
Learning English as a second language? Ever struggled to understand what British people mean? Do you simply want to sound more like Hugh Grant? Here are 10 of the most important British English slang words or phrases you need to learn!
Pope Catholic?
This may seem confusing, but this is a prime example of British sarcasm, and means âobviously!â. If you ask something a seemingly stupid question, like âWould you like a cup of tea?â, you might hear âPope Catholic?!â
Not half bad!
Understatement is a large part of British culture, so ânot half badâ actually means âquite good!â. You can exchange âbadâ for other adjectives, so you might say âEngland isnât half cold!â
Bob’s your uncle!
Another phrase which makes no sense at first, this means âthere you goâ. It might come after some instructions âturn left and then Bobâs your uncle!â, but be careful of confusion with non-British people if they start asking who Bob is..!
Right up my street/alley!
If something is right up your street, itâs something youâd love to do! If you love the outdoors, then climbing up a mountain would be right up your alley!
Have a kip
Whilst having a kipper is a popular English breakfast, having a kip means going to sleep.
Dead chuffed!
To be âdead chuffedâ is to be very happy about something. Despite its main meaning, âdeadâ as an adjective means âextremelyâ and is most commonly used in this phrase.
My folks
There are lots of different ways to refer to your parents in Britain, and âmy folksâ is the main one! You might also call your dad your âold manâ (perhaps not in front of him!) or your mum âmaâ.
Pissed
This is a classic faux ami that catches people off-guard. Whilst âpissedâ means angry in America, it means drunk in Britain, whereas âpissed offâ means angry, but is a bit ruder.
Peak
This is a more colloquial word that also has the opposite meaning to what youâd expect. Rather than being good, if something is âpeakâ then itâs really bad. Just think of peak traffic and youâll understand how bad!

Mug someone off
If youâve been watching Love Island youâll have heard this before! Itâs a newer colloquial phrase, meaning to make someone look like a fool, so you certainly never want to be mugged off!
Now that youâre armed with your new British slang, youâre ready for it all! Schedule a Lex and show off your knowledge, which now isnât half bad!
Did you like our list? Comment below with your favorite British slang!
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