British Slang and informal English expressions

Words beginning with:  A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z .  Abbreviations used

packed out Adj. Very crowded. E.g."The bar was so packed out, it took us 30 minutes to get served." {Informal}
packet Noun. 1. The male genitals.
2. A sizeable amount of money. E.g."I earnt a packet working overtime last weekend."
pack up Verb. To break down. Usually said of a machine, however may on occasion be applied to one's bodyparts, such as, "my back's packed up." {Informal}
Noun. A snack, a packed lunch. [Hull/E.Yorkshire use]
pad Noun. One's apartment, room, home.
paddy Noun. A rage, a tantrum or an upset. E.g "O.K., calm down, don't get in a paddy." {Informal}
Paddy Noun. An Irish person. Derived from the popular and pet-form of the Irish name Padraig (Patrick). Often used offensively. {Informal}
paddy wagon Noun. A police van, typically used for the transportation of arrested people or prisoners. [Orig. U.S. Early 1900s]
paedo Noun. Abb. of paedophile.
pagga Noun. A fight. Also pagger. [Scottish/N.E. use]
Verb. To beat up, fight. [Scottish/N.E. use?]
paggered Adj. Tired, exhausted. [Yorks/NE/Cumbria use]
pain in the arse Noun. Something or someone who is troublesome or tedious.
pair Noun. A euphemism for a woman's breasts.
Paki Noun. 1. A Pakistani, but also used as a general and particularly offensive term for any person/immigrant from the Indian sub-continent, such as Pakistan, India, Bengal, Sri Lanka etc. Offens.
2. A shop or delicatessen run by asians. Often as paki deli. Offens.
Paki-bashing Noun. Racially motivated violence against the Asian community. See 'paki'.
pal Noun. 1. A friend. {Informal}.
2. A term of address, not always friendly despite its original meaning as noun 1.
palatic Adj. Drunk, intoxicated with alcohol. Also spelt pallatic and parlatic. Possibly a corruption of 'paralytic'. [N. England/Ireland use]
palaver Noun. A tedious fuss or discussion. E.g."What's all this palaver about you and my mum having an argument?" {Informal}
pally Adj. Friendly. {Informal}.
Pam and her five sisters Noun. The hand when used for masturbation. Cf. 'Madam Palm and her five sisters' and 'Rosie Palm and her five sisters'.
pan Noun. The toilet. Refers to the room and the bowl itself. E.g."I'll get her to ring you back, she's just in the pan."
pancrack Noun. The dole, social security. Often heard as on the pancrack. Possibly originally miner's slang. [North-east/Yorkshire use]
panda (car) Noun. A policecar. Taken from when policecars were black and white. {Informal}
pan handle Noun. An erect penis. From the resemblance between the two.
pan someone's head in Vrb phrs. To thoroughly beat someone up. E.g."I warned him he'd get his head panned in if he didn't stop messing with that nutter."
pansy Noun. 1. An effeminate, feeble, weak-willed male.
2. A homosexual male. Derog.
pant moustache Noun. Pubic hair that shows outside the confines of underwear. Cf. 'spider's legs'.
panto Noun. Abb. of pantomine, being a theatrical show, mainly for children, and usually staged around the Christmas period. {informal}
pants (!) Noun/Adj. Nonsense, rubbish, bad. From the standard British English of pants, meaning underwear; also a variation on 'knickers'. E.g."The first half was pants but I stayed until the end and it was actually a great film." [1990s]
Exclam. An exclamation of annoyance or frustration. From the noun, (above).
pap Noun. 1. Nonsense, rubbish.
2. Faeces.
Verb. 1. To defecate. E.g."He was so scared he papped his pants."
2. To photograph, as done by the paparazzi. Abb. of paparazzi. E.g."We were drunk and got papped coming out of a nightclub holding hands." [1990s]
paps Noun. Women's breasts.
papers Noun. Cigarette papers.
para Adj. Abb. of paranoid. E.g."I was feeling a bit para so I hid in the bathroom."
paraffin Noun. A tramp, a vagrant. Rhyming slang on paraffin lamp, meaning tramp.
paralytic Adj. Extremely drunk.
park one's arse Vrb phrs. To sit down. E.g."Park your arse there a moment whilst I find my car keys."
park one's foot/fist Vrb phrs. To kick or punch. Typically finished with the name of a part of the recipient's body, e.g. face. E.g."If you don't shut up I'm going to park my foot in your kidneys."
park the bus Vrb phrs. In football (soccer), to play in such a defensive way that it's like putting a physical obstacle in the front of one's own goal and so preventing the opposition from scoring. {Informal}
parky Adj. Cold, with regard to the weather. {Informal}
parp Noun. 1. To break wind, to fart. E.g."I parped on the bus and proceeded to put the blame on the guy sitting in front of me."
2. Nonsense, rubbish.
party-pooper Noun. Someone who is miserable and a spoilsport, consequently putting a damper on the pleasures of others. [Orig. U.S. 1950s]
pash Noun. An infatuation.
Verb. Be sexually passionate, to kiss passionately. Abb. of passion. E.g."I found her having a pash in the back garden with the nextdoor neighbour."
pass-agg Adj. Abb. of passive-aggressive.
passion killers Noun. Very unattractive underwear and unlikely to encourage sexual advances; infact so unappealing they would halt any such advances.
paste Verb. To beat up. E.g."I'll paste him if he ever bothers my sister again."
pasting Noun. A beating. E.g. "He gave me a right pasting when he realised it was me that started spreading that rumour."
Pat and Mick Adj. Affected with nausea, ill. Rhyming slang on sick. Also 'on the Pat and Mick'.
Paul Weller Noun. Stella Artois, a popular brand of lager. Rhyming slang on Stella. Paul Weller, English musician. [1990s]
pavement pizza Noun. Vomit, when lying on the street.
