The Slang Podcast - Learn British English Now
A podcast exploring British slang for English learners, native speakers, and anyone in between. Each episode introduces new slang terms, explaining their origins and meanings, and giving listeners the chance to hear and understand them in context. The show aims to help listeners use British slang immediately in their own conversations. It is a practical resource for improving fluency and understanding informal British English.
Episodes
Bloke - What does "Bloke" mean in British slang?
While telling my Italian friends about my good friend Ollie from Glasgow I said "he is a good bloke". Bloke? what nationality is that? No it is not a nationality! So what is my friend Ollie? Bloke B-L-O-K-E is an extremely common term denoting a man. It is a noun used in reference to an ordinary man, with a similar meaning to "average joe" in America. Bloke is a slang term for a common man found u
Nick - What does "Nick" mean in British slang?
I was telling my class about my close friend from England who called me yesterday. She was very upset because her coat got nicked on the subway.When i told them, they responded with little sympathy. One commented "I'm sure she can fix it", however this was not true as the coat was gone. So today we will be clarifying the slang term for "nick". In formal British English, nick is a noun and a verb m
Christmas Slang Special - Christmas food (Figgy Pudding, Mince Pies, Pigs in Blankets)
Today we will be exploring our third, Christmas topic, my favourite, Christmas food. So let’s get started...Many countries have their own special ways of celebrating Christmas, all usually concerning special types of food. As the world globalises we have begun to create new traditions and to share old ones. Nevertheless, there are a few special dishes that will almost certainly remain forever Brit
Christmas Slang Special - Christmas traditions (Queen's Speech, Crackers, Pantomime)
We all have our own special way of celebrating Christmas, whether its spending all day socialising with friends or simply curling up by the fireplace all day. Today I want to tell you about what British people think the ‘must do’s’ of Christmas day are.To begin with an iconic tradition is THE QUEEN’S SPEECH. On Christmas day at 3pm, most of the nation stops opening presents and eating turkey to he
Christmas Slang Special - Days and Celebrations (Boxing Day, Hogmanay, Twelfth Night)
Hello and welcome back to a very special episode of Slang with me Louisa May Adams. This show will give you the chance to hear, understand the origins and meanings of new slang and to use it immediately!Today we will be exploring our second Christmas topic, days and celebrations. So let’s get started...The first is obvious, Christmas day on the 25th of December, celebrated by the majority of the w
Christmas Slang Special - What is the meaning of Yule, Xmas and Chrimbo?
For the next two weeks every episode is dedicated to British Christmas slang.Today we will be starting with different words for the winter season. So let’s get started.Christmas is a time for friends, food and fun but if you are in a non native English speaker, enjoying all three of these things may be a challenge if you don’t know how to express yourself!To start off, Brits have found a way of ma
Break a Leg - What does "Break a Leg" mean in British Slang?
One of my friends is a musician and he is performing at his first concert tomorrow! This morning I saw him for a coffee and said:Looking at me with confusion and fear he repeated:Break a leg? Why on earth would I want thatYou may be as confused as he was, so let's explore this slang phrase...To clarify I am not wishing him bad luck! The opposite actually. This idiom "to break a leg" has in fact po
Ish - What does "Ish" mean in British Slang?
After a long day at work my partner always asks how I am feeling. I usually reply with one of the two:hungry-ish or tired-ish.So what does this 'ish’' mean? Do I need to eat or go to bed? Ish spelt I-S-H is an informal suffix used to say about or approximately. This informal suffix can be added to many words including numbers or times of the day. For example:How old is she?Umm 40ish...orWhat time
Mug - What does "Mug" mean in British Slang?
Our slang word of the week is mug spelt M-U-G. This is a tricky word due to its vast range of meanings within both slang and formal English. Now our first and formal meaning of mug is a noun meaning a vessel for hot drinks.- Every morning I drink a big mug of earl grey tea-It can also be used as the quantity that can be held in a mug, for example:- Oh no I just knocked over a mugful of tea!However
FOMO & JOMO - What does "FOMO" and "JOMO" mean in British Slang?
Have you ever suffered from FOMO or JOMO? If you've no idea what I'm talking about, then it could be argued that you're in fact already a victim of them without knowing!So FOMO, F-O-M-O what is it? This relatively new acronym stands for the expression fear of missing out, used to describe that feeling of anxiety which many people experience when they discover that other people have had fun togethe
Salty - What does "Salty" mean in British slang?
(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:00:28) Literal vs. Slang Meaning of "Salty"
(00:01:38) Origin & Examples of "Salty"
(00:02:44) Closing
So you have planned three holidays, booked time off work and are totally ready to lay on a beach sipping pina coladas under the sun. This I am sure were many of your summer plans, unfortunately they have been put on hold due to the recent pandemic.How do you feel now?
