Britishism

Britishisms are expressions peculiar to British English. See also List of British English Words not used in American English. The word Britishism is an Americanism.

• As much use as a chocolate fireguard (or teapot) – useless.
• BBC English – the version of Received Pronunciation once considered typical of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Today regional dialects are frequently heard on the BBC.
• Devils on horseback – sausages covered in bacon
• Egg-cosy or -cozy – meal-time egg warmer, usually knitted.
• Hit for six – to hit mightily, to trounce (to hit a cricket ball off the field without a bounce, scoring 6)
• Not much cop. – Not very good.
• Nowt so queer as folk – people are unpredictable (uses the Northern English "nowt" meaning "nothing").
• Go pear-shaped, as in "It all went pear-shaped." – go wrong
• Swings and roundabouts – gains in one area will equal losses in another (short for "what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts")
• Not cricket – not fair
• made redundant - laid off, downsized

Caveat lector: these are often very slangy, quickly obsolescent, age-specific and regional terms. Saying "Nowt so queer as folk" in a Cockney accent will get you mentioned in every conversation in that pub for the next six months. And quite possibly local radio.