I often receive emails from people asking me the definitions of words they find in books they are reading. Below is one example:
I am reading a mystery called Death in the Garden by Elizabeth Ironside set in the English countryside circa 1925 -- and have come across some words I do not understand. If someone is referred to a 'Bluestocking' what is that? What is a 'ha-ha' and a 'spinney'?
Here are the definitions for the words mentioned above. I have also added some more I'm often asked too.
- Bluestocking - a literary or intellectual woman
- Ha-ha - a ditch, used to keep animals from getting into the garden.
- Spinney - a little copse of trees
- Fags - slang for cigarettes
- Faggots - 1. meatballs 2. a bundle of sticks or branches
- Spotted Dick - suet pudding
- Taking the piss - making fun of someone
Glossary of English and British Words
Have you heard or read a word you are not sure the meaning of? Or maybe you find something we say amusing. Please leave a comment.
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3 comments:
Your homepage is fantastic. I use it every time I teach British culture to teenagers in Denmark in our public school.
I have been watching the TV series The Vicar of Dibley. They keep taking about people having problems with their “piles”. What is that?
Thanks ever so much,
Nancy
Atlanta, GA usa
Piles are another name for haemorrhoids.
One of the side effects is that it is often painful to sit down when you are suffering from piles. This is what the characters in The Vicar of Dibley are referring to.
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