Brit Kid Slang

[kikonie]

Hello to our friends across the way - England, that is.

Go ahead, call me crazy; I'm a Canadian working on an adventure story where the main characters are English kids. I've made up a village the size of Stockwood (SE of Bristol) and plopped it on top of the north face of Mendip Hills. My dilemma is that I don't feel comfortable using slang from a thesaurus. I mean, would an intelligent, but current fourteen year old boy coming from a reasonably well off middle class home in a smallish village use words like 'potty' or 'crackers' to mean 'crazy'? This is the sense of what I'm after:

"I think I would go crazy if I didn't have someone to tell."

Many thanks in advance to all who care to help.

The crazy writer from Canada - Sid

[newmod]

Hi kikonie I´ll do what I can for you but I´m more than prepared to be shot down by others younger and wiser than myself. I should also say that I´m from London.

Potty and crackers don´t ring true to me at least. I think something like mental or loopy might be options. Also mad. Or I´d go spare. Insane.

Well, I´m 30 so maybe I´m out of touch, but a few things to consider. Hopefully someone can give the latest.

I would also say that their interests and peer group would influence them too. If they like rap music they may use a term from that e.g. loco (also if they speak another language be it spanish, hindi or whatever they may use those). Or if they like computer games there may be a term from those.

Well good luck with it,
newmod

[kikonie]

I'm so glad I asked. Thanks very much, newmod. The kids in the story are into computer games. Rap, too, but not hard core. More into prog-rock.

Any one else care to join in the fun? Maybe we could pull together a collection of kid slang for different countries for writers loopy enough to 'locate' in a country other than their own.

[newmod]

Well if you want street language from Madrid any time just let me know, I´m more up on that than the english equivalent now!!! :Shrug:

[Dollywagon]

I would think potty or crackers are more northern sayings.

But then I'm from the north, so I would think that.

Others are bonkers, mental, loopy, daft, mad, beserk, nuts.

I don't actually think I've ever heard an English kid say "crazy," but then if we are going more middle-upper class then maybe so.

I'm not sure about the current fads. Is 'radged,'(sp) one?

[Grey Malkin]

I'm from the UK, and up north too, but once you start regionalising characters you make it harder for kids outside that region to be able to relate to them. Crackers would be fine with me, but there's Newmod down in the Smoke thinking that's a no-no. And to me, "Potty" reeks of upperclass, pompous kids from the better side of town. An alternative would be to invent a term - ie "He's gone friggin' Gonzo", and have something in the dialogue to explain the term, like another character who's not quite up to speed on such things, which will make the first kid explain (and is also a good tool to show social status between the two).

But having said all of that, I really need to ask why you think England is a better setting than Canada. For me as a reader, I would be far more interested in what you have to say about your own turf, especially if you can talk about it with familiarity and authority. When you really know a place, it adds so much colour to your writing. It probably sounds daft because our own town seems so boring to us and an impossible setting for anything exciting, but to others it will be riviting because they're reading about somewhere new. Whereas, if you try writing about a place you're not familiar with - say if I set a story in California, I'd be opening myself up to a world of critics telling me how wrong I am.

Hope this helps.

GreyMalkin

[moondance]

I'm with newmod (but I'm also 30 so what do I know?!) I teach in Oxford but have also worked in a London school and the kids have a range of words - most of which are rather too 'now' to be used in a book (eg 'gay' which now means 'lame, pathetic' - as in 'school's so gay') and you have to be careful of being too up-to-date because in another five years no one will be using those words!

'Potty' is definitely out, but words such as 'mental' and 'mad' are fairly safe bets. I use 'bonkers' but I think I'm showing my age. 'Doolally' is another favourite of mine but is probably a bit weak considering your main character is 14!

I actually don't see a problem with 'crazy' - I think it's still used, although possibly more in a 'you're wild/crazy' than angry/crazy way.

