 A part of the forthcoming book, The Septic's Companion. A B C D E F G H I J KL M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z   These are the last three beers people kinder than you bought me. Click on them to see more or buy me one. Feel guilty? Think of the children I might have, and such like. |
kagoul n wind breaker; poncho. A light waterproof jacket, usually one that zips up into an unfeasibly small self-contained package. The word derives from the French "cagoule" (meaning much the same thing), which in turn comes from the Latin "cuculla", meaning "hood". In the US technical theatre industry a "kagoul" is a black hood worn by magicians' stagehands to render them invisible-ish. kecks n pants. It may come from colonial India, where "kachs" are loose-fitting trousers with a low crotch as worn by locals. kerb n curb. Not entirely sure how the different spellings arose. kerfuffle n big fuss; rumpus. The word "fuffle" (meaning to dishevel) arrived in Scottish English in the 16th century; the word gained a "car-" in the 19th, to arrive in the 20th with its current spelling. khasi n pron "kah-zee" toilet. Would be more likely to be seen in the context of: "I'm away to the khasi to drain the lizard" rather than: "Excuse me, madam - could you direct me to the khasi?" It may be derived from Arabic. This might not be true. People lie to me all the time. kip n sleep:"I'm just off home for an hour for some kip". It's a Dutch word meaning a rather run-down place to sleep. Kirby grip n bobby pin. The little pins you poke in your hair to keep it in place. kit n uniform, in the sense of one used to play sport (e.g. rugby kit, football kit). More generally in the UK, "kit" refers to the equipment necessary to perform a particular task - usually, though not always, sporting. The boundary is wooly to such a degree that I don't think I can generalise really. I've heard all sorts of things from parachutes to computers referred to as "kit". The phrase "nice piece of kit" is in pretty common usage in the UK, just meaning an item particularly good at performing its task in hand. Again it could refer to pretty much anything, though I think you'd be more likely to describe your new camera as a nice piece of kit than, say, your fiancé. kitchen roll n paper towel. The disposable paper cloth, much akin to a larger, stronger version of toilet paper, that one generally keeps in the kitchen and uses to mop up bits of food and drink that have been inadvertently thrown around. So called, I'd imagine, because Brits keep it in the kitchen and it comes on a roll. Americans call it "paper towel", no doubt because it's made of paper and works like a towel. Kiwi n New Zealander:"we tried this other bar but it was full of drunk Kiwis". Also an abbreviated name for a Kiwi fruit. knackered adj very tired; beat. It has a slightly more dodgy meaning as it technically describes being exhausted after sex. You can get away with it in everyday conversation but bear in mind that everyone knows the true meaning too. The "knacker's yard" was once a place where old horses were converted into glue. Where the sexual connotations came from is anyone's guess. knees-up n party. A rather antiquated word. A knees-up is more likely to involve some post-menopausal ladies singing around a piano than a bunch of bright young things doing lines off the coffee table. knickers n women's underpants. In old-fashioned English and American English, "knickers" (an abbreviation of the Dutch-derived word "knickerbockers") are knee-length trousers most often seen nowadays on golfers. knob n Popular misspelling. See "nob" . knock about n sport practise: "Jimmy and I are taking the football to the park for a knockabout". knock up v bang upon someone's door, generally to get them out of bed:"ok, g'night - can you knock me up in the morning, as otherwise I doubt I'll wake up in time to get the bus". In US English, "knocking someone up" means getting them pregnant. Although most Brits will feign innocence, they do know the US connotations of the phrase and it adds greatly to the enjoyment of using it. Both Brits and Americans share the term "knocking off", to mean murdering someone.