Uncover British slang words that begin with I, including lesser-known and quirky expressions, such as I'll be buggered, in the club and in a bit. This dictionary page provides insight into their meanings and use.
| ice | Noun. Diamonds or, more generally, jewellery. [Orig. U.S.] |
| ick (!) | Noun. 1. Something distasteful, unsavoury or disgusting. Derived from the adjective 'icky'. Cf. 'yuck'. 2. As the ick, a turn off in a relationship with someone who one previously found sexually attractive and desirable. E.g."I woke up in the morning with the icks, even after a fabulous night with him - it could have been his snoring and breaking wind in his sleep." Exclam. Used to express disgust. |
| ickle | Adj. Small, little. A mock childish shortening of the word 'lickle'. |
| icky | Adj. Gooey or sticky, usually denoting unpleasantly so. {Informal} |
| idiot box | Noun. A television set, with the implication of those that watch it are less intelligent. [Orig. U.S. 1950s] |
| iffy | Adj. Unsound, incorrect, improbable, suspicious. |
| ignorant | Adj. Not polite, disrespectful, rude. {Informal} |
| iky | Adj. Frugle, stingy. [Dundee use] |
| I'll be buggered! | Exclam. An exclamation of surprise. |
| I'll be buggered if... | Exclam. There's no way. E.g."I'll be buggered if I'm going to help him after what he said about my sister." |
| I'll give you that | Phrase. I accept what you've said, I admit that, I'll concede that you're correct. Also as I give you that. |
| I'll go to the foot of our stairs! | Exclam. An exclamation of surprise. [Lancs/Yorks use] |
| in a bit! | Exclam. Goodbye! See you later! When written, often combined into a single word, as inabit. |
| in a flap | Phrs. In a state of worry and agitation. {Informal} |
| in bits | Adj. Mentally confused, emotionally distressed, extremely upset. E.g."It's no wonder he's in bits, he's had two tabs of acid, four grams of coke and smoked an ounce of draw." |
| in bulk | Phrs. Laughing. E.g."Sarah was in bulk all the way through the film." [Merseyside use] |
| in cahoots (with) | Phrs. In league or colluding (with). [Orig. U.S.] {Informal} |
| in deep shit | Phrs. In big trouble. |
| indie | Noun. Abbreviated form of independent, often referring to a style of music, record label or film company. |
| (the) information superhighway | Noun. The rather impassioned and premature title given to the World Wide Web which has lost popularity and is rarely used within the Internet community. [Late 1980s] {Informal} |
| innie | Noun. A navel or belly button that doesn't protrude, as is the case with the majority. Cf. 'outtie'. |
| innit! | Exclam. A rhetorical question used at the end of sentences, or as a general emphatic filler. From isn't it. E.g."That's got to be the best goal ever, innit!" |
| in shtook | Adj. In trouble. Various spellings such as shtuk, stook, schtuk, schtook and shtuck. Origin unknown despite some speculation of a Yiddish connection. |
| inside | Adj. In prison. E.g."I'm a bit out of touch with the latest news - I've been inside for the last 15 years." |
| inside job | Noun. A crime committed against an organisation, business or property, by a person affiliated to that location. {Informal} |
| intel | Noun. Information. Abbr. of intelligence. [Orig. military use] |
| in the altogether | Phrs. Naked. E.g."She walked in on Mike, screamed, and ran downstairs crying. Mind you he was in the altogether." |
| in the buff | Phrs. Naked. |
| in the club | Phrs. Pregnant. A contraction of in the pudding club. |
| in the doghouse | Phrs. Of a person, out of favour or in disgrace. E.g."My dad's in the doghouse after getting drunk last night." [Orig. U.S. 1920s] |
| in the gods | Noun. Of the theatre, sitting in the upper tier, above the circle, which are usually the cheapest seats. {Informal} |
| in the niff | Phrs. Naked. [Yorkshire use] |
| in the nuddy | Phrs. Naked. {Informal} |
| in the scud | Phrs. Naked. See 'scud mag'. [Mainly Scottish use] |
| into | Prep. Interested in, knowledgeable about. E.g."What are you into? I create music on my computer." |
| in your face! | Exclam. A confrontational response on getting a minor personal victory over someone or something. |
| irie * | Adj. Nice, great, fine. Exclam. Expressing approval or good wishes. Also as a greeting. * [Orig. Jamaican. Mainly Black use] |
| iron | Noun. A homosexual. Rhyming slang on iron hoof meaning 'poof'. Derog./Offens. |
| I should cocoa! | Exclam. I should say so! Absolutely! Definitely! Freq. used with irony, for example, you must be joking! Also as I should coco! Rhyming slang for say so. [London use. 1930s] |
| itchy feet | Noun. The desire to travel or leave a place. E.g."I have itchy feet and am thinking about taking a few months off to travel around Europe." {Informal} |
| item | Noun. A couple in a relationship. E.g."As you two are an item I've put you in the same bedroom." |
| ivories | Noun. 1. Teeth. 2. A piano, and more specifically the piano keys. Often in the phrase 'tickle the ivories'. |
| I would | Phrs. Referring to an attractive person, and implying one wouldnt object to engaging sexually with that person. |