I gathered all the best British expressions that I’ve encountered here in Blighty a.k.a Britain. I have lived in the UK for more than a decade now, and I’ve managed to adapt to British culture.
As an adopted child of Britain, I integrate myself by learning a few things here and there about the country and most especially its language. I wrote another article about a helpful guide in moving to the UK, feel free to read it!
Read More: Best Places to Visit in United Kingdom
The English language is the second language of the Philippines however; this is more like American English. So when I moved to Britain, I found myself rather confused and amazed by their accents (There are loads of accents in the UK depending on where you live e.g The Queen’s English or the Yam Yam) and let alone their expressions.
British people are really proud of their language and consider it the “real” English language. (No harm intended!)
So I’ve gathered some of the British expressions I’ve come across throughout the years I live here in the UK. I hope to shed some light on what these bloody British expressions are, and how and when to use them.
List of the British expressions to know:
“Taking the piss”
Meaning: This expression is NOT related to the thing that you do when you go to the toilet. This means someone is mocking you.
“Round the Wrekin”
Photo Credit: Kat Dodd / CC-BY 2.0
Meaning: Wrekin is a place in the Midlands. Locals from the region use this as an expression of going a long way around.
“Doing my nut in”
Meaning: As simple as ANNOYING. Where “nut” means brain/head.
“Having a giraffe”
Meaning: To crack a joke. Having a laugh. Where giraffe rhymes with the word “laugh”.
“Pear shaped”
Meaning: It’s gone wrong.
“Mugged me off”
Meaning: feeling someone has cheated you.
“Hit the hay”
Meaning: Going to bed. The expression is based on the old times when they used hay as their bedding.
“Gone to the ministry”
Photo Credit: UpSticksNGo Crew / CC BY 2.0
Meaning: spent a long time on the toilet. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you’ll probably remember how a wizard/witch goes to the ministry of magic… through the toilet! It makes sense, right?
“Tipping it down”
Meaning: Raining hard/heavily. Same as “raining cats and dogs”. I consider this as the most commonly used expression here in the UK, as it is bloody gloomy and raining here! Oh yes! I love the English weather.
“Going on a bender”
Meaning: going out and drinking a lot of alcohol.
“All gone Pete Tong” / “All gone tits up”
Meaning: expressions used when something has gone wrong. The “tong” on Pete Tong is a Cockney (London) slang that rhymes with “wrong”.
“Bugger all”
Meaning: nothing. All gone.
“What a load of bollocks”
Meaning: If something is rubbish or poor it is a “load of bollocks”. “bollocks” itself is a commonly used expression like “crap” etc. Of course, “Bollocks” as you probably know it’s the males’ genitalia.
“Dog’s Bollocks”
Meaning: Another “bollocks” on the British expressions. However, these “bollocks” means good. You have to use the whole expression to convey its meaning because you might end up giving the wrong signal.
“Donkey’s years”
Meaning: The expression means “a long time”.
“Faffing around”
Meaning: Taking your time slowly or messing around. Doing the unnecessary things when you should be doing something more important.
“Jammy”
Meaning: This might sound like food, but this expression means “lucky” e.g., “lucky bast*rd” a.k.a “jammy bast*ard”.
“Got the lurgy”
Meaning: This expression is to be used when you are feeling ill. Lurgy means an undetermined illness.
“Bostin”
Photo Credit: Kreg Steppe / CC BY-SA 2.0
Meaning: Commonly used in the Midlands, this expression means “good” and “great” etc.
“Off your rocker” / “Losing your marbles” / “Thrown a wobbler”
Meaning: British expressions that mean “going crazy”.
“On your bike”
Meaning: This expression is perfect if you are annoyed or had enough of someone and you want them to leave. Pretty much, “get lost”.
“Plastered / Hammered / wasted”
Meaning: These expressions are used if you had too much alcohol. Drunk!
“Put a sock in it”
Meaning: SHUT UP!
“Chill your beans”
Meaning: Calm down!
“Spend a penny”
Photo Credit: William Warby / CC BY 2.0
Meaning: This is a classic British expression that means “going to the toilet”. In the old days, You would have to pay a penny (the smallest denomination of UK currency) to go to the public toilet. You will still see this kind dotted around the UK but won’t cost you a penny anymore.
“Cost you an arm & a leg”
Meaning: A British expression that means “very expensive”.
