British Slang For Sandwich (Explained!)

The most common British slang terms for sandwich are “butty” and “sarnie”. These are by far the most widely used, and you’ll hear “butty” more often in the north and “sarnie” more often in the south. The American “sammich” is sometimes used. For more specific kinds of sandwich you might hear other terms like “roll”.

So, the main terms are “butty” and “sarnie”.

These are the most widely used and can be applied to virtually any kind of sandwich without thought to what kind of bread it is on, whether it’s grilled or toasted, what ingredients are on it, and so on.

Other terms are used, although they are not particularly common.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What do the British call a sandwich?

To start off, it’s worth pointing out that for the most part, people in Britain tend to simply refer to sandwiches as sandwiches.

There are many commonly used slang terms, but if you take the British population as a whole, then most are not going to substitute a slang word when they want to say sandwich–they are just going to say sandwich!

This is true virtually up and down the country, though there are many regions where you are more likely to hear slang terms than in other places.

One of the most common slang terms is “butty”.

This is mostly used in the north of England and in some parts of Scotland.

That said, you’re quite likely to be understood wherever you use this term. It can be applied to virtually any kind of sandwich, though a simple sliced bread, butter and filling sandwich is the most likely.

A grilled baguette or something like that probably isn’t very likely to be called a butty, but it’s still not impossible.

The “chip butty” is a classic item in British fish and chip shops.

“I’m going to make a butty, do you want one?” for example.

The other most common slang term for sandwich in Britain is “sarnie”.

This one is also used up and down the country although you are probably more likely to hear it in the south and the midlands of England than elsewhere.

It is perhaps somewhat more versatile, and the kind of thing you might use for any kind of sandwich.

It’s not demographically restricted, really, though older people are perhaps somewhat more likely to use it than others.

“I just need to get a sarnie or something for the journey,” for example.

Let’s look at where these terms come from.

Why do the British say “butty”?

The term “butty” originated in the 19th Century, and at first did not refer to a sandwich but simply a buttered slice of bread, sometimes with something on top of it like meat or cheese.

It’s first attested in the middle of the 1800s and is widely believed to have originally been Liverpool slang which then spread to the rest of northern England.

It’s thought that it originated as a kind of childish shortening of “bread and butter”, which is something you would give to children.

However, it often also denoted a hot savory filling in a breadcake, rather than an open sandwich.

It’s meant a few different things over the years, then, but today it generally just refers to a closed sandwich–usually with butter as the spread but not always!

Why do the British say “sarnie”?

Sarnie, as mentioned, tends to be more common in the south of England though you will certainly hear it throughout Britain.

It’s not exactly clear when or where it originated, though. In any case, it seems to be rather more recent than “butty”.

In terms of its etymological origin, it simply derives from a colloquial pronunciation of the first syllable of “sandwich”.

Abbreviations like this are naturally extremely common in any language, so there’s not a great deal more to say than that.

We have quotations for this term going back to at least 1972, so it likely predates this by at least a few years.

Why do the British say “sammich”?

Sammich is more often considered an American term, and that it certainly is.

However, it has to some degree become established in British slang, too, and so it bears mentioning.

Again, it is simply a colloquial abbreviation of “sandwich” based on how many Americans pronounce the word–though of course not universally used in the U.S., many do indeed simply pronounce the standard word this way.

TV and Hollywood movies no doubt aided the spread of this term to British slang.

What else do the British call sandwiches?

Beyond these terms, there are some other things that you might hear sandwiches called in British slang.

These will usually relate to the specific kind of sandwich it is.

For example, a bacon sandwich in a small bread roll or bun would be called a “bacon roll” or a “bacon barm” depending on where you were in the country.

Grilled Italian sandwiches are often referred to by their Italian name “panini”.

So, depending on the kind of sandwich it is, you might hear a variety of different terms for a sandwich in British English.

For the most part, though, you can just expect people to say “sandwich” when taking Britain as a whole.

In some areas, many people will habitually use terms like “butty” and “sarnie”, and some Americanisms have even made their way into the lingo in the form of “sammich”.

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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