British slang can make ordinary conversations difficult to follow even when you know the grammar. A friend who is chuffed is pleased, while someone who is skint has no money. These 50 words and phrases will help you recognise informal speech and decide when an expression fits the situation.
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How to use this list
The list includes slang and everyday informal expressions, rather than treating every entry as strict slang. Some are also used in Ireland, Australia or other English-speaking places. Age, region and social group affect what people actually say, so no single list represents every British speaker.
Start by understanding an expression before using it yourself. Most entries suit relaxed conversation, but they may sound too casual in a formal email or an interview. Terms for people, such as lad and lass, can also sound patronising when used towards someone you do not know.
Everyday reactions and feelings
| No. | Word or phrase | Meaning and usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | chuffed | Very pleased. | I’m chuffed with my exam result. |
| 2 | gutted | Very disappointed. | I was gutted when the concert was cancelled. |
| 3 | knackered | Very tired; quite informal. | I’m knackered after that long walk. |
| 4 | gobsmacked | Extremely surprised. | We were gobsmacked by the final score. |
| 5 | miffed | Slightly annoyed. | She was miffed that nobody told her. |
| 6 | cheesed off | Annoyed or fed up. | I’m cheesed off with these delays. |
| 7 | faff | Unnecessary effort or fuss; often a noun. | Changing all the passwords was a faff. |
| 8 | a doddle | Something very easy. | The final exercise was a doddle. |
| 9 | a pain | Something or someone annoying; also used outside Britain. | Carrying three bags on the bus is a pain. |
| 10 | a nightmare | A very difficult or unpleasant experience; figurative. | Getting home during the strike was a nightmare. |
People, conversation and social life
| No. | Word or phrase | Meaning and usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | mate | A friend, or an informal way of addressing someone. | I’m meeting a mate after work. |
| 12 | bloke | A man; informal. | The bloke at reception helped us. |
| 13 | lad | A boy or young man; also used affectionately among friends. | That lad lives next door. |
| 14 | lass | A girl or young woman; especially associated with northern England and Scotland. | She’s a local lass. |
| 15 | cheers | An informal thank-you, goodbye or drinking toast. | Here’s your notebook. Cheers! |
| 16 | ta | A very informal thank-you. | Ta for the lift. |
| 17 | give someone a bell | Telephone someone. | Give me a bell when you arrive. |
| 18 | have a natter | Have an informal, friendly chat. | We had a natter over coffee. |
| 19 | chinwag | An informal chat; often playful. | Come round for a chinwag. |
| 20 | take the mickey | Tease or make fun of someone. | Are you taking the mickey, or do you really like my hat? |
Money, shopping and things
| No. | Word or phrase | Meaning and usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | quid | A pound sterling; the plural is usually also quid. | The ticket cost twenty quid. |
| 22 | fiver | A five-pound note or a sum of five pounds. | Can you lend me a fiver? |
| 23 | tenner | A ten-pound note or a sum of ten pounds. | I paid a tenner for this book. |
| 24 | skint | Having no money, often temporarily. | I’m skint until Friday. |
| 25 | a rip-off | Something unfairly expensive, or a dishonest deal. | Ten pounds for a small bottle of water is a rip-off. |
| 26 | splash out | Spend a lot, usually on something special. | We splashed out on a birthday dinner. |
| 27 | dodgy | Suspicious, unreliable or of poor quality. | That link looks dodgy. Don’t open it. |
| 28 | duff | Not working properly or of poor quality. | The remote had a duff battery. |
| 29 | brolly | An umbrella. | Take a brolly. It looks like rain. |
| 30 | bits and bobs | Various small things. | I keep cables and other bits and bobs in this drawer. |
Food, drink and home
| No. | Word or phrase | Meaning and usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | cuppa | A cup of tea. | Would you like a cuppa? |
| 32 | brew | A cup of tea in this context; usage varies by region. | Put the kettle on. I could do with a brew. |
