British Slang For Party (15 Examples!)

British people know how to party—few would argue that.

British culture, for better or worse, has a good handle on having a good time, whether that’s a simple get-together, a big, blowout night on the town, or an all-nighter at a friend’s house.

Given the variety in British party lifestyle, the dialect naturally needed a lot of extra, more specific terms to describe different kinds of parties.

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

Let’s get started.

In This Article

Bash

Firstly we have “bash”, a very common British expression that can be applied to a wide variety of contexts.

A “bash” can really be just about any type of party, particularly a party in celebration of an event like a birthday or Christmas.

It could be something you host at home, or it could be a long-planned night out in the clubs.

“I can’t wait for my big birthday bash next week,” for example.

This use of the word bash appears to come into use around the beginning of the 20^th Century.

At first, the phrase was “on a bash”, which meant out on a drunken spree.

By the 1940s, “bash” had come to be a synonym for a party of just about any kind.

Do

Next we have “do”, another very common British expression meaning a party or event in celebration of something.

Again, this one can be used in a very wide variety of ways. In fact, it could most simply be said to be an exact synonym of “bash”.

You might have a birthday do, or perhaps a “leavers’ do” at the end of school.

“Are you coming to Simon’s do on Friday? We’re all going to be there,” for example.

A do is perhaps a bit more formal than a bash, in some cases.

It’s hard to say how “do” came to become slang in this way, though we can see it was in use by at least the 1820s.

It may simply have arisen out of the sense of it being the thing that was happening, the big event, what everyone would be “doing” when it came about.

Get-together

“Get together” is a more specific slang term for party in British English.

It’s generally more of a quiet, reserved affair, attended by fewer people, perhaps at someone’s home rather than out anywhere.

Again, though, depending on the person, it may be used in a wider variety of ways than this.

Generally, though, a get-together is something small and quiet.

“We’re having a little get-together for Andrew’s birthday, if you’re free this weekend,” for example.

Given the phrase’s functional and descriptive nature, it’s hard to say when it was first used.

It seems at least as old as the early 19^th Century and perhaps a bit older, but we can’t say much more than that with any certainty.

Happening

Happening is another slang term for party used throughout Britain.

This one is certainly not all that common and is some ways a bit dated compared with other words on this list.

Nonetheless, it is one you’ll hear used from time to time for certain kinds of parties and events. “There’s a happening out at the park today,” for example.

It’s often more reserved for things like performance art or big public events, but can also be used for parties.

The term was first coined in 1959 by American artist Allan Kaprow to describe a picnic event showcasing new artwork.

The term in large part is still reserved for these kinds of “parties” and events but has certainly expanded out to mean parties more broadly, too.

Beano

Next we have “beano”, a common if somewhat old fashioned British expression meaning a party.

It’s again by no means the most common British expression meaning party, but it’s still used in a variety of contexts for different kinds of gatherings and events.

It’s mostly used in the south of England though you may well hear it throughout the country.

“Let’s go to this Bank Holiday beano they’re having at the park,” for example.

This term comes from the older expression “bean-feast”, which was a term for a celebratory meal or party.

This was often an annual summer dinner given to employees.

Eventually, this was shortened to “beano”, sometime in the 19^th Century.

Soirée

This one is an example of a directly borrowed term from French which becomes a kind of English slang word in its own right.

A soirée is a kind of fancy evening party, perhaps one where dinner is held, there may be live music, and it may even be a black-tie event.

These are also typically held in private houses.

“I’m hosting a soirée at the country house tonight, I’d love it if you could be there,” for example.

The word seems to have been adopted into English in the 19^th Century, describing a certain kind of high-society event for the very rich.

Today, it is used in an almost tongue-in-cheek way to describe virtually any kind of party.

Rave

On the other end of the spectrum from the soirée is the rave.

This is a very specific kind of party which is most often held in a nightclub and most often involving loud, fast-tempo electronic music.

It’s very much embedded in nightclub culture, although you can also host a rave at your own house or even at any venue like a warehouse.

The word rave has a rather varied tapestry of meanings.

The word relates to madness and frenzied energy, and came to mean party in this way in the latter half of the 20^th Century.

Rave culture as we know it arose out of 1980s dance parties, though the word had before that been used to describe Bohemian parties of the 50s and 60s.

After-party

This one is not really limited to Britain but is certainly worth mentioning.

An “after-party” is the event that everyone goes to after one other event. It may be that a big event or gig is being hosted somewhere and there is an after-party that you can get tickets for or perhaps just get invited by knowing someone.

“Are you coming to the after-party?” for example.

This term began being used in the 1940s, often to describe youth parties occurring after music events and concerts.

Shindig

Next we have “shindig”, a common British expression meaning a party or event of some kind.

This one is mostly used in a slightly tongue-in-cheek way, but nonetheless it is very often used to talk about parties.

It could be for any sort of party, whether a big birthday house party, a nice meal out somewhere or a long night in the clubs.

“Shall we just host a little shindig at home?” for example.

This term was first used in the middle of the 19^th Century, and probably derived from the earlier term “shindy” which meant a noisy row or excited merrymaking.

It’s because of its historical nature and quaintness that it is mostly used in a jokey way today.

Bunfight

Bunfight really is not all that common today, but it’s still used in some contexts to describe a particular kind of party.

It’s specifically used for tea parties and similar, grand, decadent functions for the very rich.

Like shindig, it is used in a humorous way to talk about a party or fathering as being very fancy and high society.

“I’d love you to join us for an afternoon bunfight,” for example.

It derives from the word “bun” as in the various cakes and other confectionaries that would be served, and fight as a tongue-in-cheek reference to food fights.

This was in use by the middle of the 19^th Century and so probably originated sometime in the first half of that century.

Knees-up

Knees-up is another British expression referring to a particularly lively party or gathering.

It’s usually reserved for energetic parties where there’s a lot of dancing and loud music.

It’s generally not something you would use to describe a party out in the clubs, though—usually just something you would use for a party at home.

“That little gathering turned into a right knees-up last night,” for example.

It’s not completely clear when this came to have this meaning, but the meaning is a reference to sexual intercourse—I’ll let you figure the rest out on your own!

It seems to have been popularized by the 1918 song, “Knees Up Mother Brown”—this was often sung at parties and celebrations.

Russell Harty

Here we have an example of Cockney rhyming slang.

This one is obviously very regionally specific, then, and not used outside of the East End of London.

Cockney rhyming slang simply uses rhyming words to stand in as slang for the word they actually want to say.

Thus, party becomes “Russell Harty”

“Do you want to go to Joe’s Russell Harty tonight, then?” for example.

Russell Harty was an English television presenter who worked in the middle of the 20^th Century on chat shows and art programmes.

His name rhymes with party and most people knew the name, thus the slang was born!

Blowout

Blowout is another common expression for party or large celebration in British slang.

This one is really reserved for the biggest kind of parties and celebrations, though it could be used for somewhat quieter events.

It’s the kind of thing you might do at the end of the schoolyear, at the end of a big work project or something similar.

“Let’s have a big blowout once we’re all finished with exams,” for example.

The word blowout also refers to when a tire is suddenly punctured and “blows” out, immediately expelling all the air inside.

It’s not clear when, but at some point this came to refer to a party in the sense that you give your all to it—it’s the biggest event of the year and you don’t want to miss it.

Housewarming

A very specific kind of party is a “housewarming”.

This is something you do when you move into a new home and are finally all settled and ready.

Then, you invite your friends over for a “house-warming” and show them your new home—and maybe they bring you an appliance or tool to help you get settled.

“Can you make it to my housewarming next week?” for example.

The term was once a lot more literal, and this is where it originates.

When someone moved into a new home, people would bring firewood as gifts to help literally warm the home.

This is a tradition going back a long way, at least as far as the 18^th Century.

Function

Finally we have a rather formal piece of slang for a party, a “function”.

A function is usually a kind of work event or fancy party of some kind.

It might be a big dinner paid for by the company for the employees once a year, or it might something you attend by paying a big price for an entry ticket.

It’s usually going to be something more reserved and sophisticated, though there may be dancing.

This one actually seems to have originated in the U.S., particularly in California.

It was first used for parties in certain areas but eventually came to mean any kind of party.

There’s a word for just about any kind of party you might have, then.

The stereotype of the British person can range from the sophisticated, “bun fight” tea party all the way up to the biggest blowout night on the town where everyone gets rip-roaringly drunk.

Whatever your needs are, though, there’s a word for you to describe the party you’re going to in British slang.

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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