Sorry if I'm repeating others here - I haven't scrolled down the comments yet. 1) BOLLOCKS in its metaphorical sense means 'rubbish' or 'nonsense', but its literal meaning is 'testicles' - so it's mildly vulgar and should be used with caution depending upon the company you're in. 2) GOB is actually the Irish (Gaelic) word for 'mouth' and so far as I know is the only Irish word to have been absorbed into Cockney slang and has spread from there to the rest of the UK. ('GOBSHITE' is particularly used in the north of England, Scotland and, of course, Ireland and is definitely an offensively rude way to describe someone you are not terribly fond of.) 3)"I BAGS (something I want before the others get it)" is a phrase that has been used by primary school children over many generations. 4) LOTS OF and LOADS OF are used interchangeably in England. 5) BLOODY is a mild swearword and, like BLIMEY, CRIKEY and many others, was originally a way to blaspheme without incurring the wrath of God - it was a coded way of saying 'blessed', as in 'The Blessed Virgin Mary' in the hope that she didn't notice you were taking her name in vain.
"Bloody" is also an adverb. For example "that's bloody brilliant!" would mean "that's very brilliant!" Also, I think you can tell from tone and context whether someone is cursing or just using it as an adverb.
Native New Yorker here and I have used both "thick" and "loads" as the Brits do. And some of the other words sneak in, mostly because I enjoy watching TV and movies from the UK. One word I've adopted is "gutted," meaning, I suppose crestfallen to a wounded degree. It's an excellent adjective!
Yes, "ghastly" is used to exaggerate an experience for amusing dramatic effect when recounting a minor event when talking to a friend! Or when talking sneeringly in non serious way about someone's taste in decor, for example "their curtains were ghastly". It is not meant to be hurtful but you would definitely not say it directly to the person who had chosen those curtains!!
My anglophile mother-in-law used to appropriate "loads" of British phrases and one she loved to say was that "so-and-so is as thick as two short planks."
Yes, thank you. As I was watching this I was thinking “Dibs, we say dibs”. As for thick, I’ve heard and have you used both thick and dense, as well as our standard, stupid and dumb.
I notice the British "bit" vs. the American "part" choice. As when talking about a book/movie...British "I quite enjoyed that bit" vs the American "I enjoyed that part"
21 years with my Brit and my vocabulary has increased dramatically, mostly with extremely colorful, creative and hilarious swearing (my boy is from essex, but had the glottal stop beaten out of him and has a beautiful posh accent now, but his essex comes out when he’s angry) we have the usual arguments: trunk vs boot, aluminum vs al-u-min-i-um, bandaid vs Plaster (“plahhh-stuhhh”)…you should hear him tease my american pronunciation of badminton 😂 the one that always gets me is hospital. americans say “I am going to THE hospital”…brits say “I am going to hospital.” so now I tease back by saying I am going to post office…I am going to hardware store, I have to go to dry cleaner….” 😊
One that I find amusing is “pudding” for all types of dessert. Initially I was so confused that Brits loved their puddings until it was explained to me 😂
I am confused with what America calls a biscuit and gravy, as a Brit it is not a biscuit, it is more like a scone and the gravy just looks like a sauce and not brown ( meat)gravy.
@@seeyouanon2931 a biscuit in the US is a flaky version of our scones, served mostly with savoury dishes. The gravy is similar to what we call a bechamel sauce, containing fried sausage meat.
We were behind the camera at American Viscountess and Mapperton Live, but you can now find us on our own channel here: th-cam.com/users/stephenandclaire
We do use thick here in the U.S., as in she/he's "thick as a brick." There's also been a change from an American word to British: it's not glove compartment anymore, it's now glovebox in the car. Fun video, Julie👍
"thick as a brick" came from Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) who is British. I don't think anyone in the US used the phrase until his song (which is an entire album) was played here in 1772.
Oh, this is so awesome!!! I’m Canadian, and I use some of these terms, though not all. We use “bloody”, though often it’s “bloody hell”. I use “gobsmacked” and even more often, I would tell someone to “shut your gob”, or most often, I’m “stuffing something in my gob”. I often say “loads” instead of lots, and maybe even tons (tonnes). It would depend on the amount. Smallest is lots, then loads, then tons. Occasionally I would use ghastly. Very rarely I would use “bullocks”, but rather “bugger”. Instead of “bagsy” we would call “dibs”. As you mentioned, “shotgun” only ever refers to calling the front seat. These are just the best videos! Keep up the good work! 💖 sending love from Western Canada 🇨🇦 to all three of you.
Having lived in several foreign countries, I felt that it was my duty to assimilate. My family was in the U S Air Force, so we moved a LOT. My dad taught us to be a part of a new location, not to stand apart from it. Take on the customs and the language, including slang. It’s fun and don’t worry about being judged. I’ll bet you don’t have a problem with foreigners trying American slang. Personally, I find it endearing.✨✨
I’m from the south (US) and would say “thick headed” to differentiate from meaning “chunky.” I just do not understand how you keep from speaking with a British accent. I do, without meaning to, after watching just one BBC sitcom on PBS! I love all your content, Julie!
British people do say lots whenever the quanity is less than loads. It is a matter of degree. For example I did lots of shopping and it was difficult to carry it all home, or I did loads of shopping and had to get a taxi home. A person can just about carry lots of shopping, but needs help to carry loads of shopping.
The dictionary says both burgled and burglarized are correct. I work in law enforcement in Australia and I must admit I’ve never heard the term burglarized used here, definitely always burgled.
Love your series - vlogs and historic houses -- one word the Brits use a lot (which you do too Julie!) is "brilliant" as an exclamation. After studying in England for a year (a long time ago), I came back to the U.S. and used the word "brilliant" constantly -- drove my college (university) friends crazy and they kept telling me: "Stop saying 'brilliant" everything isn't "brilliant!"
We're in California and my husband loves how the Brits use "brilliant". He's noticed it more since our trip over there a few years ago. I like it too. =)
I'm from the south eastern US. I've heard bloody, burgled, thick, and gobsmacked used my whole life - mostly by my southern-born-and-raised mother and other southern women, never by my Mid-Atlantic born and raised father, however. This was a fun and interesting video! 🙂
People who read, or who watch British TV are familiar with these words. You still didn't define them well or use them in an example sentence. That would have helped. How do you use bagsy in a sentence?
I’m quite familiar with calling someone thick- thick in the head. But my grandmother was first gen from Wales, she always had tea and biscuits. I do think growing up in New England we seem to have retained some more of the language maybe compared to the rest of America, not a lot but more. Beans aren’t really common for breakfast and totally different that English beans but outside boston u can find bakes beans and pork on the breakfast menu, and making toastie soldiers to dip in tea or coco. Suppose that’s just my experience, but that’s what I like about America- it has variety. I live in Appalachia now learning about this mountain region has been really amazing, I love the people and their sense of ethics, and morals. Also they have good manners, just far from formal.
Here, North of Boston, we still maintain a great deal of British terms and food stuff. Many British shops in the area and in our grocery stores. Traditions such as afternoon tea, Christmas cake, mince pie, steamed puddings to name a few are still very popular. It's our heritage and tradition. Outside of the region...not much as you venture around the country. Less so as you venture westward.
I have never had toasty soldiers to dip in tea or cocoa, but each to their own to be fair. In Britain we would have a soft boiled egg ( slightly runny) and a slice of toast cut into strips which we called soldiers (the strips represent soldiers lined up) and you would cut off the top of the egg and then dip the soldiers into the runny egg. It is based on the children's nursery rhyme " humpty dumpty " anything to make it fun for picky children that wouldn't eat.
Toast soldiers are for dipping in soft boiled eggs, not tea, or cocoa. Your granny was eating tea and goodie. Think of the nursery rhyme 'Humpty Dumpty', always represented by an egg, 'Humpty Dumpty, sat on a wall, (egg cup), Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, (spoon), all the Kings horses and all the Kings men, (toast), couldn't put Humpty Dumpty, (egg) together again. Funnily enough, Humpty Dumpty, was real! It was a giant fat mouthed, cannon. Toast, in genteel society, was often dipped in sweet wine, tea, or cocoa, as a bedtime 'snack'. Toast 'soldiers' are reserved for soft boiled, dippy eggs. Your granny, sounds like a real gentile 'lady'.
Here in the US, we may not say “thick” but we sometimes say “thickheaded” but it is more of an older term. I really enjoyed learning about gob smacked; it makes complete sense.
