British Slang For Thank You (9 Examples!)

Depending on who you ask, you may get a very different answer about whether the British are polite people.

Most agree they are, and I think it’s fair to say that it’s never really helpful to judge people as a whole, based on a few bad examples.

With that in mind, one way we can see just how polite the British are is by looking at how many ways they have of saying thank you.

There are tons of ways you can thank someone in British slang, so let’s get started.

In This Article

Cheers

Without doubt the most commonly used and ubiquitous slang term for thank you in Britain is “cheers”.

It will be understood by just about everyone in Britain, even if not everyone uses it.

From Scotland to the south of England, everyone understands cheers, and it’s good for just about any situation or interaction.

“Cheers for the drink!” for example.

It derives from the practice of toasting a drink by saying “cheers”, the practice of which seems to originate around 1919.

Before that, people still did it, although they didn’t tend to say cheers.

Then, shortly after that, it came to be a general expression of gratitude.

Ta

Next we have another really bedrock British slang term for thank you, “ta”.

This one is again used just about everywhere, although a lot more commonly in the north of England than anywhere else.

It is a simple way of saying thank you, and while it doesn’t have quite the impact of saying a full “thank you”, it’s adequate in many situations.

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

It originates in writing in the 18^th Century, where it was said to be an infantile sound expressing gratitude.

Thus, from there, it became a broader expression of gratitude.

Ta muchly

Following on from that, one way you can still say ta while improving the impact and emphasis of the thank you itself is to say “ta muchly” or “ta very much”.

This one you’re perhaps not likely to hear outside of Yorkshire or Lancashire, but it is still understood. “Ta muchly for the help!” for example.

Shabba ranks

Now, this one will doubtless have you scratching your head.

Shabba Ranks, you may know, is a Jamaican dancehall musician, and one of the most popular and well-known Jamaican musicians in the world in the 80s and 90s.

In parts of Britain, you can say his name to mean thanks. “Shabba ranks, I’ll be off now!” for example.

This originates in Cockney rhyming slang, where it is used as “thanks” simply because it rhymes with thanks.

There’s not much more to it than that!

Nice one

Nice one is another very widely used slang term for thanks which you’ll hear just about anywhere in Britain.

That said, it is again more limited to parts of England than anywhere else.

But still it’s universally understood if not universally used.

“I’ll get the car out.” “Oh nice one,” for example.

We aren’t really sure when this one started being used, although it is definitely quite recent.

“One” here is essentially substituting for the word “favor”—you did me a nice favor, so nice one.

You’re a lifesaver

There are a couple of ways you can really emphasize the thank you in British slang, and one of those ways is by telling someone they are a “lifesaver”.

The essence of what you’re saying is just “thanks”, but it’s been amplified to a great degree.

You’re so thankful that you are telling them they’ve saved your life.

“I managed to catch your phone before it fell.” “Oh you’re a lifesaver!”

Again, it’s hard to trace the origin of a phrase like this.

It isn’t attested much before around 1980, though it may indeed predate this.

You’re a star

Similar to that is the common and popular phrase “you’re a star”.

This one might be a bit less emphatic than lifesaver, but the sense is still the same.

You are telling someone not only thank you, but that they have done a exceptionally good job.

“You’ve already finished laying the table? You’re a star!” for example.

Much appreciated

Next we have “much appreciated” which, while quite universal in the English speaking world, nonetheless takes on its own British character in a couple of ways.

This is the kind of thing you might say to someone you didn’t know very well, whether they went out of their way to help you or were just performing their regular job.

“Much appreciated for getting the washing machine installed!” for example.

Again, it’s very difficult to say when such a ubiquitous phrase originated.

Much obliged

Finally, a variation of that last one which most might think would be American does again have its own Britishness to it.

It may be intended to ironically invoke the American dialect in Britain, as many parts of its slang do.

But in any case it is meant as an entirely sincere way of thanking someone for a service they’ve performed.

“I’m much obliged to you for fixing my car,” for example.

You are definitely not short on ways to thank someone in British slang, then.

The British do thank people almost more than anyone else in the world, according to a few studies.

If you’re in Britain, then, don’t hold back on the “thank you”s—say as many as you can as that’s just what the British have come to expect from their friendly population!

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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