AUDIO
DICTIONARY OF SLANG
Dictionary of slang Here we’ve got some examples of how to say things in different situations.
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Situation
Formal
Relaxed
Informal
A bar owner invites you to a drink, paid for by the bar:
This establishment would like to invite you to a drink
Free drinks for everyone, courtesy of the bar!
The drinks are on the house
Your house hasn’t been cleaned for six months:
This house is in an appalling state
This house is disgusting
This house is filthy; this house is in a right state; this house is a shit hole; this house is a pigsty; this house looks like a bomb hit it
You explain to a friend how you started a romance with someone last night:
My attempts at seduction were successful last night
I was lucky last night
I scored last night; I copped off; I pulled
A friend asks to borrow some money. You tell your friend this is not possible:
There is no possibility of me lending you some money
No way
Fat chance; piss off; get the hell out of here; you must be joking; take a hike
You saw a film last night. It wasn’t very good:
That film was below standard
That film was awful;
what a load of rubbish That film wasn’t anything to write home about; that film was shite; that film was the pits
You want to congratulate a friend who made a good decision:
That was a calculated and judicious decision
That was a clever decision
That was a smart move
You are describing how a friend ran away quickly from a place of danger:
She left rapidly
She ran off
She legged it; she got the hell out of there; she scarpered; she did a runner
GLOSSARY
Please note that the words in this glossary box are literal translations of parts of idiomatic expressions.
an establishment n a pub, club or restaurant shit n offens excrement a pigsty n a small building where pigs live to score vb
in football, you “score” when you kick the ball into the goal to cop vb inform to catch to borrow vb if you “borrow” something from someone, you take that thing from them
for a limited period of time a hike n a long walk in the country a load of exp a lot of rubbish n of poor quality - bad
a pit n a deep hole in the ground smart adj intelligent, clever
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