55
cabbage-looking, adj. Inf. stupid
Slang. Rare. I’m not so green as I’m cabbage-looking, i.e., ‘I’m not as dumb as I look.’
caboose, n. galley
In America, the last car on a freight train, used by the train crew. In Britain a
kitchen on the deck of a ship.
cab-rank, n. taxi stand
cack-handed, adj. clumsy
Inf. Literally, left-handed.
cadge, v.t. Inf. scrounge
To get something (money, cigarettes, etc.) by sponging or begging, from a friend
or a stranger.
Caesar, n. Caesarean
Inf. In both countries operation or section is understood; but the British sometimes
use the name of the great Roman while the Americans always use the adjective
derived from his name. In either case, a baby is delivered by cutting a section of
the mother’s abdomen.
café see comment
The term may be applied to several types of establishment, including those serv-
ing coffee and cakes. The most common usage, however, is for simple, modest
restaurants serving breakfast and simple luncheon dishes to a predominantly
working-class clientele. Many Britons deliberately mispronounce café as kaif or
kaff.
caff, n. café
cakehole, n. Slang. trap
Slang. Mouth. Put that in your cakehole.
calendar, n. catalogue
In the sense of a ‘list of courses’ offered by a university, together with appropriate
regulations and descriptions of the courses, terms, and examination dates.
calendar, station. See station calendar.
calico, n. white cotton cloth; muslin

ate attention from emergency services. If anything, 999 is easier to ring up than
911, but we can be sure no one will declare 911 obsolete.
call-out charge house call charge
What the repair man charges when he visits your home because something’s
gone wrong.
call to order rebuke
When a person violates the rules of parliamentary procedure or otherwise offends
decorum at any meeting, the presiding officer calls him to order. In America it is
the meeting that is called to order.
call-up, n. draft
Military service term. A call-up card is a draft card.
Calor gas propane gas
Proprietary name, but used generically for liquefied butane gas in pressurized
containers in homes, on boats, etc.
camber, n. bank
A British road sign proclaiming reverse camber means ‘road banked wrong
way.’
56

call after
camiknickers, n. pl see comment
All-in-one ladies’ undergarment with camisole and knickers.
camp bed folding cot
The British also use the word cot, but to them it means what the Americans call a
crib. Also, safari bed, once proprietary.
CAMRA see comment
Acronym. Acronym that stands for Campaign for Real Ale, an organization
founded in 1971 to improve the quality and choice of traditional beers, especially
in pubs. Their primary concern is with maintaining the integrity of Real Ale.
candidature, n. candidacy


57
is derived from Cantuaria, the medieval Latin name for Canterbury, which in
Roman times bore the name of Durovernum. Neither a King’s School old boy, nor
a member of the staff (faculty), nor a resident of Canterbury would be called a
Cantuarian, in the way in which Cantabrigian, Oxonian, etc. are used with reference
to Cambridge, Oxford, and other university cities. However, this rule does apply
to Archbishops of Canterbury, who sign by given name followed by Cantuar:. Can-
tuar is an abbreviation of Cantuariensis, the Latin adjective formed from Cantuaria.
cap, n. 1. letter (in athletics)
2. diaphragm
1. Sports term, usually in the expression win one’s cap. It generally indicates that
one has played for one’s county or one’s country. To be capped is to have won one’s
cap; uncapped, generally, refers to players who have yet to win their caps; but an
uncapped county player is one who has not yet been selected to play for England
in a Test Match.
2. Slang. For contraceptive use.
(to) cap it all (to) make matters worse
In other words, to complete the tale of woe.
caravan, n. house trailer
As an automobile term. It is also used in the more original romantic sense. A cara-
van park is a trailer court.
car boot sale see comment
An informal gathering held in open rural space where individuals bring goods
for sale. So named because they transport the goods in their car boot and unpack
them for display to prospective buyers.
car breaker car wrecker
cardan shaft drive shaft
Automobile term. See Appendix II.E.
cardie, n. Inf., abbrev. cardigan

