Hello UKgaters!

I have been living in the UK for years now. As time goes by, you kind of get used to listen and understand what your British friends say and it is not that difficult to have a conversation with them.

However, I often find it really hard to join when two or more English speakers have a conversation each other. Sometimes I don't even think they speak English at all. Totally different language - I felt that more when I was in Newcastle.

Anyway, it may be because of a cultural thing. When they talk about Hollyoaks for example, there is not a slight chance for me to speak.

Though, I think the main reason is that we, the foreigners, haven't got a clue when they speak something using idiomatic expressions. English teachers at UKgate and BBC announcers may speak formal language, but not in real world; especially, when you think about British people who love to have a laugh all the time.

Let me cut to the chase and introduce you some British slang - of course I am sure that some of them are also being used in the USA as well. 

Please feel free to add comments if you know other popular slang and / or funny expressions.

advert
    Short for advertisement

anticlockwise
    counterclockwise

argy - bargy 
    (pronounced ah-jy bah-jy) argument; a bit of wrangling

autumn
    fall

bent
    not altogether legal; corrupt

building society
    small bank: sort of like a credit union/savings&loan

the bill; old bill
    the police

blimey
    expression of surprise or contempt

bloody hell
    exclamation meaning anything from 'damn it' to something milder like 'wow'

bloody minded
    stubborn; persistent; obstinate; intentionally difficult

block
    man

blotto
    so tired as to be vacant headed; drunk

bobby
    police officer

boffin
    an expert, but perh. with connotations of nerdiness etc.

botched / bodged job
    poor quality repairs

bonk
    have sex

bottle
    courage (he doesn't have the bottle to ask her)

bugger
    scamp / scoundrel / pest (the little bugger)

to bugger
    to break; to foul up; to spoil

bugger off
    get lost

bugger all
    nothing; not a thing

bumbag
    fanny pack

cinema
    movie theater

chuffed

    delighted

daft

    crazy / stupid

dodgy

     questionable / awkward

the dole
    financial aid provided to the unemployed by the state similar to welfare in other countries.

dosh

    money / cash

doss
    sleep (also something easy)

dotty

    feeble-minded / silly / absurd

duff
    broken, defective, no good

fagged

    exhausted

fags

    cigarettes

to fiddle

    to cheat, especially on paying income tax

fit
    in good (physical) shape 

flog

    sell

grass

    inform on someone

hire
    rent

holiday
    people generally talk about going "on holiday" rather than on vacation ...

kip

     a nap or short sleep

knickers

    women's underpants

the lads

    the boys

knackered

    tired; worn out

lolly

    money

murder
    eat, wolf down (mostly as in "I could murder a kebab/plate of chips")

naff

    tacky / unfashionable / daggy

nick

    to steal / arrest

the nick

    prison; police station

nooky

    sexual activity

nutter

    nut; crazy person

peckish

    hungry for a snack

pissed

   drunk

ponce

    ostentatious or effeminate man

potty

    foolish / crazy

queue
    line

redundant
    ("make redundant") - to fire, sack

rubber
    eraser 

scrappy
    rough, amateurish

secateurs
    gardening shears

shambolic
    in a shambles

slippy

    slippery / quick

to snog

    to kiss

sod off

     get lost

stumm

    quiet

the States
    the USA

suss
    to figure out, understand ("I've got it sussed")

ta

    thanks

take the mickey
    make fun of ("take the michael", "take the mick")

tara

    goodbye

telly

    television

trolley
    shopping cart

tosser

    wanker / jerk

vet

    to check something out

whinge

    to whine or complain

willie

    penis

yob

    trouble maker