British Phrases I'm Picking Up

All of the following have come out of my mouth in the last few days. (And Mom, nice people use these phrases, at work even, so don't fret if they sound off color.)

  • bloody hell
  • bugger, bugger, bugger (best said in threes under your breath, or as a single bugger with emphasis)
  • bits and bobs
  • blimey (draw it out like a horse's neigh for best effect. Kind of the uffda of England)
  • bum (for butt)
  • right chuffed (means really excited or pleased. "Right" and "Proper" are used to suggest very/extreme/perfect/good, kind of your all-around positive modifier)
  • crickey (yes, crickey. Means "wow".)
  • it's in the boot (meaning the car trunk)
  • brilliant (roll the "r" for emphasis, if you wish)
  • keen (as a verb)
  • we're dead chocker (meaning very busy. As with right and proper above, "dead" is also an all-around modifier, and can be used in either positive or negative phrases to emphasize that you're pretty much spot on the definition, hence extreme, for whatever it's modifying. Dead handsome is good. Dead ugly is not.)
  • cuppa
  • prat
  • daft cow
  • tosser
  • punter
  • lads
  • garage (as in the BP next door that's really a mini-mart with gas pumps. If you want to say it right, by the way, it rhymes with carriage)
  • pissing down rain (not as off color as you'd think, Mom)
  • mate
  • Would you get that, love?
  • Bless him
  • you lot
  • me Mum (as in, "Me mum has an antique store back home.")
  • spot on
  • cheeky monkey
  • sorted (as an expression, it can mean "all right, then", but it can also be treated as a verb meaning to finish/resolve)
I'm going to be so annoying the next time you see me.

Comments

Sonja said…
And what phrases are you teaching the Brits? Whadyacome? Spendy?
8:27 am
Melinda June said…
I've got them saying whadayacome, buck-two-eighty, and boy howdy so far, and they're trying to pick up on That Rocks! but it's not coming naturally yet.
4:03 pm
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