P.C. Adj. Abb. of politically correct. [1990s]
PDQ Adj. Very quickly, immediately. Abb of Pretty Damn Quick(ly). E.g."You best tidy up that mess P.D.Q., before your mother gets home." {Informal}
peach Noun. Something or someone excellent, pleasing or attractive. E.g."We had a peach of a day: we weren't in work, the sun was out and I'd just heard that I'd had a pay rise." {Informal}
peachy Adj. Wonderful, excellent, desirable. {Informal}
peahead Noun. A person with a comparatively small head. Also pea head. Derog.
peaky Adj. Sickly and feeble, looking pale and tired. {Informal}
peanuts Noun. A trifling amount. E.g."We got paid peanuts but at least we got somewhere to sleep." [Orig. U.S.] {Informal}
peanut smuggler Noun. A woman with erect nipples, evident through her clothing. See 'peanut smuggling'.
peanut smuggling Noun. Of a woman, having prominently erect nipples, visible through her clothing. Cf. 'smuggling peanuts'.
pearler Noun. See 'purler' (noun 3).
pearl harbour Adj. Cold weather. A pun on 'there being a nasty nip in the air'... from nip(py) (cold) and 'Nip' (Japanese). E.g."Put on your scarf and hat, it's pearl harbour out there." [1990s]
pearl necklace Noun. Ejaculated semen that has landed around the vicinity of the neck and upper chest, imitative of a pearl necklace.
pear-shaped Adj. Out of shape, unorganised, wrong. Heard in the expression go pear-shaped. E.g."All our plans went pear-shaped after our funds were cut by the finance department."
peasouper Noun. A very thick fog. {Informal}
pecker Noun. The penis. [Orig. U.S.]
peckish Adj. Hungry. E.g."What time is dinner? I'm feeling a little peckish." {Informal}
Pedigree Chum Noun. Semen. Rhyming slang on 'come'. Pedigree Chum, a popular brand of dog food.
pee Verb. To urinate. E.g."He was that desperate he peed for a full 5 minutes." {Informal}.
Noun. 1. Urine. E.g."There's pee all over the toilet seat!"
2. An act of urination. E.g. "I need to go for a pee before we set off."
pee it down Vrb phrs. To rain heavily. E.g."It's been peeing it down for 4 days non-stop."
peeler Noun. A policeman/policewoman, a police officer. Generally archaic apart from use in Northern Ireland. From the name of sir Robert Peel (1788–1850), politician and founder of the London police force. [1816]
peely-wally Adj. Pale looking, off-colour, sickly. Also peelie-wally. [Scottish use]
peeper Noun. An eye, usually in the plural. E.g."I shut my peepers and counted to one hundred."
peeps Noun. 1. Sleep.
2. Abb. form of people.
peeve Noun. Drink, usually alcoholic. [North-east/Scottish use]
peg-it Verb. 1. To run, usually implying a sense or urgency, such as hurriedly.
2. To die. [Northern /Scottish use]
pen and ink Noun. A stink, a bad smell. Cockney rhyming slang.
pencil pusher Noun. A person who works at a desk and whose job involves a large amount of paper-work or administration, such as an office clerk. Derog. Cf. 'pen pusher'.
peng Adj. 1. The best, great, excellent, often heard with reference to drugs. E.g."This weed is peng!"
2. Of a person, very attractive, desirable.
(the) penny dropped Noun. Used to signify that a person finally understands something. E.g."Thank God for that! The penny's finally dropped and we can all go home now." {Informal}
pen pusher Noun. An office clerk. Cf. 'pencil pusher'.
percy Noun. A pet name for the penis. See 'point percy at the porcelain'.
 

Words beginning with:  A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z .  Abbreviations used

perishing Adj. 1. Used as an intensifier. E.g."That perishing dog was barking all night".
2. Very cold. E.g."You should put your hat and scarf on, it's perishing outside." {Informal}
pernickety Adj. Obsessed with minor details or the trivial, fussy, particular. [Orig. Scottish] {Informal}
perp Noun. The perpetrator of a crime, someone accused of a crime.
perve Noun. Abb. of pervert.
Verb. To look lustfully or lecherously at someone or something. E.g."He shouldn't be allowed to work at the swimming pool, he's always perving over the ladies."
pervy Adj. Perverted.
pet Noun. A term of endearment. {Informal}
petal Noun. An affectionate term of address.
peter Noun. A safe or cash box, cash register. [Criminal use]
Pete Tong Adj. Wrong. Rhyming slang. Pete Tong, a well known and respected U.K. radio and club D.J.
petrolhead Noun. An enthusiast of cars and motoring, especially motor racing.
phat Adj. 1. Excellent, pleasing, desirable.
2. Fashionable.
3. Musically, describing a full, deep and bassy sound originating from hip hop. Similarly, describing the fashion quality of hip hop.
phiz Noun. Face. From from physiognomy. Also spelt viz. Cf. 'phizog'. {Informal}
phizog Noun. Face. Derived from physiognomy. Includes a number of variations in spelling such as phizzog, vissog, fizzog, physog, and phyzog.
phwoah Exclam. Used to express appreciation at the sight of a sexually attractive person. Imitative of the sound expressed in such a circumstance. Also spelt phwoar and phwoargh. [1990s]
pickle Noun. A difficult situation or trouble, typically as in a pickle. E.g."I got myself in a right pickle and had to be helped out of the hole by a passing stranger." {Informal}
pickled Adj. Drunk.
pick-me-up Noun. A thing that makes you feel better, or restores vigour, such as a drink. [Orig. U.S.] {Informal}
picky Adj. Fussy, fastidious, finicky, hard to please. {Informal}
piddle Verb. To urinate. E.g."As I get older I'm finding I'm piddling a lot more." Cf. 'riddle' and 'widdle'. {Informal}
Noun. 1. Urine.
2. An act of urination. E.g."I'm going for a quick piddle before we set off."
piddle about Verb. To mess around, waste time.
piddle away Verb. To squander, to waste, often of money or time. E.g."She's piddling away her inheritance on holidays and clothes."
piddle (it) down Verb. To rain. E.g."It's not always piddling it down in Manchester."
piddling Adj. Trivial, insignificant, small. E.g."I'm starving. You should have seen the piddling amount we had for dinner." {Informal}
piddly Adj. Small, trivial, insignificant.
pie-can Noun. A fool, idiot, stupid person. [North/Midlands use]
piece Noun. 1. A euphemism for a gun. [Orig. U.S. 1950s]
2. A female seen as a sexual object. A shortening of 'piece of skirt'. Offens.
3. A sandwich. [Scottish use]
piece of cake Noun. Something very easy. E.g."I got full marks in that quiz. It was a piece of cake."
piece of piss Noun. A thing that is very easy. E.g."If you think giving up smoking is a piece of piss, then you've never been a proper smoker." Cf. 'piss easy'.
piece of shit Noun. A contemptible person.
piece of skirt Noun. A female seen as a sexual object. Offens.
pie-eater Noun. 1. A simpleton. [Orig. Aust.]
