The Onion on U.K. slang

[Damien Hall]

I usually use Firefox's 'find' function to search through digests for posts that
I am interested in.  Coincidental that today that should include "The Onion on
U.K. slang" and "Onions and garlic":  two for the price of one!

HANDBAG = I agree with Joel, who said that it might be derogatory slang for 'old
ladies', extended to members of the House of Lords;  the sense to me is 'old',
'prim', 'too fussy', 'stuck in a rut', etc.

EPPY = Michael said 'episode';  I don't agree, at least not directly.  In my
schooldays (London, 1985-92) this was short for 'epileptic fit', so 'have an
eppy' (as the *Onion* article has it) = 'go crazy'.  This might have been
extended to 'episode' as in 'manic episode' or some such, but I'm pretty sure
its primary derivation is from 'epileptic'.

SLAG = Michael said 'a promiscuous woman' - yes, but 'slag' has acquired a
broader use too.  It used to be applied primarily to women, and, in the context
of the use of 'handbags' above, that's probably what made it appropriate here.
But the broader use, which this piece also evokes for me, is 'someone
worthless, someone beneath your notice, someone who's acting so stupidly you
can't quite believe it'.  The epithet in this sense is not restricted to women -
in fact, now that I think about it, it might be more likely to be used to men,
because if used to women the hearer might think the first meaning,
'prostitute', was meant.

The secondary meaning I mention is well-known in stereotypes of Cockneys / South
Londoners (which is different!).  A Google of

you slaaag

(it has to have several <a>s, and it is almost always preceded by 'you' - it
seems to only be a vocative) brings up several relevant hits.  The top one in
the list is the Myspace page of a group called Tongue Kung Fu, who have a single
called *Saaf Lahndn you slaaag* (= phonetic rendering of 'South London you
slag').  But be careful if you click on it, because the single plays!

JACK DASH - I agree with Michael's tracing it to urination.

AFTO - Michael said 'Australian slang for afternoon (I think)';  I agree.  I
think this got to Britain *via* the Australian soap-opera *Neighbours*,
extremely popular since the mid-'80s and still running.  My impression (largely
uncheckable) is that it's more often spelt *arvo*;  certainly, that spelling and
not *afto* (in this sense) appears in the Urban Dictionary.  Another
now-widespread UK slang item that *Neighbours* is often credited with
introducing is *uni* = 'University'.

PAGGER - Michael said 'Scots slang for a fight'.  Didn't know it was Scots;
thanks!  My impression of a pagger (also spelt *pagga* - r-less of course) is
that it's a really big fight.  The size of the fight is further emphasised in
the piece by the phrase it's in - 'total fucking pagger'.


My two-penn'orth, FWIW.

Damien Hall
University of Pennsylvania

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