indolent Americans usually sweep things under the rug.
carpet area floor space
carriage, n. 1. car; coach
2. freight
1. In Britain a railroad car or coach is called a carriage; car means ‘automobile’ and
coach also means ‘bus’.
2. Carriage means ‘freight’ in the sense of cost of shipping. Carriage forward means
‘freight extra’; carriage paid means ‘freight prepaid.’ See also forward; freight.
carriage rug lap robe
Has given way to travelling rug. All terms have given way to effective car heat-
ers.
carrier-bag, n. shopping bag
While the hyphen is beginning to disappear from many Briticisms such as this
one, the meaning of carrier-bag remains constant, even though shopping bag
also is heard frequently—especially at grander clothing stores and department
stores.
carry-cot, n. portable bassinet
carry on, v.i., n. 1. v.i., keep going
2. v.i., flirt
3. v.i., n., fuss
4. military command, as you were
1. In road directions, carry on means ‘keep going straight ahead.’ It is the equiva-
lent of You first when one is offering to hold a door or otherwise step aside for
someone. At times it seems to mean little more than ‘O.K.’ and once in a while it
replaces so long.
2. An old-fashioned way to conduct an amorous affair.
3. A slang noun meaning ‘fuss’: This has been a most trying carry-on (situation,
affair).
carry on


A casket in America means a ‘coffin.’ It never has this meaning in Britain.
cast, v.t. discard
Special military term applied to superannuated cavalry horses. Unhappily they
are usually slaughtered for horsemeat at a knacker’s yard rather than sent to
pasture.
caster sugar, n. finely granulated sugar
Caster sugar is more finely grained than American granulated sugar but not pow-
dery like American powdered or confectioner’s sugar, which is called icing sugar
in Britain.
casual labourer temp or occasional worker
This term refers principally to workers like stevedores who show up for work but
may or may not get any work that day. See also casual ward.
60

carry one’s bat
casualty ward emergency room
In a hospital. The person in charge may be a charge-nurse. The term is often
shortened to casualty, just as the American equivalent becomes emergency (“Dr.
Kildare wanted in emergency!”)
casual ward flophouse
A place for temporary housing of the homeless. Synonymous with doss-house;
derived from the extension of casual labourer to mean ‘pauper’ or ‘vagrant.’
cat, n. whipping
Inf. Undoubtedly a reference to cat-o’-nine-tails; rarer as a practice than a word,
but there are still those who advocate “bring back the cat,” i.e., ‘reintroduce cor-
poral punishment.’ Incidentally, in the expression room enough to swing a cat, the
cat is not a screaming feline, but a cat-o’-nine-tails, a nine-knotted rope used for
flogging offenders.
catalogue company mail order house
cat among the pigeons Inf. match in a tinderbox

cat’s-eyes, n. pl. road reflectors
Reflector studs, set at close intervals into road surfaces along the white lines
marking the lanes. Enormously helpful on unlighted roads and foggy nights,
they are mounted in depressible rubber frames so that they can be driven over
without harm.
cat’s-meat, n. cat food
cattery, n. cat-boarding kennel
Also cat-breeding establishment. Cattery is heard in America.
cattle grid, n. cattle guard
cattleman, n. cowhand
A cattleman in America is a rancher or cattle owner. In Britain he works for some-
body else.
caucus, n. political party committee
A political organization that formulates party policy, election strategy, and the
like. In Britain, the word is somewhat derogatory, implying the smoke-filled
atmosphere of a powerful unofficial cabal. A caucus in America is an ad hoc politi-
cal meeting of party regulars.
caught on the hop, Slang. Inf. caught napping
caught on the wrong foot Inf. caught napping
Slang. A term borrowed from cricket. A batsman (batter) put in this position by
the bowler (approx. pitcher) is in difficulties.
cause-list, n. trial calendar
Legal term.
cave!, interj. Slang. cheezit!
Schoolboy slang. Rare. (Pronounced cavey.) This is the singular imperative of the
Latin verb caveo. This imperative form may be familiar from reproductions of the
well-preserved Pompeian floor mosaic showing the picture of a dog and bear-
ing the legend Cave canem (beware of the dog). To keep cave is to keep watch, act as
lookout.
ceased to exist been disconnected

