Off: Help w/ British Terms

[David Blair]

In article <200302040043.TAA00741 at listserv.spc.edu>, Doug Pearson
<jasret at MINDSPRING.COM> writes
>On Mon, 3 Feb 2003 18:15:34 -0600, Tom Clark <tclark at PETRONET.NET> wrote:
>>Found this site which translates most of that...
>>
>>http://www.effingpot.com/slang.html
>
>Actually, I only found two of the terms that Darrin requested (the site is
>correct that it's, "taking THE piss", not "taking A piss", and it assumes
>that you already know what "buggery" is ... if not, read
>Moorcock's 'Cornelius Chronicles', in which Bishop Beasley is buggered on
>numerous occasions).  Good site, though.

Nope, taking the piss has nothing to do with buggery. AKA taking the
mick/rise, means basically having a laugh at someone else's expense.

Actually, bugger has nothing to do with buggery. It's a mild
exclamation, a little stronger than 'oops' or 'oh dear', unless used
when referring to a person ('silly bugger') when it means something
similar to idiot.

>I'll take a shot at the others (despite being an illiterate yank):
>
>>Bloke

Man

>An ordinary guy.  "Darrin McKeehan, Tom Clark, Keith Henderson, and Stephe
>Lindas are some of the blokes I've chatted with on boc-l."
>
>>Herbert
>No idea whatsoever ...

Herbert is short for 'spotty Herbert'. Tosser/wanker/geek

>>Punter

Customer, frequently used for customers of ladies of ill (Or if you're a
Terry Pratchett fan, negotiable) repute

>Concertgoer, or a (usually paying?) member of the public in attendance at
>an event.  "When Hawkwind took the stage, all the punters went wild."
>or "We had to stand in line with all the punters while they let the VIP's
>into the club."
>
>>Geezer

Another (Interchangeable) word for bloke.

>An older bloke.  "I first saw Hawkwind in 1989, but that geezer's been
>going to Hawkwind concerts since 1971!"
>
>As always, correct me if I'm wrong ...

Me too - I've just given what the meanings in my neck of the North-of -
England woods. God knows what them southern jessies mean by them...


>
>    -Doug
>     jasret at mindspring.com

--
David Blair