The Wide, Wide World Of Slang

[pariswhitney]

As far as I know, a cul-de-sac provides a rounded area so that you can drive your car around easily, whereas a dead end is basically a straight road that abruptly ends.

Cul-de-sac

Dead End

[Deleted]

Calling all Brits: What the heck does "jammy" mean, as in "you jammy bastard." (Also, I'm still in the dark about "hampton.")

[dwanollah]

(Also, I'm still in the dark about "hampton.")

It's 'zackly what you think it is, Dukie.

[Shanmac]

Ugly = Minging.
Someone ugly = Minger.
Someone really ugly = Total Minger.

Thank you! Two years ago, a friend of mine and I were stuck in a hotel room in Ireland, watching a TV show (I think it was called "Boys and Girls," but I could be wrong). For those who haven't seen it, it's like "Hot or Not," but the audience votes on whether lunatic contestants are "babes" or "mingers." It quickly became our favorite show ever due to our sheer joy at mocking both the host and the contestants. But for a long time, I couldn't quite figure out exactly what "minger" meant and whether it was a word you would use in polite company.

Also in Ireland, after walking around like idiots asking puzzled locals where we could find a liquor store (no one knew of such an establishment), we were surprised to discover that in Ireland, one stocks up on booze at establishments known as "off-licenses." Who knew?

[pepper67]

Calling all Brits: What the heck does "jammy" mean, as in "you jammy bastard."

Duke of URL, it means lucky although I've got no idea where the phrase comes from.

we were surprised to discover that in Ireland, one stocks up on booze at establishments known as "off-licenses." Who knew?

Shanmac, we have off-licenses too. I think they're called that because they're licensed to sell booze but you can't drink it on the premises (unlike pubs).

If anyone's interested, here's a site that's got a lot of 'translations' from UK to US English. However, I don't agree with some of his pronunciations, so I suspect that his accent is a lot different from mine (which is mainly Lancastrian with some Scouse).

[Deleted]

I never would've guessed jammy means lucky. Thanks, Pepper67. Lancastrian with some Scouse? I was born a Geordie, myself. Can I run another one by you..."manky."

[pepper67]

I was born a Geordie, myself. Can I run another one by you..."manky."

Hey! ::waves to fellow Brit:: (Or ex-Brit, I think? Did you say you're in NZ?)

And 'manky', if you're referring to a person's place of origin is 'Mancunian' - as in from Manchester. If you're saying someone or something is manky, it means it's unclean.

[Deleted]

Thanks again, Pepper67. You're aces! (I was born a Geordie, grew up a Kiwi, now a Yank. I get bored easily.)

[spider]

But a highway with a toll is called a turnpike. A highway without a toll is called a highway. I don't know if this is a regionalism or not

In CA, for the most part, a highway is a 2 or 4 lane road with crossings and turnoffs and stuff, like a Route on the East Coast, and a freeway is seperated in the middle and you can only get on and off at the exits. And they're mostly interstates. The UK equivalent would be a motorway. On the East Coast highways have an irritating habit of turning into freeways/ motorways and vice versa while on the West Coast they are pretty much completely seperate road systems. Most places refer to them by the number (down south it's prefaced with a "the": you take the 5 but you take 80.)

We call 'em roundabouts out West too.

[chiqui]

Out of curiosity, what does 'taking the piss' mean? I always thought it was a Britishism for when a good thing goes on too long... like when when you really have to pee, start urinating, and can't stop.