Many linguists have argued that learning slang, idioms, and colloquialisms is an important part of developing communication skills in a second language.
For instance, a group of researchers at the Industrial University of Tyumen in Russia point out that âeven with [classroom] skills, you can fail to communicate with native speakers, read magazines, watch television programmes and travel to foreign countriesâ, and therefore if studentsâ goals include being able to âcommunicate with native speakers personally or in social networksâ, then âstudying some of the most common slang words and idiomatic expressions is definitely necessaryâ.
For English language learners, this can present a challenge. Colloquial English varies enormously between different parts of the world where English is spoken as a first language, as well as between age and socio-economic groups.
In this post weâll explore some examples of colloquial language commonly used by speakers of British English. Learning some of these expressions can help you understand conversations and media from the UK, amplifying your ability to develop your communication skills in English passively or immersively.
British Greetings
Informal English greetings, farewells, and words of gratitude vary significantly between different British dialects, but some expressions are commonly used throughout the country.
The table below offers a guide to the English colloquialisms youâre most likely to encounter during one-off interactions in the UK:
| Colloquial Expression | Meaning | Appropriateness | Typical Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alright? | âHelloâ (implied âHow are you?â) | Informal but universally acceptable throughout the UK | âHelloâ, âAlrightâ or âIâm good, thanks, how are you?â all work |
| Ey Up | âHelloâ or âLook at thatâ | Informal. Common throughout the Midlands and North of England. | Depends on context, but very open-ended. Common to follow up with a variation of âHow are you?â |
| How do you do? | âHello, how are you?â | Extremely formal and traditional, usually only found in âupper classâ settings | âHow do you do?â or âPleased to meet youâ |
| You OK? | Understood as âHow are you?â | Usually reserved for friends or family | âNot bad, you?â |
| Whatâs the craic? | âWhatâs new with you?â | Informal. Typical throughout the island of Ireland, rare elsewhere. | âNot muchâ or ânothing newâ, or share some gossip or an anecdote about your day |
| Wotcher | âHelloâ | Informal. Heard mostly in the southeast of England, but declining in use. | âWotcherâ |
| Ta | âThank youâ | Informal | Not expected. âNo worriesâ or a similar expression can be used. |
| Cheers | âThank youâ (also used for toasting) | Informal | Not expected. âNo worriesâ or a similar expression can be used. |
| Nice one | âI appreciate itâ | Very informal, sometimes combined with another form of âthank youâ to express gratitude in a friendly way | Not expected. âNo worriesâ or a similar expression can be used. |
| Take it easy | âHave a good dayâ (also used to say ârelaxâ) | Very informal | âYou tooâ, âGoodbyeâ or a variation |
| Have a good one | âHave a good dayâ | Informal | âYou tooâ, âGoodbyeâ or a variation |
| Pip pip | âGoodbyeâ | Not commonly heard. Old-fashioned and âupper classâ. | âGoodbyeâ or a variation |
| Ta-ta / Ta-ra | âGoodbyeâ | Informal. Ta-ra is more common in the North of England. | âGoodbyeâ or a variation |
| Cheerio | âGoodbyeâ | Quite old-fashioned | âGoodbyeâ or a variation |
Complaining with British Slang Phrases
Itâs characteristic of British culture to make casual conversation about things that have gone or are going wrong. This can include the weather, current events, or personal matters if the conversation is with close friends or family.
As a result, itâs quite typical to hear expressions that either exaggerate or downplay the extent of a problem. Creativity in this area is a component of British âbanterâ â the art of witty conversation.
| Colloquial Expression | Meaning | Appropriateness |
|---|---|---|
| Bloody | Intensifies the following word or phrase, more often in a negative way. However, âbloody brilliantâ would mean extremely good. | A mild profanity, but generally considered inoffensive |
| Bloody hell | Expression of surprise, anger or despair | A mild profanity, but generally considered inoffensive |
| Flippinâ heck | Softer version of âBloody hellâ | Inoffensive but old-fashioned |
| Rubbish | Literally, waste material. Used to mean âbadâ or, when describing a claim, âdishonestâ, or can be used as a verb. | Universally acceptable |
| Bollocks | Literally, testicles. Used to mean âbadâ or âdishonestâ, but when part of a phrase like âThe (dogâs) bollocksâ means âvery goodâ or âthe bestâ. âBollocks to itâ means âI will ignore itâ. | A mild to moderate profanity |
| Cock-up | A failure or act of incompetence | A mild to moderate profanity |
| Tits-up | âTo have gone tits-upâ is to be in a state of disarray | A mild to moderate profanity |
| Daft | âSillyâ or âstupidâ, depending on context | Informal, slightly old-fashioned, could be considered offensive in certain contexts |
| Dodgy | Poor quality, untrustworthy or dangerous | Universally acceptable. However, unsurprisingly offensive if used to describe a person. |
| Gutted | Extremely disappointed. Literally, to have lost oneâs intestines. Can also be used in a semi-literal sense to refer to a building or vehicle having its insides removed, or a project or organisation losing funding. | Universally acceptable |
| Knackered | âTiredâ when referring to a living being, âin poor conditionâ for an inanimate object. The Cockney Rhyming Slang equivalent is âcream crackeredâ. | Very casual but inoffensive |
