50 British Words and Phrases Americans Just Don't Get

A short weather-proof hooded jacket or parka (the term is borrowed from the Inuit of Greenland) — but also a nerd, someone obsessed with a boring hobby, like watching trains or being obsessed with soccer statistics. (Anoraks have a lot of pockets for holding the notebooks, pens, etc. that such people would use.)

“Arse” is a Briticism for one’s rear end. Arse over elbow is how you might end up after a few too many pints in the local pub.

Baby (as in “a wee bairn”) or child (in the sense of relationship rather than necessarily age).

Destroyed or confounded. The origins of the term are unknown, but it doesn’t seem to have been used until the 1950s.

Made-to-order. A tailor will make you a bespoke suit

A term with many meanings, most of them having to do with headgear, but also the hood of a car. To be “on it like a car bonnet” is to have the situation under control.

In the singular, originally a garment covering the loins and thighs. Now used only in the plural to mean “trousers” (probably the same word as “breeches” or “britches”).

Eejit = idiot. “Buck eejit” is sometimes used endearingly for friends or loved ones who are a bit silly.

Also chin-wag. Talk or chatter. The derivation is obvious.

Cheeky or overly chatty. A term used mostly in the Welsh capital, Cardiff.

Pleased, delighted, happy. The term is of military origin, probably related to an old dialect word for swollen or chubby. Confusingly, “chuffed” can also sometimes mean displeased.

A mistake or social faux pas, presumably related to the noise something heavy might make when it hits the ground. “To drop a clanger” is to make an embarrassing mistake.

A load of nonsense. Baloney. The origin is uncertain but might have something to do with a colloquial, primarily Scottish, meaning of the word “wallop,” meaning to flop about or wobble. In that case, perhaps “cod” is the fish of the same name, and the reference is to the ultimately futile movements of a just-caught fish on the deck of a boat.

If someone asks if you fancy a cuppa, they’re asking if you’d like a cuppa (cup of) tea.

A real mess, serious confusion. Another way of saying this is “dog’s breakfast.”

Something worthless or fake. The word may come from “duffer,” meaning a peddler, especially one selling counterfeit goods, or an incompetent or clumsy person (especially on the golf course). The term may or may not be the source of the name of Homer Simpson’s favorite tipple, Duff Beer.

Among many other meanings, a home, an apartment, a pad. This probably derives from the 18th-century sense of the word as a fair or music hall.

Stunned, flabbergasted, speechless with amazement. “Gob” is an old Celtic term for beak, and by extension mouth. Something gobsmacking socks you in the teeth, metaphorically.

Nightgown. The term is used almost exclusively in Scotland, and nobody seems to know where it comes from.

Without a clue, lacking good sense or discernment. From “gome,” an archaic dialect term for attention or care.

The burner on a stove, possibly related to “hub,” as the round central part of a wheel.

A sweater. Originally a kind of hip-length jacket worn by manual laborers.

A nap or snooze, or a sleep in a place away from home. Probably from the Danish “kippe,” meaning a hut or an alehouse.

Exhausted, worn out, in a weakened state. Probably from the sense of a “knacker” as a man who slaughtered tired or sick horses and sold them for dog food.

The term might sound vaguely racy, but it just means a wild party, probably involving lots of dancing.

Nothing to do with pregnancy. To knock on someone’s door or window to awaken them, a term presumably dating from a time before alarm clocks.

Really, really drunk. The reason is obvious.

Something that’s redundant, in the U.S. as in Britain, is repetitious or more than what’s needed. Unfortunately, if you’re made redundant in the U.K., your boss has decided that there’s no more place for you — you’re fired.

Stinky or foul. Also very (stinking) drunk. “Ming” was an old Scottish term for human excrement.

Uncool, unfashionable, worthless. Anoraks (see above) are naff. Telling someone to naff off means to tell them to go away.

Disastrous. To go pear-shaped is to go wrong, as a battle plan, a dinner party, a business meeting. Originally Royal Air Force slang, of uncertain origin.

Hungry, usually only slightly so. Probably related to a term for the way a bird eats.

Genuine or of top quality. Also hoity-toity. From a Hindi word meaning mature, substantial, ripe.

Not something sneaky and underhanded as in the U.S., but a plan for accomplishing something, as in the electric company’s new scheme to improve the power grid.

Delicious, and by extension excellent or enjoyable. An abbreviation of scrumptious.

Angry, rude, or short-tempered. Probably because someone in a rage could be said to “have his shirt out,” while you might calm someone by saying “Keep your shirt on.”

A wrench, apparently related to the word “spin.” The British equivalent of our “to throw a monkey wrench is the works” (to do something that stops a plan from succeeding) is “to throw a spanner in the works.” John Lennon gave one of his little books of poems and drawings the punning title “A Spaniard in the Works.” The cover featured him in a flamenco hat and bullfighter’s cape brandishing a wrench.

Smartly dressed, first-rate, good-looking. We’d say “looking spiffy” instead.

Ill-tempered, unruly, impudent, sassing. Probably an abbreviation of obstreperous.

To study hard. Swotting is cramming for an exam. A swot is also someone who perhaps swots a little too much.

Extremely annoyed, hopping mad. Maybe from another Welsh sense of the word meaning to bounce a ball up and down.

Potatoes — or “taters,” if you will. The traditional accompaniment to Scotland’s infamous haggis is tatties and neeps — potatoes and turnips (meaning yellow turnips, or rutabagas).

A term used mostly by the older generation to mean a little too dainty or quaint. Originally baby talk for “sweet.”

An institution of higher learning — i.e., a university.

A fool, someone inept or unfashionable. Possibly a reference to some unfortunate historical personage named Walter.

A term of uncertain origin that originally meant a masturbator, but is now used almost exclusively to describe somebody (almost always a man) who is stupid, pretentious, unpleasant, a jerk.

Whining or complaining. “Whinge” and “whine” share common origins.

A euphemism, usually considered at least marginally acceptable in polite company, for the penis. As you might imagine, the release in Britain of the heartwarming 1993 film about a young boy who saves a killer whale from destruction, “Free Willy,” occasioned much merriment.

Not to finish them off, but to greatly annoy them or make fun of them.

A long time, ages, as in “I haven’t seen you for yonks.” Nobody knows where the term came from.