British English A to Z - past 12

Term used in industrial disputes to describe working hours that interfere with workers’ social lives, like evenings, weekends, and holidays.. Used of any predicament, but, like in troubl

Acronym for United Kingdom Independence Party, a political party formed in

1993 Its main mission is to get Britain to withdraw from the European Union

Open sore on a surface of the body, external or internal Also a corrupting influence

2 uppercut

1 Butcher’s term The British use fillet (pronounced fill’-it) for the same cut

See Appendix II.H.

2 Boxing term

underdone, adj raw

Referring to meat, supposedly rare but really insufficiently cooked

underground, n subway

Also called the tube A subway in Britain is an underground pedestrian passage.

For sale, but with a pending offer

Because injured or ill Used in sports reporting and announcements at the game

unharbour, v.t dislodge

A hunting term: to dislodge a deer from shelter

u

h

unit trust mutual fund

A good way to save for retirement

unmade road See under metalled road.

unmetalled road See under metalled road.

In an examination or classroom recitation: He did well in his Latin unseens.

Term used in industrial disputes to describe working hours that interfere with

workers’ social lives, like evenings, weekends, and holidays Not overtime,

which can occur in any job, but the regular hours in jobs like those of bus drivers,

railroad personnel, night watchman, etc

unstable verge See verge.

See also down; down train.

Up, in America, is ambiguous, in that it can mean ‘awake’ or ‘up and about.’ In

Britain it means the latter—‘out of bed.’

Slang In a pickle; in a fix See also in a cleft stick; on a piece of string; bunkered;

under the harrow; snookered; up the spout.

Slang Originated in the North Country, where it is pronounced oop for t’coop (oo

short as in hoof, and the t’ almost inaudible), and refers to coming up to London to

support the team in the football (soccer) Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.

In a theater See also stall; pit; gods.

Inf The upper classes; short for the upper ten thousand, an analogous phrase that

originated in America

Putting on airs

upsides See get upsides with.

Inf This can describe moving one’s entire ménage or simply clearing up after a

picnic From former nautical slang meaning ‘set a mast.’ See also pull up sticks.

384 unit trust

up stumps Inf pull up stakes

Inf To clear and leave One of the many terms derived from cricket Not to be

confused with stump up Draw stumps means the same thing: clear out Stumps

are the three uprights in the ground supporting two small cross-pieces (bails), the

whole structure constituting the wicket (See wicket, 1) To up or draw stumps is to

close the match, an operation that is extended figuratively to the winding up of a

situation or phase

Slang In a tough spot; in a fix The creek in the original reference flowed with

human excrement, and those caught upstream were bereft of a paddle

2 Slang in a fix

3 crazed

1 Slang In this meaning, the very opposite of the American ‘on the wagon.’

2 Slang In a predicament.

3 Slang By anything, not merely drink.

Slang Used of any predicament, but, like in trouble in America, often understood

to mean ‘pregnant’ when the context permits of the possibility of that tion

interpreta-up the wall See drive (someone) interpreta-up the wall.

up train See under down train.

U.S., adj unserviceable

Slang The term, always pronounced you ess, originated in the Civil Service, in

government laboratories Where’s the Bunsen burner? Taken away; it’s gone You Ess

If you haven’t guessed it, the U is the un-, and the S is for -serviceable Also written

U/S Now rare.

U.S. 385

Common abbreviation in informal correspondence See also Appendix I.D.9.

vac, n vacation

(Pronounced vack.) Also, a school vacation See also come down, 2; holiday.

Also, situations vacant Signifying unoccupied positions.

One sees in most real estate advertisements the expression vacant possession on

completion, meaning ‘immediate occupancy on closing title.’ This is sometimes

qualified by the addition of the phrase subject to service occupancy or less

com-monly, service occupations, meaning ‘subject to the occupancy of part (rarely all) of

the premises by persons living there are rendering services in payment of rent.’

The purchaser can get them out by legal means, but it is an arduous process It

almost always applies to agricultural properties

See also dewar A vessel with a double wall enclosing a vacuum.

vains I! See fains I!

value See good value.

value, v.t appraise

Whence valuer, the usual term for appraiser, who makes his livelihood by

estimat-ing the value of various objects or land

Value Added Tax See V.A.T.

British shoppers who have found a really good bargain will say they got value for

money as a way of expressing their approval It may often be shortened, as in That

skirt was good value.

