A Dictionary of Brexit

As of October 2019 an UPDATED version of this dictionary can be found on timothyoliver.com/brexicon 

The vote by the British people to leave the European Union has given rise to a plethora of new words such as 'Brexit'. 'Brexit' itself is now defined in the Oxford English dictionary as: (noun) A term for the potential departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

Below I've listed some of the other words and phrases - some common, some not so common - that have been invented to define what Brexit means. I've begun to link to examples where I can find them. I discussed the Brexicon in a piece for the LSE's Brexit blog. 

I'll update this page as I find new words or they emerge (and will get around to putting them all into alphabetical order). Please email me with any suggestions, examples and links - timloliver@gmail.com 

Terms

101 Brexits

Amazing technicolour dreambrexit
B-Day (the day Brexit is scheduled to happen, 29 March 2019)
BINO (Brexit In Name Only)

Bloody Brexit

Brarmageddon
Br(EEA)xit (UK exit from the EEA)
Breadxit (Brexit and baking)

Brecriminations
Breferendum

Bregret
Brelcome 

Breleave

Brelete (your account)

Bremain

Bremainers

Bremoaners

Bremorse

Brenial

Breniers

Brentry (Britain's joining the EEC in 1973)
Breprehensible

Bresign

Breturn
Breunion (the Breunion Boys are a boyband committed to winning back the UK)

Brevestation
Brex-girlfriend
Brexart (the cultural impact of Brexit)

Brexatom (UK exit from the European Atomic Energy Community - EURATOM)
Brexchosis (Brexit psychosis) 
Brexfit (a workout session designed and run by Gym Box)
Brexican stand-off (stand-off mainly over what the UK owes the EU)
Brexicide

Brexicology (the study of the Brexicon)
Brexicon (the lexicon of Brexit)
Brexiety (Brexit anxiety)
Brexilicious 

Brexistential crisis which leads to the Brexit Five stages of Grief (also here):

  1. Brenial

  2. Branger

  3. Brargaining

  4. Brepression or debression

  5. Bracceptance or euukceptance.

Brexitey (Brexit anxiety)
Brexit over easy

Brexit through the gift shop

Brexit wound

Brexiteers / Brexiter
Brexiternity 

Brexitgate

'Brexitjuice, Brexitjuice, Brexitjuice'
Brexitology
Brexitologists
Brexitsphere

Brexit Virus (a strain of hepatitis V found in sausages)
Brexlicker (Brexit stamps)
Brexlit (the literature of Brexit)
Brexmas (Have a merry one...)

Brexodus
Brexorcist
Brexpats (in Spain, Portugal etc.)

Brexperts

Brexplosion
Brexploitation

Brexpulsion
Brexshit (...hitting the fan)
Brexsplit (UK divides in its membership of the EU, with Scotland remaining inside)
Brextension
Brextinct 
Brextremist
Brextortion
BRINO (BRexit In Name Only)
Broxit (Elmar Brok MEP's expenses)

Bruck off
Brump (Brexit and Trump)
The Bye-EU Tapestry (c/o the Sun)
Chateau Brexit (Brexit causes an increase in the price of wine)

Cliff Edge Brexit

Continental Brexit
Creme Brulee Brexit (hard Brexit on the surface but inside it's a soft Brexit)

Dirty Brexit

Dogs Brexit

Elastic Brexit
Elexit (the 2017 UK General Election)

Fifty shades of Brexit (and Article 50 Shades of Brexit)

Full English Brexit

Hard Brexit
Hard Brexxxit (a political porn parody)

Harsh Brexit
HMS Brexit 

In-Bretween

Lexit
Lexiteer

Liberté, égalité, Brexité

Long Brexit
Neglexit (the opportunity costs of Brexit)

Part Brexit

Prexit (a pretend Brexit and the exit of cash from prime funds in the City)
Prexit (Resignation of Priti Patel MP)

Rainbow Brexit

Red, white and blue Brexit

Regrexit
Re-Leavers (Remain voters who have changed their support to Leave)
Remaidstone
Remain-ia (also see, Romania) 

Remainiac
Remaintenance
Remange
Remaybe
Remayhem

Remoaners

Schrödinger's Brexit
Scoxit (Scottish exit from the UK)
Shexit (The Shetland Islands exit from Scotland in the case of a Scoxit)
Slow Brexit (taking Brexit one careful step at a time)

Smexit ('smart Brexit')

Soft Brexit
Therexit (Theresa May's exit from 10 Downing St)
Threxit (the UK's negotiating threats)
Train crash Brexit
Trexit (Theresa May's exit)

UKxit (UK exit from the EU, which is different to Britain's exit which would not include Northern Ireland)

UKsodoff

Unprotected Brexit
Wrexit (to wreck Brexit)

Zaxit (the defeat of Zac Goldsmith)

Other EU member states/regions

(Credit for some of these goes to a piece by Quartz)

Austria - Auxit, Outstria, Ousterreich.

Belgium - Beljump, Bailgium.

Bulgaria - Nullgaria.

Croatia - Noatia, Heaveatska.

