Eff and blind means: To swear; to use swear words.. It is mainly Irish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
eff and blind
(British, Ireland, slang) To swear; to use swear words.
Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK
(British, Ireland, slang) To swear; to use swear words.
I can't stand the way he's always effing and blinding.
Origin: From eff and blind "curse". Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Eff and blind means: To swear; to use swear words.. It is mainly Irish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
eff and blind means: To swear; to use swear words.. Register: very informal, slang. Suitable only for casual conversation, chat and social media. Do not use in business, academic or news writing. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: general
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
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.
Used in
UK
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
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.
Tags
Other words near "eff and blind" (E)
EELVeepyeerisomeEeyorishEFeff allefferefficiencyefficiency apartmenteffing and blindingeffortposteffortposter
Browse all slang words starting with E.
Related terms
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Semantically related
- effing and blinding86%
(informal, British, Ireland) swearing, cursing.
- blinding71%
(UK, slang) Brilliant; marvellous.
- eff all69%
British euphemistic way of saying 'absolutely nothing' — a polite swap-in for the stronger 'f*** all'. If someone did eff all today, they accomplished zero, zilch, nothing whatsoever. The 'eff' softens the explicit F-word just enough to deploy in mixed company or print without causing a scene. Widely used across the UK with varying degrees of irony and exasperation, often when complaining about laziness, empty results, or a total lack of effort.
- blindie69%
(slang, derogatory, offensive) A blind person.
- go it blind69%
(slang) To act in a rash, reckless, or headlong manner.