Need a Lesson in British slang? Talk to Magda Archer

Here in the UK, we have plenty of funny little sayings. To any non-Brit, they wouldn't make much sense, but to us these colloquialisms can express meaning in the clearest of ways. Magda Archer is an artist whose love for tongue-in-cheek British phrases has become the defining feature of her work. Among my personal favorites of hers included in Scream Editions' pop-up gallery in London are Toffs Love Dogs (translation: "posh people love dogs"), Shut up for a bit (a phrase my own grandmother uses to this day, which essentially means STFU) and Text me yeah?

Full disclosure: Magda is my aunt. But she never ceases to impress or surprise even those who know her well. When I visited her studio last year, I discovered an impressive collection of scrapbooks and pez dispensers, as well as paintings with titles like Bet Your Mother Works At McDonalds. This year, she has branched out into screen printing, with encouragement from Scream Editions. Its pop-up gallery is now displaying all six of her prints, in addition to an exclusive two-color print titled Stay Fresh––only £45 while limited stocks last!

How do these niche Britishisms pop into Magda's head in the first place? "I've no idea where I get most of them from," she said. "Some must be overheard, others come into my head at the most inopportune moments. I've got notebooks and scraps of paper dotted all over the place with words and phrases in. I even write on food packets and sometimes my hand. I love slang and current expressions—I just love words, really."

So what's Magda's favorite British saying? "I quite like 'I wiped my mouth and walked away,' [which means] 'I'll put that rather tricky experience behind me. 'Give over,' meaning 'stop it or leave me alone,' is a firm favorite too."

Through April 18, 2014

SCREAM EDITIONS POP-UP GALLERY
20 Foubert's Place
London
W1F 7PL
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