Below are a few more commonly used british slang words. Some are hilarious, some are rude and some are interesting. The term cracker was in use during elizabethan times to describe braggarts. I know it goes back to before 1600 which would put its or. If both play to their undoubted potential then a cracker of a game is in prospect. The words on this list were excerpted from anglotopias dictionary of british english. Aggro short for aggravation, its the sort of thing you might expect at a football match. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. After youre done, brush up on some southern manners and learn how to pronounce these commonly mispronounced arkansas names. Learn the words you need to communicate with confidence. A cracker is a hollow cardboard tube covered with coloured paper. Hed written about the etymology of some antiwhite slurs.
Sense of computer cracker, crack, cracking, were promoted in the 1980s as an alternative to hacker, by programmers concerned about negative public associations of hack, hacking creative computer coding. Cracker definition and meaning collins english dictionary. This idiom has its origins in slavery white people were called crackers because of the sound of a slaveowners whip. North american english, slang an offensive word for a poor white person with little education from the southern us informal a person who illegally finds a way of looking at or stealing information on somebody elses computer system. At times, terms may even have been changed in certain translations to more cultureappropriate terms.
For example, the party was a bit of a damp squib because only richard turned up. If youre trying to figure out what your british buddy is yammering about, we can help. North american english, slang an offensive word for a poor white person with little. Military slang of the revolutionary war era history is fun. Its worth noting that scotland has 3 languages english scots scottish gaelic and a collection of different dialects. British terms used in the harry potter series are generally specific to british culture and may seem foreign to readers from other countries. British slang is a fountain of beautiful words that we dont normally use in america. The amount of misinformation contained in some of these answers is amazing. A cracker is a thin, crisp biscuit which is often eaten with cheese. In elizabethian english, the word cracker meant braggert. We are constantly updating our database with new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. Cracker comes from the gaelic word craic which means a good conversation and is still in use in ireland today. The southern slang dictionary will help you avoid confusion if you are planning to visit the south.
Cracker definition in the cambridge english dictionary. We look back on the words that emerged out of the longrunning brexit saga and wonder if we will have. A cracker of a game was played with both sides giving their all. Cracker term cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a term for white people, used especially for poor rural whites in the southern united states. Crackers make a loud noise when they are pulled apart and usually contain a small toy and a. Available now from major retailers in prints and ebook form. It turned out, in fact, to be a cracker of a show to cheer up the punters on a showery and cold earlymarch night. Top 100 most beautiful british slang words and phrases. When someone is chuffed, they are very pleased or happy about something. One day after a super heavy rain in orlando, my florida cracker friend howard described it as a lighter knot floater. Code switch where does the slur cracker come from, anyway. More of an usual term, a damp squib in british slang terms refers to something which fails on all accounts, coming from the squib an explosive, and the propensity for them to fail when wet. Having trouble understanding somebody from across the pond. The term is generally considered archaic by some and inadvertently derogatory, especially in the africanamerican community.
These are some of the most common and not so common southern slang terms heard in arkansas and throughout the south. Various theories exists regarding this terms application to poor white southerners. Where does the term cracker come from, and how disparaging is it. Here are some examples of american and british military slang that date to the period of. Weve gathered the largest british dictionary on the internet. Originally hes got the crackers then hes gone crackers. Cracker, sometimes white cracker, is a racial slur used against white people, used especially. Study 38 terms british termsslang lord of the flies. The atlanta crackers was a minor league baseball team in the aa league until 1965 when the milwaukee braves moved to atlanta. Military slang of the revolutionary war era there is nothing new about military slang. To discover more amazing secrets about living your best life, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter. Today, cracker is often used as a derogatory term for a white person for obvious reasons.
All the significant words in the sentence were british slang of the period. It implies a person who lives in the utmost worst conditions and a person who no one really cares about. Heres our list of our top 100 favorite british slang words and phrases. The original root of this is the middle english word crack1 meaning entertaining conversation one may be said to crack a joke. In british slang terms, dodgy refers to something wrong, illegal, or just plain off, in one way or another. This page explains what the slang term cracker means. The term its a cracker came about during the 70s from a tv program called the comedians one them whos irish used it as a line after his jokes and it became part of the english language meaning a good joke. British english, informal something that you think is very good, funny, etc. Is cracker the common slang word for the irish answers. Crackers definition of crackers by the free dictionary. Certain areas may have their own slang words that are not used in other areas where the same language is spoken. The south african sense derive their name from their sound and their status as a plurale tantum by association. The term is widely used in latin america and caribbean usually without suggesting any. Do white people actually find the term cracker offensive.
The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the slangit team. Definition of cracker noun in oxford advanced learners dictionary. Its a cracker of a book and you should read it if you havent already. Soldiers, like other groups of people who have interests and associations that are not shared by society as a whole, develop their own special terminology. Crackers dictionary definition crackers defined yourdictionary. The term could have also derived from the middle english cnac, craic, or crak, which originally meant the sound of a cracking whip but came to. Origin americas mulatto is a term used to refer to a person who is born from one white parent. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial epithet for white people, used especially for poor rural whites in the southern united states. British slang a thing or person of notable qualities or abilities. This is a glossary of scots, scots english dialect and jargon with their meanings and, where appropriate, an example of their use.
The joke is usually terrible hence the term a cracker of a joke. The book features over 1,000 british slang words including extra sections on australian and kiwi slang, cockney slang, london slang. British biscuit is not a term average americans would think of, but seeing the picture you provided they would automatically say cookie. Start studying british termsslang lord of the flies. British dictionary definitions for crackers 1 of 2. Ward and john joe maguire were both just wide, while damian curran hit a cracker that rice saved. Oh, i have a cracker of a photo of the two of us after a massive goodbye cry, when i left australia 10 years ago. Slang is informal or casual language and is commonly used, particularly by teenagers and young people. The drug slang translator contains a comprehensive list of drug slang words. We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies. Slang from the uk united kingdom, or britain is significantly different from american slang. It is sometimes used in a neutral context in reference to a native of florida or georgia see florida cracker and georgia cracker. Great for parents, teachers, law enforcement, and teenagers.