(UK, slang, obsolete) To take offense; to become upset.
(UK, slang, obsolete) To take offense; to become upset.
Nab the rust means: To take offense; to become upset.. The word is mostly archaic or historical; you will only encounter it in old texts, period drama, or school history rather than current teen conversation. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
nab the rust means: To take offense; to become upset.. Register: archaic, historical. Almost never used today; you will find it only in older texts, dictionaries of dialect, or historical writing. Avoid in active vocabulary. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Nab the rust means: To take offense; to become upset.. The word is mostly archaic or historical; you will only encounter it in old texts, period drama, or school history rather than current teen conversation. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "nab the rust".
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with N.
(UK, slang, obsolete) To divide up the booty.
(UK, Irish, slang) To steal.
Obsolete British criminal slang from the thieves' cant tradition, meaning to divide the stolen loot among the members of a criminal crew. Nap here means to take or seize, and regulars refers to the established shares owed to each person. Thieves' cant was a deliberate secret language used by criminals, beggars, and traveling people in 17th–19th century Britain to talk openly without being understood by outsiders.
(UK, slang, vulgar, derogatory) Term of abuse.
No comments yet — say something.
(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, slang) Stolen.