Question:
How well do you non Brits understand British slang?
Anonymous
2011-06-21 19:35:08 UTC
Don't check until you have put some answers down :)

all to pot

@rse (@ used as a to beat censor)

bar steward

bicky

carrot top

chav

deffo

dinky

egghead

ecky thump !

faff

flaming Nora!

gagging (for something)

geezer

happy as Larry

huff

ickle

icky

jack all

joint

kegs

kick off

legless

lippy

minging

manky

nab

narky

owt

on the blink

panto

pad

quid

quickie

rank

Rosie Lee

Scouse

short-@rse (@ used as a to beat censor)

takeaway

ta-ra!

uni

umpteen

vibe

voddy

whinge

why aye!

(Couldn't think of any Xs!)

yonks

yap

zonked

zoned out
Three answers:
Deaf
2011-06-24 08:13:42 UTC
all to pot-- ruined, a lost cause

@rse-- your bum, butt

bar steward-- b@stard

bicky-- a biscuit, cookie

carrot top-- a red-head

chav-- an ignorant hooligan who tries to be posh

deffo-- definitely

dinky-- small and cute

egghead-- a bright person, a nerd

ecky thump!--

faff-- fooling around, goofing off, waste time, fanny around, involved in nonsense

flaming Nora!--

gagging (for something)-- craving, have a hankering for, desperate for

geezer-- a man who is a "square", not "with it", usually "old geezer" (old f@art)

happy as Larry-- very pleased

huff-- f@rt, inhale, inhale solvents, a small resentful tantrum

ickle-- little, small

icky-- sticky, gooey, can be sickly

jack all-- nothing

joint-- marijuana cigarette, a place

kegs--

kick off-- start, start trouble

legless-- very drunk

lippy-- giving cheek, sassy, impertinent, insolent, "talking back", a big-mouth

minging-- smelly, objectionable, undesirable

manky--

nab-- to grab, to catch someone, to pinch

narky-- irritable, grumpy, moody

owt-- (aught) naught, nothing

on the blink-- not functioning properly

panto--

pad-- your house or flat

quid-- one pound British sterling

quickie-- grab a drink after work, booty call

rank-- ugly, disgusting, can be food that is spoilt, of low status

Rosie Lee--

Scouse-- people and/or things associated with Liverpool (from stew, lobscouse)

short-@rse--

takeaway-- food that you collect and bring home, fast food

ta-ra!--

uni-- university

umpteen-- countless, innumerable

vibe-- "vibration", a feeling (can be good or bad), a sense, atmosphere, aura, mood

voddy-- Vodka (as in a voddy toddy)

whinge-- chronic complaining, a whiner

why aye!--

yonks-- eons, a very long time

yap-- constant chattering (like yakking), your mouth

zonked-- exhausted, sound asleep, passed-out

zoned out-- not paying attention, daydreaming





I am Deaf, an American, a U.S. British prep-school survivour, and a language aficionado.
cymry3jones
2011-06-21 23:43:24 UTC
All to pot - everything has gone wrong

Bar steward is the head bar man

Bicky could be bikey - someone who enjoys riding a motor cycle

Carrot top - someone with red hair

Chav - before my time - don't know - probably someone who is not exactly intelligent

Deffo- someone below average intelligence?

Ecky thump! Goodness gracious - Northern English

Egghead - clever person

Dinky - small, quaint

Faff - not getting on with the job (Northern)

Flaming Nora! - Bloody hell! (Northern)

Gagging - dying of thirst - usually a beer

Geezer - some man

Happy as Larry - extatic

Huff - taken umbrage

Ickle - Little - normally said to children

Icky - sticky - also yucky - not very nice

Jack all - impolite - nothing

Joint - whacky baccy, a not very reputable pub, or a good place for a robbery

Kegs or kecks - knickers - underwear worn on the nether regions.

Kick off - get upset with someone

Legless - drunk and incapable

Lippy - someone who talks too much

Minging - complaining

Manky - not of good quality

Owt - something also nowt - nothing

Nab - procure, steal, be arrested in pursuit of a crime

Narky - easily annoyed

On the blink - not working - like the TV.

Panto - Pantomime - possibly making a scene

rank - total. The contest was won by a rank outsider

Quicky - just one drink after work - sometimes has sexual conontations

Quid - a pound

Pad - flat, appartment, house

Rosie Lee - tea

Scouse - someone from Liverpool

Take away - food not eaten on the premises

Ta-ra! Goodbye (Liverpool) - Normally followed by whack. As in ta-ra, whack! (Mate)

Uni - University

Umpteen - a large amount

Vibe - vibration - normally plural - meaning a good feeling

Voddy - no idea

Whinge - complain continuously - The whingeing Pom - Brits in Australia

Why aye! - Geordie (North East England) - Yes

Yonks - a long time

Yap - a mild rant

zonked - knocked out - tired

zoned out - knocked out - probably due to alchohol or ollegal substances



I'm a Brit, but I've lived in a non-English speaking country for 40 years.

Most of the words are not strictly speaking slang, they're reflections of regional differences in the language.
bjk1961
2011-06-21 19:46:30 UTC
all to pot = ruined

@rse = butt

bar steward = b@stard

carrot top = red head

chav = human garbage or low-lifes

dinky = small, insignificant

geezer = old person

joint = roast

kick off = die

lippy = mouthy

manky = mangy, tacky

minging = nasty, stinky, dirty

on the blink = not working correctly or broken

pad = home

quid = money; pound

quickie = hasty sex

takeaway = food to go

umpteen = big number ( for the umpteenth time)

whinge = whiny complaining

yap = mouth

zonked = passed out

zoned out = day dreaming; staring out into space.





That's all I could think of off hand. The thing about slang and idioms is that they come from shared experiences. Most of it is regional, so I wouldn't be suprised if no one got them all.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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