(British, Ireland, slang) To swear; to use swear words.
(British, Ireland, slang) To swear; to use swear words.
I can't stand the way he's always effing and blinding.
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 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.
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.
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(informal, British, Ireland) swearing, cursing.
(UK, slang) Brilliant; marvellous.
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.
(slang, derogatory, offensive) A blind person.
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.
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(slang) To act in a rash, reckless, or headlong manner.