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

We also refer to shrapnel as shell, and shrapnel is bits of shells fired sometimes!
We also go out and get "monged", a variation on minged i guess.
We sometimes go out and get "whammed", or "whammo'ed"
But we also say that minging means dirty, smelly,foul,disgusting.

Chunder comes from the days of sail when it was important to spew down wind. As you let go, you shouted 'Watch under' so that people with their heads out of a lower port holes did not get a face full of sick when the wind turned!

Flicks comes from the flicker of the screen when showing a moving picture film - the interlacing of a celullose film is not as good as we are used to on the TV.

Homely also means very plain (but not quite ugly) - OK to screw if one of you has a bag over the head.

Knackered came from the Knackers Yard where old, tired horses were taken for disposal (and recycling as dog food).

Lugs is short for Lug holes. The Lug worm makes a spiral pattern as it processes mud (out through its anus up onto the surface of mud flats). This pattern is similar to the shape of an ear seen sideways on.

A Nonce is a grass - one who informs on a criminal colleague to the police, flics, pigs, bobbies, coppers or contabulary.

Rag is a newspaper from the times when shredded cloth offcuts were mixed with wood pulp to form the cheapest paper. So the gutter press newspapers were termed rags whereas the broadsheets were papers.

Roll as in 'On a roll' refers to money rolled up for easier handling. Someone who was winning at cards, the horses etc was on a roll.
It is still common for market traders to give you change from a roll - often as folding money (ie most of the notes are doubled and you are expected to count the edges you can see - so are underchanged).

Of course "a trainspotter" is no longer necessarily an anorak. Since the film "Trainspotters" about Glasgow, they are more likely heroin addicts (following the mainline).

hmm, blob?
when you're "on the blob" it's a girl having her period.
tampax also being called jam rags or jammies.
then again, jammies is also slang for pyjamas.
my favourite is "bloody spiders!" or "arachnids" which is an exclamation of disbelief

surely everyone knows hughie, and ralph!
and remember to swear never to drink again

Trainspotting was set in Edinburgh. Ignore the fact that Volcano (in Glasgow) is featured.

Just remembered. Big Girl's Blouse was Hilda Baker's catch phrase.

some of these entries are not slang exclusive to the UK e.g. Bearded clam can be found in Joseph Wambaugh's book "The Choirboys" c. 1975

I've been struggling with why "the Dogs Bollocks" should mean the best and I think I have a clever method of showing it.

"Bog Standard" meaning extremely basic comes from "Box: Standard" - the basic kit for making a kit car.

Let's assume the top of the range kit was the "Box: Deluxe". So if someone heard the term "the Box: Deluxe" they maybe "heard" Bogs Dollocks and thought the person was spoonerising to avoid offence.

Whaddya think?

I don't know what's saddest: the fact you sat down and thought this through; or the fact that you wanted to tell us!!

AndyF

No the sad prize goes to you for sitting down and saying how sad you thought it was, or does writing this make me even sadder...

More importantly:
Sad = the act of being pathetic, pedantic and or demonstarating the charachteristics of an anorak (cf.)

Another couple

Hermit Crab - A person who is dressed in clothes that are clearly designed for someone else. Usually used for especially unattractive men and women on the beach in scandalously small swimwear showing significantly more wobble than is appropriate when there are onlookers who may be attempting to eat.

Lots of the slang we use is a mis-pronunciation of words that mean something.

Cor Blimey! What the hell does that mean, Governor?
Well it's from "God, blind me" As in, for example, "God blind me if I'm not telling the truth!"

A very old fashioned one was "zounds" pronounced zoonds.
That comes from God's Wounds - the nail and lance marks on Jesus on the cross.

Bloody and so on (bleeding etc.) come from God's Blood referring to the blood which came out of Jesus.

For a time when blaspheny was totally taboo this was serious cursing!

If it isn't true, it ought to be!!

It was while I was starting the Daily Telegraph crossword the other day, when a colleague looked over my shoulder and saw that the first answer I had entered was "bosom". He then supposed out loud that I would complete the rest with euphemisms for the mammarian glories. We then realised that there must be dozens of such euphemisms and they might even outnumber those for masturbation which I always thought was more popular....if you see what I mean. What can you offer (charlies) to enrich my (bristols)word power in this (baps) area?

Hi Bob the Frog,
I just wanted to know if this is a type of game played at hallowe'en instead of apple bobbing?

And do you get to swallow the frog?

And do you then get a frog in your throat?

Sorry Vestboy, you've got the wrong end of the stick. You know in Biology how you had to dissect a frog? Well do that to a live one only instead of dissecting it you just remove all its limbs. Throw it back in the water and what's it gonna do, cause it sure can't swim? That's right, it'll bob. The process is therefore known as Bob The Frog.This explanation is copyright Bullshit Explanations Inc.1999.

Breasts
I mentioned it in the rhyming slang forum - becos it is currently my favorite word - Waccamammas - which I think is just great and am trying to make it common useage

Coming from Anglesey myself , may I add the following on the word 'Joskin'. I think it should probably spelt 'Joscyn' (i.e. spelt the Welsh way!) and secondly I wouldn't say it applies to anyone from Anglesey - it generally gets used as derogatory slang akin to 'country bumpkin' or 'hillbilly'.

Nice to see 'Panad' on there though !!

Here's a couple more :

Mwgin - a cigaratte
Mwg Drwg - Marijuana - (literally 'Bad/naughty' smoke !)

Top bollocks.

Funbags.

Bazongas.

What about a face like a bulldog sucking a wasp?