"I'm all right, Jack" means: Indicates a selfish attitude, not worried about any problems one's friends and neighbours might have. Often associated with strikes and othe.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
I'm all right, Jack
(British) Indicates a selfish attitude, not worried about any problems one's friends and neighbours might have.
Definitions
(British) Indicates a selfish attitude, not worried about any problems one's friends and neighbours might have. Often associated with strikes and other trade union industrial actions.
"I'm all right, Jack" means: Indicates a selfish attitude, not worried about any problems one's friends and neighbours might have. Often associated with strikes and othe.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"I'm all right, Jack" means: Indicates a selfish attitude, not worried about any problems one's friends and neighbours might have. Often associated with strikes and othe.... Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (British) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a
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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.
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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.
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Semantically related
- jack all66%
A mildly vulgar slang phrase meaning absolutely nothing — a more emphatic version of 'nothing at all,' used to express frustration or dismissiveness. Functionally parallel to 'bugger all' or 'sod all' in British registers. Typically deployed when someone has received nothing, achieved nothing, or been left with nothing after an effort.
- Jack the lad62%
(British, slang) An irresponsible young man, seeking personal pleasure and gratification without any regard to responsibilities; a rogue.
- it'll be all right on the night61%
(UK, informal) Although it seems problematic now, it will ultimately succeed.
- all right60%
In good health, unharmed.
- bit of alright60%
(chiefly, British, Australian, Irish) an attractive or sexy person.