British English A to Z - past 4

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f
fab, adj. Slang. cool
Slang. A teenage truncation of fabulous, largely out of fashion now, though it can
be used as a jocular exaggeration.
facecloth, n. see comment
The British call an ordinary washrag or facecloth a flannel.
facer, n. Inf. obstacle
Inf. Facer is rarely heard in either country in its literal meaning of ‘blow in the
face.’ In Britain it has the special meaning of a difficulty you suddenly come up
against.
faculty, n. college department
In America, the faculty of a college is its entire teaching body. In Britain, this is
called staff, and faculty is confined to groups of academically related subjects, i.e.,
departments, as in Faculty of Medicine, Law, etc.
faddy, adj. Inf. picky
Inf. Often used to describe persons who are fussy about their food and difficult to
please. See also dainty.
fadge, v.i. suit
Slang. Especially in the expression It won’t fadge, meaning ‘It won’t suit’ (or ‘do’ or
‘fit’). “How will this fadge?” asks the sleuth, “No good, it won’t fadge.”
faff, v. Inf. dither, fuss
Often used in combination with about: If you don’t stop faffing about, we’ll miss the
train.
fag, n., v.t., v.i. 1. v.i., toil
2. v.i., exhaust
3. n., Slang. drag
4. n., Slang. cigarette
5. see comment
1. v.i., Slang. To toil painfully.
2. v.t., Slang. To tire or wear (someone) out.

3. n., Slang. In the sense of ‘drudgery’; a painfully boring job.
4. Slang. Cigarette in Britain.
5. Slang. In public school slang, when seniors fag, it means that they are using
the services of juniors; when juniors fag, it means that they are rendering services
to seniors and the junior so serving is known as a fag.
faggot, n. 1. crone
2. spiced meatball
1. Inf. Chiefly a country term, summoning the image of a battered old slut.
h
2. Made of chopped pig innards (see offal) and fairly heavily spiced. The com-
mon American slang use of faggot to mean ‘male homosexual’ has caught on in
Britain.
fains I! see comment
Slang. Also fain I! vains I! and other regional variants like fainites! vainites! and
even cribs! scribs! crosses! keys! and goodness knows what else, usually accompa-
nied by conspicuously crossed fingers. All these are truce words meaning that
the crier wants his pals to wait a minute—calling for a halt, for example, in a fast
children’s game. Only an unscrupulous bully would take advantage of a call
for truce. See a special use of fains under Quis? Bags I! is the opposite of fains I!
Exceedingly rare.
fair, adv. Inf. surely
Inf. That sermon fair set us thinking! Substandard; mostly rustic.
fair cop Inf. justified arrest
Always used in the expression It’s a fair cop. Criminal slang that has found its way
into common usage as a way of expressing acceptance of wrongdoing, justified
punishment, etc.
fair do’s Inf. fair enough
Implying acceptance of a less-than-perfect outcome or decision.
fair-light, n. transom
fair old . . . , adj. Inf. quite a . . .

Inf. A fair old job means ‘quite a job’ (a major chore); a fair old mix-up means ‘quite a
mix-up’ (a snafu of major proportions).
fair’s on Inf. what’s fair is fair
Inf. To the friend who paid for a round of drinks, a Briton might say: “Fair’s on . . . ,
this one’s on me.”
fairy cake cupcake
fall about laughing Slang. die laughing
Slang. Sometimes shortened to fall about, with laughing understood, especially in
the cockney idiom.
fallen off the back of a lorry Slang. hot
Slang. A lorry is a truck. A thief or black marketeer, seeking to dispose of ill-gotten
wares, approaches a pedestrian and assures him that the fur coat or wristwatch
or whatever fell off the back of a lorry and went unclaimed by police.
fall over backwards Inf. bend over backwards
Do one’s darndest to accomplish something worthwhile.
family butcher butcher shop
Often first-class family butcher, typically one that does not serve institutions. See
also butchery.
126

