The words that give away that a poster is actually British

Whilst

Guv'n.

Favour, flavour, colour

arse

jab as in COVID

antidisestablishmentarianism

Watah (water)

OP is a TWAT

Cunt, used as a term of endearment.

That'll be eight bob to you guvnor.

Wrong OP.

Because of the prevalence of Brits in the EU many english speakers in other countries use those same terms, you sodding wanker.

Dickhead.

Poppycock!

Innit!

Lift

Flat

Pub

[quote] Because of the prevalence of Brits in the EU

Not anymore.

Whinge

antidisestablishmentarianistically

referring to cake as "pudding".

attend university

go to hospital

r19 and referring to it as "uni".

attend uni

A&E; stretcher; courgette; binbag;

Smeghead

bellend

Bob’s your uncle.

In fairness, I'll sometimes use these, but I'm just being pretentious.

“at” the weekend

Bob's your uncle; "The origins are uncertain, but a common theory is that the expression arose after Conservative Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury ("Bob") appointed his nephew Arthur Balfour as Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1887, an act of nepotism, which was apparently both surprising and unpopular. Whatever other qualifications Balfour might have had, "Bob's your uncle" was seen as the conclusive one."

Maths; arithmetic

[quote]“at” the weekend

Is that like "an" Only Fans?

Lift instead of elevator

Quite right.

Put a foot wrong.

Sarnie

Jacket potato

Brown sauce

To me the weirdest: using plural verb forms for collective nouns or corporations:

"Do you know what the government do with the unemployed?"

Ford are planning an announcement".

"Math" in the plural, "I'm not good at maths".

Calling Ford 'a firm' and worse, calling it Ford's

That car has a large BOOT and a long BONNET.

Why are fools like OP unable to distinguish between England and Britain?

R37 -- that is a weird once. Brits don't seem to understand the difference between singular vs plural.

[quote] The words that give away that a poster is actually British

Bri-ish.

[quote] that is a weird once

Oh dear R42

Oi oi!

takeaway/kebab.

brilliant jumper!

put on your wellies, it's pouring out there.

Cheers mate!

Vicar.

Charity shop instead of thrift store.

Biscuits and chips which are anything but what they claim to be.

Crisps and candy floss sound stupid.

he's class!

go to the "loo"

Skip to the loo

What are you on about.

FATHER CHRISTMAS instead of

Santa Claus

TAKE AWAY instead of Take out.

BLOODY HELL!

I'm watching footy on the telly.

Bloody Nora; blimey

Petrol

Some of you are not reading the thread.

[quote]Charity shop instead of thrift store.

Charity shops tend to be high street based where people just dump their clear out stuff in the doorway over night, like Granny Mary's golliwog salt and pepper cruet set, the Friends series 1 box set on VHS or a bag of shoes which may or may not have matching sets in it.

Thrift stores, also known as vintage stores, specialise in second hand clothing and accessories. Some thrift shops will buy second hand clothes and resell.

"pins" for legs

CARE HOME instead of Nursing Home

An "off-license" instead of a liquor store.

Porridge

"Teef" (If they have any left)

Oh dear R63. That's 'off-licence'. FIFY

Hob

AGA

Hoover (as a verb)

council estate

Eton Mess

caster sugar

Muscovado sugar

self-raising flour

tray bakes

fairy cakes

petrol

car park

block of flats

lorry

estate car

waistcoat

Taking the piss.

Pip pip

Bob’s your uncle

Sweets

Kerfuffle

Chuffed

Blimey

Cock-up

Miffed

Hunky-dory

Anticlockwise

Dressing gown

Candy floss

Knackered

Cuppa

Gutted

Primary school

Skipping Rope

Gobby

Gobsmacked

Off-licence

Coriander

Noughts and crosses

Pavement

Postbox

Aubergine

“Bum” for butt. Although I use it as well because I’m Canadian.

git, piss-off, sorted, telly, the train

[quote] the train

?

"Paddy" - Brits use that to refer to trains; it's based on the most famous train station in all the land: Paddington.

Tay-coh for taco.

capsicum

dentist, but in question form, i.e., "dentist????"

R3 - that could also be a Canadian.

meek-ro-wah-vay

Ring me on my mobile.

Tickety-boo!

Courgettes

Swedes (for rutabagas, not people from Stockholm)

"Slut", but with a British accent

Saying “you need to go to Specsavers” when they think you have bad visual taste

Referring to molasses as treacle and eggplant as aubergine

Ginger.

Bugger, sod, cottaging, spunk.

toss off are you off your head!

Krikey! Oh, wait. Blimey!

Vest for undershirt

And singlet for tank top

“Me ass” as in “that bloke fucked me ass”

rubbers

Rubbish bin - garbage can

Bin it - throw it out

Bank Holiday - no US equivalent but usually the Monday of a three day weekend.

Finalise and Realise

rubber as in eraser

theatre

spectre

have you got a ciggy?

Someone here said "uni" is also Canadian.

Got to have a slash

beetroot

OP is a bonkers, fat, yob plonker twat.

r99 - "twat" is pronounced in the same way you pronounce "hat"

[quote]Charity shops tend to be high street based

High street.

Love (as a term of endearment)

right nice geyser, 'e is!

[quote] Love (as a term of endearment)

Luv.

Sussed

Manky (Scottish)

Sorted

A bit good

hospital...not the hospital

bloody, rubbish, wank. arse

Hotsie totsie

I've heard the expression "flicking my bean" a few too many times from Brits.

"I fancy that lovely bloke, do you think he might fancy the likes of me?"

i knocked up some pasta - care for a bit?

Spaz

Joey Deacon

Klan Granny

Ah-loo-min-ee-um

Umbrella -- brolly Sweatshirt -- jumper

OP is a daft knobhead.

FUGTASTIC

I have an American friend who insists on saying “jab” and I want to push her into a volcano every time she does. She also says “go to hospital.”

OP is making a right arse of himself.

Using "s" instead of "z" on words like "analyse" vs. "analyze."

Pants for underpants.

Pants meaning worthless etc.

Sink estate.

Knickers.

