(British, slang, dated, sometimes as a term of address) An old friend; an old chap or fellow.
(British, slang, dated, sometimes as a term of address) An old friend; an old chap or fellow.
"old bean" means: An old friend; an old chap or fellow.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.
"old bean" means: An old friend; an old chap or fellow.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you 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.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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(British, slang, dated, sometimes as a term of address) An old friend; an old chap or fellow.
(British, pejorative) A nasty, troublesome old woman.
A mild derogatory slang term for a stupid or dim-witted person. The bean implies the brain is small, hard, and not particularly functional. Belongs to the category of playful insults where the comedy softens the blow — it is more affectionate mockery than genuine contempt. Common in British and American casual speech, often directed at someone making an obvious mistake.
(chiefly, British) An alumnus, especially of a public school.
"old bean" means: An old friend; an old chap or fellow.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. 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 comparable context.
“Happy Anniversary old bean. Gorgeous photo. 💚”
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(slang, chiefly in the negative) An insignificant value or amount.