The most intriguing British words according to an American
I saw Me and My Girl last night — a play that takes place in 1920s England. The performance was entertaining (a bit stale at times), but I really enjoyed the English… which got me thinking of the funniest British words. They are:
- Bollocks. Figurative meaning: nonsense. Technical meaning: testicles. Codswallop is a less-descriptive substitute.
- Trousers. These are what Americans call “pants.” We understand the former term, but you’d get ridiculed for using it.
- Blimey. Is there a cooler way to say “wow” or “holy crap?” I think not.
- Salad-dodger. Quite possibly the funniest word I’ve ever heard for a fat, obese, or overweight person.
- Hobnobbing. Aka “brown-nosing,” though I understand it may be used “to party with friends.”
- Barney. That’s British for “fight” or “argument.” Yeah, that sounds confrontational…
- Choong. I’ll stick with “babe” or “hottie,” thank you very much.
- Petrol. Leave it the British to make “gas” sound so much more sophisticated (short for petroleum).
- Pissing it down. Leave it to the British to turn “raining cats and dogs” into a crude expression.
- Quid. Yeah, that sounds way cooler than “bucks, bones, or smackers.”
- Trainers. Sorry Britons, this is a lame name for “tennashoes.”
- Nob. This word sounds more like an idiot to me than a yuppy, which is what it means.
- Wanker. A derogatory term used to describe a jerk. I understand the British use the hand equivalent in lieu of the bird when driving aggressively. Classy!
- Randy. I’ve always thought calling intense affection “horny” to be unfair, even from a religious perspective. The British equivalent is much less damning, and funny to boot.
- Bugger off. To leave someone alone; go away; get lost (may be offensive). Have you ever heard a Briton say “bugger off?” It’s soooo condescending!
- Manky. I should use this more often when I get “sick.” Plus it’s just fun to say.
NOTE: Some of these words may be passé, but I wouldn’t know because I don’t live in England. Do share your favorites.
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February 27th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
“Bugger off” has a very offensive meaning. Just urban dictionary “bugger.”
I’ve heard many people use “bugger” without knowing what it really means.
Never been to the UK though, so I couldn’t say how offensive it is there.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I’m not sure if it has British roots, but I’ve always been a fan of “Salad-shooter.” This is a vegetarian with a bad case of diarrhea.
Classic post - thanks for the laugh.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Great post!
Bugger is also very offensive to Canadians. I used to say it in front of a Canadian missionary companion all the time. When I told the rest of the Americans about “Bugger” - he never lived it down. It became part of our everyday language.
Another great one is “Fag” which is a cigarette. SNL did a great skit on this several years back…”do you want a drag on my Fag”. Hilarious!
March 7th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Great post! Living in Europe I hear many of these terms, but I have not always been sure about their meaning.
Since my 2 year old son loves the Telatubbies our English vocabulary is growing.
October 13th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Haha, absolutely brilliant, I’m a native Brit, and this post is awesome. There are a few we don’t use anymore, but others daily. This clip here from One Foot in the Grave shows a brilliant example of the use of the phrase bugger off: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=T9cR8OTkcdo and no, we don’t all speak like him haha. Oh, there are also much better British comedies, but this is one clip that seems quite relevant.
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I am british myself, and have never used the word salad dodger.
I prefer saying ‘you know what they say, you are what you eat and by the looks of you, you just went out and devoured a fat man didn’t you?’
a little longer, but effective none the less.