Top 20+ British catchphrases that no one else understands

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

When it comes to catchphrases, Britain takes the crown every time. We're a nation of sarcasm, wit, and creativity, and love nothing more than using a random selection of words to describe an object, moment, action, or person. For the non-UK citizens among us, know that us Brits like to confuse each other just as much, too. Because a saying that derives from the north may be unheard of in the south, and vice versa. With that, we've selected 20 of the most British catchphrases that no one else understands. Prepare to be truly confused (Picture: Getty Images)

Bob's your uncle

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

'But I don't have an Uncle named Bob,' you reply with furrowed brows. It doesn't matter - neither do a lot of people. When someone says 'Bob's your Uncle' to you, it's to acknowledge an accomplishment or to say 'there you have it'. The idiom indicates that something is easy or simple, and is basically another way of saying 'it's as simple as that' (Picture: Getty Images)

Not my cup of tea

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

British people are indeed renowned for their love of tea. (In the north, especially around the Manchester area, it's often referred to as a 'brew.') So it's no surprise that the staple beverage has wound up in a saying, too. 'Not my cup of tea' refers to a person disliking something. It could be something as innocent as a type of food, or even used to describe a person (Picture: Getty Images)

Don't give up your day job

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

Again, you might be thinking, 'Why would I give up my day job?' Especially if you enjoy it and you're good at what you do. This is where we introduce you to some good old British sarcasm. If someone directs this phrase at you - likely after completing a task, whether a spot of DIY or cooking a meal - it means you didn't do a very good job. Don't worry though, they're not being mean. It's a form of affection (Picture: Getty Images)

You're barking up the wrong tree

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

Meaning, you're making a wrong assumption, or you've called out the wrong person. Essentially, this idiom suggests you're looking for an answer for something, but you're getting it all wrong (Picture: Getty Images)

Ey up

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

Central to Yorkshire. This is an informal, affectionate greeting. It's a friendly alternative to saying 'hi.' Sometimes, it can be used as a reaction if you're surprised (Picture: Getty Images)

Costing an arm and a leg

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

'That cost me an arm and a leg,' meaning, 'that was expensive.' It's an exaggerated way of saying you spent a lot of money on something, and that you had to lose valuable body parts to purchase it (Picture: Getty Images)

Beat around the bush

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

To stall. To avoid answering a question. To waste time. 'She always beats around the bush, and never gets to the point' (Picture: Getty Images)

Pear-shaped

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

When someone says something like, 'everything went pear-shaped,' it means that everything went wrong. Or didn't go as planned (Picture: Getty Images)

Rough as chuff

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

Another phrase that derives from Yorkshire. If someone says they're feeling 'rough as chuff,' it means they're not feeling too great. It's usually used to describe the feeling of a hangover (Picture: Getty Images)

Bit off more than you can chew

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

'He's bitten off more than he can chew!' This idiom is used to describe a person who has attempted a task that is too difficult for them to handle, or should be a multiple-person job. It suggests taking on a responsibility that is larger than a person's capacity to complete successfully. This can then lead to over-commitment or failure (Picture: Getty Images)

Bagsy

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

When you 'bagsy' something, it means you've called something for yourself, often being the first one to do so. A common example is kids in the car. One person will shout, 'Bagsy the front seat.' Meaning, they called it first, and will therefore be allowed to take the passenger seat. It's an unwritten rule that, even into adulthood, is still taken seriously. A British version of calling shotgun (Picture: Getty Images)

Bees knees

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

'My new outfit is the bees knees.' 'This chocolate cake is the bees knees.' 'Sabrina Carpenter's new song is the bees knees.' It's just a cute way of saying something is really good (Picture: Getty Images)

Botch job

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

If you make a botch job of something, you didn't do it right. You cowboy'd it. It's usually used when talking about a DIY job, but it can be used in other ways. For example, 'You made an absolute botch job of that birthday cake' (Picture: Getty Images)

On it like a car bonnet

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

'I'm on it like a car bonnet.' This can be slang for having something under control or doing a task really well. It also means that you reacted to whatever situation it is quickly (Picture: Getty Images)

On the pull

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

If you're 'on the pull,' it means that you're looking for a date. It's usually used in a more casual and informal format, with people typically looking to hook up with someone. 'On the pull' could mean buying someone a drink in a pub to get chatting to them, or moving in to dance with someone at a club (Picture: Getty Images)

Pop your clogs

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

This one doesn't have the nicest of meanings. It's code for when a person has died. So if you hear someone say, 'They popped their clogs last week,' the person they're referring to has just passed away. Not lost their shoes. RIP (Picture: Getty Images)

Spanner in the works

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

To put or throw a spanner in the works means someone has caused a problem or disruption that has stopped something from happening as planned. It can be used to describe both trivial things, like unexpected rain forcing you to postpone your picnic, to more severe problems, like new government regulations affecting businesses (Picture: Getty Images)

Sound as a pound

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

It's good, reliable, healthy, in good condition. Often used to describe people. Someone might say, 'I'm feeling as sound as a pound today,' and it could be to do with how they're feeling physically, mentally, or both. Or, someone could say, 'That guy is as sound as a pound.' In this respect, they're usually complementing that individual's personality (Picture: Getty Images)

Cool as a cucumber

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

'Despite being under loads of stress for her exam, Katie remained cool as a cucumber.' So, if someone says this to you, it means that you're cool, calm, and collected (Picture: Getty Images)

Maungy

Bob's your uncle, Not my cup of tea, Don't give up your day job, You're barking up the wrong tree, Costing an arm and a leg, Beat around the bush, Pear-shaped, Rough as chuff, Bit off more than you can chew, Bees knees, Botch job, On it like a car bonnet, On the pull, Pop your clogs, Spanner in the works, Sound as a pound, Cool as a cucumber

And last but not least, if someone tells you to 'stop being maungy,' they're telling you to quit whining. It's a term that originates from West Yorkshire and is responsible for many a confused look if used anywhere else (Picture: Getty Images)

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