Discover the highest 10 hottest meals phrases amongst Gen Z within the UK
A poll of 2,000 adults has revealed younger adults are driving a generational shift in food language, killing off terms like ‘grub,’ ‘sarnie,’ and ‘pop’
A new survey of 2,000 adults has revealed that younger generations are leading a revolution in food lingo, swapping classic British terms like ‘grub,’ ‘sarnie,’ and ‘pop’ for trendier words such as ‘scran,’ ‘sub,’ and ‘soda.’
Other traditional expressions falling out of favour with under-29s include calling the evening meal ‘tea,’ referring to food as ‘nosh,’ and using ‘cuppa’ for a hot drink. Even the once-staple ‘sandwich’ is losing ground, as young Brits increasingly opt for American-inspired alternatives like ‘hoagie’ and ‘hero.’
A representative from McDonald’s UK&I, which commissioned the study to celebrate the debut of its new RSPCA assured pork patty Sausage Sandwich on the Saver Menu, commented: “Language is constantly evolving, and food slang is no exception.”
The research revealed that family remains the primary influence on Gen Z’s vocabulary, outweighing both their local upbringing and social media, which ranked second and third respectively.
Nearly half of Gen Z reckon they employ more regional food expressions than previous generations. The remaining half admit to using such terms ‘very often’ or ‘often’.
Across all ages, the main barriers to using regional slang include not hearing it enough in conversation or believing others won’t understand.
Nevertheless, 40% expressed interest in learning the meanings of unfamiliar regional food terminology, with 18% researching them online.
Whether it’s lunch, dinner, or specific foods or drinks, there’s a growing sentiment that these should be preserved as part of our cultural heritage, even if they’re falling out of favour.
One of the most notable regional differences is what people call a bread roll. While ‘roll’ is the most common term across all regions, ‘cob’ is favoured in the West and East Midlands. Up North West, ‘barm’ is the go-to term, while over in Yorkshire and Humber, they prefer ‘teacake’.
The spokesperson for McDonald’s added: “Our Sausage Sandwich is already sparking its own naming debates – burger or sandwich.”
10 FOOD TERMS IN DECLINE:
- Tea – to refer to the evening meal
- Cuppa – to refer to a cup of tea
- Squash – to refer to a drink made with water and cordial
- Pop – to refer to a carbonated drink
- Sandwich – to refer to the food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between
- Sarnie – to also refer to the food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between
- Roll – to refer to the small, oblong individual loaf of bread
- Bap – to also refer to the small, oblong individual loaf of bread
- Grub – to refer to food generally
- Nosh – to also refer to food generally
10 FOOD TERMS ON THE RISE:
- Hoagie – to refer to the food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between
- Supper – to refer to the evening meal
- Juice – to refer to a beverage made with water and squash
- Sub – referring to a sandwich, which is food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling in between
- Doorstep – referring to a sandwich, which is food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling in between
- Scran – referring to food in general
- Snap – referring to food, usually lunch
- Piece – referring to a sandwich, which is food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling in between
- Fizzy drink – referring to a carbonated beverage
- Hero – referring to a sandwich, which is food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling in between
