Link - What does "Link" mean in British slang?

Having a partner of a different nationality has many benefits however I must say, me and my Italian boyfriend often find ourselves slightly lost in translation over small things, mainly due to slang.

For example Yesterday I ask my boyfriend if we should link at 5pm, he agreed. By 5pm I was waiting outside his flat, very annoyed and very cold. Once he finally arrived I asked him why he was late. He told me that he was at a bar waiting for me as I had earlier suggested we ‘drink’ at 5pm. Our argument quickly came to an end when I clarified the meaning of this word ‘link’.

So let’s look at this word today. Link spelt L-I-N-K is a slang verb meaning to meet or connect with someone. It can be used to suggest a meeting such as:

‘hey are you free to link tonight? Yeah let's link up.’

Meaning are you available this evening to meet? Yes I am let's meet.

In formal english link is both a verb and a noun. It comes from the germanic word GHE LENK meaning joint. As a noun it means anything serving to connect one part of something with another. For example, ‘there is a missing link in my necklace chain’.
As a verb it means to join or unite for example ‘The children linked arms as they ran’. So it is understandable how this verb has become a slang expression symbolising the link or tie of people.

Today it can be used to express the meeting or hanging out of friends and family.
However it can be also used to express a relationship, linking can mean that you are not officially in a relationship with someone but you are 'seeing' or dating each other.
For example John and Lizzy are linking at the moment, meaning John and Lizzy are dating.
In a song by British group serious thugs they say ‘It’s not love it's just a link ting’ meaning the relationship is not serious. So think about your phrasing before you use it!

So start using it today! Take a day off work and link with your mates or take the next step and change your linking buddy into a partner!
That’s our word of the day. You can find us on our website https://theslangpodcast.com and from there you can see our transcript and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many more apps. Let’s catch up soon to explore our next slang word.

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