The UK’s Most Googled Slang Words: What Regional Lingo We’re Trying to Understand

The UK is home to a vast and diverse range of regional dialects and each has its own unique phrases, expressions, and colloquialisms. While these words may be second nature to locals, many people across the country—and even within the same region—often turn to Google for clarification. Our research explores the most searched slang terms from different parts of the UK and highlights the words that spark the most curiosity.

By analysing search trends we can see which regional phrases people struggle with the most and how linguistic identity continues to shape everyday speech. From long-standing dialect traditions to modern-day expressions shaped by culture and history, these words reveal how language connects us to place, heritage, and identity.

So, just how well do you understand Britain’s regional slang? Let’s dive into the findings and discover which words have the nation searching for answers.

“What’s the ‘Craic’?”: The UK’s Most Googled Slang Words

#	Term	Meaning	Dialect	Yearly UK Search Volume
1	Craic	Fun, news, or good conversation	Northern Irish English	74,400
2	Cheeky	Playfully or mildly rude	Mancunian (Manchester)	68,400
3	Knackered	Extremely tired	Cockney (London)	58,800
4	Proper	Really or very	East Midlands (Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, etc.)	51,600
5	Lush	Excellent, great	Welsh English	48,000
6	Cwtch	Hug or cuddle (also a safe place)	Welsh English	42,000
7	Scran	Food	Scouse (Liverpool)	39,600
8	Cheers	Thank you or goodbye	Estuary English	38,400
9	Am	Are (e.g., “How am ya?” = How are you?)	Black Country (Dudley, Walsall)	37,200
10	Fink	Think (reflecting a dropped ‘th’)	Estuary English	37,200
11	Love	Term of address (often to a woman)	Mancunian (Manchester)	34,800
12	Posh	Fancy, upper-class	Estuary English	33,600
13	Banter (Bants)	Playful teasing or joking	Essex	32,400
14	Gaffer	Boss or manager	Scouse (Liverpool)	32,400
15	Dodgy	Suspicious or questionable	Cockney (London)	31,200
16	Batch	Bread roll (common in Coventry, overlaps in region)	East Midlands (Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, etc.)	28,800
17	Reckon	Think or guess	Essex	27,600
18	Savage	Excellent, amazing	Northern Irish English	27,600
19	Reckon	Suppose or think	Tyke (Leeds, Sheffield)	27,600
20	Canny	Nice, good, or pleasant	Geordie (Newcastle)	25,200

“Craic”, a well-known expression from Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK, tops the list with 74,400 annual searches Similarly, Welsh words like “lush” and “cwtch” feature prominently which shows the warm and expressive regional slang resonates beyond its home regions.

More locally specific terms, such as the Black Country’s “am” (a localised form of “are”) and the East Midlands’ “batch” (meaning bread roll) also appear high in search rankings which indicates that even small dialect differences spark national curiosity. Meanwhile, Cockney and Estuary English remain highly influential with words like “knackered” and “fink” reinforcing the continued presence of Southeastern speech in everyday conversations and media.

At the same time, Northern dialects hold their own, with “scran” (Liverpool) and “canny” (Newcastle) reinforcing the distinctiveness of speech outside the South. The popularity of these words in search results suggests that people are either encountering them for the first time or seeking to understand regional expressions they have heard elsewhere. Ultimately, the variety of the UK’s most Googled dialect terms proves that while the country shares a common language, its regions remain deeply connected to their distinctive ways of speaking—keeping local identity alive for generations to come.

“Knackered” and Other Cockney Classics That Still Baffle the UK

#	Term	Meaning	Yearly UK Search Volume
1	Knackered	Extremely tired	58,800
2	Dodgy	Suspicious or questionable	31,200
3	Ta	Thank you	19,200
4	Gutted	Devastated	18,000
5	Skint	Broke, no money	16,800
6	Peckish	Hungry	8,400
7	Loaf (Loaf of Bread)	Head	4,200
8	Bee’s knees	Something excellent	3,600
9	Billy No Mates	Someone with no friends	3,600
10	Chock-a-block	Full or crowded	3,600

Cockney remains one of the UK’s most recognisable dialects with words like “knackered” (extremely tired) and “dodgy” (suspicious) ranking high in search interest. The influence of Cockney rhyming slang endured with “loaf” (short for “loaf of bread”, meaning head) still appearing in searches despite being less common in modern speech. Everyday phrases such as “ta” (thank you) and “skint” (broke) show that Cockney slang has extended beyond East London and has embedded itself into broader British vernacular.

