A cuppa
This is short for “a cup of tea”.
Alright?
This British greeting is another way to say “Hello”. It comes from the question, “Are you alright?”, but is not normally intended as a question unless part of the longer versions, “You alright?”, or, “Are you alright?”
And Bob's your uncle!
This phrase might sound strange, but it is used often in the UK. The meaning is very similar to the French “et voilà!”, meaning “and there you have it!”. It is mostly used after giving explanations or instructions that are relatively simple. E.g. “To get to Big Ben, just keep walking along the river, turn right, cross the bridge and Bob's your uncle – you're there!”
I can't be bothered
A British phrase to express that you do not have the motivation to do something.
Cheers
This is the most common thing to say when clinking glasses of alcohol in the entire English-speaking world. However, “Cheers” is also a very common way of saying “Thanks” in the UK.
Crikey / Blimey !
These are both very British words that you definitely won't hear in the USA. They are different exclamations of surprise, shock or amazement, like “Oh my God!” and ”Wow!”.
dodgy
A British word used to describe:
- people who are dishonest/unreliable;
- things, especially places, that are potentially dangerous;
- things that are of low quality.
to faff (around / about)
A British phrase meaning to spend time doing unimportant things instead of what you should be doing, or to take excessive time getting ready to go somewhere.
E.g. “Stop faffing around, we need to be at the airport in half an hour”.
gutted
Another British word for “disappointed”, but “gutted” can also be used as a response when someone tells of something unlucky or disappointing that happened to them or someone else.
knackered
British term meaning “very tired”. Be careful, the “k” is silent.
mate
A British word with the same meaning as “dude” and “man”.
Nice one
A more informal way to say “thanks” in the UK.
Not bad
Although the meaning seems obvious, “not bad” is often used in the UK to mean “good”, and is seen as quite a positive opinion of something. However, in the USA, “not bad” is considered slightly negative, as its translation in many other countries would be.
not bothered / not fussed
Two British phrases that mean the same as “Don't mind”, “Don't care” and “Doesn't matter”.
not my cup of tea
Used in the UK to express that something is not what you like or are interested in.
nuts
A common British slang term meaning “crazy”. It is used to refer to people's mental states but, like crazy, can also be used to describe things that are extremely impressive, incredible, risky, or tragic. Therefore, it can be used in both positive and negative contexts.
Positive example: “Did you see that amazing goal Messi scored the other day?” Response: “Yeah! That was nuts!”
under the weather
A British expression meaning “sick” or “ill”.