I'm 62 years old, and it was quite common in my teen years here in Central Pennsylvania to describe someone as being "thick," meaning stupid. Now I'm more likely to expand it and say, "Thick-headed," but it means the same thing, of course. "Ghastly," is not a word I'd ever heard in any kind of casual usage until I was in my 40s. I was at a conference in St Louis, MO, in the midst of a drought where daily temps exceeded 100 degrees F. the entire week were were there. It was held at George Washington University and we were housed in a 4 story dorm without an elevator, or air conditioning, on the 4th floor. The university staff kept coolers of ice and cold drinks on each landing of the staircases to keep people from getting overheated. It was horrible. The conference was in part to celebrate the bringing together the Northern and Southern parts of the mainstream Presbyterian church which had split at the time of the Civil War, and this was 1986. By design, the powers-that-be roomed us with someone from the "other" church at this event, with my roommate being a very wealthy, pampered lady from Chattanooga, TN. One particularly hot afternoon, as we stumbled into our dorm room clutching a bottle of icy water to our bosoms and drinking from another, my roommate collapsed across her bed saying, "Aah simplay cayan't STAYUND this heat! It's GHASTly!" If I hadn't been so doggoned exhausted and overheated I'd have burst out laughing. She sounded the perfect caricature of a Southern Lady. :)
Burgled/Burglarized: have had occasions where I have used both. Thick: As in Thick As A Brick. Familiar with it from the name as a Jethro Tull album. Bloody: As is in Something Is Wrong With Our Bloody Ships Today. The comment of an admiral during the Battle of Jutland. I've used this one. I am retired US Army. We tend to pickup vulgar and profane phrases from the units we serve with. The UK units have superb expressions and beer.
My Mother always told me that “bloody” was a contraction of “by our lady” and in her day was considered blasphemous. Nowadays it is considered quite mild. In Australia we say “bags” not “bagsy”
We watch some British TV shows, including one soap opera, and frequently hear the word "sort" as in "I'll sort it." There's a lot of sorting going on! The word is used in USA but not nearly as often.
I looked through the comments just to see if anyone mentioned “sorted.” Where Americans say, “I’ve got this figured out,” Brits say “I’ve got this sorted.” For me, as a Northwestern American , “sorting” is something you do to organize objects (like your socks), or alphabetizing or placing in numerical order lists of numbers or names/words.
I'm also originally from Canada where people have used the word "thick" to mean stupid. I've never heard chuffed. What about knackered? I had a friend from England who used this a lot. I really like this word.
A knackers yard is where you would take an old horse when it could not work anymore, it was then turned into dog food and the bones boiled down to make glue, so knackered means you are on your last legs!
I think “Naff” was popularised by the prison Sitcom Porridge, they couldn’t use proper swear words at the time it was shown, so they’d use expressions such as “naff off” as euphemisms…
I first learned the word when Princess Anne said it. She used that word,next day it was all over the papers and it caught on. Not sure if she got it from tv or vice versa. See,Royalty are useful.
The origin of naff isn’t clear but it seems to have been part of Polari, so used as gay slang and in the theatre,etc. Later adopted as an alternative to strong swears in the media such as the 1960s film Billy Liar and more famously Porridge. Not many Polari words made it into common usage although cod (as in Eric Clapton played some cod reggae), ogle, have a barney, mince and a few others survived.
As a Canadian 🇨🇦 i understood most of the British words as we're part of the commonwealth. 😊 plus I watch a lot of British youtubers haha. Also Z=zed not zee. Lol
“Bagsy” came from “bags me”, which means you called something for your own-“bags me the last croissant!”. You can find this phrase in British stories from years ago. We received a lovely book from a beloved great aunt in the early 1970s called “The Christmas Mouse”, by Miss Read. It had the term “bags me” in it and we used it frequently growing up.
That is so interesting. I’m still probably going to “call dibs” here in the U.S., but it’s cool to hear the history. Is calling dibs actually dates back to a children’s game in the 17th century called dibstones. The stones were used similar to jacks or marbles so you “called dibs” when catching them and patting the person you were playing with. It’s why you occasionally see someone Pat the other person when they “call dibs” over here.
My son-in-law is from London (Islington) and the one I hear him say, and now my daughter, is “gutted” as in We’re just gutted we can’t come for our family (whatever holiday)! Never have been really sure as to the meaning. One I have picked up from him, though, is “spot on!” Love listening to him! Really enjoy your channel! A native Texan here!
It means that they are absolutely, or deeply upset or unhappy/sad that they cannot be there. It can be used in other contexts as well. I was absolutely gutted when I had to sell my car, I didn't really want to. ( it gets you in the gut/stomach)
I love the word “Blood Hell.” Ive heard that too often in Harry Potter. So, I can blame the movie for that, to get me started. Nobody understands what it means to them, that is other American’s too. But I know it. Thankfully, there’s few words I like and know already.
Thick - short for thick headed - is used in many parts of the US, in parts of New England gobsmacked can be heard on occasions and we grew up saying loads of fun, food, rain, etc.
I'm from Canada but live in the US, I have always said "burgled". I've used "dense" instead of "thick". I use "loads" or "gobs" more than "lots". Fun video Julie 😁
Yes, here in the States we would say, "Our home was burglarized." Bagsy sounds like calling "dibs." Calling shotgun would only be used for saying we want to sit in the passenger seat next to the driver. My guess is that it comes from the Old West when someone with a shotgun would ride up top with the driver to protect the stagecoach from bandits. Here's my take on "bloody." Most of the British slang I know, I learned from watching British t shows on PBS. I remember on the 1970s show "Are You Being Served?" Miss Brahms said "bloody [something]" a couple of times and Captain Peacock reprimanded her for it. So, I thought it was a "medium bad" swear word. Then, when the Harry Potter movies were released, I heard Ron say, "Bloody hell, Harry!" on several occasions. I thought it must not be as bad a swear word as I thought, otherwise, they probably wouldn't let a kid say it in a movie that was for kids. I don't know if its level of inappropriateness has changed or if Capt. Peacock's reprimands were more specific to the show. I know he felt he was superior to everyone else because he was the floor walker, so maybe he was just reprimanding her using slang at work. I remember "gobsmacked" from when I was a kid, before I found the British tv shows. I have no idea where I picked it up. There's one word the British use in a way that I can't help thinking is hysterical, and that's "alarmed." Ask your friends about that one if you don't already know it. I first heard Hyacinth say it on "Keeping Up Appearances" and, I wondered if she was just misusing it because she's always trying to sound posh. I did learn that she was, indeed, using it correctly. Every time I hear someone use it this way, I have to suppress a fit of giggles. 😂
When I lived in the UK the two that always got me were “hotting up” instead of heating up and “drink driving” instead of drunk driving. Never could get my head or mouth around those ones!
Why are we now all saying "I couldn't get my head around this or that" instead of simply saying "I couldn't understand this or that". It's starting to irritate me as much as "growing our family" or "growing a business", another stupid cliche. Why not say simply "expanding our family" or "expanding our business". Are you going to use soil and water and fertilizer? While I'm on a rant about hackneyed phrases, I'll mention "getting our ducks in a row". Could we not simply say "Before I start, I need to get organized."? Maybe I'm just being nitpicky, but these usages are so annoying when we hear them everywhere.
As a Canadian, I’ve heard all the words you mention with the exception of “bagsy”. I don’t think I’ve ever used “naff” in a sentence. Although I’m sure I’ve heard it in movies or one of the umpteen British shows I adore watching. Burglar alarms help to prevent a place from being robbed, not burgled though. 😁 Loads and lots are interchangeable. It’s more of a case of which word sounds better in a particular sentence.
Princess Anne infamously told reporters who hung around the trickier jumps on equestrian courses in the 1970s hoping to photograph her falling off to "Naff off!" when she did so. It is interesting that it is thought to be Northern, as of course Anne's maternal Grandmother was Scottish, and the Royal family does spend a lot of time in Scotland.
I disagree burgled is used quite a bit. But we would also use robbed. We got burgled is more used for a place where as robbed you would normally use it with a person. "I got robbed the other day" - usually the meaning when you are out and about.
My husband was in law-enforcement. Being “robbed” is personal. It is The act of being mugged. You personally in your person are being deprived of your possessions. To be burglarized it is your home or your business it is a structure that holds your possessions, which are then stolen. I am sorry to say that you are mistaken.
:/ I remember as a kid, four homes were broken into over about 1 ½ years time, in the development I grew up in. Each time, the families just so happened to be away on holidays. I only ever remember hearing how their homes had been broken into, robbed, and for whatever reason ketchup was everywhere. I went to school with the kids who lived in two of the homes. One of which was two doors down, and my Mum and his mum would drop each other off to run errands before we were old enough to go to school.
When I first heard the term "bagsy," I took it to mean the same as calling dibs on something. You might slap your hand on the seat of a chair and say, "Dibs!" or before getting into the family station wagon, "I call the way back!" (when claiming the right to sprawl in the most remote part of the station wagon)
I watch so many Brit’s on TH-cam that I caught myself saying, “My Christmas decorations all match nicely outside and look quite smart!” 😂 That’s not a common phrase Pennsylvania people typically use-look quite smart.
Describing something looking ‘smart’ is a turn of phrase I credit to my obsession with British Shows. Some Brit words really strike the right note. Don’t you think?
We watch British shows (me far more than hubby--I'm a mystery fan and he's a big fan of "The Repair Shop"), but when we came back from our first UK trip in 2019, "brilliant" has become his favorite word although he doesn't normally use it. I have picked up "well done, you!" =)
However Band-aid is a trade/product name, plaster is a generic name and maybe more appropriate. Another example would be folk saying hoover instead of vacuum cleaner🤔
@@padraigbeag Yes, Bandaid is a brand name like "Kleenex" for a tissue. The generic word for "Bandaid" is bandage as in the old Curad (another brand of bandage) jingle "My mommy put a Curad on, "Curad" it's ouchless, my mommy put a Curad BANDAGE on."
