50 Shames: British Insults
1. Tosser – Supreme Asshole or jerk.
2. Wanker – Idiot
3. Slag – Whore, the worst kind
4. Lost the plot – Gone crazy or completely stupid.
5. Daft Cow – Dumb, large woman
6. Arsehole – Asshole
7. Barmy – Stupid or crazy.
8. Chav – White Trash / Low Class
9. Dodgy – Shady character
10. Git – Moron, Idiot
11. Gormless – Complete lack of common sense
12. Manky – Disgusting
13. Minger – Very unattractive woman
14. Muppet – Dimwit (not the puppet variety)
15. Naff – Tacky
16. Pikey – White trash – also used to slight Gypsies or Irish Travellers
17. Pillock – Idiot
18. Plonker – Idiot
19. Prat - Idiot, asshole
20. Scrubber – A nicer way to say slag
21. Trollop – A lady of questionable morals
22. Uphill Gardener – Another way of saying homosexual
23. Twit – Idiot
24. Knob Head – Dickhead
25. Piss Off – Go Away
26. Bell End – Dick Head (bell end also means penis)
27. Lazy Sod – Useless idiot
28. Skiver – Lazy sod
29. Knob – Dick
30. Wazzock – Someone so dumb they can only do manual labor (from Yorkshire)
31. Ninny – Brilliant but inferior
32. Berk – Idiot
33. Airy-fairy – Not strong, weak. 34. Ankle-biters – Children
35. Arse-licker – A sycophant
36. Arsemonger – A person that generate contempt.
37. Chuffer – An annoying perfusion
38. Daft as a bush – Silly, Crazy
39. Dead from the neck up –Stupid.
40. Gannet – Greedy person.
41. Gone to the dogs – rotten, deteriorated
42. Ligger – freeloader
43. Like a dog with two dicks – Man whore
44. Mad as a bag of ferrets – Crazy
45. Maggot – A despicable person
46. Mingebag – A bad person, an asshole who might be cheap.
47. Not batting on a full wicket – Eccentric person a little crazy or odd.
48. Plug-Ugly – Very Ugly person
49. Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys – The French
50. Nutter— Someone’s who’s clearly crazy
Slang Of The 1920'S
All Wet - describes an erroneous idea or individual, as in, “he’s all wet.”
And How - I strongly agree!
Applesauce- an expletive same as horsefeathers, As in “Ah applesauce!”
Attaboy - well done!; also Attagirl!
Baby - sweetheart. Also denotes something of high value or respect.
Balled Up - confused, messed up
Baloney - nonsense!
Bank’s Closed - no kissing or making out - i.e. - “Sorry, Mac, the bank’s closed.”
Bearcat - a hot-blooded or fiery girl
Beat it - scam or get lost
Beat one’s gums - idle chatter
Bee’s Knees - An extraordinary person, thing, idea; the ultimate
Beef - a complaint or to complain
Beeswax - business, i.e. None of your beeswax.”
Bell bottom -a sailor
Berries - That which is attractive or pleasing; similar to bee’s knees, As in “It’s the berries.”
Bible Belt -Area in the South and Midwest where Fundamentalism flourishes
Big Cheese - The most important or influential person; boss. Same as big shot
Big six - a strong man; from auto advertising, for the new and powerful; six cylinder engines
Bimbo - a tough guy
Bird - general termfor a man or woman, sometimes meaning “odd,” i.e. “What a funny old bird.”
Blind Date - going out with someone you do not know
Bluenose - An excessively puritanical person, a prude, Creator of “the Blue Nozzle Curse.”
Bootleg - illegal liquor
Breezer - an convertible car
Bronx Cheer - A loud splutteringnoise, used to indicate disapproval. Same as raspberry
Bull - (1) a policeman or law-enforcement officer including FBI (2) nonsense (3) to chat idly, to exaggerate
Bull Session - Male talkfest, gossip, stories of sexual exploits
Bum’s rush - ejection by force from an establishment
Bump Off - To murder,To kill
Butt me - I’ll take a cigarette
Caper - a criminal act or robbery
Carry a Torch - To have acrush on someone
Cash - a kiss
Cash or check? - Do you kiss now or later?
