Posh Spice and husband looking vaguely chuffed

Yanks just don’t say these words (at least not with these particular meanings). But they also just don’t have anything of their own — at least not one particular gobsmacking word  — that comes even close to each of these fine British colloquialisms. Knock yourself out with these conkers.

Chuffed: bloody pleased with yourself. “I just beat him at squash! Yeah – I’m chuffed mate.”

Posh: toffee-nosed, upper-crust, and probably bloody loaded. “He’s going to Ascot. Posh git.”

Knackered: bloody exhausted. “I just walked home from the pub. I’m bloody knackered.”

Naff: tacky, bloody tasteless. “Did you see her party get-up? How naff can you get?”

Whinge: complain in a really annoying and tiresome way. “Will you stop your bloody whinging and moaning and get a grip?”

Beaver (verb, usually followed by away): to work your bloody arse off. “While we were all down the pub, he was beavering away on his thesis. Bloody swat.”

Twee: too bloody quaint, pretty, or sentimental. “Lace and doilies on the tea trolley? How twee can you get?”

Bloody: very. Just a bloody good word for very.