Matron as in Carry On Matron.

cheeky snog

banter

gutted

cracking

smashing!

fanny for vagina

naughty bits for cock and balls

Markle and Harry are pieces of shit.

You dumb fucks don’t realise that it is Americans who can’t speak the language - pretty much any native English speaker anywhere else uses these words and expressions. It’s you Americans who are responsible for an ongoing assault on the English language.

Which is why we all laugh at you.

Buck’s Fizz

Nowt

"Which is why we all laugh at you."

The English do enjoy a good titter.

mum

fank you

Nappies

Mash

Bakewell

Speciality

Bicarb (for baking soda)

Watching a British design/renovation show.

"Ma-CRAH-may" - Macrame

"Tar-PAUL-in" - Tarp

some people on this thread have been watching far too much Great British Bakeoff

R128 Touché

faggots

Stupid thread, OP. We learn English from the Brits in Europe so we use their vocabulary as well. As do other English-speaking countries of the world

Frock!

Yesterday one of the crazy rightwing American ladies who pretends to be British on the trans, Meghan Markle, and race-baiting threads used "frock" and "sodding" about 400 times in one thread, and then some sockpuppet made sure to call her and her friends "the boys" so we would all totally believe they were Brit gays.

The trolls are so convincing this time of year.

[quote]You dumb fucks don’t realise that it is Americans who can’t speak the language

I like how r125 got super upset, just because he didn't catch the reference to "My Fair Lady."

al-ewe-min-ee-um *** aluminum

[quote] You dumb fucks don’t realise that it is Americans who can’t speak the language

Tail’s wagging the dog now, innit?

R139 - “innit”? I don’t use that word, but then, I’m not English.

Of course, being American, you assume that I am.

What do Americans say when they go to hospital? Do you say you're going to THE hospital? Can anyone please clarify.

R15 yes.

Most countries have made provisions for them to stay . Germany has even offered citizenship.

I've been accused of being British, European, Canadian, and Russian. DL detectives suck.

Why do Americans get so humpty about Britishisms?

Unless they never left their trailer park at the mouth of the old Turkey Knob Mines, they know exactly what OPs list of words mean. It's no trickier than if I said, "That was very clever/ingenious/resourceful of you". Or if someone mispronounced "dissect." No pausing, no thinking, no contemplation of nuanced meaning required.

Yet they will call out a jab, or a uni, or a dust bin as though it were the most irritating, insulting, ridiculous thing they ever heard.

Going to the clubs so I'm going to get all tarted up

Frogs (cf. rosbifs).

OAP.

R144, neither OP nor anyone else on this thread said Americans didn't know what the Brit words mean, he just said they reveal the poster is British.

And yes, R141, Americans say going to THE hospital, same as going to the store, the park, etc.

R144- These things ANNOY us, as does the fact that you Brits drive on the WRONG side of the road.

I'm quite aware R147, and yet, still, there you have it, my indirect response on OP's thread.

I'll know to ask you first next time.

"18 certificate movie"

Sponge = cake

Road signs - GIVE WAY instead of Yield.

Instead of being Fired from his job he was made REDUNDANT.

FIZZY drinks instead of Soda.

[quote]And yes, [R141], Americans say going to THE hospital, same as going to the store, the park, etc.

But we say "going to school," "going to work," etc., without the definite article.

drinks party

hen party

"took a punt" (took a chance)

Twat....or is it twat?

And of course:

Yanks!

She’s up the duff mate

Hey R144, as mentioned above, you missed the point of this thread. I was asking for ways we Americans can tell when it's a Brit who's posting by his choice of words. That's all. A bit of detective work.

What is it you funny little people say? Don't get your knickers in a twist, right-o, cheers.... whatever....

[quote]"took a punt" (took a chance)

Also "punters." I've never been quite sure what that meant.

"meant to" instead of "supposed to"

This treacle tart is SMASHING.

Arse for Ass

The Chemists for Drugstore

Placing "The" in front of country names as in The Argentine , The Ukraine

THE United States

We’ll get a pretty penny for that one on the human black market we will!

Mind your head!

i’ve got the most scathingly brilliant idea

Gosh, that must’ve been too ghastly!

it's a bit shit, if i'm being honest

I was sat down at the pub.

I’m eating me tea!

Let’s go around YOURS and do a CURRY for TEA.

(Grew up in a former colony so I do tend to use some of those words/phrases/pronunciations). Wouldn’t the USA be considered a former colony as well? 🤔🤔

"Fancy tea at MINE?"

Would you prefer crisps or chips? Don't be cheeky!

University instead of college

Uni, -ou, paki, fag (referring to cigarettes), BAME, xx or x after a sentence, furloughed.

telly

celly

I’m just taking the piss out of you.

Everything Americans say started in the UK FIRST, Americans just kept it and the Brits are the ones that changed. The brits use to eat the same as Americans do, switching hands, then they switched to the continental way. And dont even start about soccer vs football, typical shitty convoluted British way, then bitch about the way Americans say it. Cunts!!!

Ugggh god I despise the English and their outdated monarchy and Royal watching.. I refuse to watch English films anymore. They’re useless and boring. And of course they’re ugly with bad teeth. That cliche is 90% accurate.

Everything the Americans say the Brits said it first then THEY changed and proceeded to ridicule Americans for it, typical British passive aggressive cunts. They even used to eat by switching hands then they changed to continental style. And dont even start on soccer vs football, another typical convoluted British shitty thing.

Everything the Americans say the Brits said it first then THEY changed and proceeded to ridicule Americans for it, typical British passive aggressive cunts. They even used to eat by switching hands then they changed to continental style. And dont even start on soccer vs football, another typical convoluted British shitty thing.

Everything the Americans say the Brits said it first then THEY changed and proceeded to ridicule Americans for it, typical British passive aggressive cunts. They even used to eat by switching hands then they changed to continental style. And dont even start on soccer vs football, another typical convoluted British shitty thing.

chavs

bloke

mate

have a lie-down

bedsit (I still don't know what that means)

R181 “the brits use to”.

Squiffy!

Context: I only had a small glass of Jeremy's home brew and god almightly I don't half feel squiffy!

