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.