2. A person from Wigan and surrounding area.
pie-eyed Adj. Drunk.
pie-hole Noun. The mouth. Cf. 'cake-hole'.
piff Noun. Marijuana.
piffle (!) Noun. Nonsense, drivel. {Informal}
Exclam. Nonsense! {Informal}
piffling Adj. Insignificant, small. Cf. 'piddling'. {Informal}
piffy on a rock bun Phrs. Heard in phrases expressing upset that one has been ignored or left out of an activity. Often heard shortened to "like piffy on a rock", and also just "like piffy". Etymology unknown. E.g."She forgot to tell me the meal had been cancelled, and left me standing in the rain like piffy."[North-west use]
pig Noun. 1. A policeman /woman. Derog. [Early 1800s]
2. A glutton, a greedy person.
3. A slob, an unpleasantly dirty person.
4. A difficult or unpleasant situation or task. E.g."Cleaning all the windows is a pig of a job."
pigging Adj./Adv. Used as an intensifier, similar to but less offensive than 'fucking' and 'pissing'. E.g."I hate pigging ignorant customers who think because they have lots of money treat you like scum."
pig-headed Adj. Obstinate.
pig-it Verb. To live in an slovenly manner, or in squaler, to live below expected standards. E.g."I've been pigging-it whilst I wait for some money to come in."
pig-ignorant Adj. Very stupid, due to ignorance.
pig-out Verb. To eat fully and enthusiastically. E.g."Since he's given up on his diet he's been pigging out every day."
Noun. A big meal.
pig's breakfast Noun. A complete mess. Cf. 'dog's dinner'.
pig's ear Noun. 1. Beer. Cockney rhyming slang. E.g."I'll have a pint of pig's ear and a bag of crisps please."
2. A mess, a disaster. E.g."I made a pig's ear of that job interview when I farted at the outset and couldn't stop giggling." {Informal}
pigshit Noun. Rubbish, nonsense. E.g."You're talking pigshit! The earth's round, not flat."
pike Verb. 1. To run away, leave hurriedly. E.g."I piked it up the motorway just in time for kick off."
2. To steal. E.g."I piked a bottle of cider when the shopkeeper was serving my mate."
piker Noun. A tramp, loafer, vagrant, good-for-nothing. Derog.
pikey * Noun. 1. A gypsy or traveller. Derog.
2. A vagrant. Derog.
Adj. Of or relating to a gypsy or vagrant. Derog.
* [Orig. South-east England/Kent use. Dialect]
pilchard Noun. An idiot.
pill it Verb. To take ecstasy (MDMA). E.g."What else is there to do at the weekend, apart from pilling it and staying up late."
pill-head Noun. A frequent abuser/user of illicit drugs in pill form, such as 'ecstasy' tablets.
pillock Noun. Idiot, fool. Originally a slang term for the penis but fairly inoffensive now its meaning has been forgotten. Derog.
pillow-biter Noun. A homosexual male. Derog.
pin Noun. A leg. Usually plural. E.g."That Brazilian model has got a fine pair of pins."
pinch Verb. 1. To steal. E.g."Guess who's just lost his job for pinching from work again?"
2. To arrest. E.g."He got pinched when he was climbing out of the kitchen window with the stolen TV."
pinch a loaf Verb. To defecate, to void one's bowels.
pinhead Noun. A person or creature with an unusually small head.
pink cigar Noun. The penis. Also in 'smoke a pink cigar'.
pinkie Noun. The little finger. Also as pinky. {Informal}
pink oboe Noun. The penis. Also in 'play the pink oboe'.
pink pound Noun. Disposable income that 'gays' ostensibly have through not having the financial expense of children.
pint-sized Adj. Small and compact.
pip Verb. To defeat by a small margin. Often heard in the expression 'pip at the post'. E.g."We pipped them to the finish and won by just 2 seconds." {Informal}
pip (someone) at the post Vrb Phrs. To beat someone to the finish by a small margin. Also pip someone to the post. {Informal}
pipedown! Exclam. Be quiet! Shut up! An exclamation. {Informal}.
pip-pip! Exclam. Goodbye! A dated expression that is often only heard used jocularly when mocking the upper classes.
pipsqueak Noun. A feeble, ineffectual person. {Informal}
pish Noun/Verb. 'Piss'. [Scottish use]
pished Adj. Drunk, intoxicated. See 'pissed'. [Scottish use]
piss (!) Verb. To urinate. E.g."Stop the car, I need to take a piss!"
Noun. 1. Urine.
2. A weak drink.
Exclam. An exclamation of anger, frustration.
piss around /about Verb. 1. To mess about, to waste time. E.g."If you're going to piss about all morning then we won't reach our deadline and you won't get your bonus."
2. To waste someone's time, to annoy someone.
piss all over (someone) Vrb phrs. To thoroughly defeat someone. E.g."You should have seen Chelsea play on Saturday, they pissed all over West Ham Utd."
piss-arse Adj. Insignificant, worthless.
piss-arse about /around Verb. To mess about, to waste time. E.g."If you stopped piss arsing about and applied yourself then maybe you'd have a degree and a better job."
piss-artist Noun. 1. A habitual drunk. Derog.
2. A contemptible time waster.
piss away Verb. To waste through carelessness or neglect, to squander. E.g."Take my advice son, don't piss away your marriage just for the sake of a bit of fun."
piss-ball around Verb. To idle away time, to mess around. E.g."Isn't it about time you did some work, as you've been piss-balling around all morning."
piss-down Verb. To rain. E.g."It's pissing down outside, so take your brolly."
piss easy Adj. Very easy.
pissed Adj. Drunk.
pissed as a newt /coot /fart Phrs. Very drunk. E.g."Can anyone tell me what happened last night, I was pissed as a fart and can't remember anything after 9pm."
pissed off Adj. Angry, upset or depressed.
pissed up Adj. Very drunk.
pisser Noun. 1. An upset. E.g."I can't believe what a pisser it was, losing my job just before Christmas."
