These 50 British phrases could be ready for the bin…
A number of iconic British phrases are running the risk of going extinct, according to a recent poll.
The UK’s aptitude for ever-evolving colloquial language is arguably one of the best things about being British, especially when trying to explain words to a confused American or tripping people up from elsewhere in the country with regional phrases.
That being said, a survey of over 2,000 people conducted by Perspectus Global has found that there are 50 well established British phrases that are at risk of dying out – and we’re genuinely quite fearful.
Listed among them were fairly common sayings like “dropped a clanger” and “curtain twitcher”, not to mention an absolute classic: “colder than a witch’s tit” – which a staggering 71 per cent of people claimed they had never used before. Criminal, really.
Here’s the phrases that could soon go the way of the dodo:
Old British sayings that are dying out:
1. Pearls before swine – 78%
2. Nail your colours to the mast – 71%
3. Colder than a witch’s tit – 71%
4. Pip pip – 70%
5. Know your onions – 68%
6. A nod is as good as a wink – 66%
7. A stitch in time saves nine – 64%
8. Ready for the knackers yard – 62%
9. I’ve dropped a clanger – 60%
10. A fly in the ointment – 59%
11. Keen as mustard – 58%
12. A flash in the pan – 57%
13. Tickety boo – 57%
14. A load of codswallop – 56%
15. A curtain twitcher – 56%
16. Knickers in a twist – 56%
17. Dead as a doornail – 55%
18. A dog’s dinner – 55%
19. It’s chock a block – 55%
20. Storm in a teacup – 55%
21. Could not organise a piss up in a brewery – 54%
22. Not enough room to swing a cat – 54%
23. Flogging a dead horse – 54%
24. Toe the line – 54%
25. Popped her clogs – 54%
26. Drop them a line – 53%
27. Steal my thunder – 53%
28. A few sandwiches short of a picnic – 53%
29. A legend in one’s own lifetime – 52%
30. Be there or be square – 52%
31. Fell off the back of a lorry – 52%
32. A bodge job – 52%
33. Eat humble pie – 52%
34. Having a chinwag – 52%
35. Put a sock in it – 52%
36. Mad as a Hatter – 51%
37. Spend a penny – 51%
38. Cool as a cucumber – 51%
39. It’s gone pear-shaped – 51%
40. It cost a bomb – 51%
41. Raining cats and dogs – 51%
42. See a man about a dog – 51%
43. It takes the biscuit – 50%
44. He’s a good egg – 50%
45. Snug as a bug in a rug – 49%
46. Chuffed to bits – 49%
47. Have a gander – 49%
48. Selling like hotcakes – 49%
49. Pardon my French – 48%
50. A Turn up for the books – 45%
Deeply saddening news. While we admit there were a few we’ve never heard of – we challenge you to find anyone who’s ever said “pearls before swine” in conversation – we were surprised by just home many of them we’d still consider fairly everyday language.
Nevertheless, now that we know we can all do our best to keep the good fight going – and for God’s sake, if you let “couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery” die out, we’ll be having a word.
Related links:
- Ricky Gervais: I have to offend even if people don’t like it
- What Meat Loaf actually meant when he sang ‘I won’t do that’
- Matthew McConaughey and Hugh Grant guess British slang
