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Our guide to British slang words, lingo & expressions includes regional variations from the Queen's English, Cockney, to Welsh colloquialisms.
- A cuppa: A cup of tea. Commonly used when someone wants to express a desire for a hot beverage, particularly tea. Example sentence: “I fancy a cuppa after that long walk.”
- All right: A greeting or inquiry about one’s well-being. Used as a casual way to say hello and check in on someone. Example sentence: “All right, mate? How’s it going?”
- Arse: Buttocks or backside. A more informal and potentially humorous term for the posterior. Example sentence: “I nearly fell on my arse when I slipped on the ice.”
- Banter: Playful and teasing conversation. Often used in the context of joking and light-hearted exchanges. Example sentence: “We always have good banter at the pub.”
- Bollocks
- 3., and 4. Cob, Bap, and Barm
- To Have A Cob on
- And 10. Bladdered and Pissed
- Punter
- Tory
- Offie
- Tosser
- Pillock
- Cwtch
Literally,bollocks means “testicles.” Colloquially, it can be used as a general expression of annoyance or distaste; it also means “nonsense.”
All terms used to refer to a bread roll. According tothe BBC, there may be as many as 20 terms across the UK for “what is perhaps the most inoffensive foodstuff known to man.”
When someone has a cob on, that means they’re annoyed or in a bad mood. One reader of The Guardian speculated that the phrase may have come from the old practice of wearing bread as a status symbol and was originally used in a derogatory way to mean “high and mighty” before evolving to its current meaning. It might also come from the fact that male...
Both bladdered and pissed mean “drunk.” Insert basically any noun, add -edon the end of it, and it means “drunk” if you give it the right emphasis. The British have a lot of words for being drunk.
Punter has a few meanings, and it’s fairly important not to mix them up. It can be used to describe paying customers (usually as part of a crowd or audience), or it can be someone who’s gambling (they’re having a punt, as in “bet”). The third meaning? A sex worker’s client. Seriously, don’t get them mixed up.
A Tory is a member of the British Conservative Party; the word is used casually in a slightly demeaning way to denote a posh person.
Offie is short for off-license, a shop that can sell alcohol for consumption off the premises. It’s similar to a liquor store, but usually has a greater variety of non-alcohol products.
This insult for “a foolish or despicable person” probably comes from toss off, meaning “to masturbate.”
Since the 1960s, pillock has been used as a term for a stupid person, but when it originated in the 1530s it meant“penis.”
A Welsh term for a hug (pronounced “kutch,” as if it rhymes with butch)—specifically, a nice, cozy hug that makes you feel all warm inside.
Oct 13, 2020 · A list of delightfully descriptive British slang words and phrases taken from across the UK. Once you read this list, you’ll basically become British yourself. Did you know that the UK has around 40 different dialects of English, each with their own accents and slang?
Aug 9, 2023 · The British Isles have a rich linguistic history with colloquial expressions like 'bloke', 'cheeky', 'mate', and 'blimey'. Navigate the myriad of British slang terms and idioms that offer a unique window into UK culture.
Nov 4, 2022 · The world of British slang is vast, and it includes everything from modern abbreviations to terms that have existed for a century. So let’s dive in and learn some other UK originals that you might hear more often if you mingle with the locals.
Sep 9, 2024 · Learning British slang isn't just fun, it can help you have conversations with people from the UK! Here are 54 must-know British slang words you can start using today. I'll also show you some resources where you can hear British slang used in media and casual speech. Click here to start learning!