Whenever I would read a British book and a plaster was needed, I always pictured someone dabbing on something that would harden and protect the wound. Band-aid is always what I call a bandage, like hoover.
Plaster in Brit-land can be pronounced with a flat a or a lonnnggg a (ahhh), which is classed as posh in the North. But most people in the South use the long a.
So right, riding Shotgun is supposed to have originated in America's Stagecoach days, when the front passenger who wasn't driving carried the literal shotgun- for protection. These phrase comparisons are fun- hope to hear more.
I grew up in the midwest and "burgled" isn't anything I've used, but when I hear it I think of McDonald's Hamburgerler. I have used thick or daft for stupid and "loads" for a lot quite often. I'm pretty gobsmacked at the literal meaning of gobsmacked, lol.
People used burgled in the US, but it was decades ago. I'm old now so I remember. The pronunciation of many words have changed in recent years also. The "American English" language changes constantly. As a writer and teacher years ago, I can tell you that I still pronounce words in the way they used to be pronounced. That's impossible to change, for me anyway.
Words we had to get used other than those you used: we lived in Liverpool Pissed means drunk in British, but we used it to mean mad/angry We heard people use the word gorgeous to describe the flavor of food. We would say delicious Fob = stove or oven? You’ve referred to the aga in a previous video And we get tickled with Julie’s pronunciation of lit-tral-ly where as we say perhaps more phonetically, lit-ter-ra-ly This was fun. Thank you for sharing.
A fob is a small item attached to a keyring or key chain. Hob is the British word used to refer to a stovetop. Aga is a company that makes large range cookers.
@@BenLinford30 Yes, this is the way I've always understood it too. The British warm their food on the hob (of the cooker.) American warm their food on the burners (of the stove). I understand why Brits call it a cooker because a stove really is more like what we Americans think of as a Franklin stove (a "wood burner" to the Brits), so now I always use the word "range" for my kitchen appliance that has "burners" and an oven. That huge Aga brand range would be quite rare over here in the States as it's too complicated to use and runs all the time.
Or" pissed myself laughing "is another one.(you laughed so hard you pissed your pants laughing) Or "they pissed all over them." ( they were better so pissed on you from a great height)
I’m surprised you didn’t include the word “brilliant,” which British people use so differently! I understand it but always have to translate in my head.
I had a boss from England. (I lived in California at the time) She told me that at her former job she told a co-worker that his idea was brilliant! He took it to me that he was stupid. He reported her to her boss. She got reprimanded. She said, "no that brilliant meant that he had a great idea".It was just a misunderstanding of terminology.
If he was so confused, why didn't he ask her what she meant instead of being so quick to have her slated? To be fair, it all depends on the context of the sentence and the tone of voice. If it was said in a sarcastic way, then I would have questioned it, but normally brilliant just means exactly what it means, we may also shorten it to just " bril"
@@seeyouanon2931 She, I am sure didn't say it sarcastically. There is a joke here that is derogatory, he isn't the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Brilliant here isn't taken the same way as it is in the UK.
Oh ok! Well yes I can see there would be some confusion then if brilliant means something completely different, one saying we have is " they are not the brightest spark " or " they are not the sharpest tool in the box"
This was a fun video! I love British slang, having lived in London for a few years. I still use a lot of it today and I’m American. Favourite words you didn’t mention are: Peckish Knackered Stroppy Cheeky Taking the Piss Skint Nick or Off to the Nick
I think in the Midwest (Waukesha, Wisconsin - but originally from Chicago) I would use the word “dense” instead of “stupid”, which is similar to “thick”.
Yes, in Chicago we get burglarized, not burgled! 🤣 And as an American also from Illinois, now living in Ireland there are many words the Irish use (many the same as these British terms) that I would never say because it would sound like I'm trying to pretend I'm Irish! Also, with the Chicago accent - the words sounds so different!
It's so fun to use new words, even if not from that country of origin. Some people are real cameleons too and just pick it all up fast, or use it - the local lingua - so the locals will undertand. Feel free to be something else than just American or just Irish, after years abroad one becomes altogether a different kind of animal. Vive la différence!
@@janeflannery8757 I've lived here 5 years and I'm very much a mixture of Chicago and Ireland. But I'll always be a Chicagoan at heart. I hesitate to say "American" because that covers a huge country with vast differences between regions and even families, although we all probably share some similarities.
@@wingsphysio I haven't heard it either. Maybe a newer one? I wonder if it refers to bagging something--putting it into your back to take with you because you want it so much?
The banter between the 3 of you is delightful! We would also use the word 'flabbergasted' for gobsmacked which funnily enough may be British in origin.
One term that drives me batty is "corn" used for all sorts of grain. I thought it was a local thing but British friends from Devon and those in Northumberland use the same term to describe fields planted in grain producing crops. I have stopped looking for tall plants with ears of corn growing on them lolololol
The thing that gets me is when the Brits say "are you alright?" which them just means hello but in America we say it if something goes wrong. So my first reaction is always "why? Do I have something on my face? Do I look sick? Wtf?!" Lol
Or that British expression "go on then" -- meaning, sure, I'll agree to what you just offered. That one throws me. I'm thinking, "So did he just agree with me, or does he want me to keep trying to sell him on the idea."
Two words NOT to be confused when living in the UK.....Suspenders vs. Braces!! I went shopping with my sister in law and as we were getting out of the car I mentioned I needed to buy Iain(my husband) suspenders. She started laughing so hard and kept saying "NO THE MENTAL PICTURE!! THE MENTAL PICTURE!!" I had no idea what I said. Suspenders hold up a garter belt here in the UK!! She said they are called Braces over here!! I looked at her like she was nuts. Braces go in your mouth you don't wear them!! Can you imagine if I walked into that store asking for suspenders for my husband? We still laugh about this. Absolutely love your channel. I left corporate America for a small island in Scotland in 2011. All the best from one American girl to another.
Thick I had a grandfather tell me to stop being so thick-headed. When I was in high school I took a creative writing class and we had to write a play and I looked up all the British Swear words so I could swear without getting into trouble. My 5 year old like to watch your videos with me and he like to watch Stephanie Jarvis's channel. He went to school one day and told his teacher he had to use the loo. She could not figure out what he was saying so he told her I have to pee. He also calls his rain boot wellies
We were behind the camera at American Viscountess and Mapperton Live, but you can now find us on our own channel here: th-cam.com/users/stephenandclaire
Tons is sometimes used instead of lots. I've got a ton of work to do. Or tons of laundry. Argh! I love how one language has morphed with time and geography. So great.
I love these videos you do with Stephen and Claire. It reminds me of a quote from George Bernard Shaw, "The British and the Americans are two great peoples divided by a common tongue." I do actually like chuffed, but would not use it in the US. I have actually heard folks use gobsmacked in the US, but not often. Since I work with some British professors and students, I have picked up some of their terms and find myself using them in written communication even though it would feel odd to say them out loud.
We were behind the camera at American Viscountess and Mapperton Live, but you can now find us on our own channel here: th-cam.com/users/stephenandclaire
This was excellent! I was always wondering about those words, too. There are many British words that are so different from American. Telly for television. The car boot for the trunk. Windscreen for windshield, and many more. We all understand each other, but the words are different.
I lived in England from the late 1990's to 2004 and learned a lot about the English way of speaking and what each word meant. Your youtube channel brings back all my happy memories of when I was there. Thank you Julie and Team it means a lot. Take Care. Allie. Bloomingdale GA
Biscuit, in the UK that apparently refers to cookies where to me a biscuit is like a roll (i.e. Baking powder biscuits, cornmeal biscuits, etc.). Then there's the Boot. To me that's a thing you wear on your foot but in the UK the boot is part of the car. Very odd.
I would agree that most of these sound better with an English accent. I do think there are some words that sound better with an American accent such as "badass".
In Massachusetts, US we say thick for stupid, Lol. My UK and Irish friends on FB taught me gobsmacked and I love that word but I’d never use it because people wouldn’t know what the heck I was saying.
"Cheers" is one that always fascinated me in the UK. In South Africa we use it to toast drinks or say goodbye. In the UK it's the cheery equivalent of "thank you" 😊
My husband and I both really enjoy your videos. We first saw you on your PBS series. We live in the USA in South Carolina. In the southern regions of the US load is use as often as lots. I have also heard the word burgled in reference to being burglarized. We would really enjoy more videos like this one where you compare and contrast languages, customs and anything of that nature. It is always fun to learn about different cultures. Feel free to compare and contrast other countries and / or regions of the UK as well. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Talking of gob, one used occasionally mainly by Irish people would be “gobshite”, someone who talks rubbish - and this one was used successfully once by Myleene Klasse on Countdown. As a tangent, shitehawk is another mainly Irish-used word meaning the same, from a juxtaposition of shite and talk, as in “he’s a shitehawk“ means he talks …. And no, as Dara O’Briain once observed on Mock the Week, it’s not a strange Irish hawk that craps on everyone!
One of my favorite Britishisms is 'bits and bobs", where in America we would say 'stuff" or 'things'. I didn't hear "thick" by itself for someone being stupid, I heard "thick in the head" or "dense", and instead of "gobsmacked" people used "poleaxed" (mostly older generation). Thank you for explaining 'naff'!
