8 AMERICAN WORDS THAT ARE RUDE IN BRITAIN | BE CAREFUL!!!!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 มิ.ย. 2024
- Here are 8 American English words that are super rude when used in British English so please be careful when using them.
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Period means menstrual cycle in the USA, too. That's all I've ever called it. It's not a "rude" word.
Depends on the context that it's being used. Like ”Nevermind her, she is on her period.”. Well, that is considered rude.
Nah...the words arent rude. Chick and bird are the same...neither are rude. Period isnt rude....neither is bum.
The example you gave doesnt make the word rude. If you said menstruating does it change the tone? Its your meaning thats rude...not the words.
right that's what i was thinking and really as with most things , look at the context people , lol
Yes, but we only use ‘period’ for menstruation. We don’t use it for punctuation, that’s a full stop.
As he said in the video, not rude but could be confusing
In American English the word "period" refers to BOTH the end of a sentence ("full stop") AND when a woman is menstruating. It also refers to the scheduled classes during a daily school schedule ("1st Period, 2nd Period", etc.).
Wiktionary lists 20 meanings for the word period.
Randy is sometimes used for aroused in American English but not used as much as “horny.” Is horny also British?
Yes but there aren’t so many definitions that are in *common use* in the US. The common usages include the punctuation mark at the end of a statement, a duration of time, menstruation, and as a reference to that point during the school day when you take a particular class (e.g. “4th period is world history”). In the common vernacular, it is often used to emphatically end discussion on a matter - a parent might say to their child “you’re going to eat your dinner now! Period.” as a means of indicating that no further discussion will be tolerated.
Also presumably a length of time, "a period of...".
Pants in US English is correct as it's the diminutive for pantaloons, meaning trousers which is a kool word anyway!
One of my favorite quotes was from Winston Churchill. It was something like, “America and Great Britain, two great nations separated by a common language.”
I thought Shaw said that.
That’s a good one!
B Nic, possibly. I heard the saying over 40 years ago and it was said to be quoting Churchill. It definitely sounds like one of his one liners. Either way it’s hilarious and accurate.
And a fucking great ocean,thank christ.
Most likely it was wrongly attributed to Churchill when I heard it and I’ve been repeating the same mistake for the last 40 years. Both men were known for their one liners.
My sister, an American had just moved to Australia with her new husband. she was in a university level course, and a couple of her class mates decided to have some fun. One of them asked her "Can I borrow a rubber?" She was shocked ... They were expecting this reaction and fell off their chairs laughing. Of course, in the UK and in Australia, rubber means eraser, not condom.
Funny, but I’ve known this since I was a kid
@@rin68nyr90 Jasper Carrot, wasn't it?
@@lordprotector3367 No that was "durex", which meant some type of sellotape in Oz.
@@jerry2357 That's it.
I’m an American living in Britain and working as a supply teacher. I am also of a certain age, which means I blush every time a student asks me for a rubber. In America up until the 80s or 90s (I’m not sure when this changed) a rubber was a condom.
Caryl Gibbs Right. If someone in the 80s or early 90s mentioned a rubber ducky, they weren’t generally referring to the bath toy.
In my younger prepubescent days, I understood the word rubber referred to what some would call an eraser.
It hasn’t changed. A rubber here is still a condom.
Rubber still means rubber in America, grandma
Calluses old name for suspenders to hold your britches up.
I had an instructor from the UK who told a great story about a trip he and his American friends had planned. Since the man was an early riser he offered to wake the others, saying he would "come around and knock you up in the morning." Only in the US, to "knock someone up" is to get them pregnant!
lol…my uncle asked me that when I was visiting in 1969 and my cousins and aunt lost it. My poor uncle turned bright red and left the table when my aunt leaned over and whispered in his ear what that meant in the US. He phrased it as “what time do you want me to knock you up tomorrow morning?” I knew what he meant and just said 6.00 but it was pretty funny…and I felt very sorry for him.
I've never heard that phrase before used in that manner, I have always thought it meant to get someone pregnant.
@@Vaidelotelis It was used in and around London in the 60'/70's, pretty sure it was used in the films Alfie and Cath come Home, both English films based in London.
@@utha2665 In the UK, it was a job, a knocker-upper, before most people had alarm clocks (or clocks at all).
I am UK born and raised and I knew the phrase “ to get knocked up” was when a female got pregnant
I swear I love hearing other countries talk about Americans more than I love us talking about ourselves 😂😂
I've never considered my period rude, but I was also taught that words can have multiple definition and are use contextually. And my british friends and I understand there are differences in context and slang between our countries. It's never been a problem.
This video is disappointingly shallow, revealing more about the maker’s limited experience with and/or lack of research on American English than reality. Quite sad, really.
Period is also for that time of the month in America. It also is what we call a school class. “I have math second period”.
Yes!
Right. It's all about context. If I'm a man and my English teacher tells me to remember my period, I'm not going to think she's reminding me to buy some tampax.
CrownRock1 ; Exactly!
😂😂😂😂😂
After watching this i would like to get rid all of the American words that i use in daily life.
in the USA, we also use the word period for menstruation cycle, but it is more commonly used for the 'full stop'. so we use it for both. for menstruation cycle, we probably use the word 'period' more than 'menstruation cycle'. (this 'probably' is based of my native 'Midwestern American English' (central USA) dialect.)
Same on the east coast
Yup, it's also used to denote a segment of time, as in 'the first period chemistry class."
Yeah, there certainly needs to be context around the word use.
This would explain why some Brits I've seen (online) find our saying "period" strange when it means ENOUGH (exasperation). "I find this entire situation tiresome, period."
Pretty much all American females use the word. For their menstrual cycle.
My grandmother's name was Fannie Mae. Barbara Streisand made a movie called Funny Girl, about the actress Fannie Brice. It was once a fairly popular female name.
Having been married to an English woman for 8 years, I'm familiar with the differing definitions.
