British Slang For TV – 9 Examples

Written by Gabriel Cruz - Foodie, Animal Lover, Slang & Language Enthusiast

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Everyone knows what television or TV is. The impact and reach of the television are so massive that you wouldn’t be surprised if most households have 2 or more sets. The popularity of TV has caused us to call it by different names or associate it with different slang terms. In this article, we will be taking a look at the British slang words for TV, including regional terms such as Scottish, Welsh, and Irish. 

British Slang For TV (in Alphabetical Order)

Custard And Jelly

Meaning:

  • (Noun) The Cockney rhyming slang for TV. Since TV is called “telly” in the UK area, it gets rhymed with “jelly.”
  • Example: You better not forget to turn off the custard and jelly after midnight. 

Gogglebox

Meaning:

  • (Noun) Common British slang for the television set, which includes the TV and the sound system itself. This slang is also used in the Australian regions.
  • Example: My gogglebox broke because we were playing with the Nintendo Wii.  

Piped Telly

Meaning:

  • (Noun) This slang is predominantly used in the Irish area and refers to cable TV. 
  • Example: After getting some extra cash, we applied for a piped telly. We wanted some movies and extra channels. 

Roger Iron’s Rusted

Meaning:

  • (Expression) This slang is a “multi-level” slang for saying that the TV is broken. The “Roger” section comes from Roger Mellie, which is Cockney rhyming slang for “telly.” The whole slang phrase is also a Cockney rhyming slang for “TV is busted.”
  • Example: Roger Iron’s Busted! The lightning must have caused some shorting. 

Roger Mellie

Meaning:

  • (Noun) Another Cockney rhyming slang for “telly” or TV. It is based on the popular English cartoon character of the same name.
  • Example: We bought a smart Roger Mellie. We have always wanted to watch some Netflix. 

Telly

Meaning:

  • (Noun) Arguably the most common slang for TV. Most British folks use this term and it is simply the shortened form of “television.”
  • Example: We got nothing to watch on the telly. Turn it off!

Tellybox

Meaning:

  • (Noun) Another UK slang, mostly used in Scotland, refers to the TV. This term has become slightly obsolete compared to “telly” and other slang words. 
  • Example: You just broke Grandma’s tellybox. I’m telling everyone!

The Beeb

Meaning:

  • (Noun) Refers to a channel or the TV itself. It comes from the popular British Broadcasting Company or BBC. This term is mainly used by UK people to refer to the said channel or company’s programs. 
  • Example: The Beeb has gotten more biased recently due to it being acquired by several elites.

The Box

Meaning:

  • (Noun) When you say “The Box” in the UK, primarily in Great Britain, you are referring to the television set similar to “Gogglebox”
  • Example: I should have just sold the box when I got it. It had some major underlying problems after using it for a month. 

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