We do use more and more “British” words in the US. Gobsmacked is one of them. Depends on where you live in the US I guess. I think Midwesterners just tend to be less pretentious.
“Bloody” would be considered a very mild swear word in Australia & often used as an alternative to much stronger language. However unlike most stronger words it is actually very offensive when the origin is known, which is “by Our Lady”. To “swear” means to take an oath, so it’s actually quite blasphemous in that usage though most would be unaware of this now - resulting in it being considered quite mild. “By God” or “ for God’s sake” are similar examples but the words aren’t rolled together so the words & origin as an oath are more obvious. Modern overuse has watered these down. However knowing the origins I’m endeavouring to really cut down on my own usage. “Bollocks” on the other hand is really coarse considering what it refers to and I wouldn’t ever use it in conversation. “Gobsmacked” isn’t offensive but I just really hate the sound of that word, it’s a pet peeve 😂 We’d say “burgled” in Australia, though some might say “burglarised”. “Naff” & “chuffed” would be rare here. We’d pronounce “ghastly” the English way. “Thick” and “stupid”, “lots” & “loads” are also interchangeable here. I’ve never heard “bagsy”before, in Australia we’d say “bags” the same way to claim something. Fascinating! 😀 I enjoy examining words like you all did together in your video.
I'm English. I agree 'bollocks' is coarse and she should be careful where she uses it. In the video 'bollocks' is described only as an expletive, but it also means rubbish or nonsense. In the first case it can be said when you drop something, for example, and in the second, 'What a load of bollocks', 'That story was bollocks' , 'You're talking bollocks' etc . I never use 'gobsmacked', as I too hate the sound of it.
There are a few more that are blasphemous in origin...."strewth" (commonly used in my father's day in London) from God's truth. "Blimey" or "gor, blimey" from May God blind me.
You would say " I have dibs" on the front seat if you want it in America. Thick is sometimes used in America so it would be understood if used here. Riding shotgun refers to riding on top of a stagecoach with the driver while holding a shotgun (riding in the front seat next to the driver) but is hardly ever used in the US today. I enjoy watching your videos.
I’m thankful for loads of British, Scottish and Irish FB friends who have enriched my vocabulary!! I still laugh when I read some of their words/descriptions but I love it!
Scots are British, the word is not a synonym for 'English', it just means anyone from the island of Great Britain. Originally the term was used by the Romans to describe the Welsh.
I have a friend who married a Brit and they live outside of Chicago. She uses the term "bloody" and at first I thought you're American why. lol It would be interesting (and sorry if you have, I'm new to the channel and have not watched everything!) if you and Luke or you, Stephen and Claire would have a similar video but with Midwestern words/slang.
In Canada we say burgled not burglarized. Another word Canadians will use occasionally is "Bloody" but I have only ever heard it used in the phrase "Bloody hell" and nowhere else. We have alot of British influence compared to the u.s, especially in our eastern provinces where I am from.
We British also use the word dense but it implies a milder case of stupidity than thick. A dense person is one whose brain is not working well today. A thick person is one whose brain never works.
We use the word thick in the UK to emphasise the point that the person is dumb, as in the saying they are as thick as two short planks, or thick as a brick,or the not to pleasant phrase thick as shit- sorry folks. Ghastly and chuffed are more what the upper or middle class would use something i myself have never used, in fact i dont believe any working class person would never use, although I could be mistaken.
Bagsy is a new one to me. “Bags” I have heard a lot…..which translates as “a lot,”, as in “your house has bags of charm”. Enjoy your channel immensely.
Bagsy seems like us here in the states saying, Call it. I bagsy that! I call that!))) P.S. I LOve the music You use in your videos. Can You please list the names of them at the bottom oI find them so inspirational, especially in the aerial shots/views
Thank You!))) P.P.S.))) With the Incredible drone shots of Your land/The Land Of Mapperton)))lol with the Inspirational music You play, I plan on visiting one day and staying in that tent with That most Beautiful View You have on Your site and waking up to that Incredible view. I find it all SO Heavenly(Especially Your opening shot for Your show where Your sponsor is listed etc.) That being said, I thought of a Fabulous Idea for You Guys to offer, if possible and it would give employment to another local(someone experienced n all of course)…Offer Hot Air Balloon Rides!))) I Would Definitely Pay For That!))) They could Even be offered in one of Your wedding packages etc. I’m Surrre people coming to see n enjoy the grounds(going on Your guided nature walks etc.)of Mapperton n interested in seeing more of the Rewilding going on n the Incredible Gardens would pay for That Ride n View Too!)))) Love You Guys! Thank You for sharing Mapperton with us.))) Julie, You are Too Funny!))) Thank You for making us laugh n getting the Happy Endorphins flowing through this pandemic. Jacqueline
Bloody started out as By our Lady, meaning Mary the mother of Jesus. So, "bloody " is kind of disrespectful...depending..and "bollocks" refers to the part of the male body that comes in a pair.
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Sorry if I'm repeating others here - I haven't scrolled down the comments yet.
1) BOLLOCKS in its metaphorical sense means 'rubbish' or 'nonsense', but its literal meaning is 'testicles' - so it's mildly vulgar and should be used with caution depending upon the company you're in. 2) GOB is actually the Irish (Gaelic) word for 'mouth' and so far as I know is the only Irish word to have been absorbed into Cockney slang and has spread from there to the rest of the UK. ('GOBSHITE' is particularly used in the north of England, Scotland and, of course, Ireland and is definitely an offensively rude way to describe someone you are not terribly fond of.)
3)"I BAGS (something I want before the others get it)" is a phrase that has been used by primary school children over many generations.
4) LOTS OF and LOADS OF are used interchangeably in England.
5) BLOODY is a mild swearword and, like BLIMEY, CRIKEY and many others, was originally a way to blaspheme without incurring the wrath of God - it was a coded way of saying 'blessed', as in 'The Blessed Virgin Mary' in the hope that she didn't notice you were taking her name in vain.
"Cor Blimey" is a contracted form of the phrase 'God blind me'.
"Bloody" is also an adverb. For example "that's bloody brilliant!" would mean "that's very brilliant!"
Also, I think you can tell from tone and context whether someone is cursing or just using it as an adverb.
Julie, the American equivalent of "bagsy" would be to call "dibs" on something whereas shotgun solely refers to the front seat 😉
Yes, ending shotgun seat other side of driver
As children we used “bags” not “baggy”, as in “I bags the front seat”.
@@michaelwoodbodley8099 This is what we use in NZ.
Native New Yorker here and I have used both "thick" and "loads" as the Brits do. And some of the other words sneak in, mostly because I enjoy watching TV and movies from the UK. One word I've adopted is "gutted," meaning, I suppose crestfallen to a wounded degree. It's an excellent adjective!
In order to properly say "ghastly", you must first channel Violet Crawley, Dowager Countless of Grantham, and then really draw it out 😏
Good one! Very true. Yes......Maggie Smith!
Definitely 😂
yes....so funny
Yes, "ghastly" is used to exaggerate an experience for amusing dramatic effect when recounting a minor event when talking to a friend! Or when talking sneeringly in non serious way about someone's taste in decor, for example "their curtains were ghastly". It is not meant to be hurtful but you would definitely not say it directly to the person who had chosen those curtains!!
Yup and you have to say “FRrrrrrright……………ful”.
Julie, we say "dense" for their "thick"
For "bagsy" (first I've heard it!) we say "dibs"
Yes!
My anglophile mother-in-law used to appropriate "loads" of British phrases and one she loved to say was that "so-and-so is as thick as two short planks."
Yes, thank you. As I was watching this I was thinking “Dibs, we say dibs”. As for thick, I’ve heard and have you used both thick and dense, as well as our standard, stupid and dumb.
i say dibbs on the front seat!
Yes!! "Don't be dense."
I notice the British "bit" vs. the American "part" choice. As when talking about a book/movie...British "I quite enjoyed that bit" vs the American "I enjoyed that part"
Plus we say film not movie, we also say series and not season.
An old saying of my mother's was 'partly what', pronounced wott, at the end of a sentence. Meaning a bit.
21 years with my Brit and my vocabulary has increased dramatically, mostly with extremely colorful, creative and hilarious swearing (my boy is from essex, but had the glottal stop beaten out of him and has a beautiful posh accent now, but his essex comes out when he’s angry) we have the usual arguments: trunk vs boot, aluminum vs al-u-min-i-um, bandaid vs Plaster (“plahhh-stuhhh”)…you should hear him tease my american pronunciation of badminton 😂 the one that always gets me is hospital. americans say “I am going to THE hospital”…brits say “I am going to hospital.” so now I tease back by saying I am going to post office…I am going to hardware store, I have to go to dry cleaner….” 😊
Another one is heavily emphasizing the letter "g" in every word that ends in "ing".
It depends on the regional dialects.
Midlands here and i'd say going to the hospital, but if it's past tense i think i'd say i've been in hospital not i've been in the hospital.
@ Jamie Derry
Same as, I am from Southeast and I say I am going to the hospital.
Do Americans say "I'm going to the school"?
