MIDDLE-AGED Brits use slang words like "peng" and "sick" without having a clue what they actually mean, a new poll has found.
Of 2,000 adults surveyed, 64 per cent in their older years admit they often use terms that feel too young for them, including "FFS" or "that's lit".
1
Middle-aged Brits use slang like 'lit' and 'safe' - without knowing what the words mean, a new poll has found Credit: Getty
Many also admit borrowing well-known Cockney rhyming slang for use in speech.
One in 10 use the terms "ace", "safe" and "fit" regularly - but don't know the actual meanings.
Just under four in 10 (39 per cent) feel they’re simply too old to use phrases like these, while 37 per cent report it’s 'just not said’ in their region.
And 25 per cent have been told outright they’re too ancient and embarrassing to be using certain words and phrases.
A spokesman for Lottoland.co.uk, which commissioned the research ahead of its Mega 2022 New Year’s Eve ￡100m draw, said: “Anyone will tell you that words are incredibly powerful.
“So, it’s very interesting to see some of the phrases Brits feel too old to use – why should a saying only be for ‘young’ people?
“Despite there being no real logic to it, feeling too old to say words like ‘cheugy’ or ‘sick’ definitely starts to hit once you reach a certain number of years.”
Across all adults, more than a quarter have been misunderstood when trying to use a trendy slang term.
Despite this, 39 per cent like using slang because it makes talking easier and shortens sentences, and 43 per cent believe it’s a uniquely British trait.
A third (32 per cent) think it’s important to use phrases ‘the youth’ understand, because it helps them communicate with younger generations.
YOU WON'T ADAM AND EVE IT!
One in three pick up their slang from friends and family, but just as many pick up theirs from watching TV, according to the OnePoll figures.
Six in 10 believe the slang in their speech appears naturally, without them having to force it.
More than half (57 per cent) also regularly use slang terms for money, with ‘cash’, ‘quid’ and ‘tenner’ the most commonly used.
And 38 per cent frequently refer to it as ‘moolah’ while one in five refer to the ‘paper’ they have been able to collect.
Most read in News
PAEDO’S WEB Seven shocking revelations from Maxwell trial including 'House of Sin' manual
EVIL PREDATOR Maxwell GUILTY of grooming girls for paedo Epstein in sex-trafficking trial
MARCHING ORDERS Queen's Guard knocks over boy while on duty - but who is in the wrong?
DISGRACEFUL Anti-vaxx protesters storm test site and REMOVE equipment in shocking scenes
Lottoland’s spokesperson added: “Slang terms for money are among the most common, and there are endless ways of describing it in this way.
“Some are based in Cockney rhyming slang, like Arthur Ashe for cash – and some are so bizarre they don’t seem to exist for any particular rhyme or reason.
“While there’s no specific slang term for one hundred million, we’re sure there are a lot of other things people will be shouting out if they win our jackpot this New Year’s Eve."
I’m an astrologer, here’s how to make loads of money in 2022 based on your star sign