chain, n. see comment
A person buying or selling a house may be caught in a series of transactions with
several interdependent sales and purchases. This is a chain, and anyone selling or
buying property is eager to avoid it.
chair, n. track socket
Metal socket holding railroad track in place on a tie.
chairman (of a company), n. president (of a corporation)
The Americans do not speak of the chairman of a company or corporation. They
speak of the chairman of the board, meaning the ‘chairman of the board of direc-
tors.’ Such a chairman is not, strictly speaking, a corporate officer. He runs meet-
ings of the board of directors but has only one vote on the board, and often the
term implies more honor than power. Thus, an American corporate president or
chief executive officer (CEO) is often said to have been kicked upstairs when he
becomes chairman of the board. In a British company, the chairman is the equiva-
lent of the president of an American corporation. See also managing director.
chalet, n. see comment
A small suburban house, far removed from the Swiss mountain cottage from
which the name was stolen.
chalk and cheese night and day
Worlds apart. As different as chalk from cheese is the usual phrase, the equivalent of
as different as night and day. This is sometimes shortened to chalk and cheese: Why,
they’re simply chalk and cheese.
chalk and cheese

63
chambermaid, n. hotel maid
Not a household servant as in America. See also char; daily woman.
chambers, n. pl. lawyer’s office
The solicitor will invite you to his or her office; a barrister more often to chambers.
An American lawyer would never speak of chambers, but that term is applied to a

shifting up, i.e., shifting into higher gear. See Appendix II.E.
change the bowling. See open the bowling.
64

chambermaid
changing-room, n. 1. dressing-room
2. locker-room
1. In a clothing store.
2. In a gym or at a stadium, swimming pool, tennis court, and the like.
chap, n. Inf. guy; fellow
The use of the word chap by Britons may seem affected to most Americans. Its
commonest equivalent in America is guy, which is colloquial. Americans also
use fellow, which is less inelegant than guy (as opposed to person, for instance),
but still seems to come off as somewhat deprecatory. Guy is common in Britain
now, though still less common than bloke.
chapel, adj. non-Anglican
Used to describe a person adhering to a Protestant sect other than the established
church, i.e., the Church of England (also known as the Anglican Church). It is a
shortening of chapelfolk or chapelgoer, both of which are informal labels for mem-
bers of such sects. The standard British nouns for such a person are dissenter
and nonconformist, which are interchangeable and sometimes capitalized. Free
Church is another synonym.
chap-fallen, adj. dejected
Chap is an archaic variant of chop, meaning ‘jaw’ (as in, e.g., lick one’s chops). Chap-
fallen describes a person whose jaws are hanging, i.e., who is in low spirits.
chapman, n. peddler
Like the itinerant merchant it describes, the word is rarely met with nowadays.
Synonymous with peddler, which the British spell pedlar. They hawked chap-
books, little pamphlets containing street cries, short tales, tracts, and ballads.
char, n. 1. cleaning lady

charlies (charleys), n., pl. Slang. tits
Slang. Synonymous with Bristols, but apparently not rhyming slang (see Appen-
dix II.G.3); etymology unknown.
charmer, n. see comment
Inf. This word now applies to either sex, to mean an attractive person, but in old-
fashioned circles the connotation is still feminine. Used of men, it can imply a
studied approach to the art of charming.
chartered accountant certified public accountant
Almost always referred to in America as C.P.A.
chartered surveyor licensed architect
chat show talk show
Television term.
chattering classes Inf. see comment
A term applied derogatively to intellectuals, usually of left-wing or liberal bent,
who discuss politics and social affairs but do not play an active role in either
area.
chattermag, n., v.i. n. chatterbox v.i. babble
Inf. A ‘chattering magpie, a much-talking person,’ given to gossiping.
chat up Slang. hand (someone) a line
Slang. In Britain you chat up a person in the attempt to win him or her over. When
the chatting up is directed by a male to a female, there is generally an implication
of a sexual objective. Sweet-talk is another American equivalent. Chat (without the
up), as in chat the girls, means ‘flirt with.’ Britons also chat to a person.
chav, n. Slang. see comment
A derogatory term for a working-class person, often dressed in expensive
branded sportswear and excessive jewelry.
chaw-bacon, n. rube; hayseed
Slang. Jaw-bacon is a variant.
66


was gradually taken over, perhaps at first facetiously, and is now established
practically everywhere.
cheesed off Slang. teed off
Slang. Synonymous with brassed off.
cheese it! Slang. pipe down!
Slang. Rather than Look out! Somebody’s coming! or Make yourself scarce!
cheese off! get lost!
Slang. Synonymous with buzz off.
cheese-paring, adj., n. penny-pinching
A cheese-paring chap is a stingy one, and the noun cheese-paring describes this
sorry attitude toward life. As a plural noun cheese-parings means ‘junk,’ odds and
ends that ought to be thrown away. In this connection, see also lumber.
cheese-paring

