Interesting.  'The Firm' (is it called?) has Gary Oldman referring to his opponents as 'top girls'.  Very sarcastic, though. 
We were frightened of girls at thirteen.  Hence our constant ridicule of them.

Returning to Patrick's original posting, 'prat' was what I called some leftist type in the waiting room for chemo and nice, cosy chats with oncologists for those riddled with cancer or who, like my wife, had not long had a tit removed.  I was in no mood to be trifled with.  So, being deep in muttered conversation with the chap next to me about NHS food and what-not, leftist type (wife - or 'partner' - in purple DMs, prat in sandals) jumps in and tells me what an ignorant fellow I am.  'Wanker' was the first word that sprang to my mind; 'prat' had to suffice.  It's mild in the UK now, very mild. 
Lenny Bruce used to ask 'Why 'fuck you?'  Fucking is a pleasurable activity.  Why not say 'unfuck you?'  Lenny knew a thing or two.

How about "pillock"?

And what of "bint"?

I'm driving around in a hire car and I usually give a running commentary on other people's driving. I noticed during one busy journey that I used the terms Prick, Dick, Wanker the c word wasn't used as the driving standard was not bad compared with Finland where all men consider themselves to be either rally drivers or Formula 1 exponents.

My wife drives, I don't.  She's an excellent driver but her stream of invective does credit to her Liverpool dock worker roots.  A favourite, when someone is trying to park, 'You could get the f***ing Queen Mary in there!' 
We used to go and stay with a Liverpool cousin who lived in Birmingham.  Unfailingly, to her hapless husband when he bolloxed something up, 'Les, yer pillock'. 
The 'aunts' came from Liverpool to our wedding (not Everton supporters).  One looked me up and down through a cloud of fag smoke and said, 'I'm sure our Margaret could've done better 'n you...'

A story oft-told about a WW2 squaddie attempting, without success, to repair a motor vehicle...

'Sir, sorry to have to tell you the fuckin' fucker's fuckin' fucked'.

Travelling on a bus. The driver just shouted out Twat to a car trying to overtake in a built up area.

And for true refinement, return to Pinter, in which a character is described as 'a jam-rag vendor...  a minge-juice bottler...'

Patrick must think we are a terribly foul-mouthed bunch over here.  I think cursing is probably a national pastime.  Even Captain Pugwash wasn't totally innocent with his cries of 'Odds Kittkins!'  But then he did have Seaman Staines and Master Bates to contend with.

I referred to someone as a "prat" the other day, to the considerable amusement of a lady friend.

As a Yank I am cautious about deploying British slang. I don't want people to think I'm a wanker.

By the way there are large sections of the U.S. where calling someone a Yank is gonna mean trouble. Not just the South, either.

Last edited by Patrick (2022-05-02 14:34:29)

I had to think about that for a minute. (First cup of coffee.)

Aha!

The first man to fuck Little Sophie
Has just won the Krafft-Ebing trophy
Plus ten thousand quid
Which for what the chap did
Will be widely denounced as a low fee

I'm ashamed to admit that our GP is always referred to me as 'Little Sophie', she being a strapping, very middle class, six footer.

I was fishing in Prattsville, N.Y. recently. Town motto: Don't Be a Pratt