Here’s our guide to the choicest British slang, insults and phrases: The British language has many nuances, something Shakespeare made use of back in the day. Money for old rope: money paid for goods of poor value, Not cricket: not fair; dishonest; immortal, Botch: do a bad job with something—she botched us when painting that painting, Her Majesty’s pleasure: prison. 11 greatest British insults. Who hasn't searched for the right word to describe a colleague's maschalephidrosis (runaway armpit perspi Also, means twisted, mean, or mad—that was a wicked witch, Dodgy: suspicious; not quite right; dishonest—that man was dodgy, A tad: a little bit—it was a tad on the dark side, Bollocking: being punished—he had a good bollocking, Donkey’s years: ages—it hadn’t happened in donkey’s years, Peanuts: very cheap—I had it for peanuts at the local shop, Horses for courses: what’s fitting for one case isn’t fitting for another. Yes, a lot of British slang words have to do with insulting a person’s intelligence. Shakespeare was actually prone to using “colourful” language and invented his own words and phrases. Find another word for insult. All five have distinctively different meanings. Synonyms: offensive, rude, … The history of insulting words that were reclaimed and went mainstream. Another word for insulting: offensive, rude, abusive, slighting, degrading | Collins English Thesaurus It's also a way to describe someone who is very gullible and incapble of making their own personal decisions.â, Be careful with this English insult as it has its deep historic origins. Dog in the manger comes from a story about a dog who withheld the hay in a manager from other animals, even though he wasn’t interested in eating it himself. And if you use your left hand when you’re right handed, you’re bound to make a mess. Yes, piss. I hate when people use this word, they don't even know the meaning of it. The word foozle means "a conservative, out-of-date person, especially an old man; dodo, fogy." Those movies also display many of the different accents—in both franchises Colin Firth speaks using RP (Queen’s English) and Taron Egerton has an East London dialect. It is widely used to indicate that somebody is a bad, cruel, despicable and detestable person. It's a noun to describe someone else, not something you say internally. Say you drop that last piece of pizza on the floor, or if you messed up something small at work. The literal meaning? cow. Thank you! Insult: an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings. arsehole | asshole. Possibly, the cannon balls were more likely to fall off in cold weather. dame. Once a mark of xenophobia, the word was promoted by Maoists as insulting but is now in general, informal use. If you're into swear words or if you screw up... 3. If you want the non-censored version (NSFW), you can check out this article. Hope you enjoy this extensive list of English insults and share it with a friend!Note: This is a safe for work version of insults. Something went wrong while submitting the form. English expressions and slang are different all over the country. The following is a list of ethnic slurs (ethnophaulisms) that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnicity, or to refer to them in a derogatory (that is, critical or disrespectful), pejorative (disapproving or contemptuous), or otherwise insulting manner.. bitch. American English Insults 1. Your submission has been received! offensive an insulting word for a man that you think is stupid, rude, or unpleasant. Can also mean very—the band was wicked loud. pussy. Arse (British English) / Ass (American English) Meaning – A stupid, irritating person Knobhead (British English) / Disckhead (American English) Jammie Dodgers are a type of biscuits which were named after the Beano comics character Rodger the Dodger, who managed to dodge chores and homework. Hoover is the name of a vacuum cleaner company (that now also produces other goods). “Hell’s bloody bells, that’s bloody marvellous!” would be a display of great happiness, not rudeness. Piece of shit. sissy. Something that is insulting is rude or offensive. In 1887 Prime Minister Robert Cecil (Bob), appointed his nephew, Arthur Balfour, as Chief Secretary for Ireland. Hence, the term jammy dodger became associated with someone who had undeserved luck. It is almost Shakespearean prose! 40. William Henry “Boss” Hoover was the original founder of the company (a relative of his invented a basic vacuum machine and sold the patent to Hoover after his wife became impressed using the machine). WHIFFLE-WHAFFLE. But the more common usage is to describe someone who talks the talk but can't walk the walk. #3 “I don’t have the time or the crayons to explain it to you.” This can be used in place of “We don’t accept resumes written in crayon.” a fellow, a chap, or a bloke). Mate: friend, brother (the equivalent of South Africa’s “bru” and similar to the Americans’ “dude”), Give someone a bell: call someone (and for some reason, when asking someone to call you, you use plural in some accents—give us a bell when the dress is ready, will you? It comes from Her Majesty’s Prison—HMP, Cram: squeeze something in; to stuff; sometimes in relation to learning something—I was cramming before the exam, Wind-up merchant: a teaser; someone who likes winding people up; someone who like playing practical jokes on people, Dog in the manger: someone who withholds something they cannot use themselves. YALDSON. Nitwit: silly, or foolish, person—she’s such a nitwit, Off their rocker: mad—they were off their rocker, they were, Mad as a hatter: mad—stemming from back in the day when hatters used a manufacturing process for felt that, indeed, made them mad (mercury poisoning), Prick: dick; asshole—he’s a prick that one, Tosser: someone who doesn’t have it all together, Daft cow: silly; stupid (referring to a woman), An angry Tweeter, after Brexit was announced and Trump made a statement that the Scots had made a wise decision to leave the EU—they voted to remain in the EU—called Donald Trump a “polyester cockwomble.”. The Brits are as fond of slang (some dating back centuries) as the rest of the world. Take our London Quiz: How Well Do You Really Know London. Stronza, feminine, corresponds to “bitch”. With each English culture comes a completely different style and meaning of insults, swear words, and slang terms. That’s our guide to British insults, slang & phrases. noun. Whether you're just starting to learn English or looking to spice up your conversation skills, these English insults may be the missing puzzle. English insults are as diverse as the English language. You can also use this word to imply a bungled effort on someone's part. If a person is a “numpty,” they are a stupid, foolish or ineffectual person. Incorrect: this is another word for someone who masturbates a lot and is again more properly applied... 3. What did you learn that was new? There is much that we do not know about snollygoster: where the word comes from, whether it is connected... Pillock. A fairly common Italian insult is stronzo, which corresponds to “asshole” in English. This can often be used towards someone that screws you over or makes you angry for doing something. See more ideas about funny words, cool words, word of the day. Originally published as two distinct collections, Depraved and Insulting English brings to light the language's most offensive and obscene words—words that have fallen out of today's lexicon but will no doubt delight, amuse, and in some cases prove surprisingly useful. Here are some great British insults used all over the country, so you won’t be misunderstood. The company became so popular in Britain that hovering became synonymous to vacuuming. This all adds to the fun. Whether you're just starting to learn English or already fluent, knowing the different types of English insults from America, Australia and UK is vital. If you want examples of how Brits speak, swear words included, watch the Bridget Jones and Kingsmen movies. Learn more. Wicked: great; amazing; brilliant. And they have some rather funny examples of how you can use one word to say many different things, chief among them being the word piss. a silly, stupid person. Originated as a rhyme on knackered, Chavtastic: so appalling a chav would enjoy it. It can also be used to describe your current state, say if you're feeling particularly hungover or tired. Some seemingly harmless words were originally concocted as mean-spirited insults. While Brits are known to be polite, with their stiff upper lips, they are also experts at swearing. bimbo. Vice versa. 1. Also used to refer to hobos or homeless people.â, Want to show how surprised or excited you are about something? The word f-u-c-k is one of the most widely recognized swear words in the English language. Some examples of thieves cant (as recorded in writing—it’s been argued that the spoken cant was different): In for a penny, in for a pound: if you started something, you may as well go full out and really dive into it (it stems from the fact that back in the day, if you owed a penny you might as well owe a pound due to the severity of the penalties being about the same), Death warmed up: pale or sickly—he looked like death warmed up, Laugh like a drain: to laugh with a loud, coarse, sound, Laugh up one’s sleeve: to laugh secretly, or to oneself, Bright as a button: very smart, or cheery, Full Monty: the whole package; everything—it was the full Monty. He was famous for humorous illustrations of fantastical inventions, involving complicated machinery that often served a simple purpose. Find 20 ways to say INSULTING, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Your 24/7 personal AI language coach, at a fraction of the price. Can also mean to warn someone off something or someone, Queer: weird, odd, strange, slightly unwell—I’m feeling queer Also, gay; homosexual, Queer someone’s plans: spoil someone’s plans or chances of doing something, especially secretly or maliciously, Hard cheese: tough luck; bad luck; hard lines—usually referring to someone going through misfortune, Kick one’s heels: pass time while waiting for something, Leave the field clear; leave the field open: not competing (or stop competing) with someone so that they can succeed, Heath Robinson: an overly