For example, “my legs are killing me after that run” would mean that your legs were hurting. This is a phrase not meant to be taken literally: when someone says that something is “killing them”, it normally means “really hurting”. For example, if someone asked you which seat you preferred, you would say “I’m not fussed” to indicate that you don’t have a preference. This means “not bothered” or “I don’t mind”. In the same vein, but not quite the same, is the word “dossing”, which means lazing around doing nothing (the implication usually being that you should be doing something). Another expression along these lines (funny how we have so many for this kind of thing) is “pull a sickie”, which means “to skive off work/school by pretending to be ill”. Another word meaning a similar thing is “bunk off”, as in “to bunk off school/work”. The word “skiving” means avoiding work or school someone who’s skipped school or work, or who has arrived late or left early, is “skiving off”. Skiving En route to school or skiving off? It’s something you might say about yourself on those occasions where you feel as though you’re seeing things (“I thought I’d lost the plot”). When someone has “lost the plot”, it essentially means that they’ve gone mad, or that they have no idea what’s going on. Also television related: if you hear someone refer to “the Beeb”, they’re referring to the BBC, or British Broadcasting Corporation, the main supplier of television programmes in this country. A multitude of words exist to describe the remote control for a television, too – 57, to be precise. A more unusual slang term for the television is the “Electronic Fireplace”, which is much older and stems from the fact that the television has replaced the fire as something to stare at in the evenings. It’s perhaps most commonly known as the “telly”, but the abbreviation “TV” is also very common, and so is calling it “the box” (“is there anything on the box tonight?”). Telly Some UK TV shows have become such institutions that there are slang terms for them, such as ‘Corrie’ for the soap Coronation Street.Ĭonsidering that the television is a comparatively recent invention (at least relative to the history of the English language), it’s surprising how many slang words we have for it. You may hear the abbreviation in certain other contexts, though less frequently: a “DIY meal planner”, for instance. Thus a shop selling items for home improvers (paint, brushes, doors and so on) can be known as a “DIY shop”. The abbreviation “DIY” stands for “Do It Yourself”, and it tends to refer to home improvements. It’s worth noting that the same principle does not apply to larger sums – so £20 is not referred to as a “twentier”, for example. A “fiver” is slang for £5, and a “tenner” is slang for £10. “Cash”, “dosh”, “moolah”, “dough” and “wonga” are all slang words for general money, though “cash” is by far the most common of these. “Pounds” is the way you’ll most often hear it referred to as, but “quid” is an equally common slang word for it – as in “It costs fifty quid”. Our currency is officially known as the “pound sterling”, but many more informal terms exist to describe money in the UK. Quid and other money-related slang There are slang terms for larger amounts of money, such as a ‘ton’ for £100 or a ‘grand’ for £1000. You could also use it to describe someone who loves themselves: “He thinks he’s the bee’s knees.” This odd expression is thought to have its origins in 1920s America. “It was the bee’s knees,” you might say in response to being asked how your delicious lunch was. This perplexing rhyme is a nonsense phrase that describes something excellent. This guide introduces you to some of the most common slang terms you may come across in the course of informal conversation in the UK. You could think of this as “real life” English, because although it isn’t appropriate in an academic context, it’s a vital element of everyday communication, without which you may struggle to understand what native speakers are saying to you. This is the language of English slang: the words that aren’t usually taught within formal English courses, but that you’ll hear all around you when you’re conversing with native speakers. As if there wasn’t already enough to learn when you’re trying to master the art of speaking English, an informal language all of its own exists within this tricky tongue.
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