One problem I had was pronunciation of "water". With my American accent, I was unintelligible to most people in England.
You would think that would be something anyone would understand.
It is very understandable if you say the 'T' as a T and not as a 'D' as in 'Wadder'!
@@brentwoodbay the phoneme is actually called a “flapped t” because while it isn’t a T, it isn’t a full D, either…it’s kind of in between. But if you’re expecting a T…I can understand that it sounds like a D. Kids in 1st grade sounding out “water” to figure out how to spell it, often say w-ah-t-r, because we don’t hear/say it exactly like a D. To make it more confusing, we also use the flapped T in place of D in words like ladder and video.
You should have said bo’oh’oh’wa’er 🤣🤣
@@rin68nyr90 Water is pronounced differently by different dialects as most words are e.g. Cockney English it would be pronounced as 'warta'
Words that translate rudely into American English? I would say the British slang word for cigarette. I was an American stationed with a British unit as a liaison during the Gulf war and I learned about every word you said. I remember being invited to a function the Brits were having and we could wear civilian attire. I wasn't sure how formal/professional it was so I asked if I had to wear long pants or shorts. They certainly got a chuckle out of that!
I'm surprised that it didn't make the list.
I remember hearing about British fags in high school. I think it was from a professor who happened to be British. He was talking about some confusion regarding asking for cigarettes on a plane.
Yeah. I notice you don't even specify the word. (I'm gay myself, but I will not say it, just that it's a three letter word starting with F.) It's considered so rude here that anyone who says it is immediately considered a social pariah. Even people opposed to gay rights almost never use that word - if they do, they're largely looked at as a nutter and anything they say is ignored.
@@tomlemery8490 Given that the list is about American words that are rude in the UK, not the other way around. If a list were to be about UK words that are rude in the US, it'd be at or near the top. I notice none of us are even saying the word here. It's too rude here to say it even to specify what it is. (Which I'm glad of - being gay, I remember a time when people called me that all the time. The lack of use of that word any more is one of our larger successes.)
Maybe it’s where I live but I think that word isn’t really used for cigarettes anymore. last time I heard the word fag it was someone being homophobic.
Quite surprised you didn't include "spunk". As a Brit, the first time I ever heard an American describe someone as "spunky" I nearly swallowed my own tongue.
what does that mean?
"spunky" in American English? the only slang I know is used to describe people with an attitude, usually in a good way. in British English, spunk is used for a certain manly water.
@@aliciachristensen4418 semen
LOL! it means both things in Canada so hearing a woman call a male friend of mine "spunky" had us biting our tongues so hard!!!😂
Period also means menstruation in America
35 years ago, as a Canadian staying with my British inlaws, I used the phrase 'he's full of spunk' somewhere in the conversation.Well my rather conservative father-in-law looked sternly at me and said "we don't speak like that at our dinner table". Honestly, I was so confused... My husband later explained the difference in meaning.😂
Technically, that's what it means in the US too, it was just a less rude way of saying it, so it became socially accepted. In the US at least it can also mean a foul odor.
I thought 'full of spunk' meant someone was full of energy or spirit. So glad that phrase isn't part of my vocabulary as it was with the older generation in my family.
So what does it mean in the UK?
@@debbiemize2269
spunk. / (spʌŋk) / noun. informal courage or spirit. British a slang word for semen.
@@northernsteph thanks for the info. Didn’t know about the slang meaning.
Randy also has the same meaning in US English as in the UK, in addition to being a common first name. The meaning intended is quite easily determined by the context. It is exactly the same with "Willy" - both a name, and the other thing in both countries.
@PlasmaStorm73 [N5EVV] Interesting that you should happen to remember when you first heard a specific word used in a certain way. So tnx for that. Age here is 80, born & raised in Pittsburgh. 73
It's unheard of as a name in the UK. To name anyone randy has only one meaning here.
@@deniseelsworth7816 People don’t generally name their kids Randy over here either. It’s short for Randall, sort of like Danny is short for Daniel.
@@stephanierehak1029 that's a relief to know 😅
"Hi I'm Randy" "too much information"😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Raffaella Di Maio In the US horny is used when brits mean Randy
U
Yh
I am going to use this on my British friend
I’m from Canada and taught in London for 2 years. The kids (well girls) would always giggle when they told me that they forgot their gym clothes and my response was “as long as you’re wearing pants it’s fine”. Not sure I ever really learned to fix that in my time there.
I was on a tube platform in London chaperoning a Girl Scout troop when one of the other moms said to me, "You wear skirts a lot, don't you?" I replied, "I almost always wear skirts: I don't really like to wear pants." Several people standing in earshot swiveled heads toward us.
@@maryjackson1194 going comando eh?
@Christine LeClair were the girls giggling knowing you were going to tell them they needed to wear pants? Lol
@@feliciagaffney1998pants in the UK mean panties
@@iloveowls90 I understand that! That was what was in the video. 🤷🏻♀️
I remember my mother visiting me from the US while I was at Uni in Aberdeen. We were eating in a quit restaurant when she asked if I wanted to wear her green pants tomorrow making a point to tell me they were still clean as she'd only wore them once. Every person including the wait staff swiveled to stare at us as I replied back in a clear voice "NO mother I do not want to wear your green TROUSERS" at which point everyone started to turn back to their tables whispering and laughing at us all while Mt mother stared at me in confusion at everyone's reaction... we laugh now but as a young woman I was highly embarrassed when it happened.
what i have learned from watching videos like this about the uk and most other places is: if you are from the usa do not talk to anyone, do not smile at anyone, do not look at anyone, take of your shoes when entering someone's home (which the first three rules will keep from ever happening). LOL!
"Bird" in the U.K. = "chick" in the U.S. So, somewhat similar.
Oh yeah!
Bird could also be “flipping the bird”, meaning giving the middle finger.
Well not really. In scotland at least, “yer bird” is your gal. In American can you use chick in that sense?
NimurDeLemur yes, that's exactly what I meant.