complicated or ingenious machine which usually serves a simple purpose. police officer), Bang to rights: caught in the act—he was bang to rights thieving around, Skive: appearing to work while in fact avoiding it, Loo: toilet; bathroom—I’m going to the loo, Punter: a prostitute or strip joint’s customer, Nick: steal—he nicked a diamond right out under her nose, Bits and bobs: different things—we had a few bits and bobs stored away in the cupboard, Chap: man; boy; friend—there’s a good chap, Shambles: disarray; mess—the room was in shambles, It’s gone to shambles: it’s gone down the drain, Anorak: someone obsessively or overly interested in something, Off to spend a penny: going to the toilet, Bob’s your uncle: your success is guaranteed; there you go; that’s it. It hurts me to the core when this word is used, and I am shocked it isn't on this list. The article was insulting to the families of British citizens. Rare and Amusing Insults: Cockalorum, Snollygoster, and More Snollygoster. Originally published as two distinct collections, Depraved and Insulting English brings to light the language's most offensive and obscene words—words that have fallen out of today's lexicon but will no doubt delight, amuse, and in some cases prove surprisingly useful. It was originally used to refer to Irish or Romanian gypsies, and it has today evolved to describe a 'poor' person dressing up with flashy jewelery.â, A milder version of wanker, which Americans often mistaken as much milder. British offensive an insulting word for a woman, especially one who is stupid or unkind. Here’s a quote form Bridget Jones’ Diary 3: “You need some good old-fashioned lie-back-and-think-of-England bonking.”. Well, ya foozled that one. Apr 18, 2018 - Explore Simar Singh's board "One Word Insults" on Pinterest. Kerfuffle: a fuss, or commotion, usually related to opposing views, Cream crackered: very tired. As such, the phrase “Bob’s your uncle” came to mean “you’re guaranteed success,” or “that’s it,” or “it’s sorted.”, See a man about a dog: excuse oneself for a short person of time, whether to use the bathroom, or do something else, A spanner in the works: something that disrupts smooth operation or functioning—he threw a spanner in the works to prevent her from succeeding in her venture, Know one’s onions: knowing of that which you speak; being knowledgeable, Dog’s dinner: a mess—it was a tog’s dinner when we arrived at the crime scene, A spot of: a little bit of—let’s have a spot of tea, Have a natter: have a chat (usually leaning towards gossip, or just chatting away without much depth to the conversation), Bonking: having sex. N.B. Say you drop that last piece... 2. spiv. Incorrect: A tosser is someone who masturbates a lot; more specifically a man. A... 2. F*ck. Fair enough. The word insult can be traced to the Latin insultāre “to leap upon” or “assail”. It’s monkeys outside comes from the phrase: “It’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.” This actually does not mean what you think it does. If you did call someone a piece of shit , you would be basically saying that they are a detestable... 3. Tosser – Supreme Asshole or jerk. Son of a b*tch. Get insightful tips on language learning, productivity, building habits, and more. We hope you enjoyed this extensive post, so go ahead and share it with a friend! A brass monkey wasn’t a statue in brass depicting a monkey, but a brass stand where cannon balls were stacked. An indecisive, time-wasting ditherer. Motherfucker. You should be. The company was originally named the Electric Suction Sweeper Company, but the name was changed after Hoover’s death. These can be used to joke around with your close friends and co workers, and it can be useful to just be aware of them in case someone else uses it on you.In this article, we've decided to divide our list into three categories: Chances are, you're learning a specific type of English instead of all 3, and an American insult may not be recognized in Australia. It's similar to the way Americans say 'holy sh*t.', This is a diverse one as chuffer could mean someone who is overweight, that borrows a lot of money, or someone who's generally not loyal. You can call someone a wombat if they're particularly lazy, a couch potatoe, or a procrastinator in their regular life.â, Derro is an abbreviation for the word 'derelict.' ), Chuffed: proud; happy—I was chuffed I passed the exams, Fancy: like—I’ve taken a fancy to those shoes, Knock off: a copy of the real deal (such as a coy of a Chanel bag), Wonky: unstable; used in everyday language to explain something isn’t quite right, Sorted: arranged; well taken care of; someone who have their interests taken care of, such as being wealthy—after receiving that inheritance, he’s sorted, Cup of tea: indication that you like something; your preference—that’s my cup of tea, Get off: make out; snog—they were getting off in the living room. It was an apparent case of favouritism. 