Keep banging on about something

Bell me

Hasn’t a patch on her

A bit of alright

Really rubbish at doing this

[quote] [R139] - “innit”? I don’t use that word, but then, I’m not English.

[quote]Of course, being American, you assume that I am.

You didn’t need to be British for my retort to work, you mentally slow person.

Also only a Brit would say... Chim Chim Cheroo !

The one that drives me crazy is "cuppa."

WTF?

R192 do you want a cuppa tea me luv? How ‘bout some biscuits to go with that? I’ve been saving me favorite clotted cream to go with your scones.

Boris is just using this thread to better disguise himself as an American for his consummate, right-wing propaganda posts.

Stop giving him tips. If he wants to learn to imitate Americans, he can do his own research for years. Let his mask keep slipping in DL posts, it's always hilarious to catch him in fraud.

R190 Oh “Bootsy” you never fail to deliver.

At being a silly twat.

Now there’s a Britishism for you, “Bootsy”.

“Shiver me timbers!”

Garibaldis

Jammy Dodgers

Jaffa Cakes

Spotted Dick

Haggis

Christmas Pudding

Ice Lollies

Kippers

Brown sauce

Bovril

r197 = fan of British cooking shows

Dozy sod.

Hi I'm Benedict Cumberbunch.

loo, fag

What shade of brown will your baby be?

Most DLers are right slappers

OP is right common

Words aren't the only way to tell whether you're dealing with a Brit or an American. See if you can generate some steam:

-- Express support for the wrong football club.

-- Say something nice about Margaret Thatcher. Or Tony Blair.

-- Remind everyone who really beat the Germans.

Sod off!

Chelsea buns

Jam roly-poly

Elevenses

Stork (not the bird)

Panto

Stalls (in a theatre)

Train driver for the train engineer.

Engineer for the guy who comes to fix the geyser.

Spot on

corner store

chav

pissed (meaning drunk)

LOL@ R202

[quote]corner store

Literally nobody in Britain has ever said Corner Store.

It's Corner SHOP.

R162 it means customers.

Skint for penurious.

Google’s definition of the word Punter;

noun, British, informal

a person who gambles, places a bet, or makes a risky investment.

R213 'punter' can also mean customer. It's a slang term. A prostitute will refer to her 'johns' as 'punters'.

I thought punters were public house patrons.

I've had many a British gentleman offer to knock me up but all they've done is come by for a visit.

They could have at least tried.

Bed sit is a SRO

Scally

Cow

'Punters' are indeed primarily those who place bets - but also as has been said, more broadly ticket-buyers or consumers of any sort. As in, 'It can't lose, the punters will love it.'

Sometimes a 'dodgy' (Brit word) enterprise will be set up to claim 'mug punters.' A scam. Which blends back to the main meaning in that mug punters are taking a silly gamble, an unwise risk.

Scrolled through the whole thing, no one mentioned:

Posh

Common (as a class identifier)

Bespoke. On British design shows they always mention bespoke pieces of furniture or decoration which I'm assuming means custom.

R221 -- The word bespoke is just as common in America as it is in Britain. It's a class thing, not a Brit thing. My rich male friends always have bespoke suits, usually made when they're in Hong Kong where bespoke is cheap.

Cleaner (as a noun, not an adjective)

Builder (as workman, not a developer)

Vicar

Solicitor

Barrister

Councillor

Fete

W.I.

Helter-skelter (as a noun, not an adjective)

tombola

coconut shy/shie

Morris dancing

quid

bob (for money)

agony aunt

bugger

butty

sarnie

carriageway

motorway

cling film

cooker / cookery

drink-driving

lorry

funfair

golden syrup

hold-all

icing sugar

jacket potato

naff

presenter

number plate

Paki

paracetamol

y-fronts

secondment

kitchen roll

zebra crossing

r223 solid list. we did have about 7 or more of those already mentioned upthread.

And 224 replies show not so much how to identify that a poster is English (or British - most Americans don’t understand that there’s a difference), but that citizens of the USA have been responsible for an ongoing assault on the English language since your independence. The examples that you have all provided up thread are not so much examples of how English English differs from American English, but how Americans have, as always, been oblivious to their slaughtering of the English language that the rest of us Anglophones write and speak.

But you all carry on, Americans, while the rest of us laugh at you. We get lots of practice.

R225 sounds like a two-room-flat-dwelling pasty-bodied part-time shop clerk with eczema who weawwy wans to teww Amewicans how wousy their Engwish is. He smells of pee and greasy bedsheets.

And then Mother calls for the fourth time that morning.

American is the Prime English-Speaking nation and has been for 90 years. The British adopt every Americanism that rolls out, while Americans, outside the casual traveler or DL silly boy who thinks using slang from 1950s movies is funny, laughs at the suggestion that there is a qualitative difference between Brummie and RP.

And, of course, whether they know it or not, the UK is just a dying banking center.

r225 wow, what a weird reaction to my response about your solid list. i have been participating in this thread since the beginning BECAUSE i love all your British-isms, watch many UK-based shows, etc. I have nothing but respect for your culture.

Maybe go have a cuppa and a scone (pronounced the correct, British way). Tut, tut!

R213 it can mean that, in terms of 'taking a punt' meaning to take a gamble, therefore someone who punts is arguably a punter - but it is far more commonly used as just a generic term for customer. A busy pub would describe there being 'a lot of thirsty punters in tonight' for example - and it's also used as a term for the clients of a prostitute.

Please do not come for me and try to school me on the use of British slang, you will only make yourself look like a fool.

Would like to add too that I've seen a couple of people use the 'P' word and you should be aware that it is considered a racial slur and is NOT in acceptable use in the UK. It may be used, but it's a racist word akin to the 'N' word.

R229 Unless you're Prince Harry.

[quote]Would like to add too that I've seen a couple of people use the 'P' word and you should be aware that it is considered a racial slur and is NOT in acceptable use in the UK. It may be used, but it's a racist word akin to the 'N' word.

I'd disagree with you there. It *should* be a term akin to the N word but like in the US, anti Asian racism is treated with far less outrage than anti Black racism.

