Examples of British English Colloquialisms

Great Britain has some unique colloquialisms and regional expressions that can lend a
region-specific and less formal touch to any piece of writing. These are a few notable ones,
including many British slang words:
 Ace - word to describe something excellent
 Anorak - someone who is a little bit of a geek with expertise usually in an obscure niche
 Blimey - exclamation of surprise
 Bloke - a regular man or "guy"
 Boot - the trunk of a car
 Brilliant - something that's really great
 Brolly - an umbrella
 Cheeky - to be overly familiar or bold, sometimes in an endearing way
 Cheers - thank you
 Chinwag - a chat
 Chockablock - something that is completely filled
 Chuffed - proud or excited
 Codswallop - something made-up or not true
 Dodgy - something less than safe or secure
 Dog's dinner - a big mess, often used to describe a situation
 Gobsmacked - completely surprised
 Gutted - horribly disappointed
 Knackered - totally exhausted
 Lurgy - an illness with symptoms like a cold or flu
 Pea souper - a very foggy day
 Poppycock - something ridiculous and possibly untrue
 Posh - something or someone that is very fancy
 Rubbish - an exclamation meaning something is untrue or of poor quality
 Skive - to skip work or school
 Smarmy - smug or snobby with a false earnestness
 Strop - a bad mood or sulk
 Swot - a very serious, possibly geeky, student
 Tosh - something that's untrue
 Whinge - to whine and complain

American English Colloquial Expressions

Americans have a few unique words and phrases of their own, especially when it comes to
casual conversation. Add these colloquialisms and American slang expressions to your
writing or speech if you want to sound less formal:
 Ballpark - used to describe something that is close to accurate
 Bomb - to do terribly on a test
 Cattywampus - a crooked thing
 Flake - a person who cancels plans regularly or the act of regularly cancelling plans
 Lemon - a purchase that is unreliable and has many problems
 Podunk - used to describe a small town
 Raincheck - a promise to reschedule plans that had to be cancelled
 Ride shotgun - to sit in the front passenger seat of a car
 Score - to get what you want
 Trash - to destroy something

Canadian English Colloquialisms

Canadians also have expressions that are unique, and there's quite a bit of variation
in Canadian slang by region. If you want to sound casual, try these words and phrases:
 Chirping - making fun of or taunting someone
 Click - a kilometer
 Eh or Hey - used at the end of a sentence to signal a check for agreement
 Gong show - an event that gets out of control
 Keener - someone who tries too hard to win favor
 Kerfuffle - a difference of opinion that causes a fuss
 Pencil crayons - colored pencils
 Serviette - a napkin
 Skid - a kid from a poor family
 Toque - a warm cap or beanie, rhymes with "duke"
Australian Colloquial Expressions
You'll also find many English colloquialisms in use in Australia. While some are shared with
other English-speaking countries, some are unique to this area:
 Arvo - afternoon
 Bottle-o - a liquor store
 Bludger - a lazy person
 Cobber - a good friend
 Deadset - something that is true
 Flat out - extremely busy
 Furphy - unlikely stories or rumors
 Mongrel - a person who is unkind or troublesome
 Rapt - really pleased
 Swag - a sleeping bag
 Woop woop - a town in the middle of nowhere