Do you know these common British English words? Kat doesn't. 🤦‍♀️

Hello, hello, high level listeners.

Welcome to High Level Listening, and you're just in time for a British English speakaking video with me, Mark from the UK. And as always, I'm joined by Cat from the USA. Have you ever felt

a little bit lost trying to listen to a group of British people chatting away or talking to each other?

>> Yes. Yes. Actually, I have felt a little lost in a group of Brits having just a little chat.

>> Ah, well, there you go. So this has even happened to cat who is a native speaker.

So sometimes I have to be a translator for you so you can understand some of the real meanings of British words and especially British slang, those casual phrases that we use with our friends. Uh

I grew up in the UK. I'm from the UK, but I've also traveled quite a lot outside the UK. So, I'm aware that there are quite a lot of words and phrases that are exclusively British and I can't

really use with people who are not from the UK.

>> Right. And honestly, even after years and years of teaching in school, I have never really seen any of these slang or expressions in textbooks either. But

luckily, if you're like me and you want to impress your British friends, we're going to get some help from Mark today to help explain some of these British English phrases that even native speakers struggle with.

>> Yes. Okay. So, today, Cat has prepared some common British slang words that she's heard or seen, but has had trouble with in the past. And I'm going to explain what they mean, when you can use

it, and give you some examples as well.

And then at the end, we're going to give Cat a quiz and see how much she's learned today.

I think I'm ready. I think I'm ready.

Um, this was this was one of the very first ones that I ever had an issue with. Uh, kappa.

with. Uh, kappa.

>> A cupa?

>> Uh, yes. Did they say, "Do you want a cuper?"

cuper?" >> I have no idea. I blacked out. I

couldn't I I lit I think they literally just said kappa and I think I said kappa what? And they started laughing at me.

what? And they started laughing at me.

It's maybe the worst answer you can give because in British English a cuper is always a cup of tea. It's a cup of tea.

A cup of tea but a cuper. And we always mean tea. We only mean tea. Most British

mean tea. We only mean tea. Most British

people if you visit their home uh the first thing they will offer you is a cuppper. Do you want a cuper? What do

cuppper. Do you want a cuper? What do

you fancy?

>> That's exactly where I was offered and I felt a little rude in the We had a good We had a good laugh after that, but yeah, I felt a little rude saying a cup of coffee.

>> A very good icebreaker.

>> I'm sorry. What?

>> So, you can offer it to other people.

Just say cupappa like as a question.

Cuper and usually British people will say yes. Oh, I'd love one.

say yes. Oh, I'd love one.

>> Now, number two, I had to figure out out of context. It actually wasn't that

of context. It actually wasn't that hard. Um, because I was asking for the

hard. Um, because I was asking for the price of something, but then someone said quidd instead of British pounds or a pound or pounds. They use the word

quidd.

>> Yep. Quidd. Quidd is slang. Again, it's

no wonder you haven't seen this in a textbook. Quidd is another word for

textbook. Quidd is another word for British money. But there are some kind

British money. But there are some kind of special rules. You cannot just replace the word pounds with quidd. H

you'll never see the word quid on a price tag and you'll never see it in any shops. But when people are talking about

shops. But when people are talking about the price of things, especially if something is really cheap or it's really expensive and we're shocked, we'll often

use quid instead of pounds. So if you took your car to the mechanic, they say, "Oh, guess how much he charged me? 1,500

quid." Like, wow. Uh that's a that's expensive and I want to emphasize that.

Or maybe something's really cheap. Uh on

Ryionaire you can fly from England to Turkey for like 15 quid. What a bargain.

So we're using quidd because I don't know. I think we're just being casual

know. I think we're just being casual and friendly. Maybe talking about money

and friendly. Maybe talking about money can be a bit sensitive sometimes. So

quidd is a softer way to talk about money. And one really important thing is

money. And one really important thing is that you cannot put s on quid. It's not

one quid, two quids, three quids.

>> I think I made that mistake. I think I said a couple of quids.

>> The other rule is that you cannot use quidd and thousand. So, you'd never say 2,000 quid or 10,000 quid. I cannot tell

you why, but it just feels wrong. Yeah.