So next time you’ll have banter with your British friends, you’ll know what these expressions mean. If you know other best British expressions that you can add to this list, feel free to drop a comment below.
Don’t forget to share this with your family and friends.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ryazan Tristram
Travel Writer & PhotographerRyazan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism and Hotel Management. She also has more than 10 years of work experience gained from working in the hotel and travel sectors in Asia and Europe. Her work has been featured and published in BBC, Huffington Post, Reader’s Digest, Discovery Channel, World Travel Guide, MSN, CNBC, GMA, Daily Mail UK, Lonely Planet, and many more. She is currently living in the UK as a dual citizen (British-Filipina). Join her in travelling around the UK, Europe, and beyond with a mission to promote sustainable tourism and share travel guides, travel tips, foodies, history, and culture.
interesting Zan.
next time I go there I’ll use these expressions
Thanks, Doc! Yes, you can definitely use these expressions, and you will sound like a legit British! 🙂
These will come in handy for me for sure as I have a British boss although he hasn’t used any of it yet with our conversations yet. He tends to copy my expressions instead. Haha
Haha!! Maybe you can start using these expressions and see if your boss will be surprised! 🙂
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Haha, that’s hilarious! Down here in Australia we have taken (stolen?) many of these expressions for our own use!! But we’ve also given some of them our own twist!! I’ll be sure and remember the ones I don’t know for next time I’m in the UK!
Hahaha!! My Aussie friends love to put –IE at the end of most words e.g bbq is “barbie” etc.
I’m glad you find this list useful. Please give me an update once you finally use these words into action here in the UK. 🙂
1 Put wood in th’ole
Meaning: Shut the door
2 Corporation pop
Meaning: Water
3 It’s cracking flags
Meaning: it is so hot outside that stone pavings are breaking
4 Use yer loaf
Meaning: Think for yourself
5 I’ve not got out fort do
Meaning: I don’t have anything to do
6 A’v cum b’out any money
Meaning: I’m afraid I haven’t got any cash on me today
7 Stop skriking
Meaning: Stop crying
8 Ratchet
Meaning: Cool
9 Mitherin’
Meaning: Annoying/pestering
10 Wot you sayin’?
Meaning: Hello, do you have anything
11 Proper reet good
Meaning: That is very good
12 Give us a nicker
Meaning: Please may I have a pound
13 Powfagged
Meaning: I am tired
14 A doll and a drum and a kick up a bum
Meaning: That is what you get for being cheeky
15 I’m spitting feathers here
Meaning: I am thirsty
16 Our kid
Meaning: My brother/sister
17 Wind ya neck in
Meaning: Calm down/keep your nose out of my business
18 Shut ya gob
Meaning: Be quiet
19 Manchester caviar
Meaning: Mushy peas
20 Mingin
Meaning: Not nice
Some of the words you will hear it Manchester UK If you ever came here
Thanks for sending this list! It’s an awesome addition to our “never-ending” list of British expressions. hahaha! 🙂
This is hilarious! I thought I was fairly fluent in English, but I’ve literally never heard of any of these expressions!!!
Hi Brigitte! I’m glad you find this post somehow helpful. A new addition to your expressions! 🙂
Hahaha! I live in the UK but I haven’t heard them all! Very funny article! 😛
Glad you like it, Melissa! 🙂 If you know other local expression please share it with us! LOL!
Even I’ve not heard of all of these but I have always lived in the south of England so a couple might be regional.
I’d like to add ‘grockles’ meaning a holiday maker visiting the south-west of England.
‘It’s raining stair rods’ meaning it’s raining hard. As ‘Paddington’ the lovable bear from Peru will tell you, we have no end of expressions to describe the weather, especially rain.
Lastly, do you know where the expression ‘Put a sock in it’ comes from? As gramophones didn’t have a volume switch people used to put a sock in the horn to muffle the sound, or so I’m told.
As a 74 year old Brit, have heard of & used most of these but ‘going to the ministry’? Never! Pointing Percy at the porcelain!
Pete Tong? Chill your beans? Must be regional. Interesting take on the subject.
Re ‘Spending a Penny’. Your description is correct but please note the smallest coin at the time the phrase was first used, would have been the farthing.
Some of the phrases must be regional. The ‘going to the ministry’ is spurious.
Having said this, we Brits don’t use these phrases that much these days.