Top 100 British Slang Words and Phrases Everyone Should Know

Planning a trip across the pond or just want to understand what your favorite British TV characters are saying? British slang can be both fascinating and confusing for Americans. From common phrases you might hear on the streets of London to colorful expressions that’ll make you sound like a proper Brit, we’ve compiled the ultimate guide to British slang words and phrases that every American should know.

Essential British Slang Words and Phrases

1. Knackered – Extremely tired or exhausted
   “After working a double shift, I was absolutely knackered and went straight to bed.”
2. Bloody – A mild expletive used for emphasis
   “That was a bloody good meal!”
3. Proper – Very or really; genuine
   “That’s a proper cup of tea, that is.”
4. Gutted – Very disappointed or upset
   “I was gutted when I didn’t get tickets to the football match.”
5. Mate – Friend, buddy, pal
   “Cheers mate, thanks for the help!”
6. Chuffed – Very pleased or happy
   “I’m well chuffed with my new job!”
7. Brilliant – Excellent, fantastic
   “That film was absolutely brilliant!”
8. Dodgy – Suspicious, unreliable, or potentially dangerous
   “Don’t eat at that restaurant, it looks a bit dodgy.”
9. Quid – Pound sterling (£)
   “Can you lend me twenty quid until payday?”
10. Bloke – A man or fellow
    “Who’s that bloke standing by the bar?”
11. Gobsmacked – Utterly astonished; shocked
    “I was gobsmacked when she told me she was moving to Australia.”
12. Faff – To waste time doing something inefficiently
    “Stop faffing about and get ready, we’re going to be late!”
13. Naff – Unfashionable or lacking style
    “Those trousers are a bit naff, aren’t they?”
14. Ace – Excellent or very good
    “That party last night was ace!”
15. Miffed – Slightly annoyed or offended
    “She was a bit miffed when I forgot her birthday.”
16. Slag off – To criticize or speak badly of someone
    “Don’t slag off your boss in public, mate.”
17. Brass monkeys – Extremely cold weather
    “It’s brass monkeys out there today!”
18. Chin-wag – A chat or gossip
    “We had a lovely chin-wag over tea yesterday.”
19. Codswallop – Nonsense
    “That’s absolute codswallop and you know it!”
20. Dosh – Money
    “I haven’t got enough dosh for a new car right now.”
21. Fit – Attractive (usually referring to a person)
    “Your new boyfriend is well fit!”
22. Gormless – Lacking intelligence; stupid
    “Don’t just stand there looking gormless, help me with these bags!”
23. Kip – A short sleep or nap
    “I’m just going to have a quick kip before dinner.”
24. Minging – Unattractive or unpleasant
    “That curry from last night was proper minging.”
25. Nick – To steal
    “Someone nicked my bicycle from outside the shop!”
26. Peckish – Slightly hungry
    “I’m feeling a bit peckish, shall we get some crisps?”
27. Sorted – Organized, taken care of
    “Don’t worry about the party, it’s all sorted.”
28. Taking the mickey – Making fun of someone
    “Stop taking the mickey out of my accent!”
29. Wanker – An idiotic or foolish person (offensive)
    “That wanker cut me off in traffic!”
30. Cheeky – Playfully rude or impertinent
    “Fancy a cheeky Nando’s?”
31. Bollocks – Nonsense; also used as an expletive
    “That’s complete bollocks, mate!”
32. Fancy – To want or desire something
    “Do you fancy going to the pub?”
33. Shirty – Irritable or short-tempered
    “Don’t get shirty with me, I’m only trying to help!”
34. Skive – To avoid work or school; to play truant
    “He’s skiving off work again today.”
35. Shonky – Unreliable, unsound, or dishonest
    “That builder did a shonky job on our kitchen.”
36. Gobby – Loudmouthed or offensive
    “She’s a right gobby one, always starting arguments.”
37. Lurgy – A cold or flu-like illness
    “I can’t come in today, I’ve got the lurgy.”
38. Manky – Dirty, unpleasant, or in poor condition
    “These old trainers are getting a bit manky.”
39. Miffed – Slightly offended or annoyed
    “He was miffed when I didn’t invite him to the party.”
40. Naff – Unfashionable or lacking style
    “That jacket is a bit naff, isn’t it?”
41. Pillock – A foolish or stupid person
    “Don’t be such a pillock, use your head!”
42. Pear-shaped – When something goes wrong
    “The whole project went pear-shaped after the budget cuts.”
43. Chinwag – A friendly conversation or chat
    “Let’s have a chinwag over coffee.”
44. Chip shop – Fish and chips restaurant
    “I’m popping down to the chip shop, want anything?”
45. Innit – Isn’t it? (Often used as a general tag question)
    “Weather’s nice today, innit?”
46. Knackered – Extremely tired
    “I’m absolutely knackered after that long walk.”
47. Legless – Very drunk
    “He was completely legless at the wedding reception.”
48. Minging – Unattractive or unpleasant
    “That leftover curry’s gone proper minging.”
49. Munter – An unattractive person (derogatory)
    “He thinks he’s God’s gift, but he’s a right munter.”
50. Narky – Bad-tempered or irritable
    “Don’t get narky with me, it’s not my fault!”
51. Peckish – Slightly hungry