(the) V & A see comment

The Victoria & Albert Museum in London; almost invariably called V&A Founded

in the mid-19th century, it is the national museum for the decorative and applied

arts

variety, n vaudeville

See also music-hall.

variety turn See turn.

(Sometimes pronounced vee-ay-tee, sometimes vat.) Sometimes VAT,

abbrevia-tion of Value Added Tax, which replaced the old purchase tax and the selective

employment tax, a sort of payroll tax in the service industries V.A.T resembles

the American Manufacturers’ Excise Tax, and derives its Value Added label from

the fact that at each successive stage of the production of an artifact, the person

or entity involved is obliged to add a certain percentage to his charge, which he

collects on behalf of Inland Revenue (the national tax authority) and pays over to

them at quarterly intervals At the same time he can recover the V.A.T amounts

that other people have charged him on his acquisitions which go into what he

is producing Thus, a bicycle manufacturer passes on to the Inland Revenue the

tax he has collected, but recovers the tax he has paid on, e.g., metal, tires, etc

V.A.T applies not only to tangibles but to services as well A writer passes on the

percentage he has added to his fee, but gets back the percentage he has paid on

writing-paper, telephone, and other things that he has had to pay for in order to

perform his professional duties

Stands for Victoria Cross, the highest military distinction Next in order are C.M.G

(Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George); D.S.O (Distinguished

Service Order); M.C (Military Cross) G.C stands for George Cross, awarded for

extreme civilian bravery (dating from World War II)

Verges along roads in Britain vary in width and are favorite spots for picnicking

trippers Making oneself at home on the verge, however narrow, is a British

phe-nomenon Americans are amazed to see the equipment employed in this happy

activity: folding tables and chairs, ornate tablecloths, electric kettles, elaborate

picnic baskets, deck chairs, too; everything but the kitchen sink In Britain one

sees parkway signs reading soft verges, but, when conditions are appropriate,

hard shoulder Why shoulder in this case rather than verge, and why the

singu-lar, nobody knows unstable verge, another common road sign, is another term

for soft shoulder See also berm.

vest, n undershirt

For what Americans mean by vest, the British say waistcoat See also singlet.

vet, v.t check

Inf With particular reference to candidates for a job, but now commonly used

as well in security checking By a logical extension, vet can mean ‘authenticate,’

referring to a work of art or a holograph, which is certified genuine after being

checked up on One can also vet a manuscript for accuracy This term is derived

vet 387

from the practice of sending animals, especially race horses, to a veterinarian

surgeon before purchase

vice-chancellor, n president

A university term denoting the active head of the institution The vice- is used

because in Britain the chancellor is an honorary officer, always a prominent

per-son, sometimes even royalty

view, v.t inspect

In connection with selecting a residence See order to view.

A special British meaning in addition to point of view, as in America See

look-out.

Village in Britain is more a description of a way of life than a label applied to

a particular political subdivision The usual demographic distinction between

village and town in Britain is based simply on population, and the break comes

somewhere around 3,000

The local store in a small rural community A dying institution, as car ownership

increases and more rural dwellers shop at supermarkets

A small box, usually silver, with a fretwork inner lid; frequently Georgian, more

often Victorian; now greatly prized by collectors They originally contained

vin-egar or salts; ladies carried them to help them through fainting spells They now

make nice pill boxes

The American equivalent at a private home is guest book; at a hotel, register The

term applies not only to private homes but also to inns and boarding-houses

Register is the term commonly used in large British hotels.

Inf (Pronounced vy’va.) Short for viva voce, Latin for ‘aloud.’

388 vice-chancellor

Inf (Pronounced wack.) A member of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps

(WAAC) in World War I This became A.T.S in World War II and is now WRAC,

for Women’s Royal Army Corps The female branches of the air force and navy

are, respectively, the W.R.A.F (rhymes with graph), Women’s Royal Air Force,

and the W.R.N.S (pronounced wrens), Women’s Royal Naval Service See also

Wren.

2 v.i., Slang gabble

3 v.t., v.i., Inf yelp

1 n., Slang As a noun waffle describes anything silly or useless.

2 v.i., Slang To waffle conversationally is to engage in silly chatter; to gabble,

prate.

3 v.t., v.i., Slang To waffle a cry of pleasure is to yelp it Rarely, woffle.

Especially as exercised by workers making modest demands on their employer

See also pay policy; social contract.