fains I!
fancy, v.t. see comment
To find (someone or something) attractive. The usual object of fancy is a person,
but may just as easily be an article of clothing or a particular dish or meal.
fancy goods notions
See also draper’s shop; haberdashery.
fancy one’s chances Inf. have high hopes
Inf. The hopeful swain fancies his chances with the girl; the team with a comfort-
able margin fancy their chances for the cup. One may fancy one’s own or anoth-
er’s chances, but when the expression applies to a third party, it is often found

in the negative. After attending a disappointing first night: I don’t fancy its
chances, or, about a friend about to enter a tournament: I don’t fancy his chances.
fanny, n. 1. Slang. backside
2. vulgar. cunt
1. Slang. Originally, this word meant the female pudenda, but the American
sense—‘backside,’ ‘behind,’ ‘derrière’—appears to have become its primary
meaning now in Britain, as a result of importation from America, where it has
never had the second meaning. Yet it might be just as well to avoid its use in
Britain, because there are those, among the elderly at least, and perhaps the not-
so-elderly in less chic circles, who might be shocked, and certainly puzzled, if it
were applied to a male.
2. Vulgar Slang. This is the original British meaning, and the word is still under-
stood or may be understood that way in some circles.
Fanny Adams. See sweet Fanny Adams.
fare stage bus fare zone limit
In both countries stage appears in the phrase stage of a journey, and as part of stage-
coach, especially in American movies about the Wild West. In Britain, fare stages
are the zone limits for purposes of computing bus fares.
farthing n. see comment
One fourth of an old penny, a coin long since demonetized; but the term is still
used figuratively to mean a ‘bit’ in expressions like It doesn’t matter a farthing. See
Appendix II.A. and, for idiomatic use, halfpenny.
fart in a colander, Slang restless soul
One who jumps around from one chore to the next, unable to make up his mind
what to start first. This indelicate expression suggests an anal wind emission
unable to decide which hole in the colander to pass through. Synonymous with
tit in a trance. Little used.
fashionista, n. Inf., see comment
A person who is unusually interested in clothing and fashion; usually used ironi-
cally or derogatorily.

fast, adj. express
Applied to trains and to roads (express or limited highways). A local train is
called a stopping train, or slow train.
Father Christmas Santa Claus
The British also use Santa Claus.
Father Christmas

127
Father of the House, n. see comment
The MP with the longest continuous service in the House of Commons. If that
person is a woman, the term will be Mother of the House.
fat rascal soft bun
Inf. Stuffed with black currants.
faults and service difficulties telephone repair department
This was the department you asked for on your neighbor’s telephone when yours
wasn’t working. A faulty telephone is one that is out of order. Now obsolete.
feed, n. 1. feeding
2. straight man
1. Usually in the context of formula feeding. To go onto feeds is to go onto formula,
e.g., My little one is on six feeds a day. Technically, a feed can be any variety—breast,
formula, or cereal.
2. The member of the comedy duo who feeds cues to the gag man.
feeder, n. child’s bib
feel, v.i. feel like
For example, I feel a perfect fool!
feeling not quite the thing, Inf. Inf. feel below par
felicitate, v.t. congratulate
Fellow, n. member of college governing body
In Oxford and some other universities, also called don. The chairman of the gov-
erning body is called the Master in most Oxbridge colleges, but in addition to the

