• Glossary Padfoot was a nickname of Sirius Black, created and used by his friends at Hogwarts who knew he was an animagus. Read More
• Clothing • Glossary U.S.: Briefs, underwear, underpants. In the U.K. the term “trousers” is used to refer to the outer garments covering the legs (a term that is also used in the U.S. but is less common there). Read More
• Glossary An early form of bicycle with a very large front wheel and a small rear wheel (NSOED). Read More
• Glossary “Poisonous toadstools don’t change their spots” is a wizarding phrase meaning “people can’t change who they really are inside.” Ron quotes this sage advice when Hermione says she thought that maybe Snape would be less mean to Harry in their fifth year since the Potions Master was in the Order… Read More
• Glossary Affectionate term used for a small child, from “poppet,” which is a kind of a puppet or doll. Read More
• Glossary Potted plant, a plant grown in a pot as opposed to in the ground. (Note: although in the U.S. this would refer to a marijuana plant, that’s not what it means here.)… Read More
• Glossary A low, soft, stuffed seat (possibly in the form of a beanbag, ottoman, or couch). Read More
• Glossary Slang term for a fool; also for a person’s backside. Read More
• Glossary • Titles, nicknames, and honorifics Some of the older pupils (students) in many secondary (12-18) schools are given duties supervising the younger children and assisting the teachers in maintaining discipline. Prefects are usually the most outstanding or best behaved students, but in some schools all the upper year pupils share prefect duties. Read More
• Glossary Short for “public house”; an establishment where alcohol is sold and drunk. U.S.: a bar. Read More
• Glossary What in the U.S. would be termed a private school; it’s “public” in the sense that the kids are attending a school rather than having a private tutor at home. See also comprehensive.  … Read More
• Food and drinks • Glossary The dessert course of a meal. Read More
• Glossary (noun) A long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat used on inland waterways (like the Isis river that flows through Oxford). It’s a kind of pole-boat. As a verb, “to punt” means to push a boat along by a long pole; the punter pushes the pole against the bottom of the river to… Read More