English Phrases

British Phrase - Approximate U.S. Meaning
Example, if appropriate
Note: Most of these were new to me, a couple were not. They are all, in my opinion, lesser known in the U.S. and by virtue of being listed here, they were phrases I actually heard someone in the UK use (although the example does not necessarily reflect the context in which I first heard the phrase).

• Gypsy’s kiss – take a leak
  After my third pint, I went for a gypsy's kiss
  
• Tipple – generalization for a drink or refreshment
  Fancy a tipple?
  
• Sherbert - refers more directly to a specific beverage
  Shane fancied a tipple after work, so we stopped into the pub for a few sherberts.
  
• Blooded – drunk
  We stopped for a few sherberts after work and got blooded.
  
• Good'n - singular or plural way of saying a 'good one'; expression of goodness
  After a few sherberts, times were good'n.
  
• Bits - pieces or parts
  After I put the unit together there were a few bits left over.
  
• Bob’s your uncle - simple, guaranteed success
  You take the bits off the plane, put the new bits on, Bob's your uncle, parts are good'n.
  
• Brick shithouse - a measure of speed and agility
  With only one engine working, that plane will fly like a brick shithouse.
• Shit off a shovel - fast
  A brick shithouse would fall out of the sky faster than shit off a shovel.
• Jacket potato - baked potato
• Spot on - perfect; well done
  
• Useless as tits on a warthog - impractical
  Without any street signs, following directions in England is as useless as tits on a warthog.
  
• Bees knees - sweet; awesome
  My new International cell phone is bees knees.
  
• Fuck that for a game of soldiers - to give up or refuse to do something; expression of disgust or futility
  When we approached the parking structure and saw that it was closed--with our car still inside--Kevin exclaimed "fuck that for a game of soldiers".
• Gutted - to feel awful about something
  The bus driver was just gutted about having to charge us two pounds for a five minute ride.
  
• Shag ass - An expression of extreme speed
  When we finally got back to the parking lot, we paid our bill and shagged ass out of there.
  
• More than you can shake a hairy stick at - a lot
  England has more roundabouts than you can shake a hairy stick at.
  
• Skinful – to have lots to drink
  We stopped at the pub and had a skinful.
  
• Ham shank - stupid American tourist
  The cabbie tried to charge us twelve pounds for an eight pound cab ride, he must have thought I was a pretty big ham shank.
  
• Wanker - an idiot or a person who likes to show off
  
• Cheers - thanks; have a good day
• She's the cat's mother - a rebuke for referring to a woman as "she" instead of by her name
  
• Bin - verb meaning "to throw something away"
  I no longer needed the report so I binned it
  
• Someone wearing much longer trousers than mine - someone more important or with more authority than I have
  The decision to buy a new car will have to be made by someone with much longer trousers than mine.
  
• Sort your dog out - to get something in order, like a barking dog
  
• Go on then
  
• It doesn't take the brains of an arch bishop
• Brilliant - excellent, totally cool
  You have to go see the new Bourne movie, it's brilliant.
• Canteen - cafeteria
• Nick - Jail also nicked - to get arrested
• Smiling assassin
• Useless as a chocolate teapot
• Square root of useless
  
• Hoover - v. the act of vacuuming
• Craic pronounced crack - fun; jolly good time