It is used in British English, particularly in Northern England (especially Yorkshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire), to say hello or get someone's attention in a friendly, informal way. People typically say "Hey up, mate" or "Hey up, how's it going?" The term originated in Northern English dialect, likely from the phrase "hey up there," and remains a strong regional marker of the North of England and East Midlands.

What does "hey up" mean in British dialectal slang?

hey up

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It is used in British English, particularly in Northern England (especially Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Manchester), to say hello in a friendly, informal way, similar to "hey up" or "alright?" People typically say "Now then, mate" or "Now then, how are you?" The term originated in Northern English dialect, possibly as a shortened version of "now then, what's happening?" and remains a strong regional marker of the North of England.

What does "now then" mean in British slang?

now then

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The structure is a simple noun borrowed from Middle English "ladde" (a young man or servant), preserved and evolved in British English. It is used in British English, particularly in Northern England and across the UK, to refer to a young man or boy, often with connotations of friendliness, camaraderie, or stereotypically masculine behavior. People typically say "He's a good lad" or "The lads are going to the pub." The term originated in Middle English and remains common in everyday UK speech, especially in working class and youth contexts, as well as in "lad culture" (drinking, sports, banter).

What does "lad" mean in British slang?

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It is used in British English, particularly in Northern England (especially Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Manchester), to mean a narrow passage or alleyway between buildings, often pedestrian only, similar to "snicket" (Yorkshire) or "jitty" (East Midlands). People typically say "Cut through the ginnel to get there faster" or "The ginnel behind the shops is dark at night." The term originated in Northern English dialect, and remains a strong regional marker, with different words for alleyways across the UK (e.g., "twitten" in Sussex, "close" in Scotland).

What does "ginnel" mean in British dialectal slang?

ginnel

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The structure is a simple adjective borrowed from the word for the plant or a place where coins are made (the Royal Mint), implying something valuable or perfect. It is used in British English, particularly in Northern England (especially Yorkshire, Manchester, and Liverpool), to mean excellent, very good, or of high quality. People typically say "That's mint" or "The gig was mint last night." The term originated in 20th century Northern English slang, possibly from the idea of "mint condition" (like a perfectly preserved coin), and remains common in informal UK speech, especially among younger speakers.

What does "mint" mean in British slang?

mint

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It is used in British English to mean very pleased, proud, or delighted about something. People typically say "I'm well chuffed with my results" or "She was chuffed to bits when she got the job." The term originated in Northern English dialect in the 19th or early 20th century, and has since spread across the UK, becoming one of the most recognized British slang words for happiness.

What does "chuffed" mean in British slang?

chuffed

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The structure is a colloquial pronunciation of "governor," dropping the middle syllable and altering the vowel sound. It is used in British English, especially in working class and Cockney speech, to address a man, often showing respect (to a boss, employer, or authority figure) or familiarity (to a stranger in a shop or pub). People typically say "Alright, guv'nor?" or "Thanks, guv." The term originated in 19th century British English, where "governor" was used for someone in charge, and the shortened "guv'nor" became a common London address term, remaining a classic Cockney marker.

What does "guv'nor" mean in British slang?

guv'nor

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The structure is a simple noun of uncertain origin, possibly from Old Norse "skran" (rubbish or scraps) or from dialectal English for food. It is used in British English, particularly in Northern England and Scotland, to mean a meal or something to eat, often hearty or substantial. People typically say "Let's get some scran" or "That was good scran." The term originated in 19th century British naval or regional slang, and remains common in Northern UK and military contexts, especially in casual conversation.

What does "scran" mean in British slang?

scran

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It is used in British English, particularly in the Midlands (especially Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire) and Northern England, to mean sensitive to cold or unusually susceptible to low temperatures. People typically say "Don't be so nesh, it's not that cold" or "She's too nesh to go out in winter." The term originated in Old English and survived in regional dialects, remaining a strong marker of East Midlands and Northern English speech.

