British Teen Star Baffles Jimmy Fallon with Wild Slang—One Word from Warrington Leaves Studio Speechless

It was supposed to be a light-hearted interview segment—until one unexpected word turned The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon into a full-blown British slang decoding session.

On Wednesday night, viewers across America were introduced to 17-year-old Maxie Taylor, a rising teen actor and social media sensation from Warrington, England. Promoting his breakout role in the Netflix mystery series Stonebridge Academy, Maxie made his U.S. talk show debut with charm, wit, and—unintentionally—one of the most confusing slang terms to ever hit American prime-time.

Everything was going smoothly—until Maxie dropped the word: “chuffed.”

“I was proper chuffed to get the part, mate,” Maxie said mid-sentence, grinning with his thick Northern accent.

Jimmy Fallon, blinking in confusion, raised a hand and interrupted: “Hold up—what does chuffed mean?”

The studio erupted with laughter as Maxie stared at Fallon, equally confused as to why the question was even necessary. “You don’t know ‘chuffed’?” he asked, genuinely stunned.

Fallon leaned back, laughing, “Is it good? Bad? Should I be worried?”

With his signature quick wit, Maxie launched into an explanation: “No, no! It means I was really happy, like super pleased. Like, buzzing, y’know?”

Fallon nodded slowly, mimicking the accent. “So chuffed is good. Alright, we’re learning tonight.”

But it didn’t stop there.

Fallon, now visibly intrigued, asked Maxie to teach him more British slang. What followed was a hilarious crash course in Northern expressions that left the host—and most of the American audience—completely befuddled. From “skint” to “taking the mick” to “gutted,” Maxie gleefully rattled off terms while Fallon repeated each one with increasingly exaggerated confusion.

“Wait, you’re skint means you’re broke?” Fallon asked, incredulous.

“Yeah!” Maxie nodded. “Like, zero pounds in your bank account.”

“And gutted means you’re sad?”

“Exactly. Like, heartbroken.”

The entire bit played like a comedy sketch, with Fallon trying (and failing) to use the slang in sentences, while Maxie doubled over in laughter.

But the moment that truly sealed it came when Maxie innocently referred to something as “a bit pants.” Fallon froze, pointed at the teen, and exclaimed: “Okay, now I know that one. That means it’s bad, right? I googled that once!”

The audience roared, and Maxie gave a mock standing ovation. “You’ve been doing your homework, Jimmy!”

The clip quickly went viral on social media, with viewers on both sides of the Atlantic sharing their favorite parts. British Twitter users lovingly roasted American confusion, while Americans replied with wide-eyed gifs and honest declarations like, “I need subtitles for this kid.”

Even British celebrities chimed in. Actor Hugh Grant tweeted, “Maxie Taylor is the cultural ambassador we didn’t know we needed.” Meanwhile, Stonebridge Academy co-star Emma Rainey posted a clip of the interview, writing: “This is what happens when Maxie goes unsupervised!”

Backstage after the taping, Fallon reportedly told producers the segment was one of his favorites in months. “That kid’s a star,” he said, according to a show staffer. “We need to have him back—and maybe a translator next time.”

For Maxie, the buzz has only amplified his already skyrocketing fame. A rep confirmed Thursday that his follower count on TikTok and Instagram surged by more than 500,000 overnight.

And as for that mysterious word? “Chuffed” is now trending in the U.S.—with dictionary.com tweeting a definition and Spotify curating a “Chuffed Vibes” playlist in honor of Maxie’s now-iconic appearance.

So what’s next for the boy from Warrington?

“Maybe I’ll teach Fallon what ‘gobsmacked’ means next time,” Maxie joked in a post-show interview. “Or maybe I’ll just bring a dictionary.”