Sick - What does "Sick" mean in British slang?
My friend Kelly used to work at an Italian Pizzeria in Canterbury. She worked with many Italian chefs and would compliment them on the daily pasta specials looking ‘sick’.Their response was usually one of embarrassment or anger, thinking she had insulted their cooking. A basic cardinal sin in Italy. This led to an awkward work environment to say the least, until so explained ‘sick’ was not an insu
A Few Sandwiches Short of a Picnic - What does "A Few Sandwiches Short of a Picnic" mean in British slang?
Today we will be exploring idiomatic phrases that I would say are rare gems of slang. Before we start, I want to give you some context.You and your friend have decided to go for a day at the beach, you have been planning this trip for a long time, you have organised everything and finally the morning comes. Just as you are about to set off your friend, who should be driving informs you that his dr
Bob's your uncle and Fanny's your aunt - What does "Bob's Your Uncle" and "Fanny’s your aunt" mean in British slang?
Things don’t seem easy these days, whether you're setting up an online bank account, learning how to work i-teach platform to teach your students, or finding the right ingredients in the supermarket to make your boyfriend's favorite cake.I hope things feel easier soon, and to prepare you for when they are I have a few phrases to teach you today.Imagine it is summer 2019 and you want to go to the b
Beat - What does "Beat" mean in British slang?
As I have been trapped inside for a while now, I have been "face timing" many of my close friends who are far away, as I am sure you have all been doing. While speaking to my closest friend Ella I commented:- "woah! Your face looks absolutely beat!"You may think this comment is strange as in formal beat BEAT the word beat has negative and strong connotations. In formal English beat has many meanin
Shook - What does "Shook" mean in British slang?
Before we get started I wanted to say a few words about the current global situation.In desperate times we feel panicked and scared for many reasons. I want to thank everyone who is helping us during this crisis, especially doctors and nurses tirelessly working against this pandemic.All we can do is wait, be kind to each other and most importantly stay inside. It's safe to say we are all shook. Sh
Chum - What does "Chum" mean in British slang?
This weekend I have been lazy, I have gone shopping, tidied my flat and spent some time with my chum... Louisa what are you talking about now? What are your chums?Chums C-H-U-M-S, is a tricky slang word, we can use it as a noun, a verb or an adjective. So let’s see how now! As a noun Chum simply means a close friend. The origin of “chum” in this sense is strictly used in speech. The phrase Chum
Money Slang Special - What's the meaning of Pony and Monkey in British Slang?
You are listening to our fourth and final episode specialising on slang and money!Ok on to our next slang term for money… a pony. I can hear you asking me- Louisa why are we now talking about a baby horse? Spelt the same P-O-N-Y pony actually means 25 pounds.The word has been traced back from the late 18th century in London and has a vast range of suggestions for its etymology. By some it has been
Money Slang Special - What's the meaning of Fiver, Tenner and Bluey in British Slang?
You are listening to our third episode specialising on slang and money!Today we are starting by looking at the most common and widely used slang terms. I was in a bar recently with my Italian friend, i bought some drinks and she asked me how much i owed her.I replied ‘only a fiver’ my friend looked at me with such confused on her face and replied ‘five what?!’.This is when I released we have neve
Money Slang Special - What's the meaning of Pound, Quid, Nicker and Squid in British Slang?
In our most recent episodes we are discussing slang words for money! Something key when travelling to a different country or even speaking a new language! Today we will be examining slang words for the British Pound Coin.The most common slang word used for a pound is a quid, a word I use frequently to the confusion of my Italian friends. A quid is equal to 100 pence, and it is generally believed
Money Slang Special - What's the meaning of Moolah, Bread, Dough and Wedge in British Slang?
Today we will be talking about money, something universal….however us brits have found many words and phrases to use when talking about it.While the origins of these slang terms are many and various, certainly a lot of English money slang is rooted in various London communities, many sectors such as with street traders and gangs developed their own specific slang, which has produce some strange in
Stag Party - What does "Stag Party" mean in British slang?
Last episode we looked at the slang term "hen party" an event for a woman before she gets married.But is there one for men? Yes! And that’s what we will be looking at today.This is a stag party S-T-A-G, a noun, which is a celebration held for a man who is about to get married, attended only by men. In America it is called a bachelor party, as bachelor means a signal man. In Italy it is called "ad
Hen Party - What does "Hen Party" mean in British slang?