eight Masters, there are seven Wardens, five Principals, three Provosts and two
Rectors. At Cambridge, Master is the title with only four exceptions: one each of
Provost, President, Mistress and Principal. At Oxford and Cambridge Fellow can
best be defined as ‘senior teaching or administrative member’ of a college. There
are all sorts and varieties of Fellow: Research Fellows, Junior Research Fellows, Honor-
ary Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Quondam (or ex-) Fellows.
fender, n. bumper
Old automobile term; but American fender is British wing. Bumper is now univer-
sal. (See also Appendix II.E.)
(the) Fens, n. pl. see comment
Name given to the marshy district of the eastern part of the country, west and
south of the Wash, a shallow bay in that section of England.
fetch, v.t. bring
As in, to fetch a price in an auction. The British use make in the same way.
fête, n. fair
(Pronounced fate.) An important part of British life. Most organizations, as well
as every village in Britain, down to the smallest, organize a fête. The village fête
is annual and is a small-scale country fair, sometimes preceded by a parade with
floats.
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Father of the House
fiddle, n., v.t., v.i. swindle
To fiddle is to cheat, and to fiddle the books is to engage in shady dealings. A fiddle is
usually a minor cheat. To be on the fiddle is to engage in minor swindling. When
the offense is of major proportions, the British use swindle. See also diddle; do;
carve up; ramp; sell a pup; swizz; take down; cook.
fiddling, adj. petty; futile; contemptible
field, v.t. put up
Speaking of political candidates. Americans and Britons alike field teams or

armies, i.e., put them in the field, but only the British field candidates.
fieldsman, n. fielder
Cricket vs. baseball (See also batsman). Fielder is commonly used in Britain, but
fieldsman is unknown in America.
fifty-fifty sale split even
You collect all those things you want to get rid of, take them to a scheduled char-
ity sale, and split the proceeds fifty-fifty with the charity.
file, n. loose-leaf binder
A British schoolboy or university student will keep his notes in a file.
filibuster, n., v.i. buccaneer
Filibuster originally meant the same thing in both countries: as a verb, ‘engage in
unauthorized warfare against a foreign power,’ as a noun, a ‘buccaneer’ or ‘pirate’
engaged in that activity. In Britain, it does not have the specialized American sense
of an endless speech, especially in the Senate and the House of Representatives,
designed to obstruct proceedings and prevent a vote on unwanted legislation.
fillet, n. 1. tenderloin
2. filet
(Rhymes with millet, not millay.) On an American restaurant menu the equiva-
lent would be tenderloin steak, or perhaps filet mignon. The term may also be
applied to pork, lamb, etc.
2. A piece of fish served without the bones.
fill in fill out
The British fill in or fill up a form; the Americans fill in or fill out a form. See
Appendix I.A.1. Fill out is creeping into Britain.
film, n. movie
A film is a movie (i.e., a motion picture). A cinema is the theater that shows it. In
old-fashioned slang, one went to the flicks to see a flick.
filthy, adj. Inf. lousy
Inf. As in Filthy weather we’re having; She’s had a filthy time of it; He has a filthy temper.
financial, adj. Inf. well-heeled

Inf. Mainly Australian and New Zealand, but used jocularly in Britain on occa-
sion. Let me buy the drinks; I’m financial tonight or, I’m feeling financial.
financial year fiscal year
An accounting term.
financial year

129
find, v.t. like
When the manager of the inn asks you as you are leaving, “How did you find
us?” he is asking you how you liked his inn.
fine down Inf. thin down; clear up
Inf. To fine (something) down, away or off is to make it thinner. Transitively, refer-
ring to the brewing of beer, it means to ‘clear up’. Intransitively, referring to any
liquid, it means to ‘become clear,’ as in the case of a wine whose sediment has
settled.
finger shot of booze
Slang. An alcoholic drink one finger-thickness in the glass.
fingerling, n. young salmon
In America, more broadly, it means anything small and specifically any fish no
longer than your finger.
fire, n. heater
As in electric fire; gas fire; but also used eliptically meaning either. See also -fired.
fire brigade fire department
-fired see comment
The British speak of oil-fired, gas-fired, etc., central heating. This is shortened to oil
heat, gas heat, etc., in America. See also fire.
fire-flair n. stingray
firefly, n. lightning bug
fire-guard, n. fire screen
fire-irons, n. pl. fireplace implements

fire lighter, n. fire starter
fire office fire insurance company office
fire-pan, n. metal grate
fire-raising, n. arson
A fire-raiser is an arsonist.
fire station, n. firehouse
firewood, n. kindling
Firewood, in America, is any wood for burning, usually in a fireplace for heat, but
also outdoors for cooking. The American term includes kindling. In Britain where
many fireplaces contain grates for the burning of coal, firewood denotes merely
130

