Fanny Adams
(UK, naval, _, slang, obsolete, derogatory) Tinned meat.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1859 · 1 year of recorded useDefinitions
(UK, naval, _, slang, obsolete, derogatory) Tinned meat.
The Engineer Lieutenant pushed his head inside his neighbour's cabin: “Come along—come along! You'll be late for dinner. Fresh grub to-night: no more ‘Russian Kromeskis’ and ‘Fanny Adams’!”
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(chiefly, British) Nothing (now largely perceived as euphemistic for fuck all).
The Engineer Lieutenant pushed his head inside his neighbour's cabin: “Come along—come along! You'll be late for dinner. Fresh grub to-night: no more ‘Russian Kromeskis’ and ‘Fanny Adams’!”
Fanny Adams means: Nothing (now largely perceived as euphemistic for fuck all).. 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.
Fanny Adams means: Nothing (now largely perceived as euphemistic for fuck all).. Register: neutral, standard English. 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. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
“Fanny Adams - Mid Morning Madness [London, UK / Australia ; Hard Rock / Blues Rock] (1971) https://redd.it/17kj7e8 https://youtu.be/2MJpAPt6luE”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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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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(Royal Navy, _, slang, obsolete) Tinned meat or fish.
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(UK, slang, derogatory, vulgar) An effeminate and ineffectual man.
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(UK, slang, vulgar) A womanizer.
- fanny about66%
(chiefly, British, intransitive, slang) To waste time or fool around; to engage in activity which produces little or no accomplishment.