>> Instead, what you do is say hundreds. So

100 quid or 1,500 quid or I see >> 2500 quid.

>> It does sound more natural.

>> Okay.

>> Right.

>> So don't overdo it is what you're saying. Don't over don't try to you know

saying. Don't over don't try to you know millions and millions of quid sounds super weird. Right.

super weird. Right.

>> Yeah. Right. That's wrong. And I can't tell you why but it's wrong.

>> I'm here to make all the mistakes so that you don't have to. Okay guys.

>> Exactly right. Well yes. So, at this point, you might be wondering, uh, how can I find or how did Cat find these kinds of British phrases or how can I understand British slang without having

a British speaker here or highle listening to help you? And we think we have a helpful solution for that exact issue.

>> Absolutely. And remember that we only recommend platforms and products that we genuinely use ourselves. And that's why we recommend italkie. And this video is sponsored by italkie. Italki is an

online language platform where you can book personalized one-on-one lessons with experienced native speaking teachers. And it would be also an

teachers. And it would be also an amazing place to find specifically British English teachers who can teach you even more British slang and vocabulary just naturally in day-to-day

conversation.

>> Get like a a little taste of what they would would get. We've got notes that can be taken and we've got lesson planning, attachments, dual monitors as I imagine you probably have as well.

>> Yeah, exactly. You can find thousands of professional native English teachers from all over the world on Eyealkie. So

you could choose to practice your new British slang with your new British teacher. And just like we're doing

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don't wait too long. Okay, so here's my next British slang word for Mark. And I

love it. Actually, this is one of my favorite ones to use because it's so perfect. FAF.

perfect. FAF.

Mhm.

>> FAF.

>> FAF. Uhhuh. Like a faf. What a faf.

>> A a faf. Uh, what a faf. Yeah.

>> Right. Once you know what this means, I think it sounds like what it means. A

faf is a noun. And it's a situation that took a lot of time and effort. And maybe

it's a lot of wasted time or unnecessary effort, more than you expected or more than usual. So maybe getting to our

than usual. So maybe getting to our hotel when we landed was a faf. The

buses stopped running at 10:00, so we walked across the street and found a taxi. He took us to the wrong address

taxi. He took us to the wrong address and we had to argue with him. And oh,

what a faf. It's like uh what a nightmare. What a disaster. That took a

nightmare. What a disaster. That took a lot of extra effort and time.

>> Yeah. But it it takes this seriousness a little bit out of the situation. You're

like, "Oh, that's life, right? What a

faf. What a faf." And I sort of I like to smile when I say it because it's just a funny word.

>> FAF. Another good example, getting a new passport is a bit of a faf >> because there's lots of little sort of semi annoying things to do. You've got

to take pictures. You've got to fill in the paperwork. Then you've got to go to

the paperwork. Then you've got to go to the post office or wherever and then wait for your new passport. So I think British people like to summarize stories very quickly. They say, "Ah, it's a bit

very quickly. They say, "Ah, it's a bit of faf, but it worked out in the end."

or if I'm warning someone, I'm like, "Oh, it is a bit of a faf to get through the airport, so maybe try and land somewhere else." So, yeah, it can be

somewhere else." So, yeah, it can be funny storytelling when things went a bit wrong.

>> Okay, my next favorite one is actually one of the first things that people say to you, especially strangers. Um, I I I do hear a lot of, "Hia," which I do

enjoy, but then they kind of say, "Hia, you all right? Y'all can't even You all right? It really goes up to the You all

right? It really goes up to the You all right?

>> You all right? Yes. Right. So, again,

the first thing you probably learn in English is hello. Uh but to be honest, we only ever say hello on the phone or maybe if we're presenting to a big

group, like on YouTube, we're talking to lots of watchers, so I say hello. But if

I'm face to face with a real British person, I will probably say, "You're right." Or my favorite is the little

right." Or my favorite is the little double. Oh, yeah. You're right.

double. Oh, yeah. You're right.

Yeah, you're all right. You're right.

>> This is sort of two in one. I think it's hello and it's how are you at the same time. So, I think it's quite efficient

time. So, I think it's quite efficient and we're saying everything we need to say as quickly as possible. Uh I often use it if I'm meeting someone and we're

going to say hello and then go off and do our own thing. So, maybe I'm arriving at work in the office and my colleague is already there. I go, "Hey, you're right." And then I would go off to my

right." And then I would go off to my >> It's more like a I acknowledge you exist, but we don't have to talk.

