British Swear Words and How To Use Them
Tips on perfecting your potty-mouthed UK slang from an ugly American in the land of tea and twiglets
Like many Americans, the first time I visited the U.K. I didn’t have a clue (or a “monkey’s” as they say here) about how they talked, beyond a few PBS specials or Hugh Grant films. I especially didn’t know about how differently they use swear words here.
Hugh Grant says “Bugger” approximately five thousand times in Four Weddings and a Funeral. I remember thinking, “ha, how cute, a British swear word you can intersperse for “Damn it!” or something. Bridget Jones is also quite fond of “Bugger!”.
It’s not that people don’t use it, but it is the equivalent of well, bugger, or f*ck, so it’s a more dramatic turn of phrase than these films let on. You can’t just walk around saying “Bugger!” all day without turning some heads.
The same goes for “Bloody”. Bloody is a strong emphasis word largely used for negative expression— “Bloody Hell”. But you could also say “I bloody love that film”. It’s a mild swear but I think most Americans think it’s a cute/fun thing to say.
On that note, I will break down some British swear words and their different meanings or usages to the best of my ability. I am an American who has lived here (in Scotland) for egads, twenty years (I was a baby I tell…
