current uk teen slang

just to make us, well, me at least, feel unbearably ancient, here are some definitions of the latest language developments in the world of some young brits:

Book: an adjective to describe something that's really cool. That's because it's the first option given in predictive text when typing "c o o l".

Cotch down: hang out, chill or sleep. Thought to derive from the French word for sleep, "coucher".

Elton: a lavatory. Derived from the fact that "john" means this in America, and the name of a well-known pop star.

Flat roofin': to be overworked and stressed, as in "I was flat roofin' for my GCSEs".

Igry: embarrassed. "Stop doing that, you're making me igry."

Klingon: younger child - particularly your irritating brother or sister.

Mouldies: parents. Abbreviation for "mouldy oldies". See also rents.

Nang: cool, excellent, brilliant.

Oudish: very good, excellent, wicked.

Tear: to leave quickly, run away. "You ready to go? Then let's tear"

Vanilla: boring, dull - particularly when referring to someone's taste in clothes. "Look at her checkers - vanilla or what!"

Wafwaan: what's up, what's going on. Originally from Jamaican slang

Za: abbreviation of "pizza". "Let's grab a za before the movie."

nb the original article is here.

the first female beefeater at the tower

Yeoman Warder Moira Cameron, the first female Beefeater.
reuters reports:

"Moira Cameron started duties as a Yeoman Warder after beating five men to secure the coveted position. She wore the traditional dress of a scarlet and gold tunic, white ruff, red stockings and black patent leather shoes. Her duties include guarding the crown jewels, participating in the Ceremony of the Keys and giving visitors guided tours."

the full story is here

terrible flooding in england

these are pictures of a place called tewkesbury in gloucestershire. i've heard that a month's worth of rain has fallen in a day in parts of england recently. it is the worst flooding in modern british history. the government says it is due to global warning. the grauniad says:

"... that the government was warned in two separate reports that the plans in place to tackle flood risks were "complex, confusing and distressing for the public". In July 2004 the government said it needed to improve co-ordination between water companies, councils and the Environment Agency; then in 2005, the government also agreed to "work towards giving" the agency "an overarching strategic overview across all flooding and coastal erosion risks"."


gotta quote wordsworth again:

"The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!"

female circumcision in england

the metropolitan police in london are beginning a campaign tomorrow to make sure everyone knows that genital mutilation of women is a crime in britain.

"In Britain, the problem mostly involves first-generation immigrants from Africa and the Middle East. Police say they don't have comprehensive statistics about the number of victims. But midwife Comfort Momoh, who specializes in treating them at London hospitals and clinics and who works with police, told the news conference she treats 400 to 500 victims every year. Arranging or carrying out the procedure — in Britain or abroad — is a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison, but no one has been prosecuted since it was banned under British law in 2003 ... Police estimate up to 66,000 girls in Britain face the risk of genital mutilation."

yahoo carries the latest ap report here