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13 Bits Of British Slang You've Probably Never Heard Of

That argy-bargy has left me knackered..anyone fancy a sherbet and time with the idiot box?

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13 Bits Of British Slang You've Probably Never Heard Of

Step into the land of milk and tea, and you will inevitably fall upon shouts of "All mouth, no trousers" and bellows of "bloody hell!" While some British slang is common sense, other terminology seem entirely nonsensical to the foreigner without a proper guide. Well, look for a guide no further--welcome to the world of British slang! A

All of these slang terms and more can be found on Smartling.

1. "All mouth, and no trousers" = "All talk, and no do"

Ideas

Example: "Ah, you shouldn't rely on that lad. He's all mouth and no trousers."

2. "Argy-bargy" = "An argumentative altercation"

Kate Heddleston

Example: "Madame Pompous got into quite the argy-bargy last night!"

3. "Damp Squib" = "Something that fails"

TED

Example: "Your brother is a damp squib when it comes to school."

4. "Doofer"" = "A British version of whatchamacallit

Economy Candy

Example: "Will ya hand me that...um...er...doofer?"

5. "Earwig" = "To eavesdrop"

VectorStock

Example: "Quit earwigging on my conversation!"

6. "Idiot box" = "A television set"

Photo Credit: PC Mag

Example: "Shall we see what's on the idiot box tonight?"

7. "Kerfuffle" = "A quarrel over opposing views"

Carwad

Example: "Those British politicians – always getting into silly kerfuffles."

8. "Knackered" = "Incredibly tired"

Best Health Magazine

Example: "A day of field work always leaves me knackered."

9. "Miffed" = "Offended"

Apologetics Press

Example: "You really know how to get someone miffed you arrogant bastard!"

10. "Odds and Sods" = "Odds and ends."

whitehotcenter.com

Example: "I've still got some odds and sods to deal with."

11. "Penny-dreadful" = "A cheap tabloid"

The Comic News

Example: "I read about the impending apocalypse in the penny-dreadful."

12. "The Fuzz" = "The Police"

istockphoto

Example: "The fuzz are onto him.."

13. "Drinking Sherbets" = "Drinking Beer"

Insider

Example: "Who is up for some sherbets at the pub tonight?"

Now that you're an expert on British slang, go ahead and test some of your knowledge during your next trip to England, or tag along with your British buds to the pub and wow them with your prowess.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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