BRITISH SLANGS FOR IELTS (Part 38)

• Taking the mickey - See taking the piss. Variations include "taking the mick" and "taking the Michael".

• Taking the piss - One of the things Americans find hardest about the Brits is our sense of humour. It is obviously different and is mainly based on irony, sarcasm and an in-built desire to "take the piss". This has nothing to do with urine, but simply means making fun of someone.

• Talent - Talent is the same as totty. Checking out the talent means looking for the sexy young girls (or boys I suppose).

• Tara - Pronounced "churar", this is another word for cheerio or goodbye. Cilla Black, a scouse TV presenter has probably done most to promote the use of this word as she says it all the time on her programmes.

• Throw a spanner in the works - This is an expression that means to wreck something.

• Tickety-boo - If something is going well with no problems we would say it is tickety-boo.

• Tidy - Apart from the obvious meaning of neat, tidy also means that a woman is a looker, attractive or sexy.

• To - We go to school from ages 5 to 18. You might go to school from ages 5 thru 18. We don't say thru in that context at all. If we did though, we would say "through"!

• Todger - As if we don't have enough of them already, this is yet another word for your willy, or penis.

• Tool - Yet another word for your willy or penis. You'd think we were obsessed.