The term "bird" is used in the US too, depending on the connotations. Like some folk would say "old bird" instead of "old bat" to talk about a mean, withered, female senior citizen; or, a guy would refer to a gold-digging trick as a bird (mostly used in AAVE)
I'm surprised you missed the word "Willy" or "Willie" which in the USA is just short for the name William. I remember when I was in England in the early 90s, I was in the movie theater and a trailer for the movie "Free Willy" came on. The entire theater erupted in laughter.
"a trailer for the movie Free Willy came on."
It probably has the same connotation in the USA.
@thomasmaughan4798 I had never heard the word Willy used in that way until I went to England at age 19. Maybe it's regional or I was sheltered.
@Daniel Reigada
Naw. Where Im from in the US willy can mean also penis, in a playful childish way. Im in my 40s too so its not new slang. Free willy caused the same snickers here. My friend referred to the movie as "going commando" (wearing pants with no underpants) for years.
@childofcascadia1933 I actually turn 50 in, uh, 2 days. It seems like in recent years more Americans are familiar with British slang than before due to all of our shared media now. When I was growing up I wasn't exposed to it as much as now. I honestly don't think I have ever heard an American use the term "Willie" that way. The one possible exception I can think of is Will Smith's album "Big Willie Style" which may or may not, but was probably titled with an awareness of that double meaning.
Here's a golden ticket. Fancy a Willy Wonka m'lady?
Period is used for both in the U.S. We simply know the difference based on context. We typically only use the term "full stop" if we're really trying to emphasize a point, but it's rarely used.
Fun fact: The Pants/Trousers issues also happens in other languages. Tanzanian Kiswahili uses Siruwali to refer to trousers. In Kenyan Kiswahili it means underwear! 😅
I still hear the word, "slacks" referring to trousers. Guess it was popular before everyone started wearing jeans.
Weirdly in Oz we sometimes use pants for underwear, altho more likely to say undies.
Sometimes use pants for trousers or slacks - but most ppl will understand what your talking about; altho pants can also mean tights (and by this I mean leggings not stockings).
Jeans are obviously jeans and we would never call them trousers.
Slacks tend to be dress (or suit) pants.
Trousers are usually more casual and thicker like corduroys or khakis
But there aren't any real hard rules cos we watch Brit and US TV so things get pretty mixed
Don't get me started on all the words we have for swimsuit
My brother tells of a shipmate stationed at Holy Loch who got clobbered by a local girl after telling her his name. He probably went by Randolph after that. 😆
On the flip side, there was an English lady in my town who learned, two weeks after getting here, that an invitation to "come over and knock me up" didn't translate very well. 😯
My brother is named Randy & it is not short for Randall or Randolph, etc. Mom named him Randy on his birth certificate. He had trouble in school early on when teachers tried to call him by his “proper” name. It didn’t seem to go over well in the military either but it he did well with it.
@@donnahardy3582, people have made incorrect assumptions about my legal name, too.
@@et76039, incorrect assumptions about your name 'Ed'? or a different name? my middle name is Edward. 👍 Nice name. 😉
@@humilulo, people tend to think it's Edward, but we haven't used that name in 300 years.
@@et76039 ah, that's cool. makes sense. most use Ed as a short form for Edward, but not you. okay. i like that tho. maybe i shall name my first son 'Ed' rather than 'Edward'. i'll have to see what my future wife thinks. 😀
I had a teacher point out to me that the comment we often hear in Canada after a meal of being "stuffed'" means something entirely different in England (*ucked!). So when she hosted a dinner party, and after the meal she leaned back in her chair and declared "I'm stuffed", her English guests were just a wee bit shocked!
USA American here, my brother was in the service decades ago (late 1970s), and spent some time in the UK with a friend he had, that lived there. After he had eaten a large meal at the friend's house with the family, he used that phrase. He told me they all looked stunned. I guess they got it sorted out with some explanation. People on this side of the Atlantic need to be aware, and ready with other phrases when they go visit. "I have had more than enough thank you very much" LoL
In New Zealand "Stuffed" can mean l am full from eating.
"Get stuffed" can mean get pregnant. It also mean, go away l have had enough of you.
"Stuff it" means forget it. "Stuffed" can also mean that something is broken , "the washing machine is stuffed"
I'm English and we do say stuffed meaning full. A book can be described as stuffed with good ideas. Also stuffed up means having a head full of mucus during colds and flu. Not to be confused with bunged up which means constipated.
I don't use stuffed for #ucked. English born and bred.
It means both in Britain.
This was fun. I had a friend from the us that embarrassed her military husband by asking his superior to “come over for a joint” on Sunday. He had to explain she didn’t mean drugs but was cooking a lamb roast and that was just the way she talked.
She also had to explain when she asked a friend to knock her up one morning that she meant literally call me or knock on my door to wake me up. Here to be knocked up is to get pregnant 😂
I could have so much fun diving into some of these even deeper because it gets even more interesting in many cases for example "Bird" was also lightly used in the US for a young woman in the past, more mature women were "hens" another term used was "Chickens" which in time became "chicks" - it is all connected in some manner starting from "birds"
Heard a story about an young American visiting a friend in the UK. They were at a party and the host asked him if he wanted another beer. He held up his index and middle fingers and said, "Yeah. Give me two!" However, he had the back of his hand to the host. His UK friend had to stop the host from attacking the US guest saying, "He's from America! He didn't know what that means here!" All was good afterwards... thankfully.
From a personal experience, I was waiting to get a beer in a pub in London. I asked the guy next to me if he was "in-line." He just stared at me. I then asked, "Are you in the queue?" All was good after that.
And what’s the meaning of the index and middle fingers being held up in the UK?
I would like to know too.
@@LucianelaV Basically giving the middle finger. This reminds me of how Buffy the Vampire Slayer used this to have Spike give someone the middle finger... and then they had that scene in almost every opening.
@@SNS3000 Thanks :-)
Out of all the stupid things the UK had, this has to be one of the most.
