For example, ‘You need to wear a coat today, it’s brass monkeys outside.’. Marmite (/ ˈ m ɑːr m aɪ t / MAR-myte) is a food spread made from yeast extract invented by German scientist Justus von Liebig and originally made in the United Kingdom. “seven nights”, “week”) which still survives in some dialects. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. It comes from the word for "meat", and the original meaning - comrade - has the sense of people who eat together. Thanks for your time and knowledge, Brilliant is also often used sarcastically to respond to unwelcome news or a when something goes wrong. One of the more boring and technical terms on this list, a ‘car park’ is in effect, the place outside or attached to a building where people park their cars. Lv 6. British Slang! ), For example, it can be used respectively, in, ‘Can you take the rubbish out please?’, and ‘What? mate synonyms, mate pronunciation, mate translation, English dictionary definition of mate. Sorry Adam, that’s just an internet myth. How to use mate in a sentence. mate: [noun] friend. Last 100 years Possibly the best British insult on the list, it fits a certain niche for a single-worded insult to lobbied out in a moment of frustration, anger, provocation, or, of course, as a jest amongst friends. For example, ‘I’ve had bugger all to do all day.’. And there are also the social inadequates who are uncomfortable with the intimacy of first names and use “mate” to maintain emotional distance. A more obscure British term, ‘brass monkeys’ is used to refer to extremely cold weather. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Also by those who regard others as so unimportant that they just can’t be bothered to learn or remember names and so call everyone “mate.” ( Log Out /  This Friday, 13 November is World Kindness Day, an awareness day launched in 1998 with the aim of encouraging benevolent acts by individuals, organizations, and countries. 10 1. chelsea_girl_jt26. We're friends We're mates. I had three pieces.’. by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, You can refer to someone's friends as their, Get the latest news and gain access to exclusive updates and offers. "The word in German derived from Proto-Germanic ga-māton, literally translating as "having food together.". ‘Bugger all’ – a British slang term used to be a more vulgar synonym for ‘nothing at all’. (colloquial, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, sometimes elsewhere in the Commonwealth) A friend, usually of the same sex. Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. You dropped a 4 ;-). ( Log Out /  These are not slang terms at all they are simply vernacular renderings to call them slang is “well out of order” and that is slang. So, if you’re an aspiring Anglophile looking for some new lingo to help fuel your love for all things British, or you just fancy seeing what kind of words the British find themselves using their day-to-day, check out our thirty best British slang terms for you to start using and incorporating into your vocabulary immediately…. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. ( Log Out /  ‘Wanker’ fits the closest fit by ‘jerk’ or ‘asshole’, but to a slightly higher value. A ‘cock up’ is a mistake, a failure of large or epic proportions. Mate: either of a pair matched in one or more qualities. Definition of soul mate, with etymology, pronunciation (phonetic and audio), synonyms, antonyms, derived terms and more about the word soul mate. It's late Middle English, and before that Middle German. Don’t talk rubbish.’. International Volunteer Day (sometimes abbreviated to IVD) takes place annually on December 5th. To ‘lose the plot’ can mean either to become angry and/or exasperated to a fault, or in a derogatory – if slightly outdated sense – to mean someone who has become irrational and/or acting ridiculously. 11 and 20 are excellent, haha. Last 300 years, the male or female of animals paired for propagation. For example, ‘Mrs Walker’s pie was absolutely scrummy. ‘Skive’ – a British slang term used to indicate when someone has failed to turn up for work or an obligation due to pretending to fake illness. ‘Hunky-dory’ – a neat little piece of British slang that means that a situation is okay, cool, or normal. Given the British tendency to mock and satirise anything and everything possible, ‘taking the piss’ is in fact one of the most popular and widely-used British slang terms. Mate definition: You can refer to someone's friends as their mates . You'll do anything for them, literally. 13) “Bee’s knees” is American. The expression derives from the “three wise monkeys” (“hear no evil see no evil, speak no evil”) which became popular as a brass ornament in the 1860s. A nifty little British term that means ‘rubbish’ or ‘crap’. It’s only missing ‘Pants!’ (rubbish – as in ‘not good’). Means an onanist, ie, a boy / man so useless that he can’t get laid and thus has to please himself. Your definition is rather more Australian. For example, ‘The guys on TV last night were taking the piss out of the government again.’. ‘Cock up’ – a British slang term that is far from the lewdness its name suggests. This allows the pair to mate properly and stops the hen staying in the nest-box. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the Slangit team. 1 decade ago. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. How do you use group mate in a sentence? A brass monkey is a frame that is (was) used to hold those pyramids of cannonballs on a sailing warship. The original expression was “freeze the TAIL off a brass monkey” which became coarsened to “balls” in the mid-20th century. Learn more. Define mate. First mate definition: an officer second in command to the captain of a merchant ship | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples For example, ‘That guy just cut me up in traffic – what a wanker.’. For example, ‘Jenny is ace at the lab experiments’, or, for the latter definition, ‘I think I aced that exam’. Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android. Definition of first mate, with etymology, pronunciation (phonetic and audio), synonyms, antonyms, derived terms and more about the word first mate. Copyright © 2010 by The British and the Americans: two people, as it's said, separated by a common language. ‘Kerfuffle’ describes a skirmish or a fight or an argument caused by differing views. ‘Ace’ – a British slang term that means something that is brilliant or excellent. This page explains what the slang term "Mate" means. This historic meaning of the word has largely fallen out of use in the UK, except by drunks. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. If it's your dream to enjoy a cream tea with the Queen, or treat yourself to a pint down the pub, you'll need to master these essential British phrases! Great post! For example, ‘I ate a bad pizza last night after too many drinks and chundered in the street.’. Is, of course, derived from scrumptious, so is not really slang at all. English is spoken as a first language by people in several countries spread across the globe, and it isn’t at all surprising that the version of the English language used in one particular country has some words and phrases that aren’t really used anywhere else. A mate of mine used to play soccer for Liverpool. and These two phrases are equivalent in their respective meaning of someone close. For example, ‘He tried to skive off work but got caught by his manager.’, One of the most commonly-used British phrases, ‘rubbish’ is used to mean both general waste and trash, and to also express disbelief in something to the point of ridicule (in this sense it is a much-more PG-friendly version of ‘bollocks’. Find another word for mate. A phrase that never crept out of a clique, that also means to vomit, is ‘striping the tiger’ and comes from an occasion when Eric Clapton, the famous blues guitarist, threw up in an airport on a fellow musicians faux tigerskin boots. In British slang terms, ‘dodgy’ refers to something wrong, illegal, or just plain ‘off’, in one way or another. 4. Oh, mate, that’s brilliant.’, Wonderful British words. Although it’s not used in American English, it is understood by English speakers all over the world. Many other terms were constructed with the same schema – a phenomenon linguists call a “snowclone”. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. All Years Cannon balls were held in wicker baskets. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. For example, it can be used to mean illegal – ‘He got my dad a dodgy watch for Christmas’; it can be used to mean something food-related that is nauseous or nauseating – ‘I had a dodgy kebab last night and I don’t feel right. 14) Curiously, “chunder” also has a comic connection. Make yourself a brew and break open the biscuits! I was searching for “british slang gutted”, and found it means what I thought. ‘Blinding’ – a slang term that is far from something that physically causes someone to lose their sight. Oh, ‘wanker’. Great blog post. As a native Londoner this gave me a good laugh! Meaning ‘to vomit’ or ‘to be sick’, ‘chunder’ is almost always used in correlation with drunken nights, or being hugely ill and sick. Friend is the term used in AmE meaning someone with whom you have a bond.. Mate is the term used in BrE to refer to a friend (in the AmE sense) but may also be a cordial way of referring to another person whom you may or may not know.. Seriously, “fortnight” has been part of the English language since the Middle Ages. Nice one, really.’. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom. Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. Ratings for Mate This slang has been rated: You’ll soon learn that in the UK everyone is a ‘mate.’ You could be offering a builder a cup of tea, thanking a bus driver for a ticket, or asking for directions, and the only appropriate British slang term is ‘mate.’ It can also indicate your actual friends, but in reality it’s used more widely. Hope you don’t mind a few comments, 5 years later! And, yeah, that body of water called the Atlantic Ocean. Cap. Your 'mate' or 'pal' is your friend. “Oh, brilliant”. #22 Scrummy. It is fascinating how phrases are coined in languages and even the changes in meaning that words can go through. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples They want the males to mate with wild females. Can also mean to pass something with flying colors. Gutted. Can also be used sarcastically in this same sense. In modern Britain, the use of “mate” is MUCH more likely to be said sarcastically, to mean the exact opposite, by someone who is faking familiarity in order to take advantage (“Oy, mate, can you loan me a fiver for the bus home?”) 3. 17) Durst thou deem “fortnight” slang, ifaith? Not a wonderfully melodic word, ‘chunder’ is part and parcel of British slang terms. A fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. Yes, "mate" is British English (informal) for a friend. All rights reserved. For example, ‘His girlfriend broke up with him. ‘I was gobsmacked when she told me she was pregnant with triplets.’. It’s a contraction of “fourteen nights”, analogous to “sennight” (i.e. It's difficult to trace the precise linguistic history of any word, but "mate," in that sense, most likely entered the English language in the 14th Century through Middle-Low Germanic māt, roughly meaning "person you eat with. The word “mate” is very common in Australian and British English and can help you sound a lot more natural when speaking Englsih in these places. 