motorway

Large, dual carriageway road with special status (in UK, Ireland, Australia). International equivalents: Interstate, Autobahn, autostrada. No stopping, u-turns, etc. Maximum speed limit (in UK) 70mph/110kph. In practice the police leave you alone up to 100mph/160kph. No speed cameras are allowed on ordinary motorways (eg no roadworks, or otherwise reduced speed limits). Due to poor planning and low government spending on all transport, UK motorways are notoriously congested (the busiest stretch or road in Europe, the M6 through Birmingham, has only 3 lanes each way).

Shall we take the motorway or the a-roads?

by oracle January 31, 2005

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Get the motorwaymug.

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

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Get the red routemug.

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 Being withdrawn because idiots keep falling off the back and suing, but its not a bad thing coz they smoke like hell.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

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Get the routemastermug.

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

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Get the the tubemug.

summon a bus

To light a cigarette while waiting for a bus at a bus stop. Derived from the belief in murphy's/sod's law, which states that a bus (on which smoking is not permitted) will always arrive shortly after a cigarette is lit.

(Man waiting for bus): "Ill just summon the bus.."

by oracle March 07, 2005

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