British slang

Safe to say

• AftersSafe to sayDessert, in a northern word. What is for afters means what is sweet.
• BlokeSafe to sayA man. Everyday, neutral, and used all over the country.
• BrekkieSafe to sayBreakfast, in a short relaxed word used at home and in cafes.
• BrilliantSafe to sayVery good. Said about food, weather, news and people alike.
• BrollySafe to sayUmbrella, in a short cheerful word for rainy days.
• ChapSafe to sayA man, in a slightly old-fashioned and friendly way.
• CheersSafe to sayThanks or goodbye, and the word said before a shared drink.
• CuppaSafe to sayA cup of tea. The answer to most problems, made in a mug.
• DearSafe to sayA kind word, often from an older person. Gentle.
• DuckSafe to sayA friendly word for someone in the Midlands. Strangers say it in shops.
• JumperSafe to sayA knitted top. Put a jumper on when the evening cools.
• LadSafe to sayA boy or young man, or one of a group of male friends.
• LassSafe to sayA girl or young woman.
• LooSafe to sayToilet, in the polite everyday word. Asked for in any home.
• LoveSafe to sayA warm word for someone, often a stranger. Common in shops in the north.
• LovelySafe to sayNice or kind. The default warm word for almost anything good.
• MateSafe to sayFriend, and a friendly word for a stranger. Works from the building site to the office.
• ProperSafe to sayReal or very. Proper good is high praise in the north and London.
• PuddingSafe to sayThe sweet course after a meal. Children ask what is for pudding.
• QueueSafe to sayA line of waiting people. Joining it properly matters a lot.
• TaSafe to sayThanks, in one short word. Said all day, all over Britain.
• TellySafe to sayTelevision. Said about the set and about watching it.
• TrainersSafe to saySports shoes. Worn for running and for everyday comfort.
• WellSafe to sayVery, in phrases like well good. Northern and everyday.
• WelliesSafe to sayTall rubber boots. Worn at festivals, farms and muddy parks.

Casual

• BanterCasualFriendly teasing talk. A short form of banter: friendly joking.
• BantsCasualBanter in a younger word. Said by teenagers and students.
• BlowerCasualTelephone, in a dated word. On the blower means on a call.
• CheekyCasualPlayfully rude, or a small treat. A cheeky pint is one more drink.
• ChinwagCasualA long friendly chat. Said with love about a good talk.
• ChuffedCasualVery pleased. Said about results, gifts and small wins.
• CopperCasualA police officer. Said about the job, not to the officer.
• DodgyCasualNot to be trusted, poor quality, or a slightly ill stomach.
• FaffCasualFuss or wasted effort. Stop faffing means get on with it.
• Forty winksCasualA short daytime sleep. Forty winks on the sofa, then back to work.
• GobsmackedCasualSo surprised you cannot speak. Said about shocks and surprises.
• GuttedCasualVery disappointed. Said about lost games and cancelled plans.
• KipCasualSleep or a nap. A quick kip fixes most afternoons.
• KnackeredCasualVery tired, or broken beyond repair. Said at the end of long days.
• MotorCasualA car, said with pride. Nice motor means a car worth admiring.
• MugCasualA person who is easily fooled. Do not be the mug who pays twice.
• NatterCasualA chat. To natter is to talk about nothing much, happily.
• NickCasualTo steal, a police station, or good condition. Three jobs, one word.
• PlonkerCasualA fool, made famous by a television comedy. Said with a smile.
• RubbishCasualVery poor, or nonsense. That film was rubbish, and so was the excuse.
• SkintCasualHaving no money. Said with a laugh at the end of the month.
• SortedCasualArranged or fixed. Sorted means the problem is solved.
• Take the mickeyCasualTo tease in a light way. Friends take the mickey out of each other.
• WallyCasualA silly person. Mild and often fond.
• Wind-upCasualA joke played on someone. Is this a wind-up means are you teasing me.

Rude

• BerkRudeA fool that sounds milder than it is. Mind where you say it.
• BloodyRudeA mild swear that strengthens a word. Common, but not polite.
• BollocksRudeNonsense, and a swear for bad moments. Crude in any company.
• BuggerRudeA swear word and a word for a fool. Bugger it means give up on it.
• GitRudeAn unpleasant person. Said about behaviour, not looks.
• PillockRudeA fool, with a crude edge. Said when patience runs out.
• PratRudeA fool. Short, sharp, and said when annoyed.
• SodRudeAn unpleasant person or thing. Sod off means go away, rudely.
• Taking the pissRudeMocking someone, in the crude form. Understand it; say taking the mickey.
• WazzockRudeA fool, in a blunt northern word. Best understood, not said.

How this list is arranged

The list has sixty words. Each row shows the word, one of three labels and one line about it.

The label comes first because it answers the question a learner asks before anything else: can I say this? The words are in three groups, safe first, and in alphabetical order inside each group.

If you only want the safe words, use the Safe to say button or add ?level=safe to the address. The search box looks at the word and at its line, so you can type tired or money and find the slang word for it.

Safe to say means you can use the word with anyone: a manager, a customer, a neighbour or a stranger. Casual means it suits people you know, in a relaxed setting, but is too loose for a letter, an interview or a first meeting.

Rude means the word may upset someone, either because it is an insult or because it is crude. You will hear rude words, so it helps to know them, but wait before you say them yourself.

British and Australian slang share a lot.

Mate, rubbish, dodgy, skint, knackered and banter live happily in both countries, and the Australian slang hub lists the Australian side of several words here.

The two sets part on food, money and the weather of daily life. A cuppa is at home in both.

Butties, baps and the chippy are British, while the barbie and the ute stay Australian. Where a word differs, the row says what people say elsewhere.

These labels are judgements, not facts, and speakers disagree. London, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff may place a word in different groups, and so may a teenager and a grandparent.

Each label here was written for EasySay, and a person checks it before the page is released. When in doubt, listen first, say a safe word, and notice how other people react. Money has a page of its own below, and rhyming slang gets its own decoder next.