>> Right. Exactly. Although, if you're meeting someone new for the first time, maybe they say, "Oh, hi. This is my my friend Jake." I'd say, "Oh, hi. Yeah,

friend Jake." I'd say, "Oh, hi. Yeah,

you're right."

>> What do I say? Do I just say, "Hia," or do I answer, or I still don't really know what to do here. Do if you say, "You're all right." Do I say, "Yeah, I'm all right." Or what?

all right." Or what?

>> Right? That's the thing. It's not really a question. It's a greeting. So

a question. It's a greeting. So

sometimes people say, "You're right."

And they're not really interested in how you're feeling or or how you're doing.

We're just saying it.

>> So if someone says all right, you can also say all right back. They say,

"You're all right. All right."

>> That's it. That is the end of the interaction if you want it to be.

>> Wow. Okay. I like that. Interesting. Um,

kind of the next one I think is more of a cultural difference than just a single word. U, but it's this idea of banter or

word. U, but it's this idea of banter or as some of my friends call it or good chat.

>> Good chat.

>> Good. It's very, very important in British culture and I still haven't quite grasped it to be honest.

>> Uh, maybe did you hear this on like Love is Blind or Love Island or some reality show? Yeah, I like a dating show. A lot

show? Yeah, I like a dating show. A lot

of the girls and the guys wanted somebody with good chat and they're like, "Oh, you know, dance." And so I thought it was flirting, but I realized it's actually more than that. It's

between everybody and it's just But it mostly people that know each other, friends, and potentially someone you might date needs to have good chat.

>> Uhhuh. That's right. It can be flirting.

True. But generally, it's banter. Banter

is a kind of joking with your friends and these are often very very personal jokes. Uh they're often quite rude and

jokes. Uh they're often quite rude and they're among close friends and it's especially popular among men. I think

British men love banter or they enjoy a bit of banter with the lads and it's just teasing quite witty fast teasing that actually builds friendships in

British uh culture. I think a lot of people >> roll my eyes. Yes.

>> Yeah. You need to have good banter and really make fun of your friends to become really good friends and nothing is off limits. Uh can be nicknames, your appearance, your clothes, your

personality, your deepest insecurities, everything is fair game.

>> Yeah.

>> And if you get upset, they're like, "Oh, don't worry. It's just banter." Oh,

don't worry. It's just banter." Oh,

sorry. I'm only joking. It's just a bit of banter. And then you said chat. Chat

of banter. And then you said chat. Chat

is another word for banter, this type of humor. And especially in dating, I think

humor. And especially in dating, I think among British people, the I think men and women both want someone who has good chat. So someone who is quite witty and

chat. So someone who is quite witty and funny and not afraid to tease each other and make jokes even if they they're quite personal and quite rude. So a man

with no chat doesn't sound like >> Exactly. Right. You want someone with

>> Exactly. Right. You want someone with >> I think Americans the reason we're not very good at the banter in the bands is we get offended quite quickly. That's

feels like only my closest closest friend friends would I have this like good chat with. Um I can kind of see it as a flirting thing but I I just I don't

it's just not my culture and I it makes me feel so uncomfortable. I can't

>> I can't dish it. I can't take it. I

can't dish it. I can't do it. I can't.

>> She can't handle the dance.

>> She can't handle the dance. I just can't handle the dance.

>> Okay, so the next one I think is really cute. I'm going to try to even say it.

cute. I'm going to try to even say it.

Are you having a laugh?

>> That was pretty good.

>> Are you having a laugh?

>> Are you having a laugh?

>> Instead of a a laugh in American English, a laugh. Are you having a laugh?

>> Are you having a laugh? That's good.

Leviosa.

>> And I thought good phrase. I thought if I was having a laugh, I thought that meant just like, are you saying a joke?

Are you But it it means more than that, doesn't it? It's not just talking to be

doesn't it? It's not just talking to be silly or funny. It's what is it?

