Topic 02 · 81 lessons · every one with a quiz
Slang
Chuffed, knackered, gutted: the British slang you won’t find in your textbook, explained in plain English with real examples.
Lucky dip Take a random slang word
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New to slang? Begin with these three.All slang
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The guide
About slang
Welcome to FunkyEnglish’s list of British slang — over 75 words and phrases, from the sort you’ll hear every day to the sort that’ll make you sound like you’ve lived here for years. Each entry comes with a plain-English meaning, example sentences and a short quiz.
What Counts as Slang?
Slang is the informal, everyday vocabulary that never quite makes it into the textbook: the words your coursebook skipped but your British colleagues use in every other sentence. Knowing your slang words and meanings is often the difference between understanding a conversation and just nodding along.
Why It’s Worth Learning
Slang changes fast and varies by region, so it’s easy to feel a step behind — even fluent speakers get caught out by a new one now and then. This list focuses on slang that’s genuinely common across the UK, not just what one person’s cousin says.
A Few to Start With
- Abs — short for abdominal muscles
- Apples and Pears — classic Cockney rhyming slang for “stairs”
- Argy-bargy — a noisy argument or scuffle
- Bae — a term for a partner or loved one
- Banter — light-hearted teasing between friends
New slang is added regularly.
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01IdiomsRaining cats and dogs — and why02SlangChuffed, knackered, gutted03Phrasal VerbsGet on, get over, get by04GrammarTenses without the tears05Common PhrasesWhat people really say06British CultureQueues, tea and ‘you alright?’07Photo VocabWords you can actually see08ProverbsOld wisdom, still handy09LessonsThemed deep dives10In the NewsEnglish from the headlines