Ok so this week's episodes are inspired by my friend Rosie Higginbottom, who is soon to be married! I was telling my Italian friend about traditional english celebrations, concerning weddings... an important one being a hen party. What is that she replied? A party for chickens?! Oh no!The name is deceiving... so what exactly is a hen party?A hen party H-E-N is a noun simply meaning a party for a
Woke - What does "Woke" mean in British slang?
Ok so today we will be focusing on a slang word that has got so much negative and positive attention recently. This word is "woke"... So what does it mean? Is it positive or negative? Let’s explore it and get some answers now! In formal English woke is a verb and the past of wake: "I woke early this morning", simple yeah? Not so much when we are using it within slang! The slang word woke W-O-K-E i
Ghosting - What does "Ghosting" mean in British slang?
One of my students recently moved to England. His dream was to meet a lovely english woman and settle down. I wished him luck and warned him to watch of for ghosting! He responded by saying that he was fully aware of the rumors that England was a haunted place. I quickly corrected him, telling him that this was not the type of ghosting I was referring to. So let’s look at this word today! No matte
Fancy - What does "Fancy" mean in British slang?
Ok so today we will be looking at a word that I use all the time! This word is fancy. If you are an English language learner you most probably have heard this word before however I encounter students daily who do not fully understand how and when to use this word so let's clear it up today!Fancy F-A-N-C-Y is a verb with many meanings used all the time in the UK, especially in the south.You may rec
Dodgy - What does "Dodgy" mean in British slang?
While telling my Italian friend about my travels around Italy we got onto the topic of Rome, a beautiful and lively city. I stayed there for 3 weeks alone over a recent summer while studying classics. However I had to admit that some areas were slightly dodgy and I preferred not to stay alone in them. Dodgy she responded? Louisa I don't understand this at all. So let's look at this word today…In s
Gutted - What does "Gutted" mean in British slang?
In November I often feel gutted, its cold, the sun has disappeared and as Christmas crawls closer I check my bank account and wonder if my family would each be happy receiving an ironic orange.Not sure how I am feeling? Let's clarify this word gutted now. Gutted spelt G-U-T-T-E-D is British slang word of pure contextual emotion. To be "gutted" about a situation means to be devastated and saddened.
Link - What does "Link" mean in British slang?
Having a partner of a different nationality has many benefits however I must say, me and my Italian boyfriend often find ourselves slightly lost in translation over small things, mainly due to slang.For example Yesterday I ask my boyfriend if we should link at 5pm, he agreed. By 5pm I was waiting outside his flat, very annoyed and very cold. Once he finally arrived I asked him why he was late. He
Bail - What does "Bail" mean in British slang?
Have you ever been to a boring party? Stuck with the same music and dry conversation on repeat? Then it’s time to tell your mates to bail! Confusing right? Why am I talking about jail and money at this party, well let me explain...In formal english bail B-A-I-L is a noun meaning the temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial, sometimes on condition of paying a sum of money. However as
Wavy - What does "Wavy" mean in British slang?
While living in Italy I have noticed the vast range of adjectives that can be used to describe positive or cool things. Having a lack of knowledge of these in Italian is something that makes me really stand out as a language learner. So today I want to share a great word to describe something in a positive way. Wavy. W-A-V-Y. A simple definition of the word wavy means for something to be cool and
Cotch - What does "Cotch" mean in British slang?
While having dinner with an Italian friend, she asked me if I would like to go for a glass of wine, I told her I was very tired and was planning to go and cotch. She nodded and asked me where I was getting and coach to. I quickly explained the spelling and meaning of the word and this is what I am going to share with you all today. Cotch C-O-T-C-H is a verb meaning to sit, relax and chill out. W
Bare - What does "Bare" mean in British slang?
While arriving in my class yesterday I apologized to my students for being late. I told my students this was because there were bare people outside. They all suddenly rushed to the window and stared out of it. One of my students said "I don’t see any naked people! They all have their clothes on!". I explained to my students that within slang bare doesn’t actually have anything to do with nudity a
Banter - What does "Banter" mean in British slang?
Recently one of my students are I were joking with each other about our accents, he was mocking me for my poor accent while speaking Italian, especially when rolling my Rs. I told him that I wasn't offended for this comment as firstly is it true and secondly because his comment was only banter. At this moment he turned to me and looked very confused, this word was brand new for him, as it might be
Beef - What does "Beef" mean in British slang?
Hello and Welcome to Slang . I am Louisa May Adams, this is our first podcast so if you enjoy it please keep checking out what more we have in store! I am an English Language teacher living in Italy, I am originally from Canterbury England. Have you ever noticed some of the best non native English speakers totally freak out when they visit the UK? I have and trust me, this is not because of thei
