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| "Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet." "Great idea though, thanks, Mum." - Fred and George |
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British Words and Phrases |
| This list was sent to me by another Harry Potter fan and all words and phrases have been used in the books at some point. |
| 1. Alice band A hair band. Image |
| 2. Angling Another word for fishing. |
| 3. (Looking) Askance Looking at someone suspiciously or doubtfully. |
| 4. Balaclava A knitted hat for the head and neck, leaving only the face, or parts of it, exposed. |
| 5. Barmy Crazy, e.g. "She's gone barmy." Informal term. |
| 6. 'Bandy' about To carelessly spread something around (like a piece of gossip or information) without realising and/or caring about the consequences, purposely or unintentionally. |
| 7. 'Bang' him on the counter Informal term for put him on the counter. |
| 8. 'Bang' on course In this context, the word is used for emphasis to the second part of the term. Another example of it's use is, "Bang in the centre". |
| 9. Banging on Talking incessantly about something. |
| 10. Berk An idiot. |
| 11. Blighter This word can have one of three meanings: a) someone or something that is considered a source of annoyance (e.g. pixies), b) someone who is envied ("Lucky blighter!") or c) someone who is sympathised with ("Poor little blighter"). |
| 12. Blowed "I'll be blowed if I know" basically means that you don't know. "Well, I'll be blowed!" used as an exclamation means you never would have guessed, or you can't believe something. |
| 13. Bother This word has several uses. To bother someone means to annoy them. If you're in 'a spot of bother' then you're having problems. If you exclaim, "Bother!" then you're annoyed about something. |
| 14. 'Bung' him in some owl treats Carelessly throw them in. |
| 15. Caned Physically beaten, usually with a wooden rod. This was an old form of punishment in schools which was eventually banned. Students were caned on the hands for misbehaviour. |
| 16. Carpet slippers Slippers made of carpet. Image. |
| 17. Catherine wheel A type of firework that makes a pattern like this. |
| 18. Caught it up If somebody caught something up then they joined in something someone else had started. Like one person starts singing a song and everybody around them catches it up. |
| 19. Cert 'Cert' is short for certain. A person who is a 'cert' for something is sure to get it. |
| 20. Cheeked/cheeky If you're being cheeky then you're either being insolently or playfully rude or disrespectful, or you're being funny but inproper and ill-mannered. To cheek someone means to be one of these things to them. |
| 21. 'Chink' of light A small narrow crack or slit of light. |
| 22. Chivvy If you chivvy someone then you're moving along, often impatiently. |
| 23. Chuffed Proud. |
| 24. Chunter Mutter. |
| 25. Clapped eyes on To see something. |
| 26. Codswallop Nonsense. An old-fashioned word that's not really used anymore, except maybe for humour. J.K. uses a lot of old fashioned words for her wizards. |
| 27. Collywobbles Yet another old fashioned word that isn't used anymore. If you get the collywobbles then you have the shivers. If you used this word in the UK people would probably laugh at you just as much as if you used it in other places. |
| 28. Conk Nose. |
| 29. Corking See 'spiffing' below. |
| 30. Cotton on To grasp the meaning of something. |
| 31. Crikey I think this one is actually an Australian term, but I'm not sure. It's a soft exclamation usually conveying disbelief, surprise or shock, e.g. "Crikey, you don't know what Quiddich is?!" |
| 32. Dicky bird Not a dicky bird means absolutely nothing. E.g. "Any sign of Bertha Jorkins?" "Not a dicky bird." Or, if you say, "Watch for the dicky bird" you're tellin someone to smile for the camera. Absolutely no idea where this term comes from. |
| 33. Do your nut To be extremely angry, upset or worried. E.g. if you stay out too late your mum'll do her nut. |
| 34. Doddery The literal meaning of this word is walking unsteadily, especially from old age. |
| 35. Dotty Mildly crazy or strange. |
| 36. Dozy A person who is slow in understanding something, or just plain silly. Often used affectionately. |
| 37. Dragged up Carelessly brought up. |
| 38. Dressing gown Bath robe. |
| 39. Duffer Somebody who is thought to be slow to learn or imcompetant at something. Once again, a very old fashioned word that is hardly ever used anymore, except perhaps for humour. |
| 40. Dust bin Trash can or rubbish bin. |
| 41. Fidley Difficult to handle or to use, usually because it involves something small that you can't get a proper grip on with your fingers. Something could be metaphorically fidley as well. |
| 42. Flap E.g. "You've had us all in a right flap." Worried or panicy. |
| 43. Flay Beat. E.g. "Flay you to within an inch of your life." |
| 44. Flummoxed Confused. |
| 45. A flutter A bet or wager. |
| 46. Fringe The hair over your forehead. Called bangs in the U.S. |
| 47. Funny turn To suddenly become ill. Like if someone faints, or suddenly goes weak. |
| 48. Get into your stride Not sure how to describe this. An example would be, "I started badly but then I got into my stride." |
| 49. Get my eye in Warm up or get the hang of something. |
| 50. Git An informal term for someone who is annoying, troublesome, unpleasant or thoughtless (like Malfoy!). It's quite a soft word, really, and is often used in an affectionate or light-hearted way (Fred and George have called Ron a git). |
| 51. Gave us a turn Gave us a start. |
| 52. Gob A slang term for mouth. A slightly rude term. |
| 53. Gormless Stupid (referring to a person's intelligence). |
| 54. Great shakes If you're not great shakes at something then you're not very good at it. While you can say that someone is not great shakes at something, you can't really say that they are. |
| 55. Hard put To have difficulty. E.g. you'll be hard put to find anybody better. |