When I posted above about how no one would ever use the term corner store, it's always corner shop, I nearly wrote "or P* shop depending on your upbringing". I probably last heard the term about 10 years ago when I went to a friend's for dinner - he'd cooked a curry and another friend's new partner announced "I never cook curry at home, it makes the flat smell like a P* shop for days". I didn't go to their wedding.

The term "chinky" meaning a Chinese takeaway is common as well in a "I know I shouldn't say that but whatever LOL" way. When a Labour MP used the term he didn't even get a suspension.

What's "bent"?

R232 Pretty much like crooked when applied to politicians and the like. .

r232 another word for homosexual/bisexual, particularly in the case of effeminate men, just as having a limp wrist. though some also assume it has an association with anal sex.

In the case of the Labour MP, he used bent to mean gay. It would expect that kind of word to be used by someone in born in the 30s or 40s. But Gaffney was born in the 60s.

He lost his seat a year later to the Scottish Nationalists, to a man who has fights with his neighbour.

But yes, if a politician is described as bent it usually means corrupt. See also bent coppers in the BBC's Line Of Duty.

Baroness Chakrabarti, of Kennington in the London Borough of Lambeth insisted "I'm not bent" after accepting a life peerage (a seat in the House of Lords and the right to vote on laws despite being unelected) and a job in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet in exchange for a whitewash report into Labour's problem with anti Jewish racism. Labour was later found guilty of breaching the law by harassing Jews.

Baroness Chakrabarti is, to coin (LOL) a phrase, as bent as a two bob note.

Sorry, the phrase is "as bent as nine bob note". Shame on me!

"colour"

r227 I am not R225

[quote]American is the Prime English-Speaking nation and has been for 90 years.

While this may be true, most of the rest of the world uses British standards in spelling and pronunciation of English. It's what they are taught in school. The BBC and the British Empire had a lot to do with this.

In uni I was good at maths but bad at sport.

[quote]American is the Prime English-Speaking nation and has been for 90 years. The British adopt every Americanism that rolls out, while Americans, outside the casual traveler or DL silly boy who thinks using slang from 1950s movies is funny, laughs at the suggestion that there is a qualitative difference between Brummie and RP.

[quote]And, of course, whether they know it or not, the UK is just a dying banking center.

What if that were true?

Why do so many Americans have to make every fucking thing a zero sum game — contorting the rules on each occasion to ensure that they "win"? If indeed "America is the Prime English-Speaking nation and has been for 90 years," how does it harm you or OP or anyone else that, in one place, it's aluminum and, in the other, aluminium? How is that too hard a pill for you to swallow, or are you in the perpetually state of a 6-year-old child angry that everywhere the exact same way that you would have it? And why do you have to pull down what you allege is a weak opponent to prop yourself up? What's the fucking point?

But then, R241, one could ask why Brits like yourself have to make such a big deal out of every slight slur to your beloved sceptered island? Are you all that sensitive? Has the last century really been that bad?

Do Brits say "cock" or "dick" or do have their own word for it? Same question for top vs bottom.

R242: Except I'm not a Brit, not a citizen or resident of a sceptred isle. I'm an American citizen by birth, just not one anxious to jump on your bandwagon to lead your team to a stupid victory.

[quote]Do Brits say "cock" or "dick" or do have their own word for it? Same question for top vs bottom.

Brits use the phrases "pork sword" and "mister meaty man" in place of openis.

And tops are called "givers" and the bottoms are "takers". Men who do oral only are called "gossips".

Toff

That MP is probably a fukin' shirt lifter and a turn burglar !

^^ turd

Sweetie sweetie sweetie darling!

238 - so sorry, i shouldn't make assumptions on here! Carry on!

r238 I meant! Sorry about that.

[quote] Brits use the phrases "pork sword" and "mister meaty man" in place of openis.

There’s possum and opossum. Is "openis" a slightly more formal form of "penis"?

No, that's the honorific o, as in o-cha.

I always crack up when I read about Brits being “GUTTED” by something they’re disappointed by. It sounds so dramatic to my ears!

Sparky.

Chippy.

White van man.

R243 yeah we say dick or cock, to describe a hard penis usually rather than flaccid - I would say that cock is probably more common but could be regional - and a flaccid penis is generally called a willy.

Bloke Chap Guv' Love (when referring to a person) Wicked!!

[quote]yeah we say dick or cock

'Cock' is the go-to in my experience - 'dick' being a bit devalued sexually as it's a mid-range insult. 'He's a total dick', 'Don't be a fucking dick mate', et cetera. No-one ever says, 'He's a total cock.'

I'm gobsmacked by how long this thread is.

[quote] White van man.

What's that mean?

R260 Young aggressive men with small delivery vehicles.

scarpered

did a runner

trainers

kept himself to himself

storm in a teacup

"Pratt" or "A Right Pratt"

A pratt is basically an idiot.

ooo good ones r262!

r260 i had to urban dictionary that one myself.

[quote] trainers

DAPS

Daps is a Welsh fraise!

I don't remember ever hearing the word "whilst" spoken out loud. If I did my brain must have filtered it out.

Cash point.

Fortnight.

Travellers.

Caravan.

Maccies.

[quote]Daps is a Welsh fraise!

It's a strawberry?

the open borders of the internet and the endless list of banned books in the school. brits either sound gay or like chavs.

They can't even brush their fucking teeth after eating their garbage food. Their whole identity revolves around worshiping BRF. They think they're gods gift to society and the pinnacle of intelligence. Keep your colonialism to yourselves. Your cuisine sucks, you're hygiene sucks, you live in cramped up squalor.

"You're" spelling sucks, r271

Me mum's boyfriend made me cum in me trackies...

Barley sweets

That posh twat has always fancied a bit of rough when he’s cheating behind his hubby

Plonkers

Sleeping rough

Lorry

Gaol

My courgettes are large and ripe

are my aubergines are quite tasty

Me mum's boyfriend has a massive gherkin...

and he likes to show it off

I've seen you staring at my big knob

get down on your knees...and be sharpish about it

“Carriages at midnight” on an invitation.

"dodgy" as an adjective which described a situation as not on the up and up, probably not legal or not at all safe.

upthread, "a dodgy" was referred to as a noun.

