He’s a knob: he’s a dick/idiot Dick: an idiot Off their rocker: mad—they were off their rocker, they were Mad as a hatter: mad—stemming from back in the day when hatters used a manufacturing process for felt that, indeed, made them mad (mercury poisoning) Gormless: clueless; slow witted If you are called a tart by an English man it’s an insult on a couple of levels. "I can't breathe, said Floyd as he was being suffocated. *hōrā-(source also of Old Frisian hor "fornication," Old Norse hora "adulteress," Danish hore, Swedish hora, Dutch hoer, Old High German huora "prostitute;" in Gothic only in the masc. jam tart A coinage of the mid-19th century that has been the starting point of a chain of lexical developments. and offensive term for women. Cookies Policy. From John Ayto's Dictionary of Rhyming Slang, s.v. 1. 'Sweetheart':. ... History The Story Behind the Roman Baths in Bath. Cockney insults show how genuinely clever these Londoners are. Derog. 3. It may also be reinforced by Yiddish faygele "homosexual" (n.), literally "little bird." "I can't breathe" thought more than 100,000 victims as they were dying of Covid. Words come in and out of favor in direct proportion to the speed with which they travel through the age ranks. 'Jam tart' is connected with 'sweetheart' and rhyming slang. Reference Menu. ... Let’s start with a brief history. tart : Noun. An objectionable person, however often used affectionately or playfully. Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret, the Countess of Snowdon, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II of England, singing a … British Insults. 2. A prostitute or promiscuous woman. It may also be used in childhood phonemic play, either solely by the child, or by adults towards a child to encourage imitation to the delight of both parties. The often unisexual nature of contemporary slang ensures the phrase is now applied to promiscuous males. Derived from the Cockney rhyming slang jam tart meaning sweetheart. Shaver – A child or young person of either sex; “What a cute little shaver.”. "I can't breathe" chanted countless Americans in the streets, protesting enduring police brutality. Slang has always been the province of the young. Black over Bill’s mother’s – black clouds are coming. The lights went out at Sunshine shortly thereafter, and the Hydrox brand bounced around the industry like a third-string baseball player, first sold to the American Tobacco Company, then resold to G. F. Industries, Keebler, and later Kellogg's, which formally pulled the plug. Cockney rhyming slang may have been around since the 16th century, but it really came to life in the 1840s, among market traders and street hawkers. It was a delightful sight. Nitwit: silly, or foolish, person—she’s such a nitwit . literally meaning shart in a tart. Bill is William Shakespeare, which means the rain clouds are coming from Stratford-upon-Avon. Derog. 4. Welcome to 1950s slang. Back of Rackhams – often used as an insult, as the back of Rackhams was thought to be a red light area. whore (n.) 1530s spelling alteration (see wh-) of Middle English hore, from Old English hore "prostitute, harlot," from Proto-Germanic *hōran-, fem. Blowing a raspberry, strawberry, or making a Bronx cheer, is to make a noise similar to flatulence that may signify derision, real or feigned. Shaver – One that is close in bargains, or a sharp dealer Shave Tail – A green, inexperienced person.. Shebang – A shanty or small house of boards.. Shecoonery – A whimsical corruption of the word chicanery.“This town’s got a monstrous bad name for meanery and shecoonery of all sorts faggot (n.2) "male homosexual," 1914, American English slang, probably from earlier contemptuous term for "woman" (1590s), especially an old and unpleasant one, in reference to faggot (n.1) "bundle of sticks," as something awkward that has to be carried (compare baggage "worthless woman," 1590s). an exclamatory expression or an insult. A tart is a prostitute or female of loose morals, thus weak and open to influence, of little worth, to be used and thus garnering no respect.