Donny

Donny (noun / UK street slang)

(Also spelt Donnie)

Definition: A guy, bloke, or random person. Used when talking about a third party—either casually or when you’re taking the mick out of how someone is behaving.

Pronunciation: /ˈdɒn.i/ (sounds like bonny)

Where It Comes From: Born out of London’s Multicultural London English (MLE) scene in the 2000s. It stems from “don,” which travelled from Italian and Spanish mafia titles into Jamaican Patois sound-system culture (don dada). London estate culture stripped away the untouchable mob-boss status, tacked a casual “-y” onto the end, and turned it into everyday road slang for just “some bloke.”

How People Actually Use It: It’s your go-to word when referencing a guy whose name you don’t know or don’t care to say.

It works as a straight replacement for “bloke” or “geezer.” If someone cuts in front of you at the chippy, he’s “this donny.” If a lad on the pitch is doing way too many stepovers and losing the ball, your mates will laugh about what “that donny” is playing at. Drill tracks, Twitter clips, and group chats are full of it.

Examples in the Wild:

• “Who’s that donny in the oversized coat staring over here?”

  Translation: “Who is that random bloke in the big jacket looking in our direction?”

• “Some donny tried charging twenty quid for parking on a public road.”

  Translation: “An opportunistic guy attempted to take money for a free parking space.”

• “This donny on the bus fell asleep on my shoulder and started snoring.”

  Translation: “A total stranger on public transport fell asleep against me.”

Similar Slang: Bloke, Geezer, Fella, Mans, Yute, Cat, Bossman