The policy of not allowing a person to receive more money from unemployment

insurance than he would earn if he were working Also used as a transitive verb,

wage-stop, signifying the application of this policy.

waggon, wagon, n car

Railroad term, especially goods-waggon, meaning ‘freight car.’ A waggon shed is a

car barn The American spelling with one g is gaining precedence.

Synonymous with play truant Also, play wag or play the wag.

waistcoat, n vest

Waistcoat is rare in America, and when used is more often pronounced weskit

than wastecote In Britain, it should be pronounced as spelled or with the first t

silent, and the preferred American pronunciation is considered at least colloquial,

or even vulgar, though it was considered correct not many decades ago Waistcoat

w

h

is used in Britain the way hat is used in America in expressions like to wear

sev-eral waistcoats or wear more than one waistcoat, i.e., to act in a number of different

capacities In America, one is said to wear several hats to indicate activity in

dif-ferent capacities For British meaning of vest, see vest; singlet.

wait for it! interj 1 Slang take it easy!; hold your horses!

2 Slang get this!; mind you!

1 Slang Extended from its use in the army by sergeants teaching new recruits

the drill (“Present—wait for it—arms”) Do not begin until you hear my order

2 Slang Further extended to mean ‘wait till you hear this,’ and used on the

model of the army command as a pause word to underline the irony of the

fol-lowing statement The boss told me —wait for it—I had to start working every

Sun-day.

Very rare

If you have no alarm clock, or don’t trust the one you have, you can dial the hotel

operator before retiring for the night and ask to be called at a fixed time next

morning

Inf Taken by candidates for election; also by the monarch, on certain occasions.

walking stick See cane.

Inf A courtship term, very old-fashioned By contrast, walk out on somebody

means desert that person.

walk slap into See slap.

A servant or employee charged with the performance of a particular service

Thus, the member of the household staff who worked the punkah was known

as the punkah-wallah, and so on Applying the term to American situations,

wal-lah would appear to come out simply as -man: the individual who repairs your

typewriter is the typewriter-man; e.g., iceman, barman, etc A bag-wallah, in the old

days, was a traveling salesman Nowadays the term is either old-fashioned or

jocular, depending on the use

Inf Muzak is the trademark in both countries.

Slang Masturbate.

Literally, a masturbator See wank.

390 wait for it!

want, v.t 1 take; require

2 need; lack

1 Example: It wants a bit of courage to sail the Atlantic alone.

2 Example: All the wheels want is a drop of oil; that picture wants to be hung higher; that

child wants a good spanking In this connection a special use is found in archaic

expres-sions of time: It wants ten minutes to twelve meaning ‘it is ten minutes to twelve.’ The

British tend to avoid want in the sense of ‘desire’ or ‘wish,’ for reasons of politeness

Where an American would say, I want this changed, or Do you want a memo? a Briton

would usually say, I would like this changed, or, Would you like to have a memo? To

Brit-ons, I want may sound imperious, and Do you want? is considered less polite than

Would you like? or Do you wish? A British usage sometimes heard in America is want

in the negative, for shouldn’t, as in, You don’t want to oil this machine too often This

usage means that ‘it is not the best (or the right) way to treat it.’

Inf A street in London that is the center of the film industry and used figuratively

to refer that business, the way Americans use Hollywood The films themselves

are shot elsewhere Wardour Street used to be noted for its antique and

imitation-antique shops, especially the latter, giving rise to the term Wardour Street English,

meaning ‘sham-antique diction,’ the type common in inferior historical novels

This type of language is also called gadzookery or tushery.

wardship, n custody

Of minor children, in divorce matters

A euphemism applied to owners, trainers, jockeys, or bettors (punters in Britain)

who break the rules of racing and are prohibited from attending races The

ban-ning is effected by the Jockey Club, located at Newmarket, the headquarters of

British racing

Inf When your host asks whether you would like a wash he is offering you the use

of all his bathroom facilities

Inf Always used in the negative: It (that story, that excuse) won’t wash See also

wear.

(The) Wash See under (The) Fens.

wash-cloth, n dishrag

Sometimes called dish clout.

Slang An informal account book, for instance as between friends on a trip where

one pays all the expenses and there is a settlement at the end It can also mean a

‘running score,’ as during a social weekend of bridge No American slang

equiva-lent

washing things 391

washing-up bowl dishpan

Sometimes called a tea-towel or wash-cloth.

Often shortened to leather; also known as chamois-leather and shammy.

