UK slang for girl includes a wide variety of terms that vary by region, age group, and social context, ranging from affectionate to derogatory, so appropriateness matters. The most common neutral UK slang for girl includes bird, which is older London slang from the 1960s-80s but still used, lass which is very common in Northern England, Scotland, and Yorkshire for a young woman, and lassie in Scotland. In modern London and multicultural London English, terms like ting is used for an attractive girl, as in peng ting meaning very attractive girl, and gyal is used in British Caribbean-influenced slang derived from Jamaican Patois. Other common UK slang includes gal, missy for a young girl, love or luv as a term of address in the North, and duck in the Midlands. In Scouse Liverpool slang, girl or la is used, and queen is used affectionately. Some slang is considered disrespectful or objectifying and should be avoided, such as bint which is derogatory, or totty. In contemporary UK youth slang, shawty is borrowed from US hip hop, and babes or babe is common affectionate slang. In Northern Ireland and Scotland, terms like wee lass or hen are common, with hen used in Scotland as a friendly address for a girl. The most universally understood neutral modern UK slang for girl remains bird, lass, and gal, though many women prefer simply being called woman or girl without slang.
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