The Joys of British Slang

Whenever I meet and get talking with a non-native English speaking international student at school, one question inevitably arises at some point in the conversation; "Since you speak English as your first language, it must be pretty easy for you to understand in England, right?" Wrong. While I obviously understand English, I have been introduced to a new foreign language of sorts: British slang. I have formed a love/hate relationship with slang; on the one hand I think that the English have more amazingly brilliant and descriptive words in their slang repertoire than Americans do but on the other hand I'm always that girl that says. "wait, what does that word mean?" followed by, "oh... I get it..." Frustrating, but nearly always immediately fascinating and hilarious. I find myself slowly working in the new words that I've acquired (mostly through the help of Nikki and Rachel) and I get instant self-satisfaction when I successfully use one in conversation. Rachel even said "You're turning into us!" which I took as a huge compliment. So while I don't have any problem understanding lectures, I most certainly am learning a whole new, slightly dodgy vocabulary.

New words and phrases (keep in mind these are things that I hear commonly in a setting of college-age students or on TV):
-Knackered: it means to be wiped out, completely exhausted

-Dodgy: similar to "Sketchy" in America, unsafe or strange, risky

-Prat and Twat: Both are words you would use if you are mad at someone, or if someone is annoying. One would call their little brother a prat if he was being rude or snotty. Twat, while not a swear word, I've been told is more insulting and they don't generally use it on TV that children watch.

-Toilet: the bathroom is always called a toilet or a "loo"; a bathroom signifies a room that has a sink or shower attached

-"Hiya, All Right?": This is a common greeting. It's like saying "what's up?" It threw me off at first, I kept wondering if everyone thought I looked ill.

-Snog: Any avid Harry Potter fan would know this word, but for the rest of you, it means to make out with someone

-Barmy: Mad or crazy

- (My personal favorite) Chav: Someone who is, or pretends to be of a low social standing and who dresses in a certain style, typically badly or in sports clothing. (Thank you Wikipedia!) 


-Gutted: if someone is really upset or let down they would say "I'm gutted."

-Quid: money, one could say "It cost 10 quid"

-Pudding: dessert

-Chips: french fries (crisps are potato chips)

This gives you just a very, very small taste of the slang that I encounter everyday. More to come as the year progresses.