As an American the easiest rude word in American English woul be rubbers which in British English means the thing to erase pencil mistakes, which we call erasers but in the U.S. English rubbers mean condoms so it would be hilarious for an American kid to hear a British kid asking a teacher for that.
😃😁😂😀😊
Love the Lion-O profile pic btw, I was a MAJOR fan of Thundercats as a kid!!
“Mr. Teacher, I lost my rubber. May I borrow one from you?” A perfect reverse example of Tom’s descriptions of American words that would be rude in England. This statement would be perfectly innocent in England and met with gasps and laughter in the U.S.
@@neurostimulator "Gasps and laughter?!" This could happen in a COLLEGE class and people would be blushing and falling out of their seats!! Yours is an understatement!! 😂😂😂
Rubbers in the UK are also galoshes, which I think they call gumboots as well. Comparing UK English to American English is SO FUN!!
The item of clothing that I find confusing is: "Jumper." In the U.S., a jumper is a sleeveless dress, which is designed for a blouse/shirt to be worn underneath, making the sleeves complement the arm covering. I think that a jumper, in the U.K., is what we would call a "sweater ... a covering for the upper body that is knit from yarn.
Great channel.
A leg up in America means helping someone advance. A British friend who used it meant something totally different. I also noticed the F word was used freely but saying bloody was gasped at. The British slang for cigarettes was the most astonishing thing I heard. Being chatted up meant flirting I found out a little to late. Lol.
Leg up means to help. Leg over means to f*ck
It originally was used when helping a person get on a horse. You give them a leg up by cupping your hands around their foot and boosting them upward. It is still used at race tracks today helping the jockeys mount their horses.
I live in LoUiSiAna and the word “Trousers” is actually more commonly used than you think and it is used interchangeably with “Pants.”
The use of “Randy” as a word still means sexually aroused, but isn’t in common use any more. Today people generally say they are “horny” to mean they are sexually aroused.
In America you never say, “what time should I come over and knock you up?” Knocked up means to be pregnant.
Yeah, I think of trousers as the more formal attire, for example jacket and trousers makes a suit. Pants is general everyday stuff including jeans. When I was a kid women would wear "slacks".
@@urbangorilla33Around here (Ohio) trousers are dressier pants that men wear. Slacks are more casual men's pants or dressier women's pants. Jeans are any thing made of denim, even jackets or shirts. Sweats have elastic at the ankle. And pants are ANYTHING with legs that are longer than knee length. Yeah, it's kinda confusing, even for those of us that have lived here our whole lives.🤷
I don't know what part of Louisiana you're living in, but I've been living here for the entirety of my soon to be 54 years, & I don't know anyone who refers to pants as trousers...there's 'breeches', or 'britches', but I've rarely heard trousers...& the only time I've ever heard anyone use 'Randy', they were either quoting Austin Powers or talking to a guy named Randy...
I had understood "randy" to mean of a wild nature. I guess that could include being horny, too.
@@Road_Rash, then you really should get out more. 😁
Here in the US, shag is a type of dance that is popular in the mid-Atlantic states and maybe others. In Britain, it is slang for sex. I had a friend who worked with a guy from Britain and one Monday they were talking about what they did over the weekend. My friend said he had gone to a shagfest (a large outdoor concert/dance party) and the Brit's jaw dropped open. After realizing the confusion, my friend added "I went along with my parents and the three of us had a great time". Hilarious!
I think of rugs when I hear shag. Those terrible, terrible long fibers catch and hold SO MUCH dust and hair.
A shag is also a haircut.
Lol
It can also be a haircut or kind of carpet.
When playing baseball, practicing catching a fly ball is "shagging flies", which must sound like the weirdest form a bestiality to a Brit.
In the US, Fanny is a nickname for Frances (an old-fashioned name not used much today). Also, it can be used to refer to a bottom or a butt. I've always thought of it as a euphemism instead of using butt or ass. I think fanny would only be used to refer to a female's backside or a child's as in "Get inside now, before I swat your little fanny!"
Same in the UK. There is also the expression "sweet Fanny Adams" for nothing, such as "by the time I got to the sale they had sweet Fanny Adams"
If you remember the movie "Oliver Twist", there's a woman called Fanny
@@apmcd47 That expression sounds cute; I like it. In the US, we would use the somewhat harsher-sounding term “jack shit” to mean the same thing, as in: “by the time I got to the sale they had jack shit left.”
Biscuits is another one. As a Brit I was confused by a line from an American song about liking biscuits soaked in gravy, as biscuits in the UK are actually cookies and usually taste sweet, so would be a weird combination with gravy! I've learned the closest thing we have to the American biscuit is a savory scone!
Chips is another one...... it's the UK word for French fries, what Americans call chips, we call crisps. That could potentially be confusing!
You missed one we laughed about in my house for years once we found out that my husband, Randy, was originally going to be named John Thomas before he was adopted! We laughed and called him Randy John Thomas for years.
I remember John Thomas from the meaning of life!
@@xanderharris1104 in the 1920's DH Lawrence book Lady Chatterley's Lover the gamekeeper's penis was nicknamed John Thomas and the Lady's vulva was nicknamed Lady Jane. I always thought that's where the slang name John Thomas for a penis came from (Lady Jane didn't seem to catch on for the female parts).
@@anniebygrave9300 that's interesting. It's funny how some sayings get their origins.
@@anniebygrave9300 Damn I'm going to have to relisten to that old Rolling Stones song that mentioned Lady Jane.
@@marshwetland3808 🤣🤣🤣
The word "fanny" is, in American English, also a proper first name for a female, although it long ago fell out of fashion. I had a great aunt whose first name was Fanny. Also, Barbara Streisand played the character Fanny Brice in the film "Funny Girl."
Fanny was often used as an anglicised version of the Yiddish female name Feigele, or Feigel meaning bird or little bird in Yiddish. Also sometimes anglicised to Faye.