What does "nesh" mean in British dialectal slang?

nesh

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The structure is a playful clipping of "umbrella," dropping the first syllable and adding a "-y" suffix for a casual, friendly sound. It is used in British English to mean an umbrella, often in informal or humorous contexts. People typically say "Don't forget your brolly, it's raining" or "I left my brolly on the bus." The term originated in late 19th or early 20th century British slang, and remains common in everyday UK speech, especially in weather related conversation.

What does "brolly" mean in British slang?

brolly

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The structure is a simple noun formed by adding the "-in" suffix to "young," often used as a colloquial variant of "young one." It is used in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), Southern US slang, and British slang to refer to a young person, child, or youth, often affectionately or dismissively. People typically say "The youngins are playing outside" or "He's just a youngin, he'll learn." The term originated in 19th or early 20th century American and British dialectal English, and remains common in informal speech across multiple regions.

What does "youngin" mean in slang?

youngin

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The structure is a simple adjective borrowed from its literal meaning of "healthy" or "solid," repurposed as general approval. It is used in British English, especially in London and surrounding areas, to mean good, acceptable, decent, reliable, or trustworthy, often describing a person or a situation. People typically say "He's a sound bloke" or "That's sound with me" or "Sound, I'll see you later." The term originated in 20th century British slang, possibly from the idea of "sound" as solid or unbreakable, and remains common across the UK in casual conversation.

What does "sound" mean in British slang?

sound

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The structure is a playful alteration of "beverage," dropping the middle syllables and adding a "-y" suffix for a casual, friendly sound. It is used in British English, especially in Scotland and Northern England, to mean a drink, usually beer or another alcoholic beverage. People typically say "Fancy a bevvy after work?" or "We had a few bevvies last night." The term originated in 20th century British slang, and remains common in informal UK speech, particularly among working class and youth culture.

What does "bevvy" mean in British slang?

bevvy

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The structure is a dialectal pronunciation of "naught" or "nought" (nothing), with the vowel shifted and the final consonant softened. It is used in British English, particularly in Northern England (especially Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Manchester), to mean nothing or not anything. People typically say "There's nowt wrong with that" or "I've got nowt to do today." The term originated in Old English "nawiht" (nothing), preserved in Northern dialects, and remains a strong regional marker of the North of England, opposite of "owt" (anything).

What does "nowt" mean in British dialectal slang?

nowt

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The structure is a dialectal pronunciation of "aught" (anything), with the vowel shifted from "aw" to "ow." It is used in British English, particularly in Northern England (especially Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Manchester), to mean anything or any thing. People typically say "I wouldn't do owt stupid" or "Is there owt in the fridge?" The term originated in Old English "awiht" (anything), preserved in Northern dialects, and remains a strong regional marker of the North of England, often paired with "nowt" (nothing), as in "You can't get owt for nowt" (you can't get anything for nothing).

What does "owt" mean in British dialectal slang?

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It is used in British English, particularly in Northern England (especially Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Manchester) and the Midlands, to mean to bother, annoy, or pester someone, often with persistent questions or complaints. People typically say "Stop mithering me" or "The kids have been mithering all day." The term originated in 19th century Northern English dialect, and remains a common regional word, though less known in Southern England.

What does "to mither" mean in British dialectal slang?

to mither

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It is used in British English, especially in Northern England and working class communities, to mean hard work or sustained effort, often in a job, task, or hustle. People typically say "It took a lot of graft to get here" or "He's been grafting all day." The term originated in 19th century British slang, possibly from "graff" (a trench or ditch), and remains common in UK informal speech, especially in sports and business contexts.

What does "graft" mean in British slang?

graft

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The structure is a dialectal pronunciation of "right," with the vowel shifted to a long "ee" sound, common in Northern English accents. It is used in British English, particularly in Yorkshire and parts of Northern England, to mean right, correct, or proper, often as an intensifier similar to "very" (e.g., "reet good" meaning very good). People typically say "That's reet, then" or "It's reet cold today." The term originated in Northern English dialect, preserving an older pronunciation of "right," and remains a strong regional marker of Yorkshire speech.