find
wood to start the fire with, and is either gathered outdoors or is bought at the
ironmonger’s (hardware store) in small wire-bound bundles of thin, short sticks.
first, n. Inf. summa
Inf. First is a university term which is short for first-class honours and is roughly
equivalent to summa in America, which is short for summa cum laude. There are
seconds and thirds as well. See class. One says, He got a first in physics.
first class approx. major league
Sports terminology. This pairing is as approximate as the respective national
games; first-class cricket, major league baseball. There is also second-class cricket,
very roughly analogous to minor league baseball, involving the second elevens of
first class counties and the first elevens of second class counties, each category
with its own championship.
First Division see comment
The old term for the premier league in the football standings, now called Pre-
miership. The term is still used, informally, for any grouping that is considered
to be preeminent in its field, and is also the name of the trade union for top civil
servants.

first floor second floor
Americans use first floor and ground floor interchangeably to describe an apart-
ment on the ground level, and main floor or street floor to describe the ground level
of a shop or office building. The British use ground floor to describe all of those
things, but when they say first floor, they mean the next floor up, i.e., the floor
above the ground floor, or what Americans call the second floor. This difference
continues all the way to the top, of course. Though Americans call the floor above
the ground floor the second floor, inhabitants of that floor are also heard to say that
they live one flight up.
first knock. See take first knock.
fish, n. fish and seafood
In Britain fish usually includes seafood, edible salt water shellfish.
fish, wet. See wet fish.
fisher. See bradbury.
fish fingers fish sticks
fishing story, n. fish story
fishmonger’s fish store
fish ‘n’ chips see comment
Fish fried in batter and served with French fried potatoes (see chips). This fish
used to be cod, most of the time, in the cheaper places, and plaice, a European
flatfish, in the better places, and here and there other varieties of fish. As a result
of overfishing the price of cod has rocketed, and haddock and hake are the nor-
mal fare in the usual fish ‘n’ chips place. In the more casual type of establishment,
fish ’n’ chips

131
this dish used to be served wrapped in a piece of newspaper (a practice made
illegal), and some gourmets insist that the newspaper ink lent an incomparable
flavor that cannot be duplicated. The normal procedure is to douse this dish in
malt vinegar, Brown Sauce, or Daddy’s Sauce, and/or ketchup.

fish-slice, see comment
Inf. Literally, a cook’s implement for serving and for turning fish while it is cook-
ing, and for removing it from the pan.
fit?, adj. Inf. all set?
Inf. Usually asked in the form, Are you fit?
fitments, n. pl. fixtures
Of a shop or factory.
fits. See give (someone) fits.
fitted, adj. wall-to-wall
Used of carpeting. Another phrase, though less common, is edge-to-edge. Wall-to-
wall is beginning to be used frequently, especially in its extended senses.
fitter, n. plumber; mechanic
Americans use the phrase steam fitter to refer to a mechanic who installs or repairs
steam pipe systems but do not use fitter, as the British do loosely, to mean a
‘repairman’ or ‘plumber.’ In Britain you send for the fitter whether your home
radiator or your boat engine, as just two examples, is out of order.
fittings, n. pl. fixtures
Shop fittings in Britain are called store fixtures in America.
fit-up, adj. 1. Slang. pick-up
2. frame-up
1. Slang. Theatrical slang, to describe a temporary touring company, assembled
from hither and yon and provided with portable stage scenery. The term can be
applied to other types of organization.
2. Also used in phrases such as The cops fitted me up.
five honours. See four honours.
fiver, n. approx. five
A fiver is a five-pound note (see note), worth about $8. A fiver (more commonly a
five) in America is, of course, a five-dollar bill.
fives, n. handball
The games are roughly similar.