Cat’s Meow - Something splendid or stylish; similar to bee’s knees; The best or greatest, wonderful.
Cat’s Pajamas - Same as cat’s meow
Chassis - the female body
Cheaters - Eyeglasses
Check - kiss me later
Ciggy - cigarette
Copacetic - Wonderful, fine, all right
Crush - An infatuation
Daddy - a youngwoman’s boyfriend or lover, especially if he’s rich
Dame - a female
Dapper - a Flapper’s dad
Darb - An excellent person or thing (as in “the Darb” - a person with money who can be relied on to pay the check)
Dead soldier - an empty bear bottle
Deb - an debutant
Dick - a private investigator
Dogs - feet
Doll - an attractive woman
Dolled up - dressed up
Don’t know from nothing - don’t have any information
Don’t take any wooden nickels - Don’t do anything stupid
Double-cross - to cheat, stab in the back
Dough - money
Drugstore Cowboy - a guy that hangs around on a street corner trying to pick up girls
Dry up - shut up, get lost
Ducky - very good
Dumb Dora - a stupid female
Edge - intoxication, a buzz. i.e. “I’ve got an edge.”
Egg - a person who lives the big life
Fire extinguisher - a chaperone
Fish -(1) a college freshman
(2) a first timer in prison
Flat Tire - A dull witted, insipid, disappointing date. Same as pill, pickle, drag, rag, oilcan
Flivver - a Model T; after 1928, could mean any old broken down car
Flapper - A stylish, brash, hedonistic young woman with short skirts & shorter hair
Fly boy - a glamorous term for an aviator
Frame - To give false evidence , to set up someone
Get a wiggle on - get a move on, get going
Giggle Water - An intoxicating beverage; alcohol
Gin Mill - An establishment where hard liquor is sold; bar
Glad rags - “going out on the town” clothes
Gold Digger - A woman who associates with or marries a man for his wealth
Goofy - in love
Hair of the Dog - a shot of alcohol
Handcuff - an engagement ring
Hard Boiled -a tough, strong guy
Hayburner - (1) a gas guzzling car (2) a horse one loses money on
Heebie-Jeebies - The jitters
High-Hat - To snub
Hit on all sixes - to perform 100 per cent; as “hitting on all six cyclinders”
Hooch - Bootleg liquor
Hood - hoodlum
Hoofer - Dancer
Horsefeathers - an expletive ; same usage as applesauce
Hotsy - Totsy - Pleasing
Iron - a motorcycle
Jake - OK, as in , ”Everything is Jake.”
Jalopy - Oldcar
Jane - any female
Java - coffee
Jitney - a car employed as a private bus. Fare was usually five cents; also called a “nickel”
Joe - coffee
John - a toilet
Joint - an establishment
Juice Joint - a speakeasy
Joint - A club, usually selling alcohol
Keen - Attractive or appealing
Kisser - Mouth
Left holding the bag - (1) to be cheated out of one’s fair share (2) to be blamed for something
Level with me - be honest
Line - Insincere flattery
Live wire - a lively person
Mrs. Grundy - A priggish or extremely tight-laced person
Nifty - great, excellent
“Now you’re on the trolley!” - Now you’ve got it, now you’re right!
