Kip

Kip (noun, verb / UK Slang)

(Also heard as: Have a kip, Forty winks, Kip down, Kipping)

Definition:

A kip is a nap or a short sleep, and to kip is to sleep or doze. It can also mean a place to sleep, such as “I need a kip for the night”, and in some places a messy, run-down place is called a kip.

Where Kip Comes From:

Kip first appeared in British English in the 1800s, when it meant a cheap lodging house or bed. It may come from a Danish word for a hut or small inn. Over time the meaning moved from the bed to the act of sleeping, and by the 20th century “having a kip” was a standard everyday phrase.

How People Actually Use Kip:

Kip is a relaxed way to talk about sleep. It usually means a short rest, such as a nap on the sofa after a roast dinner, but it can be a full night too. “Kip down” means to bed down somewhere, often at a friend’s house. Meanwhile, calling a place a kip, especially in Ireland, means it is a dump, so context is important.

Is Kip Used in the USA?

Not much. Americans would normally say “nap”, “catnap” or “crash”, but kip is easily understood from British television and films, and it is common in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Examples in the Wild:

• “I am going to have a quick kip before the match.”

  Meaning: I am going to have a short nap.

• “Can I kip on your sofa tonight?”

  Meaning: Can I sleep at your place?

• “That hostel was a right kip.”

  Meaning: It was a grotty, rundown place.

Similar Slang:

Bed Rot, Knackered, Crib, Pad, Nap, Forty winks

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