British (and Australian) slang, vol. 9

NME staffers (the BEST music mag in the world – EVER!!!)  pick their Top 5 singles and albums of 2007!!! 

Legend indicates usage from recent UK films as well as the Australian underworld:

(AUST) Australian rhyming slang
(S) SNATCH
(SD) SLIDING DOORS
(LS&2SB) LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS

S 

SACKED – to ‘get the sack’ is to get laid off from work (SD)
SAINT LOUIS BLUES – shoes (AUST)
SANDY MCNAB – cab (AUST)
SAUSAGE AND MASH – cash. See BANGERS & MASH, CROSBY STILLS & NASH, HARRY NASH. Can also refer to crash (accident)

SAUSAGE ROLL – dole. See ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, NAT KING COLE
SCARPER (from Scapa Flow) – to go or run away (also derived from Italian slang where the word ’scarpare’ means to escape)
SCOOBY-DOO – Clue. See DANNY LARUE, POT OF GLUE
SCOTT GIBBS (rugby star) – Lies (from Scott Gibbs – fibs)
SEPPO/SEPTIC TANK – Yank, American (AUST)
SEXTON BLAKE (fictional detective character) – Cake. Can also mean fake
SHAGGING – very common mildly rude term for sexual intercourse. (SD)
SHERBET DAB – (Taxi)cab.
SHERMAN TANK – wank. See JODRELL BANK. As with J ARTHUR, can also mean BANK
SHITE – northern dialect version of ’shit’ (S)
SKIN AND BLISTER – sister
SKY ROCKET – pocket. (LS&2SB)
SLAP DASH – Cash. SEE SAUSAGE & MASH, OSCAR ASCHE
SMASH & GRAB – (Taxi)cab. See SHERBET DAB, FLOUNDER & DAB
SNAKE’S HISS – piss (AUST)
SOLDIERS BOLD – cold (AUST)
SON – a very common term of address for any male. (S)
SORRY AND SAD – bad
SOSAY (from “…so say all of us”) – Bus
SPANISH ONION – Bunion
SPURIOUS – not real. See MICKEY MOUSE (S)
STAMMER & STUTTER – Butter
STAND AT EASE – Cheese (the dairy product)
STANDING ELECTION – erection or “woody” 
STEAK AND KIDNEY – The city of Sydney (AUST)
STEAMER (from STEAM TUG) – bugs, vermin
STEFFI (GRAF) – (to take a) bath
STICKY BEAK – peek (AUST)
STIFF SHITTY – city (AUST)
STOCK AND DIE – pie (AUST)
STOKE (ON TRENT) – “bent”; See BEHIND WITH THE RENT, DUKE (OF KENT)
STRUGGLE (from struggle and grunt) – CUNT. See ETHAN, GRUMBLE
SUE RYDER – Cider. See EASY RIDER
SWEENEY TODD – Flying Squad (“The Sweeney” was a big TV police series in the UK during the 1970’s)
SYRUP (from fig syrup) – wig

T

TAKING THE PISS – extremely common term for ‘making fun of’. (S)
TALK & MUTTER – Butter. See STAMMER & STUTTER
TATERS (from potatoes in the mould) – cold
TAXI DRIVER – a “fiver” or five-pound note. See LADY GODIVA
TEA LEAF – thief
TEN-SPEED GEARS – ears
THIS AND THAT – hat (AUST)
THORA HIRD – third class university degree. See DOUGLAS HURD
THREE-CARD TRICK – penis (from three card trick – prick). See HAMPTON WICK
THREE-WHEEL TRIKE – Lesbian. See MAGNUS PIKE, RALEIGH BIKE
THREE STOPS DOWN FROM PLAISTOW – Barking (mad) (from the London Underground District Line)
TIDDLY – short for tiddlywink, Rhyming Slang for ‘drink’. (LS&2SB) Can also mean – pejoratively – a Chinese national (from tiddly-wink – chink). See RINK-A-DINK
TIN TANK – Yank (AUST)
TITFER (from Tit for tat) – hat
TO AND FROM – pom (AUST)
TOBY JUGS (from lugs) – ears
TOD(D) (SLOAN) – Alone. See JACK, PAT
TOE RAG – slag (originally a girl of easy virtue, but now evolved to mean an unpleasant person). Can also refer to cigarettes or homosexuals (from toe rag – fag)
TOM (from Tom Tit) – (the) shit(s). Versatile term can also refer to jewellery (from tomfoolery), booze (from Tom Cruise), the dictionary (from Tom, Dick & Harry) or one’s bones (from Sir Tom Jones). ‘Tom’ can now refer to any stolen goods
TOM AND DICK – sick. See UNCLE DICK
TOMMY (TANK) – Bank. See SHERMAN (TANK), ARMITAGE (SHANK)
TON – a hundred pounds (currency). (LS&2SB)
TOSSED UP – to come up with money. (LS&2SB)
TOSSER – to toss is to masturbate, so a tosser is someone who masturbates. Used as a fairly mild form of abuse. Often preceded by ‘complete’. (SD)
TRAMS AND TRAINS – brains/drains (AUST)
TROLLEY (from trolley and truck) – the act of fornication (according to Cassell’s this also gave rise round 1910 to the naval slang expression of ‘trolley-ogling’ referring to voyeurism – see also ‘off your trolley’)
TROMBONE – phone. See DOG AND BONE
TROUBLE (from trouble and strife) – wife
TURKISH BATH – laugh. See BOBBLE
TWAT – the vagina. Used as a term of abuse. (SD)
TWO AND EIGHT – state (‘in a right old two and eight’)

Next up: U-Z

CONCORDANCE:  http://www.businessballs.com/cockney.htm

Language and usage