British slang is something that most non-Brit’s have trouble understanding. British slang is a cross of British and American English butchered with slang and idioms. Proverbs are often backward, upside down, and frequently incomprehensible.
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Brit did not create some of the British Slang “Britlish™” on the Move™ Brit defines all the examples for you. Some of these originate from Northern England slang and are understood by most from this region. Others are cockney rhyming slang, widely known by all in England. Several of these can’t be explained and are simply Nikkism’s ™.
British Slang
| Word or Phrase | Translation | Context or Used in a Sentence |
| Aye | Yes | Aye, go on then I’ll have a beer |
| Av | have | Do you av five minutes? |
| Ayup | Hello | Ayup Tommy, what you been up to? |
| Barnet | Head or hair | Jesus, sort your barnet out it’s a mess |
| Bird | Girlfriend | R’ Tommy has got a new bird and she’s hot |
| Bloody | Curse word used to emphasize a comment or make an angry statement | Don’t be bloody daft, pigs don’t fly Don’t bloody start with me |
| Boat load | A lot | That cruise was boat load of rubbish |
| Boat race | Face | Sort out your boat race you look miserable |
| Bob’s your uncle | You’re all set or you’ve got it made | We sorted out the overdraft and Bob’s your uncle! |
| Bog | Toilet | Do you av any bog roll? |
| Bollocks | Technically, it’s testicles but it’s used to convey nonsense or a mistake | That show was total bollocks I made a right bollocks of that paint job |
| Bonney | Pretty | That lass is bonney |
| Boris Becker | Pecker (Penis) | Your fly is open, we can all see your Boris Becker |
| Bray, braying | Beat, beating | I’m going to bray r’ Tommy when he gets in |
| Butty | Sandwich | Will you make me a ham and cheese butty? |
| Change your boat race | Change your face | Change the expression on your face |
| Chelpin’ | Talking, complaining, moaning | Stop chelpin about Tommy, I’ve heard enough already |
| Chippy | Fish and chip shop | Run to the chippy and get us some tea |
| Chuffed | Pleased, excited | I am well chuffed with my raise |
| Cream crackered | Knackered, tired | I am so cream crackered I am going to bed early tonight |
| Daft | Stupid | Don’t be daft, 2 and 2 is not 5 |
| Daft as a brush | Stupid | Tommy is as daft as a brush |
| Deffo | Definitely | I will deffo sort that out tomorrow |
| Dickhead | A stupid man or an irritating, or ridiculous man | That dickhead thinks that the world revolves around him |
| Didya | Did you? | Didya pay the credit card? |
| Eeh by gum | Oh my God | Eeh by gum, I can’t believe me mar is in the hospital |
| Egh | What? | Egh, you mean to tell me you did not pay the credit card? |
| Faffing | Messing about | Stop faffing about with the remote control |
| Famished | Starving, hungry | I can’t wait until 1:00 for lunch, I am famished |
| Flippin ‘eck | Shock and surprise | Flippin’ eck r’ Tommy’s only gone and quit his job |
| For “fox” sake (FFS) | For “f***” sake, like saying OMG or not again | FFS, can you believe that we are re-writing it again? |
| Friggin’ | Curse, like f****** but politer! | Don’t friggin’ get me started |
| Gaffer | Boss | I don’t know if we can do that, we need to check with the gaffer |
| Gander | Look at | Let’s av’ a gander at those new houses |
| Gear | Stuff, things, items | Don’t pack my gear I will sort it out myself |
| Get your feet dirty | Get your hands dirty | idiom gone wrong! A Nikkism |
| Get your hands wet | Get your hands dirty | idiom gone wrong! A Nikkism |
| Gibberish | Nonsense, rubbish | Some would consider “Britlish™” to be gibberish! |
| Ginnell | Alleyway | I saw your two dogs running through the ginnell |
| Giz | Give | Giz a piece of that pizza |
| Gormless | Stupid | R’ Tommy is so gormless, he’s only gone and lost his wallet |
| Grub | Food | Do you have any grub at your house? |
| Gunna, gonna | Going to | I’m gunna get that new job |
| Hovel | A squalid, unpleasant, or simply constructed dwelling. | I can’t stay here, it’s a hovel |
| In’t – (in it…) | Isn’t it? | In’t a beautiful day |
| Jammy | Very lucky | How jammy was it that we did not get a ticket? |