41. It’s believed it originated from Romany and that there were different dialects—the Romany had one, thieves another and beggars and petty thieves a third. Damn is mostly used internally when you screw something up or miss an opportunity. Here's a detailed video on British English insults to close off our article. Adding the word 'you' means you're directing the offense onto someone else. Damn is mostly used internally when you screw something up or miss an opportunity. The 10 best and strongest English insults 1. a pretty, but empty-headed, young lady. 28 synonyms of insult from the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, plus 49 related words, definitions, and antonyms. It can also be expressed to say 'no way' or 'get out of here' to express how surprised you are about a situation or statement.â, This is similar to the way we say 'truth' to affirm something that someone said. If you're into swear words or if you screw up in a bigger way, you can use this. These are: BEDUNG, BERAY, IMMERD, SHARNY, and the good ol’ SHITTEN. Irish travellers also had (and have) their own cant. What might be said in one county, isn’t in another. This came from racehorses being best suited at performing on racecourses, Float my boat: something agrees with you—that man floats my boat, Damp squib: an event that one thought would be great, but turns out miserable, or disappointing, Chock-a-block: closely packed together—the traffic was chock-a-block. Whatever the matter, or just to have a natter, the Brits put the kettle on. Most of the words are slang words and belong to the British English and American English. Some of the terms listed below (such as "Gringo", "Yank", etc.) airhead. 26 English Swear Words That You Thought Were Harmless 1. Put the kettle on literally means to put the kettle on, but is used to offer comfort, relieve a crisis, warm up, aid an investigation, provide courage, show you care…the list goes on. Basically, it's used to describe someone who needs to get their situation together. Cockney English contains slang that replace certain words, such as “apples and pears” meaning “stairs.” “Run up the apples and pears to fetch a pitcher, please.” The words replacing a word, as a general rule, rhymes with the word. I find this cuss word to be extremely offensive even more offensive than the n-word. This is it. insulting definition: 1. rude or offensive: 2. rude or offensive: . Yet, there are some little-known sophisticated words which are much better to use instead of common swearings. Can also mean to be in the nude, as you show everything, Across the pond: across the Atlantic Ocean, meaning the United States, which you find across the pond, Do a runner: leave abruptly, usually without fulfilling a commitment, Cack-handed: an awkward or inept way of doing something—that was a cack-handed way of repairing the sink. Gwei or kwai ( 鬼) means 'ghost', which the color white is associated with in China; and the term lo ( 佬) refers to a regular guy (i.e. Bollocks … It's quite the versatile phrase for just about any situation.â, Similar to saying 'get lost' when you don't want to be bothered with someone or if you're particularly feeling angry. When passions are high, people tend to start insulting each other, and Scots have some amazing insults at their disposal. Just knowing English isn’t enough—you have to understand the slang. The anthology is filled with slang words and terms of the kind dictionary scribe Samuel Johnson had previously deemed unfit for his influential A Dictionary of the English Language (1755). noun. There are plenty of ways to insult someone or vent your feelings. Sh*t of course is a direct translation for poo (#2).â, You can use this insult towards someone when you're mad at them (or sometimes when you're joking) and you can also use it for yourself if you mess something up. In short, overcomplicated, fancy looking machines. My friend keeps using this word even though I tell her it's offensive. You see, there’s a difference between it pissing down, you getting pissed, you being pissed off, you taking a piss and you taking the piss. noun. Strewth!â, This is a reference to the very slow, short-legged animal itself. Some examples include: Adam and Eve: believe Alan Whickers: knickers Artful Dodger: lodger Baked bean: queen Baker’s Dozen: cousin Ball and chalk: walk Barney rubble: trouble China plate: mate Daisy roots: boots Duke of Kent: rent Say your first shot off the 18th tee landed in the lake. Sh*t. This is a slang term that is a slightly stronger version of damn. offensive an insulting word for a man who is not strong, brave, or determined. It can also refer... 