One that I find amusing is “pudding” for all types of dessert. Initially I was so confused that Brits loved their puddings until it was explained to me 😂
We have savoury puddings too
It can also be a term of endearment. "Are you alright pudding"
I still have a hard time with 'biscuits' for the American 'cookies'.
I am confused with what America calls a biscuit and gravy, as a Brit it is not a biscuit, it is more like a scone and the gravy just looks like a sauce and not brown ( meat)gravy.
@@seeyouanon2931 a biscuit in the US is a flaky version of our scones, served mostly with savoury dishes. The gravy is similar to what we call a bechamel sauce, containing fried sausage meat.
Going back to the word "Chuffed" you can also be "chuffed to bits" - I am thrilled!
We were behind the camera at American Viscountess and Mapperton Live, but you can now find us on our own channel here: th-cam.com/users/stephenandclaire
We do use thick here in the U.S., as in she/he's "thick as a brick." There's also been a change from an American word to British: it's not glove compartment anymore, it's now glovebox in the car. Fun video, Julie👍
Yes, I'm American and have called people thick-headed. Lol.
Thick or "dense"
@@themainer1267 same. i'd say thick headed, dense, or sometimes (rarely though) dense)
I have noticed that about glovebox! I always call it glove compartment still though.
"thick as a brick" came from Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) who is British. I don't think anyone in the US used the phrase until his song (which is an entire album) was played here in 1772.
Oh, this is so awesome!!! I’m Canadian, and I use some of these terms, though not all. We use “bloody”, though often it’s “bloody hell”. I use “gobsmacked” and even more often, I would tell someone to “shut your gob”, or most often, I’m “stuffing something in my gob”. I often say “loads” instead of lots, and maybe even tons (tonnes). It would depend on the amount. Smallest is lots, then loads, then tons. Occasionally I would use ghastly. Very rarely I would use “bullocks”, but rather “bugger”. Instead of “bagsy” we would call “dibs”. As you mentioned, “shotgun” only ever refers to calling the front seat.
These are just the best videos! Keep up the good work! 💖 sending love from Western Canada 🇨🇦 to all three of you.
Having lived in several foreign countries, I felt that it was my duty to assimilate. My family was in the U S Air Force, so we moved a LOT. My dad taught us to be a part of a new location, not to stand apart from it. Take on the customs and the language, including slang. It’s fun and don’t worry about being judged. I’ll bet you don’t have a problem with foreigners trying American slang. Personally, I find it endearing.✨✨
My mom was British. She came to America during WW2. I have fond memories of the word “twitterpated”
I’m from the south (US) and would say “thick headed” to differentiate from meaning “chunky.” I just do not understand how you keep from speaking with a British accent. I do, without meaning to, after watching just one BBC sitcom on PBS! I love all your content, Julie!
Linguists will tell you that your accent will not radically change after age 15/16.
@@gemoftheocean Not true. People's accents do change. Mine changed aged 30. It's not always possible, but it can.
I am gobsmacked that in Australia we use most of the words on your list!🇦🇺🇦🇺💕
@@alisonrandall3039 Why what? It’s a play on words in the narrative. Need a sense of humour I guess 🤣🤣
British people do say lots whenever the quanity is less than loads. It is a matter of degree. For example I did lots of shopping and it was difficult to carry it all home, or I did loads of shopping and had to get a taxi home. A person can just about carry lots of shopping, but needs help to carry loads of shopping.
My Gran who lived in the north of England used to end letters to me with "Heaps of Love".
The dictionary says both burgled and burglarized are correct. I work in law enforcement in Australia and I must admit I’ve never heard the term burglarized used here, definitely always burgled.
I'm retired law enforcement in the US and I used to say "burgled" jokingly. I had no idea it was an actual word.
As it should be, burglarized really ? 🇬🇧👍🤣🤣🤣 Americans always seem to cock things up ! even the language.
Love your series - vlogs and historic houses -- one word the Brits use a lot (which you do too Julie!) is "brilliant" as an exclamation. After studying in England for a year (a long time ago), I came back to the U.S. and used the word "brilliant" constantly -- drove my college (university) friends crazy and they kept telling me: "Stop saying 'brilliant" everything isn't "brilliant!"
Oh thank you!
We're in California and my husband loves how the Brits use "brilliant". He's noticed it more since our trip over there a few years ago. I like it too. =)
Americans do the same by saying "Awesome" everything is not Awesome. Gets right on my Goat!
I'm from the south eastern US. I've heard bloody, burgled, thick, and gobsmacked used my whole life - mostly by my southern-born-and-raised mother and other southern women, never by my Mid-Atlantic born and raised father, however.
This was a fun and interesting video! 🙂
People who read, or who watch British TV are familiar with these words. You still didn't define them well or use them in an example sentence. That would have helped. How do you use bagsy in a sentence?
If you're gobby, you're mouthy.
I'm also from the southeastern US. I know I've heard thick use for the same reason before.
I’m quite familiar with calling someone thick- thick in the head. But my grandmother was first gen from Wales, she always had tea and biscuits. I do think growing up in New England we seem to have retained some more of the language maybe compared to the rest of America, not a lot but more. Beans aren’t really common for breakfast and totally different that English beans but outside boston u can find bakes beans and pork on the breakfast menu, and making toastie soldiers to dip in tea or coco. Suppose that’s just my experience, but that’s what I like about America- it has variety. I live in Appalachia now learning about this mountain region has been really amazing, I love the people and their sense of ethics, and morals. Also they have good manners, just far from formal.
Here, North of Boston, we still maintain a great deal of British terms and food stuff. Many British shops in the area and in our grocery stores.
Traditions such as afternoon tea, Christmas cake, mince pie, steamed puddings to name a few are still very popular. It's our heritage and tradition.
Outside of the region...not much as you venture around the country. Less so as you venture westward.
I just saw your comment after posting re: thick and New England. I agree. I think it's because we retained some of it including loads.
I have never had toasty soldiers to dip in tea or cocoa, but each to their own to be fair.
In Britain we would have a soft boiled egg ( slightly runny) and a slice of toast cut into strips which we called soldiers (the strips represent soldiers lined up) and you would cut off the top of the egg and then dip the soldiers into the runny egg. It is based on the children's nursery rhyme " humpty dumpty " anything to make it fun for picky children that wouldn't eat.
Toast soldiers are for dipping in soft boiled eggs, not tea, or cocoa. Your granny was eating tea and goodie. Think of the nursery rhyme 'Humpty Dumpty', always represented by an egg, 'Humpty Dumpty, sat on a wall, (egg cup), Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, (spoon), all the Kings horses and all the Kings men, (toast), couldn't put Humpty Dumpty, (egg) together again. Funnily enough, Humpty Dumpty, was real! It was a giant fat mouthed, cannon. Toast, in genteel society, was often dipped in sweet wine, tea, or cocoa, as a bedtime 'snack'. Toast 'soldiers' are reserved for soft boiled, dippy eggs. Your granny, sounds like a real gentile 'lady'.
@@thomasmcnerney9745 I agree completely. Here west of Boston, in the Berkshires, none of those words, or phrases are uncommon at all.
As a fellow American, it sounds funny to hear you say "lit-trel" instead of "lit-er-al" 😄
Also, "bagsy" sounds like the U.S. equivalent of "dibs".
Here in the US, we may not say “thick” but we sometimes say “thickheaded” but it is more of an older term. I really enjoyed learning about gob smacked; it makes complete sense.
Or in Ohio we say dense like Stop being so dense
Sometimes thickheaded can mean stubborn.
@@frankwatson428 That’s what I think too. Thick on its own is just plain dim.
I'm 62 years old, and it was quite common in my teen years here in Central Pennsylvania to describe someone as being "thick," meaning stupid. Now I'm more likely to expand it and say, "Thick-headed," but it means the same thing, of course.
"Ghastly," is not a word I'd ever heard in any kind of casual usage until I was in my 40s. I was at a conference in St Louis, MO, in the midst of a drought where daily temps exceeded 100 degrees F. the entire week were were there. It was held at George Washington University and we were housed in a 4 story dorm without an elevator, or air conditioning, on the 4th floor. The university staff kept coolers of ice and cold drinks on each landing of the staircases to keep people from getting overheated. It was horrible. The conference was in part to celebrate the bringing together the Northern and Southern parts of the mainstream Presbyterian church which had split at the time of the Civil War, and this was 1986. By design, the powers-that-be roomed us with someone from the "other" church at this event, with my roommate being a very wealthy, pampered lady from Chattanooga, TN. One particularly hot afternoon, as we stumbled into our dorm room clutching a bottle of icy water to our bosoms and drinking from another, my roommate collapsed across her bed saying, "Aah simplay cayan't STAYUND this heat! It's GHASTly!" If I hadn't been so doggoned exhausted and overheated I'd have burst out laughing. She sounded the perfect caricature of a Southern Lady. :)
Burgled/Burglarized: have had occasions where I have used both. Thick: As in Thick As A Brick. Familiar with it from the name as a Jethro Tull album. Bloody: As is in Something Is Wrong With Our Bloody Ships Today. The comment of an admiral during the Battle of Jutland. I've used this one. I am retired US Army. We tend to pickup vulgar and profane phrases from the units we serve with. The UK units have superb expressions and beer.
