Banter
What it really means
Playful, joking conversation between friends, often teasing each other. British people value banter, but it can feel harsh if you are not used to it — it is usually meant kindly.
Context, tips & common mistakes
Banter — mutual, quick-fire teasing — is how much of Britain expresses friendship, and being included in it is usually the moment you have actually been accepted. The imported instinct to treat mockery as hostility misfires here: colleagues gently mocking your football team, accent or tea-making are extending a hand, not drawing a knife. Return fire lightly and the bond forms.
The word has a dark edge worth knowing: 'it's just banter' is also the standard excuse of actual bullies, and the difference is reciprocity and consent — banter flows both ways between equals and stops when it stings; bullying targets one person who never gets to laugh. If 'banter' at work is one-directional and lands on race, religion or anything protected, it is harassment regardless of the label, and you are entitled to say so.