(UK, informal) A particular type of double-decker bus used in London, as popularized by mayor Boris Johnson; New Routemaster.
(UK, informal) A particular type of double-decker bus used in London, as popularized by mayor Boris Johnson; New Routemaster.
Boris bus is the nickname for the New Routemaster bus introduced in London under Boris Johnson's mayoralty (2012). Standard British vocabulary. Not concerning. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in. Most slang of this kind moves through TikTok and group chats, so seeing it in your child's vocabulary just means they are plugged into normal teen internet culture.
Boris bus is the nickname for the New Routemaster bus introduced in London under Boris Johnson's mayoralty (2012). Standard British vocabulary. Not concerning. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in. Most slang of this kind moves through TikTok and group chats, so seeing it in your child's vocabulary just means they are plugged into normal teen internet culture.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with B.
(UK, informal) A bicycle offered for hire in London, England as part of a bike-share scheme launched in 2010.
(British, informal) A bus that is used as a mobile office and publicity centre by a politician or party during the run-up to an election.
(vehicles, UK) A double-deck bus with an open, or partially open, top deck.
(slang) A person of Russian descent.
Boris bus is informal British English for the New Routemaster double-decker bus introduced in London during Boris Johnson's mayoralty (2012). Use in British transport and political contexts. Formal equivalent: "New Routemaster." Common non-native mistake: capitalisation. The phrase capitalises "Boris" (as a name) but "bus" is lowercase. Read or listen to the word in context several times before trying it yourself; the right register is harder to learn than the dictionary meaning.
“It was the public debut of what was then called his [New Bus for London](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2011/dec/16/boris-johnson-new-bus-arrives-in-london) but was already better known as the [New Routemaster](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/dec/19/transport-routemaster-design) or “Boris Bus”.”
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(UK, informal, dated) A bus service operated by the local municipal corporation or council.