21 British Slang Phrases From Love Island UK Explained

I needed to watch it. Naturally, I watched it right after they told me — not because I felt pressured, but because I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.

Right off the bat, I found myself entertained and rooting for the Islanders. I even enjoyed the drama and the drama was something my friend and I discussed a lot. At the same time, I really wanted them to find that love and connection they were (and are) looking for in the villa.

Midway through the season, I realized that the show featured diverse British accents. Like the Islanders sounded very different from one another. That was really cool because they all didn’t sound like Tom Hiddleston or Regé-Jean Page. Even the narrator didn’t sound like Michaela Coel. In a way, I felt like the show introduced me to the not-so-Hollywood-version of the UK and reminded me of its many different accents and regional dialects.

Another thing I noticed was the use of British slang. The Islanders used a lot of these phrases when they talked to each other or when they confessed their feelings or whatever in the confessional room. Again, that was nice because I learned new English phrases and how they’re used in various different situations.

1. bants: aka banter; a playful, teasing conversation
2. peng: a very attractive person
3. peng sort: a very attractive person
4. a sort: an attractive person
5. bird: a girl, a woman
6. deffo: aka definitely
7. pied: to be dumped by someone; to be rejected by someone
8. pied off: to be dumped by someone; to be rejected by someone
9. take the piss: to make fun
10. geezer: a guy, a man
11. bev: aka beverage, refers to someone who is extremely attractive
12. chived: feeling peeved, angry
13. can’t be arsed: aka cannot be bothered
14. gutted: to feel extremely disappointed
15. oh my days: aka oh my gosh
16. grafting: to put in extra work and effort to like them back and win them over
17. crack on: to get on with someone; to develop something more with someone
18. fuming: to be extremely angry
19. DMC: aka Deep Meaning Conversation
20. dead fit: an extremely good looking person
21. eggs in a basket: to put all efforts and energy into one person