2. Something very funny. Taken from 'piss oneself laughing'.
piss-flaps (!) Noun. The female genitals, particularly the labia.
Exclam. An exclamation of annoyance.
piss-head Noun. A drunkard, a habitual drinker.
pisshole Noun. 1. A lavatory, a toilet.
2. An unpleasant, dirty place.
pissing Adj./Adv. An intensifier, such as 'fucking'.
piss in the wind Vrb phrs. To do something futile, or pointless. E.g."You're pissing in the wind if you think Kristina's going to sleep with you."
piss it Verb. To complete a task easily, to win effortlessly. E.g."They pissed it and won the trophy for the fourth year running."
piss it down Vrb phrs. To rain heavily. E.g."It wasn't a great holiday, it pissed it down all day, every day for a week." Cf. 'piss down'.
piss it up (against) the wall Vrb phrs. To waste money. E.g."She won £50,000 on the lottery last year but has already pissed it up against the wall on make-overs and spa treatments."
piss off Verb. 1. To upset, to annoy. E.g."He had a reputation for pissing off the bar staff and getting thrown out of clubs."
2. Go away. Heard frequently as an exclamation as piss off!
piss oneself Vrb phrs. 1. To laugh heartily. E.g."She pissed herself when I asked her out for a meal. Just because I'm 15 years younger than her."
2. To be terrified. E.g."This guy was pissing himself, thinking he was going to get beaten up."
3. To urinate on oneself. E.g."I was very drunk and pissed myself whilst I was sleeping."
piss on (someone) Vrb phrs. To thoroughly defeat, to trounce. E.g."City pissed on United yesterday in their cup match."
piss on someone's bonfire Vrb phrs. To ruin a good situation for someone, or a person's plans. E.g."She pissed on my bonfire but then started crying when I had a go at her."
piss on someone's chips Vrb phrs. To spoil someone's enjoyment or plans, to ruin a good situation for someone. E.g."I don't want to piss on your chips mate but your new car is older than it looks and has a badly rusted chassis." [Orig. U.S.]
piss-poor Adj. Terrible, of low quality.
piss-pot Noun. The toilet or toilet bowl. Originally referring to a chamber pot.
piss-proud Adj. Having a penile erection on awaking in the morning; a common symptom of having a full bladder.
piss-take Noun. A joke, a tease. Derived from the phrase 'take the piss'.
Verb. To tease, to mock, to make fun of, to ridicule.
pisstones Noun. Urinals. Also piss-stones.[Northern use]
piss-up Noun. 1. A drunken spree.
2. A mess up, a bungled event.
piss water Noun. Weak or tasteless drink, usually alcoholic.
piss wet Adj. Very wet, soaked.
pissy Adj. Weak, feeble, inferior. Often applied to drinks.
pissy-arsed Adj. Insignificant, inferior.
pissy queen Noun. A fastidious over fussy gay male. Cf. 'prissy queen'.
pit Noun. Bed. E.g."Oh, so you've finally got up out of your pit then? "
pitch a tent Vrb phrs. To have an erection whilst wearing clothing.
pits Noun. The worst imaginable situation, place or person. [Orig. U.S.]
pit yakker Noun. A coal miner. [North-east use]
pixelated Adj. Drunk, intoxicated
pizzaface Noun. A person with bad spots, acne, or generally a very bad complexion. Derog.
placky Adj. Plastic. Also as placcy. E.g."Have you got a placky bag for my groceries?"
plank Noun. An idiot.
plant one on someone Vrb phrs. To hit someone. E.g."I planted one on him, knocked him out cold, and then ran like mad before his mates arrived."
plastered Adj. Drunk, intoxicated.
plasterer's radio Adj. Messy, ugly, disorderly, dirty. E.g."He had a face like a plasterer's radio. It was covered in spots."
plastic Noun. Credit/debit cards, cash cards etc.
Adj. Synthetic, false.
plastic Scouser Noun. A person from outside of the City of Liverpool who acquires a strong Liverpudlian accent (scouse) in order to make others believe he/she is a true Liverpudlian. Derog.
plastic Paddy Noun. A person that claims to be Irish or of Irish descent. Derog.
plate Verb. To give oral sex, but more commonly to fellate. Possibly from rhyming slang, plate of ham, meaning gam, an abbreviation of 'gamahuche'.
plates (of meat) Noun. Feet. Cockney rhyming slang. E.g."We've just walked 20 miles and my plates are killing me."
play around Verb. To be sexually promiscuous.
play away (from home) Vrb phrs. To be unfaithful to one's partner, to commit adultery. E.g."So is he playing away from home again and blaming his frigid wife?"
play gooseberry Vrb phrs. To be an unwanted, extra person, usually in the company of a courting couple. See 'gooseberry'.
play hard to get Vrb phrs. To intentionally make it difficult for someone to achieve their objectives, frequently to make oneself more attractive. E.g."She was playing hard to get all night but as soon as I put my coat on to leave, she changed her mind." {Informal}
play hooky Vrb phrs. To play truant. Also play hookey and play hookie. E.g."If I hadn't played hooky for 3 years at school I'd probably have a decent job."
play it cool Vrb phrs. To act calmly, to control one's emotions.
play merry-hell Vrb phrs. To be very angry. E.g."Your father will play merry-hell if he finds you've spent all your savings on a new CD player."
play silly beggars/buggers Vrb phrs. To mess about, be uncooperative. E.g."Are you going to play silly buggers all day or get on with the job?"
play someone like a fiddle Vrb phrs. To skilfully manipulate a person for their own advantage. E.g."I can't believe he persuaded me to lend him another £50! He played me like a fiddle."
play the game Vrb phrs. To play fairly and by the rules. {Informal}
play the pink oboe Vrb phrs. To perform fellatio. The 'pink oboe' refers to the penis.
