British Slang

Ace - If something is ace it is brilliant. I used to hear it a lot in Liverpool. Kids thought all cool stuff was ace, or brill.

All right? - This is used a lot around London and the south to mean, "Hello, how are you"? You would say it to a complete stranger or someone you knew. The normal response would be for them to say "All right"? back to you. It is said as a question. Sometimes it might get expanded to "all right mate"? Mostly used by blue collar workers but also common among younger people.

Anti-clockwise - It simply means counter-clockwise

Baccy - Tobacco. The sort you use to roll your own.

Barmy - If someone tells you that you're barmy they mean you have gone mad or crazy.

Beastly - You would call something or somebody beastly if they were really nasty or unpleasant. Most people would consider you a snob or an upper class git if you used this word.

Bees Knees - If you are in polite company and want to say that something was fabulous, this phrase might come in handy.

Belt up - It's the British for shut up.

Bender - Pub crawl or a heavy drinking session.

Bespoke - We say something is bespoke if it has been created especially for someone, in the same way that you say custom. For example a computer program might be bespoken for a client, or you may order a bespoke holiday, where the travel agent creates an itinerary around your exact requirements.

Best of British - If someone says "The best of British to you" when you are visiting the UK, it simply means good luck. It is short for "best of British luck".

Bite your arm off - This is not aggressive behaviour that a football fan might engage in. In fact it just means that someone is over excited to get something. For instance you might say that kids would bite your arm off for an ice cream on a sunny day.

Bladdered - This rather ugly expression is another way of saying you are drunk.

Blast - An exclamation of surprise. You may also hear someone shout "blast it", or even "bugger and blast"!

Blatant - Means something is really obvious.

Bleeding - An alternative to the word bloody. You'll hear people say "bleeding hell" or "not bleeding likely" for example.

Blimey - Another exclamation of surprise.

Blinding - If something is a blinding success - it does not mean that any eyes were poked out with sharp sticks - it means it was fantastic.

Blinkered - Someone who is blinkered is narrow minded or narrow sighted - they only see one view on a subject.

Bloody - One of the most useful swear words in English. Mostly used as an exclamation of surprise i.e. "bloody hell" or "bloody nora". Something may be "bloody marvellous" or "bloody awful". It is also used to emphasise almost anything, "you're bloody mad", "not bloody likely" and can also be used in the middle of other words to emphasise them. E.g. "Abso-bloody-lutely"!

Blooming - Another alternative to the word bloody. You might hear someone say "not blooming likely" so that they don't have to swear.

Blunt - If a saw or a knife is not sharp we say it is blunt.

Bob's your uncle - This is a well used phrase. It is added to the end of sentences a bit like and that's it!

Bodge - We bodge things all the time here. I'm sure you do too! To do a bodge job means to do a quick and dirty. Make it look good for the next day or two and if it falls down after that. Applies to building, DIY, programming and most other things.

Bomb - If something costs a bomb it means that it is really expensive.

Bomb - If something goes like a bomb it means it is going really well or really fast.

Botch - There are two expressions here - to botch something up or to do a botch job. They both mean that the work done was not of a high standard or was a clumsy patch.

Bottle - Something you have after twenty pints of lager and the curry. A lot of bottle! This means courage. If you have a lot of bottle you have no fear.

Brill - Short for "brilliant". Used by kids to mean cool.

Budge up - If you want to sit down and someone is taking up too much space, you'd ask them to budge up - move and make some space.

Bugger - It has many uses. The fuller version of this would be "bugger it". It can also be used to tell someone to get lost (bugger off), or to admit defeat (we're buggered) or if you were tired or exhausted you would be buggered. You can also call someone a bugger as in "lucky bugger".

Bugger all - If something costs bugger all, it means that it costs nothing. Meaning it is cheap. If you have bugger all, it means you have nothing.

C of E - The Church of England. Our official protestant church - of which the Queen is the head.

Chat up - To chat someone up is to try and pick them up. If you spotted a scrummy girly in a bar you might try to chat her up. Or a girl might try and chat up a chap!

Cheeky - Cheeky means you are flippant or have too much lip. Generally you are considered to be a bit cheeky if you have an answer for everything and always have the last word.

Cheerio - Not a breakfast cereal. Just a friendly way of saying goodbye. Or in the north "tara" which is pronounced sort of like "churar".

Cheers - This word is obviously used when drinking with friends. However, it also has other colloquial meanings. For example when saying goodbye you could say "cheers", or "cheers then". It also means thank you.

