How to Understand British Terms

Last Updated: March 24, 2023 References

Some English speakers communicating with wikiHow editors from the UK will need to know just a little more about the lingo. Note that some of these terms are also used in other parts of the British Commonwealth, such as Australia and New Zealand.

Sample British Terms

Part 1

Part 1 of 1:

Understanding British Terms

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Be aware that certain foods are known by different names:^{[1]
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- Chips are thick fries, and french fries are the thin fries.
  - A chippie (or chippy) is a shop that sells food such as fish and chips (fries).
- Crisps are potato chips.
- A biscuit is a cookie. A British person would only call chocolate-chip biscuits a cookie.
- Scones are a baked item made of firm dough. They are neither soft like bread or crisp like a cookie or a biscuit but are somewhere in between, a bit like the shortcake in strawberry shortcake, or American biscuits, except sweet. They are eaten topped, or cut in half and filled, with butter and/or cream and jam. May or may not contain raisins or sultanas.
- Jelly is a gelatin dessert (Jello), the type given with ice cream in hospital; fruit preserves are jam or in fact, preserves.
- Minced beef is ground beef, but mincemeat is a mixture of dried fruit, fat (suet) and alcohol used to fill mince pies at Christmas. Traditionally it contained meat, but very rarely does now.
- Cornflour is corn starch, used for thickening sauces. It is not flour for use as an alternative to wheat flour.
- Spring onions are green onions.
- Fresh cilantro is known as coriander. The spice coriander is the same in both countries.
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Learn the different terms for parts of a building:^{[2]
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- The ground floor is the same as the American first floor.
  - In a lift (elevator) the button for the ground floor has a capital G on it.
- The first floor is the one above this, and other numbers follow as normal.
- A lift is an elevator.
- A flat is the general term for an apartment.
- A bedsit is a one-room flat (efficiency apartment) that serves as a bedroom and a living area.
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3
Learn these terms for when you are on the move:
- The boot is the trunk of the car. A trunk in Britain is a kind of old-fashioned large suitcase.
- The wing is the fender of the car.
- The bonnet is the hood of the car.
- The windscreen is the windshield as goes for the wipers.
- However, a trunk call, is a long-distance (on a trunk-line) phone call but the term is not associated with automobiles at all as one might be lead to believe. Trunk call is not used in modern British English.
- A roundabout is a traffic circle or rotary it is also a revolving device in children's playgrounds.
- The colours of traffic lights are called red, amber (not yellow) and green. Amber lights up during both sequences; red through green and green through red.
- A lorry is a truck (not a pick-up truck). They are the larger type that carry goods, up to the size of a semi.
- The sidewalk is called the pavement or the footpath (unpaved walkway).
- Petrol is gasoline (e.g., "Can we stop at the petrol station?"). The petrol station can also be known as the garage even if it doesn't fix or store cars.
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Avoid embarrassment of not understanding these differences:^{[3]
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- A bum is a derrière/posterior/bottom not a homeless person. The word used for homeless person wondering the country is tramp (Not at all the same as a gypsy). Other than that they are known as homeless people.
- Spell and pronounce ass as arse, bearing in mind that an ass may also be four-legged or even a more derogatory synonym for a two-legged twit.
- Do not call your bum your fanny. In the UK, a fanny is a word meaning the female, external genitalia (vulva)! Hence bum bag not fanny pack!
- A fag is a cigarette. (The British are well aware of the American meaning.)
- While thanks to American culture, faggot is considered a derogatory term for gay people (avoid in polite company), an archaic UK use for fagot/faggot can mean "a cigarette, bundle of firewood, or "a bundle of anything", though this is an obscure and outdated usage. Faggots are an a traditional dish of meatballs made of chopped meat. ^{[4]
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- The loo, bog, lavvy or just toilet is the American English "bathroom" (e.g. "Where's the loo?"), though if you say you're going to the bathroom, people will understand the idea. WC for water closet, and "public conveniences" are terms only seen on signs for public restrooms as at a rest area.
- A rubber is a pencil eraser, not a condom, though in the UK the latter is still sometimes referred to as a rubber Johnny. For some reason.
- "I'm stuffed" means "I'm full". The word stuffed can also be interpreted in a negative or insulting manner depending on context (e.g. "Get stuffed." is a bit more polite than "F**k off.", having roughly the same meaning).
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Remember when throwing something away that:^{[5]
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- Rubbish is garbage or trash and goes in the rubbish bin if it is inside, or a wheely bin" or dustbin if you mean the large outdoors receptacle.
  - Rubbish can also be referring to nonsensical talk or ideas.
- A trash bag is called a bin liner or bin bag.
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Use these terms when talking about clothing:^{[6]
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- Trainers are sneakers,
- Wellingtons (Wellington boots, wellies, welly boots, boots) are calf-length rubber (or plastic) waterproof boots for rainy weather and have nothing to do with beef. They are named after the Duke of Wellington.
- Pants in England are worn underneath your trousers or jeans, just like American underwear. While the Brits may understand what you mean, due to the influence of American culture from cinema and television, they will likely find the mental image this conjures amusing and may call you out on it, also called knickers (for women).
- Tights, are pantyhose with two legs, stockings is the term used for pantyhose that are two separate garments, just like socks.
- A vest is a sleeveless undergarment worn on one's top half.
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Study the terms that may cause confusion:^{[7]
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- The phrases "taking the mickey", "extracting the Michael" and "taking the piss" mean making fun of, mocking or teasing.
- The phrase "on your knees" means to show respect, beg, or even plead (rarely used except as a joke; very old-fashioned)
- To ring up is to call on the phone (e.g. "I'll ring you up later").
- A "pushchair" or baby buggy is a baby stroller/pushchair. A "pram" (orig. perambulator) is the kind of thing you don't see much anymore - a small cot with a fold up shade, on large wheels for very young babies who can't sit up.
- A trolley is a shopping cart used for shopping in large shops such as supermarkets.
- A dummy (short for "dummy teat") is a pacifier.
- A lolly is a contraction of iced lolly, a popsicle. It can also be referring to a lollipop.
- A mobile or mobile phone is a cellphone.
- A bodge job or botch job as in "you've really botched that" is a poor job (or repair) that just about works, or fails.
- A brolly is short for an umbrella.
- Going on holiday is going on vacation.
- A torch is a flashlight.
- Maths is the shortened mass noun for mathematics, same as American "math".
- Washing-up liquid is dish detergent (hand washed, not dishwasher).
- An aerial is a TV or radio antenna.
- Anti-clockwise is counter-clockwise.
- The phone or toilet is engaged means that the phone line or bathroom is busy.
- Punt in the UK refers to a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. In America, especially in American Football, a punt is when you clear the ball down the field. That was the joke used on Emma Watson by David Letterman ("Here, we do that on 4th and long"). The English equivalent is a drop kick, but the mechanics are different. A punt in rugby is a kick in which the ball is hit BEFORE touching the ground. It's also, far less often, slang for 'a bet' or a gamble, as in "I took a punt on it not raining tonight", "I had a punt on a horse race".
- Football is soccer. The American game is called American football, and is viewed as a second-rate version of rugby.
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Hockey is field hockey. "Ice hockey" is the other one, American hockey.
- Fit is used as attractive/sexy, amongst the young, though also means healthy or in shape. "She's well fit!"
- Mental is used to say something or someone is out of the ordinary/something different/mad, but not necessarily in a negative context, e.g.: "The girl I met last night was completely mental".
- Drunk, "I'm going to get absolutely hammered tonight." "He's mullered." "You're off your face." "sh*t-faced" (not polite) trollied pissed mean drunk. According to the stand-up comedian Michael McIntyre, "You can take any word in the English language and use it to mean drunk. As in: 'Did you have a drink last night?' / 'You joking? I was utterly gazebo'd!'"
- A bit squiffy or tipsy is a little drunk.
- Annoyed would be described as pissed off.
- "Piss off" is another term for "go away"
- "All right?"/"Y'right?" and "Hi" are used as "hello".
- Mate is a casual term used as "friend", like "bud/dy".
- F**k is used in a wide range of expressions. Do not use it, if you are trying to make a good impression unless a lot of people are saying it -- and it appears as if it's being accepted there. Even then, limit the crude/rude words, especially when you are among strangers.

