British Slang For Flatulence (Helpful Content!)

The most common British slang terms for flatulence are “fart”, “trump,” “parp” or “toot”. Other terms which might more accurately be called simply euphemisms include “break wind” or “pass gas”. These are the most common and really the only universally used terms, though there are some rarer terms like “cut the cheese”.

Farting is something we tend not to talk about in day-to-day life.

With that in mind, the British as well as everyone else tends to use slang and euphemisms for talking about this thing we all experience.

Let’s find out more about these terms.

In This Article

What do the British call flatulence?

By far the most common British slang term for flatulence is just “fart”.

This is, of course, used throughout the English-speaking world, and has been for quite a long time.

In Britain it is just as common as anywhere else, though, and undoubtedly the most universally used and understood slang term for farting.

No matter where you go, if you use this term, everyone will understand what you mean.

At the same time, for most people there really isn’t a polite way to discuss farting.

So, the word “fart” is one you should probably only use in familiar company, then. “Did you just fart?” for example.

Another common slang term for farting which you don’t really hear outside of Britain is “trump”.

This one is also very widely used in Britain, and most people will understand what you mean if you use it.

It was probably at one time a lot more common than it is today, although it is far from out of use.

It’s more common among the older generations, and the kids don’t tend to use it as much as they once did.

“That dog is always trumping!” for example.

“Parp” is another common expression for flatulence in British slang. It’s definitely less common and may be considered rather quaint and old fashioned now, something that you’re much more likely to hear in parts of England than anywhere else.

Again, though, most people will tend to understand what it means, even if they don’t use it themselves.

“I really need to parp,” for example.

“Toot”, finally, is another slang term for flatulence used in Britain.

It’s definitely more of a jocular slang term that’s used less commonly today, but is definitely still in use.

It might be used particularly by children, or parents talking to their children.

“Just toot if you need to, don’t hold it in!” for example.

There are a variety of other euphemisms for flatulence, such as “breaking wind” or “passing gas”.

These ones really are not very common anymore, as people have simply become a bit more open to discussing these things without euphemisms.

Nonetheless, they certainly are still used.

Why do the British say “fart”?

The word “fart” is very old.

It dates back to at least the Old English period and probably further back than that.

The Old English word feortan had the same meaning of flatulence, and this derived from the Proto-Indo-European perd.

There are many cognates in ancient languages, like the Sanskrit pard or Ancient Greek peredein.

Originally, the word was of imitative origin—imitating the sound made by flatulence.

Why do the British say “trump”?

“Trump” is not quite as old as a word, though it’s hard to say exactly when this term started being used in this way.

Of course, it ultimately relates to the wind instrument of the same name, the word trompe coming from Old French.

It took on a variety of meanings over the centuries, and our best guess is that it took on this sense of fart in the late medieval period or early renaissance, when pageantry started to become a lot more important and musical instruments were more widely used.

Why do the British say “toot”?

As you can see, most of these terms have in common the fact that they relating to the sound made by flatulence.

The same is true of “toot”. This one came to mean fart, again, through imitation.

It first appeared in the language in writing around the 16^th Century, relating to the “tooting” of horns.

Again, when precisely it came to mean flatulence is unfortunately not recorded, though it likely did not take very long!

What else do the British call flatulence?

The British have a few other terms for flatulence.

Perhaps the most common, and traditionally the polite way to say you farted, is to say you “broke wind”.

This is certainly still used, but by most it is considered quaint and old fashioned, a kind of archaic euphemism which rings false in modern ears.

Similarly, the phrase “pass gas” is used.

This one is a bit more literal in its construction, so skirts the edges of being an actual euphemism.

Nonetheless, it is still widely used to some extent.

Rarer phrases like “cut the cheese”, or “ripsnorter” are sometimes used for particularly pungent flatulence.

These ones are mostly used among friends and particularly young people, since adults don’t tend to discuss this kind of thing!

So, you’ve certainly got a few choices for what to call flatulence in British slang.

The most commonly used, though, are still the universal terms like “trump” or “toot,” or euphemisms such as “break wind” or “pass gas”.

For the most part, though, in reality, people do tend to simply use the most common word of them all, “fart”, when talking about flatulence.

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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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