What it means
Dodgy is one of those proper British workhorse words for anything that feels off. It can mean shady, unsafe, unreliable, badly made, or just a bit not right. You can have a dodgy geezer, a dodgy deal, a dodgy kebab, even a dodgy knee. If someone calls it dodgy, they're waving a little trust alarm at you.
Usage examples
"Nah, I’m not eating that kebab, looks dodgy and the bloke’s using yesterday’s sauce. Let’s grab a proper chicken shop up the road, yeah."
"The car ran fine but the paperwork looked dodgy, so I walked away before handing over a penny."
"It was a properly dodgy part of town, so we kept our phones in our pockets and walked quick."
"That website wants my bank details and the logo’s all blurry. Bit dodgy, mate, I’m not touching it."
"He said he could get us festival tickets for half price in cash only. Sounds dodgy as hell if you ask me."
Where it comes from
Dodgy comes from dodge, a word linked to slipping, ducking, or getting out of the way. By the 19th century, British English was already using dodgy for things and people that seemed shifty, unreliable, or a bit bent. It's old-school UK slang that's never really left the building.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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