The United Kingdom is a country with a rich and diverse culture, and this is reflected in the many local sayings and slang terms that are used by people throughout the country. From the bustling streets of London to the rural villages of the Scottish Highlands, the UK is filled with unique phrases and words that are used in everyday conversation.
In this article, we will explore some of the most common local sayings and slang that you might hear when visiting the UK, and provide some examples of how they are used. Whether you’re a tourist looking to blend in with the locals, or a language enthusiast who is curious about the many variations of English that are spoken in the UK, this article is for you.
So grab a cuppa, sit back, and let’s take a tour of some of the most interesting and colorful local sayings and slang that you’ll hear in the UK.
- “Bob’s your uncle” – This means that something is easy or will surely happen. For example, “Just follow these instructions, and Bob’s your uncle, you’ll have a working lamp.”
- “Pipe down” – This means to be quiet or stop making noise. For example, “Pipe down, I can’t hear myself think!”
- “Sorted” – This means that a problem has been resolved or that something has been arranged. For example, “I was worried about the catering for the party, but my friend sorted it out for me.”
- “Cheers” – This can be used as a toast to express good wishes before drinking, or as a general term of thanks or goodwill. For example, “Cheers to a great night out with friends!” or “Cheers for the help, mate.”
- “Ta” – This is a short form of “thanks” commonly used in informal situations. For example, “Ta for the lift, I really appreciate it.”
- “Brolly” – This is a slang term for an umbrella. For example, “I forgot my brolly, so I got soaked in the rain.”
- “Bloke” – This is a slang term for a man, often used to refer to a man in a general or anonymous way. For example, “Some bloke left his jacket at the pub last night, have you seen it?”
- “Chuffed” – This means pleased or satisfied. For example, “I was chuffed to bits when I got the job I wanted.”
- “Skive” – This means to avoid work or responsibilities, often by pretending to be sick or busy. For example, “I’m going to skive off work early today and go to the beach.”
- “Fag” – This is a slang term for a cigarette. For example, “I need to pop out for a fag, I’ll be back in a minute.”
- “Knackered” – This means extremely tired. For example, “I was out late last night and now I’m feeling knackered.”
- “Barmy” – This means crazy or foolish. For example, “That idea is barmy, it will never work.”
- “Bonkers” – This means crazy or foolish. For example, “I can’t believe you climbed up the side of that building, you’re bonkers!”
- “Mate” – This is a slang term for a friend, often used as a form of address. For example, “Hey mate, how’s it going?”
- “Sod” – This is a slang term for a person, often used to express frustration or annoyance. For example, “That sod cut me off in traffic, I was so mad!”
- “Bugger” – This is a slang term used to express frustration or annoyance. For example, “Bugger, I left my keys in the car, and now it’s locked.”
- “Blinding” – This means excellent or very good. For example, “That concert was blinding, I had a great time.”
- “Lurgy” – This means a cold or other illness. For example, “I can’t come to work today, I’ve got the lurgy.”
- “Minted” – This means very wealthy or successful. For example, “He must be minted, he just bought a new yacht.”
- “Gobsmacked” – This means amazed or astonished. For example, “I was gobsmacked when I saw the size of the fish he caught.”
- “Bits and Bobs” – This means small things or miscellaneous items. For example, “I need to go to the shop and buy some bits and bobs for the party.”
- “Wazzock” – This means a foolish or stupid person. For example, “He’s a complete wazzock, he can’t even tie his own shoelaces.”
- “Bangers and Mash” – This is a traditional British dish consisting of sausages and mashed potatoes. For example, “I’m going to the pub for bangers and mash and a pint of ale.”
- “Butty” – This is a slang term for a sandwich. For example, “I’m starving, let’s grab a butty before we go to the cinema.”
- “Chinwag” – This means a casual conversation or chat. For example, “We had a good chinwag over a cup of tea and a biscuit.”
- “Dodgy” – This means suspect or unreliable. For example, “I wouldn’t trust that dodgy dealer, he’s always trying to rip you off.”
- “Gobby” – This means loud or bossy. For example, “She’s so gobby, she always has to have the last word.”