five-star. See four-star.
fixings, n. pl. hardware
What Americans call the hardware on a window, swinging gate, or other such
equipment, is called the fixings in Britain.
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fish-slice
fixture, n. scheduled sporting event
In the British sports world what the Americans call an event is called a fixture.
fizz, n. Inf. sparkling wine
Including Champagne, though not confined to it.
Flag Day Tag Day
The day on which people solicit you for contributions to a cause and give you
something to put on your lapel to prove you’ve come through. In Britain you get
little flags; in America you may get paper poppies on the end of a pin. Obsolete,
but see Poppy Day.
flake out Inf. pass out
Inf. Faint, collapse from exhaustion.
flaming, adj., adv. Slang. damned
Inf. Synonymous with flipping, ruddy, bloody.
flan, n. see comment
Sponge cake or pastry with fruit filling, usually with a layer of whipped cream as
well. Flan in America is caramel custard.
flannel, n. face cloth
Also known in America as washcloth or washrag. But when the British talk of a
wash-cloth they mean what is known in America as a dishcloth.
flannel, n., v.t., v.i., Slang. 1. n., Slang. soft soap; flattery
2. v.t., Slang. soft-soap; flatter
3. v.i., Slang. talk one’s way out
4. n., Slang. nonsense

flapjack, n. 1. see comment
2. lady’s flat compact
1. Type of cookie. Flapjack now also means ‘pancake’ in Britain.
2. A portable container for face powder.
flares, n.,pl. bell-bottoms
flash, adj. flashy
flash Harry see comment
Someone who is flash in his manner or habits, i.e. ostentatiously and obnoxiously
displaying the evidence of his wealth.
flat, n. apartment
A block of flats is an apartment house. See block; apartment.
flat, adj. dead
Describing batteries that have come to the end of their useful lives.
flatmate, n. roommate
More precisely: someone with whom one shares an apartment without sharing
a bed.
flatmate

133
flat out at full speed
Inf. Flat out to a Briton suggests a race, particularly a horse race, with the winner
(by a nose) going all out, using every ounce of power. In Britain, it does not have
the sense of ‘plainly’ or ‘directly,’ as in (American) I told him flat-out what I thought
of him.
flat spin. See in a flat spin.
fleck, n. lint
Inf. The bits that cling annoyingly to dark woolen clothing. Fluff and lint are the
usual terms in Britain and America.
fleet, n., adj. 1. creek
2. shallow

Heard from time to time.
Fleet Street the press
Inf. See Throgmorton Street, Wardour Street, and other street names used synec-
dochically, to indicate various businesses and professions. Fleet Street, EC1 and
EC2, once housed nearly all of Britain’s national press and major news agencies.
Even though the last moved out in 2005, the term is still used.
flex, n. electric cord; extension
Abbreviation of flexible, used as a noun.
flexible (table) lamp gooseneck lamp
flexitime, n. flextime
A system in Britain and America whereunder an employee works a fixed number
of hours but at times partly as the worker chooses.
flick-knife, n. switchblade
flicks, n. pl. movies
Slang. Still heard. See film.
flies, n. pl. fly
The fly of a man’s trousers is commonly heard as flies in Britain.
flimsy, n. thin copy paper
Inf. Particularly the type favored by Her Majesty’s ministries. The word can also
mean a carbon copy of something typed on such paper. Now rare.
flipping, adj., adv. damned
Slang. More or less equivalent to bloody but thought to be more polite. Pejorative
and intensive. See synonyms under bloody.
flit, v.i.,n. move on, depart
Especially from one abode to another, with the intention of escaping from some-
thing undesirable. He’ll probably flit to escape his debts. As a noun, used in the
phrase to do a flit.
float, n. petty cash fund
134

