Slang & Colloquialisms
By: James Carter
Americans, think before you speak: you never know which Brit will be twisting your words in this city. The Monarchy has been treading on our freedom of speech for all our history, policing our language as if it were their own. You'd better learn the slang of the native Londoners if you want to survive. Rest assured, English-English is still English, so you won't have to do anything revolutionary.
For starters, everybody says “Cheers!” when nobody's drinking (though, they probably will be soon). If they are drinking, they’re probably pissed, meaning drunk rather than angry, though the two are definitely not mutually exclusive. If they're loaded, blitzed, blattered, lashed, mashed, or even well-oiled, they're still just drunk — virtually any past participle has the potential to carry this meaning so feel free to get creative when you're looking for a suitable word.
If somebody says that he blew through a bunch of fags last night, he's not sharing too much information; he's just a smoker.
Meet somebody who's full of energy? Avoid saying they're full of spunk, because their sperm count is probably none of your business.
If you've just bought a snazzy new fanny pack for your trip, refrain from bragging about it, as not to offend the women around you. However, it’s guaranteed that nobody will take offense in your choosing to not to wear one in the first place (See “London Fashion,” Alex Watkins).
Ever found yourself ticked off because your friend’s being a jerk? Across the pond they’d say you’re brassed off, and your friend’s more of a mate anyway, even if he is a jerk.
There's a real threat of being mugged on the streets of London at any time, but that simply means you’re being taken for a fool rather than robbed of all your money at knifepoint (but again, not mutually exclusive).
Any misuse of these words will result in getting called a melt, a blinkered, or even a wanker. These words all work to convey the same general sentiment, that you're proving to be the stupid American every Londoner already took you for. And don't get your hopes up if someone has called you brilliant during your time here — you're not smart, you're just great.
Upon hearing any words that haven't been addressed, do your best to infer what they might mean based on context clues. Regardless, avoid parroting the word at all costs — your American accent will dominate the lovely British word until it is unrecognizable, and your impression of a British accent is only going to ruffle some feathers. If you plan on researching British slang for yourself, take care not to forget the 'n' if you Google the word — search results for British slag might teach you a new and useful word, but it probably won't be quite what you're looking for.
By: James Carter
Americans, think before you speak: you never know which Brit will be twisting your words in this city. The Monarchy has been treading on our freedom of speech for all our history, policing our language as if it were their own. You'd better learn the slang of the native Londoners if you want to survive. Rest assured, English-English is still English, so you won't have to do anything revolutionary.
For starters, everybody says “Cheers!” when nobody's drinking (though, they probably will be soon). If they are drinking, they’re probably pissed, meaning drunk rather than angry, though the two are definitely not mutually exclusive. If they're loaded, blitzed, blattered, lashed, mashed, or even well-oiled, they're still just drunk — virtually any past participle has the potential to carry this meaning so feel free to get creative when you're looking for a suitable word.
If somebody says that he blew through a bunch of fags last night, he's not sharing too much information; he's just a smoker.
Meet somebody who's full of energy? Avoid saying they're full of spunk, because their sperm count is probably none of your business.
If you've just bought a snazzy new fanny pack for your trip, refrain from bragging about it, as not to offend the women around you. However, it’s guaranteed that nobody will take offense in your choosing to not to wear one in the first place (See “London Fashion,” Alex Watkins).
Ever found yourself ticked off because your friend’s being a jerk? Across the pond they’d say you’re brassed off, and your friend’s more of a mate anyway, even if he is a jerk.
There's a real threat of being mugged on the streets of London at any time, but that simply means you’re being taken for a fool rather than robbed of all your money at knifepoint (but again, not mutually exclusive).
Any misuse of these words will result in getting called a melt, a blinkered, or even a wanker. These words all work to convey the same general sentiment, that you're proving to be the stupid American every Londoner already took you for. And don't get your hopes up if someone has called you brilliant during your time here — you're not smart, you're just great.
Upon hearing any words that haven't been addressed, do your best to infer what they might mean based on context clues. Regardless, avoid parroting the word at all costs — your American accent will dominate the lovely British word until it is unrecognizable, and your impression of a British accent is only going to ruffle some feathers. If you plan on researching British slang for yourself, take care not to forget the 'n' if you Google the word — search results for British slag might teach you a new and useful word, but it probably won't be quite what you're looking for.