British Slang

BRITISH SLANG
Prepared by: Aska
r Amina. Bektemiro
Gulnur, Zhupiano va Anel, Zhakupov
va Diana, Kalimat a
Zhansaya
 Content
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• Meaning
• Who Uses Slang?/ Where?/Why?
• Different Countries
• Affects the English
• Common words and sentences
• Cockney Rhyming Slang
• Teenage Slang
 Meaning
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• British slang is English language slang used and

originating in the United Kingdom.
• Slang is the use of informal words and expressions
that are not considered standard in the
speaker's dialect or language. 
 Who Uses Slang?
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• Slang is used by all kinds of groups of people who

share situations or interests.
• The group which uses these words is always in the
minority, and often use slang to set themselves apart
or make it difficult for ordinary people to understand
them.
• When a particular new expressions is known and used
by a large majority of the population, it is no longer
slang, but part of the regular language or usage.
 Who uses it and why?
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• Reason :shorten certain sentences

get a message across quickly
by using abbreviations
talking quickly in public.
• Used : face-to-face situations

texting and email

on the net
However, newer British slang is only commonly heard from
teenagers, it is not used in formal letters or on resumes for example,
because it could be seen as inappropriate, unacceptable and rude.
 Where is it used?
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• British slang is commonly found all over

England. Although, it is not used in Scotland,
Ireland or Wales, who all have their own
slang.
• However, although most British people use
the same slang, most major cities contain
different accents, so the pronunciation of
certain words changes.
 Slang or Expressions in Different Countries
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• Being immersed in a different country teaches

you the way the locals really do talk, but
sometimes you may run across words that
you’ve never seen in your dictionary or your
high school grammar book.
• When a individual or family leave England,
they adapt to the slang of the local place but
the accent may stay the same.
• British slang typically only stays in England.
 How Slang Affects the English Language
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When people speak in the vernacular using slang, it broadens

the English language by adding more words.
Language isn’t static, and a language such as English is a
collection and reinvention of the words of many other
languages such as Latin and Greek, as well as the romance
languages of Europe.
As civilizations grow, change, and expand, so do the words in
the language. Slang phrases such as “23 skidoo” might’ve
been what the hep cat of 1925 was saying to his flapper
girlfriend; but, as time passes, many slang phrases tend to fall
by the wayside.
 Common Words Used
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Blimey Ace Barmy Cock up 

 God Blind Me awesome mad or crazy mistake

Fancy  Fit  Top! Jammy

desire  good looking  Wonderful Lucky

Fluke  Gen  Jolly  Mate  friend 

chance  information very

Good value Nice one! Mush Mutt's nuts

 good deal good job Hi excellent
 Common Expressions Sentence
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Big girl’s blouse = A weakling

Bob’s your uncle = You will be successful
Leg it = Run fast
I’m Knackered = I’m tired
Popped his/her cloggs = He/she died
Taking the Mick = Teasing/making fun of
Want a brew? = Want a cup of tea?
 Cockney Rhyming Slang
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Rhyming slang is a form of phrase construction in

the English language that is especially prevalent in
dialectal English from the East End of London.
( Cockney rhyming slang)
 a rhyming phrase of two or three words 
 Strange Cockney Rhyming Examples
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English Rhymes With Cockney

Arms Chalk Farms Chalk Farms
Eyes Mince Pies Minces
Face Boat race Boat race
Hair Barnet Fair Barnet
Head Loaf of bread Loaf
Legs Scotch Eggs Scotches
Mouth North and South North and South
Teeth Hampstead Heeth Hampsteads
 Cockney Rhyming Sentence Examples
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COCKNEY SLANG  MEANING WAY IN WHICH IT MAYBE USED

  Adam and Eve Believe Would you Adam and Eve it?

  Alligator Later See you later alligator.

  Bacon and Eggs Legs She has such long bacons.

  Barnet Fair Hair I'm going to have my barnet cut.

  Bees and Honey Money Hand over the bees.

  Biscuits and Cheese Knees Ooh! What knobbly biscuits!

  Bull and Cow Row We don't have to have a bull about it.

I had a butchers at it through the
  Butcher's Hook Look
window.
  Cobbler's Awls Balls You're talking cobblers!

  Crust of Bread Head Use your crust, lad.

 Cockney Rhyming Sentence Examples
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COCKNEY SLANG  MEANING WAY IN WHICH IT MAYBE USED

  Daffadown Dilly Silly She's a bit daffy.
  Hampton Wick Prick You're getting on my wick!
  Khyber Pass Arse Stick that up your Khyber.
  Loaf of Bread Head Think about it; use your loaf.
  Mince Pies Eyes What beautiful minces.
  Oxford Scholar Dollar Could you lend me an Oxford?
  Pen and Ink Stink Pooh! It pens a bit in here.
  Rabbit and Pork Talk I don't know what she's rabbiting about.
  Raspberry Tart Fart I can smell a raspberry.
  Scarpa Flow Go Scarpa! The police are coming!
  Trouble and Strife Wife The trouble's been shopping again.
  Uncle Bert Shirt I'm ironing my Uncle.
  Weasel and Stoat Coat Where's my weasel?
 Teenage Slang
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Teenage slang words exist because they need their

own language.
In 2015, the BBC did a test on a group of teenagers to
study the differences of how teenagers speak in
different parts of the UK.
They gave a simple phrase to all the teenagers and
told them to convert it into their own slang.
 Teenage Slang Examples
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Decipher some of your daughter’s text speak with our handy guide to
youth slang and jargon: 
Words Meaning
YOLO you only live once 
TTYL talk to you later 
LOL  laugh out loud 
ROFL  roll on floor laughing 
IRL   in real life 
Awks  embarrassing 
Jokes funny 
Totes  very 
Hench, buff  attractive, of boys 
Sick  good
 Connection between context and content.
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With British Slang, different words are used

depending on the place they are said or placed.
For example, a word such as geezer wouldn’t be
said by a grandchild to their grandfather. It
would be seen as rude or offensive, whereas it
may be used in a comic because it could be seen
as a joke, it’s in a different context.
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