Chinese Whispers - It refers to the way a story gets changed as is passes from one person to the next so that the end result may be completely different from what was originally said.

Chuffed - You would be chuffed to bits if you were really pleased about something.

Clear off! - Means get lost.

Cock up - A cock up means you have made a mistake.

Cracking - If something is cracking, it means it is the best. Usually said without pronouncing the last "G". If a girl is cracking it means she is stunning.

Cram - Before a big exam you would be expected to cram. This simply means to study hard in the period running up to the exam.

Crikey - Another exclamation of surprise.

Daft - Means stupid.

Dear - If something is dear it means it is expensive.

Dishy - If someone is a bit of a dish or a bit dishy it means they are attractive or good looking.

DIY - This is short for do it yourself and applies not just to the DIY stores but also to anything that you need to do yourself.

Do - A party. You would go to a do if you were going to a party in the UK.

Do - If you go into a shop and say "do you do batteries?" it means "do you sell batteries".

Do - If you drive along a motorway in the wrong lane the police will do you. You could then tell your friends that you have been done by the police. Prosecute is another word for it!

Doddle - Something that is a doddle is easy.

Dodgy - If someone or something is a bit dodgy, it is not to be trusted. This can relate to many things such as food or even people.

Dog's dinner - If you make a real mess of something it might be described as a real dog's dinner.

Donkey's years - It means someone hasn't seen you for ages.

Dull - To us something is dull if it is boring. This can apply to both things and people.

Easy Peasy - A childish term for something very easy.

Faff - To faff is to dither around.

Fancy - If you fancy something then it means you desire it. This can relate to food and people. For example: I fancy a bit of cake or I really fancy him.

Filch - To filch is to steal or pilfer.

Fit - A fit bird means a girl who is pretty good looking or tasty! A fit bloke would be the male equivalent.

Flog - To Flog something is to sell it.

Fluke - If something great happened to you by chance that would be a fluke.

Fortnight - Two weeks.

Full monty - Means the whole thing or going the whole way.

Full of beans - This means to have loads of energy.

Get lost! - Politely translated as go away.

Get stuffed! - Even politer way to tell someone to get lost is to tell them to get stuffed.

Give us a bell - This simply means call me.

Gobsmacked - Amazed.

Good value - This is short for good value for money.

Gormless - A gormless person is someone who has absolutely no clue. clueless.

Grub - Food. Similar to nosh.

Gutted - If someone is very upset by something they might say that they were gutted.

Haggle - To haggle is to argue or negotiate over a price.

Hash - The thing you call a pound sign!

Hiya - Short for hi there, this is a friendly way of saying hello.

Horses for courses - This is a common saying that means each to his own.

Hunky-dory - We would generally use it to mean that everything is cool and groovy, on plan, no worries and generally going well.

I'm easy - This expression means I don't care or it's all the same to me.

Jolly - You hear people use this in all sorts of ways, but basically it means very. So "jolly good" would mean very good. A common exception is where you hear people say "I should jolly well think so!" which is more to emphasise the point.

Kip - A short sleep or snooze.

Knackered - The morning after twenty pints and the curry, you'd probably feel knackered. Another way to describe it is to say you feel shagged. Basically worn out, good for nothing, tired out, knackered.

Knees up - If you're having a knees up, you're going to a dance or party.

Knuckle sandwich - If somebody offers you a knuckle sandwich you'd be best to decline the offer and leave at the next convenient moment. It isn't some British culinary delight - they're about to thump you in the nose.

Leg it - This is a way of saying run or run for it.

Left, right and centre - If you have been looking left, right and centre, it means you have been searching all over.

Lurgy - If you have the lurgy it means you are ill, you have the Flu.

Luvvly-jubbly - Clearly another way of saying lovely. Made famous by the TV show Only Fools and Horses.

Mate - Most chaps like to go to the pub with their mates. Mate means friend or chum.

Nark - If someone is in a nark, it means they are in a bad mood, or being grumpy.

Nice one! - If someone does something particularly impressive you might say "nice one"! to them.

Nick - To nick is to steal. If you nick something you might well get nicked.

Nicked - Something that has been stolen has been nicked. Also, when a copper catches a burglar red handed he might say "you've been nicked"!

Nosh - Food. You would refer to food as nosh or you might be going out for a good nosh up, or meal! Not the nicest word to describe food.

Not my cup of tea - This is a common saying that means something is not to your liking.

Nowt - This is Yorkshire for nothing. Similarly owt is Yorkshire for anything. Hence the expression "you don't get owt for nowt". Roughly translated as "you never get anything for nothing".

