British dictionary of biography online slang

How well do you know your British slang? No, we aren’t talking about words like brilliant or bloke—you probably know these.

British dictionary of biography online slang

We want to challenge you with some slang words that might not be as widely known by American English speakers. The world of British slang is vast, and it includes everything from modern abbreviations to terms that have existed for a century.

So let’s dive in and learn some other UK originals that you might hear more often if you mingle with the locals.

bruv

In the US, we have friend terms like broand bruh. In the UK, they have bruv.

Bruv is short for brother, as in “fellow; buddy.” It’s a familiar term typically used between male friends, close relations, or even actual brothers. Bruvver is one regional (especially Cockney) pronunciation of brother in the UK, and bruv is a shortening of that.

oojah

You’ve likely heard of a doohickey or whatchamacallit, but what about an oo