British Slang For Lover (12 Examples!)

The British aren’t necessarily world-renowned for their romantic prowess.

That reputation mostly goes to countries on the continent, like France and Italy.

But despite this, the British do have some of the best slang terms for lovers anywhere in the world.

Many of them might have broader applications in the language and be widely used in everyday speech, too, but they certainly are still slang terms for lover.

Today, we’re going to look at some of the most common terms for lover in British slang.

Let’s get started.

In This Article

Babe

Starting with a really common one, the British are very likely to refer to their lover as “babe” no matter where in the country they come from.

It’s a really common way for either a male or a female to refer to any sex of partner, and so can be used universally.

“Can you grab me a drink babe?” for example.

Though this one has its roots in American slang, it has taken on very much its own British character.

It’s now widely used in British life and in British media like film and TV. But it originally came down to Britain from America, where it originated in the 19^th Century as a term of endearment.

It’s simply a way of stating intimacy, as you see your partner like a “baby”.

Of course, some might see this as infantilizing now, but it doesn’t really carry the same connotation anymore.

Missus

Though “babe” might be somewhat of an international slang term with a uniquely British character, here we have one that is undoubtedly British in origin.

This one is a much older term, and the meaning you might think is easy to interpret.

It’s a corruption of “Mrs”, which would obviously mean someone’s wife. “That’s my missus over there,” for example.

In fact, the origin of the term is quite different, though this is certainly what it has come to mean.

It originated in the late 18^th century, as far as we can tell, though it may have been earlier than this.

That’s just how far our written records go back.

At first, “missus” simply meant mistress.

But this, further, does not actually relate directly to the sense of a woman with whom a married man carries out an affair.

Rather, it’s more simply the notion of the “mistress” as being the head of the household.

Over the next two centuries, its meaning evolved.

Darling

Here we have another broadly used and more or less internationally used slang term, but one that definitely has its own unique British character.

Furthermore, its origin is firmly English and reaches very far back into the past.

“Thanks for that, darling,” you might say.

It’s a term of endearment to refer to your lover. It is also often used in more informal settings, particularly with older people addressing young staff in this way.

The word is originally Old English, so it’s been in use for a very long time.

The Old English deorling eventually became “dearling,” which in turn became darling.

The original, Old English sense was of a favorite—a minion, say, or someone that is liked very much by another person.

Today, it is a very common slang term for lover.

Dear

Another rather old term, next we have the short and sweet “dear”.

Again, to an extent, this one can be used in more unfamiliar settings to be polite and friendly.

“Thank you, dear,” for example.

However, you can of course also use it to mean your lover: “Let’s go out for dinner, my dear,” for example.

Nowadays, you’re a lot more likely to hear it used among older couples than younger ones.

This one comes from some of the same root words as “darling,” although there’s a great deal more mixing of languages going on.

The Old English deore returns again, but we also find the Dutch dier which meant “beloved.”

This is part of why formal letters are addressed “dear”—it’s a term of endearment to the person being addressed.

Crumpet

This one isn’t only a slang term for lover, but it’s certainly used in that way.

It can also just be used to refer to someone who is sexually attractive. “They’re a real crumpet,” for example.

But it can also be a lot more personal, referring to someone you love. “Me and my crumpet are going out for a drink,” for example.

There are several terms in English which make use of food and treats to describe a person in an endearing way.

So, we aren’t really sure where this term originated, other than that it seems to have been in most popular use in the latter half of the 20^th Century.

Duck

This one is highly regional, but definitely one that one would be used to describe a lover.

Again, this is another one that might also be used by older people in unfamiliar settings to create a friendly rapport.

But it’s also a slang term for lover.

It’s mostly used in Yorkshire and parts of Lancashire and Cheshire. “I’m just leaving for work now, duck,” for example.

Again, it’s unclear where this term originated in this meaning.

However, as early as the 18^th Century, the expression “love a duck” was in broad use as a general exclamation of surprise.

It’s possible it changed over the centuries to be something you could apply to someone you loved.

Other half

Though this one is often used in somewhat formal, if not unfamiliar, settings, when you think about it, it’s really incredibly sweet.

To say someone is your “other half” implies a deep spiritual bond, a connection that could not be broken easily.

It’s typically used to describe partners in long-term relationships, particularly marriages. “I was just chatting with my other half last night,” for example.

You might also hear it said as “better half”.

This is another one which, in terms of its simple nature of it, is very old.

As far back as Latin poetry, there were common phrases in use such as “half of my soul” to describe two lovers.

In its modern form, it seems to originate in the late 17^th and early 18^th Centuries, when there was a large revival of interest in such poetry.

But it’s not completely clear.

Sweet

This one might also be considered somewhat regional, perhaps more widely used in the south of England than in other parts of Britain.

That said, it is taking on a wider use and is heard in more parts of the country now.

There are many ways you could use it in a sentence, but it’s usually how you would address your lover, rather than how you would refer to them.

“Can you pass the salt, sweet?” for example.

Again, it’s really not clear when this word took on this particular meaning.

Obviously, it is a word in its own right with a very specific meaning.

The idea of sweetness being applied in nicknames for a lover is certainly very common and easy to understand.

The word itself originates in Old English, meaning something pleasing to the senses.

This form of it is no doubt far more recent than that, but how recent we simply can’t say.

Hun

In the United States, one of the most commonly associated terms of endearment with American slang is “honey”.

The famous “honey, I’m home” line from movies and television helped to cement that image.

In the UK, you really don’t hear that word used in that sense all too often.

What you will hear, though, is “hun,” again in all parts of the UK but probably more in the north of England.

It’s simply a shortening of the term honey.

This one is really quite recent, and often thought to have been popularized by multi-level marketing schemes spread on social media, where they would often use the term “hun”.

Either way, today it certainly is a slang term for one’s lover.

Doxy

This one is a bit of a historical term more than anything, and in fact has a rather specific meaning comparatively.

A doxy was at one time a “floozy” or a prostitute—a promiscuous woman.

Then, it came more to mean the girlfriend of a lower-class person, “rogue’s girlfriend” or “beggar’s mistress” were common synonyms.

“She’s an absolute doxy!” for example.

This isn’t really used much today, but the term has taken on a new meaning and is sometimes used to refer to one’s girlfriend.

Certainly can be a bit risky depending on the context, given its original meaning!

Love/luv

Short, simple, effective—this is why “love” has perhaps become the single most common and universally used slang term for a lover in Britain.

Again, this is another one that is also commonly used in unfamiliar settings, such as shops and other services.

But it has also been, for a very long time, a way to refer to your lover.

Given the nature of this term, it’s obviously very old.

As far back as the Middle English luf/lufe, it was both used to describe the emotion and the person you were in love with as a pet name.

It has never stopped being used since then and indeed has only expanded in usage.

This one

Finally, we have one of the most recently developed of all the slang terms here.

While “this one” can only really be used in quite specific circumstances, it has nonetheless come to be understood by wide groups of people to refer to one’s lover or spouse.

It became extremely popular on social media, where people would use the phrase rather than their lover’s name in pictures posted on special occasions.

“Celebrating Valentine’s Day with this one!” for example.

As I say, it seems as though it merely caught on through social media over the last couple of decades.

It’s harder to trace its origin much more precisely than that.

There are many extremely affectionate ways to refer to your lover using British slang, then.

Though a lot of them might be pretty widely applied in general speech too, they certainly seem on their face extremely affectionate and something you might call a lover—and they indeed are.

The British are some of the friendliest people in the world, and so they use terms that are no doubt overly familiar to other English speakers from around the world.

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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