Off colour - If someone said you were off colour they would mean that you look pale and ill!

Off your trolley - If someone tells you that you're off your trolley, it means you have gone raving bonkers, crazy, mad!

On about - What are you on about? It means what are you talking about?

On your bike - A very polite way of telling someone to get lost.

One off - A one off is a special or a one time event that is never to be repeated.

Owt - This is Yorkshire for anything. Similarly nowt is Yorkshire for nothing.

Pants - Something which is absolutely rubbish. For instance you could say the last episode of a TV show was "total pants".

Peanuts - Typically these days peanuts means something is cheap.

Pear shaped - If something has gone pear shaped it means it has become a disaster.

Piece of cake - It means it's a cinch!

Pinch - This means to steal something. Though when you say "steal" it is a bit more serious than pinch. A kid might pinch a cake from the kitchen. A thief would steal something during a burglary.

Plastered - You have had rather too much to drink down your local. It has nothing to do with being covered with plaster though anything is possible when you are plastered.

Porkies - Telling a lie

Porridge - Doing porridge means to serve time in prison. There was also a comedy TV series called Porridge about a prisoner.

Posh - Roughly translates as high class.

Potty - Means you are a little crazy.

Prat - Yet another mildly insulting name for someone. In fact, this one is a bit ruder than pillock so you probably wouldn't say it in front of Grandma.

Put a sock in it - This is one way of telling someone to shut up.

Put paid to - This is an expression which means to put an end to something.

Quid - A pound in money is called a quid.

Quite - When used alone, this word means the same as absolutely!

Reverse the charges - When you want to ring someone up and you have no money you can call the operator and ask to reverse the charges in the UK.

Ring - You would ring someone on the phone not call them, in the UK.

Round - When you hear the words "your round" in the pub, it means it is your turn to buy the drinks for everyone in the group - nothing to do with the size of your tummy!

Row - Means an argument.

Rubbish - Trash or garbage.

Sack - If someone gets the sack it means they are fired.

Scrummy - This is a word that would be used to describe either some food that was particularly good (and probably sweet and fattening).

Shambles - If something is a shambles it is chaotic or a real mess.

Shambolic - In a state of chaos. Generally heard on the news when the government is being discussed!

Shirty - "Don't get shirty with me ". It means getting bad tempered.

Skive - To skive is to evade something. For example school.

Sloshed - Yet another way to describe being drunk. Clearly we need a lot of ways to describe it since getting plastered is a national pastime.

Smarmy - Another word for a smoothy, someone who has a way with the ladies for example. Usually coupled with "git" - as in "what a smarmy git". Not meant to be a nice expression, of course.

Smart - When we say someone is smart, we are talking about the way they are dressed - you might say they look sharp.

Smashing - If something is smashing, it means it is terrific.

Snog - Making out or serious kissing!

Sod all - Nothing.

Sod's law - This is another name for Murphy's law - whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

Sorted - When you have fixed a problem and someone asks how it is going you might say "sorted". It's also popular these days to say "get it sorted" when you are telling someone to get on with the job.

Spend a penny - To spend a penny is to go to the bathroom.

Splash out - If you splash out on something - it means you throw your senses out the window, get out your credit card and spend far too much money. You might splash out on a new car or even on a good meal.

Strop - If someone is sulking or being particularly miserable you would say they are being stroppy or that they have a strop on

Ta - Short for thanks.

Taking the mickey - Making fun of someone. Variations include "taking the mick" and "taking the Michael".

Tara - Pronounced "churar", this is another word for cheerio or goodbye.

Throw a spanner in the works - This is an expression that means to wreck something.

Tickety-boo - If something is going well with no problems we would say it is tickety-boo.

TTFN - Short for "ta ta for now". Which in turn means goodbye!

Uni - Short for university

Waffle - To waffle means to talk on and on about nothing.

Well - Well can be used to accentuate other words. for example someone might be "well hard" to mean he is a real man, as opposed to just "hard". Something really good might be "well good". Or if you were really really pleased with something you might be "well chuffed".

Whinge - To whinge is to whine.

Wind up - This has a couple of meanings. If something you do is a "wind up" it means you are making fun of someone. However it you are "wound up" it means you are annoyed.

Wobbler - To "throw a wobbly" or to "throw a wobbler" means to have a tantrum.

Wonky - If something is shaky or unstable you might say it is wonky.

Yonks - "Blimey, I haven't heard from you for yonks". If you heard someone say that it would mean that they had not seen you for ages!