More British Slang Words and Phrases
About a year ago, I wrote a post about British slang words and phrases. Using fifteen examples, I endeavoured to explain their definition, provenance and the context in which they are commonly used. I then provided an example sentence of each word or phrase for reference. This proved such a popular post (it didn’t), that I thought it would be beneficial if I gave some further examples (Again I didn’t. I just needed to write a quick blog post, with minimal effort). So here is another selection of slang words and phrases that are used in common parlance in the UK, for your amusement, edification and consideration. Some are relatively self explanatory. Others are somewhat tenuous and arcane in their origins.
Manor is a UK slang term for turf or territory
About a year ago, I wrote a post about British slang words and phrases. Using fifteen examples, I endeavoured to explain their definition, provenance and the context in which they are commonly used. I then provided an example sentence of each word or phrase for reference. This proved such a popular post (it didn’t), that I thought it would be beneficial if I gave some further examples (Again I didn’t. I just needed to write a quick blog post, with minimal effort). So here is another selection of slang words and phrases that are used in common parlance in the UK, for your amusement, edification and consideration. Some are relatively self explanatory. Others are somewhat tenuous and arcane in their origins.
All Right: A generic greeting that is used between friends and acquaintances. The standard response is to say “all right” back. It is not an invitation to say no and then list in detail all the reasons why you’re not all right. “All right Colin”. “All right Geoff”.
Dodgy: A person or object that is questionable or suspect in some fashion. The guy down the pub who sells stolen gear out of his van is what you’d call dodgy. Food can also be so. “Blimey Colin, you stink. Was that kabab you had last night dodgy?”
Faffing About: To waste precious time, expending an excessive amount of effort on a relatively simple task. “Oi Colin, stop faffing about. How long does it take to put on a clean duvet cover?”
Innit: A contraction of the phrase “isn't it” or “is it not”. Often used in a rhetorical fashion at the end of a sentence. Similar to how a bellicose American would say “Am I right?”
Jake the Peanut: A loud, brash, over confident person (usually a man) who suffers from the Dunning-Kruger effect. The same as Jack the Lad, Charlie Potato and Billy Big Bollocks. “Look at Colin with his Ray-Bans and corduroy flares. He thinks he’s Jake the Peanut”.
Kip: To sleep. “Colin, don’t forget to put some cream on the cat’s piles. I’m gonna have a kip for an hour”.
Leo Sayer’d: To be intoxicated by alcohol and sing in a high pitched manner, similar to the popular vocalist Leo Sayer.
Mate: An informal term of respect used when addressing a man or woman without using their name. Used instead of the more formal sir or madam. “Oi mate. You can’t park there”.
Muppet: An informal noun for stupid or foolish person. “Colin, flush the toilet after using it, you muppet”.
Pissed: To be intoxicated by alcohol. Not angry as in the US sense of the word. “Colin’s well pissed after that bottle of floor polish”.
Skive: To avoid work or duty by leaving early. “Where’s Colin? Has he skived off down the pub?”
Slag Off: To talk to someone in a deliberately rude or derogatory fashion. “Why are you always slagging off Colin?”
Taking the Piss: To mock or make fun of. “Colin’s fed up with everyone constantly taking the piss out of him”.
Wee Stooshie: A Scottish term for a small brawl. A difference of opinion that ends in violence. Often fueled by alcohol. “I see Colin had a wee stooshie with the Salvation Army band that were playing in the High Street”.
The English language is constantly evolving and as a result, words continuously come and go from the national lexicon. It can be argued that you can ascertain a person’s age by some of the phrases and slang that they use. Possibly their respective socioeconomic group as well. Posh folk (by which I mean the monied and titled upper classes) do seem to have a completely separate dialect. As do the under twenty fives but that has always been the case. As for the above words and phrases, I would hazard a guess that readers from Australia and New Zealand will find similarities between UK slang and their own. Europeans, who are often multilingual, will probably be likely to adapt to the curious foibles of colloquial English. As ever, please feel free to leave your thoughts below and share any interesting phrases or expressions of your own.
British Slang Words and Phrases
After receiving critical acclaim in the UK, the 1980 gangster film The Long Good Friday was revised to make the dialogue more accessible to American audiences. A few lines of dialogue were re-recorded to tone down the East End slang. A glossary of terms was also added at the start of the film, including such phrases as “manor” (precinct, area, patch, turf) and “ponce” (pimp or fool). Conversely, this has seldom happened with regard to American TV shows and films exported around the world, due to the ubiquitous nature of US pop culture. Nowadays, you would think the internet would have bridged this linguistic divide but it would appear not. I still see a lot of YouTube videos explaining British slang and traditional phrases. Never being one to pass up the opportunity to jump on a passing bandwagon, I thought I’d tackle 15 British slang words and phrases for your edification and the sake of an easy blog post.