Nobody Home - Describes some one who is dumb
On the lam - fleeing from police
On the level - legitimate, honest
On the up and up - on the level
Orchid - an expensive item
Ossified - a drunk person
Owl - a person who’s outlate
Palooka (1) a below-average or average boxer (2) a social outsider, from the comic strip character Joe Palooka
Pet - Same as neck, but more so
Piker - (1) a cheapskate (2) a coward
Pill - (1) a teacher (2) an unlikable person
Pinch - To arrest
Pipe down - stop talking
Pushover - A person easily convinced or seduced
Putting on the Ritz- after the Ritz hotel in Paris; doing something in high style
Rag-a-muffin - a dirty or disheveled individual
Razz- to make fun of
Real McCoy - The genuine article
Ritzy - Elegant (from the hotel)
Rubes - money or dollars
Says you - a reactionof disbelief
Scram - Ask someone to leave immediately
Sheba - A woman with sex appeal (from the move Queen of Sheba) or (e.g. Clara Bow)
Sheik - A man with sex appeal (from the Valentino movies)
Shiv - a knife
Sinker - a doughnut
Speakeasy - An illicit bar selling bootleg liquor
Spifflicated - Drunk. The same as canned, corked, tanked, primed, scrooched, jazzed, zozzled, plastered, owled, embalmed, lit, potted, ossified or fried to the hat
Spiffy - An elegant appearance
Spoon - to neck, or at least talk of love
Struggle Buggy - the backseat of a car. A parent’s worst nightmare
Stuck On - Having a crush on
Swanky - Ritzy
Swell - Wonderful. Also: a rich man
Take for a Ride - To drive off with someone in order to bump them off
Tin Pan Alley - the music industry in New York, located between 48th and 52nd street
Tomato - a female
Torpedo - A hired gun
Upchuck - To vomit when one has drunk too much
Wet Blanket - a solemn person, a killjoy
What’s eating you? - What’s wrong
Whoopee - To have a good time
Victorian Dialoge
I’m writing a story where a character is cursed and is immortal, and they were born in the victorian era and now it’s modern times. Anyway, do you have any tips on old fashioned language? -Anonymous
Well, that depends on your character’s background. For example, if they were born into the British upper classes, they’ll speak differently to if they were in the lower classes in America. See where I’m coming from?
Generally, for upper classes, go for long words and long sentences. Semi-colons are your friend. And for the lower classes, slang slang slang.
This is a gross generalisation, but hopefully it gives you the basic idea.
Also don’t forget that if the character’s immortal, they’re probably likely to have assimilated somewhat, so don’t be afraid to mix Victorian and modern language and speech patterns. It could add a whole other layer =]
Here are some awesome resources that explain things way better than I ever could:
- Victorian Language, a brief summary
- Criminal Slang, doesn’t have everything but does have it in context, which is helpful
- Victorian Slang Glossary, more comprehensive than the above
- The Etiquette of Conversation, more about how you should say things politely than what you should say, but you might find it useful =]
- Victorian Vernacular, a forum thread on Steampunk Empire with some cool links and tips
- And here’s a really cool collection of obscure English words
Apart from that, I suggest you just google the type of thing you want and/or read some Victorian books - start with Oliver Twist and go from there =]
I hope this was helpful!
-M
English Slang- Regions/Counties
I have said before I don’t like the British slang posts that circle tumblr. Not all of these slang words are used universally across the UK and some are probably out of date. So here is my list based on regions.
Cheshire
- Dutty- dirty. “She’s so dutty!”
- Paralytic- drunk “God I was paralytic last night”
- Baghead- idiot “John was being a right baghead”
- Traffic light party- dress according to relationship status.
- Gange- weed “Gange is illegal!!”
- Bitch/hissy fit- tantrum “Oh stop throwing a hissy fit mum, I’ll clean it in a bit!”
Cumbria
- How’s your fettle- how’re you doing?
- Marra- friend “He’s such a good marra”
- yan tyan tethera methera- one, two, three, four
- Yous- plural form of you “Oi! Yous lot, pack it in!”
- Owt- anything “What do you want to do today?” “Owt”
- Nowt- nothing “What are you doing?” “Nowt”
- jammy- lucky “Oh your so jammy!”
