An idiom is a phrase or expression that carries meaning that may not be self-evident.  The expression might be so old that it’s origins have little meaning to us today, though the idiom still conveys value.  While some British idioms translate to America, others are more difficult to decipher outside of UK culture.  As such, we’ve found ten common British idioms and unraveled their meanings for an American audience.  If you have any favorite British idioms (or idioms from any other country), please share them and their meanings in the comments below this article.

Absolute Unit

Our first idiom is a more recent entry but has gained prominence due to the internet.  An “absolute unit” is a reference to something that is overweight or very large.  The use of the word “absolute” is a modifier in British lad culture and was first applied to an image of hotelier David Morgan-Hewitt.

As the Actress Said to the Bishop

This phrase is essentially a double-entendre, implying a sexual reference whether intentional or unintentional.  For fans of the US version of The Office, this is the British equivalent of Michael Scott saying “That’s what she said.”

Bob’s Your Uncle

Tends to mean achieving some level of success or a conclusion.  An American equivalent might be “and there you have it.”  The phrase supposedly originated with Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, who appointed his nephew, Arthur Balfour, to several high-profile governmental posts.  Balfour would go on to have a successful public career on his own merits, but would never have gotten his start without his uncle’s help.

Beyond the Pale

For something to be “beyond the pale” means that it’s gone way too far.  This could be something said in a discussion or an action taken.  A “pale” is an old term for a stake that served as a boundary marker, meaning that once you went “beyond” it, you were in a place you shouldn’t go.

Codswallop

A British slang word for “nonsense,” codswallop came about because of Hiram Codd, a soda salesman who developed a bottle with a glass marble stopper in it and when the bottle was shaken, the carbonation pushed the marble into the neck and formed a seal.  Around the same time, the word “cod” was a little-known slang term for a hoax, so it seems more likely that the latter word later developed into the term we know today, though evidence is scant on exactly how this happened.

The Full Monty

To give something, “the full monty” typically means you’re going all the way, giving it everything you’ve got.  It can also mean that something is the real deal and not at all faked.  This idiom came to prominence with the release of the movie in which six unemployed steelworkers decide to become strippers to earn money, going “the full monty” by getting completely naked.

Leg It

An idiom with a simpler meaning, to “leg it” often means to run quickly, usually away from something or someone.  You might often hear it said in a police drama as the bad guys are caught in the act and try to get away.

Gobsmacked

Typically, this word means to be shocked, so overcome with surprise that you don’t know what to say.  The origin of the idiom is the 1950s and combines the slang term “gob” meaning “mouth” with the past tense verb “smacked” as if something hit you so hard in the mouth that it left you speechless.

Pear-Shaped

This is a catch-all phrase that means everything’s gone wrong.  There are multiple theories about how the phrase came about from potters whose work collapsed to a cleaner way to say “tits-up,” a similar phrase that originated with the Royal Air Force.  The first documented use was in 1983, though the idiom is believed to have been used decades beforehand.

Take the Mickey

This is another way of saying that you’re making fun of someone.  The phrase can also be shortened to “take the mick.”  The phrase originated with Cockney rhyming slang as another way of saying “take the mickey bliss” or “take the piss,” which is said to be a vulgar way of describing how morning wood dissipates once one uses the bathroom.