Don't be a 'vut'

You were planning to go out tonight - but a sprag has let slip that you sagged off and your parents are making you mind the anchors.

If this mix of the nautical and the nonsensical leaves you nonplussed, don't be ashamed.

It is the latest in street terminology and if you were a teenager you'd know that your night out has been cancelled because the sort of person who tells a grown-up about other children's misdemeanours (or sprag) has blabbed that you bunked off school, and now you're being made to look after your younger siblings.

All clear now? If you struggle to translate what your children are saying, or perhaps you just want to be cool for school, a new book published next month may help.

The Dictionary Of Playground Slang contains thousands of definitions of bewildering words - a good proportion of them unrepeatable anywhere other than the schoolyard. If you shudder when you recall your school days, but still don't know exactly what your tormentors meant when they vilified you as a "vut" (an idiot, by the way), you can look it up and arm yourself with a few choice adjectives for your school reunion.

Chris Lewis, who compiled the dictionary from definitions sent to a website he set up, said: "Apart from holding the key to such trivia, the dictionary also contains many interesting snippets from daytoday life in the school playground. There are rules for games ranging from the slightly tame marbles to the psychopathic aggression of maim ball."

The Dictionary Of Playground Slang, by Chris Lewis, is published by Allison & Busby on 3 November, price £6.99.