flat out
flog, v.t. 1. Slang. push
2. Slang. sell illegally
3. Slang. lick (vanquish)
4. Slang. swipe
1. Slang. In Britain flog describes the hard sell, whether the insistent effort to dis-
pose of goods or to press an idea.
2. Slang. Applies to stolen or smuggled goods flogged on the black market, for
example. See also fallen off the back of a lorry.
3. Slang. To flog one’s competitors, whether in sports or competitive examina-
tions, is to trounce them, to beat them all hollow.
4. Slang. To borrow without the owner’s permission, with only the vaguest inten-
tion of returning.
flog it plod
Military slang. To flog it is to walk or plod. See also foot-slog.
floor, v.t. see comment
Inf. When a British schoolboy stands up to recite and isn’t prepared, the teacher
(master) floors him, i.e., tells him to sit down. Floor shares the general American
colloquial meaning ‘overcome’ or ‘shatter’ someone with a devastating riposte.
Now rare.
Floral Dance. See Furry Dance.
fluff, n. lint
A bit of fluff was British slang for chick in the sense of gal. It might have referred to
the relative youth of the female companion of an older man, but no real harm was
meant by it. See fleck; bit of.
fluff, v.t., v.i. 1. Slang. juggle
2. lie; bluff
1. Slang. As in fluff the books (accounts).
2. Slang. As in Don’t take him seriously; he’s fluffing.
fluffy, adj. Inf. unserious

A pejorative term, often just a sign of unthinking snobbery.
flutter, n., v.i. gamble
Slang. A flutter is a small bet. The usual expression is Have a flutter.
fly, adj. wide awake
Slang. Ingenious, crafty, clever. The current American term street-wise is a close
equivalent.
fly a kite, Inf. Inf. send up a trial balloon
fly on the wall invisible onlooker
Inf. Someone who would give anything to be a fly on the wall means he would
love to witness a meeting, confrontation, etc. unobserved.
fly-over, n. overpass
A bridge or viaduct for carrying one road over another.
fly-over

135
fly-post, v.i. see comment
To put up notices or advertising rapidly and surreptitiously on unauthorized
walls.
fly-tip, v.i. see comment
To dump garbage illegally, especially for profit as a service to other businesses
or as way of cutting costs within a legitimate business. Businesses in the UK are
usually charged by the local council for the disposal of large quantities of waste,
and fly-tipping lets them avoid that charge.
fobbed off (with) Slang. stuck (with)
Slang. Both countries use fob off in the sense of palming off inferior merchandise,
but only the British use the past passive participle this way to indicate the result-
ing situation of the victim.
fob pocket watch pocket
Tailor’s term.
fogged, adj., Slang. befuddled

foggiest, adj. Inf. faintest
Inf. Usually met with in the negative expression I haven’t the foggiest, meaning ‘I
haven’t the slightest (idea)’. In this expression, foggiest is used as a substantive,
like slightest or faintest when the modified noun (idea or notion) is omitted.
folding, n. Inf. paper money
Also called notes in Britain, and referring particularly to the higher-denomina-
tion notes (£20 and £50).
Follow?, v.i. See?
Often heard in Britain and America in the question Do you follow? meaning ‘Do
you see?’ or ‘Are you with me?’
folly, n. whimsical structure
A peculiar, nonfunctional structure built for no apparent reason other than the
whim of an estate owner with too much leisure and money and lots of whimsy;
usually found on 18th-century English estates.
fool, n. see comment
A dessert of stewed fruit, crushed and mixed with custard or cream and served
cold.
football, n. soccer
As the name of a game, football, in Britain, is short for Association football, the game
that Americans call soccer. The nearest equivalent in Britain to American football
is the game called Rugby football, or simply Rugby, but most commonly called rug-
ger. This game is played in uniforms like the ones used in soccer, without helmets,
padding, nose guards, etc.
footer, n. soccer
Schoolboy slang. See football.
136

fly-post
footpath, n. see comment
An ancient right of way for walkers only. Landowners are legally obliged to keep