My Mother always told me that “bloody” was a contraction of “by our lady” and in her day was considered blasphemous. Nowadays it is considered quite mild. In Australia we say “bags” not “bagsy”
I learnt that it was originally "God's blood", (it crops up in Shakespeare) but this explanation sounds more plausible.
We watch some British TV shows, including one soap opera, and frequently hear the word "sort" as in "I'll sort it." There's a lot of sorting going on! The word is used in USA but not nearly as often.
I looked through the comments just to see if anyone mentioned “sorted.” Where Americans say, “I’ve got this figured out,” Brits say “I’ve got this sorted.” For me, as a Northwestern American , “sorting” is something you do to organize objects (like your socks), or alphabetizing or placing in numerical order lists of numbers or names/words.
I'm also originally from Canada where people have used the word "thick" to mean stupid. I've never heard chuffed. What about knackered? I had a friend from England who used this a lot. I really like this word.
A knackers yard is where you would take an old horse when it could not work anymore, it was then turned into dog food and the bones boiled down to make glue, so knackered means you are on your last legs!
Knackered can also apply to something that is irretrievably broken or worn our
I think “Naff” was popularised by the prison Sitcom Porridge, they couldn’t use proper swear words at the time it was shown, so they’d use expressions such as “naff off” as euphemisms…
I first learned the word when Princess Anne said it. She used that word,next day it was all over the papers and it caught on. Not sure if she got it from tv or vice versa. See,Royalty are useful.
I believe naff was originally a military terminology after ww2, when writing stuff off etc. but naff off is a kinder/ polite way of saying f@#ck off.
The origin of naff isn’t clear but it seems to have been part of Polari, so used as gay slang and in the theatre,etc. Later adopted as an alternative to strong swears in the media such as the 1960s film Billy Liar and more famously Porridge.
Not many Polari words made it into common usage although cod (as in Eric Clapton played some cod reggae), ogle, have a barney, mince and a few others survived.
As a Canadian 🇨🇦 i understood most of the British words as we're part of the commonwealth. 😊 plus I watch a lot of British youtubers haha. Also Z=zed not zee. Lol
“Bagsy” came from “bags me”, which means you called something for your own-“bags me the last croissant!”. You can find this phrase in British stories from years ago. We received a lovely book from a beloved great aunt in the early 1970s called “The Christmas Mouse”, by Miss Read. It had the term “bags me” in it and we used it frequently growing up.
That is so interesting. I’m still probably going to “call dibs” here in the U.S., but it’s cool to hear the history. Is calling dibs actually dates back to a children’s game in the 17th century called dibstones. The stones were used similar to jacks or marbles so you “called dibs” when catching them and patting the person you were playing with. It’s why you occasionally see someone Pat the other person when they “call dibs” over here.
My son-in-law is from London (Islington) and the one I hear him say, and now my daughter, is “gutted” as in We’re just gutted we can’t come for our family (whatever holiday)! Never have been really sure as to the meaning. One I have picked up from him, though, is “spot on!” Love listening to him! Really enjoy your channel! A native Texan here!
It means that they are absolutely, or deeply upset or unhappy/sad that they cannot be there.
It can be used in other contexts as well. I was absolutely gutted when I had to sell my car, I didn't really want to. ( it gets you in the gut/stomach)
@@seeyouanon2931 thank you! I thought that was probably what was meant.
I love the word “Blood Hell.” Ive heard that too often in Harry Potter. So, I can blame the movie for that, to get me started. Nobody understands what it means to them, that is other American’s too. But I know it. Thankfully, there’s few words I like and know already.
Thick - short for thick headed - is used in many parts of the US, in parts of New England gobsmacked can be heard on occasions and we grew up saying loads of fun, food, rain, etc.
I never heard the words bagsy or naff before. Thank you for defining them.
I'm from Canada but live in the US, I have always said "burgled". I've used "dense" instead of "thick". I use "loads" or "gobs" more than "lots". Fun video Julie 😁
Thanks for sharing!
I love Stephen and Claire! They are so funny and add a lot of insight and the interaction between the three of you is so funny!
Aww thank you David! Did you know that we have our own channel now too? We hope you can join us there...
Yes, here in the States we would say, "Our home was burglarized." Bagsy sounds like calling "dibs." Calling shotgun would only be used for saying we want to sit in the passenger seat next to the driver. My guess is that it comes from the Old West when someone with a shotgun would ride up top with the driver to protect the stagecoach from bandits.
Here's my take on "bloody." Most of the British slang I know, I learned from watching British t shows on PBS. I remember on the 1970s show "Are You Being Served?" Miss Brahms said "bloody [something]" a couple of times and Captain Peacock reprimanded her for it. So, I thought it was a "medium bad" swear word. Then, when the Harry Potter movies were released, I heard Ron say, "Bloody hell, Harry!" on several occasions. I thought it must not be as bad a swear word as I thought, otherwise, they probably wouldn't let a kid say it in a movie that was for kids. I don't know if its level of inappropriateness has changed or if Capt. Peacock's reprimands were more specific to the show. I know he felt he was superior to everyone else because he was the floor walker, so maybe he was just reprimanding her using slang at work.
I remember "gobsmacked" from when I was a kid, before I found the British tv shows. I have no idea where I picked it up.
There's one word the British use in a way that I can't help thinking is hysterical, and that's "alarmed." Ask your friends about that one if you don't already know it. I first heard Hyacinth say it on "Keeping Up Appearances" and, I wondered if she was just misusing it because she's always trying to sound posh. I did learn that she was, indeed, using it correctly. Every time I hear someone use it this way, I have to suppress a fit of giggles. 😂
When I lived in the UK the two that always got me were “hotting up” instead of heating up and “drink driving” instead of drunk driving. Never could get my head or mouth around those ones!
Why are we now all saying "I couldn't get my head around this or that" instead of simply saying "I couldn't understand this or that". It's starting to irritate me as much as "growing our family" or "growing a business", another stupid cliche. Why not say simply "expanding our family" or "expanding our business". Are you going to use soil and water and fertilizer? While I'm on a rant about hackneyed phrases, I'll mention "getting our ducks in a row". Could we not simply say "Before I start, I need to get organized."? Maybe I'm just being nitpicky, but these usages are so annoying when we hear them everywhere.
Chuffed is such a fun word. As an American I really wish we used this word.
As a Canadian, I’ve heard all the words you mention with the exception of “bagsy”. I don’t think I’ve ever used “naff” in a sentence. Although I’m sure I’ve heard it in movies or one of the umpteen British shows I adore watching.
Burglar alarms help to prevent a place from being robbed, not burgled though. 😁
Loads and lots are interchangeable. It’s more of a case of which word sounds better in a particular sentence.
Princess Anne infamously told reporters who hung around the trickier jumps on equestrian courses in the 1970s hoping to photograph her falling off to "Naff off!" when she did so. It is interesting that it is thought to be Northern, as of course Anne's maternal Grandmother was Scottish, and the Royal family does spend a lot of time in Scotland.
I disagree burgled is used quite a bit. But we would also use robbed. We got burgled is more used for a place where as robbed you would normally use it with a person. "I got robbed the other day" - usually the meaning when you are out and about.
My husband was in law-enforcement. Being “robbed” is personal. It is The act of being mugged. You personally in your person are being deprived of your possessions. To be burglarized it is your home or your business it is a structure that holds your possessions, which are then stolen. I am sorry to say that you are mistaken.
Absolutely agree on all points
:/ I remember as a kid, four homes were broken into over about 1 ½ years time, in the development I grew up in. Each time, the families just so happened to be away on holidays. I only ever remember hearing how their homes had been broken into, robbed, and for whatever reason ketchup was everywhere. I went to school with the kids who lived in two of the homes. One of which was two doors down, and my Mum and his mum would drop each other off to run errands before we were old enough to go to school.
When I first heard the term "bagsy," I took it to mean the same as calling dibs on something. You might slap your hand on the seat of a chair and say, "Dibs!" or before getting into the family station wagon, "I call the way back!" (when claiming the right to sprawl in the most remote part of the station wagon)
Yes, we use bagsy and dibs interchangeably in the UK
I watch so many Brit’s on TH-cam that I caught myself saying, “My Christmas decorations all match nicely outside and look quite smart!” 😂 That’s not a common phrase Pennsylvania people typically use-look quite smart.
Describing something looking ‘smart’ is a turn of phrase I credit to my obsession with British Shows. Some Brit words really strike the right note. Don’t you think?
@@marloncervantes2512 some are definitely more fun to say too 😂
Our mutual Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors are gobsmacked!! 🤣🤣🤣
@@ln2559 😂
We watch British shows (me far more than hubby--I'm a mystery fan and he's a big fan of "The Repair Shop"), but when we came back from our first UK trip in 2019, "brilliant" has become his favorite word although he doesn't normally use it. I have picked up "well done, you!" =)
A "Knees Up Muvver Brown" really confused me when I 1st heard it, also "Bolt Hole."
I'm an American married to a Brit and every time he says "I need a plaster" it always confuses me! Just say "I need a Band-Aid!"
