arse

arse
I. n
1.
British
the backside, buttocks, anus. This word is not, strictly speaking, slang, but an ancient term (aers in Anglo-Saxon, descended from Germanic nouns related to an Indo-European ancestor meaning 'tail') which, since the 17th cen-tury, has been considered too vulgar for polite conversation. Australia follows the British spelling, while in the USA and Canada the word is spelled ass.
2.
British
a foolish or contemptible person. A fairly mild term of exasperated contempt, popular in upper- and middle-class speech until the 1960s, now gener-ally replaced by stronger or more colour-ful alternatives. 'Silly arse!' was a favourite British rebuke.
3a.
British
courage, nerve or cheek. This has been a popular working-class usage in London and Australian slang. In Britain it has, since the 1960s, largely been sup-planted by more colourful terms such as 'arris or bottle, which are derived from it, or by synonyms such as balls.
3b.
Australian
good luck. This usage, which is more commonly expressed by the adjective arsy, probably derives from the previous sense, with the implication that the good fortune came as a result of daring or impudence.
4.
Australian
a synonym for heave-ho, elbow or 'the boot', usually in the expres-sion give (someone) the arse
5.
my arse!
British
► 'Nonsense!', 'I don't believe it!' or 'It's not true!'
An exclamation of angry or impatient disbelief, dating at least from the 18th century. It is prob-ably a shortening of a longer phrase such as in the following sense.
6.
kiss my arse!
British
an exclamation of defiance or contempt
7.
not to know one's arse from one's elbow/a hole in the ground
British to be incapable or incompetent, stupid
8.
the sun shines out of his/her arse Brit-ish he or she is wonderful, perfect or the favourite. The expression is used con-temptuously or enviously of a person who, in their own opinion or that of oth-ers, can do no wrong.
II. adj
British
of poor quality. A vogue term (in all its senses) among younger speakers since the late 1990s, its usage popularised by cult TV comedies such as Father Ted and The Fast Show. pure arse
► That new single of hers is arse.

Contemporary slang . 2014.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

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