UK Slang: The ultimate student guide

POV: You’ve arrived in the UK and can’t understand what anyone’s saying. Cracking the code to British slang can be confusing – especially with different rules for each region.

Even a simple bread roll has 20 name variations around the UK, including: roll, bap, bun, barm, teacake and cob. Don’t panic! From London to Scotland, YourTRIBE’s student guide is here to decipher common UK slang and get you up to speed.

The Queen’s English

Slang isn’t just modern-day dialect. It dates back to the 1900s. The Queen’s English, the classic British accent everyone knows (think Downtown Abbey), was taught to the upper and middle classes. Today, it’s predominantly spoken in London and Southern England. Common slang words include:

Slang word	Meaning	Example sentence
Bloke / Chap	A man	Who is that bloke/chap you were talking to?
Bloody	An intensifier (used for emphasis)	What a bloody awful day.
Cheers	Thank you or goodbye	Cheers!
Chuffed	Pleased or delighted	She was chuffed with her present.
Gutted	Very disappointed	I was gutted that I didn’t get the job.
Knackered	Very tired or exhausted	I’m knackered from working all day.
Mate	Friend or companion	Hey, mate!
Quid	£ (GBP)	It cost 5 quid.

Cockney (East End of London)

While the upper and middle class spoke in The Queen’s English, the working-class Londoners created their own. The Cockney accent was born to create a coded language among the working class communities, using rhyming phrases to replace words. Common slang includes:

Slang word	Meaning	Example sentence
Adam and Eve	Believe	I don’t Adam and Eve this!
Apples and pears	Stairs	Mind the apples and pears as you go up.
Barnet Fair	Hair	I need to cut my Barnet Fair.
Butcher’s hook	Look	Take a butcher’s hook at this view.
Dog and bone	Phone	Ring me on the dog and bone.
Frog and toad	Road	Meet me at the end of the frog and toad.
Plates of meat	Feet	My plates of meat are killing me.
Ruby Murray	Curry	Fancy a Ruby Murray tonight?
Trouble and strife	Wife	I’ll need to ask the trouble and strife.

London (modern day)

While traditional Cockney slang still exists, the modern world has evolved and shaped London’s slang. Slang from different cultures and influences worldwide spread quickly throughout London communities. Common slang includes:

Slang word	Meaning	Example sentence
Bants/Banter	Playful/witty conversation or teasing	She’s got great bants.
Chuffed	Delighted or pleased	I’m chuffed with that.
Geezer	Man (used affectionately or sarcastically)	Alright, geezer?
Gutted	Disappointed or upset	He’s absolutely gutted.
Innit	Short for “isn’t it” (used to seek agreement or confirmation)	It’s a nice day, innit?
Mandem	A group of friends, usually boys	I’m off to see the mandem.
Mugged off	Treated badly or unfairly	You mugged me off!
Peng	Something or someone attractive or appealing	That’s peng!

Geordie (Newcastle upon Tyne and Tyneside)

Arguably one of the hardest dialects to understand (even for some Brits) is Geordie. A concoction of slang, their distinct accent and pronunciation can be confusing. If you’ve seen the reality show Geordie Shore, then you’ve probably heard most of these slang terms:

Slang word	Meaning	Example sentence
Belta	Great or fantastic	The concert was a belta!
Canny	Good, nice or pleasant	The sunset is canny tonight.
Clamming	Hungry	Am (I’m) clamming.
Deek	Look	Giz a deek = Can I have a look?
Fettle	Foul mood	Are ye (you) in a fettle?
Gan doon	Go down	We’re gan doon the pub.
Haddaway	You’re joking or get away	A: The test is tomorrow. B: Haddaway, man!
Howay	Come on or hurry up	Howay, man! We’re going to be late.
Pet	Term of endearment	How are ye, pet?
Radgie	Aggressive person	Watch out for that radgie!
Wey aye	Yes, of course	Wey aye, man! I’m going out tonight.
Wor lass	My girlfriend	Wor lass is visiting this weekend.