@@NewZman23 The third daughter in “ fiddler on the roof.“ her father sings this song about her as a “little bird.“
I have a sister!!! And I didn’t know until some years ago !!! 😢
Yes her name is Fanny!!!
Its the old fashioned pet name for Frances. We'd probably say Fran now but up to WW2 Fanny was more used
When my grandfather was director of a Boy Scout camp in New York, he had a bit of a mix up when a British scout came to visit. While they were out shopping, someone had taken the scout's cart. He came back to tell the group that "Some bloke pinched me trolley." As you can imagine, my grandfather had to explain to the rest of the boys that the scout had not been sexually harassed, he just misplaced his cart.:)
I remembered when I started going to American schools and the kids made fun of me when I asked for a rubber instead of an eraser. Quite an eye-opener that one 😅
Yeah, 2 very different things. 😀
3:20 The video starts here.
Ta!
3:20 it is then.
3 minutes and 20 seconds of training listening skills. Equally useful.
Thanks.
Too late...
You gotta get more American friends …. A lot of our words have several meanings …. We use most of the words you mention the way you use them. And how words are use, vary by region.
we use the word period to refer to many different things in US-
Like classes in school are called periods in US, such as “I’ve got English 5th period” like your schedule will be broken down throughout the day by diff periods of time, but generally just refer to them as first period, 2nd period etc…
Poof was the one my expat US friend had to get used to. She kept talking about making a 'big poofy dress' for a convention and I had to...enlighten her.
In the conversation I found out her son had got thrown out of a local swimming pool for apparently swearing at a lifeguard. Poor guy had heard them say he had two minutes before a lesson was to take over the place he was swimming in. He held up two fingers to confirm... unfortunately, his knuckles faced towards the lifeguard rather than holding his palm up -- the V sign is our equivalent of the middle finger salute.
I think though we're better acquainted with American English than Americans are with UK English, given our media habits.
american - "hello, i'm randy!"
brit - "how very unfortunate for you"
Brit; "I know you love them, so I'm giving you the bird!'
American: "What the @#$& did I ever do to you!?!?"
😂😂😂
Honestly, thank you for clearing up something for me. I’ve heard Brits say, “full stop” before, but assumed it was just an expression, not realizing it’s origin. “This is to be used for emergencies, full stop.”
At one point, I thought "full stop" was meant to be extra emphatic. No, not a partial stop, not just the end of a sentence, but a *full* stop, end of discussion.
It’s both you’re correct
@notfiveo LMAO!
Same!
@@The_One_In_Black when it's actually mentioned in common speech (vs speaking about grammatical structure) it definitely is
Another term for fanny pack is hip sack. I usually have used that term. Also, we were in London last summer and kept seeing the Toot Bus. I mentioned it to our guide. She didn’t know it is another word for fart in Canada and the US. I giggled every time I saw one. Like I’m a five year old LOL
As other commenters have pointed out period means both in the US, you should be able to tell contextually what we mean. Also, with suspenders versus bracers. I have always referred to suspenders as the item with the metal clasp that clips to the top of an old man's blue jeans. Bracers connect to a businessman's slacks using buttons sewn into the inside of the waistband.
This reminds me, the first time I heard either word was from someone who referred to men's trousers and women's slacks. I've never been certain if that was a common distinction or just for that one person, since I so rarely encounter either term.
Bob Hope (who actually was born in England but grew up in Cleveland, OH) told a story how he was visiting London and tried checking into a hotel. The female hotel clerk told him there was a problem with the reservation. He said, jokingly, “It sounds like you’re giving me the bum’s rush.” He couldn’t believe the look of horror and disgust on her face. 😝
Birds in U.S. English it also means holding up the middle finger, as in I gave him the bird.
Thats right, flipping the bird
that's right so take that (ò_ó) you cockpit
Not I gave him the bird. I flipped him the bird. Or, he flipped me the bird.
We also "flip the bird" in Canada!
Also give or flip people the bird in US. There was a story recently in the news that brought out that flipping a police officer off (giving them the bird) is protected speech in US. Although I don't recommend practicing free speech with rude gestures, especially towards the cops.
I was with a friend in a U.S. shopping mall who had newly arrived from England. She said she was "going to spend a penny." I told her things in the shops cost a lot more than a penny. She laughed out loud and then whispered in my ear she was going to the toilet.
I love the difference between the elevator and the lift. An American in England once remarked that it was called an elevator, and after all invented in America, he should be pronounced the American way. The British operator commented that after all, the language was invented over here.
I realized that my English is a mix of both accents.
For many people it is the same. It just takes some months to get used to one accent if you try.
realised
@@sailechz in the U.S the write it with a "z" because because there is emphasis on that letter so it is pronounced as a z
Then u must be indian... We use a mix of both accents while speaking
Elle #123 Indians have a very distinct accent, doesn’t sound like either English or American to me!
I just realized that I use most of these words interchangeably.
British suspenders are called something else in the US. They are garter belts.
Correct
American suspenders are attached at the waist of the front of pants/trousers, go over the shoulder, then attach in the back at the waist -- they keep the trousers from falling off when too loose or large.
An English foreign exchange student in my American History class tapped me on the shoulder and ask "May I borrow your rubber?" Needless to say I replied "if I let you borrow it? It's not something I'd want returned!"
Question;
He said honk meant to throw up aka puking. Is this true?
He said he was confused by bumper stickers that read "HONK FOR JESUS" on American vehicles.
Or was he just messing with me?
Having Canadian parents, we always called suspenders braces, used the word bum and a chest of drawers a chiffonier as well as others. I had to do quick translations in my head. I also remember missing words on spelling tests because I'd spell them the Canadian i.e. British way
My first reaction: "You have a special name for where you store your drawers?" before realizing you probably meant the wooden kind, not the underpants kind.
In Canada, I have only ever heard the word 'suspenders' ! I have been here fifty years , but that word I will never say! I needed some but could not find them in the store. I had to ask my wife to ask for them!
