List of British Words Not Widely Used in The United States - J

J

jacket potato

baked potato

jam sandwich

(slang) police car. So called as, in the past, most UK police vehicles were white with a horizontal yellow-edged red fluorescent stripe along the entire length of their sides, giving a certain resemblance to a white bread sandwich with a coloured jam (jelly) filling. The majority of marked vehicle operated by the Metropolitan Police Service retain this livery, albeit the cars are now (mostly) silver. Some older vehicles are still in white, while the Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG) use red vehicles. (US: black-and-white. In many cities of the US, police cars are painted black at the hood and trunk and white on the doors and roof.)

jammy (git, cow)

(slang) lucky (person, woman)

jemmy

To break into a lock, from the tool that is used in such an occasion as burglary (US: jimmy)

jerry

(slang) pejorative term for a German or Germans, (US: Kraut)

jiggery-pokery

Expertly tinker with something in a way that a non-expert or casual observer is unlikely to comprehend.

jimmy

(Rhyming slang) urinate, as in jimmy riddle - piddle

jobsworth

(slang) Originally a minor clerical/government worker who refuses to be flexible in the application of rules to help clients or customers (as in "it will cost me more than my job's worth to bend the rules"). Also used more broadly to apply to anyone who uses their job description in a deliberately obstructive way.

johnny

(slang) a condom (US: rubber, Jimmy-hat)

John Thomas

Better known as slang for penis or "dick" (US: cock, dick, or johnson) From the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover

Joey

Term of abuse used of someone perceived to be foolish, stupid, incompetent, clumsy, uncoordinated, ridiculous, idiotic. Originated with the appearances of cerebral palsy sufferer Joey Deacon on children's TV programme Blue Peter; still a popular insult among adults who saw the programmes as children.

jumble sale

(see article; US: rummage sale)

jumper

a pullover *, sweater

jump leads

booster cables used to jump-start a car (US: jumper cables)