Scouse (Liverpool)

One of the most distinctive accents in the UK is Scouse (think The Beatles). Scousers often speak very fast, blending words together and dropping consonants. Common slang includes:

Slang word	Meaning	Example sentence
Bevvy	Alcoholic drink	Fancy a bevvy tonight?
Blag	To deceive or trick	I blagged my way through the test.
Boss	Excellent or great	Those shoes are boss!
Boss tha	You’re the best	Thanks, you’re boss tha.
Our kid	A close friend or younger sibling	I took our kid to the match.
Scran	Food	Let’s order some scran.
Sound	Good or okay	Everything’s sound.

Mancunian (Manchester)

The city’s proud working-class heritage heavily influences Mancunian, or “Manc”, slang. Greetings are informal, responses are direct and there’s a lot of dry humour. Common slang includes:

Slang word	Meaning	Example sentence
Alright?/ You alright?	Hello (rhetorical question)	A: Alright? B: Hi, you alright?
Angin	Disgusting	That’s angin!
Bobbins	Rubbish	You’re talking bobbins.
Brew	Cup of tea/coffee	Fancy a brew?
Butty	Sandwich	I’ve got a butty for dinner (lunch).
Buzzing	Excited	I’m buzzing for the weekend.
Dead/Well	Very	The concert was dead/well good.
Mint/sound	Very good	That’s mint/sound.
Nowt	Nothing	There’s nowt better than this.
Our kid	Term of affection	It’s arr (our) kid’s birthday tomorrow.

Welsh (Wales)

From the valleys to the cities, Welsh slang reflects the down-to-earth personalities of the people with vivid, candid expressions. Common slang includes:

Slang word	Meaning	Example sentence
Bladdered	Drunk	I was bladdered last night.
Butty	Friend	Alright, butty?
Chopsy	Talkative or argumentative	Don’t get chopsy with me!
Cwtch	A cuddle or hug	Let’s have a cwtch.
Lush	Delicious or attractive	This chocolate is lush.
Minging	Disgusting or unattractive	That smells minging!
Tamping	Angry or furious	I’m absolutely tamping!
Tidy	Good, nice or satisfactory	They look tidy.
Ych-a-fi	Expression of digust	Ych-a-fi, that tastes horrible!

Scottish (Scotland)

Rooted in ancient dialects, Scottish slang changes with the region. There are 5 main varieties: Insular Scots, Northern Scots, Central Scots, Southern Scots and Ulster Scots. Common slang includes:

Slang word	Meaning	Example sentence
Bairn	Baby or child	The bairn is crying.
Boak	To be physically sick	That smell is making me boak.
Bonnie	Pretty or beautiful	She’s bonnie.
Dreich	Gloomy or bleak weather	It’s a dreich day.
Glaikit	Stupid or foolish	Don’t be glaikit.
Greetin’	Crying or whining	He’s been greetin’.
Ken	Know	A ken what yer (you’re) sayin’.
Nae bother	No problem or you’re welcome	A: Thank you. B: Nae bother.
Scooby	Clue or idea	I haven’t got a scooby.
Wee	Small or little	I’ll have a wee slice.

Popular slang

Finally, let’s dive into some of the most popular and quirky slang terms used across the UK today:

Bagsy	To claim or reserve	Bagsy the front seat!
Bollocks	Nonsense or rubbish	That’s a load of bollocks.
Bonkers	Wild or crazy	You must be bonkers!
Faff	Wasting time	Stop faffing around.
Kerfuffle	A commotion or fuss	She caused a kerfuffle.
Loo	Bathroom or toilet	Where is the loo, please?
Minted	Rich or wealthy	They must be minted!
Muppet	Fool or idiot	You’re such a muppet.
Snazzy	Stylish or impressive	Your new bag is snazzy.
Skint	Broke or without money	I’m skint until payday.
Snog	To passionately kiss	They were snogging.

There you have it, your guide to UK slang. With such rich diversity across the UK, a little slang can help you fit in like a local and create lasting relationships.

Learn a few phrases for wherever your travels take you, or master your local slang. Remember, slang flows naturally with the conversation and context – you don’t need to overdo it with lots of phrases in a short period.

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