Funny London map phrases
Abso-bloody-lutely - Very definitely (among posh types)
Alma chizzit? - How much is it/does it cost?
Ava good one - Have a good day?
‘Avin it large - Very much enjoying a party/celebration
Bangin tune - An excellent song
Barra boy - Barrow boy, a street vendor, a commoner (after traders who sold their goods from barrows)
Besju bring a brolly - It would be best that you bring an umbrella or brolly (in case it rains)
Bitta barney up the rub-a-dub - A bit of a disagreement (rhyming slang Barney Rubble - trouble) in the pub
Bob’s yer uncle - Easily achieved
Bish bash bosh - Easily done (see also Bob’s yer uncle)
Cheerio - Goodbye
Costa bomb - Very expensive
Cream-crackered - Knackered, exhausted, tired
Cushty - Very good
Da Baked Bean - The queen
Das all gone Pete Tong - It’s all gone wrong
Das everyfin innit, innit? - That’s everything in it, isn’t it?
Das wot oim torkin - That is what I’m talking about - an enthusiastic ‘yes’
Dasva dog’s that is - That is very good, that is
Diamond geezer - A well-respected man
Donkeys years - A long time
Don’t mug me off - Don’t mess me around or try to cheat me
Doo me a fayva - Do me a favour, often said as an expression of disbelief
Duff dup dahn da booza - Beaten up down the boozer, or pub
Ee blew a monkey dahn the dogs - He lost £500 gambling on greyhound races
Gap yars -Wealthy young adults spending a year between school and university travelling/idling, a London subset
Get stuffed - Go away and leave me alone
Getcha larfin gear rand dis - Get your laughing gear (mouth) around this, normally said when there is tasty food to eat
Gettin moi son - I’m delighted at that sudden turn of events
Gissa shufti - Give me a quick look (see Less ava butchers)
Gissum waugh-a will ya? - Give me some water will you?
Glassa vino - Glass of wine
Gutted - Very disappointed
Inva khazi ‘avin a Brad - In the toilet defecating (from rhyming slang Brad Pitt - sh*t)
Iss brass monkeys outear - It’s very cold outside
Keep you pecker up old chap - Stay cheerful my old posh friend
Keep schtum - remain silent/quiet. Don’t tell anyone
Knock yer block off - to remove your head with a blow, a serious threat
Leavit aht - leave it out, stop it, desist
Legged it from the old bill - Ran away from the police
Less ava butchers - Let’s have a look (rhyming slang butcher’s hook)
Less getta ruby in - Let’s get a take away curry (rhyming slang Ruby Murray, a singer)
Loada cobblers - A completely false account or claim (rhyming slang cobblers’ awls - balls)
Load of old pony innit - Load of old pony (& trap, rhyming slang for crap) isn’t it, total rubbish, very low quality
Lush mate - Excellent my friend
Lovely li’ul earner - A profitable venture
Luvvly barnet - A nice haircut (rhyming slang for hair from Barnet Fair, held in the suburb of Barnet)
Meat and two veg - A traditional dinner combination, and a metaphor for the male anatomy
Me muvah’s inva barf - My mother is in the bath
Mind the gap - a warning sometimes heard on the London Underground to be careful of the gap between the train and the platform
Oi did ya, din oi - I fooled you, didn’t I
Oi forked outta a grand forit - I paid £1,000 for this item
On the blower - On the telephone
Order Order - A phrase often used by the speaker of parliament
Ova yor gaff - At your place
Playda blinda - An excellent performance
Never sawrit comin - An unwelcome surprise
Norrin moi manna - Not in my manor, not in my area
Not got a scooby pal - I definitely don’t know (rhyming slang from Scooby-Doo - clue)
Not moi cuppa tea - It’s not to my liking/taste
Oi ain’t got none - I’m sure I don’t have any
Onna among fieves - Honour among thieves
Plonkers - Fools
Proply tooled up - Very well equipped
Oh my dayz - Good grief, a modern staple of Multicultural London English (MLE)
Readall abah-dit - Read all about it, once shouted by newspaper vendors on the streets
Right royal knees up - A substantial and lavish party
Sarf ovda rivva - South of the river Thames
Scarpered back to moi endz - Hurried back to my own neighbourhood, another MLE favourite (see Oh my dayz)
Schmoozer incha? - You are a smooth talking charmer aren’t you?
See a man abahda dog - used as an excuse to leave without revealing why you are departing
She’s inna spotta bovva - A woman who is in some trouble or bother
Sling yer ‘ook - Go away, from raising the anchor, or hook, on a ship and sailing on
Sloaney Ponies - upper class young women living near or frequenting the White Horse pub on Parson’s Green in Fulham
Spanna inva werks - A spanner or wrench in the works, or engine. A problem.
Splashed it all on a flash haddock - Spent a fortune on an ostentatious car (from rhyming slang haddock and bloater - motor)
Sweet as a nut - Very good (see also Cushty)
Rabbitin on - Talking continuously (from rhyming slang rabbit and pork - talk)
Tidy Boat - A pretty face (from rhyming slang boat race - face)
Totally up for it - Very eager to do something
Trustafarians, janarta mean - Wealthy young people who don’t have to work (thanks to trust funds) do you know what I mean?
Yer ‘avın a bubble - You are trying to fool me, play a joke (from rhyming slang bubble bath - laugh)
Yer know there you can stick dat, dontcha - You know that I definitely reject your proposal/idea, don’t you
Yummy mummies - Attractive young mothers, a London subset
Well minted - Very wealthy
We’ve only gone and bloody dunnit - a favourite line from the comedy Only Fool and Horses
Whatta cock-up - A major mistake
Wotta muppet - What a fool
Wottan ‘ampton - What an objectionable person (from rhyming slang Hampton Wick - dick)
Wot’s your beef bruv - What is your issue or cause brother, often said as a prelude to an argument
Up before the beak - To appear in front of a judge
Up vee estry - Towards the (Thames) estuary
Where to guv’nor - A question sometimes posed by taxi drivers to male customers