If you're heading off on a holiday to the United Kingdom, it'll be handy to have certain British slang definitions down pat. It's nice to know what the locals are saying and it makes it a lot easier to have a conversation without looking (and feeling) like a dolt!
Open yourself up to the delights of the English language, especially the variety that's spoken where English got its start. You'll have a blast and learn more than a few new words that might be ripe for importation when you come back home.
UK slang is nothing if not interesting. Have a scan through this list to familiarize yourself with some of the most popular colloquialisms and catchphrases. And, after a day of sightseeing, you can review some of the more interesting bits of dialogue you absorbed throughout the day.
Ace - amazing, awesome
Arse - the same as ass, as in "pain in the arse"
Bagsy - calling dibs
Bangers and mash - sausages and mashed potatoes
Barmy - mad or crazy
Blimey - an exclamation of surprise
Blinding - fantastic
Blinkered - narrow-minded
Bloody - used to emphasize annoyance, as in, "Are you bloody insane?"
Bog-standard - nothing special
Bollocks - nonsense; also used as a mild expression of anger/frustration
Bonnet - car hood
Boot - car trunk
Brassed off - annoyed
Brill - short for "brilliant"; cool, very good
Bum - your bottom
Bung - throw it here, a bribe
Cack-handed - clumsy
Camp - flamboyant
Cheeky - sassy
Cheerio - friendly way of saying goodbye
Cheesed off - annoyed, upset
Chinwag - chat, gossip
Chockablock - filled to the brim
Chuffed - happy, pleased
Cobblers - rubbish
Cracking - the best
Daft - stupid
Diddle - to rip someone off
Dim - stupid, also dimwit
Doddle - a cinch, easy
Dodgy - not to be trusted, unreliable, of low quality
Dolt - fool
Fag - a cigarette
Fancy - to like or desire
Fit - attractive or sexy
Flog - sell
Flutter - a bet
Gaff - home
Gallivanting - roaming around looking for pleasure
Gander - look around
Gobsmacked - shocked
Gormless - clueless
Grub - food
Gutted - devastated
Honking - being sick, throwing up
Kip - nap
Knees up - dance, party
Knock off - to steal
Loo - toilet
Mate - friend
Muppet - a stupid or gullible person
Mug - fool, sucker
Naff - uncool, tacky
Numpty - a foolish person
Peanuts - cheap
Pissed - drunk
Poppycock - nonsense
Posh - high class
Potty - a little crazy, looney
Prat - idiot
Queue - line
Ring - call someone on the phone
Rubbish - trash, garbage
Rugger - short for rugby
Shirty - bad-tempered
Smart - refers to the way you are dressed
Smashing - terrific
Snog - make out, kiss
Stonking - huge, amazing
Swotting - to study hard, cram
Ta - thank you
Tosser - showoff or braggart
Twit - idiot
Waffle - to talk on and on about nothing
Wanker - annoying person
Wobbler - tantrum
Wonky - shaky or unstable
Zonked - exhausted
For more fun, take a look at these Common UK Expressions.
As an English speaker, it's nice to travel to countries where you can understand the language like England, Scotland, or Ireland. Even still, there's bound to be informal lingo that's unfamiliar. When in doubt, refer to this list so you can carry on your conversations with ease.
If you hear a word that's not on this list, give a Cockney Translator a try. Cockney is slang from a certain neighborhood in London. After a quick review, you can confidently go out there and make some new friends!
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