English Slang for Tourists Trivia Quiz

Answer: Panties

Alan Whickers - knickers. Alan Whicker is a famous British TV travel journalist.

Answer: Very cold

It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. This is thought to have originated in the days of sailing ships. The 'monkey' was a piece of brass which held cannonballs in a stack. When the temperature dropped the brass contracted at a faster rate than the iron cannonballs and so spilled them on deck.

Hence 'it's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'. The true origin of the phrase is, in truth, unknown.

Answer: Toilet

The term was probably coined by WW1 American soldiers after seeing the name of Thomas Crapper on the cisterns of toilets in the UK. Thomas was a plumber but did not actually invent the flush toilet, he did however file several patents for improvements.

Answer: Insane

Named after an affliction suffered by British servicemen at Deolali in India. Also heard as 'doolally tap'.

Answer: Play rugby

Because of the shape of the ball.

Answer: Pull up your zip

If you are flying low you had better shut the stable door before the horse bolts.

Answer: A tourist

In some places it is also used to describe someone who has just moved into the area.

Answer: Vomit

This is quite a descriptive one. In some parts you may hear it said as 'hurl chunks'.

Answer: All of these

Anything that is not exactly as it should be can be described as being a bit iffy.

Answer: By yourself

On your 'jack' means being alone, from rhyming slang, Jack Jones or Jack Malone.

Answer: False

If you put the 'kibosh' on something, you ruin it. As in 'He broke his leg and that put the kibosh on his playing career'.

Answer: An illness

The dreaded lurgy, or the dreaded, is a name sometimes given to an unspecified illness.

Answer: Hartlepool

This comes from the Napoleonic wars when a ship was wrecked off the port of Hartlepool in the north east. The local population found a monkey clinging to the wreckage and hung it as a French spy.
If you value your life NEVER EVER call a true Geordie a monkeyhanger.

Answer: An idiot

Numpty is of Scottish origin but is slowly breaking into general usage thanks to a certain program on national radio.
A raincoat is a 'mac', and both of the others are 'bangers'.

Answer: promise

Speaks for itself.

Answer: He thinks he's an idiot

He also calls him a 'Wally', which means the same thing. Rodney invariably messes things up, which leads to Del calling him a 'plonker'.

Answer: A pound (money)

If you make a profit or are successful at something you would be 'quids in'. The origin of 'quid' is a cause of much debate. Some people think it comes from the Latin 'quid pro quo', to give something for something.

Answer: No

To be 'rank' is to be disgusting.

Answer: Buy the next drinks

If it's 'your shout' and you *don't* get the drinks, you may be called a tight wad.

Answer: Someone who steals cars

A 'twocer', pronounced twocker is a person who steals cars. The name comes from police slang for the offence of Taking Without Owners Consent.

Answer: pregnant

Another one is 'up the spout'. If you are in trouble you could be 'up the creek without a paddle'.

Answer: Unstable

It is normally applied to inanimate objects such as wheels, bar stools etc. when they become loose.

Answer: An idiot

As in 'you spawny eyed parrot faced wazzock'. Mainly a northern expression. You may also be called a 'prat', a 'pillock' or a 'plonker'.

Answer: An unspecified period

'Yonks' can be any length of time, as in.. 'I haven't seen him in yonks.'

Answer: Go to sleep

From the way cartoonists depict someone asleep, Zzzzzzzzz.