British Slang For Jerk (19 Examples!)

The British are not really one for calling people jerks.

That said, they have an incredibly varied and colorful set of slang terms to describe people they don’t like, people who are being obnoxious, and generally unpleasant or belligerent people.

From the mildest and tame to the more serious words that you never want to call someone unless you’re really serious about calling them a jerk.

Today, we’re going to look at some of these terms.

Let’s get started!

In This Article

Wanker

Firstly we have what is probably the most quintessential British slang term for jerk, “wanker”.

This one is used throughout all of Britain, in Scotland, England, and Wales.

Everyone understands what this term means and how to use it, and it’s definitely not one you want to use lightly.

You use this term for someone you really don’t like, someone who is unpleasant or difficult to be around in one way or another.

“Her new boyfriend is an absolute wanker”, for example.

The term first appeared in the 1940s in England, originally having simply the sense of “someone who masturbates”.

In this original sense it was of unknown origin.

By 1972 it is attested as meaning a generally unlikeable or contemptible person.

Despite not knowing where this one comes from, it remains one of the most popular slang terms for jerk in Britain.

Prick

Another universal and very popular slang term for jerk in Britain is “prick”.

This one is somewhat less intense than the previous entry, and not really considered outright profanity, but still not something you use lightly.

It’s harsh and intense, and something you’ll easily get yourself into a fight over if you use it too liberally.

It’s more often something used to talk about people when they aren’t there—though it’s definitely used in arguments, too!

“He’s been acting like a prick for weeks,” for example.

The word is naturally a very old one with a very long history.

The word prikke in Middle English simply meant a pointed object, something you would puncture something with.

Throughout the centuries it had many varied meanings until it originally came down to be a term of abuse, at first just for men.

This is attested by 1929.

It probably comes from the fact that it was used as a slang term for penis before that.

Twat

Next we have “twat”, another commonly used slang term for jerk in Britain.

This is another one that is definitely considered to be a full-on profanity, so again you want to be very careful with how you use it.

A twat is a very unpleasant person, usually someone who is outwardly and conspicuously terrible rather than sly or devious.

At the same time, again, some might consider it slightly less intense as a term of abuse than, say “wanker”.

“He acts like a twat when she’s around,” for example.

Like many similar slang terms, “twat” was originally a term for genitalia.

Though the word itself is of unknown origin, it is first attested in the 1650s as referring to a woman’s pudenda.

By the 1920s, it had come to be a general term of abuse, one you can use for both men and women.

Knob

“Knob” is another common way of saying someone is a jerk in British slang.

It’s used all the time and is definitely a bit less intense and more playful.

You could certainly use this one around your friends and this tends to be where words like this are more commonly used.

That said, some may still consider it to be a light profanity, so you want to be careful when and where you use it.

It’s used if someone is being a bit stupid or annoying, again perhaps in a playful way.

“You are such a knob sometimes!” for example.

Yet again, this is another one that has its roots in euphemisms for genitals.

Again, the term is obviously very old in terms of its etymology—the word originally appeared in the language in the late 14^th Century, and probably derived from a root word in Northern Europe.

It referred to an isolated and round hill or knoll—I’ll leave it up to your imagination to figure out the imagery of the slang term!

Knobhead

Next we have another variant of “knob”, “knobhead”.

This one is used just as commonly and has essentially the same meaning.

You use it in a somewhat playful way to call someone a jerk or an idiot.

The variation, though, of adding “head” certainly does make a big difference to how it’s used.

While still generally playful, this one might be more commonly used as a full on insult.

“You are such a knobhead,” for example.

There’s not much you can say about when or where this one emerged—it was a very natural extension of “knob” and may well have arisen independently in multiple places.

Dick

A short, snappy, and very commonly used slang term for jerk in Britain is “Dick”.

This one is widely used and you’ll be understood where ever you use this one.

Again, though, this one is light profanity, so you want to watch how you use it.

Calling someone a di*k certainly isn’t very nice, but again there is an element of playfulness or at the very least lightness to this phrase.

It’s something you might say of someone whom you are friends with, but gets on your nerves sometimes.

“Can you stop being a dick and help me?” for example.

The word has meant a lot of different things over time, but once again we can most likely trace the pejorative origin of this one to the meaning of “penis”.

This sense was first attested in 1891, in farmer’s slang and possibly ultimately from British army slang.

Earlier than that it, from about the 1550s, it simply meant a fellow or lad.

Dickhead

As you’ll see, there are many variations of British slang terms for jerk where you simply add “-head” to the end of it.

This is the case with “dick” and, similarly to “knobhead,” it’s generally a much worse thing to call someone a “dickhead” than to call them just a “dIck”.

It’s more forceful and you might say aggressive, so be even more careful with how you use this one.

This term is first attested in 1969, but likely predates that in the vernacular by some time.

Arsehole

“Arsehole” is another classic staple British insult meaning someone is a jerk.

This one is used constantly throughout the country, and you’d have to go a long way to find someone in Britain that didn’t understand what it means, even if they don’t use it.

Again, it’s definitely very forceful and not the kind of thing you would use playfully or lightly, except among very close friends.

“I hate to say it, but the new boss is an arsehole,” for example.

The term, as you might expect, is very old.

Obviously it can also refer to something more literal. In any case, the modern form of the word dates back to around the 15^th Century, when it would have been spelled arce-hoole in Middle English.

This was derived from the Old English earstherl, or “arse-thrill”. It has been used as an insult more or less ever since.

Bastard

A classic insult of the English speaking world, and one which the British use all the time: bastard.

To call someone a bastard is to say that they are a complete jerk, an obnoxious person, someone that you really hate.

There’s really no room for doubt when someone uses this term to describe someone.

They are saying they are a terrible jerk that they don’t want to be around.

“They are a bunch of bastards, I hate them,” for example.

In the Medieval world, a bastard was an illegitimate child born out of wedlock.

This was attested in the early 13^th Century and derived from the Old French word constructed in the same way.

This probably derived, in turn, from the French fils de bast, meaning “packsaddle son,” or a child conceived on a makeshift bed.

It does not have this sense at all in modern English—it is simply a catch all slang term for jerk.

Bellend

Another rather juvenile slang term for jerk in British English is “bellend”.

This one is fairly widely used and it’s certainly become common enough in popular culture that even those who don’t use it themselves tend to know what it means.

While by no means a less intense or impactful insult, at the same time it’s one that tends to be used more casually as a kind of throw away insult.

“That bellend almost hit me there,” for example.

This insult is relatively recent, only coming into use in this form in the last few decades.

However, there are no prizes for figuring out what this term refers to as it is yet another slang term for genitals.

This has been in use since the 16^th Century, and even a bawdy poem from the end of that century references a “bell” in this sense.

Berk

Next we have “berk”, a common insult meaning idiot but one which is also more broadly applied to someone who is being a jerk.

This one is really common in the language today though admittedly much more commonly used by older generations than by the younger.

Nonetheless, it’s universally understood. It can certainly be a playful one you can use with friends, but like any insult, you shouldn’t throw it around whenever unless you’re in a fully familiar context.

“Can you stop being a berk and ask for directions?” for example.

The term originated in the 1930s, as far as we can tell. It more specifically meant a fool back then, but has since expanded to have a much broader meaning.

It derived from an abbreviation of the term “Berkshire Hunt,” which is Cockney rhyming slang for a far worse word that is coming up next.

**C*nt**

Without doubt the single worst thing you can call someone in British slang without resorting to more elaborate phrases, next we have “c*nt”.

This word is, in many English speaking countries, considered one of the worst things you can call someone and is firmly off limits as a playful, jokey slang term for jerk.

Nonetheless, people in Britain use this term all the time to refer to someone they think is deeply contemptible, someone they really hate.

“He is just an absolute c*nt,” for example.

You guessed it—this is yet another that refers to a woman’s private parts. It’s a fairly old one, so it’s taken a long time to get itself established as one of the most unpleasant thing you can call someone in British slang.

Saying it is just slang for jerk may even be underselling it slightly.

It was first used in Middle English by the early 14^th Century, and probably ultimately derives from a Germanic source like the Old Norse kunta.

**C*ntbiscuit**

A less common variant of the above insult is to call someone a “c*ntbiscuit”.

This is a lot less common and considered more quaint and silly, but nonetheless many people do indeed use it.

There are many of these forms of portmanteau swear words, in which you take a normal word and affix it to the end of a profanity.

“Don’t be a c*ntbiscuit, just pass me the hammer,” for example.

This one is probably very recent and likely arose out of internet culture, but we aren’t sure really.

Hosebag

Another common way of calling someone a jerk in British slang is to call them a “hosebag”.

This one can have a few different senses, and is used in other parts of the English-speaking world as well.

In British slang, it generally refers to a boorish and objectionable, even contemptible, person.

While this one is not as common as other terms on this list and many would consider it to be quite archaic, it’s certainly still in use and people will, at the very least, understand that it’s an insult if you use it!

Originally, the sense of this word was a lot more specific. It referred more to a woman of loose morals, and there are certainly no shortage of words for that in English-speaking slang.

It’s simply a conjoining of the word “hose”, in the sense of women’s tight tights, and “bag”, a common insult used in a variety of ways.

Meanie

We’ve had a lot of extremely harsh and intense words on the list so far.

So, let’s look at a few slang terms for jerk that don’t pack quite as much punch.

“Meanie”, while mostly used by children, nonetheless remains a piece of British slang that people will use to call someone a jerk.

Of course, adults do not use it very often, but they may sometimes in a humorous or playful way.

“He can be a real meanie before he’s had his coffee,” for example.

Though primarily used among kids today, this is not one of those slang terms which got started in this way.

It was simply an alteration of the word “mean,” adding a –y ending to form a noun out of it.

This is first attested by 1927, though it may predate this by some time. It’s difficult to say, though in any case, at first, it was by no means limited to children.

Piece of work

Another very common slang term for jerk, indeed one of the few you might even call a euphemism, is to say that someone is a “piece of work”.

This is very commonly used in British slang to mean that someone is a jerk, they are very irritating or annoying, they’re difficult to be around, and they are just generally hard work.

There is perhaps a sense in which this phrase is not meant as a full-on insult—you might, for example, use it of a friend who is just very hard to deal with but whom you ultimately like.

On the other hand, it can just be an outright jerk. “You know, I do like him, but god is he a piece of work,” for example.

We aren’t entirely sure of the precise origin of this phrase, but it may well have been coined by Shakespeare himself.

In Hamlet, first completed in 1602, Shakespeare writes a timeless line in which he says “What a piece of work is Man!”

Shakespeare coined many common phrases we use today, so he may well have originated this.

Scumbag

Next we have “scumbag”, a very common slang term for jerk in British English.

Again, in its nuanced meaning it could perhaps mean something slightly different to simply “jerk”.

It might be used as a term applied to people who commit contemptible acts, such as certain kinds of criminals.

It’s definitely not jokey or humorous at all so you want to be careful with how you use it.

“He was behaving like a complete scumbag all night,” for example.

The term originally referred to a condom, and was in use in this sense by at least 1939.

It wasn’t until much later on, around 1971, that it was first recorded as meaning a contemptible jerk.

It had a couple of meanings over the centuries, but the word “scum” had come to mean “lowest class of person” by the end of the 16^th Century.

Git

“Git” is another very common slang term for jerk in British English.

It can mean both a very stupid person and an obnoxious person, or both!

It’s extremely common throughout Britain today and perhaps remains one of the most widely used slang terms for jerk.

It can be fairly playful and one you might comfortably use around your friends.

“You are such a git, you know?” for example.

This sense of the term is fairly recent and emerged around the 1940s, though perhaps a bit earlier.

It seems to derive from the Scottish slang get, which referred to a bratty or illegitimate child.

This was attested by the early 18^th Century, so it’s the much older term.

Pig

Finally, we have “pig,” a very common slang expression in British English meaning someone is a jerk or an obnoxious person.

This one is very self-explanatory and commonly used throughout the English-speaking world, though it can of course have some slight variations in the specific sense.

It might refer more generally to people who are unclean and messy, especially in the domestic environment. In British English, it usually refers to a boorish, obnoxious person, a huge jerk that is very unpleasant to be around.

In particular it can also mean specifically a very uncouth and impolite man, who is rude to everyone around him.

“That guy is a pig, you are not bringing him to the party,” for example.

It has been applied to people in this way since at least the 1540s, and no doubt much earlier.

Pigs, of course, have been farmed by British people since time immemorial, though when precisely it became an insult to call someone a pig is difficult to say.

They are known for their wallowing in dirt, so it may simply come from this.

So, you are far from short on creative and interesting terms for “jerk” in Britain and British slang.

That said, swear words like many of these can be some of the hardest words in a language to use correctly when it isn’t your first language.

With that in mind, you want to be extremely careful about how and when you use these terms.

Jerk is probably the more mild translation for what a lot of these words mean—though the sense is definitely the same, just more intense.

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.

Was this article helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!