English
I spent the firs half of 2008 in England and came to appreciate the peculiar-yet-familiar language that is British English--not quite American English, yet not quite a foreign language, though I suppose that depends on whether your talking to a Northerner or Scotsman, then yes, yes it is a foreign language.
I was--and still am--fascinated by the similarities and the differences; I really enjoyed the challenge of being unfamilair with the meaning of familair words and phrases. Believe me, it's refreshing to learn about storing things in boots and scrubbing up to work in the theatre, and gratifiying when the definitions become second nature. Good times are below, my friends.
Here's a list of my favorite, ahem, favourite words and phrases for your vocabulary pleasure. Here's to throwing a new twist into your old vernacular.
Bang on about (v phrs)
To talk incessantly and uninterestingly, to nag.
"You're not going to change my mind by banging on about it."
Bonkers (adj)
crazy, insane
"Look at them running around in their pants! They're absolutely bonkers!"
Boot (n)
What Americans would call the "trunk" of a car.
"Hey, Mate, can you help me get my groceries out of the boot?"
Burgle (v)
the act of burglarizing.
"She said her house had been burlged two times in the past four months, but that's pure poppycock."
Chippy (n)
Slang for a fish and chips restaurant.
"I swung by the chippy after work because I just couldn't be bothered with cooking tonight."
Crack on (v)
To progress, to go quickly.
"We'll crack on with the meeting after lunch."
Cuppa (n)
contraction of "cup of" for "a cup of tea" or "a cup of coffee."
"Hey, wanna walk down to high street and grab a cuppa?"
Get a wriggle on (v phrs)
get a move on, hurry up
"The train leaves at 13:00, so get a wriggle on!"
High street(n)
The main street of a town, lined with businesses, offices, and restaurants with a few closes branching off it."
It's easy to get to high street, just follow the smell coming from Jack's Chippy."
Hole in the wall (n)
A bank's external cash machine.
"Just one sec, I need to swing by a hole in the wall before we head out."
Lovely-jubbly (exclm)
Excellent! Great!
"Everything is lovely-jubbly."
Nutter (n)
Lunatic, idiot
"What an absolute nutter, he is!"
Sorted (exclm)
an approving exclamation, brillant, excellent. All-purpose expression of satisfaction, contentment.
"The decorations are perfect. Sorted, just sorted!"
Take the mik out (vrb phrs)
To make fun of someone.
"Easy, there, mate. We're just taking the mik out of you."