footpaths clear and open to the public. See also
footway.
footplate, n. engineer’s and fireman’s platform
Railroading. The engineer (engine driver, in Britain) and fireman are known col-
lectively as footplatemen. Loosely used to designate the whole locomotive cab.
foot-slog, v.i. trudge
Slang. A foot-slogger is a hiker; the word is sometimes taken to mean ‘infantryman.’
See also flog it.
footway, n. sidewalk
An old-fashioned term, still seen on street signs threatening pedestrians with
fines if they permit their dogs to “foul the footway.” Also footpath. In the country-
side, where there aren’t any sidewalks, both words refer to any path for walkers.
Pavement is the common British term.
footy, n. Inf. football
The game, that is; not the ball itself. Sometimes spelled footie.
(the) forces, n. pl. (the) service
In the sense of the armed forces. A Briton would speak of ‘leaving the forces.’ An
American would most likely say something like ‘When I get out of the army.’
forecourt, n. front yard
Applied in Britain to a service station, forecourt means the ‘area where gas (pet-
rol) is pumped.’ Thus one sees help-wanted ads for a forecourt attendant, i.e.,
somebody to man the gas pumps. Also, in Britain and America, a tennis term
meaning the area near the net.
Foreign Office approx. State Department
Now called the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Foreign Secretary see comment
Cabinet Minister in charge of the Foreign Office.
forerib, n. see comment
What Americans call the rib—the four to six ribs from which rib-eye steak and rib
roast are obtained—Britons almost always call forerib.

forged, adj. counterfeit
The British speak of a forged note, the Americans of a counterfeit bill.
for it Inf. in for it
Inf. In deep trouble. Oh, he’s for it now! See also for the high jump.
fork supper buffet
Inf. This term is applied to a meal that can be eaten without a knife. Fork lunch
is also used. Roughly speaking, the American equivalent of fork in this context
might be thought to be buffet, as in a well-planned buffet lunch or buffet dinner,
fork supper

137
at which a knife is not needed. A fork meal in Britain is definitely one in which a
knife is superfluous. For the converse of this situation, see knife-and-fork tea.
form, n. 1. grade
2. class
1. A school usage. Used in America, but rarely.
2. As in, He was punished for sleeping in form.
for the high jump Slang. in for it
Slang. A grim echo of a hanging (the high jump). The phrase is now used to refer to
any threatened or imminent punishment; especially drastic punishment.
for the matter of that for that matter
The American form is used in Britain as well.
fortnight, n. two weeks
This is a common word in Britain, somewhat archaic or formal in America. Today
fortnight, Monday fortnight, etc., mean ‘two weeks from today, two weeks from
Monday,’ etc. Week is used in the same way in Britain: today week, Friday week,
etc. This day fortnight (or week) is still heard, too. I’d rather keep him a week than
a fortnight is a quaint, if mildly callous, way of saying, He’s a big eater. See also
Appendix I.D.5.
for toffee. See toffee.

forward, v.t. ship
By land, sea, or air.
fossick, v.i. Slang. mess around
Slang. With no clear purpose. To fossick after something is to rummage about for it.
The word derives from an Australian term for those who picked over abandoned
gold workings. In some British dialects fussock means ‘bustle about,’ and that
may be reflected here as well. See also frig about.
found, all (or fully.) See fully found.
foundation member charter member
foundation-stone, n. cornerstone
fourball, n. foursome
Golf term. When the British say foursome, they mean a ‘Scotch foursome,’ a two
ball match, in which the partners on each side stroke alternately at one ball. An
American foursome has two players on each of two teams, all playing their own
balls.
four honours 100 honors
A term used in bridge, meaning any four of the top five cards in the trump suit.
Five honours, as you might expect, means 150 honors.
fourpenny one,
Inf.
Slang. sock on the jaw
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four-star premium
Designation of gasoline (petrol) high-octane rating. Two-star is regular. In America
four stars are the domain of generals and admirals.
four up. See make a four up.
Four Wents Four Corners
This is not only a general term meaning ‘intersection’ but a very common place

