English, baby!

British English for the Novice G - H

Date: Oct 03 2007

Lesson

GALLON n. 1. A gallon plus 25%. This means a PINT is an enormous 20 ounces. This fact puts a whole new meaning on PINT OF.

GAMMON n. 1. Ham.

GAMP n. 1. Umbrella.

GANNET n. 1. Pig. Someone who eats anything and everything. The term emanates from the Royal Navy. All lower-deck sailors used to refer to a man who ate his rations and everyone else's (if given the chance) as a 'Gannet'. A gannet being a voracious seabird that follows ships at sea waiting for the "Gash" (garbage) to be thrown down the 'gash chute' usually fixed outboard to the stern of the ship.

GARDEN n. 1. Yard. A garden is called a "VEGETABLE GARDEN".

GATEAU (ga-toe) n. 1. Cake.

GEN UP (jen up) v. 1. To acquire knowledge, as in, "To GEN UP on the FALKLANDS". The term is derived from the phrase general information.

GEYSER (gee-zer) n. 1. A notoriously dangerous gas apparatus which was used to provide hot water. This device was mounted at the tap itself and heated the water as it was drawn from the tap. The phrase to PUT THE GEYSER ON means to heat up the water.

GHILLIE (gill-ee) n. 1. Scottish in origin, the term describes a gamekeeper who serves as both a conservationist to protect wild game and as a guide for hunters. Using a GHILLIE has very strong upper class connotations. Only those of the proper class would employ a GHILLIE (even though the GHILLIE is himself a commoner). The GLORIOUS TWELFTH (twelfth of August) starts the upper class hunting season.

GIRL GUIDE n. 1. Girl Scout. The (Girl) Scouts are usually called the GUIDES.

GLASSHOUSE n. 1. Greenhouse.

GOB n. 1. Slang term for mouth. v. 1. To spit. Because of this second term, the British find our use of "gobs of something" as being rather crude. A GOBSTOPPER is a large piece of candy which will last a very long time.

GOOLIES n. 1. Balls. Testicles.

GRAMMAR SCHOOL n. 1. School for 11-18 year olds who are studying for their O-LEVELS and A-LEVELS. (These are now almost extinct.)

GRIT BIN n. 1. Roadside barrel of sand for use when roads are slippery.

GREENGROCER n. 1. A small grocery store which deals only with fruits and vegetables. This type of store will not likely handle any canned items or non-foods like detergents etc.

GROTTY adj. 1. Unpleasant. A dark, dirty damp apartment would be called GROTTY.

GUARD n. 1. A train conductor.

GUBBINS n. 1. A collection of generally worthless items, as in, "Children - pick up these GUBBINS".

GUERNSEY (gansee in northern England) n. 1. A particular style of sweater which was originally worn by people from the island of Guernsey. Similarly, a JERSEY is a different style of sweater which originated on the neighboring island of Jersey. Today these are used interchangeably with "sweater".

GUIDE DOG n. 1. Seeing-eye dog.

GUINEA n. 1. Originally twenty-one SHILLINGS, but now one POUND plus five PENCE. Five percent is the auctioneer's commission. If one bids in GUINEAS, rather than POUNDS, one then has automatically the full price one must pay. A current vicious rumor has it that banks in the United Kingdom use GUINEAS when you must pay (i.e. interest) and POUNDS when they must pay you. There is no substantiation to this.

GYMKHANA n. 1. A very amateur horse competition.

GYMSLIP n. 1. A long pinafore dress worn by school girls (usually as a winter school uniform).

HAD HIS CHIPS phrase. 1. To be finished or done for, as in, "He's HAD HIS CHIPS"

HAIR GRIPS n. 1. Bobby pins.

HALF (aahf) n. 1. English for HALF A PINT (by default, of BITTER). 2. Scots for a single measure of WHISKY. In Scotland, "a PINT and a HALF" means a PINT of HEAVY and a MEASURE of WHISKY; in England it means a PINT of BITTER and a HALF PINT of BITTER.

HALF A CROWN n. 1. Obsolete coin worth 2/6 (pronounced two and six), meaning two SHILLINGS and six old PENCE.

HALF PENNY (hay-pen-ee) n. 1. Half penny. Currently, its only use is to become stuck in corners of purses or pockets.

HALL n. 1. Entry, as in the entry way to a house or other building and not a CORRIDOR. 2. BEDSIT style accommodation provided (for rent) by a university or other higher education institution for resident students. As in, "Are you looking for a FLAT? No, I'm in HALL". See also DIGS.

HANTS n. 1. The county Hampshire in the United Kingdom. HANTS is a term used by the English to confuse those not in the know (Americans).

HAVE A GO phrase. 1. To take a turn, as in, "Dad, can I HAVE A GO on my new Space Invaders Game". 2. To attempt to make a citizen's arrest. This phrase is popular in newspaper headlines, such as "Police congratulate HAVE A GO hero."

HEAD MASTER n. 1. Principal of a school. These also may be known as HEAD MISTRESS or HEAD TEACHER.

HEAVY n. 1. Scots for BITTER.

HEAVY PLANT CROSSING n. 1. As seen on a road sign, it means 'heavy cross traffic'. It conjures up the most amazing image!

HIRE adj. 1. Rent, as in "a HIRE car" instead of a rental car. Note that HIRE cars will normally have a manual transmission unless an automatic is specifically requested. One may also see a HIRE LORRY, HIRE TIPPER or even a HIRE ANORAK. One of the largest firms dealing in rental clothes is Moss Brothers (usually abbreviated Moss Bros.). This firm is so commonly known that MOSS BROS is used to mean a HIRED suit (or whatever). As in, "I've got my MOSS BROS on".

HOARDING n. 1. Bill board.

HOB n. 1. A single cooking ring that one cooks upon. 2. A collection of cooking rings. There seems to be no agreement on this.

HOLIDAY n. 1. Vacation. 2. National holidays when the banks are not open known as BANK HOLIDAYS. These days are distinguished from the other days when banks are not open.

HOMELY adj. 1. Plain. Unpretentious. Having a pleasant quality. An English girl would not mind being called HOMELY.

HOOKER n. 1. Not a prostitute, but a member of a RUGBY scrum.

HOOTER n. 1. A horn. 2. A derogatory term for the nose, as in, "He's got quite a HOOTER".

HOOVER n. 1. Vacuum cleaner. This may or may not be made by the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Company.
v. 1. To clean using a vacuum cleaner, as in, "I HOOVERED the carpets today."

HUGGER-MUGGER (hug-ah mug-ah) phrase. 1. All in turmoil, as in, "After the storm hit, everything was HUGGER-MUGGER".

HUMP v. 1. To carry something that is very heavy, to lug. As in, "I was HUMPING it all over the place".
n. 1. To be upset about something, as in, "He's got the HUMP over his last job appraisal".

HUNDREDWEIGHT n. 1. Eight STONE (112 pounds), abbreviated CWT.