Another Great British Vocabulary Quiz, Innit?

Question: Which of these is most likely to be described as scrummy?

Answer: A word one loves to hear in reference to their own baked goods, scrummy is derived from scrumptious.

Question: Which of the following is likely to happen during a chin-wag?

Answer: Chin-wag is a colorful, informal way to describe a friendly conversation.

Question: If someone’s been made redundant, they have just…

Answer: People who have been made redundant are no longer needed at their place of employment and are dismissed from their jobs (similar to how Americans are laid off).

Question: Which of these expressions is often used at the end of a series of tasks, to emphasize how easy they will be?

Answer: When making cookies, for example, one might say “Just mix up some dough, plop it on a pan, stick it in the oven, and Bob’s your uncle.” The origin of the phrase is not known for certain. One theory suggests it comes from 19th-century British Prime Minister Robert Cecil giving his nephew a desirable government post—in that scenario, having “Bob” as an uncle meant assured success.

Question: Someone who is faffing is most liking doing something that is…

Answer: Faff is frequently used in the same way as bother or fuss, indicating something is more trouble than it’s worth or is generally pointless. For example, “Hamish thought birthday parties were a lot of faff,” or “The coronation ceremony included a lot of faffing about.”

Question: A person in naff clothing is wearing garments that are…

Answer: Naff is defined as “lacking in style or good taste; vulgar and unfashionable.”

Question: Someone might be feeling jammy after…

Answer: Also a term used to describe that which is covered in jam, jammy is often used to mean “lucky,” as in “He’s one jammy son-of-a-gun.”

Question: Why might a British person shout “Bagsy!”?

Answer: Bagsy is used similarly to the American phrase shotgun when talking about car seats and is also used like dibs in other instances. (“Bagsy on the last cookie!”) The term might be derived from bag as a verb meaning “seize or catch.” (“The hunter bagged three ducks by the lake.”)

Question: A child in trouble for skiving has been caught doing what?

Answer: Children who are skiving are truant from school. Skive likely comes from the French esquiver meaning “to dodge.”

Question: Many people in Britain like to relax with some plonk, which typically refers to…

Answer: Plonk tends to mean cheap, inferior-quality wine but can also be used to refer to wine or alcohol in general. The term might come from an alteration of the French vin blanc (“white wine”).

Question: Wally is generally used to describe someone who is…

Answer: Wally is a slightly derogatory way to refer to someone as silly, foolish, or inept. One might cheer up an actor who got scathing reviews by saying “Don’t listen to the critics, they are a bunch of wallies.”

Question: If your teenage child is known for being stroppy, they are…

Answer: Most likely derived from the word obstreperous, stroppy is synonymous with touchy or belligerent.

Question: Which of these events is most likely to be called a knees-up?

Answer: Alluding to the motion of the revelers’ legs, knees-up is a term used to describe a party with lots of dancing.

Question: A friend who cancels plans because of the lurgy is…

Answer: Lurgy, or the lurgy, refers to any type of general unwellness, such as a cold or a cough. “I stayed in bed all weekend with the lurgy.”

Question: Having the brass neck to try something refers to a person’s…

Answer: Brass neck is often used in the same way as nerve, as in “He’s got some brass neck trying to pull a stunt like that.”

Question: Which of the following might be called a curtain-twitcher in Britain?

Answer: The term curtain-twitcher describes a busy-body who disturbs the window dressings while furtively sneaking a look at the neighbors.

Question: Which of these phrases is closest in meaning to the term tickety-boo?

Answer: Tickety-boo is used to express that everything is all right and in order, for example, “Is everything tickety-boo at home?”

Question: Which of these expressions describes a selection made on the basis of an individual’s strengths?

Answer: Alluding to the fact that different horses perform better on different race tracks, horses for courses can be used to indicate there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for the particular situation. For example, when a student decides if and where to go to college, it’s horses for courses.