However Band-aid is a trade/product name, plaster is a generic name and maybe more appropriate. Another example would be folk saying hoover instead of vacuum cleaner🤔
@@padraigbeag Yes, Bandaid is a brand name like "Kleenex" for a tissue. The generic word for "Bandaid" is bandage as in the old Curad (another brand of bandage) jingle "My mommy put a Curad on, "Curad" it's ouchless, my mommy put a Curad BANDAGE on."
Whenever I would read a British book and a plaster was needed, I always pictured someone dabbing on something that would harden and protect the wound. Band-aid is always what I call a bandage, like hoover.
Plaster in Brit-land can be pronounced with a flat a or a lonnnggg a (ahhh), which is classed as posh in the North. But most people in the South use the long a.
My favorite British word that an American would NEVER get away with is "twee'". I love when I hear it!
I love that word. We Americans need it for times when we say something is "too cutsey".
The word twee is never a compliment. Also avoid using quaint as it appears condescending.
So right, riding Shotgun is supposed to have originated in America's Stagecoach days, when the front passenger who wasn't driving carried the literal shotgun- for protection. These phrase comparisons are fun- hope to hear more.
That's exactly the origin of the term.
I grew up in the midwest and "burgled" isn't anything I've used, but when I hear it I think of McDonald's Hamburgerler. I have used thick or daft for stupid and "loads" for a lot quite often.
I'm pretty gobsmacked at the literal meaning of gobsmacked, lol.
People used burgled in the US, but it was decades ago. I'm old now so I remember. The pronunciation of many words have changed in recent years also. The "American English" language changes constantly. As a writer and teacher years ago, I can tell you that I still pronounce words in the way they used to be pronounced. That's impossible to change, for me anyway.
Words we had to get used other than those you used: we lived in Liverpool
Pissed means drunk in British, but we used it to mean mad/angry
We heard people use the word gorgeous to describe the flavor of food. We would say delicious
Fob = stove or oven? You’ve referred to the aga in a previous video
And we get tickled with Julie’s pronunciation of lit-tral-ly where as we say perhaps more phonetically, lit-ter-ra-ly
This was fun. Thank you for sharing.
A fob is a small item attached to a keyring or key chain.
Hob is the British word used to refer to a stovetop.
Aga is a company that makes large range cookers.
@@BenLinford30 Yes, this is the way I've always understood it too. The British warm their food on the hob (of the cooker.) American warm their food on the burners (of the stove).
I understand why Brits call it a cooker because a stove really is more like what we Americans think of as a Franklin stove (a "wood burner" to the Brits), so now I always use the word "range" for my kitchen appliance that has "burners" and an oven. That huge Aga brand range would be quite rare over here in the States as it's too complicated to use and runs all the time.
Yes, "pissed" does mean drunk, "pissed off" means angry/annoyed - neither to be used in polite company!
Or" pissed myself laughing "is another one.(you laughed so hard you pissed your pants laughing) Or "they pissed all over them." ( they were better so pissed on you from a great height)
I love all these words on your list. As an American, I'm pretty sure our version of "bagsy" is "dibs" -- as in "I call dibs on the last piece of pie."
We use both, interchangeably in the UK
I’m surprised you didn’t include the word “brilliant,” which British people use so differently! I understand it but always have to translate in my head.
I had a boss from England. (I lived in California at the time) She told me that at her former job she told a co-worker that his idea was brilliant! He took it to me that he was stupid. He reported her to her boss. She got reprimanded. She said, "no that brilliant meant that he had a great idea".It was just a misunderstanding of terminology.
If he was so confused, why didn't he ask her what she meant instead of being so quick to have her slated?
To be fair, it all depends on the context of the sentence and the tone of voice. If it was said in a sarcastic way, then I would have questioned it, but normally brilliant just means exactly what it means, we may also shorten it to just " bril"
@@seeyouanon2931 She, I am sure didn't say it sarcastically. There is a joke here that is derogatory, he isn't the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Brilliant here isn't taken the same way as it is in the UK.
Oh ok! Well yes I can see there would be some confusion then if brilliant means something completely different, one saying we have is " they are not the brightest spark " or " they are not the sharpest tool in the box"
I use both,brilliant to mean fantastic. Or if something goes completely wrong I say "well...that was brilliant!"
Ghastly is said like the Americans in the north of England, similar to saying ‘castle’ up in the north of England compared to the south.
This was a fun video! I love British slang, having lived in London for a few years. I still use a lot of it today and I’m American.
Favourite words you didn’t mention are:
Peckish
Knackered
Stroppy
Cheeky
Taking the Piss
Skint
Nick or Off to the Nick
Another one for knackered is hanging. "I'm hanging "
These are very Aussie terms.
I think in the Midwest (Waukesha, Wisconsin - but originally from Chicago) I would use the word “dense” instead of “stupid”, which is similar to “thick”.
Yes, in Chicago we get burglarized, not burgled! 🤣 And as an American also from Illinois, now living in Ireland there are many words the Irish use (many the same as these British terms) that I would never say because it would sound like I'm trying to pretend I'm Irish! Also, with the Chicago accent - the words sounds so different!
It's so fun to use new words, even if not from that country of origin. Some people are real cameleons too and just pick it all up fast, or use it - the local lingua - so the locals will undertand. Feel free to be something else than just American or just Irish, after years abroad one becomes altogether a different kind of animal. Vive la différence!
@@janeflannery8757 I've lived here 5 years and I'm very much a mixture of Chicago and Ireland. But I'll always be a Chicagoan at heart. I hesitate to say "American" because that covers a huge country with vast differences between regions and even families, although we all probably share some similarities.
I have to say I didn’t know what a “jumper” was until Luke was talking about his favorite *sweater*! 😆🥰
Bagsy is one I have not heard before. Love this vlog Julie . I learn so much from these vlogs. Thanks Julie it was such fun. 💕
Me too. I don’t think it’s common because I’m married to a Brit and lived in the uk for ten years and never once heard it
@@wingsphysio I haven't heard it either. Maybe a newer one? I wonder if it refers to bagging something--putting it into your back to take with you because you want it so much?
Ditto, and I lived in the UK for 9 years.
The banter between the 3 of you is delightful! We would also use the word 'flabbergasted' for gobsmacked which funnily enough may be British in origin.
One term that drives me batty is "corn" used for all sorts of grain. I thought it was a local thing but British friends from Devon and those in Northumberland use the same term to describe fields planted in grain producing crops. I have stopped looking for tall plants with ears of corn growing on them lolololol
Yeah, that one struck me too. What we call "corn", they call "maize".
@@peterzavon3012 Some years ago we fed hens on "Indy corn".
"yeah, yeah, yeah" said quickly. Stephen says it numerous times and it goes unnoticed
The thing that gets me is when the Brits say "are you alright?" which them just means hello but in America we say it if something goes wrong. So my first reaction is always "why? Do I have something on my face? Do I look sick? Wtf?!" Lol
Or that British expression "go on then" -- meaning, sure, I'll agree to what you just offered. That one throws me. I'm thinking, "So did he just agree with me, or does he want me to keep trying to sell him on the idea."
Two words NOT to be confused when living in the UK.....Suspenders vs. Braces!! I went shopping with my sister in law and as we were getting out of the car I mentioned I needed to buy Iain(my husband) suspenders. She started laughing so hard and kept saying "NO THE MENTAL PICTURE!! THE MENTAL PICTURE!!" I had no idea what I said. Suspenders hold up a garter belt here in the UK!! She said they are called Braces over here!! I looked at her like she was nuts. Braces go in your mouth you don't wear them!! Can you imagine if I walked into that store asking for suspenders for my husband? We still laugh about this.
Absolutely love your channel. I left corporate America for a small island in Scotland in 2011. All the best from one American girl to another.
Thick I had a grandfather tell me to stop being so thick-headed. When I was in high school I took a creative writing class and we had to write a play and I looked up all the British Swear words so I could swear without getting into trouble. My 5 year old like to watch your videos with me and he like to watch Stephanie Jarvis's channel. He went to school one day and told his teacher he had to use the loo. She could not figure out what he was saying so he told her I have to pee. He also calls his rain boot wellies
Ringing in from your home state. Bagsy sounds like "dibs" :) Also, I might say, "My house was burglarized." But I would usually say, "I was robbed."
Stephen and Claire need to make an assistant channel…they have great comedic chemistry.
We were behind the camera at American Viscountess and Mapperton Live, but you can now find us on our own channel here: th-cam.com/users/stephenandclaire
Tons is sometimes used instead of lots. I've got a ton of work to do. Or tons of laundry. Argh! I love how one language has morphed with time and geography. So great.
I love these videos you do with Stephen and Claire. It reminds me of a quote from George Bernard Shaw, "The British and the Americans are two great peoples divided by a common tongue." I do actually like chuffed, but would not use it in the US. I have actually heard folks use gobsmacked in the US, but not often. Since I work with some British professors and students, I have picked up some of their terms and find myself using them in written communication even though it would feel odd to say them out loud.
I thot that was Churchill?
@@richardw3470 Churchill was recycling the quote.
We were behind the camera at American Viscountess and Mapperton Live, but you can now find us on our own channel here: th-cam.com/users/stephenandclaire
This was excellent! I was always wondering about those words, too. There are many British words that are so different from American. Telly for television. The car boot for the trunk. Windscreen for windshield, and many more. We all understand each other, but the words are different.
Burglarized is the same here in Boston!
