It’s late, it’s raining and the last bus has gone. Time for a taxi! Whether you’re grabbing a black cab in London or booking a car home from the pub, here are the words you’ll need, plus a few things every visitor to Britain should know about cabbies.
Words in the Photo
Three words you can see in the photo at the top of this page, in alphabetical order.
queue (verb): to wait in a line with other people (or cars) until it’s your turn. · In the photo
“We queued for twenty minutes at the airport before we got a taxi.”
taxi (noun): a car with a driver that you pay to take you somewhere. · In the photo
“Shall we walk, or get a taxi?”
taxi rank (noun): a place where taxis wait in a line for passengers. · In the photo
“There’s a taxi rank just outside the station.”
12 More Taxi Words
From hailing a cab to paying the fare, the words you’ll hear on every taxi ride.
black cab (noun): a traditional London taxi, which you can stop in the street.
“We hailed a black cab outside the theatre.”
book (verb): to arrange something in advance.
“I’ve booked a taxi for six o’clock tomorrow morning.”
cab (noun): another word for a taxi.
“Let’s share a cab. It’s cheaper.”
cabbie (noun, informal): a taxi driver.
“The cabbie knew a shortcut and got us there in ten minutes.”
drop off (phrasal verb): to take someone to a place and leave them there.
“Could you drop me off at the corner, please?”
fare (noun): the money you pay for a journey.
“The fare to the airport was about forty quid.”
for hire (phrase): available to take passengers.
“Look for a cab with the “for hire” light on.”
hail (verb): to wave at a taxi to make it stop.
“She stepped to the edge of the pavement and hailed a cab.”
meter (noun): the machine in a taxi that shows how much you have to pay.
“Keep an eye on the meter. It’s going up fast!”
minicab (noun): a private taxi that you must book in advance, by phone or app.
“We couldn’t find a black cab, so we booked a minicab.”
pick up (phrasal verb): to collect someone in a car.
“The taxi will pick us up at the hotel at eight.”
tip (noun): extra money you give to say thank you for good service.
“The driver was so helpful that we gave him a big tip.”
London’s Black Cabs and the Knowledge
London’s black cab drivers are famous for knowing every street in the city, and they don’t need a sat nav to do it. To get their licence, they have to pass the Knowledge: they learn more than 25,000 streets within six miles of Charing Cross, plus thousands of landmarks, hotels, theatres and hospitals. It takes about three years on average. No wonder cabbies are proud of it!
A few tips for taking a taxi in Britain:
- If the orange TAXI sign on the roof is lit, the cab is for hire. Hold out your arm to hail it.
- Minicabs can’t be hailed in the street. Book them by phone or app.
- Brits don’t always tip taxi drivers, but many people round up the fare: “Call it twenty, keep the change.”
- Small talk with the driver is normal. The weather is always a safe topic!
UK or US? In Britain you wait at a taxi rank and queue. In America you wait at a taxi stand and stand in line.
Useful Phrases
- “Are you free?” (Are you available?)
- “Could you take me to King’s Cross, please?”
- “Roughly how much will it be to the airport?”
- “Just here is fine, thanks.”
- “Keep the change.”
For buses, trains and the Tube, see our public transport vocabulary. And if the fare leaves you skint, there’s always the bus.
In the News
Spotted in the newsThe Knowledge – LEVC (makers of the London taxi)levc.comFrequently Asked Questions
There is no real difference. “Cab” is just a shorter, slightly more informal word for a taxi. In London, people often say “black cab”.
A taxi rank is a place where taxis wait in a line for passengers, usually outside stations, airports and shopping centres. Americans call it a “taxi stand”.
You can stop a black cab in the street or find one at a taxi rank. A minicab is a private hire car: you have to book it in advance, by phone or app.
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