Beef

Beef (noun / verb / slang)

Definition: Bad blood between people. A grudge, fallout, or argument where two folk just can’t stand each other.

Pronunciation: /biːf/ (beef)

Where It Comes From: It took off through US hip-hop back in the 80s and 90s, where rappers used it for their rivalries and diss tracks. UK pirate radio and the early grime scene picked it up in the 2000s, and it quickly spread everywhere else—from school gates to the local pub.

How People Actually Use It: You use it whenever two people have fallen out and the vibe turns sour.

It covers massive rows or completely stupid stuff, like an unpaid pint or someone not replying to a text. You can say you have beef, started beef, or that two mates are beefing. It explains why people cross the street to avoid someone or why the room goes dead silent when a certain person walks in.

Examples in the Wild:

• “Don’t ask them both out tonight, mate—they’ve got beef.”

  Translation: “Those two hate each other right now, so keep them apart.”

• “He hasn’t spoken to me in weeks over a tenner. Proper stupid beef.”

  Translation: “He’s holding a massive grudge over something tiny.”

• “Are you two still beefing or did you talk it out?”

  Translation: “Have you sorted your argument yet?”

Similar Slang: Bad blood, Friction, Needle, Aggro, Fallout, An issue