Specifically, when something is exciting or wonderful, particularly when something is good news, ‘brilliant’ can mean as such.įor example, ‘You got the job? Oh, mate, that’s brilliant.’ ‘Brilliant’ is not a word exclusively in the British lexicon, but has a very British usage. The phrase comes from the expression, ‘it’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey’.įor example, ‘You need to wear a coat today, it’s brass monkeys outside.’ Very different to the ‘bollocks’ of the previous suggestion, a ‘bollocking’ is a telling-off or a severe or enthusiastic reprimand from a boss, co-worker, partner, or anyone you like, for a misdemeanour.įor example, ‘My wife gave me a real bollocking for getting to pick up the dry cleaning on my way home from work.’Ī more obscure British term, ‘brass monkeys’ is used to refer to extremely cold weather. ‘You slept with Kate Upton last night? Bollocks…’ and, of course, it also refers to the scrotum and testicles.įor example, ‘I kicked him right in the bollocks when he wouldn’t let me go past.’ ‘Oh bollocks’ it can also be used to express derision and mocking disbelief, e.g. Perhaps one of the most internationally famous British slang terms, ‘bollocks’ has a multitude of uses, although its top ones including being a curse word used to indicate dismay, e.g. In context, ‘Get the food, put in the microwave, heat it up, then bob’s your uncle, ready to eat.’ The origin of the expression is unknown, and is quite old, but is still in general use. For those unaware, the expression essentially used in the end of a series of basic instructions. The first form of this is far more common, and is sometimes used internationally. Or to use it as emphasis, ‘that’s bloody cool!’ In anger you might say, “oh bloody hell!” It is often used as an expression of anger or is used to emphasize a comment. In the past it was regarded as a swearword but now, due to its common usage, it is generally acceptable. You probably don’t need me to describe this, out of all British slang, this is by far the most popular and most commonly used. ‘Blinding’ is a positive term meaning excellent, great, or superb.įor example, ‘That tackle from the Spanish player was blinding.’īloke is an extremely common term denoting a man, usually it is used in reference to an ordinary man, akin to the US ‘average joe’, but it it not uncommon to hear it used to describe a man generally.Īs such, you can use it like this, ‘That bob is a good bloke.’ ‘Blinding’ – a slang term that is far from something that physically causes someone to lose their sight. ‘Blimey’ is used as a way of expressing surprise at something, often used when seeing or looking at something surprising or impressive instead of shocking or upsetting.įor example you might say ‘Blimey! Look at that!’ ‘All to pot’ refers to a situation going out of your control and failing miserably.įor example, ‘The birthday party went all to pot when the clown turned up drunk and everyone was sick from that cheap barbecue stuff.’ 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. 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.
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