eating out v. oral sex on male or female, usually male. USA

eavestrough: v. rain gutter on the eaves (edge of the roof) of a house CAN

E, ecstacy n. drug: Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (also) MDMA used mainly as part of the techno and acid house dance scene. Can caused dangerous levels of dehydration which have led to the deaths of many users. circa. 1980's - 90's

eeearrr Squealing exclamation uttered when someone unwittingly makes a comment which could be interpreted as being of homosexual in nature, or if a pupil (or teacher) of questionable sexuality walked into the room. cf. naaarse UK (SE)

edge-of-the-bed-virgin adj. Teenage girls who regularly entice boys into sexual situations then back out at the last possible moment. Similar to prick tease, but used specifically for this sort of girl. (ed: in Wales a virgin is a girl who had it once and didn't like it!) c.f. prickteaser circa. 1990's UK (N)

Edgie, Ejji n. Derogatory term for a poor and unkempt person. Suggests the person receives education benefits. Pertains particularly to cheap school uniforms dished out to kids whose parents couldn't afford decent ones. Consequently it was vitally important to buy blazers etc which were sufficiently different to 'Edgie' uniforms. circa. 1990's UK (Mid)

edgy (to keep .... ) v. Call made by the 'lookout person' when others were up to no good. For example, if you're breaking into a house, and a car pulls in the drive way, the lookout person(who would be keeping edgy) who shout, "Edgy" and everyone would know to run. To keep 'Edgy' you are the look out person, you will warn anyone else you are with. circa. 1990's UK (Scot)

Edna! adj. unbelievable. usu. used as an insult and combined with ferocious rubbing of the chin (a la Jimmy Hill), usually administered to some kid who says his dad plays for Liverpool. Mark Skinner says it was used by his sister a lot when he told her she was a moose!. (ed: can't think why??) cf. Jimmy Hill, chinny reck-on, moose circa. 1980 - 84 UK (NW)

eejit n. Idiot. Term popularised by annoying Irish expatriot television and radio 'personality' Terry Wogan. circa. 19990's UK

effort n. 1) A useless or underwhelming thing. 2) general sarcastic exclamation.

egg bound adj. To be constipated due to eating too many eggs. Included, because it's such a nice word - regardless of whether eggs DO cause constipation or not.

It's been suggested that the term "Egg bound" is used when a bird cannot deliver her egg - usually resulting in death to the poor bird. Which fits with the slang term and doesn't require eggs to cause one to be constipated... so there ya go! circa. 1800's+ UK

eggy adj. 1) really good, marvellous (exclamation) 2) being irritated on a minor scale

egg-in-the-nest adj. Derogatory term for any teacher with a complete lack of hair on top but still hanging onto a rim of hair round the sides and back. Used to excellent effect behind the teachers back but almost fatal if used in the line of fire., circa. 2000 UK

eh int. Used as an agreement and/or ending to a question. For example, "How's it goin eh?", or :Thats a pretty nice touque eh?" circa. 1990's CAN

eh-oh-it chant to accompany a playground fight

eight ball n. One eighth of an ounce of cocain, circa. 1990's USA

eighteen holers n. The highest-ranking of hard boots, due to its having the most lace holes cf. Air Wear

e.l.f. ph. Eighties Live Forever. Used to describe someone who has not yet moved on from plaid and other fashion don'ts. "That guy is such an ELF!", circa. 1990's UK

elm adj. Stupid, lame, crap person. Used as "You elm". This may have been specific to the contributors school as it started the summer they cut down all the Elm trees thanks to Dutch Elm Disease, and their field was left with stumps of rotting trees... an obvious name for someone useless, then. circa. 1977 UK (SM)

elton n. Toilet. Play on wordsElton 'John' circa. 1980's UK

emperor n. marble: sized around 3 cm in diameter cf. alley, tenner, bosher, king UK

empty adj. When someone would be free of any markers during a game of playground football. For example, a call of "I'm empty" would suggest that that person is unmarked and in a good position to shoot. circa. 1990's UK

empty head adj. Stupid person with no brains. Used as "Dont talk so much rubbish empty head". circa. 1990's UK (Mid)

emzoddie n. (ed: no definition for this as such so would like one if someone has one. Contributor said this is a word a romantic person would use it, it's from a TV show that has most of it's audience of males.) circa. 1990's UK

endo n. BMX stunt involving applying brakes hard to the front wheel causing the rear to lift as high as possible in the air. Ideally performed inches in front of least hard of available mates. cf. BMX, mongoose, diamond back, the ramp

