It’s fair to say that Britain is home to some of the most distinctive slang words in the world.
Now a study has revealed the outdated terms that Britons are desperate to reintroduce into the English language.
Researchers from WordTips say that ‘bloody’ tops the list of the most outdated slang term Brits use, while ‘canny’ is the word we’d all too gladly do away with.
“Our analysis of unpopular old British slang words all but proves that Britain is no more of a place than Middle-earth,” WordTips said.
So, is your favorite slang term on the list?
It’s safe to say that Britain is home to some of the most distinctive slang words in the world. Pictured: Only Fools and Horses
A survey has revealed which outdated terms Britons would like to reintroduce into the English language
In the study, the researchers wanted to gain insight into the classic British slang we’d like to see return, and the terms we’re glad are no longer popular.
The team analyzed the upvotes and downvotes of 310 notable, outdated slang terms on Urban Dictionary.
“Whether the baby boomers are using this slang in an attempt to relive their glory days, or the zoomers are embracing the cool jive of yesteryear for some old-fashioned street cred, is for you to decide,” WordTips joked.
Their analysis found that “bloody” is the old-fashioned slang word we love most, with an impressive 96.49 percent upvotes.
“Bloody is a 14th-century word meaning ‘bloody’ and later ‘bloodthirsty, cruel, tainted with crimes of blood,'” WordTips explained.
‘It has been ‘a British intensive term of abuse since at least 1676’; lexicographer Samuel L. Johnson found it ‘very vulgar’.’
In contrast, ‘canny’ turned out to be the least popular British slang word. “The Geordie word canny means ‘good, kind or pleasant’, according to locals – but 52.62% of Urban Dictionary users would rather get rid of it,” according to WordTips
“Chuffed” comes in second with 96.13 percent of upvotes, followed by “bugger all” (95.03 percent), “bruv” (93.88 percent), “sod off” (92.84 percent) and “curtain twitcher” (92.40 percent).
Other honorable mentions are ‘chockablock’, ‘hank marvin’ and of course the classic ‘fit’.
In contrast, ‘canny’ turned out to be the least popular British slang word.
“The Geordie word canny means ‘Good, kind or pleasant’ according to locals, but 52.62% of Urban Dictionary users would prefer to get rid of it,” WordTips said.
‘Take the Mickey’ isn’t far behind, with 37.96 percent downvotes.
‘Here are five British words that could very well be the Hogwarts basketball team’s selection: Bonk, Wangle, Fancy, Dench and Mug,’ joked WordTips.
‘Meaning respectively: copulate, manipulate, desire, first class and fool.’
The news comes shortly after Countdown’s Susie Dent revealed the historic words she wants to see return to the English language.
One of her many favorites is “nodcrafty,” which despite being from the 1800s, is perfect “for any Zoom meeting.”
‘Being Nodcrafty means you have the ability to nod as if you’re really following the message, but you’ve actually been out of it for a long time,’ she told MailOnline.
‘I think that is a very important skill.’
Another little-known word, ‘apricity’, describes ‘the most perfect feeling’: the warmth of the sun on your back on a winter’s day.
“There’s only one entry in the dictionary, from 1623,” Susie explained.
“It’s almost like a linguistic mayfly: it only survived for a day, it seems, and then disappeared. But weather forecasters are starting to use it, which is brilliant.”
Another one created in the 16th century is ‘mumpsimus’ – someone who insists he is right despite clear evidence to the contrary.
The fun Scottish term ‘hurkle-durkle’ means lying in bed or hanging around when you should be up.