Frequently Used British and American Slang Words and Their Meanings

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American Slang! Slang refers to words, phrases, and uses that are regarded as very informal and often restricted to a special context or peculiar to a specified profession class…

American Slang

American slang refers to informal words and phrases that are commonly used in the United States but may not be considered standard English. Some examples include:

• Bail — Intransitive verb for leaving abruptly.
• Feeling blue; have the blues — A feeling of depression or sadness.
• A buck — Slang term for an American dollar.
• By the skin of (my/your/his/her) teeth — just barely.
• Creep (n.) —  An unpleasantly weird/strange person.
• Couch Potato — A lazy person who spends the bulk of their time engaged in things that can be done while sitting on a couch.
• Cram — To study feverishly before an exam typically done after neglecting to study consistently.
• Crash — To abruptly fall asleep, or to show up without an invitation.
• Down to earth — And adjective for practicality and lack of pretense.
• Drive up the wall — To irritate.
• For Real — A proclamation of honesty.
• Going Dutch — When each person, usually in a dating scenario, pays for his/her own meal.
• The cold shoulder — A metaphor for deliberately ignoring someone.
• Give a ring — To call someone on the telephone.
• Hyped (adj.) — A very excited state.
• Hang out — To casually gather together or spend time with someone in a social manner.

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British Slang

British slang refers to informal words and phrases that are commonly used in the United Kingdom but may not be considered standard English. Some examples include:

• All to cock

(Or all a-cock) Unsatisfactory, mixed up.

• Arse

1. The buttocks.
2. Someone who acts in a manner that is incompetent or otherwise disapproved of.[28]

• Arse about face

Back to front.

• Arse around

Mess around or waste time (17th century).

• Arsehole

1. The anus.
2. General derogatory term.

• Arse bandit

homosexual (offensive, derogatory).

• Arse over tit

Head over heels, to fall over or take a tumble.

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Teen Slang

• Fam – The friends you are closest to
• Finna – Going to/about to, short for “fixing to”
• Goals – What you’re trying to do or be like, the ultimate goal
• GOAT – Greatest of all time
• Gucci – Good, cool
• High-key – People say high key when they are about to say something they want everyone to know about
• Hundo P – 100 percent, confirming something
• I can’t even – When you are so overwhelmed you can’t comprehend something
• I’m weak – That was funny
• It’s lit – It’s cool, it’s awesome
• Kek – To laugh out loud
• Low-key – People say low-key when they are about to say something they don’t want everyone to know about
• On fleek, on point – Nailed it
• Peep – To take a look at something
• RT – Retweet, when you agree with something someone says
• Salty – Bitter about something
• Savage – Badass
• Ship – Short for a relationship, if you “ship” two people, you want them to make it as a couple
• Sips tea – To mind one’s own business
• Skurt – Go away or leave
• Smash – To have casual sex
• Straight fire – Hot/trendy
• Squad – Your group of friends
• Sus – Suspect, when something is shady

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In conclusion, British and American slang are informal words and phrases that are commonly used in their respective countries but may not be considered standard English. These words and phrases are constantly evolving and change over time.

It’s important to note that slang can also vary depending on regions within a country, so the list of slang words and their meanings provided is not exhaustive. Understanding slang can help one navigate and understand the language better in these countries, but it’s important to keep in mind that these words may not be appropriate in formal or professional settings.