[quote]gods gift

Oh dear.

Shan’t

Slag

Bullocks

"Pip pip, cheerio and all that rot"

r288 Bullock's was a department store in southern California. I believe you meant BOLLOCKS.

CHIPPY TITS

[quote]Bullocks

[quote][R288] Bullock's was a department store in southern California. I believe you meant BOLLOCKS.

When The Beautiful South released Don't Marry Her from their 5th album Welcome To The Beautiful South they had to record the lyrics to make them radio friendly. "Don't Marry Her, Fuck Me" became "Don't Marry Her, Have Me" and "she'll grab your sweaty bollocks and slowly raise the knee" became "she'll grab your Sandra Bullocks and slowly raise her knee.

Let's face it: calling someone a knob sounds a lot more classy than "You're a dick".

Rissoles(Hamburgers)

A pint of ale

Quite right, r90

R295 Make that a yard of ale, matey.

Some of you have very odd ideas about the words us Brits use. We don't live in an Enid Blyton book.

Perambulator(Baby Carriage)

R298 Crikey, you've got it!

PRAWNS instead of shrimp.

[quote]Perambulator(Baby Carriage)

Even a fake toff like Jacob Rees Mogg wouldn't say perambulator.

It's pram, buggy or pushchair. Maybe stroller if you have parents born in another country.

But never, ever a perambulator.

“Posh” annoys me no end. They act so smug when they say it as if it’s such a clever word to use. Sadly, they all overuse it.

R301 “Prawns” just sounds disgusting.

I hate when the describe food as “lovely” or “nice.”

[quote]Even a fake toff like Jacob Rees Mogg wouldn't say perambulator.

I wouldn't put it past him, such is the depth of his alternate-reality immersion. The names of his children suggest as much. 'Sixtus Dominic Boniface' is but one, to offer a flavour.

COOKER instead of stove

PASSING WIND instead of farting

Though I suspect this was used mainly by the UPPER CLASS and the Upper Middle Class.

R307 Cookers and stoves are different things.

Drawing Room instead of living room

Lounge instead of living room.

JELLY instead of Jell-o

We say "prawns" in the US, too.

We use both prawns and shrimp in the UK, but they tend to be different ideas.

Prawns are large, shrimp are small.

Scampi and chips with tartare sauce

R308 Read up on U and non-U usage. To quote the relevant Wikipedia article, "the middle classes prefer 'fancy' or fashionable words . . . in attempts to make themselves sound more refined . . while the upper classes in many cases stick to the same plain and traditional words that the working classes also use."

r317 maybe dial it down a notch. just speak in a plain fashion.

British use "our" to our "or". Example: colour vs. color.

Battenberg cake

Tear-and-share

coroner's inquest

fish paste

digestive biscuit

streaky bacon

orange squash

cross (for angry)

Snakes and Ladders (for Chutes and Ladders)

Cluedo (for Clue)

constable

seed cake

jumble sale

R298, what words on here are we wrong about Brits using?

Bruv. Greengrocer. (Greengrocer's apostrophe). Fishmonger. Proms. Boiled Sweets. Craic.

what is the difference between a market and a greengrocer? or do Brits not use the term market for a grocery store?

As the name hints, a greengrocer deals in fruit and vegetables.

So a greengrocer only has fruits and vegetables, nothing else? that's what people in the US refer to as a farmer's market.

No, more a produce market, like those ones run by Koreans in big U.S. cities.

I think of a farmers' market as having stalls run by different "farmers."

R307

The real toffs have an Aga, not a cooker.

pressurizing for pressuring

phone box

shall/should for will/would

spoilt, learnt, spelt

"talking of" for "speaking of"

interval for intermission

dog's dinner, dog's breakfast (I'm never sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.)

"not at all" instead of "you're welcome."

scullery

"quite" when used by itself as a sentence/response.

"turn-up" (the first time I heard that, I thought they were saying "turnip."

[quote]shall/should for will/would

These are as different as "I love" and "I like".

[quote]dog's dinner, dog's breakfast (I'm never sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.)

A bad thing - a project which might reasonably have been expected to work but is, when presented, notably inadequate.

r329 Perhaps, but in the US, "shall" is rarely used. I agree that "would" and "should" are different.

Fizzy drink

Speak fucking AMERICAN!. You sound like you are better than me!

"gone pear-shaped"

IT'S ALL GONE TITS UP!

Noughts and Crosses (tic tac toe)

Give Way (yield)

A rissole isn't a burger R294 - unless it's some regional terminology I'm not aware of - a rissole is it's own thing.

Not convinced of that R307 - to me, the stove top would be the hob, and the hob + oven = cooker.

Cor.

Flippin' 'eck

"Chip Butty". It's just some french fries between two slices of white bread. That's it.

R274 not Barley Sweets, Barley Sugar.

R341 French fries are what you buy at Maccy Ds. Totally unsuitable for a chip butty.

You need proper chips from a chippy for a chip butty.

Ahhh...that's brings us nicely into what us Brits call this, in our parts of the UK....

Chips between a bread roll is called a....?

I'll start - Chip Cob.

Being "poorly" (sick)

Where I come from that's a chippy bap, not to be confused with Poison's Unskinny Bop

Are you up north R345?

Where I come from you eat baps in daps round your bampy's house.

Ahhh baps!

A sandwich made with potatoes. Weird.

“You lot”

(in a club)"easy mate, you havin' a good night" "yeah im fuckin' sorted bruv!!"

How very dare you!

R351 My nephew when he calls me on the phone says more or less exactly that.

PRIV-acy, not PRIVE-acy.

As an American, I love the word ”wank.” It sounds fun and naughty all at once.

“My family cut me off. I was down to my last $30 million.”

R355 My boyfriend had a good wank this morning. He wanks quite often. We live apart, so he sent me a pick of the results of his wank this morning.

Have a great day!

"I'm British."

Calling people: Wanker; Cunt, used as an endearment; Muppet (I don't get this one - does it mean a dumbass?)

R359 yes, ‘muppet’ is a soft-edged and sometimes affectionate way of calling someone a fool or an idiot. You can use ‘muppet’ in reference to a friend, family member or colleague, or in a casual but polite debate, and not cause too much offence. It’s a light little rib.