Do the dishes would confuse a Briton no end because of the restricted meaning of

dish in his country: ‘platter’ or ‘serving-dish.’ See wash, n.

Slang Probably a corruption of what cheer?, an old greeting meaning how’s it

going? There are those who say, however, that it is a running together of what are

you (doing here, up to, etc.) Wotcher is the preferred cockney spelling.

watch-glass, n watch-crystal

The American equivalent is used in Britain by jewelers, seldom by the general

public

A law brief for a client indirectly involved in or concerned with a matter to which

he is not a party Its technical use refers to the situation of a lawyer charged with

the duty of attending litigation in which the client is not directly involved, where,

however, a point of law affecting the client generally may be involved To have

(or hold) a watching brief, broadly speaking, is to keep aware of a situation that may

ultimately involve your interests

One sees occasional river, brook, pond, or lake names in which Water (with a

capital W, as befits part of a proper noun) is used where River, Brook, Pond, or Lake

would be used in America Thus, Aften Water and Eden Water (rivers), Derwent

Water (a lake).

watersplash, n ford

Shallow brook running across a road, only a couple of inches high Sometimes

shortened to splash.

The urinary function and the anatomical organs with which it is carried out A

euphemism used by some members of the medical profession when talking to

their patients

392 washing-up bowl

waving base observation deck

At an airport The British expression implies much livelier activity than just

look-ing At Scottish airports it is called spectators’ terrace.

Inf Not to be confused with the Royal Naval Reserve The name comes from the

officers’ cuff braid in the form of a wave, as opposed to the straight braid of the

Navy or the approximately diamond pattern of the Naval Reserve

wax, n rage

Slang A dreadful wax is a towering rage And waxy is jumpy.

Inf To be in a way or in a great way is to be in a dither or in a tizzy.

way, permanent See permanent way.

wayleave, n easement

A right of way rented to a company etc

Ubiquitous sign in public places Exit signs seem to be confined to theaters and

Common abbreviation in informal correspondence for weekend (week-end in

Brit-ain) Not merely a designation of a part of the week, rather more the name of a

social practice among those who can spare the time See also Appendix I.D.9.

The Weald is a district in southern England including parts of the counties of

Kent, Surrey, Hampshire, and Sussex

Inf As in, Oh no, he won’t wear that! said, for instance, by a lawyer to a client who

suggests an outrageous proposal to be made to the other side Also in the sense

of ‘permit, tolerate’: When something slightly irregular, though patently more

efficient, is suggested to a bureaucrat, he won’t wear it for a minute; or meaning

‘accept’ or ‘see’ as in: I just can’t wear him as capable of doing that sort of thing, when

people are discussing an unsolved murder and someone suggests a suspect See

also wash, v.i.

Of clothes

wear off 393

weather-board, n clapboard

A weather-boarded house is a clapboard house, and weather-boarding is the clapboard

itself, also known as siding A weather-board is also a sloping board attached to the

bottom of a door to keep out rain

The web tastes and looks somewhat like iceberg, but has less tightly packed

leaves See also cos lettuce.

Slang A wedge (of notes) is a wad (of bills) Wedge has thus come to mean ‘money,’

as in, “Got any wedge?” Wodge and wadge are variants See also lolly for slang

terms for money

Slang A pejorative, similar to twit, for a weak person.

The British say today week or a week today where the Americans say a week from

today; Tuesday week or a week on Tuesday where the Americans say a week from

Tues-day; last Sunday week where Americans say a week ago last SunTues-day; and the same

difference in usage applies to fortnight See also Appendix I.A.1.

weekday See workday.

A student at a boarding school who goes home for the weekends

A blanket upward adjustment to cover extra costs of living in certain areas Under

London weighting, e.g., government employees living in inner London, i.e., within

four miles of Charing Cross, receive a certain increase, those in outer London a

somewhat smaller increment, etc

Inf The British weigh up a situation The Americans drop the up So do the British

when they weight their words See Appendix I.A.3.

weir, n dam

A dam or any fixed obstruction across a river or canal The water so backed up is

directed into a millstream or reservoir, with the excess going over the top of the

weir, or via a movable sluice gate, or both On canals, the weir is off to one side

and the excess water runs down an incline into a reservoir

2 Inf off to a good start

2 A term borrowed from horse-racing, having made considerable progress

At the outset of a long evening’s drinking, one would qualify, it seems, in both

senses

394 weather-board