A Non-Alphabetical and Uncategorized Phrasebook (abridged)

• add (plus): Five add four equals nine.

• subtract (minus): Five subtract four equals one.

• multiply (times): Five multiply four equals twenty.

These actually makes tons (tonnes) of sense since they name the operation in the number sentence instead of naming symbols like plus and minus.  Children are also less likely to say things like "I have to solve this problem by plussing five and four."  Since I'm much more used to the American phrasing, there's a growing list of British kids who look at me dumbfounded when I try to "help" them with their maths (see below).

• maths (math): We're going to start learning fractions in maths today.

There is, however, no such thing as readings, histories, or sciences.

• inverted commas (quotation marks)

• full stop (period)

 

• sensible: Push in your chairs sensibly!  Be sensible when you play your maths game.

I can't think of a good translation, but this is a brilliant (brill) catch-all for making the right choices throughout the day.  I hear teachers use it about as often as I say "expectations" in my classroom, which is to say that they use it a lot.

• fuss: Don't fuss while you're putting on your coats!  You hurt your knee and you didn't even fuss!  You don't need to fuss when you hear a loud noise.

Again, I can't think of a translation that encompasses all the uses of fuss, but it's kind of like messing around while maintaining a British reserve.

• dinner (lunch)
• tea (dinner)
• supper (a light bite late at night)
• pudding (dessert)
• canteen (cafeteria)

Apparently calling the midday meal lunch and the evening meal dinner is considered posh.

• sir (an unknown man): Ask sir (referring to me) to help you with your maths if you get stuck.