Tag Archives: twee

8 bloody good British words

poshchuffed

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.