- Garn yam- going home “I’m garn yam now”
- Be reet- it’ll be alright “Don’t worry, be reet”
Lancashire
- Chuddy- chewing gum “Can I have a chuddy?”
- Tart- slut “Have you see that dress? She’s such a tart.”
- Brew -tea/coffee “Make me a brew”
- Buttie- sandwich, “I love chip butties”
- Tintanet- internet “Just on tintanet”
by yuutfa
Merseyside (Mainly Liverpool/Scouse words)
- Scouse- A person from Liverpool is (also, “a scouser”),
- Scatty- something dirty “Don’t wear that, it’s scatty!”
- Gigs- (eye) glasses “I like your new gigs!”
- Kecks- Trousers “Pull your kecks up!”
- Meff- someone who is dirty
- Ming/Minger- someone who is dirty “Your such a minger Tom!”
- Bizzies- Police “The bizzies nearly got me!”
- Chippy- Fish and chip shop “Chippy for tea?”
- Divvy- Idiot “Stop being a divvy”
- Made up- Really happy “I’m real made up with your results!”
- Is right- “get in there” which I guess means “yay”
- Muzzy- “moustache” “Cor, look at the muzzy on him!”
- Pure- (adj) Very
- Doing my head in- annoying/frustrating me “Be quiet Lucy, you’re doing my head in”
- Swerve (that)- Stop that/something along the lines of “no I’m not doing that/let’s not do that”
- Cuppa- Cup of tea “Fancy a cuppa?”
- Butty/butties- sandwich/es “Lets have some butties”
- Fuming- Extremely angry “I was fuming”
- Boss- (adj) amazing “Wow you are so boss at that game!”
- As if- “I don’t believe it”, coming from “as if that’s true” “Harry’s in jail.” “As if!”
- Bevvy- Alcholic drink “Get me a bevvy”
- Blag- Lie “Stop blagging”
- Come ‘ed- “Come head” – offering a fight
- Geg (verb, usually followed by “in”, can be “gegging in”, “gegged in”, etc)- Join in on something (activity/conversation/etc. uninvited) “Stop gegging in!”
- Geg out- Usually said when telling somebody to butt out “This is nothing to do with you, geg out”
- No nee- used as an exclamation of digust/disappointment (also “any need?”)
- Wool- (noun) somebody not from Liverpool but from the surrounding areas e.g. St Helens, Wigan, Warrington, etc.”He’s a wool, isn’t he”
- Plazzy scouser- (Plastic Scouser) somebody who claims to be Scouse when they’re not
- Soft lad- Friendly name for somebody who is being a bit dim “Fred’s being a bit of a soft lad”
- Soz- Sorry
- Ta’-Thanks “Ta for that
- Ye ma-Your mum
Midlands ( More Black country)
- Ar cor- I can’t “Ar cor do that”
- I bay- I better not
- I day- I daren’t “Pull his trousers down!” “I day do that!
- Barmy- Crazy “Your mum is barmy!”
- Bab- pet name “You okay bab?”
- Babbee- Baby “She’s got a babbee now”
by anon
Northumbrian
- Plodging- to paddle in shallow water “Going to go plodging
- Canny- good “She’s a canny girl”
- Skumfished- hot or tired depending on region “Oh I’m skumfished, best go to bed.”
- Ahaad- something caught fire
- Cannit- cannot
- Lowp- jump
- Stottie- round bread
- on your honkers- crouching “Why are you on your honkers?”
- Crack-gossip “You’ll never believe this crack I just heard!”
- Hinny- honey “Give me a cuddle hinny”
- Divvent- do/did not “I divvent do that!”
- Toon- town “I’m going to go toon”
- Bairn- child “She’s such a cute bairn!”
- Hacky- dirty “Oh, your clothes are hacky”
by lixstorrm
Nottinghamshire
- Peng’ - meaning attractive, fit, pretty “She’s so peng!”