play the skin flute Vrb phrs. To perform fellatio. The 'skin flute' being the penis
play truant Vrb phrs. To evade school. {Informal}
play up Verb. 1. Of machinery, to go wrong, to malfunction. E.g."The washing machine is playing up again so one of you will have to go to the laundrette." {Informal}
2. Of people or animals, to misbehave, to irritate, to annoy. E.g."We're worn out, after my grand children played up all afternoon." {Informal}
play with oneself Vrb phrs. To masturbate. E.g."Make sure you knock before entering, there's a good chance he's watching some porn and playing with himself."
pleb Noun. An inferior, insignificant or common person. Abb. of plebeian. {Informal}
plebby Adj. Common, ordinary. Derog. {Informal}
plod Noun. A police officer. From a character in Noddy, a series of children's books written by Enid Blyton in the 1950s.
plodging Adj. Paddling in water or mud. [North-east use]
plod mag Noun. A pornographic magazine. [Merseyside use]
plonk Noun. Cheap or inferior wine. {Informal}
Verb. Of objects or oneself, to put or place down heavily. E.g."He plonked down his bag and then plonked himself on the sofa exhausted." {Informal}
plonker Noun. 1. A penis.
2. A fool, idiot, or despicable person.
plook Noun. A spot, boil, 'zit'. Also spelt pluke. [Mainly Scottish use]
plop Verb. To defecate. Children's onomatopoeic euphemism.
Noun. 1. An act of defecation and the resulting faeces. Children's euphemism.
2. Anything unsatisfactory, useless or unpleasant. By extension of the meaning in noun 1. E.g."Actually I thought the film was plop and I nearly walked out after half an hour."
plug-ugly Adj. Very ugly. Originally a ruffian, and taken from the New York/Baltimore gang of the mid 1800s named the Plug Uglies. [Orig. U.S.]
plumber's crack Noun. The upper part of the buttocks, and the area between, when visible above the low waistline of trousers when the wearer is kneeling or bending. Cf. 'builder's bum'.
plummy Adj. Of a person's voice, having an accent and style that's reminiscent of the way the English upper classes speak. Can be derog. [Late 1800s] {Informal}
plums Noun. The testicles.
plur Acronym. A greeting or parting salutation, used on the underground rave scene. Peace Love Unity Respect. [1990s]
pocket billiards Noun. Of males, the pleasurable fondling of one's genitals via one's trouser pockets. Usually an adolescent's term and preoccupation. Also 'trouser billiards'.
pocket rocket Noun. The penis.
podge Noun. An overweight or obese person. Derived from the s.e. podgy.
podged Adj. Full of food, sated with food, feeling one has overeaten. E.g."I had a five course meal and was too podged to walk." Cf. 'pogged'. [Derbyshire /Yorks /Notts use]
poet's day Noun. Essentially refers to Friday, although the expression sums up the general feeling of working on a Friday and the desire to leave work and get on with one's real life. Poet's being an acronym of Piss Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday.
po-face Noun. 1. A face that's expressionless, impassive.
2. A person with an disapprovingly expressionless face. Derog.
po-faced Adj. Of a face, expressionless, impassive, and consequently humourless or disapproving.
pogo Noun. A style of dancing born of British punk rock in 1976/77, involves keeping a stiff body and legs whilst jumping vertically up and down.
Verb. To dance in the manner of the 'pogo'.
pogged Adj. Sated, full from eating food. Cf. 'podged'. [W. Yorks use]
pointies Noun. A type of shoe with a pointed toe, usually women's.
point Percy (at the porcelain) Vrb phrs. Of males, to urinate. See 'percy'.
poison Noun. Alcohol. Usually heard in questions such as "What's your poison?", meaning "What would you like to drink?"
poison dwarf Noun. An unpleasant, diminutive person.
poke Verb. Of males, to have sexual intercourse with.
Noun. Speed or power, usually applied to vehicles. E.g."His new car has plenty of poke and can go from 0-60mph in 6 seconds."
Polack Noun. A person from Poland, a Pole. Also as Polak. Offens. [1500s]
Adj. Of or relating to Poland.
poleaxed Adj. Drunk, intoxicated. Also as polaxed. [Irish use]
2. Surprised, shocked, stunned. E.g."I was totally poleaxed when I heard the news of Elvis's death." {Informal}
polish a turd Vrb phrs. Heard in a negative context in the phrase you can't polish a turd, and when applied to a task means that it is impossible.
poloney Noun. A girl, young woman. Also polone and polony. [Polari]
Pompey Noun. The City of Portsmouth.
ponce Noun. 1. A contemptible person.
2. An effeminate male. Derog.
3. An ostentatious male. Derog.
Verb. To beg or freeload. E.g."He's been poncing off shoppers up the high street, saying he's homeless."
ponce about/around Verb. To waste time, to idle away time.
ponced up Adj. Dressed up, overdressed.
poncey * Adj. 1. Effeminate, with an implication of homosexuality. Derog.
2. Snobby, ostentatious.
* Also spelt poncy.
the pond Noun. The Atlantic Ocean. {Informal}
pond life Noun. Person or persons of low intelligence, and not greatly evolved, as with creatures found in a pond. Derog.
pong Noun. An unpleasant smell. {Informal}
Verb. To stink. E.g."It ponged in there so I opened the windows." {Informal}
pongo Noun. A soldier. [Military use]
pony * Noun. 1. £25 sterling.
2. Rubbish, nonsense. E.g."Our team are a load of old pony and don't deserve to be in the final."
3. An act of defecation. E.g."Can you wait for me? I need to have a pony."
4. A piece of excrement.
* Versions 2, 3 and 4 are from the rhyming slang pony and trap meaning 'crap'.
poo (!) * Noun. Excrement.
Verb. To defecate.
Exclam. An expression of distaste, frustration, annoyance.
* Also spelt pooh.
poo chute Noun. The anus. Cf. 'poop chute'.
pooey Exclam. Expressing distaste or derision, especially imitative of children.
Adj. 1. Of or resembling excrement.
2. Nasty, distasteful.
poof Noun. 1. A male homosexual. Also 'puff'. Derog.
2. A feeble, despicable person. Derog.
poof juice * Noun. 1. An alcopop drink, a very sweet ready-mixed fruit drink containing alcohol. Called poof juice supposedly because homosexuals (poofs) consume such drinks.
2. Aftershave.
* Also, less commonly, poofter juice.
poofter * Noun. 1. A homosexual, usually male. Derog.