@@brentwoodbay What part of Canada are you in? That might make a difference.
@@pou618 Vancouver Island! Near Victoria. You'd think that if any area would use a British term it would be here! Until fairly recently, some people who were born and raised here had a strange kind of a UK RP (posh) accent! Interesting that there would be regional differences in the language. Just recently. I learnt that the term 'hydro' for electricity is unknown on the prairie provinces! Understandable when you think of it!
@@brentwoodbay hydro is used in Ontario. The power comes from Niagara Falls. My family was from the Ottawa Valley and Windsor. Things may have changed since then. And Windsor is so close to the States, they kind of talk like us. Yes it's all interesting.
Period means the same thing in the US, too. Bum also means the same thing in the US, too.
period means menatruation. Full stop is this.
Lewis J.Crawford I always thought it was an old fashioned word meaning a homeless person.
Unless you want to bum a smoke, or what they might call a fag. Although that has different connotations here in America.
This was another fun and informative video. Perhaps I can add a few additional details.
In America, the word "period" can refer to a woman's menstrual cycle, the dot at the end of a sentence, or an inderminent length of time (as in the years that Spanish artist Pablo Picasso primarily used different shades of blue in his paintings was called his Blue Period).
In America "fanny" can be a female name or it can refer to the buttocks. By extension, since the butt is so close to a lady's private parts (and even is sometimes used as a substitute during shagging), it can take on a tertiary meaning as a woman's private parts in America, too.
In addition to a British slang for a fart, and the surname of the 45th President of the United States, the word "trump" is also an abbreviated form of "trumpet" in a few passages in the King James Version of the Bible.
Finally, I was aware that Brits referred to young ladies as "birds." You can credit British-American actor Richard Dawson for my knowledge of that. In his role as an RAF pilot stationed behind enemy lines in a German POW camp during World War II on TV's Hogan's Heroes, he frequently lamented not seeing enough pretty "birds." 😂
In America fanny/Fannie is a big fat GSE that got bailed out in 08 for giving mortgages to people unable to afford a house. That would be FANNIE MAE
In America, the word 'trump' is also used in card games and in slang to represent domination over something else. IE, "My request for time-off trumps yours because I have seniority in the company."
@Dean Todd: regarding "bird" for "girl", here's a tidbit of probably useless info. The expression is used in the lyrics to the ABBA song "Take a chance on me", where they sing about all the "pretty birds " having flown, and they don't mean winged creatures.
@@inganorden1816 somehow, I think I had learned about "bird" meaning girl has something to do with the Beatles. I'm not sure what exactly. But you saying that about the ABBA song... 🤦🏻♀️ It finally clicked about the alternate title for Norwegian Wood (This bird has flown). Here I am 50+... and knowing Brits use it for "girl"... it never once dawned on me why bird was in the title. And always confused me if I bothered to think about it. 😂😂🤦🏻♀️ I guess b/c birds do fly, so I never put 2 and 2 together. However, I feel certain that isn't where I had learned bird = girl in British slang. So, there has to be another "bird" reference somewhere in their music... or possibly a movie, but I never watched many of their movies.
It became a lot more common during the Rock music British invasion, led by the Beatles.
I knew about the majority but was glad to get a refresher. Thanks!!
I had a coworker say that she was not aware of fanny not meaning the same thing as in the U.S. and she was given a uniform at her new job in the U.K. and asked if her fanny was sticking out and looked fat and her coworkers were very embarrassed 😅 she asked why and they told her. I always thought that was hilarious!
In American English, the word period is used for multiple definitions; the dot at the end of sentence (a full stop), a woman's menstrual cycle, an interval of time (cretaceous period, or a period of economic downturn) and sometimes as a statement of finality (I refuse to discuss the matter, period).
It's also a division of the day used for classes in school. ("What class do you have third period?" "Science.")
Very informative!
God save the poor American bloke Randy when he visits Britain!
He would be well served to go by Randal.
Hahaha true but literally nobody is called randy anymore. Its a really old name usually short for randall whi h is also a rare name these days.
Or Chuck , lol … Maybe Charles
My baby daddy is named Randy
I call him Randal
I used to teach English in China. I'm an American, but they usually had me teaching British English. Some of the words, I had no idea what they were, like "sticking plaster" or "plaster". I had to ask some of my Chinese students to explain to me what they were (bandaid and stroller).
in the US, saying bum could also mean borrowing something from someone like " can I bum a few dollars from you? I'll pay you back "
"Randy" in the U.S. is short for Randolph. I had an Uncle Randy, which is true in both contexts.
Or Randall, I think.
@@JacquelineMoleski yes...Randy is a very popular boys name...rarely a girls name...
@@rw9175 Orton
@@rw9175 Maybe 50 years ago. It's a popular male Baby Boomer name.
These were informative but I must say Americans use the word “period” for a woman’s menstrual cycle too and we also use “trump” as a term of someone who has gained an advantage. Thank you for the content though, very fun to watch.
Ah thanks for the info Veegee : )
That was my reaction as well.
As a Canadian,growing up in the 1960's and 70's, I used a lot of British Terms that were passed down by my grandparents. But, I also knew and said quite a few American Terms as well.
So for me, My mind actually goes both ways when it comes to understandings.
I guess in that funny way, you could call me Bilingual English.😂😂
The words Knob and Bell have an entirely unique meaning in British English as compared to their American definitions. 😂
American here - a friend of mine moved over there for a few years. While they were there, there was a funeral to attend, and she asked a British friend if it was ok if she wore black pants to the funeral. Much confusion followed this question. 😂 And that’s when she learned to call “pants” trousers.
I once dated a Brit who said to me once "Come around in the morning and knock me up." Uh ya. In America that means "get me pregnant." As opposed to wake me up.
