Sickie: day off work pretending to be ill
Sixth-form college: where students study A levels
SIO: senior investigating officer
Skell: a homeless person, aka ‘tramp’ (insulting)
Skip: a large open container used for building waste
Slapper: used to label somebody as overtly sexual, typically a younger woman, aka ‘skank’ (insulting)
Smackhead: heroin addict (insulting)
Snout: police informer
SOCO: scene-of-crime officer
Sod: an annoying person
Sort: to do or make
Solicitor: lawyer
Sparky: electrician
Spook: spy
Spuds: potatoes
Squaddie: a soldier of low rank
Stunner: beautiful woman
Super: superintendent (police rank)
Surveyor: someone who examines land and buildings professionally
Sweeting: endearment, like sweetheart
Tabloid: newspaper, typically known for a sensationalist style of journalism
Tea: dinner (Northern English)
Tea towel: drying cloth
Till: cash register
Tip: a mess, e.g. ‘This room is a tip’, or a local garbage dump
Tipsy: a bit drunk
Top oneself: commit suicide
Torch: flashlight
Tutor: university teacher
Tower block: tall building containing apartments (usually social housing)
Twoc: steal a car, often just for joyriding (taking without owner’s consent)
Upmarket: affluent or fancy
Wacky baccy: cannabis
Wally: silly person (can be used affectionately)
War Cry: Salvation Army magazine
Wash: the washing machine
Water board: company supplying water to an area
White van man: typical working-class man who drives a small truck
WI: Women’s Institute, organization of women in the UK for social/cultural activity
Widow’s weeds: black clothes worn by a widow in mourning
Wilco: will comply, i.e. ‘yes’
Wrinklies: old people
Yellowbelly: native of Lincolnshire (not to be confused with yellow-belly, meaning a coward)
Yob: a rude or aggressive youth or person
Yorkie: type of chocolate bar
A VOW OF ADORATION an utterly gripping crime mystery Page 21
