Holiday company Evan Evans writes translation guide for tourists after they are left baffled by TikTok generation’s slang. But how many phrases do YOU know?
Brits are notorious for abbreviating even the simplest of words. But according to a new study, we’re in danger of leaving tourists completely baffled.
To help foreign visitors get to grips with the language, a holiday company operating in the UK has put together a handy guide to help visitors understand what our weird and wonderful abbreviations really mean.
Evan Evans’ list of abbreviations includes phrases such as “savvy b,” “panny d,” and “Jacky p.”
The company’s research shows that most people aged 50 and over have no idea about the new expressions increasingly being used by millennials and Gen Z.
Meanwhile, some Britons have even suggested that tourists ‘should be given a phrase book containing these abbreviations upon arrival in the UK’.
British TikTokers including @MegSays have also been quick to share their favourite acronyms, with Genny Lec, Platty Joobs and Corrie Nash leading the way
Meanwhile, @JeffThurn, who is originally from the US but lives in London, shared a video about abbreviations for Americans in the UK
The travel organisation’s research found that 45 percent of Britons of all ages are completely unaware of a number of new terms coined by the TikTok generation, including ‘cozzie livs’ (cost of living crisis) and ‘banny hols’ (bank holiday weekend).
Kayon Hibbert, Guides Manager at Evan Evans, said: ‘The English language has been constantly evolving for hundreds of years and it’s fascinating to see how common words and phrases have evolved in the 2020s thanks to social media.
‘Our guides are always asked what certain words mean; we also realised that a blog post on our website about British slang had become the most searched and viewed page – with foreign tourists contacting us before they visited the UK. So Evan Evans has launched a new British abbreviations blog guide to help.
‘Brits have always loved a good abbreviation. The challenge for tourists who don’t live here, and clearly for many who do, is keeping up with the latest words and phrases being popularised by social media influencers.’
UK TikTok creators including @MegSays have also revealed their favourite acronyms, with ‘Genny Lec’, ‘Platty Joobs’ and ‘Corrie Nash’ topping the charts.
In a clip that was liked more than 8,000 times, Megan listed some of the most commonly heard abbreviations, including ‘Corrie Naysh’ for the King’s coronation.
She said: ‘I just heard we’re calling it the Genny Lec and it makes me feel homesick and patriotic.
‘Here are some of my favourite British abbreviations. First of all, Genny Lec. The reason it’s such a mystery to me is because it sounds like Gen Elec, but we actually say Genny Lec.
‘And also Platty Jubes for the Platinum Jubilee, Corrie Naysh for the coronation of the king, the event wasn’t for me but I also saw people calling it the Chazzle Dazzle and that’s just objectively funny.
‘To keep with the London theme, if you don’t call Clapham Junction Clappy J, I don’t know what you mean. It’s the Vicky Line and the Lizzie Line, by the way.’
Meanwhile, @JeffThurn, who is originally from the US but lives in London, shared a video about abbreviations for Americans in the UK.
He said: ‘Brits love abbreviations, especially those involving the letter Z. For example, sorry becomes soz, holiday becomes holz, if your name is Gary you might be called Gaz… the list is honestly endless, and I think it’s quite cute.’
Kayon Hibbert, Guides Manager at Evan Evans, said: ‘The English language has been constantly evolving for hundreds of years and it’s fascinating to see how common words and phrases have evolved in the 2020s thanks to social media.
‘Our guides are always asked what certain words mean. We also found that a blog post on our website about British slang had become the most searched and viewed page. Foreign tourists were contacting us before they visited the UK.
That’s why Evan Evans has introduced a new blog guide to British abbreviations to help.
‘Brits have always loved a good abbreviation. The challenge for tourists who don’t live here, and clearly for many who do, is keeping up with the latest words and phrases being popularised by social media influencers.’
It comes as pop culture around the world embraces the ‘brat summer’ coined by Essex pop star Charli XCX and her new album, and US presidential candidate Kamala Harris is also getting involved.
“Kamala IS brat,” the artist insisted on social media. Her X-post has been viewed more than 50 million times.
As Gen Z jargon is used in the firing line of one of the most historic elections in decades, it’s time to brush up on your language.
FEMAIL has compiled a list of some popular terms circulating on the internet, including ‘rizz’, ‘ate’ and ‘stan’.
But how many do you know? Take the quiz to find out…