Cf. ‘nugget’, if you’re talking to a Manc.

R347 where I come from (Hereford/FOD/South West), we would have a Ploughman’s round Pops/Paps.

[quote][R347] where I come from (Hereford/FOD/South West), we would have a Ploughman’s round Pops/Paps.

I'm not going to lie to you but truth be told that sounds tidy like.

Terraced house.

Country house.

Surgery.

A&E - instead of ER

Pull.

Squadie.

Fly-tip.

"Continue acting if you'd like, dear. You'll never get anywhere near the throne."

Jim-jams or PJs

Pyjamas

'flu, with the apostrophe

I'm quite keen on the builder. If I can't have him I'll settle for the decorator. I fancy him as well.

Lorry driver

Socialise, accessorise, stabilise.....

Is "tall poppy syndrome" a thing in the UK - or just Australia?

Smiling indulgently when we read “ I could care less”

R371 I think people in the UK know it, but it's really meant to describe a particular aspect of Australian culture.

[quote]I fancy him as well

I fancy him rotten.

[quote]Is "tall poppy syndrome" a thing in the UK

Known as 'Build 'em up, knock 'em down.' The basic MO of the tabloid press.

e's a tosser, he is!

Some of these aren’t exclusively British, but they’re not often used in the US as far as I know. I’ve lived outside the US for almost 20 years and know certain words have crept the other way like ginger, queue, ‘gone missing’, etc. I’d say the regional differences within both the UK and US are still greater than the differences between ‘standard’ UK and US tv broadcaster English. It’s hard to generalise.

Treat - as in ‘goes down a treat’ or ‘came up a treat’

Kit - as in a uniform, outfit, any set of tools or equipment.

Punter - as in gambler or general customer...speaking of....

Custom - ‘thank you for your custom’.

Tuck in - start eating especially if you’ve been peckish all day.

Stop fannying about.

Cunt face.

Knockers.

British people use "kip" to mean either a nap or a longer sleep; it can also mean the idea or act of sleeping, as in “Will you be quiet? I'm trying to get some kip in here!” It can also be a verb: “They kipped down for the night”

Adding "done" to the end of phrases like "might have," "could have," "should have," etc.

"Needs must."

R377 my dad likes that one, and he sometimes says it “fanny-annying” (I don’t know why). He uses it interchangeably with “pissballing” and “mithering” (though the latter implies some degree of hopeful pestering on the part of the subject).

“Are you [bold]actually[/bold] alright?”

=

“Mate you fucking losing your mind or summat? You’d have to be going round believing bollox like that...”

Mental, innit?

R379 I thought "kip" referred to "kippered" which I see all the time in E.F. Benson novels and seems to imply being smoked or something.

Someday I'd like to learn British.

Wanna go down the pub and eat some tea bruv? Lots of birds down there with massive tits, innit?

"He got stitched up like a kipper, stitched up big-time. Got ten years."

it's weird that Brits talk about "eating tea" when we think of tea as a drink. i guess tea in that case is a stand-in for dinner? wonder how that came about?

[quote]Wanna go down the pub and eat some tea bruv?

No one in Britain has ever eaten their tea in a pub.

Just what I think I've pieced together -- long ago, it wasn't dangerous to be out after dark, so the practice of having an earlier time to get together with others started - "tea time." Well, you didn't just go to visit to drink a cup of tea - there was food - cucumber sandwiches or maybe much more - but you couldn't have a dinner party because it was too dangerous to be out on the streets. Maybe this is before police - or bobbies?

* it WAS dangerous to be out after dark

[quote]it's weird that Brits talk about "eating tea" when we think of tea as a drink. i guess tea in that case is a stand-in for dinner? wonder how that came about?

Tea (food wise) is an informal dinner, early evening.

Dinner can be the evening meals or lunch - school dinners are served at lunchtime.

Geezer Rights✊

What exactly is (are?) elevenses?

Coffee or tea and biscuits or cake taken around 11am.

Either at work, ie on a fag break or when a nosy neighbour pops in for a natter over a Hobnob.

^that's what most of us in the US think of as "tea"

Joint (something you roast in the kitchen)

Salt beef (careful ordering "corned beef"!)

Oxo (U.S. Scrabble players know this one)

r397 the game or the manufacturer of kitchen utensils?

R398 The stock cubes.

hm, yeah. didn't know about those r399. we call them bouillon cubes. why? don't know.

R400 it's the timeless culinary war between French and Anglo Saxon isn't it?

Pigs, Cows, Sheep when slaughtered, suddenly change their language and become pork, beef and mutton.

One man's stock cube is another man's bouillon.

r401 completely true. This is why I love threads like this - to find our differences, but still commonalities. Although I will say we don't seem to eat a whole lot of sheep/mutton here. At least, not in my family or many people I know.

So do you have elevenses at work, or just a coffee (or tea) break? And when do you eat lunch if you have a snack at 11? Most workplaces have lunch between 11:30 and 1. And then another meal before dinner (afternoon tea)? Why isn't everyone 300 lbs?

Elevenses tend to include a biscuit or piece of cake, do they tend to be a prolonged break. Tea break could be just a hurried cuppa tea.

Luncheon, HM The Queen hates the word lunch, is taken between noon and 2pm.

Yes you could have breakfast at 8am, elevenses at 11am, lunch at 1pm, tea at 4pm, then dinner at 7pm, before supper at 10pm and bed.

“You all right then?”

“Come off it!”

“Steady on!”

Shedule

The worst, most bizarre, just away word in British is "cuppa."

WTF? Cuppa???

^awful

the mento illness, luv

The worst, most bizarre, just away word in British is "cuppa." WTF? Cuppa???

Not that weird, it's just short for cup of.

seems a llot of food breaks. but then again, we do think have a tendency to think of 6 food breaks a day so maybe...

wow. r411. you fucked up royally.

R395/R404 elevenses and afternoon tea are very much a thing of the past. My 85-year old grandmother (who eats like a gannet) still takes tea with a hot buttered crumpet or teacake or some digestives at about eleven, but no-one else I know does. Half the time I don’t even eat three-square (I rarely eat lunch, and often take breakfast late), let alone six miniature meals a day.

