British slang words and expressions are notoriously difficult to understand, however, armed with our guide you’ll be speaking the lingo like a local in no time!
To complicate things further, the UK has around 40 dialects of English, meaning that different areas within the same country and even city, have their own distinct slang. Before your next holiday to a new part of the UK, familiarise yourself with our guide to British slang and speak like a local.
Continue reading to discover British slang and expressions you need to know…
1. Bagsy
Our first British slang word simply means to claim the right to something or the other way round. The most common use is to “bagsy” the best seat or you could “bagsy not doing that” to get yourself out of a chore!
Once someone has bagsied something it can’t be taken away and the rules can’t be broken!
2. Chin-Wag
Chin-wag is an informal conversation between friends, or simply a chance to chat and gossip! For example, you could say “they had a chin-wag over a wine” or “I went over to my friend’s and we chin-wagged for a while”.
3. Chockablock
Chockablock is a popular English slang word, which simply means a place that is very busy!
For example, you could say “the room was chockablock with people” or the “traffic was chockablock this morning!“.
4. Chuffed
To be chuffed about something means that you are quite pleased or delighted about something. You could say “I was really chuffed to win the game” or “I was chuffed to see the London Eye“.
5. Dodgy
A “dodgy” situation can be used to describe something that is somewhat suspicious, bad or untrustworthy! For example, a person who is skilled in lying could be described as “dodgy” or an unreliable car could be referred to as a “dodgy car“.
6. Not my cup of tea
This British slang expression is used to describe something that you do not like or are situation that you are not interested in. “Politics is not my cup of tea” or “walking is not my cup of tea” are examples of how you could use slang expressions in a sentence.
7. Knackered
To say that you are “knackered” in UK slang means to be tired or exhausted! Other synonyms for knackered are to be burnt-out, drained or worn-out! You could say “I’m knackered after a late-night” or “The gym has knackered me out”.
8. Miffed
Miffed simply means that you are slightly annoyed by something or someone. So, you could say “I was miffed with the result of the game” or “Jane was miffed with Harry after their argument”.
9. Damp Squib
Our next British slang describes a situation or event, which is much less impressive than expected. For example, waking up on Christmas morning to find coal in your stocking could be described as a damp squib!
10. Have a gander
To “have a gander” relates to the way a goose (a male goose is called a gander) cranes its neck to look at something.
This English slang phrase simply means to take a look or take a peek at something briefly! For example, “have a gander at what I’ve got” or “let’s have a gander at your new car”.
11. I’ll do it now in a minute
This next UK slang phrase is technically a Welsh oxymoron! You would use it to suggest that you will do something in the near future, brought to fame by the BBC series Gavin and Stacey, when Stacey said she will call the Chinese “now in a minute”. Be sure to try it out on your next visit to Barry while exploring these Gavin and Stacey filming locations.
Discover our guide to Welsh words and phrases.
12. Jammy
In British slang, to use “jammy” you would be describing someone who is extremely lucky for something! A “jammy” person would be lucky because something good has happened to them that didn’t require much effort. “Jane is so jammy, she always wins the raffle”.
13. The Bee’s Knees
Another common British slang phrase is to describe something like the “bee’s knees”. The term derives from when bees land on a flower and nectar sticks to their legs. The bee’s knees mean sweet and good because the knees of the bees are where all the good stuff is collected. You would use this term to describe something or someone that you think is amazing like, “I love Jim so much, he’s the bee’s knees!”.
14. Kerfuffle
Kerfuffle is a humourous-sounding English slang word, which describes a non-humorous skirmish or commotion caused by differing views or a dispute.
For example, you could say “there was a right kerfuffle in today’s newspaper” or “what’s the kerfuffle all about?”.
15. Faffing around
Our next British slang phrase describes a situation where you spend time doing things in a way that is not well organised.
So, you could tell someone to “stop faffing around” when they’re running late.
16. Alright
The UK slang word “alright” can in fact have two meanings. Firstly, Brits notoriously greet their friends and families by grunting “alright” at each other and do not require a response! Secondly, you can use this slang word to simply describe something that was neither terrible nor great, it was simply “alright”.
17. Codswallop
You would use “codswallop” in a sentence to describe ideas that are foolish or untrue! For example, you would say “what a load of codswallop” to an obvious lie or “that fella on the news talks absolute codswallop”.
18. Face as long as Livery Street
Livery Street is a very long and dull street in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, so this Brummie slang expression is used to describe someone who looks miserable.
19. All to pot
“All to pot” refers to something that has been spoiled or ruined, and is usually a situation that is out of your control! For example, a clown turning up to a party drunk could be described as going “all to pot” or “my party plans have gone to pot”.
20. Bob’s your uncle
Concluding our guide to British slang is the phrase “bob’s your uncle”! You would typically use it at the end of a series of basic instructions, “turn right there, make a left and then bob’s your uncle”.
Similar to the American expression “easy as pie” and the French expression “et voilà”.
Our Illustrated Guide British Slang and Phrases
If you have enjoyed our guide to British slang, then be sure to discover our guide to Yorkshire slang or our illustrated guide to weird British expressions! Once you have the popular British slang words and weird expressions covered, find holiday inspiration using our UK Travel Guide.