New data shows these 11 British slang phrases from Love Island UK are leaving Americans puzzled.

While traditional British slang has always caused confusion, as Love Island UK became a hit in America this year, some of the most popular phrases from the show have left fans baffled.

To find out which slang terms are the most confusing, puzzle experts at Hearts-Challenge used Google search data from the US to reveal which ones are questioned the most.

From getting “pied” to being “muggy”, here are the phrases and slang words puzzling America.

The common Love Island saying “it is what it is” comes in first place with 7,200 average monthly searches.

For those who don’t know, this simply means ‘deal with it’.

“Peng” came in second place with 6,600 searches. The word is typically used to describe something or someone who is very attractive or beautiful.

However, it’s often used by us Brits to describe things such as food, clothing and cars.

Nex up is “bevy”, which is a slang term for alcoholic beverage, sometimes also referred to as a “bev”.

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This is followed by “geezer” which is a common word used to describe a male in a positive way.

And while “salty” is usually used when there is too much salt on a meal, here in the UK, it is also used as an adjective to describe someone who is angry, aggressive or resentful.

“The ick” is another popular phrase which reels in 3,250 searches, referring to when the feeling of attraction to a current or potential partner is suddenly flipped to a feeling of disgust.

“Gutted” is also on the list, with 3,500 monthly searches. This is a term for the feeling of sadness or disappointment.

Another popular saying, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, has 2,750 average monthly searches.

“Mugged off” got 2,500 searches and “pied” had 2,300 searches.

Last on the list is the word “fit”, which is a term used to describe someone who is physically attractive or good-looking.

A spokesperson from Hearts-Challenge commented: “While traditional British slang terms have always been puzzling for people from other countries, Gen-Z lingo is causing a new wave of confusion.

“Love Island UK has proved to be extremely popular in the US, igniting the launch of Love Island USA which is currently airing.

“These reality TV shows are viewed by millions of fans and have a huge influence over the language we use in our day to day lives, so it’s no surprise to see such a high number of monthly searches for these terms.”

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1

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