Americans are no strangers to casual slang, but in many ways, the Brits take it to the next level. Even though it’s all part of the same language, the differences between American and British slang are so vast that listening to a room full of Brits conversing at full speed might make you feel as though you don’t speak English at all. Here are some casual slang terms that can be heard on the street, in the shops, and definitely at the pub.
Bare
“Bare” is an intensifier, effectively meaning “very” or “many” — similar to “hella” in the U.S. It originally came from Jamaican influences, but has worked its way into many British dialects.
Chuffed
To be chuffed is a good thing — it means to be happy or otherwise pleased, particularly if taken by surprise. The word first appeared in British dialect in 1860, from the now-obsolete “chuff,” a word that emerged in the 1520s and meant “swollen with fat.” There’s a similar American idiom of “fat and happy” — to be chuffed isn’t far off.
Gutted
“Gutted” is the polar opposite of “chuffed.” It describes the feeling of being terribly upset. While Americans often think of “gutted” in a more literal sense — such as the way one guts a fish to prepare it for eating — the British use this word in a metaphorical way. The OED points to roots in British prison slang, and it was first cited in Jonathon Green’s Dictionary of Contemporary Slang in 1984.
Quid
The currency of the U.K. is the pound, but shoppers are likely to hear cashiers give their total in quids. The slang replacement for “pound” appeared in the 1680s, possibly from the Latin quid, meaning “that which is, essence,” as used in quid pro quo, a Latin phrase indicating an exchange of value.
Fiver/Tenner
Two of the most commonly used denominations of currency are the £5 and £10 notes (£ is the symbol for the pound). These are colloquially known as fivers and tenners. (However, the award for most creative currency nicknames goes to the Canadians, who use “loonie” and “toonie” to refer to their dollar and two-dollar coins.)
Knackered
Pronounced “NACK-urd,” this wordmeans “worn out” or “exhausted.” You can be knackered (physically exhausted), or an item can be so knackered (worn out), it just needs to hit the bin (British slang for a trash can). The roots of this slang are in agriculture — the earliest usage of “knacker/nacker” is from a harness-maker who probably also helped with other horse health-related matters. By the 1880s, people began describing themselves as knackered, to suggest that they felt as tired as an old, sick horse.
Kip
The answer to feeling knackered is to take a kip, or a nap. This word can also be used as a verb, as in, “I kipped properly last night.” “Kip” further carries a connotation of sleeping somewhere other than your own bed, related to the Danish kippe, or “tavern.”
Reckon
To reckon is to suspect or have a theory about something. This word has made the journey from Great Britain to the American South, where it maintains the thoughtful usage.
Bloody
In British slang, “bloody” is a mild expletive. It’s used to express anger, annoyance, shock, or simply emphasis — for example, “Oh, bloody hell!” According to etymologists, “the use of bloody to add emphasis to an expression is of uncertain origin, but is thought to have a connection with the ‘bloods’ (aristocratic rowdies) of the late 17th and early 18th centuries.” While it’s a bit impolite, its usage is so common that it’s become generally acceptable in modern British English.
Cheeky
A bit of cheekiness is a quintessential part of British life. It can be hard to nail down a definition of “cheeky,” but one that comes close is “endearingly rude.” Being cheeky is often cute, but it can be taken the wrong way, so pay attention to context.
Proper
“Proper” is a tough one to define concretely, because the British use it so frequently to describe many different things. In general, it’s used as an alternative to “very” or “extremely,” but to do something properly also means to do it correctly or in the right way. One might say, “That’s a proper good cup of tea,” meaning that not only is it very good, but it’s also prepared in the accepted manner.
Mate
In the U.S., “mate” is often thought of in the sense of a romantic partner, but for Brits, it’s more casual. It can be used affectionately to mean “friend,” and it’s also used more informally when referring to or addressing strangers.
Plastered, Trolleyed, Pissed, Battered, Gazeboed
It’s often said that language reflects culture. Inuits have many words for snow, and Arabic has myriad words for sand. In Britain, they have a huge volume of words for being drunk. Add “-ed” to any number of nouns or verbs, and your mates will understand you mean “drunk.”
Cuppa
Playing right into the stereotype, Brits really do love tea. So much so, in fact, that “cup of tea” has been shortened to “cuppa.” You don’t need to clarify what’s in your cup, because everyone already knows it’s tea.
Dodgy
To describe something as dodgy suggests that it’s suspicious or otherwise questionable — the word might be used to characterize a car salesman’s tactics, for example. It could also refer to food that seems like it’s spoiled. “Dodgy” comes from the verb “to dodge,” which appeared in the 1680s to mean “to evade (something) by a sudden shift of place.” This context of sly, quick movement ultimately led to the modern verb definition, which implies an intent “to swindle, to play shifting tricks with,” leading to the “shifty” adjective. So, if a deal seems a bit dodgy, or too good to be true, listen to your gut.
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