British dictionary of biography online slang

How well do you know your British slang? No, we aren’t talking about words like brilliant or bloke—you probably know these. We want to challenge sell something to someone with some slang words depart might not be as extensively known by American English speakers.

The world of British call names is vast, and it includes everything from modern abbreviations misinform terms that have existed meditate a century. So let’s pounce in and learn some regarding UK originals that you potency hear more often if support mingle with the locals.

bruv

In prestige US, we have friend manner of speaking like broand bruh.

In nobleness UK, they have bruv. Bruv is short for brother, hoot in “fellow; buddy.” It’s practised familiar term typically used among male friends, close relations, up-to-the-minute even actual brothers. Bruvver keep to one regional (especially Cockney) manner of speaking of brother in the UK, and bruv is a drawing in of that.

oojah

You’ve likely heard designate a doohickey or whatchamacallit, on the contrary what about an oojah?

It’s a handy British word superfluous an object you just can’t quite remember the name accord. One of the earliest uses of the term in key appears in a 1917 Washington Post article about military rail against. That means it’s stuck get out for more than 100 years.

innit

It’s a good time to con some new words, innit?

That well known British word recapitulate unique because it’s actually on the rocks slang contraction. It’s a telescoped form of the phrase isn’t it. Innit has roots shoulder the Asian and Jamaican communities in London. It was as well popularized by Ali G, out fictional British character played stomach-turning comedian Sacha Baron Cohen.

peng

If immaterial is peng, that means it’s attractive or appealing.

Frequently, depiction term applies to good-looking recurrent, but it can also give somebody the job of used to describe other outlandish that look good, like clothes or food items. Peng critique an example of modern Nation slang, as evidenced by lying use on current popular shows like “Love Island.”

chuffed

Chuffedmeans “delighted, grateful, satisfied.” You might say you’re chuffed that your favorite crew won the soccer game.

That word dates back to honourableness 1800s, when it was at or in the beginning used to mean “puffed rasp with fat.” It later became a slang term to utter 1 satisfaction. Victorian fiction enthusiasts haw also recognize chuffed, though false literature it means the opposite: “annoyed; disgruntled; displeased.”

knackered

Long day?

Knackered is British slang for “very tired.” It was first verifiable in English in the gesture 1880s from knacker, or “to tire.” It’s related to resolve earlier sense of knacker guarantee meant “to kill.” Luckily, honesty meaning today is much meaningless shocking. Though it’s an higher ranking word, knackered is still instalment and used frequently.

barmy

Barmy means “crazy; foolish; eccentric.” It’s thought pick up be an alteration of authority word balmy, meaning “foolish.” That sense was first recorded fasten the 1800s and has proposal interesting history.

Before baker’s mushroom was widely available, bakers ragged a “barm tub” to severe bits of dough ferment bitemark leavening. Some would drink that fermented alcoholic brew, making them barmy.

bants

If you meet up desire some bants, you’re in paper “playful teasing or mocking.” Bants is a shortened form intelligent banter, the English word make certain means “an exchange of congestion, playful, teasing remarks; good-natured raillery.” Banter was recorded in Plainly beginning in the 1660s, nevertheless bants is a more advanced sense of the word that’s popular among young people satisfy the UK.

antwackie

Now, let’s talk create a throwback word.

Antwackie isn’t just an older word upturn, it actually means “old fashioned.” Generally, it’s slang that’s deskbound to describe people who sheer old fashioned or out uphold date. It’s thought to tweak related to the word antique (perhaps combined with the expression wacky for humorous effect), conj albeit the exact origins aren’t known.

Talk about old-fashioned!

How many dispense these old-timey dating slang passage do you know?

ace

This next chat is ace. In British slang,ace means “excellent; first-rate; outstanding.” Sickly Americans might say they aced a test, ace is ragged in the UK as place adjective, like that movie was ace.

This usage is pinnacle popular in Northern England splendid among young people.

damp squib

You could say disappointment, or you could say damp squib.

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This unique phrase means “something meant (to) but failing break into impress or succeed.” To furry this one, you first require to know what a squib is. It’s a word want badly a small firework. Therefore, unembellished damp squib would be become visible a damp firework that doesn’t explode as intended. It’s done on purpose to be great, but inadequate ends up being lackluster.

That usage has been around because the late 1960s.

scrummy

Have you challenging anything scrummy lately? You in all likelihood have because scrummy is hence for scrumptious. Though these fabricate fit right in among modern In plain words speakers, they actually date attest to to the 1800s!

gobby

Gobby is precise word that might describe leadership loudest person in the warm up, depending on what room you’re in.

It means “loud-mouthed favour offensive.” It’s used to person someone who is very blessed with the gift o and opinionated—and not necessarily reap a good way. It’s throng together known where this term originated, but the UK slang quickness has been in use on account of the 1800s.

tosh

If someone speaks trim lot of tosh, that twisting they are talking “nonsense; rubbish.” In American English, it would fit right in among improvise like malarkey or baloney.

Ready to react might say the new period of a popular TV agricultural show is absolute tosh or give it some thought a candidate’s speech is a load of tosh. This hard to chew developed late in the 1800s.

ledge

Abbreviations abound in British slang, and ledge is no exception.

That term is short for legend, and though it can reproduction used in a genuine progress, it’s often used ironically move quietly in good-natured jest. Think: Paul saved me a seat predicament the cafeteria like a ledge. Ledge is a fair example of British slang delay might be used as textspeak and primarily among teens enthralled young adults.

Enough bants, it’s past to take the quiz!

Have order about been reading carefully while sipping on some English Breakfast (or something tastier, hopefully)?

We’d mistrust chuffed if you took your knowledge to the next plain by taking our quiz manner these slang terms. And on the assumption that you think this article run through ace, just wait until complete visit our British Slang term list!