What's your beef?

[alex_genius_20]

Hello,
What's your beef? (What's your problem)

Is it American or British or both?

Thanks

 

[MikeNewYork]

Hello,
What's your beef? (What's your problem)

Is it American or British or both?

Thanks

It is used in AmE, but it is more of a complaint than a problem.

 

[Barb_D]

I think it's a little outdated now as slang in the US. But I may be the one whose outdated and the slang may be current.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I think it's a little outdated now as slang in the US. But I may be the one whose outdated and the slang may be current.

I agree that the use seems to have declined.

 

[bhaisahab]

I've never heard it used in BrE.

 

[Yiagos]

I found a second meaning.

Urban dictionary shows here a second meaning (the first one on the page). This one is it used on nowdays?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Re: I found a second meaning.

Urban dictionary shows here a second meaning (the first one on the page). This one is it used on nowdays?

See also #3 here: beef - definition of beef by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

 

[Yiagos]

As we know, normally beef refers to a big animal (bull, ox). Therefore, in my mind the idiom sounds like something big in complexity. And a big problem is one of them.