What it means
Baltic means absolutely freezing, the sort of cold that makes your teeth rattle and your fingers refuse to work. Not merely a bit nippy, this is full-on winter misery where the wind bites your ears and you start questioning every life choice that involved going outside. Perfect word for British moaning weather, especially on grim nights out.
Usage examples
"You fancy a smoke out back? No chance, it’s proper baltic tonight, my face went numb just walking to the corner shop for milk."
"Bring a proper coat, it's absolutely baltic out there and the bus stop has no shelter."
"The flat was baltic all winter because the landlord wouldn't fix the heating."
Where it comes from
It borrows the Baltic, that grey northern sea whose winters are a byword for bone-deep cold. Calling the weather baltic just lifts the chill of those shores and drops it on a British bus stop, no geography lesson required, only the shiver and the moaning that comes with it.
Other ways to say it
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