In November I often feel gutted, its cold, the sun has disappeared and as Christmas crawls closer I check my bank account and wonder if my family would each be happy receiving an ironic orange.

Not sure how I am feeling? Let's clarify this word gutted now.

Gutted spelt G-U-T-T-E-D is British slang word of pure contextual emotion. To be "gutted" about a situation means to be devastated and saddened.

It can be used like this: "His girlfriend broke up with him. He’s absolutely gutted." meaning he is very sad about the relationship ending.

In formal english gut can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb. As a noun "gut" G-U-T mean stomach or belly.

As an adjective it means Instinctive. For example to have "a gut reaction" is to have an instantaneous reaction made without thought.

For instance "When he saw that lion leaping towards him, his gut reaction was to run."

As a verb it signifies the removal of intestines and other internal organs from a fish or other animals before cooking it. For example "The fisherman guts the fish before cooking them".

So in slang when saying "I am gutted" it signifies that one may metaphorically feeling like somebody has ripped their guts out.

In fact, it shares a very close meaning to the term "gut wrenching" which is used to describe a deeply profound event or feeling.

The earliest use of this slang term "gutted" has been found in a book by an American journalist about the Vietnam War in 1986. In the book Keith William Nolan comments "The whole platoon had felt gutted, an attitude rarely reflected in the press".

Nowadays, in slang, as well as symbolizing sadness and pain It can also be used to show bitter disappointment about something.
For example "I was gutted when I failed the exam" or "When England lost the match I was gutted". Meaning these two things made me feel very disappointed.

So start using it today! Make sure not to miss the next episode or you are going to be gutted!

That’s our word of the day. You can find us on our website http://theslangpodcast.com and from there you can see our transcript and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many more apps.

Let’s catch up soon to explore our next slang word.

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Having a partner of a different nationality has many benefits however I must say, me and my Italian boyfriend often find ourselves slightly lost in translation over small things, mainly due to slang.

For example Yesterday I ask my boyfriend if we should link at 5pm, he agreed. By 5pm I was waiting outside his flat, very annoyed and very cold. Once he finally arrived I asked him why he was late. He told me that he was at a bar waiting for me as I had earlier suggested we ‘drink’ at 5pm. Our argument quickly came to an end when I clarified the meaning of this word ‘link’.

So let’s look at this word today. Link spelt L-I-N-K is a slang verb meaning to meet or connect with someone. It can be used to suggest a meeting such as:

‘hey are you free to link tonight? Yeah let's link up.’

Meaning are you available this evening to meet? Yes I am let's meet.

In formal english link is both a verb and a noun. It comes from the germanic word GHE LENK meaning joint. As a noun it means anything serving to connect one part of something with another. For example, ‘there is a missing link in my necklace chain’.
As a verb it means to join or unite for example ‘The children linked arms as they ran’. So it is understandable how this verb has become a slang expression symbolising the link or tie of people.

Today it can be used to express the meeting or hanging out of friends and family.
However it can be also used to express a relationship, linking can mean that you are not officially in a relationship with someone but you are 'seeing' or dating each other.
For example John and Lizzy are linking at the moment, meaning John and Lizzy are dating.
In a song by British group serious thugs they say ‘It’s not love it's just a link ting’ meaning the relationship is not serious. So think about your phrasing before you use it!

So start using it today! Take a day off work and link with your mates or take the next step and change your linking buddy into a partner!
That’s our word of the day. You can find us on our website https://theslangpodcast.com and from there you can see our transcript and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many more apps. Let’s catch up soon to explore our next slang word.

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I was telling my class about my close friend from England who called me yesterday. She was very upset because her coat got nicked on the subway.

When i told them, they responded with little sympathy. One commented "I'm sure she can fix it", however this was not true as the coat was gone. So today we will be clarifying the slang term for "nick".

In formal British English, nick is a noun and a verb meaning a small cut and this is what my student was thinking of earlier when advising my friend to get her coat fixed.

However this word nick is very tricky, as it is used for many things in both formal and British slang.

In slang nick N-I-C-K is a verb meaning to steal. For example "Susie’s phone got nicked at the party!" meaning Susie’s phone was stolen at the party.

The verb "nick" can be traced back to the late 16th century meaning trick or cheat. The first found reference of the word was in 1576 by the English dramatist George Whetstone where he says "I never nicked his pay" meaning I never stole his pay.

The reasoning behind this word is unclear, however it has been suggested it relates to the name Nicholas, as in the 1940s the name nick was often used to refer to the devil or satan, giving it negative connotations.