- Greb- emo “She looks like a greb”
- Short Weekends- trousers that are too short “Reece we’re going to have to buy you some new trousers, they are short weekends!”
Somerset
- Alllraiiiiight Me lover- alright my love “Hello” “Alright me lover?”
- Babber- baby “Oh look at the cute babber”
- Casn’t- can’t “I casn’t do that!”
- Gurt- very
- Kinave- can I have “Kinave a lolly please”
- Rit- write
- Pitcher- picture “Oh what a nice pitcheer”
- Wheres Attoo? - where is that
- Brissle- Bristol “He’s from brissle
- init- isn’t it “That food is so nice, innit”
by bkhea
Yorkshire
- ‘Eck/heck - hell “By heck that hill is steep!”
- Bait- snack “Let me get some bait”
- Beck- stream or brook. “Jill is playing down by the beck”
- Belt- to hit/thrash “I’ll belt you if you don’t shut up”
- Chuffed- happy “I’m really chuffed with you”
- Flaggin’- Tired “I’m flaggin today”
- Flummox - confused/puzzled “You’ve really flummoxed me”
- Gaffer- boss “Best speak to the gaffer about that”
- Lug- pull or tug something or a tangle in hair. “I have to lug that sack all the way upstairs!” “I have so many lugs in my hair”
- Mardy/mardy bum- moody/bad tempered “You are such a mardy bum, it’ll be your turn in a minute!”
- Mind- watch out for “Mind your brother at school”
- Nowt- nothing
- ‘Ow do - how do you do? “Ow do you today?”
- Owt - anything
- Pop- fizzy drink “Pass me the pop”
- Reckon- think “I reckon I’m going to fail these tests.”
- Reight- very “It’s reight good this game!”
- Spell- splinter of wood “I just got a spell in my hand from that fence!”
- Popped ‘is cloggs- died “Dennis popped ‘is cloggs last week
- Duck- pet name “How are you duck?”
- Love- pet name “Are you alright love?”
Further information
30 English accents- A funny video by a very talented guy!
If your area wasn’t included or some slang wasn’t send it to me and I will edit it.
-S
The Top Ten most sarcastic Flapper slang words. | Glamourdaze
glamourdaze.com- Umbrella - young man any girl can borrow for the evening.
- Rock of Ages - any woman over 30 years of age.
- Face stretcher - old maid who tries to look young.
- Cellar Smeller - a young man who always turns up where there’s free liquor to be had.
- Corn Shredder - young man who dances on a girl’s feet.
- Being Edisoned - getting asked a lot of boring questions.
- Finale Hopper - a young man who arrives after everything is paid for.
- Mustard Plaster - unwelcome guy who sticks around.
- Potato - a young man shy of brains.
- Rug Hopper - young man who never takes a girl out. A parlor hound.
GERMAN SLANG WORDS
Alter/Alte: Dude
der Asi: anti-social person
der Bulle: cop
die Eier: balls
die Fete: party
das Flittchen: hussy
der Gummi: condom
der Klugscheisser: know-it-all
der (alte) Knacker: (old) geezer
die Möpse: boobs
der Ohrwurm: catchy tune
der Penner: bum
der Schwanz: penis
der Schwarm: crush
die Titten: tits
die Tussi: bimbo
die Zicke: bitch
der Zoff: trouble
auf etwas/jemanden abfahren: to be crazy about something/someone
abhängen: to relax, to hang out
jemanden abservieren: to dump somebody
anbaggern: to hit on somebody
jemanden anmachen: to hit on somebody
checken: to understand something
gaffen: to stare
knutschen: to snog
labern: to prattle
pennen: to sleep
etwas schnallen: to understand something
auf etwas/jemanden stehen: to fancy something/someone
jemanden verarschen: to take the piss out of somebody
jemanden verdreschen: to beat someone
verpissen: to bugger off
geil: cool
krass: crass
spitze: great
voll: very