I lived in England from the late 1990's to 2004 and learned a lot about the English way of speaking and what each word meant. Your youtube channel brings back all my happy memories of when I was there. Thank you Julie and Team it means a lot. Take Care. Allie. Bloomingdale GA
Thanks for sharing!
As a Canadian, we also use some of these words, but I knew what they all meant! 🇨🇦
Biscuit, in the UK that apparently refers to cookies where to me a biscuit is like a roll (i.e. Baking powder biscuits, cornmeal biscuits, etc.). Then there's the Boot. To me that's a thing you wear on your foot but in the UK the boot is part of the car. Very odd.
Burglarized, yes in Oregon, USA.
I adore British slang. "Chuffed "can also be proud. Learned that from Mary Berry. I grew up with Mom using "thick" for stupid. She also used "bloody".
I would agree that most of these sound better with an English accent. I do think there are some words that sound better with an American accent such as "badass".
In Massachusetts, US we say thick for stupid, Lol. My UK and Irish friends on FB taught me gobsmacked and I love that word but I’d never use it because people wouldn’t know what the heck I was saying.
I think in America we use the word "dense" in the same way as British use "thick".
The younger generation in America uses the word “thick” to describe a nice booty! Lol
"Cheers" is one that always fascinated me in the UK. In South Africa we use it to toast drinks or say goodbye. In the UK it's the cheery equivalent of "thank you" 😊
My husband and I both really enjoy your videos. We first saw you on your PBS series. We live in the USA in South Carolina. In the southern regions of the US load is use as often as lots. I have also heard the word burgled in reference to being burglarized. We would really enjoy more videos like this one where you compare and contrast languages, customs and anything of that nature. It is always fun to learn about different cultures. Feel free to compare and contrast other countries and / or regions of the UK as well. Happy New Year to you and your family.
burgled = 7 letters
burglarized = 11
An extra four letters to say the same thing. So much for American efficiency. 🤣🤣
You are by far the most entertaining American-U.K. culture channel.
Talking of gob, one used occasionally mainly by Irish people would be “gobshite”, someone who talks rubbish - and this one was used successfully once by Myleene Klasse on Countdown. As a tangent, shitehawk is another mainly Irish-used word meaning the same, from a juxtaposition of shite and talk, as in “he’s a shitehawk“ means he talks …. And no, as Dara O’Briain once observed on Mock the Week, it’s not a strange Irish hawk that craps on everyone!
One of my favorite Britishisms is 'bits and bobs", where in America we would say 'stuff" or 'things'. I didn't hear "thick" by itself for someone being stupid, I heard "thick in the head" or "dense", and instead of "gobsmacked" people used "poleaxed" (mostly older generation). Thank you for explaining 'naff'!
Lot of old tat
I like " bits and bobs" too!
We do use more and more “British” words in the US. Gobsmacked is one of them. Depends on where you live in the US I guess. I think Midwesterners just tend to be less pretentious.
Burgled was one of those words that I had to look up when I moved here.
“Bloody” would be considered a very mild swear word in Australia & often used as an alternative to much stronger language. However unlike most stronger words it is actually very offensive when the origin is known, which is “by Our Lady”. To “swear” means to take an oath, so it’s actually quite blasphemous in that usage though most would be unaware of this now - resulting in it being considered quite mild. “By God” or “ for God’s sake” are similar examples but the words aren’t rolled together so the words & origin as an oath are more obvious.
Modern overuse has watered these down. However knowing the origins I’m endeavouring to really cut down on my own usage.
“Bollocks” on the other hand is really coarse considering what it refers to and I wouldn’t ever use it in conversation. “Gobsmacked” isn’t offensive but I just really hate the sound of that word, it’s a pet peeve 😂
We’d say “burgled” in Australia, though some might say “burglarised”. “Naff” & “chuffed” would be rare here. We’d pronounce “ghastly” the English way. “Thick” and “stupid”, “lots” & “loads” are also interchangeable here.
I’ve never heard “bagsy”before, in Australia we’d say “bags” the same way to claim something.
Fascinating! 😀 I enjoy examining words like you all did together in your video.
I'm English. I agree 'bollocks' is coarse and she should be careful where she uses it. In the video 'bollocks' is described only as an expletive, but it also means rubbish or nonsense. In the first case it can be said when you drop something, for example, and in the second, 'What a load of bollocks', 'That story was bollocks' , 'You're talking bollocks' etc . I never use 'gobsmacked', as I too hate the sound of it.
There are a few more that are blasphemous in origin...."strewth" (commonly used in my father's day in London) from God's truth. "Blimey" or "gor, blimey" from May God blind me.
Cate Blanchette mentioned she was chuffed a couple of times when she was on Fallon this week.
I grew up in North Carolina and I can't remember a time when I didn't know what a gobstopper is. (Now 67.)
You would say " I have dibs" on the front seat if you want it in America. Thick is sometimes used in America so it would be understood if used here. Riding shotgun refers to riding on top of a stagecoach with the driver while holding a shotgun (riding in the front seat next to the driver) but is hardly ever used in the US today. I enjoy watching your videos.
I’m thankful for loads of British, Scottish and Irish FB friends who have enriched my vocabulary!! I still laugh when I read some of their words/descriptions but I love it!
Scots are British, the word is not a synonym for 'English', it just means anyone from the island of Great Britain. Originally the term was used by the Romans to describe the Welsh.
@@mikesaunders4775 maybe so, but if I called the Scots I know British, they’d not take to kindly to it! LOL
@@lisaknell1809 You'd be surprised how many English hate the term too.
Burgled sounds like something the hamburgler would do haha
I agree. When Julie said burgled my mind immediately went to a hamburger.
Fascinating! You are making me miss England
I have a friend who married a Brit and they live outside of Chicago. She uses the term "bloody" and at first I thought you're American why. lol It would be interesting (and sorry if you have, I'm new to the channel and have not watched everything!) if you and Luke or you, Stephen and Claire would have a similar video but with Midwestern words/slang.
My husband uses bloody as I think he got it from watching Monty Python or something.
In Canada we say burgled not burglarized. Another word Canadians will use occasionally is "Bloody" but I have only ever heard it used in the phrase "Bloody hell" and nowhere else. We have alot of British influence compared to the u.s, especially in our eastern provinces where I am from.
As someone in the US, for "thick" I would probably use "dense".....He's being thick, He's being dense.
We British also use the word dense but it implies a milder case of stupidity than thick. A dense person is one whose brain is not working well today. A thick person is one whose brain never works.
We use the word thick in the UK to emphasise the point that the person is dumb, as in the saying they are as thick as two short planks, or thick as a brick,or the not to pleasant phrase thick as shit- sorry folks.
Ghastly and chuffed are more what the upper or middle class would use something i myself have never used, in fact i dont believe any working class person would never use, although I could be mistaken.
Growing up in the mid-atlantic area, (Maryland) we grew up using quite a few of those "confusing" words, lol.
I’m American and I used “thick headed”. Maybe it’s just a regional thing?
Or “thick skulled”. Maybe it’s more old fashioned. Cause I got the phrase from a book.
Same.
Then of course there is “having. Thick head” which means hungover.
Bagsy is a new one to me. “Bags” I have heard a lot…..which translates as “a lot,”, as in “your house has bags of charm”. Enjoy your channel immensely.
I've heard that on a British show: "our house has bags of room".
@@surfingtheoceanoftheinterwebs I learned it from the U.K. real estate shows that I am obsessed with. Cheers!
Bagsy seems like us here in the states saying, Call it.
I bagsy that!
I call that!)))
P.S. I LOve the music You use in your videos. Can You please list the names of them at the bottom oI find them so inspirational, especially in the aerial shots/views
Sure will!
Thank You!)))
P.P.S.))) With the Incredible drone shots of Your land/The Land Of Mapperton)))lol with the Inspirational music You play, I plan on visiting one day and staying in that tent with That most Beautiful View You have on Your site and waking up to that Incredible view. I find it all SO Heavenly(Especially Your opening shot for Your show where Your sponsor is listed etc.)
That being said, I thought of a Fabulous Idea for You Guys to offer, if possible and it would give employment to another local(someone experienced n all of course)…Offer Hot Air Balloon Rides!))) I Would Definitely Pay For That!))) They could Even be offered in one of Your wedding packages etc. I’m Surrre people coming to see n enjoy the grounds(going on Your guided nature walks etc.)of Mapperton n interested in seeing more of the Rewilding going on n the Incredible Gardens would pay for That Ride n View Too!))))
Love You Guys!
Thank You for sharing Mapperton with us.)))
Julie, You are Too Funny!))) Thank You for making us laugh n getting the Happy Endorphins flowing through this pandemic.
Jacqueline
Greetings from cloudy & frigid Illinois!! Loved the video!! Please make more!
More to come!
@@AmericanViscountess can't wait!!
Bloody started out as By our Lady, meaning Mary the mother of Jesus. So, "bloody " is kind of disrespectful...depending..and "bollocks" refers to the part of the male body that comes in a pair.
Can you imagine someone exclaiming, “Oh TESTICLES!” when something goes wrong?
Your Highness, that was SOOO Funny and I learned "loads" from this episode of AV Vlog, Thanks!!