2. A soft, feeble person.
* Also spelt pooftah, poofdah, puffta and puffda.
poofty Noun. A homosexual person, usually male. Also as pooftie. Derog. [Scottish use]
 

Words beginning with:  A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z .  Abbreviations used

poo-head Noun. An objectionable person. Usually affectionate use, from 'shithead'. See 'poo'.
pooh-pooh Verb. To dismiss an idea or suggestion as pointless, foolish or impractical. E.g."The management pooh-poohed the union's proposal of a 7% pay rise."
poop Noun. 1. An act of defecation.
2. An act of breaking wind from the anus. E.g."OK, who's done a poop, it stinks in here?"
3. Excrement. E.g."Is that dog poop on the bottom of your shoe?"
Verb. 1. To emit wind from the anus, to 'fart'. E.g."She was just sitting there pooping quietly and thinking no-one could smell it."
2. To exhaust, to tire. E.g."I need to sit down, I'm pooped." {Informal}
poop chute Noun. The anus. Occasionally misspelled as poop shute. Cf. 'poo chute'.
poo pirate Noun. A homosexual male. Derog.
pooter Noun. Computer. Also poota. [Late 1990s]
pootle Verb. To meander, or wander slowly. E.g."Let's go into town and pootle about the shops."
pop Noun. 1. A carbonated drink, like cola. Originally from when such drinks utilized corks or bottle stoppers, thus going pop on opening. {Informal}
2. A physical or verbal attack. See 'have a pop at (someone)'.
Verb. 1. To place or put (something). E.g."Come in, please. Pop your bag down there and we'll have a nice cuppa before I show you to your room." {Informal}
2. To go (somewhere), often for a short time or quickly. Usually as pop in, pop over, pop off, pop down, pop out, pop up etc. E.g."I'm just popping down to the shops to get a pint of milk." {Informal}
popcorn Noun. An erection of the penis. Rhyming slang on 'horn'.
po po Noun. The police. [Orig. US/Black]
pop one's clogs Vrb phrs. To die. E.g."I'm afraid old Fred has finally popped his clogs."
poppers Noun. Amyl or butyl nitrate. A medicinal heart stimulant taken recreationally by smelling its vapours for its pleasurable 'rush' and also its orgasm enhancing qualities. Very common on the gay scene and in the drug stimulated club scene.
poppet Noun. An affectionate term of address, frequently for a child.
poppy Noun. Money.
poppycock Noun./Exclam. Nonsense, rubbish. {Informal}
pop someone's cherry Vrb phrs. To lose or take someone's sexual virginity. Orig. applied to deflowering (a woman).
poptastic Adj. Denoting excellence in pop music or associated culture. Sometimes used more generally to describe something excellent or fabulous. E.g."Of all the performers on the show Kylie Minogue was the most poptastic." See the suffix '...tastic'.
pop up Vrb phrs. To appear suddenly or unexpectedly. E.g."It's interesting how often English slang words keep popping up in conversation."
porcelain god/altar Noun. The toilet bowl. See 'pray to the porcelain god'.
pork Verb. To have sexual intercourse.
pork dagger Noun. The penis. Cf. 'pork sword'.
porker Noun. A fat person.
porkies Noun. Lies. Rhyming slang on pork pies.
porking Noun. An act of sexual intercourse.
pork-out Verb. To eat in excess.
pork sword Noun. The penis. Cf. 'pork dagger', 'mutton dagger'.
porno Adj. Of, or relating to pornography. E.g. "We got caught watching a porno movie at the back of the class." {Informal}
Noun. 1. Pornography. E.g."When I was in my teens the only thing I read was porno." {Informal}
2. A pornographic film. {Informal}
porridge Noun. A period spent in prison. E.g."So what's happened in the outside world since I've been doing porridge?"
porridge wog Noun. A Scottish person. From porridge being associated with Scotland and 'wog' being a derogatory and offensive term for a non-white person, or in this case foreigner. Offens.
posh Noun. Cocaine. Named so, because this is the drug of choice for the wealthy members of society, see adj below.
Adj. 1. In the style of or belonging to the upper classes. [Orig. unknown] {informal}
2. Stylish, luxurious, smart, expensive. E.g."Will you wear that posh frock to the party, the one you brought last weekend?" [Orig. unknown] {Informal}
posh up Verb. To smarten up. E.g."Are you going to posh up for dinner tonight?"
Posh and Becks Noun. Sex. Rhyming slang. Posh and Becks, a nickname for the celebrity couple Victoria and David Beckham. [2000s]
posse Noun. A gang or group of close friends, usually young. From the s.e. expression for an armed band of men recruited to aid a sheriff in enforcing law. [Orig. U.S. Black/W.I.?]
postie Noun. A postman/postwoman. [1870s] {Informal}
pot Noun. Marijuana.
pot-head Noun. An frequent user of marijuana or cannabis.
potless Adj. Poor, having no ready cash.
potty Adj. 1. Crazy, mad, eccentric. [Informal]
2. Madly in love with, or mad about, something or someone. E.g."I was potty about Angelina Jolie for several years."
potty mouth Noun. A person who uses obscene (dirty) language.
potty mouthed Adj. Obscene, in relation to language and speech.
pound Verb. To have vigorous sex.
pound one's pud Vrb phrs. Usually of males, to masturbate. E.g."I suspect, on hearing the bed creaking excessively, that when he said he was going for an afternoon nap he was actually pounding his pud." [Orig U.S.]
pour it on Vrb phrs. To exaggerate. Also pour it on thick for added emphasis.
povvy Adj. Poor, something of poor class or low quality. From poverty. Derog. [South use]
powder one's nose Vrb phrs. 1. A euphemism for going to the toilet, usually women's use. E.g."I'm just going to powder my nose before we set off."
2. Euphemism for snorting cocaine.
powfagged Adj. Exhausted. Dated. [Lancashire dialect/use]
poxy Adj. 1. Rubbishy, crass, of poor quality.
2. A general negative intensifier. E.g."I'm not wasting my time and money by going to the poxy shops, just to keep her happy."