| Jammy dodger | Very lucky person | That Jammy dodger did not even get a ticket |
| Kidding | Joking, teasing | It really cost $1,000, no kidding |
| Knackered | Tired, exhausted | I am totally knackered |
| Lass | Girl, women, sister, girlfriend | R’lass, aka our sister or bird (girlfriend) |
| Lavvy | Toilet | Where is the lavvy? |
| Manky | Not nice, unpleasant, dirty | That restaurant is well manky |
| Mar | Mother | Me mar will be 65 this year |
| Mingin | Shanky, stinks, unpleasant | That lass is totally mingin |
| Mithered, Mitherin(g). | Irritated with something or meddling | Stop mitherin in r’ Tommy’s business |
| Monkey in the wrench | Throw a wrench in the works or Throw a (monkey) wrench in(to) the works | idiom gone wrong! A Nikkism |
| Neb | Nose | Keep your neb out of my business |
| North | South, West or East and all in reverse | Brit on the Move gibberish or dyslexia |
| Nosh | Food | Do you have any nosh at your house? |
| Nout | Nothing | I ain’t got nout to say |
| Nowt | Nothing | I ain’t got nowt to say |
| Oh aye? | Oh really? | Tommy got arrested! Oh aye? |
| Owt | Anything | I ain’t got owt to say |
| Pack it in | Stop it | Kids, pack it in I am not going to tell you again |
| Paggered | Knackered, tired, exhausted | I’m completely paggered I just paggered the car |
| PMSL | P***ing myself laughing | That was so funny I am PMSL |
| Pop | Fizzy drink | Do we have any pop or should I pick some up? |
| Pudgy | Fat, Chubby | R’ lass has gotten pudgy |
| R’ | “Our” used in family context, sometimes used with close friends | R’ Tommy is in getting engaged R’ Tommy said he has an interview next week |
| Radged | Pissed, mad, angry, crazy | That bird r’ Tommy brought round is radged |
| Rubbish | Trash, garbage, nonsense | That story Tommy told us is a boat load of rubbish |
| S*** tip | Hovel, dive | That hotel we stayed in was a total S*** tip |
| S*** hole | Hovel, dive | That hotel we stayed in was a total S*** hole |
| Sarnies | Sandwiches | What sarnies did you make for lunch? |
| Scran | Food | Do you have any scran at your house? |
| See You Next Tuesday | Too naughty to translate | Use your imagination for this one! |
| Slag | Hooker, easy, hoe | Why is Tommy going out with (dating) that slag? |
| Snap | Ditto | Ditto, we have the same bag! |
| Sprong | Child | Why are sprogs allowed to fly? |
| State Side | Somewhere in the north riverside of Chicago | Brit on the Move gibberish or dyslexia |
| Summat | Something | Tommy, do you av’ summat to say like? |
| Ta | Thanks | Ta love, it was lovely to get those flowers |
| Taking in the Piss | Making fun off | When Tommy said she looked good, you know he was takin the piss right? |
| Tarra | Bye | Tarra love, I’ll see you next week |
| Tea | Dinner | What’s for tea tonight? |
| Throttle | Strangle | When I catch up with r’ Tommy I am going to throttle him! |
| Tits up | Fails completely | The project went tits up and I lost my job |
| Tosspot | Originally a habitual drinker, most commonly used like wanker or to insult someone | That tosspot cheated on r’ Pauline |
| Town bike | Lose girl, aka everyone can get a “ride” | R’ Tommy only spent the night with the town bike, can you believe that? |
| Twat | Referring to a person considered obnoxious or stupid | You gormless twat That twat pulled his usual stunt and did not show up |
| Vexed | Angry | I am so vexed right now I could literally smack you |
| Wanker | A worthless man, dickhead | That wanker cheated on r’ Pauline |
| Went to the water one to many times | Went to the well one too many times | idiom gone wrong! A Nikkism |
| Yonder | Walk or look | Let’s av’ a yonder at the lake |
| You having a laugh? | Making fun off or are you being sarcastic or “funny” | You think it’s a good idea for us to swim in that alligator infested lake? Are you having a laugh? |
Looking For Places To Explore In England? Start Here:
- Castle Howard – Yorkshires Brideshead Revisited
- Chatsworth House – England
- Helmsley, England
- Harrogate’s Victorian Turkish Baths
- Lotherton Hall – Yorkshire
- Whitby Abbey
- Yorkshire Lavender Farms
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