| 33 | bikkie | An informal word for a biscuit; also used in other varieties of English. | Have a bikkie with your tea. |
| 34 | sarnie | A sandwich. | I brought a cheese sarnie for lunch. |
| 35 | butty | A sandwich; especially common in some northern varieties. | He ordered a bacon butty. |
| 36 | chippy | A fish-and-chip shop; also has other meanings. | We’re getting dinner from the chippy. |
| 37 | grub | Food; very informal. | The café serves good grub. |
| 38 | nosh | Food, or to eat; informal and sometimes playful. | There’s plenty of nosh for everyone. |
| 39 | telly | Television. | Is there anything good on telly tonight? |
| 40 | loo | A toilet; informal but generally mild. | Excuse me, where’s the loo? |
Actions and informal descriptions
| No. | Word or phrase | Meaning and usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | fancy | Want or feel like something in this use. | Do you fancy a walk? |
| 42 | reckon | Think or suppose; conversational and not limited to Britain. | I reckon the next bus will be quieter. |
| 43 | pop in | Visit briefly. | Pop in for a cup of tea tomorrow. |
| 44 | nip out | Leave for a short time. | I’m nipping out to buy some milk. |
| 45 | leg it | Run away or hurry off. | We had to leg it to catch the train. |
| 46 | have a lie-in | Stay in bed later than usual in the morning. | I’m having a lie-in on Sunday. |
| 47 | sod’s law | The joking idea that things go wrong at the worst time; mildly rude. | The printer broke just before the deadline. Sod’s law! |
| 48 | brilliant | Excellent; often used as an enthusiastic reaction. | You found my keys? Brilliant! |
| 49 | sorted | Arranged, fixed or taken care of. | The tickets are booked, so we’re sorted. |
| 50 | bog-standard | Ordinary and basic, with no special features. | We only need a bog-standard printer. |
Similar words do not always work in the same situation
Cheers and ta can both mean “thank you,” but cheers has additional uses. You can say it before drinking together or as an informal goodbye. Neither expression is a reliable replacement for every formal expression of gratitude.
Dodgy describes something questionable, unreliable or suspicious; duff often describes something defective. A dodgy website may seem untrustworthy, while a duff cable may simply fail to work. Context determines whether a speaker is criticising quality, honesty or safety.
Knackered usually means exhausted when it describes a person, but it can mean broken or worn out when it describes an object. It is quite informal, and some people consider it coarse. Use very tired or worn out if you are unsure about the audience.
A short conversation using informal British English
Alex: Fancy a cuppa before we go?
Sam: Cheers, but I’d better nip out now. I’m meeting a mate at six.
Alex: Have you got the tickets?
Sam: Yes, all sorted. They were only a tenner each.
Alex: Brilliant. Give me a bell afterwards.
The conversation works because the speakers know each other and the setting is relaxed. They do not need a slang expression in every sentence. Choosing one or two familiar expressions usually sounds more natural than forcing several into a conversation.
Practice: choose the expression that fits
Complete the sentences with chuffed, skint, brolly, quid, gutted or sorted. Each expression is used once.
- I can’t afford dinner out this week. I’m ______.
- The hotel and train are booked. Everything is ______.
- It’s pouring with rain. Have you got a ______?
- She was ______ when she passed her driving test.
- The book costs twelve ______.
- He was ______ when he missed the final performance.
Answers
1. skint: without money. 2. sorted: arranged or dealt with. 3. brolly: an umbrella.
4. chuffed: pleased. 5. quid: pounds; it normally stays quid after a number. 6. gutted: very disappointed.
Keep a record of who uses an expression and in what setting, alongside its meaning. For figurative expressions such as “spill the beans,” continue with these 30 idioms used in British English. A learner’s dictionary can help you check whether an unfamiliar expression is regional, old-fashioned or rude.
For example, compare Cambridge’s entry for knackered, Collins’s entry for bikkie and Oxford’s explanation of Sod’s Law. Dictionary labels are useful clues to context, rather than instructions to use every expression yourself.