| 56. Haring To run very quickly. E.g. they hared through the corridors. |
| 57. Haversack A rucksack or backpack (the kinds of bags hitch-hikers wear on their backs). |
| 58. Hopepipe The pipes used to water gardens and are used by firefighters to put out fires. |
| 59. Jot "I don't care one jot" means "I don't care one bit". |
| 60. Jumped up Undeservedly self-important. Having been promoted from a lower position and therefore not entitled to show arrogance or self-importance. |
| 61. Keruffle Commotion. |
| 62. Kip A nap. |
| 63. Lark If something's a lark then it's a joke or a bit of fun. |
| 64. Lie-in When you sleep longer than usual in the morning because you don't have anything specific to get up for. |
| 65. Lift If you lift something then you're stealing it. |
| 66. Loggerheads If you're at loggerheads with someone then it means you're involved in a conflict, feud or quarrell with them (e.g. Gryffindor and Slytherin are often at loggerheads with each other). |
| 67. Loo Toilet. |
| 68. Lounge Sitting room, living room, drawing room, family room or whatever you call the main social room of the house. |
| 69. Machintosh A machintosh is a type of coat often used in rainy weather. Image |
| 70. Mark my words Remember what I'm saying. |
| 71. Take the mickey Make fun of or tease. Sometimes shortened to 'taking the mick'. |
| 72. Nicked An informal word for stole. Alternatively, it could mean arrested, e.g. you can be 'nicked' by a policeman. |
| 73. Nip This word either means to pinch something briefly (like you can 'nip' your fingers with a pair of pliers) or to go somewhere quickly (e.g. nip to the bathroom). |
| 74. Not on E.g. "That's just not on!" Not fair, not morally right, unacceptable or something you just won't allow. |
| 75. Nutter Someone who acts strange or mad. |
| 76. Oi! Used in the same way as "Hey!", usually in an indignant or irritated way. |
| 77. Out of order E.g. "That's out of order!" See 'not on' above. |
| 78. Peckish Slightly hungry. |
| 79. Petrol Gas for a car. |
| 80. Pig's ear If you've made a pig's ear of something then you've messed it up. |
| 81. Pluck up the courage Find the courage. |
| 82. Plus-fours Image. Not all that many people wear them anymore and the ones that do are usually older people. |
| 83. Poo Faeces (informal word, often used for humour). |
| 84. Popinjay An arrogant person. |
| 85. Porkpie Either a type of food or a type of hat.Image |
| 86. Prat A fool. |
| 87. Put out Annoyed, put out of spirits. |
| 88. (DOne a) runner To change locations or go into hiding in order to escape something, usually a situation or person, out of cowadice. |
| 89. Round the twist Another word for 'gone mad', literally or otherwise. |
| 90. Salvers A tray, especially a silver one, used to serve food or drinks or present things such as letters or visiting cards. If you're really posh your butler will bring you your letters on a salver. |
| 91. To seed To diminish in physical size and ability, due to age or declining health or lifestyle. |
| 92. Shifty If somone's looking shifty then they're looking nervous or uncomfortable, usually in a suspicious way. |
| 93. Shirty Annoyed or bad tempered. |
| 94. Get shot of Get away from, usually permanantly (or hopefully permanantly). |
| 95. Skiving off To skip school or work for no reason, or else to neglect something you're meant to be doing. |
| 96. Skulked If you're skulking around then you're hanging about a place or person. |
| 97. Spare (going) Going mad with frustration or worry. |
| 98. Spiffing Wonderful! 'Spiffing' is considered a very posh word and is usually only used when making fun of the elite (or the British, in a friendly way of course). |
| 99. Smarm If you're smarming up to someone then you're sucking up to them. |
| 100. Snog A kiss on the mouth, with tongue. COntrary to the belief of some non-British Harry Potter fans I've heard, J.K. did not make this up. It's a very popular word, especially with young people. |
| 101. Soppy Over-emotional or cute. The film Bambi is very soppy! |
| 102. Starkers Naked. |
| 103. Stringy Unattractively thin, with bones or muscle showing beneath the skin. |
| 104. Swotty Overly brainy (and often flaunting it). |
| 105. Ta Thank you. |
| 106. Tenterhooks To be on tenterhooks is to be anxious or in suspense. |
| 107. Tetchy Oversensitive and easily upset or annoyed. |
| 108. Tipped If you're tipped to be something, then you're rumoured to be it. Usually the word refers to something that may happen to you in the future. E.g. Hermione was tipped to be a Prefect before she even got the letter. |
| 109. Titchy Small in height. |
| 110. Trainers Athletic shoes. Called sneakers in the US. |
| 111. Trice A very short space of time. E.g. done in a trice. |
| 112. Toerag A rascal. A very old fashioned word now. |
| 113. Tosh Rubbish. E.g. "Load of old tosh!" |
| 114. Tot up Add up (like the prices of some items). |
| 115. Tweedy Either made of tweed, or someone belonging to or showing a liking for the attitudes and outdoor lifestyle traditionally associated with the upper classes (especially activities like hunting or riding). |
| 116. Verges If you're on the verges of something then you're very close to it, metaphorically or physically. E.g. "He was standing on the verges of the field" means he was standing on the edge of it, or "He was on the verge of crying" means he was very close to crying. |
| 117. Waffle If you're waffling on then you're talking incessantly and about nothing. |
| 118. Warming pans A long-handed metal pan that in the past was filled with hot coals and placed in a bed to warm it. |
| 119. Waspish Spiteful. |
| 120. Weeding-looking Thin and weak looking. |
| 121. Went down a storm Became very popular very quickly (referring to an item, not a person). |
| 122. Winding me up Teasing with a deliberate aim to annoy. |
| 123. Woolly Confused, vague or lacking focus. |
| 124. Wotcher A greeting. Comes from 'what cheer?' |
| 125. Wrench "It's a wrench giving it to you." It's difficult. |