What the hell is a gannet?

noun

noun: gannet; plural noun: gannets; noun: northern gannet; plural noun: northern gannets

1. a large seabird with mainly white plumage, known for catching fish by plunge-diving.

2. informal•British a greedy person.

Yes Captain Obvious at R410. We know what cuppa means. It's just such an extremely ugly sounding abbreviation. Do you people says "Glassa?" "Mugga?" "Drinka?" "Bottlea?"

Just such an ugly sounding word.

r416 Not that much different from the universally used "gonna" and "wanna."

Greedy gobble gannet!

On the dole.

Ground floor, etc.

My local.

Tick (the box)

Block letters.

Brickie.

[quote]It's just such an extremely ugly sounding abbreviation.

Sometimes presidents are required to do a 'presser.' In recent times, plenty of ugly sounds have emerged from such a pressing.

R417 -- It isn't like wanna or gonna. There are no other abbreviations in the English language where "of" is the final abbreviated word.

It's a bloody bad business, this thread.

[quote] There are no other abbreviations in the English language where "of" is the final abbreviated word.

That's a kinda ignorant comment.

R424 Well, sorta.

[quote][R424] Well, sorta.

As the lovely Cilla Black woulda said, there's a lorra lorra words like this.

boffin

Pickanniny

Names like Gaz and Baz.

R426 you’ve got a nehv, you ‘ave, la, makin’ fon a’ Cilleh. Yer a fookin’ shitehawk!

[quote]It's a bloody bad business, this thread.

A damned bad business all round, old man. How's your glass? Another?

R420 you mean Block capitals, not block letters. R380 do Americans really not do this too?

r430 that is a fucking foreign language. i can pick out a few words but i can't even determine what the general conversation is about.

R433 Oh, you’re not alone, my love. As a Brit I find it difficult to understand both Manc & Scouse, especially when the speakers are arguing or using regional slang.

Then, we can’t expect too much. The people come from a wasteland, so of course it follows they’d speak primitive gibberish.

Scousers, in their natural habitat:

"kinda" and "sorta" aren't words. "Cuppa" is.

R436 Not sure what dictionary you use. If any.

you're lumped

get shot of (in lieu of "get rid of")

Oh, my giddy aunt!

cockerel

Any joy? (in lieu of "any luck?")

mozzies

turfing

grass up

standing for office/election

I always have elevenses, usually a cuppa coffee and I raid the biscuit barrel and find a Hobnob, Rich tea, Jammy Dodger or Garibaldi, and then around 4pm I'll have a cuppa tea and either a tea cake, or crumpet or hot cross bun or slice-a cake. I'm partial to a slice of Battenburg.

Curtain twitcher

Footpad

Jobsworth

Plod

How are you not all huge as all when you have that many meals/snacks? r439?

I am huge R441!

Luvvie

All-Ooo-Meen-e-Um

" You Americans"

Knickers in a twist versus panties in a wad!

Some things that aren’t universal.

Schedule. It can be pronounced with SH or SK sound depending on regional dialect.

In some areas of UK like around Birmingham, it’s surprisingly Mom not Mum. Mam exists too in other areas.

Rhotic and non-rhotic R’s vary as well depending on geography.

Scone is pronounced differently as well and is a contentious rift.

You know the differences when it’s a hard or soft g between Minge, Minger and Minging.

There are certain pronunciations like methane, oregano and glacier that are giveaways.

UK adopted French words like mange-tout and aubergine on certain foods and abandoned the English words which Americans kept using. However, UK chose the French courgette whereas Americans and Australians I believe use the Italian zucchini. Coriander is both and herb and a spice in the UK. Cilantro doesn’t exist. There is the arugula and rocket divide as well.

Come on, get your arse in gear mate!

[quote]There are certain pronunciations like methane, oregano and glacier that are giveaways.

Within one episode of a British TV series, I heard "migraine" pronounced MY-grain and MEE-grain.

[quote]You know the differences when it’s a hard or soft g between Minge, Minger and Minging.

Sean Bean is a ginger minger.

Frank Bough came from Slough.

Don't close the door, it's too close and I want fresh air.

My Polish cleaner comes to polish the silver every Tuesday.

R433 “ The people come from a wasteland, so of course it follows they’d speak primitive gibberish”. Can you explain what you mean by a wasteland? The people you’re referring to come from an urban area of about 7 million people combined. Where are you from that makes you so qualified to judge millions of people like that?

Then there's Van Gogh, another absolute give-away in speech.

People who say "shedule" are full of skit.

From 1st May all sixth form pupils will be eligible for a jab.

[quote] Where are you from that makes you so qualified to judge millions of people like that?

If you have to ask that in earnest, then clearly you don’t understand the Bit and you’re not from the U.K.

R433 you’d love the old soap Brookside...

[quote]the old soap Brookside...

Often referred to as 'Brookie', as Coronation Street was/is 'Corrie.'

Eastenders I've heard called 'Stenders.'

NASTY PIECE OF WORK

I'm not complaining - I think it's charming, but it's interesting that the British seem to love using cutesy terms for things. I can't imagine American men calling football "footy"

Better than what the Australians do as they continue to mangle the language -- doggo, convo, boyo, must -- everything gets turned into an -o.

R459 you drongo!

Pronouncing route as root, not rowt.

[quote]Yes Captain Obvious at [R410]. We know what cuppa means. It's just such an extremely ugly sounding abbreviation. Do you people says "Glassa?" "Mugga?" "Drinka?" "Bottlea?" Just such an ugly sounding word.

R416 Actually I've been promoted to Major, Miss Sensitive. What is it about the word "cuppa" that offends your delicate sensibilities? I think it's a nice-sounding, cute word. I can just hear Megs Jenkins or some actress like that saying it when I go to the pictures. Here she is in a ripping film called The Gay Dog, with Petula Clark. Have another cuppa, luv, and don't get your knickers in a twist.

Is Haz a common UK nickname?

Or is it more common in S California?

