bunged up
In British English, 'bunged up' means having a blocked or congested nose — the kind that makes you sound like you're speaking through wet cardboard.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1450 · 1 year of recorded useDefinitions
In British English, 'bunged up' means having a blocked or congested nose — the kind that makes you sound like you're speaking through wet cardboard. In Canadian English it shifts meaning to constipated. Either way, the word 'bung' (to block or plug) does the heavy lifting. It's the sort of honest, unglamorous phrase that tells everyone exactly how rough your week has been without requiring further elaboration.
I've been bunged up since Tuesday and every breath sounds like a broken accordion.
Comments
(Canada, informal) Constipated.
“Had seven at one point Jim but the nose was the worst. Also it got bunged up with snot all of the time so a bit messy to deal with.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
(UK, informal) Having a blocked nose; congested.
Comments
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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