dodgy

Dodgy is British slang for something unreliable, suspicious or a bit risky. A dodgy deal is shady, a dodgy knee is unreliable, and a dodgy kebab is one you’ll probably regret.

What dodgy means

Merriam-Webster labels it chiefly British and gives a cluster of related meanings: evasive or tricky, not sound or reliable, questionable or suspicious, and needing care to handle. Collins adds risky or dangerous. In practice it covers almost anything you don’t quite trust.

• People: a dodgy bloke is someone you wouldn’t lend money to.
• Things: a dodgy wifi connection, a dodgy second-hand car.
• Health: a dodgy stomach, a dodgy back.
• Quality: a dodgy haircut, a dodgy film.

Examples

• “That website looks a bit dodgy. I wouldn’t put your card details in.”
• “I can’t play Sunday, my knee’s still dodgy.”
• “He sold me a dodgy phone charger and it melted.”

Where it came from

It comes from “dodge,” in the sense of evading or getting around something, so a dodgy person is someone who dodges. Merriam-Webster gives a first known use of 1861.

For American readers

The closest American words are “sketchy” and “shady.” Dodgy is a little softer and more versatile; it can describe your own health or your cooking without accusing anyone of anything.

Related terms

• Sus: suspicious, in newer slang.
• Bloke: a man, sometimes a dodgy one.
• Roadman: a London street-culture figure.
• Red flag: a warning sign.

See more terms like this in our British slang guide.