2. Bloody hell: oh my God—usually in relation to something extremely good, or bad happening, Hell’s bloody bells (or: hell’s bells): oh my God—usually in relation to something bad happening, but not always, Blooming brilliant: a nicer way of saying bloody brilliant, Blooming marvellous: a nicer way of saying bloody marvellous, Fanny Adams: obsolete; nothing (derogatory), That’s rubbish: that’s stupid; that’s silly; that’s nonsense, Lost the plot: someone who’s lost the plot is someone who’s gone crazy—after the breakup I believe he lost the plot, Bollocks: literally it means balls, but the real meaning is damn, bloody hell, or similar, when expressed angrily. Oops! Blasted: usually in relation to something going terribly wrong; you wouldn’t use it if something good happened. Make the running: set the pace; being more involved than others in a situation, Double Dutch: gibberish; incomprehensible, Take the mickey: take the piss; make fun of someone, Wag off: leave early from school, work, or some other duty. Comments 1. A common saying is, 'get out of the way you muppet!' noun. Damn. Google has been penalizing this site in its search rankings for years and a Google employee lied about it.Since they have almost killed this site, I am going to start releasing details on Monday August 17 of my conversation with the Google employee who told me about the penalty in secret. It could also come from the fact that people who are cack-handed make a mess. these are not always dictionary translation of words, but rather a Brit’s take on them. Well, let’s get a bit more imaginative. Laughing gear: mouth—usually a rude way of telling someone to be quiet would be to tell them to shut their laughing gear, The old Bill: constable (a.k.a. Read on to unravel the mystery (and learn how to tell someone to F off in proper British English—using the Queen’s accent, naturally). Say no more.) Never say the Scots aren’t inventive where language is concerned! It wasn’t a complete language, rather like Cockney it consists of a limited amount of words intermingled with regular language. In special cases, you can use BEMUTE (specifically means to drop poo on someone from great height), SHARD-BORN (born in dung), and FIMICOLOUS (living and growing on crap). © Copyright 2021 Rype, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wanker – Idiot. Or maybe you want to show your affirmation about a situation. Did you know thieves in Britain used to have their own language called thieves’ cant? bastard. Nip; nip out: go somewhere for a short amount of time—I’m just going to nip to the shop, Gaffer: director; manager (also: electrician on film sets), Curate’s egg: something that’s partially good and partially bad, Go spare: becoming extremely angry, or distraught, Numpty: reckless, unwise, or absentminded person, Big girl’s blouse: wimpy; emasculate; weak man, Have a bash: have a go; attempt at doing something—I’ve never done it before, but I’ll have a bash at it, Lose your marbles: lose your mind; go mad—I was losing my marbles over one silly little argument, At loose ends: not knowing what to do in a situation, or not having anything to do (boredom)—I was at loose ends with the whole thing (meaning: I didn’t know what to do with the whole thing), Tickety-boo: when something is going smoothly, Apples and pears: Cockney rhyme for stairs. [ + to] One of the apprentices made an insulting remark to a passing officer. The dog’s balls! A real bragger.â, There's no direct definition or translation to the word 'twit', but it's used in the same way Americans use 'brat'. (Wandoughty is an old word for impotence. In American English… ass-kisser. When someone causes you inconvenience or pain in any way, you can call them a 'blighter.'. ... Like most swear... 2. offensive an insulting word for a woman, especially one who is old. Honky. offensive informal an insulting word for a boy or a man who does things that girls or women usually do. It's effective if you want personal space.â. Slang/Insulting. F*ck you. While the term “cockney” originally referred to city dwellers, later Londoners and even later those from East London (a working class area) and their dialect—Cockney English—it now means the working class dialect in London and those who speak it. It can be recognized as an affectionate insult more than anything to describe someone who's behaving inappropriately.â, Another way to describe someone who has no sense of direction, hence 'muppet'. The literal translation for this is illegitimate child. Today, there may not be as many poets and playwrights playing around with language as there was then (or rather: there are more, they just play with language less as a general rule as plays are no longer written in verse). William Heath Robinson (1872-1944) was a British Cartoonist. This would normally be directed to a male who is mean, despicable or vicious person. Slag – Whore, the worst kind. Blokes don’t talk to bints unless they’ve had at least eight pints of beer, which is why bints turn up in free-for-students nightclubs at 2:45 a.m. with their faked student ID and dance around their Moschino rucksacks. Swearing is used as much when one is happy as when one is annoyed. In this video I explain the meanings of some of the most common vulgar insults in English. To the British, it may be more offensive than you think, so use with caution.â, A blighter is used to describe someone who constantly messes things or situations up. Cack-handed possibly comes from the idea that people use their right hand to eat and their left hand to wipe their bottoms. It's used for milder screw ups.â, This is a slang term that is a slightly stronger version of damn. n woman, in the loosest sense of the word.One step short of a prostitute, a bint is a bird with less class, less selectivity, more makeup and even more skin.
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