After receiving critical acclaim in the UK, the 1980 gangster film The Long Good Friday was revised to make the dialogue more accessible to American audiences. A few lines of dialogue were re-recorded to tone down the East End slang. A glossary of terms was also added at the start of the film, including such phrases as “manor” (precinct, area, patch, turf) and “ponce” (pimp or fool). Conversely, this has seldom happened with regard to American TV shows and films exported around the world, due to the ubiquitous nature of US pop culture. Nowadays, you would think the internet would have bridged this linguistic divide but it would appear not. I still see a lot of YouTube videos explaining British slang and traditional phrases. Never being one to pass up the opportunity to jump on a passing bandwagon, I thought I’d tackle 15 British slang words and phrases for your edification and the sake of an easy blog post.
A Few Sandwiches Short of a Picnic: A lighthearted but ultimately pejorative term for someone who may be below average intelligence or who has a bonafide mental health issue. “You must forgive Colin, he’s a few sandwiches short of a picnic”.
Anorak: An anorak is a lightweight, waterproof jacket with a hood. The kind you may take if you go hiking. In the UK it is often associated with geeks, nerds or those with niche market interests. Hence “anorak” is used as a collective term for such individuals. Especially if there is any sort of obsession over details or data. “Colin is a bit of an anorak. He spots trains”.
Blag: To obtain something, be it an object or service, by persuasion, craftiness or guile. “Colin’s brother is a booking agent so we managed to blag some free tickets”. Blag can also mean to steal. “Colin got arrested. He blagged the local post office”.
Bog standard: Basic, entry level, ordinary. “Colin’s phone is a bog standard model”.
Butchers: An example of traditional Cockney rhyming slang. Butcher’s hook = Look. “Colin, go outside and have a butchers and see if the coast is clear”. The phrase is comparable to “look-see”.
Cheeky: As well as its formal definition, cheeky can mean to do something in an unplanned and somewhat self-indulgent fashion. “On the way back from the sales meeting, Colin and I stopped off for a cheeky pint”.
Chugger: A contraction of “charity mugger”. IE someone who represents a charity and engages in conversation with you in a public place, to try and convince you to sign up to some sort of monthly recurring donations. “Me and Colin got rushed by a chugger outside the kebab shop”. These bastards even knock on your front door, in the UK.
Doddle: An undertaking that you initially thought would be complex, difficult or arduous that subsequently proves to be easy and simple. “I thought it was going to be hard getting rid of Colin’s body, but we just threw it in the lake. It was a doddle”.
Dog's Dinner: A location, situation or undertaking that is either messy, chaotic, or poorly planned ending in disaster. “Colin’s desk is a total dog’s dinner”. Alternatively “Colin totally messed up the hotel booking, the menu and the evening’s entertainment. The convention was a total dog’s dinner”.
Gutted: To be bitterly disappointed or upset about something. “Colin was gutted that his favourite Kabaddi team had lost the regional final”.
Minging: Foul smelling. It can also mean that someone is not very attractive. “Colin’s kitchen was minging after he had cooked kippers for breakfast”. Alternatively “Who’s that with Colin? They’re minging”.
Pear Shaped: A plan or situation has gone awry. “It’s all gone pear-shaped. Colin has served red wine with the fish and we haven’t got enough cake forks”.
Shirty: To get annoyed, bellicose or bombastic with someone or something. “Colin got shirty with the Police Officer when he asked him why he was naked”.
Throw Your Toys Out of the Pram: To lose your temper. This can range from a childish tantrum to finally losing your cool after constant provocation. It is a verbal metaphor of a toddler throwing its toys out of a stroller when it can’t get its own way. “I borrowed Colin’s pen to get wax out of my ear. When he found out he really threw his toys out of the pram”.
Wind Up: To tease, goad or provoke someone. Usually just for fun. “We spent the morning winding Colin up until he tried to stab us”.
I hope this has proved informative and useful. Coming up in the next instalment of British Slang Words and Phrases, I will explain the significance and problems associated with thinking you’re “Jake the Peanut”. I’ll also explore exactly what is involved in getting “Leo Sayer’d”. We will also stray North of the border to clarify the differences between a “Wee Stooshie” and a “Wee Rammie”. Feel free to leave any comments below, especially if you have your own regional variation of any of the terms and phrases featured in this post. Or you wish to try and use any of them in a sentence of your own contrivance. Until next time, TTFN.