name in the British countryside. The Four Wents, or the Four Went Ways, is always
a place name designating a specific intersection. The Four Corners is a classic
bucolic general term rather than a specific place name in the American country-
side. The Went in the British expression is derived from the word wend, in the
sense of ‘turn’ or ‘direct.’
fowl, n. See under chicken.
fowl-run, n. See under chicken.
foyer, n. lobby
fraternity n. religious organization
Never has the sense of ‘male college society’ (frat), an institution unknown in
Britain.
frazzled, adj. Inf. worn out
Slang. Applied to a person who has looked after obstreperous children for far too
long, put in too much overtime, etc.
Fred Karno’s army approx. Inf. Coxey’s army
Inf. Fred Karno was a music-hall (vaudeville) comedian during World War I
and did an act involving a joke army. Jacob Sechler Coxey was a U.S. political
reformer who led a civilian march on Washington in 1894 to petition Congress
for unemployment relief. (He died in 1951 at the age of 97.) Old-fashioned
Americans use the phrase Coxey’s army to describe any motley throng. Among
old-fashioned Britons, Fred Karno’s army is a term usually applied to any sort of
chaotic organization.
Free Church. See chapel.
freefone, n. toll-free number
Also given as freephone.
freehold, n. approx. title
This term, as opposed to leasehold, means ‘title to real estate,’ whether outright or
for life. It implies ownership as opposed to tenancy. A person enjoying such owner-
ship is a freeholder. In 1430, Parliament limited the right to vote in the election of
Members of Parliament to forty-shilling freedholders, i.e., those owning real prop-

erty whose rental value was at least forty shillings per annum, a respectable sum
in those days. Today, nearly all British subjects have the vote.
free house see comment
Most pubs are tied in with a particular brewery, at least in the beer and ale
department, serving only that brewery’s brand. The brewery owns the premises
free house

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and leases the pub to the operator, who is known as the landlord (though he is,
legally speaking, the tenant), or publican. The pub has its own historic name and
a standing or hanging decorative pub sign, sometimes beautifully painted and
occasionally ancient, but the effect is somehow a little marred by the appearance
of another sign, the name of the brewery, which has the effect of depersonalizing
the management. A free house is a pub not affiliated with a brewery. It serves
whatever brands of ale and beer it chooses. See tied; pub.
free issue of new shares stock dividend
free line line
When most calls were connected by a switchboard operator (telephonist), you
would ask for a free line when you wanted to dial the number yourself. In Britain
and America, you may request a line.
free of entitled to the use of
To make someone free of something is to give him the right to use it. A person free
of a company or a city is one entitled to share in the privileges of membership
in the company or citizenship in the community. To make someone free of your
house, car, library, etc. is to allow him the free use of it, to make free of it.
free-range eggs eggs from uncooped hens
As opposed to battery eggs. This usage is increasingly common in the U.S.
freight, n. cargo
In Britain, freight, by itself, is applied to transportation by water or air, though
railroads use the terms freight rates, freight sheds, etc. In America the term is

applied to transportation by land or by air, and cargo is the marine term. See also
forward; goods.
French beans string beans
French toast see comment
A delicious morsel of bread buttered on one side and toasted on the other.
Simple enough to concoct, but never met with in America, where French toast
is bread soaked in a mixture of eggs and milk, fried, and eaten with syrup or
molasses or sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
fresh butter sweet butter
Unaugmented by salt, that is. And more often called unsalted butter.
fresher, n. approx. freshman
Slang. A British university term and a little more restricted than freshman. Fresh-
man applies to the entire first year; fresher normally covers only the first term.
Freshman (despite its second syllable) and fresher apply to both sexes.
fret, n. Slang. tizzy
Inf. People, when agitated, fret in both countries. The word is used as a noun in
Britain in the expression in a fret in situations where Americans would be apt to
say in a tizzy.
fridge, n. refrigerator
Inf. Also occasionally spelled frig, but always pronounced fridge, the universal
term in Britain for refrigerator or icebox.
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free issue of new shares