Hazbeen is more popular this side of the pond R463

"It's early days"

R461, I've always said route as root - and so did Chuck Berry in 1961 (Get your kicks on Route 66)

Unless I misunderstood you and the Brits say route rhyming with "out" ??

I'm aware some Americans say route like "out" but I think it's both in the US - maybe favoring "root"

Americans say both ROOT and ROWT. Paper route--either way. Route 66 -- always ROOT. But it's always ROWTING -- wouldn't want to confuse it with ROOTING.

Mum gave Uni’s knob a wanker.

Brilliant.

Tosser

R469 and let’s not forget ‘tosspot’..

fuck all

R468 I'm British and have absolutely no idea what "Mum gave Uni’s knob a wanker" is supposed to mean.

And "bugger all" - which I still don't quite get.

Nail varnish

Pay rise

"talking of" in lieu of "speaking of" (e.g., "talk of the devil")

What is he on about?

spanner

there's no smoke without fire (Americans say "where there's smoke, there's fire")

marquee (for a large outdoor tent thing, not what's on a theater)

mobile (as a noun, for cell phone)

full marks

And mo-bile with the second syllable rhyming with mile.

[quote][R468] I'm British and have absolutely no idea what "Mum gave Uni’s knob a wanker" is supposed to mean.

I'm guessing the Mum in question gave someone a hand shandy but it's not obvious.

KNOB JOCKEY.

R473 You might say it when something's gone tits-up.

[quote]And "bugger all" - which I still don't quite get.

It means nowt.

Elder Brits: "Freddie Starr ate my hamster"; "Where's the cougar, matey?"

"It's not big and it's not clever"

'Er indoors.

Pukka

Chin-wag

Wireless

I love a good chin-wag over a pukka pie and a brew in the chippy!

chufty

draught excluder

answerphone

dab hand

satnav

[quote]I love a good chin-wag over a pukka pie and a brew in the chippy!

This sounds like a clueless posh Tory candidate hopelessly trying to ingratiate himself in a permanent Labour constituency.

He'd be lucky to escape without getting a bloody good hiding.

There aren't many of those permanent Labour constituencies left now.

You can tell R483 is British. Note the use of the word Labour.

Geordies

Paddies (not nice)

[quote]This sounds like a clueless posh Tory candidate hopelessly trying to ingratiate himself in a permanent Labour constituency. He'd be lucky to escape without getting a bloody good hiding.

I don't think it was Harriet Harman, but another pre Blair government Labour feminist made a joke about the Conservatives thinking a creche was something that happened between two landrovers in Sussex.

[quote]Conservatives thinking a creche was something that happened between two landrovers in Sussex.

Perfectly normal weekend fun for the late Prince Philip.

Pleb (not nice to use if you're posh)

Toffee-nosed

Hoi polloi

Hoi polloi is used in the US, R490.

Is it R491?

Tommy opposite then.

Bloody American cunts

R493 You limey bastard, you.

Are you going to the Tarts and Vicars?

Wot's all this, then?

Fo Fuck's Sake!

Engorged manhood.

These JAME BUTTIES are SMASHING.

JAM

not

JAME

Being uncut.

They pronounce the H in herbs, they don't get that the H is silent. Don't get me started on how they pronounce Don Juan.

Dun Wan

The H is silent in the US (in herb) only because we decided to sorta adopt the French pronunciation -- though that would be closer to "airb" I think.

If you had an Uncle Herbert, would you call him Uncle Erbert?

Not that there's anything wrong with choosing to go the French way -- but it doesn't make sticking with good old English pronunciation wrong.

Do we say o'tel instead of hotel? Or hôpital (silent h) instead of hospital? Nope.

Tonne, instead of ton.

The audience are applauding.

Different to, rather than different from.

Petrol

Knackered

Hampton and bristols

Calling someone ‘melt’, ‘weapon’, or ‘big man’ as gentle terms of exasperation.

Using sport-related idiom and allusion will make you sound much more like a true Brit.

Examples in conversation:

“There are places in Britain in the summertime where nowhere is lovelier. The grass is fresh-cut, the sun’s coming through the trees, and I just think, “that’s Euro ‘96, that is.” “And then we invaded Iraq.” “That was the tournament we did well in.”

“I'll stick to potting the pink rather than the brown, thanks pal.”. “The brown isn’t exclusive, mate.” “Pot my tight brown, you cow!”

“This isn’t a jolly! Stop teeing up jaunts!”

*said with smug victorious approval*’“Back of the net.”

[quote]sport-related idiom

"You think you're on a level playing-field, but then they move the goalposts."

[quote] “This isn’t a jolly! Stop teeing up jaunts!”

"Jolly" means joke? I don't know what the second part means. (stop teasing me?)

R511 in that context, ‘a jolly’ refers to ‘a fun day out’ or a leisurely holiday doing inconsequential things.

“Stop teeing up jaunts” means “stop lining up fun pointless little activities to do”, implying that there is more serious work to be done that isn’t being done. ‘To tee up’ refers to the act of preparation or planning, i.e. positioning a golf-ball on the tee ready for a swing.

A 'jolly' is a day or more away from the work environment for fun, often on a dubious premise. A 'jaunt' likewise, though its escapism might not be work-related.

Fuck’s it got to do with you?

Fuck-all

Do me a favour

Take a bow, son

He’s alright//are you actually alright?

She gave him a right proper slagging off

Cause your hassle elsewhere

On your bike

Look lively//look alive

Rinsed him

I rate him

Billy-no-mates

That’s madness//mayhem

There’s something a bit off about him

Proper character, knows his stuff

Used to kick lumps out him

They don’t get on

His legs have gone

I’m never gonna stitch him up

R456 I have never heard EastEnders be called 'Stenders'. It's either Easties or Enders.

R515 my bumpkin father refers derisively and affectionately to EASTENDERS as ‘the Queer Folk’ (I.e. “the Queer Folk are on at 8”). He means ‘queer’ in the archaic colloquial sense of ‘strange, weird, bizarre’.

The liberal use of antimacassars.

I would have thought Conservatives were more likely to be using them.

Cockwomble

Crockery

"all present and correct" instead of "all present and accounted for."

"work it out" instead of "figure it out"

Flat