British Slang For Boss (Helpful Content!)

British slang words for boss include “gaffer and “guvnor”, and these are the most commonly used slang terms that are specifically British. Other terms might include things like “skipper” or “head honcho”, though these are not used as commonly. A British person is most likely simply to use the word boss.

While there are a variety of slang terms for boss in British slang, most of them are archaic or have largely fallen out of use.

In terms of how British people address their boss, it’s further likely that for the most part they will use their name, rather than a title like “boss”.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What do the British call their boss?

The British have a couple of dedicated slang terms for boss, but for the most part they are more likely just to use a word like “boss”.

If not that, then they are perhaps even more likely still to just call the person by their name.

This is more common practice in British professional life than any of the slang terms, at least in most professions.

That said, there are a variety of British slang terms specifically referring to bosses.

Perhaps the most common, again at least in certain professions, is “gaffer”.

This is certainly a bit of an old fashioned term, and one you might more associate with the older generation from a different working environment.

Nonetheless, British people will by and large understand what is meant by this term.

A gaffer is just someone who is in charge of others.

Another common, if stereotypical and archaic, slang term for boss is “guvnor”, “guvna”, “guv”, or just “governor.”

If you’ve ever seen a British person in a movie written by a non-British person, then doubtless you’ve heard someone use this term.

It’s again not very commonly used today, though it has not totally fallen out of use.

In the slang of the modern youth, most of these terms have really fallen out of use more or less entirely.

That doesn’t meant they aren’t used anymore, and importantly we can plainly see that the tradition has carried down intact so that most British people understand what is meant by these slang terms.

Where, then, do these terms come from?

Why do the British say “gaffer”?

“Gaffer” is a very old British slang term.

The earliest written example we have comes from a dictionary from 1580, where it simply meant an elderly rustic.

We can expect that the term has a much longer history in the vernacular, then.

At this time, it was apparently a contraction of the word “godfather”, a linguistic development with many analogies in continental Europe.

It was originally just a term of respect for older people, for important men in communities.

By at least 1841, and probably much earlier, it had come to mean a foreman or supervisor, particularly in manual labor positions like factories, quarries, and other similar environments.

This meaning carried over into the 20^th Century and even developed in a few more specific ways.

In film and TV, the term “gaffer” meant the person in charge of lighting and sometimes the chief electrician on the set.

Today, it can mean both simply a person of respect or an older man in the community as well as a boss.

What about the term “guv”, then?

Why do the British say “guvnor”?

The term “guv” or “guvnor” is more specifically Cockney and London slang than anything else.

It’s quite regionally specific historically, although its position as a stereotype and trope has made it all the more common in actual speech.

The history of this term is certainly more recent than “gaffer”, but the semantic histories are very similar.

In the 19^th Century, “guv” was a kind of casual title of respect.

Britain was once a deferential society, in which the poor and low status had to “defer” to the rich and high status.

Thus, terms like this were extremely common.

Of course, as far back as the medieval period, a “governor” was simply someone who ruled.

In the 19^th Century it came specifically to mean your boss in any profession, and this has somewhat carried through to today.

What else do the British call their bosses?

There are some other terms that you may hear British people use to refer to their bosses.

A lot of nautical slang is used, for example.

“Skipper” is one of the most common slang terms for boss other than those mentioned.

Skipper is simply a term for the captain on any ship though most often on fishing vessels.

This one is meant slightly tongue-in-cheek, as many workplaces are referred to as a “ship” that everyone has to steer.

“Head honcho” is a term you might use to refer to the kind of big bosses in a corporate structure.

You have your own manager above you, and they have their managers, and so on and so on.

But this isn’t something you’d call their boss in front of them.

So, British slang is not without its own unique terms for boss.

However, it’s plain that most of these are not very widely used anymore, except in certain rather specific contexts.

Certain trades might still routinely use terms like “gaffer” or “guvnor,” but even to most British people these terms now largely seem hopelessly quaint.

“Boss”, or simply the person’s name, are the most likely ways to refer to your boss.

More in British Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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