British Slang Words and Phrases
After receiving critical acclaim in the UK, the 1980 gangster film The Long Good Friday was revised to make the dialogue more accessible to American audiences. A few lines of dialogue were re-recorded to tone down the East End slang. A glossary of terms was also added at the start of the film, including such phrases as “manor” (precinct, area, patch, turf) and “ponce” (pimp or fool). Conversely, this has seldom happened with regard to American TV shows and films exported around the world, due to the ubiquitous nature of US pop culture. Nowadays, you would think the internet would have bridged this linguistic divide but it would appear not. I still see a lot of YouTube videos explaining British slang and traditional phrases. Never being one to pass up the opportunity to jump on a passing bandwagon, I thought I’d tackle 15 British slang words and phrases for your edification and the sake of an easy blog post.
A Few Sandwiches Short of a Picnic: A lighthearted but ultimately pejorative term for someone who may be below average intelligence or who has a bonafide mental health issue. “You must forgive Colin, he’s a few sandwiches short of a picnic”.
Anorak: An anorak is a lightweight, waterproof jacket with a hood. The kind you may take if you go hiking. In the UK it is often associated with geeks, nerds or those with niche market interests. Hence “anorak” is used as a collective term for such individuals. Especially if there is any sort of obsession over details or data. “Colin is a bit of an anorak. He spots trains”.
Blag: To obtain something, be it an object or service, by persuasion, craftiness or guile. “Colin’s brother is a booking agent so we managed to blag some free tickets”. Blag can also mean to steal. “Colin got arrested. He blagged the local post office”.
Bog standard: Basic, entry level, ordinary. “Colin’s phone is a bog standard model”.
Butchers: An example of traditional Cockney rhyming slang. Butcher’s hook = Look. “Colin, go outside and have a butchers and see if the coast is clear”. The phrase is comparable to “look-see”.
Cheeky: As well as its formal definition, cheeky can mean to do something in an unplanned and somewhat self-indulgent fashion. “On the way back from the sales meeting, Colin and I stopped off for a cheeky pint”.
Chugger: A contraction of “charity mugger”. IE someone who represents a charity and engages in conversation with you in a public place, to try and convince you to sign up to some sort of monthly recurring donations. “Me and Colin got rushed by a chugger outside the kebab shop”. These bastards even knock on your front door, in the UK.
Doddle: An undertaking that you initially thought would be complex, difficult or arduous that subsequently proves to be easy and simple. “I thought it was going to be hard getting rid of Colin’s body, but we just threw it in the lake. It was a doddle”.
Dog's Dinner: A location, situation or undertaking that is either messy, chaotic, or poorly planned ending in disaster. “Colin’s desk is a total dog’s dinner”. Alternatively “Colin totally messed up the hotel booking, the menu and the evening’s entertainment. The convention was a total dog’s dinner”.
Gutted: To be bitterly disappointed or upset about something. “Colin was gutted that his favourite Kabaddi team had lost the regional final”.
Minging: Foul smelling. It can also mean that someone is not very attractive. “Colin’s kitchen was minging after he had cooked kippers for breakfast”. Alternatively “Who’s that with Colin? They’re minging”.
Pear Shaped: A plan or situation has gone awry. “It’s all gone pear-shaped. Colin has served red wine with the fish and we haven’t got enough cake forks”.
Shirty: To get annoyed, bellicose or bombastic with someone or something. “Colin got shirty with the Police Officer when he asked him why he was naked”.
Throw Your Toys Out of the Pram: To lose your temper. This can range from a childish tantrum to finally losing your cool after constant provocation. It is a verbal metaphor of a toddler throwing its toys out of a stroller when it can’t get its own way. “I borrowed Colin’s pen to get wax out of my ear. When he found out he really threw his toys out of the pram”.
Wind Up: To tease, goad or provoke someone. Usually just for fun. “We spent the morning winding Colin up until he tried to stab us”.
I hope this has proved informative and useful. Coming up in the next instalment of British Slang Words and Phrases, I will explain the significance and problems associated with thinking you’re “Jake the Peanut”. I’ll also explore exactly what is involved in getting “Leo Sayer’d”. We will also stray North of the border to clarify the differences between a “Wee Stooshie” and a “Wee Rammie”. Feel free to leave any comments below, especially if you have your own regional variation of any of the terms and phrases featured in this post. Or you wish to try and use any of them in a sentence of your own contrivance. Until next time, TTFN.
