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.
Definitions of UK Slang Words
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.
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Ace - amazing, awesome
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Arse - the same as ass, as in "pain in the arse"
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Bagsy - calling dibs
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Bangers and mash - sausages and mashed potatoes
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Barmy - mad or crazy
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Blimey - an exclamation of surprise
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Blinding - fantastic
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Blinkered - narrow-minded
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Bloody - used to emphasize annoyance, as in, "Are you bloody insane?"
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Bog-standard - nothing special
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Bollocks - nonsense; also used as a mild expression of anger/frustration
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Bonnet - car hood
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Boot - car trunk
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Brassed off - annoyed
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Brill - short for "brilliant"; cool, very good
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Bum - your bottom
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Bung - throw it here, a bribe
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Cack-handed - clumsy
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Camp - flamboyant
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Cheeky - sassy
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Cheerio - friendly way of saying goodbye
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Cheesed off - annoyed, upset
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Chinwag - chat, gossip
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Chockablock - filled to the brim
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Chuffed - happy, pleased
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Cobblers - rubbish
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Cracking - the best
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Daft - stupid
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Diddle - to rip someone off
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Dim - stupid, also dimwit
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Doddle - a cinch, easy
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Dodgy - not to be trusted, unreliable, of low quality
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Dolt - fool
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Fag - a cigarette
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Fancy - to like or desire
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Fit - attractive or sexy
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Flog - sell
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Flutter - a bet
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Gaff - home
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Gallivanting - roaming around looking for pleasure
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Gander - look around
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Gobsmacked - shocked
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Gormless - clueless
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Grub - food
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Gutted - devastated
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Honking - being sick, throwing up
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Kip - nap
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Knees up - dance, party
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Knock off - to steal
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Loo - toilet
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Mate - friend
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Muppet - a stupid or gullible person
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Mug - fool, sucker
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Naff - uncool, tacky
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Numpty - a foolish person
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Peanuts - cheap
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Pissed - drunk
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Poppycock - nonsense
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Posh - high class
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Potty - a little crazy, looney
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Prat - idiot
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Queue - line
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Ring - call someone on the phone
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Rubbish - trash, garbage
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Rugger - short for rugby
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Shirty - bad-tempered
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Smart - refers to the way you are dressed
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Smashing - terrific
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Snog - make out, kiss
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Stonking - huge, amazing
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Swotting - to study hard, cram
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Ta - thank you
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Tosser - showoff or braggart
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Twit - idiot
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Waffle - to talk on and on about nothing
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Wanker - annoying person
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Wobbler - tantrum
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Wonky - shaky or unstable
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Zonked - exhausted
For more fun, take a look at these Common UK Expressions.
Travel with Ease
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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By YourDictionary
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.
