Yet another classic British slang term of insult. However, “pants” can also be used as an equivalent of the word "bad" e.g. In the UK, “pants” typically refers to underwear. A “muppet” is a person who is ignorant and is generally a bit clueless. You'll hear this one a lot on the British Love Island.Īnother great British insult. "Grafting" is Scottish slang denoting a lad who is trying to get a girl to like him. “You stupid sod!“ or “You lucky sod!” for example. This British expression shares a similar meaning to “devil” or “thing” and is used to refer to a person, particularly a man. To “slag someone off” means to make fun of a person by verbally attacking them. If you are a “cheeky” child, you are being brash or disrespectful and will probably get into trouble. If someone is being “cheeky,” they are being slightly rude or disrespectful but in a charming or amusing way. This is used to describe someone’s behavior. It describes a person, usually a man, who is very unpleasant, incompetent, or is an idiot. This is a derogatory British slang word for a young hooligan who normally starts fights and makes trouble. This is not a particularly nice word to describe someone as it means a fool or a stupid person. “Mug” is more specifically London slang and is associated with the cockney accent. This is British slang for a girl or a woman. This is the paper you use in the bog, also known as “toilet paper.” Lacking “fivers” and “tenners” if you will (see below). “Skint” is a British expression to mean being broke or having no money. If someone is "chuffed," they are very happy or delighted. You might also see this abbreviated to “CBA” in textspeak. “Can’t be arsed” is a less polite version of saying that you can’t be bothered doing something. It is regarded as a mild expletive (swear word) but due to its common usage, it is generally acceptable. The British do love their tea after all!Īs British slang, “bloody” places emphasis on a comment or another word. This British expression means to have a tantrum, however, tends to be used when describing tantrums thrown by adults, or people who should otherwise know better.Ī cuppa is the shortened version of “a cup of tea.” You might hear the expression “fancy a cuppa?” quite often which is normally always referring to tea. For example, “Don’t be so serious, I was only taking the piss.” Not to be confused with “being pissed” (see below).
To “take the piss” means to mock, or generally be sarcastic towards something. For example, "When my dad saw the mess I made, he lost the plot.” Someone who has “lost the plot” has become either angry, irrational, or is acting ridiculously.
For example, “I was up studying all night last night, I’m absolutely knackered.” “Knackered” is used when someone is extremely tired. This is short for the word “beverages,” usually alcoholic, most often beer. “Gob” is a British expression for “mouth”. “Gobsmacked” means to be utterly shocked or surprised beyond belief. For example, it can refer to food which tastes out of date or, when referring to a person, it can mean that they are a bit sketchy. Used to describe something or someone a little suspicious or questionable.
This is British slang for British pounds. One can get creative here and just add “ed” to the end of practically any object to get across the same meaning eg. These two words are British slang for drunk. This term means to run away, usually from some trouble! “I legged it from the police.” It’s not particularly offensive, just mildly silly or foolish. Used to mean if something is a bit stupid. Not necessarily intended in a bad way, "bonkers" means “mad” or “crazy.” In the same vein as “bloke,” “lad” is used, however, for boys and younger men. “Bloke” would be the American English equivalent of “dude.” It means a "man."
#Fancy word for extremely bad crack
So, let’s crack on and get to the list of British slang words innit!ĥ0 Must-Know British Slang Words and Phrases It's no surprise then that slang in the city of London alone, for example, can be so dissimilar, nevermind between different English speaking countries in general. Whether you enjoy following The Royal Family or binging shows like “Doctor Who” and “Peaky Blinders”, you’ve undoubtedly come across some weird and wonderful words that make up British English slang.ĭifferent areas within the same country, or even the same city, can have their own distinct slang.