- “Kip” – This means a nap or a sleep. For example, “I’m feeling a bit tired, I think I’ll have a kip before dinner.”
- “Nosh” – This means food or a meal. For example, “I’m going to the market to get some nosh for lunch.”
- “Twit” – This means a foolish or stupid person. For example, “He’s such a twit, he can’t even spell his own name.”
- “Brass monkey weather” – This means extremely cold weather. For example, “It’s brass monkey weather outside, make sure you wrap up warm.”
- “Cobblers” – This means nonsense or rubbish. For example, “That’s a load of cobblers, I don’t believe a word of it.”
- “Dog’s dinner” – This means a mess or a disaster. For example, “I made a dog’s dinner of that presentation, I was so nervous.”
- “Faffing about” – This means wasting time or dithering. For example, “Stop faffing about and make a decision already!”
- “Jargon” – This means specialized or technical language. For example, “I can’t understand a word of this jargon, it’s like a different language.”
- “Lashings” – This means a large quantity or amount. For example, “I had lashings of gravy on my roast beef, it was delicious.”
- “Minging” – This means disgusting or unattractive. For example, “That food is minging, I can’t eat it.”
- “Plonker” – This means a foolish or stupid person. For example, “He’s such a plonker, he always gets everything wrong.”
- “Skint” – This means broke or penniless. For example, “I’m skint until payday, I can’t afford to go out.”
- “Tosh” – This means nonsense or rubbish. For example, “That’s a load of tosh, it’s not true at all.”
- “Berk” – This means a foolish or stupid person. For example, “He’s such a berk, he can’t even tie his own shoelaces.”
- “Boffin” – This means a scientist or expert. For example, “She’s a boffin in her field, she knows everything there is to know about it.”
- “Cack-handed” – This means clumsy or awkward. For example, “I’m so cack-handed, I can never open a bottle without spilling it.”
- “Dosh” – This means money. For example, “I need to earn some dosh to pay the rent this month.”
- “Gutted” – This means extremely disappointed or upset. For example, “I was gutted when I failed my driving test, I thought I had it in the bag.”
- “Lofty” – This means proud or arrogant. For example, “He’s so lofty, he thinks he’s better than everyone else.”
- “Muppet” – This means a foolish or stupid person. For example, “She’s such a muppet, she can’t even spell her own name.”
- “Naff” – This means tacky or unfashionable. For example, “Those shoes are naff, you should throw them away.”
- “Ponce” – This means a man who is effeminate or pretentious. For example, “He’s such a ponce, he spends hours on his hair and makeup.”
- “Shambles” – This means a mess or a disaster. For example, “The party was a shambles, everything went wrong.”
- “Blether” – This means to talk aimlessly or excessively. For example, “She was blethering on for hours, I couldn’t get a word in edgeways.”
- “Bog-standard” – This means ordinary or typical. For example, “That car is bog-standard, there’s nothing special about it.”
- “Cack” – This means feces or excrement. For example, “I stepped in a big pile of cack, my shoe is ruined.”
- “Minger” – This means a disgusting or unattractive person. For example, “She’s such a minger, I can’t believe he’s going out with her.”
- “Narky” – This means irritable or grumpy. For example, “He’s in a bit of a narky mood today, I’d leave him alone if I were you.”
- “Plonk” – This means cheap or poor quality wine. For example, “I’m not drinking that plonk, it tastes like vinegar.”
- “Wazzock” – This means a foolish or stupid person. For example, “He’s a complete wazzock, he can’t even tie his own shoelaces.”
In conclusion, the UK is a country with a rich and diverse culture, and this is reflected in the many local sayings and slang terms that are used by people throughout the country. From the bustling streets of London to the rural villages of the Scottish Highlands, the UK is filled with unique phrases and words that are used in everyday conversation.
Whether you’re a tourist looking to blend in with the locals, or a language enthusiast who is curious about the many variations of English that are spoken in the UK, learning some of these local sayings and slang can be a fun and interesting way to engage with the culture of the UK.
We hope you enjoyed this quick guide to some of the most common and colorful local sayings and slang that you’ll hear in the UK.
