CĬheerio – No it is not just a breakfast cereal but also one of the many words used to say goodbye in the UK. Today it is more commonly used to say everything is OK.īutcher’s hook –originates from the East End of London and is a rhyme slang for take a look. The saying originally meant you could get anything or do anything if you had the right connections because it came about after the 20th British Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury, famously appointed a nephew into an important political post for which he didn’t have the relevant experience. However, it was originally used to describe loose change in your pocket.īob’s your uncle – the origins of this saying and how it is used today differ. One of which is “brassed off”.īits ‘n Bobs – is used these days when you want to say you have an odd selection of things for example you could say “I have a few bits’n bobs in the fridge. For example someone might say to you ”they will bite your arm off if you offer to write their essay.”īrassed off – considering the Brits are good at hiding their emotions we still have plenty of words to describe when we are not happy with something. No one is about to literally bite off any part of your anatomy. It became popular in the 1920s along with “cat’s whiskers.”īite your arm off – don’t be alarmed if someone says this. “Can you Adam and Eve it!” Bīees knees – the phrase does not relate to bees or knees but is an idiom for excellent. It is taken from an old English word that means “to know”.Īdam and Eve – Cockney rhyming slang for believe.
This idiom has nothing to do with the surname or the place.
harsh!Ī Kent face – commonly used in Scotland when a person has seen a person they know, such as “I saw a few Kent faces in the library”. For example, your lecturer might describe your essay “as a load of tosh” …. A word that is popular in the north and amongst youngsters.Īny road – when you hear this, the person isn’t asking you to pick a road! They are most likely substituting it for “anyway” and the context could be “any road are you from China or Japan.”Ī load of tosh – is used to describe something that is not very good. AĪce – is used to describe something that is awesome. This dictionary of British slang includes popular words and phrases that you might hear in the UK and will help you with your own spoken English.
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