A quick guide to informal English

A public payphone. The word blower is slang for phone

British people use a lot of slang words in informal speech. Did you know that a telephone is known as a ‘blower’? Or that you could call a sausage a ‘banger’? These are just 2 examples; below is a list of some others you will notice in everyday language.

  • Banger = sausage
  • Bird = woman
  • Blinding = amazing
  • Bloke = man
  • Blower = telephone
  • Bonkers = crazy
  • Butty = sandwich
  • Chap = man
  • Cheers = thanks
  • Chockablock or chocka = full
  • Chuck = throw
  • Chuffed = pleased
  • Crap = not good
  • Dead = very (for example, ‘dead chuffed’)
  • Dodgy = not right
  • Geezer = man
  • Gobsmacked = amazed
  • Gutted = very sad
  • Knackered = very tired
  • Lad = boy
  • Lass = girl
  • Mate = friend (can also be used sarcastically)
  • Nut = head
  • Pissed = drunk – although the US meaning ‘angry’ is also used
  • Quid = £1
  • Right = very
  • Sarnie = sandwich
  • Skint = no money
  • Spud = potato
  • Wanker = idiot
  • Wonga = money

There are also many slang phrases. A few are:

  • Chucking it down = raining heavily
  • Got the hump = annoyed
  • Taking the piss = making fun of
  • Cut me some slack = give me a chance
  • Full of beans = lively
  • Give me a break = please stop

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