How to Use British Slang
You’ve already mastered American slang, learned how to swear in Swahili and are looking for a new challenge. A fun one to undertake is to use British slang. You’ll be amazed at how much British slang has already crept into daily American usage, and you’ll be doubly amazed at how easy it is to learn more. A few simple steps will get you started.
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Instructions
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Greet people. Instead of “Hi, how are you?” go with the quick and easy British “Alright?” No answer is expected, just as none is expected for the American “how are you?”
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Emphasize greatness. Rather than the American “cool” or “awesome,” go with equivalent words in the British vocabulary. These include “barry,” “ace” and “kewl.” The latter kind of sounds like “cool” but you’ll know the difference in your heart.
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Insult others. Calling someone an “arseface” or a “pilchard” will be even more the merrier if they have no clue you are insulting them to their face.
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Throw in the emphatic “bloody” a lot. Bloody this, bloody that and bloody everything. The British are also known to put it in the middle of words for even more emphasis, such as “absobloodlylutely.”
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Describe drunks. Slang is always full of euphemisms for "drunk" in any language. The British versions include “airlocked” and “bevvied up,” as in "full of beverage."
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Have fun with scatological references. Slang is also always full of potty mouth phrases, lots of terms for anatomical parts and references to human waste. Some mild British slang terms include “kermit” for toilet and “air biscuit” for a fart.
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Tips & Warnings
The most fun with slang comes when a few key people know what the heck you are saying. Have a slang fest with some of your friends to learn a few key phrases and use them when you’re all hanging out. It’ll be a giant inside joke.
Don’t start insult a native Brit with British slang. You may get slapped.
Don’t start talking with a fake British accent. You will sound stupid.
Don’t go overboard and pepper every other sentence with slang. You will be annoying.
Resources
- Photo Credit Illustration by Ryn Gargulinski
