22/05/25 Mains and Sides

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In my youth, indeed up till about 20 years ago ”Mains” meant “mains electricity” a corollary of “water mains”.

 

Latterly though sinister forces have given it a new and degenerate meaning, providing a good example of a recent trend in English to abbreviate. So as a programmer I used to write applications, I now find they are called apps. Apparently this is progress…

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So back to Mains and Sides - when I used to go to a restaurant I would order my main course and sometimes a side dish or two. Well in some “Eateries” (I'll explain later perhaps) the waiter or waitress will now take your order for Mains and Sides...

 

Unfortunately my one person crusade to stop this degradation of the language of Shakespeare has failed completely. It makes me cry…

 

Examples:

Mains

• "For the mains, we have grilled sea bass, roast lamb, and a vegetarian risotto."

  → Refers to the main course options on the menu.

• "Would you like to order your mains now, or would you prefer another starter first?"

  → A server checking if the diners are ready for their main course.

Sides

• "All mains come with a choice of two sides – chips, salad, or seasonal vegetables."

  → Indicates optional or included accompaniments to the main dish.

• "Can we get a few extra sides for the table? Maybe some garlic bread and onion rings?"

  → Customers ordering additional side dishes to share.

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08/04/25 Gobsmacked​

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This lovely word is actually in quite common usage and everyone will understand it but you are very unlikely to find it in a textbook.

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So, have you ever been so surprised by something that's happened you were left without words, you couldn’t speak?

 

That’s being gobsmacked. "Gob" is old slang for mouth, so it’s like getting hit or smacked in the mouth.

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Examples:

• I was gobsmacked when I won the prize.

• He looked completely gobsmacked when his girlfriend turned up unannounced.

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08/04/25 Gobby

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So when in English you learn one word you so often also learn others, here for instance is Gobby, again starting from the word "Gob" but this time to describe someone who talks too much or perhaps is "cheeky"

So more formally it describes someone who is loud, opinionated and not afraid to speak their mind with an emphasis on sometimes a bit too much!

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If someone’s being “gobby”, they’re probably talking a lot and not exactly being shy about it. Think bold, brash and maybe a bit in-your-face. It’s not always meant to be nasty—sometimes it’s teasing, sometimes it’s spot-on.

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Examples:

• She’s a bit gobby after a couple of drinks, but she means well.

• He got gobby with the bouncer and ended up getting kicked out.

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01/04/25 Dodgy

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Dodgy (adjective, British informal) – Meaning dishonest, unreliable, suspicious, or of poor quality. It can also mean risky or dangerous in certain contexts.

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Examples:

• I wouldn’t buy a car from him—he’s a bit dodgy. (Untrustworthy or suspicious)

• That neighbourhood gets right dodgy after dark, so be careful. (Very unsafe or risky)

In the second example, "right dodgy" is a British colloquialism meaning "very dodgy", the word "right" intensifies the adjective. It’s very commonly used in spoken English, in and around London and also the North of England/Midlands.

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25/03/25 Chuffed

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"Chuffed" is a British English informal adjective meaning very pleased, proud, or delighted. It is very  commonly used to express satisfaction or happiness about something. It's a word almost exclusively used in moments of joy, however I well recall a previous manager of mine from Yorkshire who was adamant that in Yorkshire "Chuffing hell", was used to replaced the "F. word" which should thus be avoided in polite company if you're in Yorkshire but only there because it is widely understood to mean "pleased"

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Examples

• I just got promoted at work—I’m absolutely chuffed!

• She was chuffed to bits when she found out she had won the competition.

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The expression "to bits" is interesting as it serves to emphasise the following word, thus pleased to bits means "really pleased" as does "Chuffed to bits". It doesn't have the same negative sense as the Italian "a pezzi".

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13/03/25 Knackered

 

When I've had a hard day, I'm completely exhausted and want to slump into my sofa with a good book and a cup of tea, I can say that I'm completely "knackered".

 

The word "knackered" is a very common British English slang term meaning really tired or exhausted. It can also mean something is broken or worn out and as in the examples below it's very common to see it prefaced with words like absolutely, totally.

 

Its etymology is simple, being based on the "knacker" - a man who put down old horses for consumption and who worked in a "knacker's yard". The word grew in application through the years and became almost exclusively related to exhaustion/or things being broken

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Examples:

• "I’ve been working a 12-hour shift—I’m absolutely knackered!" (I’m extremely tired.)

• "This old washing machine is completely knackered." (It’s broken and doesn’t work anymore.)

• "After studying all night for the exam, I feel totally knackered." (I’m mentally exhausted.)

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07/03/25 Chav

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A word I first heard from two nieces complaining about potential boyfriends being chavs - meaning 

A young person (usually male) of a type characterized by coarse and brash behaviour (with connotations of low social status).

"most of the shops were derelict and there just seemed to be chavs everywhere"

​The image they painted was of a badly dressed young man wearing gold trainers - definitely not boyfriend material for my nieces who were decidedly Posh

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07/03/25 Posh

A person with the quality of being elegant, stylish, or upper class.

"we finally bought a colour TV, which seemed the height of posh"

"my sister loves her posh frock, she wears it whenever she can"

This very British class-oriented word has the legend that it is an acronym for "Port Out, Starboard Home" used for the very wealthy steamship passenger going from the UK to India who wanted a cabin on the cool Port side of the ship in the direction of India, returning on the cool Starboard side of the ship coming home. Unfortunately there is no evidence to support the legend but given there is NO other credible explanation, it works well for me...

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