What does "reet" mean in British dialectal slang?

reet

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The structure is a simple noun of uncertain origin, possibly from "honey" or from Old English "hin" (a servant or female), but more likely from Northern English dialect for "honey." It is used in British English, particularly in North East England (especially Tyneside, Newcastle, and Sunderland), as a friendly or affectionate term of address, usually for women but also used for men or children, similar to "dear" or "love." People typically say "Alright, hinny?" or "Thanks, hinny." The term originated in 19th century or earlier North Eastern English dialect, and remains a strong marker of Geordie and Mackem identity.

What does "hinny" mean in British dialectal slang?

hinny

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The structure is a simple adjective borrowed from its literal meaning of "luxuriant" or "rich" (as in lush vegetation), repurposed to describe sexual attractiveness. It is used in British English, particularly in Wales and parts of South West England, to mean sexually attractive or alluring, often describing a person. People typically say "She's lush" or "He's a lush bloke."

What does "lush" mean in British slang?

lush

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It is used in British English, particularly in Northern England, to mean a foolish, stupid, or silly person. People typically say "Don't be such a divvy" or "You absolute divvy." The term originated in 20th century British slang, possibly from "deva" (a mental defective) or from "div" as a mild insult, and remains common in informal UK speech.

What does "divvy" mean in British slang?

divvy

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It is used in British English, particularly in Northern England and Scotland, to mean to cry or shed tears, often loudly or dramatically. People typically say "The baby's been scriking all night" or "Stop scriking over nothing." The term originated in Northern British and Scots dialect, likely from Old Norse "skríkja" (to shriek), and remains a rare, localized word, not widely known outside those regions.

What does "to scrike" mean in British dialectal slang?

to scrike

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The structure is an acronym formed from "Taking Without Owner's Consent," the legal term for car theft in the UK, converted into a verb. It is used in British English, particularly in police and criminal slang, to mean stealing a car. People typically say "He got caught twocing a BMW" or "They twoc'd a car and went joyriding." The term originated in UK law enforcement and legal jargon in the late 20th century, later spreading into street slang and media reports, remaining common in British crime contexts.

What does "to twoc" mean in British slang?

to twoc

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It is used in British English to mean to take a short and casual nap, or to sleep in a rough or temporary place. People typically say "I'm going to have a quick kip" or "He's kipping on the sofa tonight." The term originated in 18th or 19th century British slang, and remains common in informal UK speech for brief or makeshift sleep.

What does "to kip" mean in British slang?

to kip

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It is used in British English to mean having little or no money, often due to having spent all of it or experiencing financial difficulties. People typically say "I'm skint until payday" or "Can't go out tonight, I'm absolutely skint." The term originated in early 20th century British slang, possibly from the phrase "skinned" as in "skinned of cash," and remains common across the UK in casual conversation.

What does "skint" mean in British slang?

skint

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It is used in British English, particularly in North East England (especially Tyneside, Newcastle, and surrounding areas), to mean an aggressive or angry person, or to describe someone who is easily provoked. People typically say "He's a right radgie" or "Don't start a fight with that radgie." The term originated in 20th century North Eastern English dialect, and remains a strong marker of Geordie speech.

What does "radgie" mean in British dialectal slang?

radgie

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The structure is a simple noun of uncertain origin, possibly a playful alteration of "chewy" or from a brand name. It is used in British English, particularly in Scotland and Northern England, to mean chewing gum. People typically say "Got any chuddy?" or "He stuck his chuddy under the table." The term originated in 20th century Scottish and Northern English slang, and remains common in those regions, though less known in Southern England.

What does "chuddy" mean in British slang?

chuddy

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Here you will find slang from Northern England, capturing regional expressions, accents, and local cultural language.

Northern England English Slang Terms