Calling lovely non-Brits!
Have you ever read/heard a British word/saying and had no idea what it meant? If so, can you share?
We've set up a glossary for our awesome readers and want to include as many as we can
Massive Thanks!😊
Here's the list so far: https://www.overlondon.net/post/glossary
Have you ever read/heard a British word/saying and had no idea what it meant? If so, can you share?
We've set up a glossary for our awesome readers and want to include as many as we can
Massive Thanks!😊
Here's the list so far: https://www.overlondon.net/post/glossary
Comments
I had to buy her a book to help lololol. It’s called “Blimey I’m knackered.”
Some words/ phrases that confused her:
Mard
Nout / nowt
Gobsmacked
“Crikey Moses”
Taking the piss
Bugger off
Popped his clogs
Bloke
Quid
Alreet
US versions uses dough as the wrapper
UK uses bacon to wrap the sausages
Squash.
US English Squash = the vegetable marrow in UK English. Not a sugary drink.
I recall years ago one Brit acquaintance sounding aghast when I said I was cooking squash as a side dish for dinner.
lemonade (what the HECK do you all call lemon juice, sugar and water?) milk shake (the first time I ordered a milk shake in England (1984) I was shocked! It was just flavored milk!)
Pop/Soda/Coke/Softdrink.
There are dividing lines.
My grandmother was unpleasantly surprised on her first visit to one state (I forget which) when she ordered a soda as her expectation for that word meant there should be ice cream in it.
;)
https://www.thekitchn.com/eggs-in-a-basket-recipe-23198166
Dipping toast into the yolks of sunny-side up egg (fried egg, but it isn't flipped while cooking) is a thing that's done.
Be aware: A lot of British/English slang identifies exactly where in the country you grew up, and is specifically regional.
I managed to even offend her with language.
You're good.
*probably
All the various words for getting drunk, & that the correct expression is *couldn’t* care less often fox yanks
“She’s being a right mard
He’s being a little nowt.”
for a British client and she said her husband was 'really chuffed'. I had no idea
whether to be upset or not!
And my great grandmother was an ex-pat
I have vague recollections from my childhood of curling up on the couch (chesterfield?) reading from it.
I’ve restored a few of my leather bounds. Let me see if I can find those products. How old is that?
And JL Baird invented the televisor in 1926...so somewhere in there
A small but significant percentage of people have a gene that makes cilantro taste like soap for them, so this is good to know!
(I know they're horribly wasteful etc etc, but they're also downright beautiful and if we can just make all the noise and stuff without the pollution I'd be immensely happy.)
There’s a great Brit-pick glossary over on AO3 for fanfic writers, if you’re looking for more examples :)
Those pop into my brain ball.
Cack handed
Totty (toe-tee), for toddler (a Glasgow thing maybe?)
Piece of piss
White pudding (again maybe a Scotland thing?)
Weans (ditto)
To be uttered in a Mancunian (Manchester) accent for full effect.
Not a scooby
Have a gander
Take a butchers at this
Pilfer
Nab that
Oit
Al'right (as in the greeting, not asking them if they're ok)
Complete bafflement. I mean, the idea was kind of clear, but the metaphor was completely lost on me.
"...couldn't give a _____ about your internet assembled philosophy"
https://youtu.be/yRujuE-GIY4?si=3gD9NxZJx6wyzPNf
But what exactly is the slang there.... like i'm hearing "hackneyed jizz" 🤔
(Civilian vestiments)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mufti
Possibly from trying to "blend in"? Though I doubt that would have worked worth a damn
It has connotations of informality and disreputability.
Caimh's on the money! Going through all the characters and voices before recording truly was witchcraft, best description of it! His range is phenomenal.
"You've gotta know what a crumpet is to understand cricket."
When he'd visit the States I always had to translate to wait staff for him. Mostly by repeating exactly what he'd said in my N.A. accent.
PS - that book sounds dope and I'll have to pick it up!
And thanks so much for your kind words about the book:)
It came from one episode where Tom Baker flubbed a line and forgot whether he was meant to say "back off" or "stay back", and ended up telling a Dalek to spack off.
I liked the cat!
Over there it's some kind of thing you lot do with your foreheads.
Drunkenly we agreed that he’d shoehorn as many diff ones in to his keynote the following day 🤣
He was chuffed to be there. He couldnt give a chuff at one point. And things were also going chuffing well. 🤣
His accent needed some work, mind 🤣
A bit Butlins.
Put wood in t’ole.
Lairy as a wardrobe of ties.
But then Dr. Google educated me.
In American English, "braces" are orthodontics. 8-year-old me could never figure out how Bilbo could produce smoke rings with both thumbs jammed in his mouth
And he still is.
Had it when staying with my grandparents as a child. It's perfectly edible. Perhaps finding a box would make for a good project for you!
Moot: relevant vs irrelevant
"It's half six" Is that half *before* or half *after*?
Test match
I think I get it now but "tea" as a meal
Caravan
Off-license