n a general diagnosis for any sort of minor sickness which you’re not sure of the exact affliction. Could cover anything from the common cold to food poisoning. Or streptococcal meningitis, if you’re particularly poor at self-diagnosis. It can also be used as a substitute for the American “cooties.”

1 n lady’s front bottom. The etymology may be Romany. 2 n Pubic hair.

n Scottish armpit. From the Middle English oxta, meaning “axis” or “axle”.

n a small candy. I don’t know enough about candy to be more specific. A while ago the word was used to refer to cough drops, but now Brits largely call those “lozenges” or “throat sweets.” The main use of the word now is in the branded chewy sweets made by Rowntree called Fruit Pastilles.

n penis. A common misconception is that, to Brits, this means “chin” – hence the phrase “keep your pecker up.” Sorry folks, but in the U.K. “pecker” means exactly the same thing as it does in the U.S. The phrase “keep your pecker up” is probably derived from a time when a “pecker” was simply a reference to a bird’s beak and encouraged keeping your head held high. I understand that the word became a euphemism for “penis” after the poet Catullus used it to refer to his love Lesbia’s pet sparrow in a rather suggestive poem which drew some fairly blatant parallels.

n legs. Always used in the complementary phrase “nice pins!”. You would never hear “my grandmother fell the other day and broke both her pins”.

n Band-Aid. sticking – a more old-fashioned word meaning the same. Both British and American English share the term plastered to mean that you are wildly under the influence of alcohol.

v fart; trump. Used more by children than adults: Eww! I think Roger’s mum popped off in the kitchen!

n female genitalia. Rather antiquated. The person who asked about the word also asked me: “As bad as American “cunt”? Or more akin to the mellower “pussy”? Would Britwomen themselves ever use the term to refer to their own anatomy with other women friends? Would men ever use it to refer to women in a derogatory way?” No, Yes, No, Yes. Hope that helps.

v vomit: Well, yeah, we were having a great time until Phil razzed down the back of the sofa and they made us all go home.

v urinate: Give me a minute, Dave – I’ve got to go and see a man about a dog.

n the past-participle of “shit” – this also exists in the U.S. but is in much more common usage in the U.K.: That pigeon just shat on my car!

n bald person: Have you noticed that Charlie’s becoming something of a slaphead? Lucky for him he’s on the tall side.

v have a- urinate. Its usage is more appropriate to punters in the pub than middle-aged ladies at a Tupperware party.

n generic swear word based upon the word “smegma.” Also a popular German kitchen equipment manufacturer, who are no doubt in the process of changing their name. Popularised (and most likely invented) by Rob Naylor, who created the Red Dwarf book and television series.

n Somewhat antiquated version of “plaster.” See “plaster” for definition. I can’t be bothered copy-pasting.

n sunscreen.

n male genitalia. From the sailing term “block and tackle.” Use your imagination.

n breasts: She was a bit dull but what a cracking pair of thrupney bits! From Cockney rhyming slang “thrupney bits” / “tits.” The thrupney bit was once a three-pence coin but is no longer in circulation. Although I’ve been doing my best to avoid putting plurals into this piece of work, I have a lot of trouble trying to think of any situation in which you would ever refer to a single thrupney bit. Perhaps someday the terms “thrupney bit implants” or “thrupney bit cancer” will be commonplace, but they aren’t now.

n penis. “Tadger,” “todge” and “tadge” have been known to slip in too. As it were.