Baltic

BOL-tik /ˈbɔːltɪk/
Informal Neutral

What it really means

Extremely cold — stronger than "freezing". Popular in Scotland and northern England: "it's absolutely baltic out there".

Chinese explanation
冷到极点，比 freezing 更夸张的说法。在苏格兰和英格兰北部很流行：it's absolutely baltic out there（外面冷得要命）。

Example conversation

A: Are you walking to campus? B: No chance, it's baltic out there. I'm getting the bus.
A：你走路去学校吗？ B：想都别想，外面冷得要死。我坐公交。

What you could say back

“Fair enough, I'll join you.”

Related phrases

Freezing Nippy
All British Slang
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake