British Slang For Cold (8 Examples!)

If there’s one thing Britain is famous for it’s the terrible weather, and one thing British people are famous for, it’s complaining about it.

When something is talked about so habitually, it becomes inevitable that a varied lexicon of slang terms arises to meet the needs of the people speaking.

British people have a variety of slang terms for cold, so let’s look at a few.

In This Article

Freezing

Starting off with a simple one, “freezing” is very common British slang for being cold.

You can use this one in a variety of ways, such as either describing yourself or describing the weather itself.

“I’m freezing” for example, or “it’s bloody freezing outside!”

This one is common throughout all of Britain, and naturally is also used in a great deal of the English speaking world.

Freeze is a very old word, deriving from a variety of Germanic roots in the early Middle Ages.

The Old English freosan is the ultimate root, and has been used in virtually the same sense ever since.

Nippy

Next we have one which you may not be so familiar with. It is a very common British expression to say that, if it’s cold, that it is “nippy”.

You’ll again hear this one throughout Britain, and while it’s more common in the north of England and Scotland, everyone will understand what you mean by this.

This one is also a bit different in that you wouldn’t describe yourself as nippy.

“It’s really nippy out there,” for example.

You would not say “I’m feeling nippy”.

Nippy is also a very old word, although it has been slightly altered from its original root.

Its ultimate origin is Germanic, something akin to the Old Norse hnippa, which meant to prod.

By the Middle English period, it had come to have the sense of something with a sharp, stinging bite—stinging like the feeling of cold.

Nip in the air

Following on from nippy, another way you may hear “nip” used in relation to cold weather is to say there is a “nip in the air”.

Again, this just means it’s cold, and is perhaps most commonly used when it’s first starting to get cold again such as at the beginning of the fall.

Importantly, “nip in the air”—and nippy, for that matter—generally relate only to mildly cold weather.

It’s important to note that the word “nip” has historically also been used as a racial slur against the Japanese, so be careful to always place this one in its proper context.

Baltic

Perhaps one of the most quintessential British slang phrases for cold, next we have “Baltic”.

Again, you’ll hear this one across the country and particularly in Scotland and the north of England.

This is reserved for only the coldest of cold days, the depths of winter when the iced winds blow in from the north and everyone has to deice their car windshields. “It’s absolutely Baltic this morning,” for example.

Though the word itself is obviously quite old, this slang use seems to be fairly recent.

The Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are known for their very cold weather, and the origin of the slang is really no more complicated than that.

The earliest written example comes from an edition of the Glasgow Sunday Mail from 1995, so it may predate this by a few years.

Brass monkeys

“Brass monkeys” is another slang expression in Britain meaning extremely cold.

Again, this one is really reserved for the coldest weather, as you’ll see from the full expression: “Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey”.

This one is certainly not universally used or understood in Britain, and many especially of the younger generation may not understand what is meant by it.

It was originally a Navy expression, as souvenir monkeys cast in brass were very common in China and Japan in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries.

Earlier forms of the expression included references to freezing off the tail, whiskers or the ears.

Today, the term “brass monkeys” has survived just to mean cold.

Brisk

“Brisk” in a literal sense means quickly and with energy, such as “a brisk walk”.

But the term can also be used to describe being somewhat cold.

This one isn’t just used in Britain, as you may also hear it in the U.S. and Australia.

Again, it’s far from the most common expression in Britain bust most will tend to understand what you mean. “Put your coat on if you’re going outside, it’s a bit brisk,” for example.

It’s not entirely clear how it came to take on this meaning.

The most likely explanation is that it arose out of the tendency to use the term brisk simply to mean highly stimulating or invigorating.

A walk in the cold is often considered to be stimulating in the same way, so this is the most likely explanation.

Taters in the mould

Next we have a piece of Cockney rhyming slang, “taters in the mould”.

This one is obviously very regionally specific, only used in parts of London.

If you’re not familiar with this sort of slang, it simply is exactly what it sounds—one word or phrase is replaced by another one that rhymes. “Taters in the mould out there today,” for example. It typically means relatively cold.

The simple explanation for this one is that “mould” and “cold” rhyme.

It might also be shortened simply to “taters”—taters being potatoes.

Nesh

Finally we have “nesh”, which is not particularly common but is another dialect term for cold in British English.

This one, though, specifically refers to things which are susceptible to the cold, sometimes used as an insult against someone.

“It was nesh to wear a big coat in this mild weather,” for example. It implies the person is weak.

This one also originates from Germanic roots, where the Old English hnesce and the Dutch nes, meaning “soft or foolish”, combined to become “nesh” meaning weak to the cold.

Some of these might be more common than others, but if you’re in Britain there’s a good chance you could hear any one of them.

Without doubt if you are in Britain outside of summer and spring you’ll hear people talking about how cold it is—so keep an ear out for any of these slang terms.

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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