So I have an English acquaintance, who has shared with me the joys of Cockney rhyming slang (nice “kettle”), and also told me that a popular English greeting is, “wotcha.”

But another Englishman I know said that “wotcha” was Australian, and that a more popular British greeting was, “your-right?” (That’s how is was pronounced…I’m guessing it’s, “you alright?” rolled together).

So for you lads over the pond: which one is correct, or are they both, and it varies by region? Any other common greetings? Thanks mate!

 

There are many, many different greetings dependent on where one hails from in the UK. There is also generational usage, so a greeting that I may have used in the late 80's and early 90's will now be out of, or in much lesser, usage.

As for Cockney rhyming slang AFAIK ( and I'm speaking as someone from 'Oop Norf' ) you'll hear it more in the movies than in the real world as perhaps it was in common usage in the 19th century but these days in the East End of London you're as likely to hear an Indian or Asian language as you are to hear a luverly jubberly cockney geezer, innit?

 

I think South East English might use wothca. Glaswegian’s from the west coast of Scotland probably Alright pal? or Alright hen? Southern Welsh people alright hows it going? or whats occurring ? Lots of regional variations and even variations within a short distance.

 

As said it varies hugely across the UK. I'm from Scotland and dont think I've ever used "wotcha", more likely I'd use "awright, awright mate, or aye aye?", Doric is probably the dialect I mostly use

 

Very much regional variations throughout the UK.
Both examples you cite are VERY London-centric greetings.

The North-East equivalent of the latter would be ‘al-reet?’
The correct response would be
‘Aye, canny’

 

This is already bewildering...

 

When visiting my nanna she'd ask what we wanted for our 'dinner'....which was lunch and then we'd have our 'tea' later on as the evening meal

 

I'm from the north east of England I would greet people with agh reet .

 

ROFLOL. I saw the pic I posted above only recently and only then realised how strange it is

 

Actually, those who count themselves as ‘upper-middle class’ tend to use supper in lieu of dinner as a social affectation.

 

Another very British thing: class. Upper middle class may be that you are good for GBP 100 mio but did not go to (the right) public school (which is btw expensive contrary to what the name suggests)

Fascinating read on this is:

 

Where I’m from, ‘How bist?’ is a reasonably common thing to hear as friends greet each other.

 

Where I was brought up it would be "Ow bist?" and the reply "Bostin." Where I live now "Y'allright?" is most common.

 

Sort of like, “How’s business?”

 

Oh bloody hell do we really need this oy

 

Not really, bist can occur in other phrases. For example "Bist yow gannin whum?" meaning "Are you going home?".

 

In all the British TV shows, they write it as “oi.”

 

People my parent's age would use "wotcha" but it's not very common in anyone under 40 round my neck of the woods (South of Watford). A simple "alright?" is very common.

Although on a Thursday night in the pub it's not uncommon to hear the greeting "evening c***ts"... Meant affectionately obviously...

 

I live in the West Midlands in a region also known as the Black Country (a term coined durring the Industrial Revolution to describe the smoke and smog from all the foundries in the area). We use the greeting "Am yow alright?" or "alright mate/ chuck/ duck/ love!"