However in slang nick has a second meaning: Prison.

For example "he got taken to the nick" meaning he was sent to jail. This use can be traced back to Australia and the word can be found in a book of Sydney slang from 1882.

Today we can use it like this: "We cant see Kelly this weekend as she is in the nick" meaning my friend Kelly is in prison so I can’t see her.

So if you hear nick on the street in the UK remember, it could mean to cut, to steal or just prison.

So start using it today! Make sure you don’t go to the nick because you have nicked something!

That’s our word of the day. You can find us on our website https://theslangpodcast.com and from there you can see our transcript and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many more apps.

Let’s catch up soon to explore our next slang word.

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Have you ever been to a boring party? Stuck with the same music and dry conversation on repeat? Then it’s time to tell your mates to bail! Confusing right? Why am I talking about jail and money at this party, well let me explain...

In formal english bail B-A-I-L is a noun meaning the temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial, sometimes on condition of paying a sum of money. However as slang bail means to leave, cancel or back out of something.

Historically as a noun, bail means bond money. This comes from the Middle English word bayle B-A-Y-L-E meaning "captivity." As a verb bailing is the act of pushing water out of a sinking boat. These two meanings presented of escaping and surviving guide us to how we use it today in slang.

As slang we use as a verb, to cancel something or leave somewhere.

For example: "I'm so annoyed Lizzy bailed on the party tonight!" Meaning Lizzy is not coming to the party, she cancelled last minute.

Or "This festival is so boring, let’s bail". Meaning I'm bored lets leave!

So start using it today! The next time your at a boring party, turn to your english friends and say let’s bail! They will know exactly what you mean and you will be out in no time!

That’s our word of the day. You can find us on our website https://theslangpodcast.com and from there you can see our transcript and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many more apps.

Let’s catch up soon to explore our next slang word.

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While living in Italy I have noticed the vast range of adjectives that can be used to describe positive or cool things. Having a lack of knowledge of these in Italian is something that makes me really stand out as a language learner. So today I want to share a great word to describe something in a positive way. Wavy. W-A-V-Y.

A simple definition of the word wavy means for something to be cool and mellow.

The word began to be used and recognised within American rap in the early 2000s in New York City. Rapper Max B released acclaimed mixtapes like Wave Gods in which he used the terms the wave and wavy and they became hip-hop lexicon. In his self-made slang, Max B’s wave and wavy evoke a calm attitude of positivity and creative energy. Referring to the noun wave, describing a moving billow of water.

After using this positive adjective with mellow connotations other rappers such as Kanye West soon followed this trend and now it is commonly used in the UK. It is often used to describe clothing, music, an event or a person for example "wow that party was so wavy!" meaning the party was really good.

It can also be as a comparative "I am wavier than you" meaning i'm cooler than you.
Or a superlative "that coat is the waviest" meaning that coat is the coolest.

Do remember it can also refer to someone being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. "I drank to much wine last night, I was so waved" so be careful how you use it.

So start using it today! Look around you and think about what is wavy? I guarantee if you ask a British friend to help you buy some wavy clothes you wont be disappointed.

That’s our word of the day. You can find us on our website https://theslangpodcast.com and from there you can see our transcript and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many more apps.

Let’s catch up soon to explore our next slang word.

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While having dinner with an Italian friend, she asked me if I would like to go for a glass of wine, I told her I was very tired and was planning to go and cotch. She nodded and asked me where I was getting and coach to. I quickly explained the spelling and meaning of the word and this is what I am going to share with you all today.

Cotch C-O-T-C-H is a verb meaning to sit, relax and chill out.
We can also use it as an adjective, describing somewhere as cotch means it seems comfortable and capable of being cotched in.

The etymology of this word is widely debated. It is said that it originated from the late 19th century in Jamaican English, used in the sense of "rest or lean on something for support" . Furthermore, it is said that the word stems from the french term "ce coucher" meaning someone who is lazy with no athletic abilities. However Jonathon Green in his Dictionary of Slang claims it is from the Scottish word scotch, meaning "prop up" or support.

Nowadays we can use it in the sense of spending time to relax for example "just been cotching on the sofa since I got in" meaning I have been relaxing on the sofa since I arrived home.

However it has also been used to show you are sleeping or staying somewhere on a temporary basis. For example "looks like I'm cotching at my boyfriends house tonight" meaning I will be sleeping at my boyfriends this evening.

So start using it today! Go home or to a local pub and cotch with your friends!

