British Slang...?

Question

Well im goin' to london in 2 weeks should i know any british slang ?

Answer 1

Ah, the United States and England.  Two countries divided by a common language.... just don't be alarmed if someone is coming around to "knock you up"...

Answer 2

Don't forget 'it's raining cats and dogs' (it's raining heavy) which is very appropriate at the moment!

Answer 3

Thank you Stepney, I wondered when someone would know the correct answer.

You definitely do not need to know slang.  

The best way to get around London is on the underground.  Get yourself a book from the transport department so you understand how the underground works and you will be fine.

Have a great time!

PS  The British have perfectly good food if you know where to go.  Just like anywhere else.  Unfortunately, these days they have also picked up that bad habit of cheap fast food.  And they do not live on Shepherds Pie.!!  That is ludicrous.  

I have lived in 4 different countries and some of the worst food I have ever had was here in the USA.

Answer 4

Hey, I would worry more about British slang than cockney slang, it is unlikely you will even talk to a cockney as there is so many foreigners in London, this will be all you need to know:

£ pound is called a 'quid' and pence is just called 'p'

Metro/subway is called 'underground' or 'the tube'

Mate - is like saying 'my friend' or 'amigo'

Scarper! - Get out of here!

Don't worry, London has got thousands if not millions of tourists every day, as long as you speak English you'll be fine :)

Answer 5

GREETINGS FROM LONDON

You don't have to know or need to use British Slang - however, you might be interested in Cockney Rhyming slang, which is probably one of the most popular world-wide English language slangs.

Cockney Rhyming Slang

http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/

There are about 250-270 different languages spoken here in London.  You'll have no difficulty being understood and English is widely spoken.

WELCOME AND HAVE A GREAT TRIP

Answer 6

Lol, I love how Americans seem to be the only ones that use the term British. You want London slang, very very different from other parts of Britain. Don't bother with cockney stuff, the only person I've ever heard use it is my nan! Don't stress about learning all the slang, there's way too much and I'm pretty sure you can blag it! Londoners will know what you mean though so don't worry - we watch enough American TV lol!

Answer 7

ahhh you are sooo lucky !!!!!! ive always wanted to go there ! when i grow up i will live there :D

but anyways if you want lemonade youve got to say lemonsquash if not theyll give you sprite

i belive french fries are called chips there instead of saying dig in they say tuck in i belive and ofcourse everybody knows the "you gave me a fright " phrase . haha

they eat alot of sheperds pie is what ive heard and the people there are darling . very liberal its also where punk originated from (people united not kingdom) they have the best wether ! always cloudy .

and helena bontam carter is from either there or someother place in england . i love her !! most of the food is very bland but they have a mcdonalds there i belive haha i cant think of anything else lol

Answer 8

Perhaps not so much slang you need to be careful with, but everyday phrases such as 'f***y' has a different meaning here and is a 'bum' or 'bottom' or 'backside' (or '***' in slang!), pants are something you wear under your trousers/skirt, the car trunk is a boot, and a cell phone is a mobile phone! Have fun - it's almost worthy of a phrase book. Lol! Good luck

Answer 9

The traditional London slang is called Cockney Rhyming Slang and it is still used a little by most Londoners.

Most youths today tend to borrow their slang from their American peers however.  You don't say where you are originally from as there are some words which are only english and not American.  These words include (but are not limited to)

Vest = underwear worn under a shirt

pants = panties / boxers

trousers = pants

fringe = bangs

bum = f***y

tramp = bum

tap = faucet

bath = tub

toilet = bathroom (as in I need to go)

flat = apartment

pavement = sidewalk

take away = to go

chips = french fries

crisps = potato chips

nappies = diapers

Answer 10

Apples and pears - stairs.  Dog and bone - phone.  It's not going to sound like any English you've heard before, even before you get past the accents - of which there are many.  For example if you were going to have tea at my Auntie's house in the Midlands she'd probably say something like 'aaaraat me dook' - which loosely translated means 'alright my duck' - duck obviously being a term of affection.

