Named after its Hungarian inventor László Bíró and the eponymous company which first marketed them. Usage varies with a range of harshness from 'bitch', referring to a disagreeable and domineering woman, to only a slightly derogatory term for a young woman. bespoke * custom-made to a buyer's specification (US: custom-made) bevvy an alcoholic beverage biccie, bicky, bikky a biscuit (US: 'cookie') big girl's blouse a man or a boy who behaves in a way which other men think is how a woman would behave, especially if they show they are frightened of something bint a condescending and sometimes derogatory term for a woman (from the Arabic for 'daughter'). An abbreviation of either ' Berkshire Hunt' or ' Berkeley Hunt', rhyming slang for cunt. berk, burk or burke a mildly derogatory term for a fool or stupid person. bell-end the glans penis (slang, vulgar), a term of abuse.

Belisha beacon orange ball, containing a flashing light or now sometimes surrounded by a flashing disc of LEDs, mounted on a post at each end of a zebra crossing (q.v.) named after the UK Minister of Transport Leslie Hore-Belisha who introduced them in 1934. The British band Queen released an album called At the Beeb in the UK and it had to be called 'At the BBC' for US release. bedsit (or bedsitter) one-room flat that serves as a living room, kitchen and bedroom and with shared bathroom facilities (US: see SRO compare studio apartment (in British English a studio apartment – sometimes 'studio flat' – would have a self-contained bathroom)' efficiency) Beeb, the Beeb (affectionate slang) the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). Occasionally used in the U.S., but not to define any particular type of lawyer. barrister * In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, this used to be the only type of lawyer qualified to argue a case in both higher and lower law courts contrasts with solicitor. barmy crazy, unbalanced (US: balmy) barney a noisy quarrel, trouble origin unknown. Barman and the originally American bartender appeared within a year of each other (18) barmaid is almost two centuries older (circa 1658). barmaid *, barman a woman or man who serves drinks in a bar. 'get your baps out, love') a person's head (Northern Ireland). (US: fuck up, screw up, mess up) bank holiday a statutory holiday when banks and most businesses are closed (national holiday state holiday in U.S.) bap soft bread roll or a sandwich made from it (this itself is a regional usage in the UK rather than a universal one) in plural, breasts (vulgar slang e.g. arse buttocks, backside or anus (more vulgar than US ass) (fall) arse over tit (vulgar) to fall head over heels (be) arsed (informal) to be made to get off one's arse, usually as a negative or conditional (US be bothered to) artic an abbreviation of 'articulated lorry' (US semi) as at (before dates) on a particular date aubergine US eggplant (both the fruit and colour) Auntie or Auntie Beeb (affectionate) the BBC autocue an automated system for providing scripts to actors and orators, from a genericised trademark (US teleprompter) B balls-up (vulgar, though possibly not in origin) error, mistake, SNAFU. approved school (informal) a reform school for juvenile delinquents, from their pre-1969 designation juvenile detention centres, whether Secure Training Centres for 15- to 18-year-olds or Young Offender Institutions for 18- to 21-year-olds (US juvie) argy-bargy (informal) a noisy disagreement ranging from a verbal dispute to pushing-and-shoving or outright fighting. agony aunt or uncle (informal) the author of an agony column (US advice columnist or Dear Abby) agony column (informal) a newspaper or magazine column providing advice to readers' personal problems (US advice column) aeroplane any fixed-wing aircraft (US airplane) afters dessert, informal 'all change' the public-transportation announcement for the last stop (US All out) amongst a synonym of among acceptable in British English while seeming old fashioned or pretentious in American English anorak a hooded coat (US parka) a socially impaired obsessive, particularly trainspotters (US geek, trekkie, otaku, etc.) answerphone an automated telephone-answering machine, from the trademark Ansafone (US & UK answering machine) anti-clockwise, anticlockwise the direction opposite to clockwise (US counterclockwise).

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 ZĠ–9 999 Pronounced 'nine nine nine', the UK Emergency phone number (US 911) A abseil to descend on a rope (US rappel) Action Man the action figure toy sold in the US as G.I.

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