[Bk_30]

A little off topic as I'm from the US,but "gay" was around when I was in school. I'm also 30ish. However my children 15-11 also use the term "gay". The flip side to that is some people take offense(not that kids care) to the use of that term in that manner. With on-line computer games, music video's and the like closing the distance between countries in the terms of slang and such I think you could "get away" with using a universal word for crazy, but this is just my opinion so it will flush, if deposited, with out causeing sewage backup :)

[kikonie]

Thanks for your suggestions! It's always interesting to see the contrasting opinions and pick up additional inspiration as a bonus.


I'm from the UK, and up north too, but once you start regionalising characters you make it harder for kids outside that region to be able to relate to them. Crackers would be fine with me, but there's Newmod down in the Smoke thinking that's a no-no. And to me, "Potty" reeks of upperclass, pompous kids from the better side of town. An alternative would be to invent a term - ie "He's gone friggin' Gonzo", and have something in the dialogue to explain the term, like another character who's not quite up to speed on such things, which will make the first kid explain (and is also a good tool to show social status between the two).

But having said all of that, I really need to ask why you think England is a better setting than Canada. For me as a reader, I would be far more interested in what you have to say about your own turf, especially if you can talk about it with familiarity and authority. When you really know a place, it adds so much colour to your writing. It probably sounds daft because our own town seems so boring to us and an impossible setting for anything exciting, but to others it will be riviting because they're reading about somewhere new. Whereas, if you try writing about a place you're not familiar with - say if I set a story in California, I'd be opening myself up to a world of critics telling me how wrong I am.

Hope this helps.

GreyMalkin


Thank you, Grey, for the time you took;great suggestions. I fully admit my 'mentalness'. I am aware of the trap. I try not to use anything I haven't actually seen through research. I love the research part; it feeds my learning addiction. I may never be able to give up writing about other places - mwa-ah-ah!

However, I'm sure I haven't got the langauge perfect, but I tone it down for 'local' consumption anyway. If the story makes it to printed page, 'somebody' will straighten me out, won't they?

By the way, I have used my own city and Cypress in the story as well. My main character 'travels' a lot.

Thanks again.

[moondance]

Interesting, Bk - I wonder actually whether UK kids get to hear of words that US kids have been using for years because of our US TV imports? I mean, the word was of course around when I was young, but it didn't mean 'lame' or 'pathetic' then...!

[newmod]

(eg 'gay' which now means 'lame, pathetic' - as in 'school's so gay')

That reminds me moondance of "gaylord" did you use that as a kid? I remember using that in primary school. Any use of that in the States?

With context, during a football match (soccer for the uninitiated :tongue ) a kid misses an easy chance to score a goal so one of his team-mates might say "you GAYLORD!" Which also means useless, rubbish, etc.

As kids we had no real understanding of certain things. But I have never heard gaylord used in a similar way to gay (in its sexuality sense).

Damn, now I´m thinking about all those childhood expressions instead of doing something productive ...

[Billytwice]

Well, I´m 30 so maybe I´m out of touch,

Well, I'm 50 so I must be out of touch.

My 15 year old son sent me up town the other night to fetch him a shish kebab.
The shop was full of kids and believe it or not, the Turks behind the counter were easier to understand than the local kids.

[newmod]

My 15 year old son sent me up town the other night to fetch him a shish kebab.

Bloody hell Billy fair play to yer, if I asked my dad to go get me something to eat I´d starve waiting for it!!! :D

[electric.avenue]

I've heard yoof of about 18 (in the uk) say for crazy:

"He's a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic".

But this was a few years ago. Expressions like this seem to be popular with all ages though in the uk.

[Bk_30]

Hehe electric we still use phrases like that here, special in the good ol' south.
Lights on nobodys home, a card or two shy of a full deck, elevator doesn't go all the way up, ect...of course that is used to describe someone NOT related to you..if related they are called ecentric ;)

[three seven]

would an intelligent, but current fourteen year old boy coming from a reasonably well off middle class home in a smallish village use words like 'potty' or 'crackers' to mean 'crazy'?
No. A potty is something toddlers crap in, and crackers are biscuits you put cheese on. No one's used them to mean 'crazy' since 1932. Around here at least, he'd be more likely to say 'f*cked up'.