Another time, when in a South African restaurant I asked the waitress for a napkin...the embarrassment that came over her face when she explained how a napkin was for women on their periods. She explained they used the word "serviette." And of course there is the word shag in Britain which means "fuck" whereas in America it is carpet style back in the 70's. And last there is the word fag, a highly derogatory word for a gay man, which means cigarette in Britain.
Trevor Noah tells the story of the first time that he ate tacos. He delt with being asked if he'd like a napkin. Just remembered some words I learned living with a family years ago as what they called
"mothers help" - the Swedish girl that lived there too was called the
"nanny " as she also was there studying English. diaper-nappy,
bathrobe-dressing gown, truck-
lorry (sp?)...I'll stop there but was also reminded of spending time with someone and a English - American + American- English dictionary. I still laugh about someone saying they'd knock you up in the morning .....
Just FYI, menstrual pads in America are also called "sanitary napkins." I never really thought about the dual meaning of "napkin" before this! 😄
The word shag also means a large seabird related to the cormorant. And you can buy a shag pile carpet, so called because it is, yes, shaggy.
@@royd.6831 "serviette" isnt rude in the UK but its never used by anyone who wants to make a good impression. It's considered very low and common. Classy/posh people always say "napkin"
Some years ago, I hosted Irish in-laws at my home in the Boston, Massachusetts area. At that time there existed a chain of candy shops named after a famous American cookbook author -- Fannie Farmer. When my Irish brother-in-law saw that name, he commented, "Shur, don't they just grow -everything- in America?".
Just like how the word "fags" in American English does NOT mean "cigarettes.
First time I saw your channel. I love it, so very interesting, informative and at times funny! I look forward to more of your videos. Funny how things can be so different.
I had heard the British term “fanny” on the British shows I had watched before, but I always thought it meant the same as in America. I remember thinking “Wow, those British guys are really into women’s butts!”. LMAO!!!
when they get the opportunity lol
The word ‘fanny’ is also an abbreviation - rather old fashioned nowadays - for the girls name FRANCES.
I must say that I enjoy watching videos from TeacherTom for his style, ...for punctuating his explanations with humor. As a former ESL teacher, I found that to be my most useful tool.
When I was young we called "suspenders" a garter belt. That was for if you were not wearing actual garters to keep your stockings up, you could wear a garter belt with "suspenders" instead.
Very rarely worn today except on special occasions such as going out to a formal engagement. Most women I know haven't even worn a garter belt.
Thank you so much for the laughs it was a great way to start the day this morning!
One word that Brits often use in a way that can be considered rude in the US (or at least crude) is "toilet". People in the UK can often be heard saying they're going to the "toilet", while in the US you would say you're going to the restroom. The toilet is the literal object you use...not the entire room. It just sounds vulgar to American ears.
Dangerous Person When I lived in Australia in 87-88 as an exchanhe student I ran out of the bathroom (well the Aussies called it the toilet- there were two rooms one with a toilet ans small sink (which americans call a half bath) and a bathroom- where you take a bath or shower) screaming. There was a giant spider crawling up the wall. My host parents came running and wanted to know what was the matter. I told them there was a giant spider in the bathroom. My host father went in the bathroom and couldn’t find it. I said it is in the half bath. He said “Where”? I pointed to the room with the toilet. He said “oh, in the toilet”. I thought no if the spider had been in the toilet I would have just flushed it down, not run out screaming. We he found it and told me it was only a baby taranchula (sp). I sbout died. Apparently they sre two very different spiders in the US and in Australia. They tried to pound into my head the toilet is where you go to the bathroom and the bathroom is where you take a bath. Well there was no way I was calling it a toilet and neither did most of the smericans I knew there st the time. We swore, we said bad things, but we were not going to call it the toilet, because there was no way we were coming bsck home, saying something that could ultimately result in getting our mouths washed out with soap (something many of us had not experienced since grade school), but knew if we called it the toilet (not the bathroom or restroom) that would be the likely result. So we called it the dunny. Which is the same ad outhouse in the US. It offened most Australians but we thought it was better than going home with the bad habbit of calling a restroom a toilet. Now it does not seem as offensive as it was then, but it was really offensive then.
If you're in our country (the u.k) you need to say 'toilet' I get asked at work where the rest room is and at first I didn't know what they meant, I then just reply "oh, the toilet " when in Rome.... what's the point of sugar coating it, you're using a toilet, so what?
@@charlottebruce979 hahaha. Maybe some Americans don't actually like to admit that they actually shit like everyone else in the world. The same people probably say they never fart.😂 Sometimes, the English are called prudes and snobs, but I think there are plenty of Americans who are the same. TOILET is only a word...toilet toilet toilet 😆
I've never considered the word "toilet" as actually vulgar, but in my experiece I've often heard the expression "going to the toilet" (or even worse, "terlet') used by people who might be perceived as not very well spoken.
Hahaha
I think it's important to explain to people who are learning English as a second language that there are all sorts of contextual instances where certain words might have different meanings in both American and British English. For example, a "period" can mean either a full stop, or menstruation in American English. It's all about context.
When in doubt watch RuPaul's Drag Race. You'll be surprised with how many different meanings words actually can have ;)
only people in the London and southern areas of the UK use English like in this vid . all other areas are very different .
Thong.
American English is full of idioms that foreigners have a very hard time with.
It can ALSO mean a length of time like in a period of time. Or differentiate different classes in school as in "I have math 6th period."
A friend of mine went to England in the late 80s with his sports team. One of their players was named Randy. They didn't understand why he was getting laughed at until someone clued them in shortly before they left the UK. 😊😊
As a early -20- something I found the very British "When should I knock you up in the morning?" disconcerting.
My sister was shocked when she first went to the States and was told to “put your fanny down over there..” in other words (more formally) “take a seat”. About 20 years ago I was driving her children, then early teens somewhere and we passed a sign for “Pratt’s Bottom”, a small English Village near Junction 4 of the M25. Isn’t that rude in British?” they asked, so we translated it into American and ended up with “Nerd’s Fanny” - to their delight as that was even ruder in British English!!
