British Slang For Husband (Explained!)

The most common British slang words for husband are common terms like “hubby”, “hubs” or “other half”. There are a few other terms you’ll hear in certain local dialects, such as “pot and pan” being Cockney rhyming slang for husband, or old man. Old man itself is commonly used as slang for husband.

Slang terms for husband are not very commonly used on the whole in Britain.

That said, you will very often hear terms like “hubby” throughout Britain, and if you’re in certain parts of it you might hear some Cockney rhyming slang terms for husband.

Beyond that, though, people are perhaps most likely just to say “husband”!

In This Article

What do the British call a husband?

While there are a few British slang terms for husband that are widely used, it’s worth saying that most people would probably tend to opt simply to call their husband a husband.

While “husband” is often substituted with other slang terms, this is not as commonly as you might find with other words.

With that said, perhaps the most common and universal slang term for husband in Britain is “hubby”.

This one is used, or at least understood, throughout Britain by virtually everyone who has a husband.

That, though, is a somewhat important distinction.

This is generally a slang term used by wives to talk about their own husbands.

It is not really something that people in general use when talking about the husbands of others.

“Hubby and I went out for some breakfast before our walk,” for example.

Another common slang term for a husband is to call them your “other half” or sometimes your “better half”.

Naturally, both of these can be used for both husbands and wives, and indeed some people may even use them for just boyfriends or girlfriends.

However, in general, these are more commonly used among people who are married.

This one is more commonly used among older people today, though it is not unheard of in the younger generations.

One that is also used quite commonly, sometimes among older couples, is “my old man”.

This can have a couple of meanings, of course, as in both the U.S. and Britain it can be used to refer to someone’s father.

Among married women, though, it is perhaps more commonly used to refer to their husbands.

Finally, following on from that, one example of Cockney rhyming slang for husband is “pot and pan”.

This one is naturally very regionally specific and you won’t hear it much outside of the East End of London, but it’s one to keep in mind nonetheless.

Let’s see where these terms come from.

Why do the British say “hubby”?

Though the word hubby can feel like the invention of a certain kind of modern sensibility and attitude to marriage, the term is actually very old.

It is, naturally, just a colloquial shortening of the word husband, and it is first attested in writing in the 1680s.

It likely predates this by some time, though how far we cannot guess.

In any case, it’s been in use for centuries, and if anything has seen something of a revival in recent decades as it has once again become more popular.

Again, it’s far from universal, but you’re very likely to hear it if you spend any time in Britain.

Why do the British say “other half”?

“Other half” is again quite common, and a rather old term.

It’s had, and still has, a few slightly different senses over the years.

We’re not sure exactly how old it is, and it may be very ancient, given the idea that entering into a marriage is like two people becoming a single party.

Thus, you are both two halves of the same thing.

The English poet Sir Phillip Sydney used this phrase, and he was writing in the latter half of the 16^th Century.

The phrase likely at least predates him by some time, then.

Why do the British say “pot and pan”?

“Pot and pan”, as mentioned, is Cockney rhyming slang for husband.

But “pot and pan”, naturally, does not rhyme with husband.

So, where does the term come from?

The rhyme is not with the word husband but with “old man”.

Old man can, as mentioned, mean father or husband, but “pot and pan” simply means husband.

It’s very hard to say when this one first came into use.

It is attested by the late 20^th Century, though probably predates this by some time.

It’s very hard to say without any written records to go on.

What is the Old English term for husband?

Most of these terms ultimately developed out of the Old English term for husband, which was husbonda.

This term originally simply referred to the male head of a household, and derived in turn from the Old Norse word husbondi¸ which again meant the master of the house.

Originally, then, it was all about the relationship to the household.

Hus meant “house” in Old Norse and Old English, and some form of bondi meant to live or to dwell.

It was only later that it referred to position in the marriage.

Today, then, there are really only a handful of commonly used slang terms for husband in British English.

Those that are used are not universal, and indeed some may cringe at the use of terms like “hubby”.

But, at the same time, plenty of people use these terms in complete earnest and with complete sincerity, as do others with “other half” or “pot and pan”.

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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