UK Slang

 If you have spent any time online recently, you'd be forgiven for thinking that there is something in the water. Some grown adults - usually of the millennial, gen Z variety, although not exclusively - have regressed to a kind of cutesy, baby language, even while discussing serious topics. In this language the cost of living crisis is the "cossie livs"; the upcoming general election is the "genny lec",  and a mental breakdown is a menty b. 

Kiss Me Baby
Frederick James Shields (1833-1911)
Photo Credit: Manchester Art Gallery [CC BY-NC-ND]

Meanwhile, holidays are "holibobs", and the wine formerly known as sauvignon blanc is "savvy b" best paired with a jacky p (jacket potato) for a comforting dinner that's not too "spenny" (expensive)...

If you're finding all of this cringe-making, offensive or just plain unremarkable - I understand. I did too...

I certainly have my own preferences: "innit" [isn't it] and "babe" [term of endearment for a spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend] feel natural to me, but I would not say "totes" [totally] or "drinkypoos" [alcoholic drink], which I am still baffled about anyone saying, given that it sounds like gastric irritation after a big night out...

New phrases are created and submitted to the online populous for its approval faster than you can say panny d (yes, "pandemic")... And so I say, long live the funny little phrases! Savour the crowdsourced clauses of joy, in pursuit of a more open society. They are a source of national pride. Or should I say "nashy p"?

(Coco Khan, The Guardian, 2024)