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Oracle 's definitions

the tube

The London Underground, the first such system in the world. Resembles (and smells like) a small train running in a sewer. Beloved of Ken Livingstone. Takes forever to get anywhere (if its running at all).
Londoner: "London's ace coz its got The Tube blah blah..."
Brummie: "Fuck that it takes half an hour to go a mile- I can go 120mph in my car..."
by oracle March 12, 2004
mugGet the the tubemug.

double yellow

Or "Double yellows"- twin yellow lines down the side of a road which indicate no parking.
Hurry up, i've parked on double yellow
by oracle March 12, 2004
mugGet the double yellowmug.

l-plate

1: Plate attached to car being driven by learner driver.
2: Joint made with 2 sheets of paper shaped as an "L".
1: Hes still on his L plates
2: Roll us an L plate
by oracle February 5, 2004
mugGet the l-platemug.

congestion charge

Road toll scheme in Central London, implemented by 'Red Ken' Livingstone. Drivers entering the central zone must pay £8 per day (up from £5 at its introduction in 2003) or risk a heavy fine and/or impound of their vehicle.
The charge operates on weekdays from 7:00AM to 6:30PM. Electric vehicles and buses are exempt (along with other exemptions).
The system is enforced by ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) CCTV cameras on all roads entering the zone. Motorists pay by giving their car number plate details at the counter of an appropriate petrol station or shop.
The zone is due to be extended soon, doubling its size.
Needless the say, the scheme is unpopular with motorists, although London has relatively low rates of car ownership in relation to the rest of the UK, or the US.
Plans for similar schemes in other UK cities are currently on hold.
High-profile opponents to the scheme include Madonna and the Evening Standard newspaper.
I'm just going to the shop to pay the congestion charge
by oracle April 12, 2006
mugGet the congestion chargemug.

routemaster

Old-style bus as seen in London. Being withdrawn because idiots keep falling off the back and suing, but its not a bad thing coz they smoke like hell.
"Is the chip shop on fire or is the next bus a routemaster?"
by oracle March 12, 2004
mugGet the routemastermug.

red route

(In the UK) Main city road, with red lines painted at the edges. Illegal to stop without good reason.
"Dave got done again for parking on a red route"
by oracle March 12, 2004
mugGet the red routemug.

bit

An unspecified short amount of time (usually less than an hour).

Can be used to indicate that events will follow a normal timescale, or otherwise be used to postpone an event for a time.

A 'bit' usually refers to the expected or average amount of time that should be taken to complete the task in question.
When postponing an event, however, a 'bit' can be considerably longer.

Eg, If you are due to visit a friend who lives a 15 minute drive away, to be round 'in a bit' could indicate that you will be there in about 1/2 hour, 15 minutes preparation to leave and 15 minutes driving.

The expression 'in a bit' is often used in Midland dialect as a farewell, similar to laters.

'A bit' should not however be confused with 'Quite a bit', which always indicates an unusually large amount of time (or something else), and is analogous to a 'while'.
"I'll be round yours in a bit"
by oracle October 27, 2006
mugGet the bitmug.

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