“Wench” and Other Brummie Words That Confuse the Rest of the UK

#	Term	Meaning	Yearly UK Search Volume
1	Wench	Girl/woman (archaic or affectionate)	15,600
2	Tar	Thank you	13,200
3	Mardy	Moody or sulky	12,000
4	Scrap	Fight	7,200
5	Pop	Soft drink	6,000
6	Buzz	Bus	5,400
7	Mommy	Another form of mother	4,800
8	Brew and a bap	Tea and a bread roll	3,600
9	Mooch	Wander around aimlessly	3,600
10	Gambol	Somersault or forward roll	2,400

Birmingham’s dialect blends archaic slang with modern colloquialisms and the popularity of “wench” (meaning girl or woman) highlights a uniquely old-fashioned yet enduring word. Common terms like “mardy” (moody or sulky) and “scrap” (fight) reflect the city’s everyday slang which favours short, punchy expressions.

Scouse “Scran” and the Words That Define Liverpool

#	Term	Meaning	Yearly UK Search Volume
1	Scran	Food	39,600
2	Gaffer	Boss or manager	32,400
3	Snide	Fake, counterfeit	21,600
4	Chuffed	Pleased, happy	18,000
5	Scruffy	Messy, unkempt	10,800
6	Swerve	Avoid or dodge	6,000
7	Tampin’	Furious or very angry	4,800
8	G’wed (Go ’ed)	Go ahead, go on	4,200
9	Brew	Cup of tea	3,600
10	Fuming	Extremely angry	3,600

Liverpool’s Scouse dialect is as distinct as its people with words like “scran” (food) and “gaffer” (boss or manager) dominating search results. Other words people are eager to find out their meaning includes snide (fake or counterfeit) and “scruffy” (messy or unkempt), both of which remain in common use.

Manchester’s “Cheeky” Dialect: The Most Googled Manc Words

#	Term	Meaning	Yearly UK Search Volume
1	Cheeky	Playfully or mildly rude	68,400
2	Love	Term of address (often to a woman)	34,800
3	Gaff	House or place	18,000
4	Skint	Broke, no money	16,800
5	Spitting feathers	Very angry or extremely thirsty	10,800
6	Owt	Anything	8,400
7	Ginnel	Alleyway	4,800
8	Me	My (e.g., “me phone”)	4,200
9	Mint	Excellent, great	4,200
10	Nowt	Nothing	4,200

Manchester’s Mancunian dialect is rich in colloquialisms with “cheeky” (playfully rude) leading the way in search rankings. The city’s reputation for straight-talking friendliness is captured in words like “love” (a warm term of address). Meanwhile, phrases such as “spitting feathers” (extremely angry or thirsty) and “mint” (excellent, great) show how varied Manc speech can be.

“Canny” Geordie Words: Newcastle’s Most Googled Dialect Terms

#	Term	Meaning	Yearly UK Search Volume
1	Canny	Nice, good, or pleasant	25,200
2	Ta	Thank you	19,200
3	Graft	Work	12,000
4	Bairn	Child	8,400
5	Bonny	Pretty or attractive	5,400
6	Bobby dazzler	Something impressive or excellent	4,200
7	Mint	Great, excellent	4,200
8	Radgie	An angry outburst or person who’s angry	3,600
9	Champion	Excellent, wonderful	3,000
10	Lass	Girl, young woman	3,000

Newcastle’s Geordie dialect remains one of the UK’s most distinctive with “canny” (nice, good, or pleasant) standing out as its most-searched term. The city’s rich industrial history is reflected in words such as “graft” (work) while family-centric culture is clear from terms like “bairn” (child). Expressions like “bobby dazzler” (something impressive or excellent) highlight the enthusiasm and humour that define Geordie speech.

