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Have you ever used these funky British sayings, phrases like “pop your clogs” or “bee’s knees?” Here are more things to say if you want to expand your verbiage.
Cack-handed
If you did something “cack-handed,” it means you did it in an uncomfortable, clumsy or awkward way. The word ‘cack’ is old-fashioned slang for feces or poop.
Zonked
To say you’re “zonked” means to say that you are tired and more so, that you’re exhausted. Do you like this as one of the funky British sayings?
Tickety-Boo
Saying something is “tickety-boo” means that it’s in good order and satisfactory. Some sources say that “tickety-boo” derives from the Hindu phrase “?h?k hai, b?b?,” or “alright, sir.”
Wind Your Neck In
To tell someone to mind their own business or to keep out of it, you would say to “wind your neck in.” If you don’t want someone’s opinion on a situation, tell them to wind their neck in!
Full Of Beans
“Full of beans” describes someone that’s energetic, lively and enthusiastic. The saying comes from coffee beans but some say this isn’t accurate.
Wally
“Wally” means to explain someone that is silly or incompetent. However, in the 60s, if you were unfashionable, someone could call you a “wally.” Is this one of the funky British sayings you use?
Pop Your Clogs
If you “pop your clogs,” it means you die. This saying originated from Northern factory workers in the time of the industrial revolution. Working on the factory floor, employees wore hard clogs to protect their feet. “Pop” came from “cock” referring to someone who “cocked” their clogs, as they toes of their clogs were pointed up in the air as they lay down dead.
Wangle
To “wangle” means to accomplish or attain something in a cunning way.
Take the Mickey
If you take liberties at the expense of others, it could be said that you “take the Mickey.” It can be used in both a lighthearted and irritated way. Is this one of the funky British sayings you’ve used?
Waffle
To say someone is “waffling” or talking “waffle” means they are making a great speech, but skirting around the subject and saying nothing of value. To “waff” in the 17th century meant to yelp and then quickly changed to mean talking foolishly and indecisively.
Bee’s Knees
This saying has been in the US since the 1920s but it came from British origins. “Bee’s knees” means small or insignificant details and was first documented in the 18th century. Now it means something a little different, and explains something that’s the “height of cool.” You could say, “This concert is the bee’s knees.”
Cost A Bomb
To say something “cost a bomb” means that something is expensive. So if someone complimented your suit, you could say, “Thank you, it cost a bomb.” This could be one of the funnest funky British sayings to use.
A Few Sandwiches Short of a Picnic
Someone that doesn’t have much common sense can be described as “a few sandwiches short of a picnic.” This phrase was first said in 1987 as a part of the “Lenny Henry Christmas Special.”
Whinge
If you “whinge,” you’re moaning, groaning and complaining in an irritating or whiny way.
Wind-Up Merchant
A person that says something just to start controversy or an arguments is called a “wind-up merchant.” These comments are said to be light-hearted or said in jest when recipients become irritated. The idea of winding someone up means to make someone tense or irritated, the same way you wind up a jack-in-the-box before he aggressively pops out. This is the worst of all the funky British sayings!
Swot
To call someone a “swot” is to call them a nerd or a geek, but in a nicer way. It refers to someone that takes academic study very seriously. You can also use “swot” as a verb.
So what do you think of these funky British sayings or are they a part of your everyday vocabulary? Let me know in the comments!