B

baby giraffe - Rhyming Slang for 'half' of a pint of beer.

backhander - a payment given, normally in a secretive fashion.

ballistic - to go mad with rage. eg "He went totally ballistic".

banged up - to be put in prison. eg "Did you hear John got banged up for that blag".

bangers - another name for sausages. Originates from the fact that they explode when cooking if they are not pierced first. A traditional English meal is 'bangers and mash' (sausages + mashed potatoes).

banging - a 'rave culture' term meaning exciting, powerful etc. Has replaced terms such as 'kicking' and 'slammin'. A typical example of the term being used would be when a clubber says a DJ was playing 'banging choons' (a lively full-on set).

banjaxed - meaning drunk or stoned. eg "I feel really banjaxed". From the word 'banjax' - meaning to smash or destroy.

Barclays bank - (normally shortened to 'Barclays'') - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'wank'. eg "Dave's a long time in the khazi, bet he's 'avin a Barclays' !".

barf - to vomit. Also sometimes 'barf-up'.

barmy - a foolish person, mad. "You must be barmy mate".

Barnet fair - normally shortened to 'Barnet' - Rhyming Slang for 'hair'. eg "I'm 'avin my Barnet chopped on sa'aday !" (I'm having my hair cut on Saturday).

barney - row, violent argument.

battle cruiser - Rhyming Slang for 'boozer', meaning pub (public house).

bean flicker - a lesbian. Likening the clitoris to a bean. Also 'to flick one's bean' is for a woman to masturbate. Suggested by Joanne Evert.

bearded axe wound - vulgar term for the vagina.

bearded clam - a vulgar term for a woman's sexual organs.

beast - a common term used to describe an ugly bird.

beaver - a common term for 'vagina'. American origin.

behave ! - pron. 'bee-ave'. Meaning 'sort yourself out', 'stop being silly'. Can be used in an agressive manner as if to say 'stop doing that, or else'. Also, in these post Austin Powers days can be 'oooh behave !".

beef bayonet - a playful name for penis.

beef curtains - another vulgar term for a woman's 'bits'.

beer monster - a laddish heavy drinker (normally young). i.e. "Did you see Dave from accounts at the Christmas party ? That bloke is a complete beer monster !".

bell - a telephone call. eg "give us a bell later"

bell-end - end of penis. Comes from it's shape. Can be applied to a person as an insult "You total bell-end!".

bender - this term can mean a drinking spree, or a gay bloke (in the latter case, short for 'gender bender').

bent - can mean 'gay man' or 'stolen'. ie "That bloke dahn the market sells bent goods".

bent as a nine* pound/bob note - (* denomination varies widely) a term to describe someone thought to be gay. eg "(H)e's bent as a nine bob note mate" and also used to describe something that is illegal/crooked, ie. stolen goods.

berk - Rhyming Slang, short for 'Berkshire Hunt', meaning 'cunt'. Most people go around calling people 'berks' for years not realising that it is slang for one of the strongest swear words in the English language.

Bernie Flint - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'skint'. Not used anywhere near as much as borasic lint.

biffa - large butch girl.

big girl's blouse - a term that has more associations with the north of England, but is also used 'down south'. Normally used as a term to playfully ridicule a young man who is a bit soft and shy. The sort of thing your uncle might say to you. eg. "Come on, put your back into it you big girls blouse !".

Billy - short for 'Billy Whizz' a character from an English children's comic (the Beano). 'Whizz' is another name for the drug 'speed'. ie. It makes you whizz.

Billy no mates - - this is a term I have heard from about four different unconnected people and is used to describe a sad bloke who has few friends. It can also be used describe yourself, ie. "I don't get out much these days, I'm Billy no mates me".

bimbo - a young woman considered sexually attractive but of limited intelligence. From the Italian word for little child / baby.

bird - probably the most common slang term for woman/girl/girlfriend. In prison slang a 'bird' is a prison sentence. eg. "He's doing 'is bird in Dartmoor". This comes from the Rhyming Slang term 'birdlime' meaning 'time'.

bit if a knob - a general term of abuse. e.g. "He seems like a bit of a knob". Especially used when you don't really know someone but your initial impressions are that you don't like them.

bit of awright / stuff / fluff - general term used by men to refer to an attractive young lady.

bladdered - very drunk. eg. "he was completely bladdered"

blag - slang word for a robbery

(cor) blimey - corruption of the oath 'God blind me'. Used as an exclamation. Also used in the form "blimey O'Riley".

blinding / blinder - used to describe something amazing or wonderful. eg "We 'ad a right blinding time last night dahn the pub".

bloke - general term for a man of unknown name. eg. "Look at that bloke over there". Very common.

blotto - a fairly old term for 'very drunk', pretty much replaced by newer terms. eg "I got totally blotto last night".

blower - slang for telephone. eg. "I've got John on the blower".

blow-job - the most common term for oral sex (on men). Can be shortened to 'blow'.

blow-off - polite slang word for fart.

bluey - pornographic film, normally a video.

boat race - Rhyming Slang for 'face'. eg "She looks awright from behind, but you wanna see the boat mate".

bob - shilling(s) in 'old' money. Now the 5p coin.

bobble hat and scarf - Modern Rhyming Slang - for 'laugh'. I have also heard 'Bubble bath' used. Used in short form, eg "You're 'avin a bobble mate".

