone tits up'. When something is broken / gone horribly wrong. Not sure where I heard this first but I like it. The thing in question has fallen over & it's tits are in the air.

how about on offering of words that substitute for the word idiot.

he's a flanger (flan gur)
he's a spoon/spooner
he's an arsebiscuit.
how about the derogatory terms like spaz, mong, twat.
sometimes your in a situation where the current words to describe what you want to say won't suffice. so words like
hippocrocodilopig and trufflemoose end up describing an ugly woman
(yes, we made them up, but we love them!)