Cyprus - Byeprus, Nicoseeya.

Czech Republic - Czexit, Czech-out, Czech-off.

Denmark - Dexit, Dumpark, Donemark, Copenhatin'.

Estonia - Egresstonia, Eschewia, Extonia.

Finland - Fin-land, Helsinkhole, Finish.

France - Frexit, Fraurevoir, AdiEU, Oui out, Fruck-off.

Germany - Berlout, Deutschleave, Angeleave Merkel. 

Greece - Grexit.

Hungary - Full, Donegary. 

Ireland - Retireland, Dublout, Byerland, Irexit, Eirexit. 

Italy - Itexit, Italexit, Italight, Outaly, Quitaly.

Latvia - Leavia, Lat-me-out.

Lithuania - Lithawaynia.

Luxembourg - Luxdisembark, Luxgetouttahere. 

Malta - Malternative, Halta, Maltavista.

Netherlands - Nexit, Neverlands, Ditch.

Poland - Noland, Polskedaddle, Withdrarsaw, Pole-vault, Polend.

Portugal - Portugo, Departugal, Abortugal.

Romania - Roamania, Bucharrest, (also see, Remain-ia)

Slovakia - Forsakia, Slovacate. 

Slovenia - Govenia, Sleavenia. 

Spain - Spexit, Españope, Madriddance, Spalida.

Sweden - Swedesert, Sweparture, Swedone, Swexit. 

Others

Calexit (the splitting of California)
Canadexit (people fleeing to Canada to escape Trump or Brexit)

Clexit (withdrawal from climate change agreements)
Kexit (Kurdistan's exit from Iraq)
Rexit (Rex Tillerson's departure from the State Department)

USA American Brexit (i.e. Donald Trump)
Waxit (Western Australia's exit from the Commonwealth of Australia)

Film, TV and Song Versions

(Credit for some of these goes to the wonderful Facebook Group, 'I'm sorry I haven't a clue appreciation society.')

Brexit is as Brexit does

Brexit is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get

Brexit Island

Brexit Without a Cause 

Everything you wanted to know about Brexit, but were afraid to ask

Cassabrexit

My Big Fat Greek Brexit

No Sleep Till Brexit

Last Exit to Brexit

Seven Brides for Seven Brexits 

The Good the Bad and the Brexit

Truly, Madly, Brexit

Brexit Actually

Brexit through the looking glass

Minority Brexit

The Neverending Brexit

2016: A Brexit Odyssey 

I, Brexit

A Brexit Too Far

Brexit Day

Never Gonna Give You Brexit

Inglorious Brexit

I'm Sorry I Haven't a Brexit

The Seven Year Brexit

Crazy Little Thing Called Brexit

House of the Rising Brexit

Carry On Brexit

Gone With the Brexit

Deep Brexit

Now That's What I Call Brexit!

Brexit at Tiffany's

No Brexit No Cry

Show Me The Way to Brexit

A Hard Day's Brexit

Magical Mystery Brexit

The Nightmare Before Brexit

Debbie Does Brexit

The Incredible Brexit

There Once Was an Ugly Brexit

Billion Dollar Brexit

Monty Python's The Meaning Of Brexit

The Hitchhikers Guide to Brexit

You Got Brexit!

Brexit, Minister

The Brexit Show

1001 Things to do Before you Brexit

A Tale of Two Brexits (It was the best of Brexit, it was the worst of Brexit...)

Much Ado About Brexit

The Brexit Chronicles 

No Brexit Please, We're British

Brexit Recall

Waiting for Brexit

The Man From Brexit

Full Metal Brexit

Dr Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Brexit 

00Brexit (see here for a piece discussing Bond, Brexit and Trump)

A View to a Brexit

A Spectre of Brexit.

Brexit and Let Brexit

Brexit Another Day

Brexit is Forever

Brexit Never Dies

From Brexit with Love

Leave and Let Die

Licence to Brexit

Quantum of Brexit

The Brexit is Not Enough

You only Brexit twice
Dr Brexit

Poems

Brian Bilston's '57 varieties of Brexit'

Updated 19 April 2019. 

Speaking events next week: University of Delaware, LSE Philadelphia alumni group and Princeton

I'll be speaking about Brexit next week at:

Monday 14 Nov: LSE Philadelphia alumni group. Details here.

Tuesday 15 Nov: University of Delaware. Details here. 

Wednesday 16 Nov: Princeton University. Details here. 

A Trump presidency would present an enormous challenge for the UK-US ‘Special Relationship’

My thoughts on what a President Trump could mean for the UK-US relationship: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/a-trump-presidency-would-be-an-enormous-challenge-for-the-uk-us-relationship/ 

I was also quoted in a BBC News piece on the issue published earlier today: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-37851551?SThisFB

Lecture at the US Naval War College

On 17 October I gave a lecture at the US Naval War College in Newport, RI, on the topic 'Brexit and Britain's approach to international relations'. You can watch the lecture on YouTube.