"hi I'm Randy"
"A-alright...bye."
I believe also that in the USA what’s referred to as a ‘vest’ is what we Brits call a ‘waistcoat’. Over here 🏴 a vest is an undergarment worn next to the skin underneath a shirt for men and boys, or instead of a bra for pre-pubescent girls.
As an electrical engineer, the word "period" also means "the time required for a signal or event to repeat." It is the mathematical inverse (or reciprocal) of frequency. So for example, the AC power line frequency in North America is 60 Hz (which means 60 cycles per second). The corresponding period is 1/60 or approximately 0.0167 seconds (16.7 milliseconds). In the UK and many other parts of the world, the AC power line frequency is 50 Hz, thus the period is 0.020 seconds (20 milliseconds).
I remember a story about an Australian Celebrity who did some announcing at an American Baseball game. They taught him the song "Take me out the Ball Game." Which includes the words "Root Root Root for the home team." Apparently Root in Australia is the slang for F***. He really sang out, feeling like he was getting away with a swear word on National television!
Very informative. In regards to the suspenders. We Americans use both suspenders and braces. Both hold up your trousers. But suspenders have clips so that they can be used with any type of trousers. Braces are used with trousers that have buttons sewn inside the waist. Men can also buy Suspenders that clip to socks and one's shirt, keeping dress socks from falling, and one's shirt tucked in.
Ahh ok, thanks Dabod : )
I've never heard suspenders called braces.
When I was a young woman (in the UK), I used to wear suspenders to hold up stockings if I wanted to look sexy in the bedroom. We definitely never called the things that hold up mens trousers suspenders! We always called them braces and the same term was for both the clip types and the button types.
Braces are what you put on a child's teeth to straighten them.
@@gaileverett Or something you put on a broken leg.
I once had a nurse from Britain tell me to "keep my pecker up". I didn't realize that meant smiling...😆
The expression in America "Cute little bugger" would mean a "cute little guy" could refer to a baby or a puppy. "Little bugger" may even be used for "little rascal".
Years ago, my then wife was telling a group of Commonwealth tourists in our group that she "fell flat on her fanny." Imagine our surprise to learn that it is anatomically impossible to do so!😂
Maybe if she can do the splits!
My mom went through a real Mom phase in which she would wear two *fanny packs* at once: her regular one, and her "nice"(leather) one. Fortunately for us, her children, this phase was relatively short-lived.
I knew of an Advertising Director in the USA who was visiting the UK whose name is --- I am not joking -- Randall J. Stickrod. He was visiting the UK and has his assistant call up London Ad Agencies and ask for sales appointments for "Randy Stickrod". His assistant managed to get appointments with just about everyone! They were fascinated by his name. To this day, I do not think he understood the "double entendre" of his name in London, and why it was so easy to get sales appointments.
I was born in Toronto, Canada, and one of the things we always called a couch, was the chesterfield. I just grew up knowing that when we we were told to sit on the chesterfield, it meant, go sit on the couch even after we emigrated to the US we still called it the chesterfield, until at some point we realized it was called couch here then referred to it as such.
Some UK words that Confuse US speakers:
Trainers= Sneakers
-Makes me think of Personal Trainers/ Gym
Dressing Gown= Robe
-I thought it was a fancy dress, but it's just a robe, lol
Lift= Elevator
-Lift is a driving service in the US, also it means to catch a ride home or somewhere else.
Trolley= Shopping Cart
- the trolley makes me think of a Train service in the US.
Biscuit= Cookie
Biscuit is a bread eaten with savory meals in the US. Mostly in southern US culture.
Chips=Fries
-Chips in the US are potato chips. Confusion lol
Crisps= Potato Chips
Crisp is a type of Dessert in the US. But it means potato chips in the UK. Confusion lol.
Rucksack= Bookbag / School bag
Rucksack makes me think of a sack of potatoes or a sack full of something else.
👍Thank you so much, I'm an English learner and you gave many interesting differences and examples ☺
Are you referring to "apple crisp"? We would never call it just "crisp".
@@cahinton. Yes Exactly. Apple Crisp or Some other type of Fruit Crisp.
Is Crumble in the UK same as Apple Crisp? I was also confused about that. Or is Crumble similar to a Cobbler in the US?
One that gets me is "table" as it relates to politics (when I read the BBC news I get this one confused a lot)
"Table a motion"
UK: = Propose or introduce a bill
US: To kill/squash a bill.
I’m from America and I would call a school bag or book bag a back pack
haha, you have me actually laughing out loud here. When I was 20 I was backpacking through Europe with my best friend and his cousin. My friend and I almost didn't have a friendship after the trip. In Monaco we met up with this english guy and the four of us roamed around the city. The english guy and I were walking behind and at one point we decided to ditch the other two. We had the time of our lives dodging security at casinos, just getting into everything. We ended up at the beaches where we decided to skinny dip after seeing a topless lady (or mermaid, I never found out). It was my first time. Later we heard people singing Beatles music and went to investigate. When we were finally parting company we decided to keep in touch. So I asked him... "So next time I'm in England, do you mind if I bum off you". In america, in context, it just meant, can I crash at your house. He explained what I actually said and we had a good laugh at that.
Thank you for a delightful video. Years ago I lived in Madagascar and learned the same thing. I am from the southern United States and I have words and phrases that are different from other parts of the United States. It keeps you on your toes.
“Trump” refers not just to the ex-president but also to a situation where someone or something has an advantage over someone or something else. We can say “His good judgement trumped the bad judgement of the other person.”
You and your videos are amazing as always. Well done Tom, and thanks for your video and explanation of their meanings.
American English: knock up = impregnate
British English: knock up = rap on the door of someone's place
This is one that actually makes me laugh!
The shag is a popular southeast coastal dance. In fact, it is the South Carolina official dance. There is a song..."Shagging on the Boulevard."
American here. What the British call a "rubber", we call an "eraser". In the US, "rubber" is a slang term for a condom