Bobby - slang for policeman (from Robert Peel).

Bob Hope - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'dope' (cannabis). i.e. "I'm off out to get some Bob".

Bob's your uncle - This term may come from the Irish politician Balfour who in 1887 was unexpectedly promoted to the post of Chief Secretary for Ireland by his uncle Robert, Lord Salisbury. This stroke of nepotism is said to have inspired the term. The phrase is used as if to say "and so it is done". e.g. "You just turn on the power, hit the switch and Bob's your uncle".

bone-on - another name for an erection.

booze (up)/boozer - booze = drink ('bottle of booze', "lets go for a booze/booze-up ?"). boozer = pub/drunkard ("he's a right boozer", "lets go dahn the boozer"). From Middle Dutch 'busen', to drink to excess.

Bo Peep - Rhyming Slang for 'sleep', normally in it's full form. Also in the cute form 'Bo Bo's'.

borasic lint - Rhyming Slang for 'skint' (penniless). Used in it's short form, eg "I'm totally borasic !".

bosh / boche - this general use term is not as fashionable as it once was. Used mainly together with a hand action such as a punch or painting a wall. eg "It won't take a second to do that son, just go bosh bosh bosh and Bob's yer uncle".

bottle - courage, balls. eg "he lost his bottle", "he bottled out", "he's got a lot of bottle". The most common explanation of this term is that it comes from the Rhyming Slang 'bottle and glass' - 'arse'. ie. To loose ones bottle, to loose ones arse (incontinence produced by fear).

bottler - someone who 'bottles' out, see above.

botty boy - offensive slang for gay man.

bovver - trouble, usually fighting. Also bovver boots - large lace-up boots worn by thugs (especially skinheads) and bovver boys- boys that cause the bovver mate !

box - this has many meanings such as television ("what's on the box ?") and vagina. Also out of your box and off your box are used for drunk or stoned.

Brahms and Liszt - Rhyming Slang for 'pissed' (drunk), used in it's full form.

brass (nail) - Rhyming Slang for 'tail' meaning prostitute. Can be heard in 70's and 80's police drama's.

brass monkeys - cold weather, as in "it's brass monkeys out there". Comes from the saying 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'. As far as I can see the debate on the origins of this one are still ongoing. Many sources say it comes from a old naval device for holding cannon balls (called a 'brass monkey'), others discount this.

bread - slang for 'money'. From the Rhyming Slang 'bread and honey'.

bread knife - Rhyming Slang for 'wife'. e.g. "How's the bread knife doin' mate ?".

brew - slang for a cup of tea and sometimes a pint of beer. eg "Do you fancy a brew ?".

brewers droop - a playful name given to male sexual incapasitance due to alcohol consumption.

brill - short for 'brilliant'. A bit of a schoolboy term, although it is still used.

Bristol's - Rhyming Slang, short for Bristol city, 'titty'. Therefore 'Bristol's' = 'titties' or 'tits'. Used in the term "She's big in the Bristol area".

brown bread - Rhyming Slang for 'dead'. Used in it's full form.

brown nose(r) / nosing - someone who is sycophantic, who 'licks arse' (how they get a brown nose).

bubble and squeek - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'greek'. After the name of the dish which is left-over cabbage and potato fried up (usually for breakfast). A popular term for a person of Greek origin during the 80's. Usually shortened, i.e. "I'm sure Dave once told me he's dad was a bubble".

bugger - a mild form of abuse or an exclamation. Used commonly and without worry about offending. eg "You crafty bugger !". Someone who is 'a bugger' is more likely to be 'cheeky' rather than a rogue. Other forms are: bugger-off (to tell someone to go away / to leave quickly) and bugger-all (nothing at all. eg "I've got bugger-all money left"). The term derives from the earlier sense, from someone who practices anal intercourse.

bum bandit - slang term for gay man.

bumhole engineer - vulgar term for a gay man.

bum suck - to wet the end of a cigarette or joint when you smoke it. eg. A complaint made amongst smokers "Hey man don't bum it !".

(a) bun in the oven - meaning pregnant. eg "Did you know she's got a bun in the oven ?".

(to) bunk-off - to be absent without permission, usually used by children who miss days at school.

(to do a) bunk - to make an escape, leave rapidly. eg. "Once Fred er'd the filth were onto him he dun a bunk".

bunk-up - term for sexual intercourse. "'allo darlin, fancy a bunk-up!?".

buns - bottom, usually used to refer to a mans behind by women.

bush - another word for vagina.

(the) business - seriously good/wicked/cool. eg "You wanna see Daves new motah, it's the business !".