it's grim up north
(UK) A phrase suggesting that the standard of life in the north of England is poor compared to that in the south.
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(UK) A phrase suggesting that the standard of life in the north of England is poor compared to that in the south.
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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
- northern68%
(British) Characteristic of the North of England.
- north of the border65%
A colloquial directional phrase with different referents depending on the speaker's location. In American English it typically means Canada; in British English it refers to Scotland. Often carries a humorous or slightly distancing tone, suggesting the mentioned territory is charmingly remote or culturally distinct.
- ugsomeness64%
(Northern England, Scotland, obsolete) The condition or state of being ugsome.
- north of the border63%
(colloquial, British) Scotland.
- cold gruel62%
Dated British slang for something thoroughly unpleasant or disagreeable — a situation or experience as unsatisfying and miserable as cold, congealed porridge. The phrase uses the poverty-associated image of gruel (thin, cheap porridge) at its worst (cold) as a metaphor for something utterly grim.