| (To have) lost the plot | To be confused or unable to cope with the situation | Not profane but can be somewhat offensive in context |
| Mug | A gullible person. âTo mug offâ is a transitive phrasal verb meaning to cheat or deceive a person. | Not profane but often considered coarse or rude |
| Nuts | Literally âtesticlesâ. Used to mean crazy or great. | A very mild profanity |
| Pissed off | âTo be pissed offâ is to be angry, but âto have pissed offâ is to have left | A moderate profanity |
| Prat | A person who is incompetent, arrogant, or lacking in initiative | Insulting but not profane |
| Taking the mickey (out of) | âTo take the mickey out ofâ someone is to make fun of them, but the expression is often used ironically to indicate that a situation is unacceptable, i.e. someone is doing such a poor job that they are âtaking the mickeyâ, implying that they are knowingly being irresponsible at the expense of others. âMickeyâ is often shortened to âmickâ, or it can be replaced with âpissâ to make the statement harsher. | Very casual but not offensive. A mild to moderate profanity when âpissâ is used instead of âmickeyâ. |
| Wind-up | âA wind-upâ is a trick, practical joke, or prolonged irritation. It can also be used as a phrasal verb, âTo wind [someone] upâ. | Universally acceptable |
| Bugger all | âNothingâ, generally used to express annoyance at a conspicuous absence. Bugger can be replaced with similar words like âsodâ, or the expression can be made much harsher by using the word âf*ckâ. | A mild to moderate profanity. An intense, vulgar profanity when replaced with the word âf*ckâ. |
| Cack-handed | Clumsy or lacking skill | Very casual but inoffensive |
| Chockablock | Very busy, at or over capacity | Very casual but inoffensive |
| Clanger | An absurd or embarrassing mistake | Very casual but inoffensive |
| Codswallop | Nonsense | Very casual but inoffensive. Quite old-fashioned. |
| Cost a bomb | Very expensive. âAn arm and a legâ is also very commonly used instead of bomb. | Very casual but inoffensive |
| Faff | An activity or process that seems unnecessarily inconvenient or time-consuming | Very casual but inoffensive |
| Gobsmacked | Literally to have been hit in the mouth, meaning âabsolutely shockedâ or âastonishedâ | Universally acceptable |
| Long | Too much effort or inconvenience | Inoffensive, but quite recent slang from Multicultural London English. Less likely to be understood by older generations or those outside Lonndon. |
| Lurgy | Illness. Often used to playfully imply that a cold is actually something more severe. | Very casual but inoffensive |
A small sample of British slang words and phrases that mean âdrunkâ
- Pissed
- Pie-eyed
- Shit-faced
- Rat-arsed
- Steaming
- Mortal
- Bevvied
- F*cked
Local Dialects
Itâs not really possible to offer a simple guide on how to âsound Britishâ. There are many things British people say differently depending on where theyâre from, or even based on socio-economic background.
Letâs dive into a few examples of regional dialects from around the UK.
Birmingham Slang
| Colloquial Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ar | âYesâ or âI agreeâ |
| âark at that | âListen to thatâ or âimagine thatâ, can be used to express surprise or to direct someoneâs attention |
| Bab / Babs | âBabyâ. A term of endearment. Broadly seen as acceptable for addressing friends. Actual babies might be referred to as âthe babbyâ. |
| Bonce | The human head |
| Bostinâ | Fantastic, amazing |
| Council pop / fizzy pop | Council pop is (tap) water while fizzy pop refers to carbonated soft drinks. âPopâ with no qualifier is often understood to mean dilutable squash or cordial. |
| Deff (off) | Ignore, avoid, forget, decide against, or abandon. Can be used as a phrasal verb with the addition of âoffâ. |
| The outdoor | The off-licence or newsagent, a store for purchasing alcohol |
| Round the Wrekin | âTo go round the Wrekinâ is to take a long time to get somewhere or do something inefficiently |
| Ta-ra a bit | See you later |
| Wench | A young woman |
Scottish Slang
| Colloquial Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aye | âYesâ or âI agreeâ |
| Bairn / Wean | Small child. The preferred term varies between different parts of Scotland. |
| Barry | Great |
| Bawbag | Literally, âtesticlesâ. Used as a playful insult between friends. |
| Bonnie / Braw | Beautiful |
| Canny | Clever or wise |
| Dae / Dinnae | Do / Donât |
| Dead / Pure | Used in combination with adjectives as intensifiers, e.g. âdead brilliantâ means extremely good |
| Fash | Worry |
| Get tae | Go away |
| Haste ye back | I hope to see you again soon |
| Hen | A term of endearment usually used to address a young woman |
| Ken | Know |
| Nae bother | No problem |
| Scran | Food |
| Scunnered | Tired or bored |
Take your English to the next level
Good English communication skills can open doors in terms of career, love, and leisure.
For the most part, a strong grasp of professional, international English is enough to understand and be understood in conversation. But thereâs no reason to stop there. You may end up meeting native English speakers who are not used to international environments and automatically use enormous amounts of slang without considering that it might not be understood.
As most people encounter a significant amount of media from the USA, English learners tend to pick up the basics of American English colloquialisms almost automatically. But itâs a good idea to remember that there are many things British people say differently. Thereâs also plenty of variation in Irish, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, South African and Indian English, as well as many smaller countries that speak English as a first language and have their own slang.
