Unc is short for uncle. In slang it's a joking name for a friend your age or a bit older who acts “grown-up”: goes to bed at nine, asks for the music to be turned down, still uses Facebook. It's a bit like jokingly calling a friend grandpa. The tone is friendly, but it can sting, so people only say unc to those close to them.
Could you drop unc into a text?
Write a short message — we'll show the mistakes right away and suggest how to say it more naturally.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
unc (addressing a friend); such an unc; unc behaviour; reply to a joke: ok unc
- unc, you still post on Facebook? nobody's been there for years lol
- you asked them to turn the music down at a party? that's unc behaviour
- my unc Mike always brings the best pizza to family dinners
What changed
First versionUncle, could you tell me where the bus stop is?
RevisionExcuse me, could you tell me where the bus stop is?
In English, uncle is only for a relative: you don't address a stranger in the street that way, and unc would also sound like mockery. The neutral way is Excuse me at the start of the question; the rest of the sentence stays the same.
Boomer is about age too, but sounds harsher: ok boomer cuts off someone whose opinion seems outdated. Unc is gentler and usually not mean: ok unc, we'll turn the music down. Neither works with a colleague or in IELTS Speaking: there people say a bit old-fashioned or out of touch.
Your turn
You went to bed at nine on a Saturday? That's such ___ behaviour.
Show the answer
unc — Going to bed at nine on a Saturday is exactly the kind of grown-up habit people tease with unc. Bestie means best friend and has nothing to do with going to bed early.
Write a joking message to a friend who did something very “grown-up”. Name what they did and use unc.
you ironed your T-shirt before the cinema? ok unc, see you there
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.