Don’t Be a “Git”: The UK’s Most Misunderstood Insults

#	Insult	Meaning	Dialect	Yearly UK Search Volume
1	Git	Annoying or unpleasant person	Tyke (Yorkshire)	26,400
2	Pleb	Derogatory for low-status or ignorant person	Estuary English (London/SE England)	22,800
3	Numpty	Idiot; foolish person	Glaswegian (Glasgow, Scotland)	21,600
4	Pillock	Idiot or foolish person	Lanky (Lancashire)	19,200
5	Eejit	Idiot (Irish or Scottish pronunciation of “idiot”)	Hiberno-English/Glaswegian (Ireland/Scotland)	12,000
6	Tosser	Idiot; contemptible person	Estuary English (London/SE England)	8,400
7	Berk	Fool (Cockney rhyming slang “Berkshire Hunt”)	Cockney (London – East End)	7,200
8	Charlie	Fool (“a right Charlie”)	Cockney (London – East End)	7,200
9	Melt	Weak or foolish person	Estuary English (London/SE England)	7,200
10	Whopper	Person telling big lies; fool	Scouse (Liverpool)	6,000
11	Div	Short for “divvy,” meaning fool	Scouse (Liverpool)	4,800
12	Clown	Foolish person	Cockney/General UK slang (London/Nationwide)	4,200
13	Mug	Gullible or foolish person	Cockney (London – East End)	4,200
14	Plonker	Idiot (popularised by “Only Fools and Horses”)	Cockney (London – East End)	4,200
15	Radgie	Angry, volatile person	Geordie (Newcastle)	3,600
16	Bampot	Mad or crazy person	Glaswegian (Glasgow, Scotland)	3,000
17	Muppet	Silly or clueless person	Estuary English (London/SE England)	3,000
18	Scrote	Lowlife; disreputable person	Estuary English (London/SE England)	3,000
19	Wazzock	Idiot, fool	Tyke (Yorkshire)	3,000
20	Daft ’apeth	Silly fool (“daft halfpenny”)	Tyke (Yorkshire)	2,400

Insults vary widely across the UK and often reflect the regional humour, class distinction and historical influences. The data shows that Northern insults dominate search trends with “git” (Yorkshire) and “numpty” (Glasgow) ranking among the most-searched words. London’s Cockney slang also remains highly recognisable with terms like “berk” and “plonker” still widely searched—undoubtedly helped by media influence such as Only Fools and Horses. This variety in regional insults highlights how British dialects preserve local identity even as modern slang and media continue to shape how insults evolve and spread.

Time for Some “Scran”: The UK’s Most Misunderstood Food Terms

#	Term	Meaning	Dialect	Yearly UK Search Volume
1	Scran	Food or meal	Scouse (Liverpool)	39,600
2	Bait	Packed lunch	Geordie (Newcastle)	12,000
3	Codswallop	Nonsense (“Codd’s wallop”), not truly a food	General UK slang	9,600
4	Scoff	To eat greedily, also “food”	Cockney/General UK slang (London/Nationwide)	4,800
5	Nosh	Food, to eat	Yiddish-influenced London slang	4,200
6	Grub	Food	General UK slang	3,600
7	Pasty (Oggy)	Cornish pasty	Cornish (Cornwall)	3,600
8	Trifle	Layered custard/fruit/cream dessert	General UK	3,000
9	Neeps	Turnips/Swede	Scottish (Scotland)	2,400
10	Pudding (dessert)	Dessert course	General UK	2,400
11	Tea (as a meal)	Evening meal	Northern English (North of England)	2,400
12	Bap	Soft bread roll	West Midlands (Birmingham)	1,800
13	Butty	Sandwich	Northern English (North of England)	1,800
14	Mash	Mashed potatoes (often “bangers & mash”)	General UK	1,800
15	Piece	Sandwich (e.g., “piece and jam”)	Scots (Scotland)	1,800
16	Batch	Bread roll	Midlands (Coventry/West Midlands)	1,200
17	Brekkie	Breakfast	Australian/UK slang	1,200
18	Bangers	Sausages	Cockney (London – East End)	720
19	Cully	Rare slang for cauliflower	Unknown (Rare usage)	480
20	Barm	Bread roll (North West usage)	Lanky (Lancashire)	360

Food-related slang is one of the UK’s most fiercely debated linguistic battlegrounds with regional differences sparking both curiosity and confusion. “Scran” (Liverpool) tops the list, proving that Northern meal-related slang is still widely used and often Googled. The North East’s “bait” (packed lunch) and Scotland’s “neeps” (turnips/swede) also suggest a strong regional influence on food terminology.

