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English Slang

expat2007

So, I'm coming to England this fall for uni and I need some help with English slang!

Having read the TSR and other forums where students write in, time and time again people will use slang when describing anything from residents, areas of a city, people, etc., that I'm not familiar with.

Please help a Canadian out!

I can't think of all the words that I've come across, but the one's that come to mind are as follows.

((Please add to the list - it all helps!))

Slang words:
*Chav (or Shav, I can't think of the spelling) = ?
*Wellies (again, not sure of the spelling) = ?
*"Cheese" music = ? (I *think* it's pop music from what I can make out, but not sure)
********s! = ? (I think it's used as in, "that's *******s!" but it means nothing to me)

The above are what I can think of at the moment, I'll post some more as I remember.

Thanks for your help!

Reply 1

samba

6

chav - undesirable, uneducated resident
wellies - wellington boots. you wear them when trawling through mud
cheesey music - pop music and the like
b0llocks - is like 'thats a load of crap' or 'oh damnit' or something. usually used as an interjection expressing disbelief or annoyance!

the 'dogs b0llocks' on the other hand is a good thing. watch the 51st state...a good movie full of english slang! :p:

Reply 2

L i b

19

expat2007

So, I'm coming to England this fall for uni and I need some help with English slang!

I'm sure you'll pick it up. To be frank, the way North Americans use the English language generally is quite boring.

Anyway, to add to the above---

*Chav (or Shav, I can't think of the spelling) = ?

Hooligan, yob, thug, general member of a bizarre youth subculture that glorifies everything that is awful.

*"Cheese" music = ? (I *think* it's pop music from what I can make out, but not sure)

Not just pop music, and usually not applying to modern pop music at all (with some exceptions...). Cheese is, well, taking delight in something that is cringeworthy, out of date or generally a bit embarrassing.

********s! = ? (I think it's used as in, "that's *******s!" but it means nothing to me)

Testicles.

Reply 3

ßlαcksωαn

17

I always find the term 'pull' an interesting one. Remember that one.

Reply 4

L i b

19

blackswan

I always find the term 'pull' an interesting one. Remember that one.

Completely off track, but I like the word "tug" - for some reason it sounds really dirty.

Reply 5

randomer

And p*ssed means drunk, not angry!

Reply 6

Higgy

2

to the OP, its called autumn not fall in the UK, from my experience of America/Canada the Brits swear much more so im sure you will pick up some new swear words lol

Reply 7

seaweasel

Depending on where you are in the country, chavs might also be referred to as chavas, neds or townies. I once asked a Bavarian friend what the equivalent term would be where he's from, they call them proles!

Reply 8

SweetLikeChocolate

9

If you say "I'm on my larry" it means i'm on my own, or "You larry!" meaning you loner...

Reply 9

xjes7obax

SweetLikeChocolate

If you say "I'm on my larry" it means i'm on my own, or "You larry!" meaning you loner...

...or "on your jays". I will hold my hands up and admit, I do say it :redface:

To the OP: where are you going in England? Cos the slang can vary wildly between regions, cities, towns, even boroughs. For example the slang used between North and East London is mainly similar/the same, but with some certain differences.

Reply 10

expat2007

OP

ninstro

...or "on your jays". I will hold my hands up and admit, I do say it :redface:

To the OP: where are you going in England? Cos the slang can vary wildly between regions, cities, towns, even boroughs. For example the slang used between North and East London is mainly similar/the same, but with some certain differences.

thanks folks...this is a great help...and rather interesting!

ninstro, i'm heading to bristol. not sure if that makes much of a difference.

also, on a side note. i completely agree, north americans are rather boring when it comes to the english language.

thanks again!

Reply 11

xjes7obax

expat2007

thanks folks...this is a great help...and rather interesting!

ninstro, i'm heading to bristol. not sure if that makes much of a difference.

also, on a side note. i completely agree, north americans are rather boring when it comes to the english language.

thanks again!

Well it'll just make some difference as to some of the slang used there. Some stuff that people say here in E. London wouldn't be heard in Bristol and vice versa. But there are more general terms that most people know/use [eg chav, mostly due to the national media's use of it].

Reply 12

brimstone

7

'Plonker' means kind of fool, idiot. It's used in a friendly way.
'Wally' the same.

This is for American English, but it'll probably be relevant to you too.

urbandictionary.com

All my cousins who are from near Bristol say "lush" which means 'nice'
eg: "That top is lush"

Reply 15

lambzy

1

to be honest slang will come and go and ghange over time!

i remember few months ago hearing the word 'lush' all the time, but its died out and new words have replaced it....

one that i realy can't stand is when people are telling me something they add 'fact' to the end of it... for some reason it makes me want to punch who ever has just said it!

Reply 16

nikk

15

Why use slang and look like a moron when instead you can just speak properly?

Reply 17

`unrealmusic

nikk

Why use slang and look like a moron when instead you can just speak properly?

Part of the fun of being in the culture you're in :biggrin:

. It's quite cool to replace words with awesomely cool ones (like awesomely and cool lol), for example I use my own ones like epic, dude, boshank, the nads and insane etc. But I don't really like the chav slang, like 'nang, innit blud, blud, brap', all that 'i'm not ghetto but my mates are so I dress and act like I regularly participate in gang warfare because I'm a poser' talk.

But it's not really cool either to act like an elitist over all sorts of slang, it's just being a bit self secluded really.

Reply 18

SoundDevastation

13

Chav stands for Council House And Violent. :wink:

Watch Nathan Barley... "thats well brown"

Reply 19

FrisbeeFan

10

Nah that's a myth. There are so many different explanations for how 'chav' came about that each one's likelihood of being authentic is weakened. We can't possibly know the 'true' meaning.

English Slang

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