67
cheesy, adj. Slang. swanky
Slang. In the sense of ‘stylish’ or ‘chic,’ the British and American meanings are
directly opposite. This British use is going out; some say that it is already obso-
lete, but it is still heard occasionally in the countryside, among old folk. Along
with the passing of its use in the first sense, the word has now acquired the
American meaning in Britain.
Chelsea bun approx. Danish
A rolled currant bun, usually with icing.
chemist, dispensing. See dispenser.
chemist’s shop drugstore; pharmacy
The shop can be omitted. See also dispenser.
cheque, n. check
A matter of spelling. But isn’t it peculiar that a check (or cheque) is a form of draft,
that draft is sometimes spelled draught, and that draughts is the British form of
checkers? In Britain, a checking account is a cheque account, a current account, or a

chief editor editor in chief
Chief Whip, n. see comment
The Chief Whip maintains party discipline and looks after the day-to-day manage-
ment of the government’s business in Parliament. The official title is Parliamen-
tary Secretary to the Treasury, and the Chief Whip is always a cabinet member.
child-battering child beating
Battering is used for beating also in the expression wife-battering. But note that the
American term child abuse may also imply sexual abuse in Britain.
child-minder, n. see comment
A person who looks after one or more children whose parents are working. A
child-minder is distinguished from nannies by looking after the children in his
or (usually) her own home, and by being legally required to register with the
local authority. The term babysitter is becoming common in Britain. Also called a
sitter-in.
chilled distribution (delivery by) refrigerated truck
Chiltern Hundreds see comment
This name is derived from the term hundred, a now obsolete subdivision of a
county, with its own court and other administrative features. These courts were
abolished over a century ago. Three of these English hundreds in the County of
Buckinghamshire, named Stoke, Burnham, and Desborough, came to be known
as the Chiltern Hundreds because of their situation in the Chiltern Hills. The
Stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds is a nominal office under the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, an “office of honour and profit under the crown,” the holding
of which has been considered, since 1701, incompatible with membership in the
House of Commons. Since the middle of the 18th century a Member who held
the office was required to vacate his seat in the Commons. Hence, to apply for or
accept the Chiltern Hundreds (i.e., the stewardship thereof) means to ‘resign one’s
seat’ in the House of Commons. Since a Member is not allowed to resign his seat
before the expiration of his term of office, the only way he can vacate the seat is to
apply for the Chiltern Hundreds.

chipolata, n. small pork sausage
(Pronounced chippo-lah’-ta.) The spicy meat is mixed with meal. The best are
those ground, blended, and stuffed by your own butcher.
chippings, loose. See loose chippings.
chippy, n. Inf. 1. fish and chip shop
2. carpenter
chips, n. pl. French fried potatoes
Inf. One sees French fried potatoes on some British menus nowadays. See also
crisps and fish ‘n’ chips.
chit, n. memo
The British use it as well in its American meaning of an ‘I.O.U.,’ usually for drink
or food in a club or military mess, or at a bar or pub. See on the slate.
chivvy, v.t. Inf. keep after; pursue
Inf. Also chevy. To put pressure on someone; to hurry him up, in the sense of ‘chase’
him. Probably there is some connection with Chevy Chase, an old ballad, and a
place on the Scottish border.
chock-a-block crammed together
Inf. Rarely heard in America. Synonymous with completely full. See also packed
out with.
chocker Inf. disgusted; fed up
Slang. From chock-a-block.
chocolate vermicelli chocolate sprinkles
See also hundreds and thousands. Britain and America know and use vermicelli
as forms of spaghetti.
choked, adj. disgruntled
Slang. Synonymous with chuffed, 2; disappointed.
70

chinless wonder
choose how Inf. like it or not

chuffed, adj. 1. delighted
2. disgruntled
Slang. This curious bit of antiquated army slang has two diametrically opposite
meanings, depending on the context. One can say chuffed pink (tickled pink) to
mean ‘pleased,’ or dead chuffed to mean ‘displeased.’ In the second sense, chuffed
is synonymous with choked.
chump, n. Inf. nut (head)
Slang. Chump, like loaf, nod, and other words, is a slang term for head, like bean in
America. Use your chump is commonly heard, inviting the party addressed to stop
being a fool. To be off one’s chump is to be off one’s nut.
chump

71