British Slang For Eyes (Surprise!)

The most common British slang terms for eyes include words like “peepers” and “globes”. These are widely used throughout the country and will certainly be understood by most British people. Other, more regional terms include the Cockney rhyming slang “mince pies” and the Yorkshire slang term “neen” which is still sometimes used.

Eyes for many of us are the number one organ through which we interpret the world.

Not only that but they’re also thought of as a window into the soul, so both your own eyes and the eyes of other people are a very important symbol of relationships.

Naturally, then, out of this a lot of slang arises to describe them, and this is as true in Britain as it is elsewhere.

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What do the British call eyes?

Firstly, it’s probably worth stressing that the most likely term most British people will use to refer to their eyes is just eyes.

There are many slang terms, but this does not tend to be a word that is substituted for a slang term more often than simply using the standard term.

Most British people will just say eyes!

With that said, there is a variety of slang terms for eyes in Britain that are widely used.

Perhaps the most common and universal is “peepers”.

This is mostly used as a kind of joke term, it’s intended to sound quaint and a bit silly rather than just being a word people naturally substitute for eyes.

That said, many simply keep up the joke for so long that “peepers” ends up becoming the term they always use for eyes!

“I’ll get my glasses, can’t see anything with these peepers,” for example.

Another term sometimes used in British slang is “globes”.

Again, this is really only used in certain contexts, and indeed even many British people may be at first a little confused if you use this one to mean eyes.

Again, though, for a relatively small proportion of the population, they use it so often that it does become the term they always use for eyes.

“I’d better go get by globes checked soon,” for example.

Some more regional terms include the Cockney rhyming slang “mince pies”.

If you’re not familiar with Cockney rhyming slang then I’ll go into that in more detail shortly, but for now, it’s important to point out that this one is really limited to the East End of London.

You won’t hear this one used much outside of that small area.

Finally, “neen” is another regional and somewhat archaic slang term for eyes that is still used from time to time in Yorkshire.

Why do the British say “peepers”?

This is a rather old slang term that has been around in some form for quite a long time.

If we go as far back as we can in its history, around the 1650s it is attested as meaning a person, “one who peeps”.

This ultimately derived from the word “peep”, which simply meant to look in a concealed way.

It most likely derived from the Middle English piken of the same name, from “peek”.

By the 1700s, it had become a common slang term for eyes, rather than for the act of looking at something.

It has survived since then with its meaning unchanged, though it is perhaps for this very reason that it is mostly used in a semi-ironic way now: it seems very quaint and old-fashioned.

Those who use it are generally conscious of this, so it’s not the most widely used term.

That said, it’s not regional or limited by demographics, so you could hear any person in virtually any part of the country use the term.

Why do the British say “globes”?

We don’t have much of a record to tell us when this term first came to mean eyes.

Naturally, it just refers to the fact that eyes are round like globes, though more than that we really cannot say other than that it is probably fairly recent.

Why do the British say “mince pies”?

Mince pies, as mentioned, is an example of Cockney rhyming slang.

Cockney rhyming slang is a form of slang that simply substitutes rhyming words for the word you want to use.

As mentioned, this is used only in a certain part of London, so it’s not one you’ll hear everywhere.

It’s also hard to say when it was first used, though it’s probably not much older than half a century or so.

Why do the British say “neen”?

Finally, “neen” is among the more archaic terms on this list, and only certain people in Yorkshire will ever use it.

You’re not likely to be understood if you use this term just anywhere.

That said, it is very much still in use and has not fallen entirely out of the language.

In terms of its origin, again it’s very hard to say.

We have quotations for the term going back as far as 1683 when the writer George Meriton recorded it in his Yorkshire Dialogue.

So, there are a handful of slang terms in English for your eyes, then.

There are only a couple that are widely used, and the rest tend to be quite regional or limited to certain demographics.

In any case, the British have a variety of colorful and inventive slang terms for eyes that you could have a lot of fun using if you’re ever there!

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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