71 Simple British Slang Phrases Everyone

Should Start Using

Sep. 28, 2013
By Nico Lang
Are you feeling a bit knackered or fagged today, internet, and need something to be
gobsmacked by? Then rest your zonked peepers on these 71 simple British phrases
(compiled from slang dictionaries). Some are common, some are out of use, but all of
them you will want to start using immediately. Gretchen Wieners once advocated that
everyone start saying fetch, but dont stop there. Dont be a tosser. Use them all.
And just remember: be very careful when you ask a British person how their father is.
You know not what youre asking.

Flickr/careybaird
1. Any road: used in place of any way, primarily used in the north of Britain.

2. Baccy: shortened word for tobacco; also, wacky backy means marijuana.
3. Barmy: crazy, insane; always derogatory.
4. Bender: derogatory term for homosexual, like poof. (Note: You probably shouldnt
use it or youll get slapped, but its worthy of note for giving Futurama a very different
meaning.)
5. Biggie: term children might use to describe feces; also, an erection.
6. Bits n Bobs: various things. (Example: My mother has a lot of Bits n Bobs around
the house.)
7. Bobs your uncle!: There you go! Youve got it!
8. Bollocks: technically means balls, but often describes something seen as extremely
negative or lacking in value; e.g. total shit.
9. Bugger off!: Go away! or Leave me alone! (Note: Bugger, used on its own, is
akin to Fuck! or Shit!)
10. Chav: white trash.

Flickr/Thomas Depenbusch
11. Cheeky: to be not respectful of something, having a flippant or facetious attitude.
12. Chin Wag: to have a chat with someone.
13. Collywobbles: extreme queasiness or stomach pain brought on by stress, nervousness
or anxiety.

14. Crusty Dragon: a piece of snot or booger.

15. Daft Cow: a very stupid person (See also: Wazzock.)
16. Dogs Bollocks: extremely good or favorable, great
17. Dogs Dinner: to be dressed nicely or look dapper.
18. Donkeys Years: ages, as in I havent seen you in ages!
19. Fagged: disturbed, bothered or interrupted (Example: If one were studying for a test,
one would not want to be fagged.)
20. Fall Arse Over Tit: to have an embarrassing fall or to topple over.

Flickr/erjkprunczyk
21. Fanny: vagina.
22. Fit: hot or sexually desirable.
23. The Full Monty: going all the way with it, going big instead of going home.
24. Get stuffed!: Beat it or Scram!
25. Gobby: loudly opinionated, offensive or prickish. (See: Donald Trump.)
26. Gobsmacked: amazed or awed by something.

27. Gormless: completely clueless, like Alicia Silverstone in the 90s film.
28. To Have A Butchers: to take a look at something or someone.
29. Her Majestys Pleasure: being incarcerated or put in prison.
30. Hows Your Father?: euphemism for sex (Example: Have you and your wife had
any of the ol Hows your father? recently?)

Flickr/PnP!
31. Im Off To Bedfordshire!: Im hitting the hay!
32. Its Monkeys Outside!: Wow, its very cold out!
33. John Thomas: penis.
34. Knackered: phrase meaning extremely tired, often uttered after a long, exhausting
day; also see: zonked.
35. Knees Up: A term for a mixer or a dance party (Example: I went to this wild knees
up this weekend. I wish you could have been there.)
36. Legless: totally, completely hammered.
37. Lose The Plot: to go crazy or become mentally unstable.
38. Lurgy: sick or under the weather.
39. Made Redundant: to be fired or let go from ones position.

40. Minted: to be extremely rich.

Flickr/az1172
41. Off Ones Trolley: mad, out of ones mind.
42. On The Piss: binge drinking solely for the purpose of getting totally smashed.
43. On The Pull: cruising for sexual intercourse.
44. Pavement Pizza: euphemism for puke or vomit.
45. Pip pip!: archaic, out-of-use phrase used to say goodbye.
46. Plonk: a pejorative word used to describe red wine of poor quality, usually purchased
at little expensive.
47. Ponce: a poser.
48. Porkies: old Cockney rhyming word used to mean lies. (Example: If one is telling
porkies, youre telling lies.) Comes from pork pies, which rhymes with lies.
49. Puff: a fart.
50. Rumpy-Pumpy: amazing phrase used as a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

Flickr/Paolo Margari
51. See A Man About a Dog: what you say as an excuse for leaving, in order to hide
your destination; also, to excuse oneself to take a giant shit.
52. Shambolic: in a total state of bedlam, chaos or dismay.
53. Shirty: ill-tempered, insolent.
54. Skive: a character deemed particularly lazy or incapable of being of use.
55. Slap And Tickle: making out or heavy petting.
56. Slapper: a promiscuous female.
57. Spend A Penny: to use the restroom.
58. Snookered: to be in a bad situation, totally fucked or otherwise without a paddle.
59. Starkers: completely naked.
60. Stonker: a boner.

Flickr/erjkprunczyk
61. Strawberry Creams: hunger-inducing term for a womans breasts.
62. Sweet Fanny Adams: code for Sweet fuck all, meaning little to nothing at all.
(Example: I thought I had a chance with her, but I ended up with Sweet Fanny Adams.)
63. Taking The Piss: messing or screwing around.
64. Throw A Spanner In The Works: to make a mistake or fuck up something.
65. Tickety-Boo: phrase for when everythings going great (Example: All is tickety-boo
in my world.)
66. Todger: another word for dick.
67. Tosh: total bullshit, nonsense or rubbish.
68. Tosser: derogatory term for male masturbator, used to indicate that you look upon
someone unfavorably. (Example: He fancies himself the bees knees, but frankly hes
quite the wanker.)
69. Twig And Berries: male genitalia, the penis and balls.
70. Up The Duff: pregnant or with child.

Flickr/NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center

71. Who blew off?: Who farted?