Slang – Banter.
The playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks. To speak in a playful or teasing way. This expression can also be used to describe someone making a joke – in a good-natured way.
The word banter has become something of an infamous slang expression in recent years as its usage has developed. Some people use the word banter to make an excuse for their bad behaviour. As a result it is now associated with unruly behaviour and silliness, along with good-natured humour.
Related Expressions:
The Scottish slang expression argy-bargy refers to a noisy or lively argument. Kerfuffle is a British slang expression for a noisy argument or commotion. Another British expression for a commotion, disturbance, uproar or fuss is hullabaloo.
If somebody’s banter gets too much for you, you might want to storm out. Storm out is a phrasal verb that means to quickly leave a place because you are angry or upset about something. A storm in a teacup (idiom) is a small event that has been exaggerated out of proportion.
Example:
- “I really enjoyed your dinner party last night. There was a lot of good-natured banter.”
Learn More
Look it upWiktionary – banter: a good evergreen reference for how this everyday word is defined and used.WiktionaryListen:
What is slang?
Slang is very informal language. It’s usually spoken rather than written, and is often used by a particular group of people or in a particular place. Slang changes over time, and using it well is a great way to sound more natural when speaking English.
Frequently Asked Questions
The playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks — speaking in a joking, good-natured way.
Usually, but the word has become controversial in recent years, as some people use “it was just banter” as an excuse for genuinely unkind or unacceptable behaviour.
Banter is playful and both people are enjoying it; an argument is a serious, often heated disagreement where at least one person is upset.
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