Have you ever come across an English word that sounds unusual but is actually used in everyday conversations? Some words are informal, some are fun to use, and others can make your English sound more natural.

Today, let's learn five interesting English words: Faffing, Peanuts, Sorted, For Real, and Dapper.

1. Faffing

Meaning: Faffing is an informal British English expression. It means spending time doing unnecessary things, wasting time, or making a task more complicated than it needs to be.

Examples:

• Stop faffing around and start working.

• I spent my free time faffing around, watching random videos.

• We wasted an hour faffing about instead of getting ready.

Remember: You can use faffing around when someone is wasting time instead of doing something useful.

2. Peanuts

Meaning: When someone says they are paid peanuts, they mean they receive very little money for their work. It can also describe an amount of money that seems very small or insignificant.

This is an informal expression.

Examples:

• They paid me peanuts compared to the amount of work I did.

• After all that hard work, he earns peanuts.

• For a big company, that amount is just peanuts.

Remember: Peanuts doesn't refer to the food here. It means a very small amount, usually of money.

3. Sorted

Meaning: Sorted is commonly used in informal British English to mean that something has been arranged, organised, fixed or successfully dealt with.

Examples:

• Don't worry, everything is sorted.

• I need to get this work sorted by tomorrow.

• Once she finds someone to fill in for her, she'll be sorted.

• Did you sort things out with James?

Remember: If a problem is sorted, it means it has been dealt with or resolved.

4. For Real

Meaning: For real is an informal expression used to ask whether something is true, express surprise, or check whether someone is serious.

Examples:

• This stone is so cheap here. Is this for real?

• Did you really propose to her? For real?

• You got the job? Are you for real?

• Is he for real? He behaved so strangely at the party!

Remember: Depending on the situation, for real can mean "Is this true?", "Are you serious?" or "Is this actually happening?"

5. Dapper

Meaning: Dapper describes a man who looks neat, stylish and well-dressed. It is often used to compliment someone's smart appearance.

Examples:

• You look very dapper in that new suit.

• James looked dapper at the wedding.

• He always dresses in a dapper way.

Remember: Dapper is mainly used to describe a man's smart and stylish appearance. It is not simply another word for handsome.

Quick Vocabulary Revision

Final Tip

Learning new vocabulary doesn't mean memorising difficult words. Try using these expressions in everyday conversations, writing and messages. The more you practise, the more naturally they will become part of your English.

How many of these five words did you already know?