British slang: 50 words and phrases, with meanings and examples
The British slang you will hear most is everyday and friendly: “cheers” (thanks), “mate” (friend), “knackered” (very tired), “gutted” (very disappointed), “chuffed” (pleased) and “skint” (no money). Below are 50 British slang words and phrases with their meaning, the American English equivalent and an example, plus newer youth slang from British cities and the Cockney rhyming slang people still use.
By The YoFluent teamUpdated 9 min read
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Everyday British slang (36)
Used by people of all ages across the UK. Most are fine with friends and colleagues; avoid them in formal writing.
| Word | Meaning | US English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| cheers | thanks; also goodbye, and a toast | thanks | “Cheers for the lift!” |
| mate | friend | buddy, dude | “Alright, mate?” |
| alright? | hello, how are you? | what’s up? | Reply “Yeah, alright, you?”, not a long answer. |
| bloke | man | guy | “He’s a nice bloke.” |
| quid | pound (£), plural also quid | buck | “It was twenty quid.” |
| fiver / tenner | five-pound / ten-pound note | five / ten | “Can you lend me a tenner?” |
| cuppa | cup of tea | cup of coffee | “Fancy a cuppa?” |
| fancy | want; or find attractive | want; be into | “Fancy a pint?” · “I think he fancies you.” |
| loo | toilet | bathroom, restroom | “Where’s the loo?” |
| telly | television | TV | “Anything good on telly?” |
| brolly | umbrella | umbrella | “Take a brolly, it’s going to rain.” |
| knackered | very tired | beat, wiped out | “I’m knackered after that shift.” |
| gutted | very disappointed | bummed | “I was gutted we lost.” |
| chuffed | pleased | stoked | “She was chuffed with her results.” |
| skint | having no money | broke | “I can’t come, I’m skint.” |
| gobsmacked | very surprised | shocked, floored | “I was gobsmacked when she said yes.” |
| peckish | a little hungry | snacky | “I’m a bit peckish.” |
| dodgy | suspicious or poor quality | sketchy | “That website looks dodgy.” |
| cheeky | a bit rude but funny; or a small treat | sassy | “A cheeky biscuit with my tea.” |
| rubbish | bad; also trash | garbage, trash | “That film was rubbish.” |
| sorted | arranged, fixed | all set | “Tickets are sorted.” |
| proper | very, real | really | “That was proper good.” |
| innit | isn’t it? (tag, often used for any verb) | right? | “It’s cold, innit.” |
| faff | waste time on small things; a hassle | mess around | “Stop faffing and get in the car.” |
| kip | a short sleep | nap | “I’m going to have a quick kip.” |
| grub | food | grub | “The grub here is great.” |
| uni | university | college | “What did you study at uni?” |
| bits and bobs | small things of different kinds | odds and ends | “I just need a few bits and bobs from the shop.” |
| chinwag | a chat | chat | “We had a good chinwag over coffee.” |
| take the mickey | tease, make fun of | make fun of | “Are you taking the mickey?” |
| wind someone up | annoy or tease | mess with | “He’s just winding you up.” |
| gone pear-shaped | gone wrong | gone south | “The plan went pear-shaped.” |
| Bob’s your uncle | and that’s it, easy | and there you go | “Press here and Bob’s your uncle.” |
| have a go | try | give it a shot | “Let me have a go.” |
| lad / lass | boy, young man / girl, young woman (north of England) | guy / girl | “She’s a lovely lass.” |
| wee | small (Scotland, Northern Ireland) | little | “Just a wee bit.” |
Youth slang from British cities (8)
Common among young people, especially in London (where it is often called Multicultural London English). It changes quickly, and it can sound odd from an older speaker or a learner, so understand it before you use it.
| Word | Meaning | US English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| bare | a lot, very | a ton, super | “There were bare people there.” |
| peak | bad luck, unfortunate | that sucks | “You missed the bus? That’s peak.” |
| peng | attractive, or very good (food) | hot, fire | “This burger is peng.” |
| bruv | brother, friend | bro | “Calm down, bruv.” |
| mandem | group of male friends | the guys | “I’m out with the mandem.” |
| wagwan | what’s going on? (from Jamaican Patois) | what’s up? | Very informal; mostly young people in cities. |
| allow it | stop it, leave it | drop it | “Allow it, man, it was a joke.” |
| long | boring, too much effort | a drag | “Walking there is long, let’s get a bus.” |
Cockney rhyming slang (6)
A word is replaced by a phrase that rhymes with it, and then the rhyming word is often dropped. So “look” → “butcher’s hook” → “have a butcher’s”. It comes from East London; today a few phrases are used across the UK, often as a joke.
| You hear | The rhyme | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| have a butcher’s | butcher’s hook = look | have a look |
| use your loaf | loaf of bread = head | think |
| telling porkies | pork pies = lies | lying |
| on the dog (and bone) | dog and bone = phone | on the phone |
| apples and pears | apples and pears = stairs | the stairs |
| cream crackered | cream crackered = knackered | very tired |
Words to be careful with
- Bloody (very: “bloody cold”) is a mild swear word. Fine with friends, not in a job interview.
- Pants means underwear in the UK (trousers in the US), and “pants” as slang means bad: “That film was pants.”
- Fit in British slang means attractive, not only healthy.
- Pissed means drunk in the UK but angry in the US. It is rude in both.
- Cheeky can be a compliment or a criticism, depending on the tone.
How to learn slang without sounding strange
- Understand first, use later. Recognising slang in films and conversations matters more than using it.
- Start with safe words: cheers, mate, knackered, gutted, sorted. They are friendly and hard to get wrong.
- Match the people. Use slang with friends who use it too, not with your manager or in an exam.
- Watch British series with subtitles, and note one new word an episode.
Related guides
For American and general slang, see English slang words. For fixed expressions, read English idioms with meaning, and for the British accent, try British vs American pronunciation.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common British slang words?
Cheers (thanks), mate (friend), alright? (hello), quid (pound), knackered (very tired), gutted (very disappointed), chuffed (pleased), skint (no money), fancy (want) and sorted (arranged).
What does innit mean?
“Innit” is short for “isn’t it”, but in British speech it is used as a tag after almost any sentence to mean “right?”: “It’s cold, innit.” It is informal, used mostly by younger speakers.
What does gutted mean in British slang?
Gutted means very disappointed or upset: “I was gutted when I didn’t get the job.” The American equivalent is “bummed”.
What is Cockney rhyming slang?
It replaces a word with a rhyming phrase and then often drops the rhyme: “stairs” → “apples and pears”; “look” → “butcher’s hook” → “have a butcher’s”. It comes from East London.
Is it OK for English learners to use British slang?
Yes, with friends and in casual situations, starting with common, safe words such as cheers, mate, knackered and sorted. Avoid slang in exams, formal emails and job interviews, and be careful with youth slang and swear words.
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- Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press
- Multicultural London English, Wikipedia
- Cockney rhyming slang, Wikipedia