That’s our word of the day. You can find us on our website https://theslangpodcast.com and from there you can see our transcript and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many more apps.

Let’s catch up soon to explore our next slang word.

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While arriving in my class yesterday I apologized to my students for being late. I told my students this was because there were bare people outside. They all suddenly rushed to the window and stared out of it. One of my students said "I don’t see any naked people! They all have their clothes on!".

I explained to my students that within slang bare doesn’t actually have anything to do with nudity as they thought, so let’s clear this up.

In formal english bare B-A-R-E is an adjective meaning not clothed or covered. However in slang the meaning is reversed and used as an adjective meaning "a lot of", or "very much". For example "there are bare people here today", meaning there are lots of people here.

You can find this reversal with other slang words such as wicked and cool. Due to this deliberate inaccuracy bare is one of a number of slang terms which was recently banned by a London school. These negative connotations stem back Victorian criminals who did the same with reversing words, this is called back slang, for example the word boy B-O-Y was changed to Y-O-B, a word still used today.

It has been suggested that the use of the word "bare" as slang comes from Jamaica. It’s popularity has grown with the widespread of Grime music and the diversity of London.
Furthermore, it can also be used as an adverb used as an intensifier to replace very or really. For example, "I can't come to your party, I've got bare work to do." Meaning I have too much work to do and therefore I cant come. Or If you are bare hungry, then you are really hungry.

So start using it today! Think about what is "bare" around you whether it be people, work or new english slang!

That’s our word of the day. You can find us on our website https://theslangpodcast.com and from there you can see our transcript and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many more apps.

Let’s catch up soon to explore our next slang word.

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Recently one of my students are I were joking with each other about our accents, he was mocking me for my poor accent while speaking Italian, especially when rolling my Rs. I told him that I wasn't offended for this comment as firstly is it true and secondly because his comment was only banter.

At this moment he turned to me and looked very confused, this word was brand new for him, as it might be for you. So we are going to clear it up today.

Banter is both a noun and verb about talking, both spelt B-A-N-T-E-R.

It simply means a playful and friendly exchange of teasing comments for example as a noun we can say "there was good banter at the party" meaning there was fun conversation.
Or as a verb "the men bantered with each other" the men joked with each other.

It’s traced back to the 17th century in Ireland, where in Gaelic, the word bean BEAN meant woman, so that "banter" means "talk of women." However when used today it is not focused on gender but general remarks between anyone.

Nowadays banter can be shortened to "bants" B-A-N-T-S and refers to the clever art of using word play including irony or sarcasm in order to make fun of and joke with friends. Banter is used globally, but often associated with London. You can engage in banter with family friends and even fun-natured colleagues.

So start using it today! Start having banter with your friends and family, but make sure not to insult them, it’s a very thin line!

That’s our word of the day. You can find us on our website https://theslangpodcast.com and from there you can see our transcript and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many more apps. Let’s catch up soon to explore our next slang word.

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Hello and Welcome to Slang . I am Louisa May Adams, this is our first podcast so if you enjoy it please keep checking out what more we have in store! I am an English Language teacher living in Italy, I am originally from Canterbury England.

Have you ever noticed some of the best non native English speakers totally freak out when they visit the UK? I have and trust me, this is not because of their level of English, simply because they have never been exposed to such slang before.
So my hope is to give you listeners the chance to hear, understand the origins and meanings of new slang and to use it immediately! So let’s get started……

One of my students recently asked me, why Brits are so hung up on discussing meat, they went to London and claimed that in every other pub they went to they overheard people getting so angry while discussing if they had or hadn't got ‘beef’.

So this word beef in fact has two meanings, both spelt the same -B E E F.
It’s most well known definition is the meat from a cow ‘beef’. However it’s commonly used by Londoner’s meaning to have a grudge, problem, or argument ‘I have a beef with them’.

It’s Origin is from American soldiers, complaining about the quantity or quality of beef rations they were given during the war, these discussions would obviously cause arguments and problems. The use of the word beef as noun meaning complaint was first recorded in the 1880s.

However we use it nowadays to talk about having a big problem with someone. For example ‘don’t invite Sophie to the party I have beef with her!’ Meaning I have issues with her so I don’t want her to come. Or another one I use frequently is I just had a bad day, don't start any beef with me’ meaning ‘it’s been a long day, lets not fight’.

So start using it today! Start causing or defusing beef with the people around you.
That’s our word of the day. You can find our transcript for this episode in the description below. Let’s catch up tomorrow to explore our slang new word.

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