For example, you might hear “She was so angry that she was effing and blinding all the way home!”Įejit – an Irish-based pronunciation of the word “Idiot.”Įlevenses – a mid-morning snack before lunch that normally includes a cup of tea and a biscuit.Įarful – is an expression used to describe someone who is being told off. We dare you to use it next time your lecturer is explaining something.Įffing and blinding – this expression is used to describe someone who is using unpleasant language. Someone may say to you “It’s a dive but the drinks are cheap” EĮasy peasy – A fun and childish way of expressing something is easy to do or understand. Be aware the meaning changes dramatically when you say this to a stranger!ĭonkey’s years – Apparently donkey’s live for a long time so when someone say’s “I haven’t seen you for donkey’s” they are saying they haven’t seen you in a long time.ĭive – is used to describe a place that isn’t very nice. The essence of the saying is that you shouldn’t worry about it.ĭaft cow –is used amongst friends and is an affectionate way of making fun of a female friend when they have done or said something silly. Dĭon’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs – you may hear someone more senior in years saying this to a younger person when they feel the youngster is being disrespectful by thinking they can teach the older person something.ĭishy – is used to describe someone who is attractive.ĭon’t cry over spilt milk – someone may say this if you get something wrong or actually spill or break something. It is believed that the word originates from a pub in North Wales where the landlady would ensure people drunk more than they intended by going around with a jug of ale and toping people’s glasses up by saying “chin wag” – which is Welsh for your cup is empty. Obviously, you would be unhappy if your cheese went off! It can be used in casual and formal situations for example someone could say “I’m cheesed off that you ate the last piece of cake.”Ĭhin wag – means to have a long chat and its origins come from a Welsh word meaning empty. “Ta ta” is popular in the North of England and you will also hear “laters” and “see ya”.Ĭheesed off – is a quirky euphemism for being unhappy. CĬheerio – No it is not just a breakfast cereal but also one of the many words used to say goodbye in the UK. Today it is more commonly used to say everything is OK.īutcher’s hook –originates from the East End of London and is a rhyme slang for take a look. The saying originally meant you could get anything or do anything if you had the right connections because it came about after the 20th British Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury, famously appointed a nephew into an important political post for which he didn’t have the relevant experience. However, it was originally used to describe loose change in your pocket.īob’s your uncle – the origins of this saying and how it is used today differ. One of which is “brassed off”.īits ‘n Bobs – is used these days when you want to say you have an odd selection of things for example you could say “I have a few bits’n bobs in the fridge.
For example someone might say to you ”they will bite your arm off if you offer to write their essay.”īrassed off – considering the Brits are good at hiding their emotions we still have plenty of words to describe when we are not happy with something. No one is about to literally bite off any part of your anatomy. It became popular in the 1920s along with “cat’s whiskers.”īite your arm off – don’t be alarmed if someone says this.
“Can you Adam and Eve it!” Bīees knees – the phrase does not relate to bees or knees but is an idiom for excellent. It is taken from an old English word that means “to know”.Īdam and Eve – Cockney rhyming slang for believe. This idiom has nothing to do with the surname or the place. harsh!Ī Kent face – commonly used in Scotland when a person has seen a person they know, such as “I saw a few Kent faces in the library”. For example, your lecturer might describe your essay “as a load of tosh” …. A word that is popular in the north and amongst youngsters.Īny road – when you hear this, the person isn’t asking you to pick a road! They are most likely substituting it for “anyway” and the context could be “any road are you from China or Japan.”Ī load of tosh – is used to describe something that is not very good. AĪce – is used to describe something that is awesome. This dictionary of British slang includes popular words and phrases that you might hear in the UK and will help you with your own spoken English.
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