Peep

 
Peep is a word (both a verb and a noun) with a variety of meanings to which a new one has been recently added. Its meanings include to look furtively; make high-pitched sounds (especially of young birds); speak in a hesitant and high-pitched tone of voice; to appear as though from hiding; to peek; and to take a secret look.

"He peeped at the woman through the window." "The newly hatched birds uttered their little peeps in the nest." "The new moon peeped through the tree tops."

When people utter swear words before the watershed time on British television their swearing is often deleted and a peep sound put in its place. As a result the word peep has become an alternative word for a bad person - the sort one would describe with a swear word if one were less delicate.

Hence, "The skip needed to be filled as soon as possible because we didn't want other irresponsible peeps out there putting items in our skip." (Dewi)
 

Alibi Clock

 
An alibi is the argument that a person was somewhere else or has to be somewhere else at a stated time. It is usually used in the context of a defence in a law court where the accused claims innocence on the grounds that other people can provide an alibi - i.e. support his case that he was somewhere else at the time the crime was committed.

An alibi clock was the name given to a striking clock that, because of an error in the setting of its mechanism, would show one hour on its clock face but chime a different hour.
 

Alias

 
Alias means also known as (sometimes abbreviated to a.k.a.); also named; or a name that has been assumed temporarily.
"My name is John, alias Clive, alias Scriptor Senex."

One who passes under many names was at one time said to have as many aliases as Robin Of Bagshott. Robin of Bagshott was a character in the Beggar's Opera by John Gay and was also known as Bluff Bob, Gordon, Carbuncle, and Bob Booty.
 

Rusticate

 
Rustocate is one of Jen's favourite words. It does have a lovely sound and, provided you aren't at univesity, has a most pleasant meaning too. It means to ive in the country and lead a rustic life; send to the country; give (stone) a rustic look; or have a countryfied appearance. "I love that rusticated bench and is surroundings."

Unfortunately it also means to send down or suspend temporarily from college or university. "He was rusticated for his bad behaviour." 

Ring the changes

 
If you are tempted to use the phrase 'Ring the changes' it is, quite simply, safer not to do so.

It's original meaning and the meaning many people now ascribe to it are different so your reader or listener is not necessarily going to know what you mean.


Nowadays many people take it to be an alternative way of saying 'making changes'. But it has its origins in bell-ringing where each order of striking the bells is called a change. To 'ring the changes' involves ringing all the possible variations of striking order and then starting again. Ringing the changes was therefore a repetitive act with different variations rather than the complete change meant by its modern interpretation.
 

Over the top

 
Over the top (often shortened to OTT) is a phrase used to mean beyond the bounds of good taste or simply, excessive. It is derived from the First World War where it meant climbing out of the trenches and attacking the enemy (often with fatal consequences). Quite how it came to have its present meaning I am unsure.

"Some of the hats you see at Ascot are a bit OTT".
 

Not worth a tinker's dam

 

I had always assumed this phrase was 'Not worth a tinker's damn' - i.e., not worth so much as the swear word from a tinker. Apparently the dam doesn't have an 'n' at the end.

Tinkers - not to be confused with true Romanies - were a gypsy like people who travelled from place to place and were known for mending metal goods like pots and pans. (I use the past tense because tinkers as we knew them in our youth no longer seem to exist in this society where everything is thrown away and replaced rather than mended.)

The dam was a plug made of bread which was used to fill the hole in the kettle or whatever was being mended. The solder would then be held in place by the dam while it set. The dam itself was, of course, worthless.

Interestingly I'm not the only person who has failed to appreciate the origin of the phrase because I have also heard it expressed as 'Not worth a tinker's cuss'.
 

Enervate

 
Enervate is one of those words which sounds to me like the opposite of what it is. Whenever I see the word I have to remind myself of its meaning because it always sounds to me as though it should mean to enliven. It doesn’t. To enervate means to make sleepy; weaken mentally or morally; debilitate; or cause a lack of strength or vitality.
 

Ulotrichous

 
Ulotrichous means having tight curly, crispy or woolly hair. It is the sort of word that may occasionally find its way into crosswords but is little used elsewhere!
 

Fettle

 
Fettle is an obsolete word that meant condition, shape or order. Nowadays it is heard only in the expressions 'fine fettle' or 'good fettle'. These are usually used of an elderly person or piece of aging machinery; the implication being that it is in good shape or working order for its age.