Smith & Chips: Queen's English as a Second Language Part Three

It seems every day I find more words that are commonly used here in London that I have never heard in that context before. Even as a native English speaker, I find that I have situations where I feel like I am speaking a different language than someone who uses Queen's English.

Jab--shot, as in "I need to get my flu jab soon."

Cracking--something sensational, as in "We had a cracking good time!"

Circus--a round, open space at a street junction, as in "Oxford Circus has the best shops."

Fouling--to dirty or pollute. I have never heard anyone use this term in a sentence but this sign says it all.

Lift--elevator, as in "My legs are tired, let's just take the lift."

Cheeky--irreverent but sly, as in "Oh, you're a cheeky one, aren't you?"

Spot--zit

Curling tongs--curling iron

Boris Bike--bicycles available to rent throughout the city, as in "Let's take a Boris Bike to Westminster this weekend". Named after London's mayor, Boris Johnson, an avid bicycler.

A&E (Accident and Emergency)--ER, as in "You'd better be careful on the Boris Bike or you'll end up in the A&E."

Autumn--Fall, as in "Starbucks has pumpkin flavoured drinks for autumn." (fall and autumn are not interchangeable here as they are in the US)

Clamp--boot, as in "Don't park in front of my place because they come around and clamp cars a lot."

Nappies--diapers, as in "This tube stop smells like a dirty nappy."

Biscuits--cookies. I happened to be at McDonalds during breakfast one day and asked them if they have a sausage biscuit because I didn't see it on the menu. The woman looked horrified and said they do not have anything like that. After I walked away I realised that I had basically asked her if they sell a sausage cookie. Gross.