    “I’m feeling a bit peckish, shall we grab a snack?”
52. Pear-shaped – When something goes wrong
    “The holiday went pear-shaped when we lost our luggage.”
53. Plastered – Very drunk
    “He was absolutely plastered by midnight.”
54. Pear-shaped – When something goes wrong
    “Everything went pear-shaped after the power cut.”
55. Punter – A customer or client
    “The punters aren’t happy about the price increase.”
56. Shambles – A state of total disorder
    “My room’s a complete shambles.”
57. Shirty – Irritable or angry
    “Don’t get shirty with me, I’m only trying to help!”
58. Skive – To avoid work or school
    “He’s always skiving off on Fridays.”
59. Slash – To urinate
    “I need a slash, where’s the loo?”
60. Snog – To kiss passionately
    “They were snogging in the corner all night.”
61. Starkers – Completely naked
    “He ran through the garden starkers!”
62. Stroppy – Bad-tempered and argumentative
    “Don’t be stroppy, I said I was sorry.”
63. Tackle – Male genitalia
    “Be careful climbing that fence, don’t hurt your tackle!”
64. Tatty – Shabby or worn out
    “These old shoes are getting a bit tatty.”
65. Tosser – An idiot (mild insult)
    “That tosser cut me off in traffic!”
66. Twee – Overly dainty or quaint
    “The cottage was a bit too twee for my taste.”
67. Waffle – To speak or write at length without saying anything meaningful
    “Stop waffling and get to the point!”
68. Wazzock – An idiot or foolish person
    “Don’t be such a wazzock, mate.”
69. Whinge – To complain persistently
    “Stop whinging about the weather!”
70. Zonked – Extremely tired or exhausted
    “I was completely zonked after the marathon.”
71. Bangers – Sausages
    “We’re having bangers and mash for tea.”
72. Bees knees – Something excellent or high quality
    “This new restaurant is the bees knees!”
73. Bladdered – Very drunk
    “He was absolutely bladdered at the Christmas party.”
74. Blinding – Excellent or amazing
    “That was a blinding performance!”
75. Bob’s your uncle – There you have it; it’s done
    “Add a pinch of salt, stir it twice, and Bob’s your uncle!”
76. Bottle – Courage or confidence
    “He didn’t have the bottle to ask her out.”
77. Bread and butter – Ordinary everyday concerns
    “That’s our bread and butter work right there.”
78. Butchers – A look (from “butcher’s hook” = look)
    “Let’s have a butchers at that new shop.”
79. Chips – French fries
    “Would you like chips with your fish?”
80. Cream crackered – Exhausted (rhyming slang: cream crackered = knackered)
    “I’m cream crackered after that football match.”
81. Damp squib – Something that fails to meet expectations
    “The party turned out to be a bit of a damp squib.”
82. Dekko – A look
    “Have a dekko at this new watch.”
83. Diamond geezer – A really good bloke
    “John? He’s a proper diamond geezer.”
84. Dinner – Lunch (in some regions)
    “What are you having for dinner?” (meaning lunch)
85. Discord – Argument or disagreement
    “There’s been some discord in the office lately.”
86. Dish – An attractive person
    “She’s a right dish, isn’t she?”
87. Dog’s dinner – A mess or poor appearance
    “You’ve made a proper dog’s dinner of that paperwork.”
88. Earful – A telling off or scolding
    “I got a right earful from the boss today.”
89. Ease up – To calm down
    “Ease up mate, I was only joking!”
90. Fit up – To falsely incriminate someone
    “He claims he was fit up by the police.”
91. Gander – A look
    “Take a gander at this newspaper headline.”
92. Give over – Stop it; get out of here (expression of disbelief)
    “Give over! You’re having me on!”
93. Gone pear-shaped – When something has gone wrong
    “The whole project has gone pear-shaped.”
94. Graft – Hard work
    “It was hard graft, but we got it done.”
95. Gutted – Very disappointed
    “I’m absolutely gutted about missing the concert.”
96. Half – A half pint of beer
    “Just a half for me, I’m driving.”
97. Hard cheese – Bad luck
    “Hard cheese, mate. Better luck next time.”
98. Have a word – To talk to someone (often about their behavior)
    “I’ll have a word with him about that.”
99. In a bit – See you later
    “I’m off home now, see you in a bit!”
100. Jolly – Very (as an intensifier)
     “That’s jolly good news!”

Conclusion

British slang adds color and character to the English language, and understanding these words and phrases will not only help you better appreciate British culture but also prevent any awkward misunderstandings. Whether you’re planning a trip to the UK or just want to expand your linguistic horizons, these 100 slang terms will have you speaking like a true Brit in no time. Just remember that context is key, and some expressions might be more appropriate in casual settings than formal ones.

Remember to use these phrases naturally and in the right context – there’s nothing worse than forcing slang into conversation! And if you’re visiting the UK, don’t be afraid to ask locals about their favorite regional expressions – every area has its own unique slang terms that make British English such a rich and varied language.