>> It's It's Are you kidding me? Are you

serious? Like, I'm in disbelief. I'm in

shock. Uh I can't believe what you just said. Um maybe someone just gave me a

said. Um maybe someone just gave me a really really expensive price. I'm like,

"55 or five quid for an ice cream?"

Like, "Are you having a laugh?" Like,

"Are you serious?"

>> Yeah.

>> So, people will say this if they're frustrated or surprised. Some people say it to themselves. Uh maybe they're waiting for the bus and or they're waiting for the train and the train is

delayed. You're like, "Oh, but you're

delayed. You're like, "Oh, but you're having a laugh or you're having a laugh." So, you're kidding, right? This

laugh." So, you're kidding, right? This

can't be real.

>> Mhm.

>> Yes.

>> Right. The the next one, um, we do have the word fancy, but it usually means upscale, luxurious, really nice, right?

It was fancy, like a fancy dinner. Okay.

Um, but you kind of have a different meaning for the word fancy.

>> Yeah. Right. British people can use it as a verb like I fancy something or do you fancy it?

>> Do you fancy me?

>> Yeah. Do you fancy me? That's one. So,

if a British person asks, "Do you fancy me?" They're asking like, "Do you like

me?" They're asking like, "Do you like me romantically?

I fancy you. I like you. I want to be your boyfriend. I want to go out on a

your boyfriend. I want to go out on a date." It's kind of childish that like

date." It's kind of childish that like even the voice that Cat did. It's like,

"Do you fancy me?" It is a bit like childish, but adults can use it, too.

And it's a little bit jokey.

>> Some good banter. If you know one of your friends is talking to a girl, you could be like, "Oh, you fancy her, don't you?"

you?" >> And that can be banter.

But um going back to cuppper, the very first one, someone might ask you, "Do you fancy a cuper?" As in, "Do you want a cup of tea? Do you fancy a cuper?"

More commonly, if they invite you to the pub, they might say, "Do you fancy a pint?"

pint?" >> A pint of beer. Do you fancy a pint? So

we use fancy instead of want in many cases, especially with food and drink.

So it's like, oh, I fancy a cup of tea.

Oh, I fancy something to eat. So

especially food and drink, we use fancy a lot.

>> Okay, that makes sense. Okay, so

this one makes me laugh because it's just a sound. Okay. So, I would say the the American alternative is like, "Woo!"

or like, "Yeah." You know, and that's kind of >> um if a group of people are excited about something and we're all like, "Woo!" Yeah. What do you say in England?

"Woo!" Yeah. What do you say in England?

>> I made the sound of it earlier. Uh the

sound that is a very British sound is >> comes quite deep in your chest. And I

think I'm going to spell it wh e E. That

makes sense.

>> Me and my sister like making this noise if somebody makes a joke that's kind of silly.

And also in the UK, if you're in a pub or a restaurant and somebody drops a glass and it smashes on the ground, you might hear the other customers go and

maybe even clap a little bit. And this

is not rude and it's not supposed to make the the server feel bad. It's just

a common joke that everyone can do and I've heard it all over the country even in >> all over all over. And it's it's a funny thing to be a part of because if you go

to another country and there's a group of Brits and somebody drops a plate, they will all do it. So, it's like a it's a very culturally uh really brings the people together.

>> It's a good way to like discover the Brits. just throw a glass on the floor

Brits. just throw a glass on the floor and see who says we okay they're British.

>> I think uh you would also hear it just as a a sound of celebration like Cat said maybe someone is at a wedding and they're giving a toast they say cheers

to the newlyweds some people might go so it is celebration as well and I do it so instinctively even if like uh I'm

holding something and I nearly drop it so like my phone slips I'm like If I'm walking on ice and I nearly slip.

So, it just comes out naturally. And I

don't know where I learned it. Uh, we

all just do it.

>> It's just cultural. It's just cultural.

>> Okay. So, this one sounds a little funny, and it is. Uh, what is a numpty?

What is a numpty?

>> A numpty. Uh, a numpty is an idiot. If

you're a numpty, then you've been a bit stupid. But numpty is a much softer,

stupid. But numpty is a much softer, friendlier way of saying it. So

sometimes people say it to their children or my dad used to say it to me.

Uh if I drop something numpty boy or ah you numpty.