Community Q&A

Question

Are these terms accurate?

Community Answer

Everything here is accurate in most of England, but some words depend on what part of England you're in. Someone from North Manchester could say something and someone from Surrey could be completely lost. Just as the USA has different slang depending on the region ('soda' versus 'pop' is a popular debate, for example), England also has regional-specific slang. These words are all the most common/popular though, so they are accurate.
Question

What does tosser mean? I've heard the term used for Doc Martin several times.

Community Answer

To 'toss off' is to masturbate. Therefore, to call someone a 'tosser' is to call them a masturbater. Depending on the context, this can be insulting or playful teasing. For example, "Sod off, you tosser!" said in an angry tone would be considered as an insult, but "Sod off, you tosser!" said in a teasing tone of voice would be considered poking fun. Just watch your tone and make sure you're close with who you're saying it to if you're trying to be playful rather than rude.
Question

What do they call an automobile?

Community Answer

A car (but if you want to say vehicle it's pronounced "veer-cle" not "vee-hic-le").

Warnings

Cussing is known as swearing. It's very prevalent in some communities and absent in others. The same person may cuss up a storm at one place, and not say one such word in a more polite place. The rules vary greatly. When in doubt, keep it clean. Nothing is more likely to offend than a misplaced swear word!

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While wanker is used humorously in the US, it's also a derogatory term meaning "someone who masturbates". You may use it with people you know very well and that won't be offended, but never use it in polite company.

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Wherever you go in the UK there are different regional accents. Some say Geordies (people who live in the Newcastle/Northumberland area) have their own language!

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Do not describe someone as spunky. Spunk in the UK is semen/sperm. Some people will know what you mean, others will not. Saying this will make you stand out and people might take the mick.

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