Learning English British Style!
The British have always been portrayed as speaking in a very genteel and proper manner. While this is true in some parts of the country, local speech patterns and dialects can color the way of speech most commonly referred to as the 'Queen's English'. The regional variances have developed some very fascinating words and expressions.
bodyOffer()I have complied a small list of some of the more common English words and their American counterparts. So all you have to do is memorize this list, work on the accent and your trip to Britain will be incognito. No one will be able to tell that you are from the 'other side of the pond'!!
The Bits and Bobs of the Easy Brit/Yankee Primer - translation: The Bits and Pieces of Britishese you need to know to get about in the United Kingdom. I will list the American name and then its British counterpart.
Food - a very important subject in any language
French fries - chips
Potato chips - crisps
Hamburger - beef burger
Hamburger meat - mince
Sausage and mashed potatoes - bangers and mash
Jello - jelly
Cotton candy - candy floss
Coke (soda pop) - fizzy drink
Orange drink - squash
Candy - sweet
Eggplant - aubergine
Shephards pie - cottage pie
Dinner hour - tea time
Lunch time - dinner time
Cafeteria - canteen
Beer - ale
Meat/Potato turnover - pasty
Cookie - biscuit
Popsicle - lolly
Cooker - stove
Ketchup - tomato sauce
Tomato paste - tomato puree
Salad dressing - salad crème
Clothing
Shirt - vest
Pull over sweater - jumper
Button up sweater - cardigan
Sweat shirt - fleece
Sweat pants - joggers
Ladies underwear - knickers
Raincoat - mac
Umbrella - brolly
Rubber boots - wellies
Sneakers - trainers
Hair barrette - hair slide
Hair tie back - bauble
Slip - petticoat
House shoes - slippers
Nylons - tights
Nail polish - nail varnish
General Goodies of all sorts
Car hood - bonnet
Car trunk - boot
Bus - coach
TV - telly
Money - dosh
Aspirin/Tylenol - paracetamol
Personal calendar - diary
Movie theatre - cinema
Policeman - bobby
Police car - panda car
Telephone someone - give a bell
Woman - bird
Man - lad
Get drunk - get pissed
Bride's stag night - Hen party
Thanks! - Cheers
Goodbye - Ta Ra
Cigarettes - fags
Legs - pins
One British pound (money) - quid
Pharmacy - chemists
Flashlight - torch
Soccer - football
Basketball - netball
Mouth - gob
Mouth open in astonishment - gob smacked
A person's rear end - bum
Garbage - rubbish
Garbage collectors - dustmen/binmen
Trash Can - bins
Trash Bag - bin liner
Grocery bags - carrier bags
Pen - biro
Kissing - snogging
Bedspread - duvet cover
Back yard - back garden
Clothespin - peg
Attic - loft
S.O.S. pad (steel wool) - brillo
Elementary school - infants school
High school - comprehensive school
So as you can see, the language is the same, but the words and their meanings are out of this world!
Published by Sandra Jones
Jumped over the Pond 12 years ago, now hanging out with the sheep and the leeks! Can you tell I love Wales??!! View profile
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10 Comments
Post a Commentlove it! I've always liked the British style of English.
I lived in Scotland for four years and almost died when one day a classmate asked me for a rubber! Of course it only took me a minute to figure out they meant and an eraser!
This will come in handy when I do eventually make it "over the pond"...:)
blowing a fag= smoking a cigarette. Always an interesting one.
Lol. This makes me reminiscent of my brief year in England at Uni. I think I'll go put on me jumper and trainers and head out for tea. I'm going to stop by the chippie and get some fish and chips and maybe a kebab. How bout I ring you round eight? LOL.
Nice round-up. I'm off to pack! ;)
You forgot about the lorry and the lorryman!
Corina, there is trypically no difference in speech partterns in any of the countries which make up the UK. There are of course regional variations, but there is no definitive speech applications for Wales or Ireland, except if you wish to speak in Welsh or the Gaelic of Itrland and Scotland. For the words on my list, the meanings are the same UK wide.
Nice list. Its interesting to see the differences in words among the same language.
Interesting list if you are traveling in the Britain. I would like to see a similar one for Ireland and Wales for those that might be traveling the UK.