>> Oh like dummy like you're kind of mean.

That's kind of mean too.

>> I know. It's even softer than dummy. I

think >> it's nice.

>> You numpty. So I'm not angry at you and I don't think >> silly. Maybe silly.

>> silly. Maybe silly.

>> Yeah. You silly Billy.

>> Okay. Silly Billy.

>> Right. So, it's it's a harmless mistake.

There's no like serious consequences for this. Um, just maybe, oh, wait, your

this. Um, just maybe, oh, wait, your phone is on the table. You you nearly walked off, you numpty. Or a lot of people will say it about themselves. Uh,

if I made a mistake and I did something silly, say, oh, I feel like a total numpty. Like, I pressed the button on

numpty. Like, I pressed the button on the machine and then, oh, it wasn't even plugged in. What a nupty. So, you can

plugged in. What a nupty. So, you can call someone silly and it's meant in a jokey, non-offensive way. I would

probably only say this to someone I know very well or a close friend or family member. And uh yeah, it's a softer way

member. And uh yeah, it's a softer way to call someone a citybelly, you ny.

All right. Okay. So, those are the British slang words Cat wanted to ask me about. We need to test her knowledge and

about. We need to test her knowledge and see how well she was listening. I'm

going to give Cat the word again and she can explain it and tell me what it means quickly. So, number one, Cat. A cup of

quickly. So, number one, Cat. A cup of >> A cup of cup of what?

>> Oh, no. That's the one thing I'm not supposed to do. Uh, a cup of tea. A cup

of tea. Always tea. Never. Never

anything else. It's always a cup of tea.

Yes. A cup of tea. A cup of tea.

>> Yes. Okay. A quid.

>> A quid. Uh, those are British pounds.

So, a pound. Two pounds a quid. Two

quid.

>> Okay, I'll I'll allow it. Uh, a faf.

>> What a faf.

>> That good.

>> What a faf. Um, all those useless things that wasted my time. What a faf.

>> Waste of time. Yeah. Uh, you're

>> Yeah, you >> very good. Yes. Good answer.

>> It's kind of hard for me to say that. Y

I have to really like because I would say y'all right and that's too heavy.

You're you're much lighter, you know? Y

>> it's the your sound. Like imagine it's y a w. You're right.

a w. You're right.

>> You're right. Oh, that's actually very helpful. You're right. Oh, here we go. I

helpful. You're right. Oh, here we go. I

got it.

>> There we go. Got it. Uh, next one.

Banter.

>> I just can't hang with the bands. And

that's okay. I'm just offended by all forms of banter. It's okay. It's not for everyone. Uh, are you having a laugh?

everyone. Uh, are you having a laugh?

>> No, I'm serious.

>> So, are you having a laugh? Are you

kidding? Are you joking me? Like, I

can't What are you talking about?

Really? Are you having a laugh? Are you

having a laugh? Are you having a laugh?

>> Uh, fancy as a verb.

>> Fancy me?

>> Oh, >> you know, I will let everybody know that um Brits love when you make fun of their accent. They just love it. They just

accent. They just love it. They just

love love love especially Americans trying to do the British accent.

>> I'm just kidding.

>> Yeah.

>> Uh, next one.

>> Woo. Woo. Woohoo. Uh-huh. Woo. Yeah. I

can't really do an American. I My voice is too low.

>> It's too low. It's too low.

>> Woo. Woo. No, I can't do it. Not too

low.

>> And last one. Anumpty

>> like silly. Silly like silly Mark.

Numpty. You numpty.

>> You're numpty. Okay. Well done. Well

done. I think uh I think your British studies went very well. You know, all of them. All nine.

them. All nine.

>> Yes. Uh well, maybe you were playing along at home. How did you do? Did you

get nine out of nine? Did you get all of them, too? Did you do better than cat?

them, too? Did you do better than cat?

Or were any of these phrases completely new for you? And which ones were they?

>> Yeah, absolutely. Let us know in the comments below. Tell us your favorite

comments below. Tell us your favorite British slang words. We read and reply to every comment we get here on YouTube, so please get in touch.

>> Yes. Uh thank you so much for watching everyone and we'll see you for another episode here on High Level List Listening very soon.