 A part of the forthcoming book, The Septic's Companion. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W YZ   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. |
Yank n, adj American. To a Brit, a Yank is anyone of American descent. It's not altogether complimentary and conjures up an image of Stetsons, oil wells, Cadillacs and overweight children. yank tank American car. A description one might regard as unfair to the humble tank. The word comes from "Yankee" - after receiving and trying to synopsize nearly a million different explanations for where that word came from, I realised that I was drifting wildly off topic and so I've scrubbed them all. Go and look it up elsewhere. Yardies n a London crime gang. The name originated (with the gang) in Jamaica, where drug barons lived in downtown Kingston in homes build inside high-walled yards. Y-fronts n briefs. The more form-fitting old-fashioned equivalent of boxer shorts. The name derives from the upside-down 'Y' shape on the front, through the convergence of which you extract your old man in order to pee. yobbo n hooligan; rabble-rouser. Usually seen in the context of upper-middle-class people referring to the working-classes: "Well, yes, Mildred - my Jeremy used to be such a sensible boy but now he's got mixed up with this awful crowd of yobbos!". The derivation of the word is apparently modified back-slang - the monicker "boyo" became "yobbo". Amusingly, in New York City slang, "yobbos" are breasts. Not in the UK. yonks n a long time; ages. Not a specific length of time at all; it could be minutes or decades: "Where have you been? I've been waiting here for yonks!" or: "Met a friend from school the other day who I haven't seen for yonks."