Tom Gates

Glossary

(Which means explanations for stuff that might sound a bit ODD.)


  • 5p and 10p

    5p and 10p are British coins.


  • A4 Paper

    It's a paper size (BIGGER) than letter size 8 1/2" by 11").


  • Ace

    When something is GREAT or BRILLIANT.


  • Aerial

    Antenna.


  • Bike Shed

    Covered area at school where bikes are kept safely.


  • Bins

    Trash cans.


  • Bin Liner

    A bin liner is a garbage bag.


  • Biscuits

    Cookies.


  • Bodge

    When I make a mess of something or it gets ruined (like this picture is BODGED now).


  • Bonkers

    Crazy nuts!


  • Boot

    Trunk of a car.


  • Boot Sale

    Like a garage sale.


  • Caramel Wafers

    Excellent biscuits (cookies) covered in chocolate with layers of caramel and wafer inside.


  • Charity Shop

    A place that sells second-hand goods for charity.


  • Chips

    French fries.


  • Choc

    Short for chocolate.


  • Chocolate HobNobs

    A brand name for a cookie that is half covered in chocolate - delicious.


  • Choon

    Excellent tune.


  • Climbing Frame

    Jungle gym.


  • Coach

    Bus.


  • College

    College is the second half of high school.


  • Crisps

    Chips.


  • Cross

    Angry.


  • Daft

    Crazy.


  • Diddums

    A silly 'babyish' word Tom would use to ANNOY Delia. Like this. "Can't find your sunglasses... awww, Diddums."


  • Disco

    School dance.


  • Dodgy

    Something that's a bit ODD or wrong. Maybe slightly peculiar or not quite right. For instance: That apple looks a bit Dodgy. That monster looks a bit dodgy.


  • Dullo

    Not very interesting person.


  • E-Numbers

    Additives put into some foods are called e-numbers.


  • Earwigging

    Means eavesdropping.


  • Fizzy Drinks

    Pop or soda.


  • Fizzy Sherbet

    A fizzy powder treat.


  • A flannel

    is a washcloth.


  • A flat

    is an apartment.


  • Football

    Another word for soccer.


  • Form Teacher

    Homeroom teacher.


  • Fruit Chews

    Candy (a bit like Starburst).


  • Garden

    Yard.


  • Grotty

    Means shabby or unpleasant.


  • Half-term

    A one-week break from school.


  • The Hall

    The lunchroom.


  • Headmaster

    A principal.


  • Jolly

    Happy. Yeah!


  • Jumper

    A sweater.


  • Lads

    Boys.


  • Leg it

    Run away.


  • Lessons

    The same as classes.


  • Lolly

    lollipop (both yum).


  • Loo Rolls

    The same as toilet paper rolls.


  • Lorry

    A truck.


  • Lurgy

    An imaginary (or real) DISEASE. Something NASTY you can catch or give to another person.


  • Mad

    Another word for crazy..


  • Manky

    Means disgusting or revolting. For instance, a mint that rolled on the floor is manky. So is Rooster's fur.


  • Mate

    Friend.


  • Merits

    Special points or stars awarded by your teacher for excellent work.


  • Mince

    The same as ground meat.


  • Nippy

    Fast.


  • Pants

    Underwear.


  • Pinching

    Another word for stealing.


  • Plaster

    Another word for bandage.


  • If you're not best pleased...

    It means you're not pleased.


  • Pong

    smell.


  • Pongy pudding

    is a smelly dessert.


  • Pants

    Underwear.


  • Pound £

    What we call the MONEY (or currency) in Britain.


  • Pudding

    Dessert (all kinds - yum).


  • Queue

    Lineup.


  • Rank

    Unpleasant or GROSS (like Dad's running shoes).


  • Register

    The attendance book that the teacher would tick you off in, in the morning, to make sure you're not LATE.


  • Registration

    Attendance.


  • Rosette Ribbon

    First place.


  • Rubbish

    Garbage.


  • Rumbled

    Basically means you're busted!


  • Saddo

    A pathetic person.


  • School Dinners

    Lunch in school (not always that nice).


  • Skittles

    A game similar to bowling.


  • Sledging

    The same as sledding.


  • Spanners

    Wrenches.


  • Splodges

    Drips of paint OR something.


  • Sports Kit

    Sports uniform.


  • Spots

    Zits.


  • Spotty

    Pimply.


  • Squash

    A fruit flavoured drink. There are different flavours, like orange squash or blackcurrant squash.


  • Stone

    A pit, like the kind you find in a peach or a plum


  • Sweets

    Candy.


  • Swimming Kit

    A swimming kit is all the stuff you need for a swimming lesson.


  • Swing Ball

    Tetherball.


  • Tannoy System

    PA System.


  • Telly

    Another (shorter) word for TELEVISION.


  • Thick

    When I say "You're THICK," it means you're a bit DUMB.


  • Torch

    Flashlight.


  • Trainers

    Sneakers.


  • Treat

    When I say "My trick worked a TREAT!" It means that it worked REALLY WELL.


  • Trolley

    Shopping cart.


  • Trousers

    Another word for PANTS. Guess what? In Britain, pants means...well...underwear!


  • Tuck in

    Means you eat up!


  • Vest

    Undershirt.


  • Water Pot

    Cup of water.


  • Wellington Boots

    Rain boots.


  • Winding Up

    Another way of saying you're teasing someone. Continuing to slightly irritate them. Bit like Tom does to Delia..


  • Whinging

    is like complaining in a really annoying way.


  • Year Five or Year Six

    The same as fifth or sixth grade.

Illustrations from Tom Gates series, copyright © 2014 L Pichon. All rights reserved.