Slightly more of an outdated version, this British slang term is still used, and its meaning remains relevant today. Can also mean to pass something with flying colors.įor example, ‘Jenny is ace at the lab experiments’, or, for the latter definition, ‘I think I aced that exam’. ‘Ace’ – a British slang term that means something that is brilliant or excellent. So, if you’re an aspiring Anglophile looking for some new lingo to help fuel your love for all things British, or you just fancy seeing what kind of words the British find themselves using their day-to-day, check out our 50 best British slang terms for you to start using and incorporating into your vocabulary immediately. While American slang has become nearly universal with the influx of TV shows, films, and other media filling the screens of a significant majority of the media-viewing global population, there is so much more available once you dig beneath the surface of British slang terms and can discover some real gems beneath the surface. If you have any questions about slang words you can always ‘give us a shout’ via our contact form.British slang is a niche of its own, evolving and transforming and adapting from city to city and from year to year, just as the English language itself has done. So that’s it! You’re now all set to head over to the UK for a trip with Evan Evans Tours. ‘Grub’ means food, and can be used in a variety of different contexts such as ‘grub up’ (food is ready), ‘get some grub on’ (start cooking), or ‘grub down’ (go to get food). Who knows how this odd word originated, but it’s certainly a useful one to know. If you got a little too overeager at the fish and chip shop and spent all your money on battered Mars Bars, you might end up ‘skint’, meaning without any money. Gutted is frequently spoken in understatement as a way of diminishing misfortune, for example, “My girlfriend dumped me. If, however, you managed to miss out on the trip to the chippy, then you’re likely to be left feeling a bit ‘gutted’ – that is, disappointed or heartbroken. Picture yourself being handed a lovely battered fish and chips at the local chippy and replying ‘Ace, cheers mate!’. Ace can certainly refer to a number one in a pack of cards, but to us Brits it also means ‘that’s really great’. Put this word together with ‘cheers’ and ‘mate’ and you have perhaps the most useful phrase in all of the English slang. The two are used completely interchangeably. ‘Fortnight’ refers to a period of two weeks – as in ‘we’re staying in London for a fortnight’. Here’s one you’re likely to know already. However, women might often be heard referring to themselves as ‘good mates’ too. When used to address somebody or get their attention, the word mate is usually reserved for men only. You might refer to a waiter or fellow bar fly using the word ‘mate’. Mate is used as a term of endearment, but also frequently used to casually ingratiate oneself with a stranger or new acquaintance. This one is often heard as a quick follow-up to the word ‘Cheers’. If you learn only one slang word for your trip, make it this one. It’s difficult to get through a day in the UK without hearing this one a few times. From hello, goodbye, to thank you, and no thank you, to formal or informal toasts at the bar. ‘Cheers’ means…well, pretty much everything. Let’s take a look at the seven most useful slang words to know in English.įirst up, we have possibly the most useful word in the English language. If you’re taking a trip to the UK, however, there are a few key slang phrases that it’s difficult to survive without. For practical purposes, it’s not worth trying to learn more than a handful. The vast majority of weird and wonderful English slang words are rarely used in everyday speech. Half of them wouldn’t be recognised outside of their hometowns, whilst the other half are too rude to use in polite company!ĭon’t let that scare you, however. The world of British slang contains hundreds of thousands of fascinating words and phrases.
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