[kikonie]

moondance et al,

thanks for showing me that i can cut the quotes down -->see the newbie grow

i promise never to over-quote again

thanks to 3-7 for the 'English' lesson

[Snitchcat]

Kikonie,

I was just thinking about this and you might check out Harry Potter for some of the slang British kids are using -- particularly the later books. Speech patterns for Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley may provide the guidelines you need.

I agree with Three Seven that British kids are more likely to say "f*d up". Also, "loopy", "mental", or "nuts" may be used more than anything else. "Insane", "mad", "bonkers" and "batty" might also be options. (However, I'm rather out of touch, too.)

Btw, do any of them still say, "bananas"?

[kikonie]

Hehe - the Blood Prince sits beside me. I've been tuning in to written and spoken influences throughout the writing of this story. (I try not to let Corrie Street sneak in - shhh)

BTW, I've already used three of the words. Thank you all for such a delightful education.

:Clap:

May I come back later if I need another word?

[Snitchcat]

Did think of another series you might want to take a look at:

Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl -- but the boy is a genius, so, he may/may not fit what you need.

You might, however, check out books by the same author:

"Wish List" is about two 13/14 YO. (Maybe younger; don't quite remember.)
"Supernaturalist" is also about kids.
"Legend of Spud Murphy" is another one.

Granted, these deal with Irish kids, really, but they may help? (And even if they don't, they're entertaining reads. :p )

[kikonie]

Snitchcat! Thank you!

My boy is into brain puzzles and cryptography; his parents are archeologists and his uncle's a treasure hunter/adventure type. Artemis may not be such a bad model. I will definitely look at the others, too. Have you read any Piers Anthony?

[Bk_30]

hehe (secret Artemis lover here) yes I've read Piers..mostly his xanth stories and a few of the his others.

[Snitchcat]

No, I've not read Piers Anthony. The blurbs don't catch my interest. (^_^)

[Snitchcat]

hehe (secret Artemis lover here) yes I've read Piers..mostly his xanth stories and a few of the his others.


Hehehe, cool.

Don't want to hijack the thread, but must ask: I heard a rumour there as a book #5 coming out/already out in the series -- is this true? (I really hope so!)

[Bk_30]

boy I hope so snitch..lol

[Alexenafi]

You could also consider "barmy".

Adj. 1. barmy - marked by spirited enjoyment
yeasty, zestful, zesty
spirited - displaying animation, vigor, or liveliness
2. barmy - informal or slang terms for mentally irregular; "it used to drive my husband balmy"
around the bend, balmy, bats, batty, bonkers, buggy, crackers, daft, dotty, haywire, kookie, kooky, loco, loony, loopy, nuts, round the bend, wacky, whacky, nutty, fruity, cracked
insane - afflicted with or characteristic of mental derangement; "was declared insane"; "insane laughter"

[moondance]

I used to say 'barmy' but I haven't heard any kids say it in the last 10 years. Think it's another generational thing.

[Alexenafi]

So I'm only a decade behind the times. Good to know. :)

That's fitting though - I haven't been to England for 10 years. And I guess we only about 10 years behind on Coronation Street.

[kikonie]

Hi Tilda,

I sometimes use Bartleby's online, but it's a bit cumbersome and it doesn't tell you what a current youth would use, which is why I resorted to asking our English peers. If anyone else knows of an appropriate resource, PLEASE let us know!

Ever gratefully at your service,
kikonie

(BTW, is that 'Tilda' like the punctuation mark or were you just lucky in your choice of parents?)

[Torgo]

"Mental". Hasn't gone out of style for twenty years or so. Potty, crackers and barmy are very dated.

[kikonie]

Ta, Torgo. I love 'mental'; 'Ron-Ron' uses it in the Half-Blood Prince. I'm really not so potty about 'crackers' and 'barmy'. ;^)

[Alexenafi]

I gotta say, mental sounds great.

And yes, much better than my "barmy".


Sounds like your book is a lot of fun to work on.

Fi