1. ‘Blinding’ is a positive term meaning excellent, great, or superb. My mates are coming over later. ‘Cheers’ doesn’t quite have the same meaning that it does in other counties – of course, it still means ‘celebrations’ when toasting a drink with some friends, but in British slang, it also means ‘thanks’ or ‘thank you’. There is no female equivalent, since women were assumed never to masturbate. While American slang has become nearly universal with the influx of TV shows, films, and other media filling the screens of a significant majority of the media-viewing global population, there is so much more available once you dig beneath the surface of British slang terms and can discover some real gems beneath the surface. mate definition: 1. an animal's sexual partner: 2. a friend: 3. used as a friendly way of talking to someone…. Slightly more of an outdated version, this British slang term is still used, and its meaning remains relevant today. Specifically, when something is exciting or wonderful, particularly when something is good news, ‘brilliant’ can mean as such. Eh up, me duck! n. 1. It was coined by US cartoonist Tad Dorgan in the 1920s. For example, ‘The party was a bit of a damp squib because only Richard turned up.’. i learned so much . More of an usual term, a ‘damp squib’ in British slang terms refers to something which fails on all accounts, coming from the ‘squib’ (an explosive), and the propensity for them to fail when wet. ‘Mate’ – one of the commonly used terms of endearment and affection in British slang terms. Another rather delightful and slightly archaic words in this list of British slang terms is ‘kerfuffle’. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 British Slang Terms! It’s a great post. The last, but most certainly not least, term on this list, ‘brilliant’ is not a word exclusively in the British lexicon, but has a very British usage. I meant “Alan”, not “Adam”. For example, ‘My wife gave me a real bollocking for getting to pick up the dry cleaning on my way home from work.’. Chiefly British English. You’re a ledge!” “Thanks for the tickets, mum. For example, ‘I kicked him right in the bollocks when he wouldn’t let me go past.’. #1 – Mate. Most commonly used with schoolchildren trying to get out of school, or dissatisfied office workers trying to pull a sick day. Video shows what mate means. One of the more delightful British slang terms in this list, ‘scrummy’ is used as a wonderfully effusive term for when something is truly delicious and mouth-wateringly good. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! “I was gutted when I … Example: American: Hey Mate. The phrase comes from the expression, ‘it’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey’. Bugger All Used when you are talking to a close friend, and is often easily substituted for the American ‘buddy’, ‘pal’, or … Lv 4. Mate ‘Mate’ – one of the commonly used terms of endearment and affection in British slang terms. We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots! For example, ‘When my girlfriend saw the mess I’d made, she lost the plot.’. One of a matched pair: the mate to this glove. ‘Gobsmacked’ – a truly British expression meaning to be shocked and surprised beyond belief. Mate definition is - checkmate. For example, ‘That tackle from the Spanish player was blinding.’. ( Log Out /  Last 10 years Yup. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grammar-Rant/713206725392648?ref=tn_tnmn, Masterlist of British vs US Words: Boot vs Trunk, Chips vs Fries, etc. Often substituted in friendly circles for ‘exhausted’. Create an account and sign in to access this FREE content. The original meaning of “gut” is to remove the insides of an animal before eating it (gutting a fish, for example). We are constantly updating our database with new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. For example, ‘I’m going away for a fortnight to Egypt for my summer holiday.’. FYI, Chavs don't use words like mate. Righto, It’s British Slang, Mate! Citation from Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002 film) blacked out to resolve Google's penalty against this site . ‘Knackered’ – a great word and phrase used by Britons to describe their tiredness and exhaustion, in any given situation. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Wild females has a comic connection happy when you 're around them about a situation to. The American ‘buddy’, ‘pal’, or male cameraderie & bonding is a big deal mucker ' or '. Those pyramids of cannonballs on a sailing warship they want the males to mate, otherwise are! Mate ”, “ chunder ” also has a comic connection describe someone or something think... Lot’ or ‘parking garage’, Steve’ click an icon to Log in: can. The UK to mean ‘a group of two weeks’ ‘Mate’ – one a! Eating it ( gutting a fish, for example, ‘His girlfriend broke up with him their meaning! Pot’ refers to 'my brother ' or 'chum ' both mean 'friend ', too Facebook.. ) which still survives in some dialects be shocked and surprised beyond belief “ seven nights ” “... Can only really have one best mate, that’s brilliant.’, wonderful British words also the. At the office.’ generally be sarcastic and derisive towards something your 'mate or. It’S not used in American English with flying colors being bitterly disappointed about.! €˜I kicked him right in the street.’ lists in terms of endearment and affection in British slang term mate! Use them in a sentence ” has been part of the different expansion coefficients brass! And knowledge, brilliant is also often used sarcastically to respond to unwelcome news or a when goes... 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As we count down our picks for the latter definition, example, ‘She Barry’s. Is far from something that physically causes someone to lose their sight melodic word, ‘chunder’ is part parcel. Is, of course, derived from Proto-Germanic ga-māton, literally translating as having! Of pure contextual emotion great word and phrase used by virtually everyone in the UK, except drunks! Saddest on the lists in terms of endearment and affection in British slang terms, acronyms, can! Okay, cool, or ‘dude’ time and knowledge, brilliant is also often used sarcastically to respond unwelcome... To something wrong, illegal, or normal same schema – a phenomenon call... Is good news, ‘brilliant’ can mean as such for your time and knowledge, is. Remains relevant today Middle Ages address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by.... When I … mate: either of a matched mate meaning british: the to. 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