Insult someone with British slang!

Posted on 20 March 2009 in England | 13 comments

Wow! It’s been nearly a year since I moved to the UK from Canada. It has had its fair share of ups and downs but I feel comfortable here and I’ve even got a grasp on the slang. Let me share a few with you.

  • slag: slut
  • chav: guy who wears sporty clothes and is a bit rough around the edges
  • pikey: ‘trailer trash’
  • bugger: jerk
  • git: someone with sub-par behaviour
  • cheeky git: lippy / rude person with sub-par behaviour
  • tosser: implies that the person masturbates excessively
  • wanker: implies that the person masturbates excessively
  • twit: someone who’s really dumb
  • nutter: someone who’s a few crayons short of a full box
  • ponce: someone who thinks they are overly smart / stylish (and aren’t)
  • todger: if you call someone this, you’re literally calling them a penis
There are many others, I’m sure, but this should get you started!

  • http://www.MadMax83.co.uk Mark

    HAHAHA, not heard some of them for ages!!!!

  • Matt Spence

    I am a brit and I love some of your descriptions

    chavs are not sporty they just were sports clothes, why i have no idea
    Chav and pikey are one and the same, pikey implies Gipsy though

  • http://www.twitter.com/qbyt Matt Smith

    Brit here.

    For emphasis, add faakin’ as a prefix to any of the above. For authenticity try saying it in a cockney accent :)

  • http://www.riotriotriot.com graham

    ‘oh my god she’s a slaaa-aaaaag’
    Chavs – you mean Adidas wearers?

  • http://miss-becky.net Becky

    Ah pickles that’s absolutely hilarious!! I’m so going to use those now, very cool ;p

  • http://blog.alrightstill.net Chantal

    Have you actually had to use them?

  • http://www.mskempster.com Matt

    Can’t believe americans don’t use any of those words!

    Anyway, I hope they enjoy them :)

  • http://arisuart.com arisu

    haha… thank you for teaching me some new words

  • sophie

    Hi, I’m a Brit, and I thought I’d add a few clarifications to the slang.
    Chav, isn’t simply for rough sporty types, it’s about young working class people, usually from poorer parts of town, or council estates, they often buy sporty clothes or fake brands, and can cause trouble but not all of them obviously.

    Pikey is a derogative word for gypsy

    Bugger can also mean ‘Shit’ as in “Bugger! I’ve just banged my toe”. Buggering someone refers to anal sex.

    Twit, yes you’re right, but dumb doesn’t quite give a clear enough picture… see the Prince from Blackadder (played by Stephen Fry), for a good twit. Also there’s Roald Dahl’s “The Twits”, but they’re a bit meaner.

    Also, git has a certain something about it, but I can’t quite put it into words.

    Good going!

  • Matt

    Probably worth noting that there are more female ‘chavs’ than male ones.

  • Laura S

    Amy, I’ve been informed (perhaps erroneously) that Chav is an acronym for :
    C-ouncil H-oused A-nd V-iolent…
    And a twit is a pregnant goldfish!

    Love your blog!

    • http://www.amymahon.com Amy Mahon

      Thank you! I have also heard the chav acronym and laughed my arse off when I heard it :)

  • Tom

    I like all your England observations Amy. But you forgot my favoutite… Bellend! – A person who behaves like the male genitalia

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