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.
To understand which regional slang terms the UK is most curious about the meaning of, Ivy Casino analysed Google search data for 720 different slang words, revealing which words people are most frequently looking up the meaning of.
Their research found that “git” is the most misunderstood insult, and “craic” is the slang we’re most curious about the meaning of.
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 |
| =7 | Charlie | Fool (“a right Charlie”) | Cockney (London – East End) | 7,200 |
| =7 | 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 |
| =12 | Mug | Gullible or foolish person | Cockney (London – East End) | 4,200 |
| =12 | 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 |
| =16 | Muppet | Silly or clueless person | Estuary English (London/SE England) | 3,000 |
| =16 | Scrote | Lowlife; disreputable person | Estuary English (London/SE England) | 3,000 |
| =16 | Wazzock | Idiot, fool | Tyke (Yorkshire) | 3,000 |
| 20 | Daft ’apeth | Silly fool (“daft halfpenny”) | Tyke (Yorkshire) | 2,400 |
“Git” has been revealed to be the top insult that we have to Google the meaning of. The roots of the term originate in Yorkshire and is used to refer to an annoying or unpleasant person.
In second place is “pleb”, a derogatory term used to describe a low-status or ignorant person. “Pleb” is followed by “numpty” in third place. “Numpty” comes from Glaswegian dialect to describe an idiot or foolish person.
The rest of the top 10 includes terms such as “pillock”, “eejit”, and “tosser”, as well as Cockney slang insults, “berk” and “charlie”.
“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 |
| =9 | 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 |
| =17 | Savage | Excellent, amazing | Northern Irish English | 27,600 |
| =17 | Reckon | Suppose or think | Tyke (Leeds, Sheffield) | 27,600 |
| 20 | Canny | Nice, good, or pleasant | Geordie (Newcastle) | 25,200 |
The research by Ivy Casino also looked at slang words from different local dialects that people in the UK Google the meaning of.
Topping the list is “craic”, a term originating from Northern Irish English that means “fun, news, or good conversation”. There are over 74,000 searches a year looking up “craic meaning” in the UK.
In second place is “cheeky”, followed by “knackered” in third. “Proper” and “lush” make up the rest of the top five.
The most misunderstood slang term from featured local dialects are as follows:
- Northern Irish English – “craic”
- Mancunian – “cheeky”
- Cockney – “knackered”
- East Midlands – “proper”
- Welsh English – “lush”
- Scouse – “scran”
- Estuary English – “cheers”
- Black Country – “am”
- Essex – “banter”
- Tyke (Leeds, Sheffield) – “reckon”
- Geordie – “canny”
