No, Ebbie, "skanky old road whore" is definitely not a UK think. It's a southern US thing. It's a construction commonly used in reference to the woman whose company one's ex-boyfriend (or ex-husband) is keeping. It is usually spoken in establishments featuring alcoholic beverages and country music. The odds are great that anyone who utters said construction wears cowgirl boots and drives a four-year-old Camaro.

Bruce