The good thing about London is that practically nobody is English, or actually from London.  So unless you plan on trawling around Hackney or inner East London - which really isn't a good idea - you probably won't come across many cockney geezers.  Just remember 'th' is pronounced with a 'f' sound - like south would be 'saaaf'. Never finish a word ending in 'ing' - always finish on the 'n' - or pronounce your h's ie the bleedin' Tube is givin' me the right old 'ump', innit?.    (or - I am rather fed up with the London Underground Transport system).  It's very important to finish every sentence with 'innit?' - or 'isn't it?'  Stick to these few rules and you'll probably be taken as a local by other tourists.

Answer 11

KATBRAT,  I've never read so much pony and trap in all my life, how can you comment on a country that you have never been too, i suppose you think that Sherlock Holmes is wandering about in baker street as well, and as for the shepherds pie, you've stopped all that with your contribution of U.S cuisine (Hamburgers + Hot dogs).

Just because you have no culture, don't assume that we or any other part of the world don't have any, life does not stop in the states.

Lemonade is Lemonade,   Lemon squash is Lemon squash (add water), and as for McDonald's, well, thanks for that, I'm sure i would relish the thought of travelling half way round the world to sample a burger (particularly when it's your staple diet).

Cockney slang, Carrie, was not always rhyming, it was used and invented in Victorian times to outwit the police, (old bill=William peel)  the inventor of the met, formerly peelers.

It is rarely used nowadays, the original that is, but the youth of today have made up their own form of it.

So having said all that, hears a mixture of both old and new, i'm off too the rub-a-dub for a pint of pigs ear, ask the barman for a ham and tomato georgio armani, pull out my ralph lauren and do the crossword, use the dog and bone to call a sherbert dab to take me home, say hello to the trouble and strife, go up the apple and pears to the bathroom, open the lid of the ben gazzi, whip out my john thomas and have a pie and mash.

Answer 12

even i cant work out what londoners are on about sometimes and im from brighton in england!

Answer 13

Cockney rhyming slang is barely ever used, even by Cockneys. And where it is, it's a lot more mystifying to outsiders than "apples and pears". One example that you might actually hear spoken, for instance, is "Barnet" for hair.

(eg: "Nice legs; scary Barnet.") How is that rhyming slang, you ask? ;) "Barnet" is short for "Barnet Fair". Typically, where rhyming slang gets used, it's shortened to the non-rhyming word.

But anyway, rhyming slang is a tiny part of the rich world of British slang and British words that are unheard of (or mean entirely different things!) in the US.

Here are some words you almost certainly will hear ...

=D

Just for starters:

B o l lo c k s! = expression of annoyance etc: but 'the dog's

b o llo ck s' = something excellent.

Crisps = chips

Chips = fries

F a g = cigarette (not what it means in the US!)

Flat = an apartment

Grill = broil

Ground floor = first floor

Holiday = vacation

Pants = underpants (US "pants" = UK "trousers")

Pavement = sidewalk

Pissed = to be drunk (US "pissed" = UK "pissed off")

Semi = duplex house (not a huge truck; that's an "artic", short for "articulated truck")

Sweater = jumper

Tube = subway (a subway here is an underpass beneath a road)

Here is a totally wonderful website that should give you a giggle as well as helping you out with info: http://www.effingpot.com/slang.shtml

Hope you have a wonderful time here...

love from a Londoner born and bred.

=D

Edit:

Stepney Lad: brilliant riposte. XD

PS  Born at Barts myself, which in the days before double-glazed windows was well and truly within the sound of Mary-le-Bow. Always wondered about people born after WWII but before the bells were restored in the early 60s... Since there were no Bow Bells, does that mean that no Cockneys were born during that time?... ;D

Answer 14

Have a look at this link

http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/

Answer 15

you shouldnt really need to know any cos they will speak normal english if your from another country. If they call you "love" ,dont be offended, "tar" means thankyou

YW and have fun in london "love"

Answer 16

Yes! Infact it's mandatory, better get busy perfecting that cockney accent