English (Why.... is so hard) list. Ed: This is a list of some of the peculiarites of the English language. We'd appreciate any additions people can provide, or anything in a similar vein! Knowing how strange English is we'll probably end up with a separate page of 'oddities':

We must polish the Polish furniture.
He could lead if he would get the lead out.
The farm was used to produce produce.
The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
The soldier decided to desert in the desert.
This was a good time to present the present.
A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
I did not object to the object.
The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
The bandage was wound around the wound.
There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
They were too close to the door to close it.
They sent a sewer down to stitch the tear in the sewer line.
To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
After a number of injections my jaw got number.
Upon seeing the tear in my clothes I shed a tear.
I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
The singer had to record the record.
Will you be able to live through a live concert?

Another list of similar words highlighting the problems people have using English:

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.

Then one fowl is goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a whole lot of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

The cow in the plural may be cows or kine,
But the plural of vow is vows, not vine.

And I speak of a foot, and you show me your feet,
But I give you a boot ... would a pair be called beet? If one is a tooth and the whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

If the singular is this and the plural is these,
Should the plural of kiss be nicknamed kese?

Then one may be that, and three may be those,
Yet the plural of hat would never be hose.

We speak of a brother, and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.

The masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine she, shis and shim!

So our English, I think you'll all agree,
Is the trickiest language you ever did see.

More on The English Language:

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

Can you spell Potato:

If GH can stand for P as in Hiccough
If OUGH stands for O as in Dough
If PHTH stands for T as in Phthisis
If EIGH stands for A as in Neighbour
If TTE stands for T as in Gazette
If EAU stands for O as in Plateau

Then the right way to spell POTATO should be: GHOUGHPHTHEIGHTTEEAU

All these examples of 'English' oddities are wonderful - please keep sending them in!! UK

ennit, innit n. Version of yes or yeah. Commonly used amongst and primarily by Native American Indivuals who do possess a large vocabulary of various dialects of Native American languages but choose to simplfy languages so that the average person can comprehend them., This word is currently used on and around Federally recognized reservations in the Midwest now. It has been used for years and has no definate origins that are commonly known.

Word also used in UK (esp. South) by males/females in kappa tracksuits and mobile phones, and is said after every sentence. used by those with a small vocabulary. contr. is it not?, isn't it? USA, UK

en-og (ed: this may be a shortened version. If anyone has the full term or can confirm I'd appreciate it) n. term for alleyway (entry) between houses. Often really scummy nasty place full of dog crap - it was a bit of an initiation to pee in a new enog UK (NW)

epitomous gesture v. A gesture which highlights the strengths of someones internal beliefs. (ed: ok it's hardly slang but someone took the trouble to send it in so what the hell!) UK

eppy n. derog. 1) A person (usu. child) suffering from epilepsy. 2) An epileptic fit 3) a fit of temper. 4) An excessively stupid or unpleasant person (ed: this definition disputed). cf. spack, flid, joey

ernskernabernaferna n. A word to use when a teacher looks at you are says your name. You can look at him or her like you dont know whats going on and say "ernskernabernaferna" and look stupid, this word is just basically saying "What?" but in a funny way which annoys the teacher. Pronunciation 'Ern-is-ker-na-burn-na-fur-na'. circa. 1990's UK

esser n. School bus, at least where they were run by Ribble, because all the route numbers were 'S' something. circa. 1970's - 1980's UK (NW)

etch-a-sketch 1)n. 2)v. 1) childs toy on which kids draw erasable pictures. 2) The act of trying to draw a smile on a woman's face by twiddling both of her nipples simultaneously. (ed: changing ther subject back, does anyone know how etch-a-sketch toys work?)

evil n. A 'extreme' frown. A dirty look eg. He was giving me evils. circa. 1990's UK (SE)

Ex n. Good or fantastic. Used by contributor and friends in primary school in Mangotsfield, Bristol. circa. 1980's UK (SW)

exypesh adj. Extremely good or favourable. Extra special e.g. "That game is exypesh like.". circa. 1990's