* Occasionally spelt poxey.
pramface Noun. A teenage mother, usually from a council housing estate. Coined by the online gossip site, Popbitch, and originally a woman with the facial looks of a poor single mother as seen around a housing estate. Derog. [2000]
prang Noun. A crash or accident, usually involving a vehicle of some kind. E.g."I had a prang last week so my car's at the garage."
Verb. To knock or damage, usually with reference to having crashed a vehicle. Originally an RAF term for a crash landing. E.g."My dad will kill me, I've just pranged his car on a lampost."
Adj. Paranoid. E.g."I dont know why she has pink hair, 'cos she gets so prang when people are staring at her." [London use]
prannet Noun. An idiot, an imbecile, or objectionable person. Probably derived from 'pranny'.
prannock Noun. An idiot. A variation of 'prannet'.
pranny Noun. An idiot, a fool. Originally a derogatory term for the female genitals. Also prannie. [Late 1900s]
prat Noun. A fool, idiot or objectionable person. Originally meaning the buttocks. Also as pratt.
prat about /around Verb. 1. To idle away time. E.g."I've just been pratting around in my bedroom playing online games."
2. To act in a foolish or annoying manner, to mess about. E.g."Stop pratting about and get on with your job before the boss sees you."
prattish Adj. Stupid, idiotic. From 'prat'. E.g."He was acting a bit prattish and I'm glad he left early."
prawn Noun. A small, weedy and generally objectionable person.
pray to the porcelain god Vrb phrs. To vomit in the toilet (the porcelain god) whilst on one's kness (as though praying). E.g."I'm not going in there, it stinks! Rob's been praying to the porcelain god." Cf. 'worship at the porcelain altar'
preggars Adj. Pregnant. A corruption of the word pregnant.
prep Verb. Abb. of prepare. E.g."I'll prep the ingredients ready for you to cook the meal." {Informal}
pretty-boy Noun. An attractive young man, pretty as opposed to handsome or manly. [Often Gay use]
previous Noun. A criminal record. Usually police and criminal vernacular. E.g."Be careful if you decide to employ him, he has previous and has only been out of prison 6 months."
prezzie Noun. A present, a gift. Also as pressie. {Informal}
prick Noun. 1. The penis. [S.e. until 1700s]
2. An idiot, contemptible person.
prick-teaser Noun. A person who leads on a male by seemingly offering sexual intimacies, but always falling short of providing full-on sexual intercourse. Cf.'cockteaser'.
prick-tease Verb. To sexually lead on a male but never actually get to engaging with that person for sex.
pricks with sticks Noun. Skiers, people who ski. Mainly used by snowboarders. Derog. Cf. 'gays on trays'.
Primani Noun. Ironic name for Primark, the discount UK clothes store, suggesting the quality of it's goods are as high as designer fashion. A combination of Primark and Armani.
Prince Albert Noun. A pierced penis, for body adornment or sexual enhancement. Named after Queen Victoria's consort who allegedly had such a piercing.
prissy queen Noun. A prim and snooty gay male. Can mean the same as 'pissy queen'. Cf. 'dizzy queen', 'scat queen', 'curry queen' etc.
private parts Noun. The genitals. Often shortened to privates.
prize (something) Noun. An absolute, a complete, an utter (something). E.g."I haven't got time for him, he's a prize idiot."
pro Noun. Abb. of prostitute.
prod/proddy Noun. A protestant. Mainly used by Catholics. [Irish/Scottish use]
prole Noun. Abb. of proletariat. {Informal}
pronto Adv. Now or immediately. From the Spanish. {Informal}
proper Adj. 1. Used as an intensifier. E.g." Has the cat crapped under the bed? There's a proper stink in the bedroom." {Informal}
2. Satisfactory, just right. E.g."There's nothing like a proper cup of tea first thing in the morning." {Informal}
(a) proper do Noun. A first class social event. E.g."It was a proper do with tuxedos and ballgowns."
(the) proverbials Noun. Used in place of a slang word so avoiding having to say what may be considered coarse, sometimes as a euphemism. E.g."Initially it was pain in the proverbials but once I got used to it, commuting was fine as long as I got a seat on the train." {Informal}
prozzy Noun. A prostitute. Also prozzie, prossy and prossie.
psyche! Exclam. Just kidding! Expressing it was just a joke. Probably from psyche out. Also as sike and syke. [Orig. U.S. Early 1990s]
psycho Noun. An odd, deranged or eccentric person. By extension of being an abb. of psychopath. [Orig. U.S.] {Informal}
pub crawl Noun. A drinking session held by visiting a series of pubs (public houses) or bars. {Informal}
pubes Noun. Pubic hair.
pub grub Noun. Food that's served in a pub (public house). {Informal}
pud Noun. The penis, or genitals. See 'pound one's pud'.
pudding Noun. 1. An uncomplimentary but jocular and affectionate name for someone who is plump. {Informal}
2. A term of endearment.
puddle Noun. A mess, a confused state, when applied to people. E.g."Sorry, I've been in a bit of puddle since the party. I drank far too much."
puddled Adj. 1. Confused. See 'puddle'.
2. Eccentric, insane.
puff Noun. 1. A male homosexual. Also poof and pouf. Derog.
2. A feeble, despicable person.
3. Cannabis or marijuana. A term more common with adolescents.
puggled Adj. 1. Insane, crazy.
2. Drunk.
pug ugly Adj. Very unattractive. Cf. 'plug ugly'.
puke Verb. To vomit. E.g."He drank so much at his stag party he spent the next 2 days puking up." [1600s]
Noun. Vomit.
pukka Adj. Excellent, wonderful. Derived from the s.e. use of pukka, meaning genuine, and in itself derived from the Hindi pakka, meaning thorough or substantial.
pull Verb. 1. To seduce a desirable person, to sexually attract someone. Also commonly heard in the male expression pull a bird meaning to attract a female. E.g."I pulled this gorgeous student at the Union bar."
