Living in the UK – with all of its unique sayings, phrases and slang – can sound like a load of old gobbledigook (nonsense!) to a newbie.
Fear not! We’re here to help you crack the code of a handful of commonly-used British terms and phrases so you can speak like a local in no time. And if you’re not drinking a cup of tea while reading this, it’s time to get that kettle on!
Cuppa
If there’s one thing you need to understand about the Brits, it’s that they LOVE tea. So much so, that as a nation, they consume 165 million cups of it per day! Just what it is about this hot, golden-brown beverage that they love so much isn’t exactly clear, but one thing’s for sure; if you’re going to get on in Britain you need to learn exactly how to make a good cuppa (short for a ‘cup of’ tea).
Pour hot water over a tea bag and allow it to brew for 2-3 minutes, add sugar and milk if required — and that’s it! Oh, apart from then sitting back, relaxing and making and international call while sipping it.
*Beware: the ‘correct’ way to make tea (milk in first or last) is a subject that divides the nation.
Quid
This quirky little word simply means one British pound. So if someone asks you to lend them a quid, they’re asking you to lend them £1. If it only costs a quid to get into a gig, then it’s only £1 entry and if someone tells you they’re ‘quids in’, that means they’ve come into some fortune (and if you’re lucky, they might buy you a drink!). A quid is also sometimes called a ‘bob’. So if someone says they’ve ‘got a few bob’, it means they’ve got a few £££!
Okie dokie
This cheery phrase is basically just a jolly way of saying, ‘okay!’ Here’s an example…
Us: Would you like a Free SIM card?
You: Okay dokie
Dog n’ bone
Cockney rhyming slang was born in London, but some of it’s most popular sayings like ‘dog n’ bone’ are well-known throughout Britain.
‘Dog n’ bone’ is a slang way of saying ‘tel-e-phone.’ So, next time you’re making an international call home around your Cockney mates, just tell them you’re “going to be on the ‘dog n’ bone’ for a while!”
….then look out for impressed faces.
Brekkie
Short for ‘breakfast’, a tasty brekkie is a sure way to a Brit’s heart. Their famous ‘Full English Breakfast’ is not to everyone’s taste – bacon, sausage, eggs, beans, tomato, mushrooms and toast – but it’s a hearty start to the day. If you’re yet to try a Full English Breakfast, what are you waiting for? And no, you can’t count the tomato as one of your five a day!
Living in the UK is a great adventure, but it’s always great to call home! Lebara Mobile offer cheap international calls with plans from as little as £0.1 quid and a free SIM! Pick up the ‘dog n’ bone’ and call home at anytime — why not try testing some of that newly-learned British slang on your relatives?
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