British Slang For Walking (Helpful Content!)

The most common British slang terms for walking include common terms like “stroll” or “strut”. In more specific circumstances you may hear terms like “swagger” or “saunter”. When it comes to walking as an activity, you might hear the term “rambling” widely used. “Plodding” is also a common slang term for walking.

The British have many different slang terms for different kinds of walking, then.

Whether it’s about the way they walked down the street, the kind of place they were walking in or how long they were doing it, there’s probably a specific term for that kind of walking in British slang.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What do the British call walking?

Of course, it’s probably worth mentioning that the British are very likely just to use the word “walking”.

There are many occasions when you might want to use a more specific term to get a particular meaning across, but otherwise you will just use the word walking.

With that said, perhaps one of the most common slang terms for walking in British slang is “stroll” or “strolling”.

This is by no means exclusive to Britain, but it is certainly one of the most widely used and understood.

Wherever you are in Britain, you can expect to hear this one in the context of leisurely walks at a slow pace, such as in the park on a sunny afternoon.

There are quite a few terms widely used to describe a kind of confident gait characterized by wide steps and swinging arms.

“Strut” or “saunter” are perhaps the most common of these.

They imply a kind of casual confidence, a high posture and an attitude of not caring what others think.

“I can’t believe the way he just sauntered into the room after what he did,” for example.

“Swagger” is another similar term to these, though it is less commonly used in Britain.

When it comes to country or hill walking in Britain, it is often referred to as “rambling”.

This is quite a specific term and even considered a hobby.

Rambling involves long walks down country lanes and public footpaths to appreciate natural beauty.

“We went rambling by the river again yesterday,” for example.

For slow, methodical and absent minded walking, a common term you’ll hear used is “plodding”.

This is very widely used in this specific sense, and often something people say when they are making their way through a long journey.

“I’ll be there soon, the kids are plodding along,” for example.

Let’s look at where these terms come from.

Why do the British say “stroll”?

Stroll is a fairly old word, at first a cant term initially recorded in writing in the 17th Century.

It seems to have been introduced from the continent, It’s not completely clear where exactly, but most agree it probably derived from the German dialectal term strollen, which meant to loaf about or walk around without much purpose.

This term in turn came from the word strolch which meant a vagrant or vagabond, so you can see the implications it once carried.

Others believe it may even be related to the Italian astrologo meaning astrologer.

Why do the British say “saunter”?

Saunter is a similarly old term, though its precise origin is not known.

It is first recorded as meaning “walk with a leisurely gait” in the 1660s.

Earlier, in the 16th Century, the word santren meant to muse or be in a reverie.

Whether these two terms are related is far from clear.

Some posit the term derives from the Anglo-French sauntrer, which meant to adventure or take risks.

Various sources state this etymology is not sound, but at the same time it is the only plausible hypothesis put forward.

We may never know the origin of this term.

Why do the British say “rambling”?

This term also is first recorded in the 17th Century.

In the 1620s it had the sense of “wandering from place to place”, as well as the similar sense of “wandering from topic to topic” while talking.

Of course it retains both of these meanings in the pleasant day, though the sense of walking is not quite synonymous with aimless wandering in modern English.

It may have come down to modern usage from the Middle English term romblen which was in use in the 14th Century.

This in turn was perhaps influenced by the Middle Dutch rammelen, though this didn’t have quite the same sense.

Why do the British say “plodding”?

Plodding indicates a kind of slow walking without any energy or dynamism.

It is first attested in the 1560s, and had the sense of either walking or working by trudging or with steady diligence.

The term is ultimately of uncertain origin, though most agree it is likely imitative and based on the sound your feet make during slow walking.

There are no similar words recorded in older forms of English from which it may have derived, though it is likely older than its earliest recorded usage.

We, unfortunately, can’t be much more precise than this.

There are many different terms for different kinds of walking in British slang, then.

From the simplest and most basic terms describing general walking to more specific terms for country hiking or slow walking down the street, there’s a relevant term to cover you.

A lot of them are interchangeable, but a lot of them also have very specific connotations that you may even want to be a bit careful with how you use!

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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