Why it was not alright on the EU referendum night

Back in June 2015 I wrote a piece for E!Sharp setting out why the EU referendum, then a year away, might not go the way many in the UK or EU hoped. In this piece for E!Sharp I look back on the 15 questions I asked in June 2015. http://esharp.eu/debates/the-uk-and-europe/why-it-was-not-alright-on-the-eu-referendum-night

Brexit: A Crash Course at NYU

Please join us for a three-part course with Dr. Tim Oliver, Dahrendorf Fellow at the London School of Economics and Visiting Scholar at New York University.

Class 1: Britain and the EU -- Examines the history of the EU's development, Britain's part in it and Europe's place in British politics.
Thursday, 27 October 2016
12:30pm-2:00pm

Class 2: The Referendum Campaign, Vote and Outcome -- Examines why the referendum was called and why the British people voted to leave the EU.
Wednesday, 2 November 2016
12:00pm-1:30pm

Class 3: The Aftermath -- What will Brexit mean for Britain, the EU and others?
Tuesday, 8 November 2016
3:00pm-4:30pm

This three class course is intended as a basic introduction to Britain's exit from the EU, also known as 'Brexit'. The course will explore the background to the UK's vote by looking at the history of UK-EU relations, will explore more recent developments to explain why the vote happened, before examining what the vote tells us about the UK, the EU and Western politics more broadly, and where Britain and the EU might go next. The class is open to anybody interested in the topic and, while focused largely on political analysis, some economics, international relations and legal issues will be explored. The course assumes some knowledge of EU and UK politics, but brief explanation of both will be given where necessary. 

Dr. Tim Oliver is a Dahrendorf Fellow at the London School of Economics and an authority on Brexit and UK-EU relations, having written over a hundred journal articles, book chapters, reports, papers and comment pieces on the topic. A former Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he has also taught at University College London and the London School of Economics, held research positions in Berlin and Washington, D.C., and worked in the European Parliament and the House of Lords. Further details of his work can be found at www.timothyoliver.com. 

This event is open to the public. Please click here to RSVP for the event. 

Please contact ir.masters@nyu.edu if you have any questions. 

For Dr. Oliver's profile please click here.


Course Structure

Class 1: Britain and the EU (Thu Oct 27: 12:30-2pm)
Questions covered: Why was the EU founded? Why did the UK join late? Has the UK been ‘an awkward partner’ or ‘a quiet European’? What have the rest of the EU felt about the UK’s role? How has the EU changed and how much of this has the UK shaped? Why has the issue of Europe been so divisive in British politics?

• Vernon Bogdanor, ‘Footfalls echoing in the memory. Britain and Europe: the historical perspective’, International Affairs, 81(4), July 2005.
• Timothy Garton-Ash, ‘Is Britain European?’ International Affairs, 77(1), January 200`.
• Julie Smith, ‘ A missed opportunity? New Labour’s European policy 1997-2005’ International Affairs, 81(4), July 2005.

Class 2: The Referendum campaign, vote and outcome (Wed Nov 2: 12-1:30pm)
Questions covered: Why was the referendum called? What did David Cameron secure in his renegotiation of the UK’s membership? How did the campaign unfold? What key issues emerged during the campaign? Why did the Leave side win? How did Britain vote? What divisions have been observed?

• Adam Hug, Renegotiation, reform and referendum: does Britain have a European Future? Foreign policy Centre, February 2014.
• Matt Goodwin and Caitlin Milazzo, Britain, the European Union and the Referendum: what drives Euroscepticism? Chatham House, Dec 2015.
• Tim Oliver, ‘To be or not to be in Europe: is that the question?’International Affairs, 91(1), Jan 2015.

Class 3: The Aftermath (Tues Nov 8: 3-4:30pm)
Questions covered: What happens now in the Brexit negotiations? What does ‘Brexit means Brexit’ actually mean? What does the vote mean for the UK politically, economically and strategically? What will it mean for the EU and ideas of European integration? What might it mean for the USA, the transatlantic relationship and wider international relations? Where does it leave ideas and theories of European integration/disintegration? How important is Brexit for Britain, the EU and the world?

• Heather Grabbe and Steffan Lehne, ‘How to build a more flexible EU after Brexit’. Carnegie Europe, Sept 2016.
• ‘Brexit: Initial Reactions’. International Affairs, 92(6), forthcoming Nov 16.
• Tim Oliver, Brexit: what happens next? LSE IDEAS, June 2016.

Other sources: Even before the referendum there was no shortage of academic and political analysis of the UK-EU relationship. The referendum gave rise to a new supply of analysis. Some of the best sources are: UK in a Changing Europe;the Centre for European Reform; Open Europe; LSE; UCL; and the House of Commons Library. You can also still visit the sites of the official leave and remaincampaigns.

Brexit is about Europe, not Britain

A piece for the UK in a Changing Europe project: http://ukandeu.ac.uk/brexit-is-about-europe-not-britain/

Brexit: Sociological Responses

Out soon with a chapter by me, 'The EU and Brexit: Processes, Perspectives and Prospects'. More details: http://www.anthempress.com/brexit-pb