2. To kiss passionately.
3. To arrest. E.g."Yeah, I was pulled climbing out of the rear window of the bank and carrying £40,000 in cash." {Informal}
4. To behave in a way that is characteristic of a certain person. E.g."I pulled a Charlie Chaplin and made everyone laugh." {Informal}
5. To achieve or attain (something). See 'pull a blinder', 'pull a job', 'pull a stunt' etc.
pull a blinder Vrb phrs. To do something exceptionally well, often unexpectedly or against the odds. Also as play a blinder. E.g."He pulled a blinder and scored a goal from the half way line." {Informal}
pull a fast one Vrb phrs. To deceive, to gain an unfair advantage. {Informal}
pull a job Vrb phrs. To commit a robbery. E.g."I pulled a job at the local post office so I'm lying low for a few days."
pull a pig Vrb phrs. To seduce an ugly person. Also a cruel game of the same name, played by friends on a night out, the object being to seduce the ugliest person.
pull a stunt Vrb phrs. To do something foolish or risky. E.g."Pulling a stunt like that again will put you in serious trouble." {Informal}
pull a whitey Verb. To turn pale and feel like vomiting. Cf. 'throw a whitey'.
pulling tongues Vrb phrs. Having an urgent need defecate. E.g."Hurry up, I'm pulling tongues here and need the toilet." [Merseyside use]
pull off Verb. To succeed in achieving something, frequently something difficult. E.g."I pulled off an Evil Knievel and jumped the car on my bike." {Informal}
pull someone's leg Vrb phrs. To tease someone, to deceive someone humourously. E.g." I was only pulling his leg, but he hit me. " {Informal}
pull someone's plonker Vrb phrs. To tease someone, to 'pull someone's leg'. E.g."It's true, he offered to pay me for a brand new car. I thought he was pulling my plonker". Cf. 'plonker'.
pull one's pud Vrb phrs. Of males, to masturbate. E.g."Pulling your pud all night is hardly what you mother had in mind when she said do something creative."
pull the other one (it's got bells on)! Exclam. You are joking aren't you? Used to express a suspicion that one is being tricked or teased. E.g."I drove round the corner and there was a pink elephant in the middle of the road." "Yeah sure, pull the other one!" {Informal}
pump Verb. To break wind, to 'fart'. E.g."I'm not sitting next to Louise, she's always pumping and I can't concentrate on my work."
pumping Adj. Lively, energetic, thrilling. E.g."What was that last tune the DJ played? It was pumpin'."
punaani Noun. 1. The female genitals. Also as punani, punaany, poonani, poonany, poononny, punanny, punany. [Orig. Black/WI]
2. Woman viewed sexually.
punch someone's lights out Vrb phrs. To thoroughly beat up someone. E.g."I punched his lights out but surprisingly he came back the next day for some more."
punch up Noun. A fist fight, a brawl. {Informal}
punch up the bracket Noun. A punch in the face. Dated. [1950/60s?]
punk Verb. To humiliate, to tease, to disrespect someone. E.g."I dont like him at all, after that time he'd punked me in front ofmy friends."
punt Noun. A bet, risk, gamble. See 'take a punt'. {Informal}
punter Noun. Generally a customer of any business. {Informal}
puppies Noun. Female breasts.
puppy's privates Noun. The best. Less offensive variation on the 'dog's bollocks'. Occasionally also as puppies privates. See 'private parts'.
pure bead * Adj. 1. Wealthy. E.g."With a car like that, he's got to be pure bead."
2. Expensive.
* A street term used mainly in Salford/Cheetham Hill in Manchester.
purler Noun. 1. A forceful punch or hit.
2. A heavy fall, a crash. E.g."I went for a purler on the icy path and fractured my collarbone."
3. Something that is excellent or outstanding. E.g."It was worth paying twice the entry fee just to see that purler of a goal." [Orig. Aust.]
purple-headed warrior Noun. The penis.
purple-headed womb broom Noun. The penis.
purple patch Noun. A run of success, good fortune. {Informal}
push off Verb. To leave, to depart. {Informal}
Exclam. Go away! {Informal}
push up (the) daisies Verb Phrs. To die. E.g."Unless I stop drinking and smoking, I think within 10 years I'll be pushing up daisies."
puss Noun. A person's face or mouth. [Late 1800s]
pussy Noun. 1. The female genitals, alluding to the inclusion of the pubic hairs. [1600s]
2. Women/woman, viewed as sexual objects. Derog/Offens.
3. A cat. {Informal}
4. A feeble or weak willed person.
* The ambiguity of the word isn't lost on comedians.
pussy-whipped Adj. Of a man, henpecked, dominated by a woman. [Orig. U.S.]
put a sock in it (!) Vrb phrs./Exclam. Quieten down, stop talking. Usually in the imperative.
put it about Vrb phrs. Have frequent sexual liasons with numerous partners, to be sexually promiscuous.
put lead in one's pencil Vrb phrs. To make virile or strong. E.g."Drink this lad, it'll put lead in your pencil."
put one on (someone) Noun. See 'plant one on (someone)'.
put one's face on Vrb phrs. To apply cosmetic make up. E.g."I can't put my face on until I've found my new lipstick."
put out Verb. Usually of a woman, to offer, or agree to, sexual intercourse. E.g."She's been putting out to all the guys in the football team and shockingly her husband doesn't seem to mind." [Orig. U.S.]
put that in your pipe and smoke it! Exclam. A dismissive and angry exclamation.
put the boot in Vrb phrs. 1. To kick someone aggressively. E.g."The security footage showed a group of men putting the boot in on a young lad lying on the floor"
2. Also used figuratively, meaning to cause someone trouble. E.g."He's a nuisance, and always putting the boot in"
* also as 'stick the boot in'.
put the kibosh on (something) Vrb phrs. To put an end to (something). E.g."We all went home after their parents put the kibosh on the drinking." Cf. 'kibosh'.
put the mockers on (something) Vrb phrs. 1. To put a stop to (something).
2. To bring bad luck to (something).
put the pedal to the metal Vrb phrs. To go faster, to accelerate. From the action of pressing the accelerator (gas pedal) to the floor of a vehicle in order to make it go faster.
put the willies up someone Vrb phrs. To scare someone, to unnerve someone. E.g."I'm fine with most horror films, but the Evil Dead really puts the willies up me."
put the wood into the hole Vrb phrs. Shut the door. A Northern phrase that dialectically is expressed as "put' wood in'thole". The expression is sometimes completed with either "...or were you born in a field?" and occasionally "...or were you born in a barn?"
putzy Adj. Easy, simple. Also as putsy.
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