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adj. Dead, deceased.
From Cockney rhyming slang: Brown bread=dead. Hovis is noted for producing wholemeal bread.
"If your parachute doesn't open at 10,000 feet-- you'll be hovis"
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A phrase that is popularly attributed to a person, even though that person didn't (originally) say it. Rather it was invented for the person, by satirists/impersonators.
Named after veteran impressionist Mike Yarwood, who is famed for invented such phrases.
Examples of yarwoodisms include...
"Billions and billions". Carl Sagan insists he has never said this, and it originates from a Johnny Carson impression.
"I can see Russia from my house". Sarah Palin has said words to that effect, but it was impersonator Tina Fey who said this famous quote.
"Elementary my dear Watson". Not said in any of the original novels, but still regularly used to impersonate Sherlock Holmes.
"Beam me up Scotty". Never said in any of the Star Trek editions (closest was "Scotty, beam me up" in one later episode)
"My name is Michael Caine". A common way of impersonating said film star; it was not until 1983 that Caine said it on film, in Educating Rita (as an in-joke)
"Why can't I quit you?". Not said in Brokeback Mountain, but the product of Russ Parr's parody of the film (on his Morning Show)
"Super smashing great". Although Jim Bowen frequently said each of those word in isolation, he never said that phrase on Bullseye-- it was supplied by Spitting Image. Bowen has used it since then though, as self-parody.
"There's been a murder". According to Alex Norton ('DCI Burke'), this has never been said on Taggart-- frequently used in parodies of the show though.
"Crisis? What crisis?". Jim Callaghan never said that, The Sun newspaper paraphrased him for a headline-- the phrase is still popularly associated with him.
"Let me tell you a story". A catchphrase for Max Bygraves, invented by Mike Yarwood.
"Ssssilly billy". Denis Healey never originally said this, another Yarwood invention.
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The opposite of the Midas touch. A person for whom everything turns to crap, if (s)he gets involved.
Named after jewellery magnate Gerald Ratner, who infamously declared his proudcts to be "total crap" and wouldn't last much "longer than a M&S {Marks & Spencer} prawn sandwich", during a speech to the Insitute of Directors (1991).
Although his comments were meant to be tongue-in-cheek, shares in his company drastically plummeted and he almost bankrupted the company. The speech is often heralded as an example of the value of branding and image over quality.
It's a nightmare working with with Cheryl, she always bodges things up-- she's got the Ratner's touch.
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(British English) Descriptive of chavvy behaviour, fashion or a person, akin to a participant of the UK's foremost underclass debate programme, The Jeremy Kyle Show.
I hate getting on that bus late night at night, a lot of the people on it are Kyle style.
Sticking two fingers up at somebody, flicking Vs.
A reference to the Norman invasion of England. When the Normans captured Anglo-Saxon archers, they would cut the archer's index and middle fingers off.
So as a act of defiance, unmolested Anglo-Saxon archers would rebelliously stick those two fingers up at the Normans.
He was being really haughty with me, so I said "up yours" and gave him an Anglo-Saxon salute.
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A young rascal, miscreant or swain. Can also be used as an affectionate term for teenagers or duogenarians. A yoth under that age, may be called a "yofthette"; a "yofthess" can be a female yofth.
A term common in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
"I had an annoying bus journey in today, there was a couple of yofths playing music loudly"
An idiom meaning to stubbornly quibble over something inconsequential, irrelevant, minor or off-topic. A cavilling dispute.
Another way of saying "to argue for the sake of it".
Unfortunately the meeting didn't go well. Eric starting getting pedantic, and decided to argue the toss over a trivial detail of the plan.
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