A quick guide to informal English
Reading a British book or living in the UK and can’t understand what people are saying? In that case you’ll know that British people use a lot of slang words in informal speech and you are not the first person to be confused by it all. For example, 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
- Bevvy = drink, usually alcoholic
- 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
- Fiver = five pound note
- Geezer = man
- Gobsmacked = amazed
- Gutted = very sad
- Knackered = very tired
- Lad = boy
- Lass = girl
- Mash = mashed potato
- 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
- Tenner = ten pound note
- 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
- Have a quick one = go for a quick drink
- Cut me some slack = give me a chance
- Full of beans = lively
- Give me a break = please stop
