Hey everyone, I'm Oliver and welcome back to the Understandable English Podcast.
I hope you're all well.
I have had a very busy month in August.
I moved apartments.
I've had a lot of work and started new projects.
And I hope that you're good too.
Today we are going to be talking about a very interesting topic.
British slang.
British slang.
We're going to look at what slang is, why you should learn it, and then I'm going to teach you some of the most common British slang words that you can use in your speech.
So let's get started.
First off, what is slang?
So slang is very informal language.
So that's language that we don't use in formal situations such as in business or in, for example, school or university, anywhere where you wouldn't use a swear word, for example.
It is also sometimes not found in a dictionary, which can make it quite difficult to learn the words and also know what they mean.
Slang is also more common in speech than in writing.
Of course, we never really write slang, but it is very common in text and also on social media sites.
Finally, slang is usually used by a particular group of people.
So for example, from a region or a specific country.
And of course, today we are going to be looking at slang from the UK.
At this point, you might be wondering, Oliver, why should I even learn British slang?
You might think it's useless or that there's not much point.
So of course, I want to give you some reasons as to why I think you should learn British slang.
The first is to better understand British culture, so you can learn how native speakers react to everyday situations.
You can also learn about British humour and the British approach to everyday life.
And, of course, it gives you a deeper understanding of literature, films and TV shows so you can understand what they're actually saying in natural speech.
Learning British slang will also increase your fluency.
There's a lot that you won't understand if you don't know slang, especially if you visit the UK.
And if you use these words, you will sound more like a native in your everyday situations.
I especially recommend using them when you meet a native, preferably from the UK, and I'm sure that they will be very impressed and very happy with hearing that you're using a complicated slang word.
I know I am every time I meet a Russian who uses a slang word from Northern Ireland or from the UK.
It's very cool and it makes for great conversation starters.
So now that we know why we should learn British slang and what it actually is, let's learn a few words.
So the first one I would like to teach you is the word knackered, knackered.
So you have to be careful of this one because it has a silent K at the start of the word.
So that's K-N-A-C-K-E-R-E-D, knackered.
And simply put, knackered means really, really tired.
So for example, he was knackered after a long day at work.
I use this word all the time when I'm working a lot.
So when I feel quite tired, I use it actually more than the word tired.
I just say knackered.
The next phrase is the word quid.
And this is a noun.
If you've ever been at the cashier of a British shop and you've heard the word quid, then you can know how confusing it can be.
But don't worry, a quid is just a slang word for a pound.
So a pound coin, a Great British Pound, which is the currency of the UK.
But, One important thing to remember is that quid does not have a plural form.
So you can say twenty quid, ten quid, five quid, seven quid, for example, but we never say quids.
It sounds a little bit strange.
However, when we use the word pound, we use pounds for plural.
This word is so, so common in the UK and you'll hear it everywhere.
You'll hear it in shops.
You'll hear it in restaurants cafes, anywhere where you can pay for things.
People will use this word.
Another great slang word that you have to know is cheers.
Cheers.
So you might know the word cheers as the word you use when you have a drink.
So with friends, for example, maybe at a celebration.
But as the British like to be different, we also use it for something else.
We use cheers to mean thank you, thank you.
So we say it for small things, nothing too serious.
So if someone gives you, for example, a present or a gift, don't use the word cheers.
Only use cheers for very small things.
Like if someone holds a door open for you, you might say cheers.
And finally, for British slang, the last word I would like to teach you today is the word mate.
Mate.
Mate is British slang for a friend.
However, it can also be used in a negative way.
If someone is angry at you, for example.
So I could say, oi, mate, get over here.
And it sounds a little bit aggressive.
But of course, if you say it in a nice way to a friend or someone who you know, it's a very positive word and it just means a good friend.
So as you may know, in different areas of the UK, there are different slang terms.
So in Scotland they have a lot of words that we don't use in Northern Ireland or England, and vice versa.
So the other way round as well.
But don't worry too much about region-specific slang.
So slang that is only in a small area, because the rest of us, even in the UK, don't understand or know these words, and it's fine.
The words that I've taught you today are ones which are used all across the UK.
So you can use them in Northern Ireland, England, Wales or Scotland and people will understand you.
And of course, I'm sure that you have a lot of slang in your language too.
There's slang in every language around the world.
Some people say that people who use slang are lazy, but personally, I don't agree.
I think that languages are always changing, they're always developing.
And in different situations, we can use different types of words.
So, for example, of course you'll never use a slang word in an important business meeting, but you might use it with your friends.
And I think that using these more intimate or unacceptable words together can actually bring us closer to that other person.
It shows that we are comfortable with them, that we trust them to use more inappropriate language, less formal language, informal language.
And I think that is great too.
However, I do have one word of warning.
Of course, there are also some very offensive slang words in English language as well, just like there is in Russian or any other language.
So always check the words when you're learning them.
Google the word and see if it is marked as offensive or vulgar or profane.
So that means that those words are quite bad.
So they're quite offensive and they will hurt the feelings of other people.
So I would avoid these words if you can.
But if you make a mistake and you use one, don't worry.
Just explain that you're not a native speaker and that you didn't know what the word meant.
I am sure people will be very understanding.
Thank you very much for listening to this episode of the podcast.
I really hope that you enjoyed it and I'm glad to be back making these episodes again for you.
As always, have a fantastic day or week or whatever.
And I really hope to see you or to talk to you in the next episode of the podcast.
Goodbye.
