30 Mar 14 British Phrases to Learn before your Internship
Got the collywobbles before your internship in the United Kingdom? Never fear, here are some wicked expressions that’ll leave your colleagues gobsmacked.
1. “Bob’s your uncle!”
What it means: “There you go!” or “You’ve got it!”
How to use it: “How do I get to Platform 9 3/4?”
“Head to King’s Cross Station, look between Platforms 9 and 10 and Bob’s your uncle!”
2. “Cheeky”
What it means: “Bold and daring” when used positively, but it can also mean “disrespectful and flippant,” so watch out!
How to use it: “Katie’s a cheeky negotiator.”
3. “A dog’s breakfast/ dinner”
What it means: A complete mess.
How to use it: “Carter made a real dog’s dinner out of that presentation.”
4. “Fit”
What it means: good-looking or attractive.
How to use it: “I think Jon Snow is well fit.”
5. “Gobsmacked”
What it means: to be shocked or amazed.
How to use it: “Jade and I were gobsmacked by the view from the London Eye.”
6. “Knackered”
What it means: exhausted.
How to use it: “I’m knackered after our trip to Oxford.”
7. “Lose the plot”
What it means: to go temporarily insane.
How to use it: “Cara’s been working so hard, I think she’s lost the plot. She put salt in her tea instead of sugar.”
8. “Minted”
What it means: to be extremely rich.
How to use it: “When I start my own company, I’ll be minted.”
9. “Shirty”
What it means: ill-tempered or to be in a mad mood.
How to use it: “Sara got quite shirty with me because I didn’t hold the lift for her.”
10. “Throw a spanner in the works”
What it means: to do something unexpected that derails a project.
How to use it: “We were almost done with our proposal when James threw a spanner in the works by deleting the entire file.”
11. “Collywobbles”
What it means: anxiousness or butterflies in your stomach.
How to use it: “Spiders give Ron a bad case of the collywobbles.”
12. “Faffing about”
What it means: to waste time.
How to use it: “Stop faffing about and get a move on or we’re going to be late for the show!”
13. “Knees up”
What it means: a dance party or social event.
How to use it: “Hannah threw an amazing knees up at her flat over the weekend, my feet are still sore from dancing.”
14. “Wicked”
What it means: cool, amazing, awesome.
How to use it: “This summer is going to be absolutely wicked!”
No Comments