Raise a “Porter”: The UK’s Most Misunderstood Drinking Terms

#	Term	Meaning	Dialect	Yearly UK Search Volume
1	Porter	Dark style of beer (historical)	Cockney (London – Historical)	25,200
2	Cordial	Concentrated fruit syrup	General UK	24,000
3	Stout	Dark, heavy beer (e.g. Guinness)	Hiberno-English (Ireland) / Glaswegian (Scotland)	16,800
4	Cuppa	Cup of tea	Tyke (Yorkshire) / Scouse (Liverpool)	7,200
5	Tipple	Alcoholic drink (often used poshly)	RP English (Upper-class English)	6,000
6	Snake	Short for snakebite	General UK (No strong dialect link)	5,400
7	Brew	Cup of tea (sometimes coffee)	Tyke (Yorkshire) / Lanky (Lancashire)	3,600
8	Booze	Alcohol in general	Cockney (London – East End) / Scouse (Liverpool)	3,000
9	Wee dram	A small measure of whisky	Scottish (Scotland)	3,000
10	Chaser	Spirit taken after a beer (or with it)	Scouse (Liverpool) / Cockney (London – East End)	2,400
11	Gargle	Beer or alcohol (informal)	Hiberno-English (Ireland)	2,400
12	Pint	Beer, specifically a pint measure	Scouse (Liverpool) / Geordie (Newcastle)	1,800
13	Whisky / Whiskey	Scottish or Irish spirit (spelling differs)	Scottish (Scotland) / Hiberno-English (Ireland)	1,800
14	Jar	Pint of beer	Cockney (London – East End)	1,200
15	Scotch	Scottish whisky	Scottish (Scotland)	1,200
16	Grog	Rum or alcoholic mix (naval origins)	Naval slang (UK origin)	1,080
17	Lager tops	Lager with a small splash of lemonade on top	Cockney (London – East End) / Estuary English (SE England)	840
18	Squash	Diluted juice (fruit drink)	RP English (Upper-class English)	720
19	Rosie Lee	Tea (Cockney rhyming slang)	Cockney (London – East End)	480
20	Ginger	Any fizzy juice (e.g., Irn-Bru)	Scottish (Scotland)	360

The UK’s love of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages is reflected in its diverse drinking-related slang. Historical brewing terms such as “porter” and “stout” remain well-searched and show their deep roots in British pub culture. Scottish and Irish influence is strong with terms like “wee dram” (small whisky measure) and “Scotch” proving that whisky-related language is still widely used and searched.

The UK’s Most Googled Internet Slang: What Online Terms Are Leaving People Confused?

#	Term	Meaning	Yearly UK Search Volume
1	SMH	Shaking my head (disapproval)	348,000
2	FOMO	Fear of missing out	252,000
3	WYD	What are you doing?	156,000
4	WFH	Work from home	144,000
5	GOAT	Greatest of all time	132,000
6	HMU	Hit me up (contact me)	132,000
7	LMAO	Laughing my a** off	132,000
8	NPC	Non-playable character (also used to describe someone who lacks independent thought)	132,000
9	IMO	In my opinion / In my humble opinion	120,000
10	LMK	Let me know	120,000
11	TMI	Too much information	112,800
12	AFK	Away from keyboard	102,000
13	DM	Direct message	100,800
14	TBH	To be honest	96,000
15	FYI	For your information	94,800
16	Based	Staying true to one’s opinion, not influenced by others	84,000
17	Slay	To do something exceptionally well	81,600
18	TTYL	Talk to you later	76,800
19	IDK	I don’t know	75,600
20	BRB	Be right back	62,400

The UK public is frequently turning to Google to decode internet slang which proves that online culture remains just as confusing as regional dialects. SMH (“shaking my head”) leads the way with 348,000 searches per year, followed by FOMO (“fear of missing out”) and everyday texting terms like WYD (“what are you doing?”) and HMU (“hit me up”). Gaming phrases such as NPC (“non-playable character”) and AFK (“away from keyboard”) also rank highly, showing how gaming jargon has seeped into mainstream language. 

Methodology

To track the UK’s most misunderstood slang, we used Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer to analyse monthly and yearly search volumes for regional slang terms. By inputting words associated with different UK dialects and pairing them with “meaning”, we identified which regional phrases are searched for the most. This allowed us to map linguistic curiosity and trends and highlight the words that leave people most confused.You can find all our data here.

Note: We have made every effort to accurately assign each slang word to its origin or most commonly associated dialect. However, language evolves, and many slang terms are used across multiple regions, sometimes with slightly different meanings. In some cases, there is debate or overlap regarding which dialect a word belongs to so our classifications reflect the most widely accepted or historically significant usage that we could find.