British slang that has crossed the Atlantic

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There are hundreds if not thousands of slang words and expressions that have crossed over from American to British English. What about the other way?

shag, wank and dodgy might be contenders - although I'm not sure Americans actually use these words.

― Jonathan Z., Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:47 (twenty-two years ago)

The entire English language to thread.

― NA (Nick A.), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

do any brits actually use "bloody" anymore? i think even american usage of that has tapered off out of sheer wrongness.

― bad jode (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

'bloody' = classic

― DG (D_To_The_G), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:53 (twenty-two years ago)

It's occasional overly-enthusiastic misapplication can make a country wince. I was reading a Chynna Clugston comic yesterday, and the amount of just-off-enough usage by her mod-fixated teenager was toecurling. I think I remember one of them encouraging another to "rock bloody on!"

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I use bloody.

― Jonathan Z., Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

bloody is used about as much as 'hello' and 'thankyou'

― pete b. (pete b.), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:58 (twenty-two years ago)

non-British people using 'cheers' other than as a toast: dud or fucking dud?

― Bryan (Bryan), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Australians use 'cheers' I think

― Jonathan Z., Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:04 (twenty-two years ago)

As do the Irish.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I think my dad's the last person in Britain to say 'cheerio' though

― DG (D_To_The_G), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I say that sometimes!

― Ricardo (RickyT), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Ok then, Americans and Canadians using 'cheers' other than as a toast...

― Bryan (Bryan), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"gay"

― Sam (chirombo), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Was 'gay' originally British? I didn't know that.

― Jonathan Z., Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:08 (twenty-two years ago)

'piss take' and its variants are probably gonna catch on here thanks to Jamie's Kitchen (a great show, btw).

― Bryan (Bryan), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Do Americans say 'pukka' yet?

― Jonathan Z., Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:10 (twenty-two years ago)

no pukkin way

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:12 (twenty-two years ago)

(I wasn't saying it's a good thing that saying "taking the piss", etc may catch on over here even though it's certainly an enjoyable phrase)
If someone said 'pukka' to me I'd almost certainly punch them even though I don't know wtf it means.

― Bryan (Bryan), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Bryan, you are a good man.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't it a varient of "pika," like everyone goes around saying "pukka pukka" in an extra cute voice.

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:17 (twenty-two years ago)

No one actually says 'pukka' apart from Jamie Oliver

― Jonathan Z., Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:19 (twenty-two years ago)

yes we do

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:34 (twenty-two years ago)

If someone said 'pukka' to me I'd almost certainly punch them even though I don't know wtf it means.

even a cute girl trying to kiss you?

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:34 (twenty-two years ago)

That would just never happen so I would assume she was a robot and punch her.

― Bryan (Bryan), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

robots need love too

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf100/f182/f182400oqpf.jpg

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I tried to get "gobshite" going over here, but I just got a bunch of raised eyebrows.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Unless there's something I'm missing, I think I can tell you with confidence that the only people in Canada or America that use "cheers" as anything other than a toast are horrible poseurs and probably worse. Cheers!

― antex1t, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

cheerio!!!!!!

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

guv'nah

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

m'lord

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

feck off ye cunts

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

T/S: British Speech or Mentally Retarded Speech?

sub-thread: Is there a difference?

― Dean Gulberry (deangulberry), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:19 (twenty-two years ago)

mentally retarded speech doesn't sound like hyper parrots

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:19 (twenty-two years ago)

these are used by Brits...but not used by Yanks: naff rubbish tripe nowt

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:20 (twenty-two years ago)

we use rubbish

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

We also use tripe.

― Dean Gulberry (deangulberry), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:22 (twenty-two years ago)

not in terms of using it to slag off music

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:22 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe, more for slagging off movies here

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

show me a yank of ilm/ or a blog ..that uses rubbish/ tripe to slate an artist

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

as in 'allo guvnah, that new ron howard movie's some tripe now innit?'

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:24 (twenty-two years ago)

blogs are for choads dj

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:25 (twenty-two years ago)

rubbish and tripe do tend to be used more by older people though

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:26 (twenty-two years ago)

"rubbish

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:32 (twenty-two years ago)

'wanksta'?

― dave q, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:36 (twenty-two years ago)

i said "crisps" yesterday, but i was in England

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 27 November 2003 00:07 (twenty-two years ago)

I regularly say "cheerio"

― Matt (Matt), Thursday, 27 November 2003 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

what about 'geezer?' I am in the US and just heard it used, I think, to refer a dude (a male) or any age, whereas previously I thought it was just a reference to an older dude. And then there's the whole Geezer Butler issue. Is that his real name anyway? Or just a nickname, like 'Dude Butler?'

― calstars (calstars), Thursday, 27 November 2003 01:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't even know "geezer" was British slang

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 27 November 2003 02:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 163 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Anyway back on topic, people in the US say 'posh' quite a lot and sometimes it makes sense and sometimes not. There's an online clothes store I look at quite often and it's always calling things 'posh' when it's just a skirt or something.

― kinder, Sunday, 21 August 2011 20:44 (fourteen years ago)

wish we brits could call stuff 'toney'

― old money entertainment (history mayne), Sunday, 21 August 2011 20:46 (fourteen years ago)

"Wicked" is pretty common in the States now, is it not? Though I believe it's mainly used as an intensifier rather than an adjective.

― Inevitable stupid samba mix (chap), Sunday, 21 August 2011 20:47 (fourteen years ago)

Someone laughed at my Welsh friend for saying 'brilliant' :(

― kinder, Sunday, 21 August 2011 20:48 (fourteen years ago)

I don't think Americans would use 'wicked' to modify another adjective unless they were consciously/ironically going for a Boston accent.

― boxall, Sunday, 21 August 2011 20:48 (fourteen years ago)

But that's a normal word.

xpost

― Inevitable stupid samba mix (chap), Sunday, 21 August 2011 20:49 (fourteen years ago)

'wicked' is pretty much a new england thing, but hardly recent

― elmo argonaut, Sunday, 21 August 2011 20:50 (fourteen years ago)

not to particularly defend ~traditional~ british cuisine but at least we don't seem to have the more perturbing neon additive variants of basic groceries eg froot loops

― lex pretend, Sunday, 21 August 2011 20:51 (fourteen years ago)

yeah I saw neon Cheerios here. Cheerios!

― kinder, Sunday, 21 August 2011 20:53 (fourteen years ago)

So what do you think of suet pudding?

― Can't Stop the Rop (seandalai), Sunday, 21 August 2011 21:04 (fourteen years ago)

as in, steak and kidney? suet pastry is great and would eat any pie or DUMPLINGS! made with.

― ledge, Sunday, 21 August 2011 22:09 (fourteen years ago)

Including that, but also ranging to sweet puddings like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_dick

I always think of steamed suet puddings as being the Englishest of foods, possibly for no good reason.

― Can't Stop the Rop (seandalai), Sunday, 21 August 2011 22:22 (fourteen years ago)

can't remember the last time i had spotted dick - if ever! this seems like a huge error on my part. i'm sure it is delicious.

― ledge, Sunday, 21 August 2011 22:26 (fourteen years ago)

what actually constitutes non-regional american cuisine? the sort of thing that alton brown spends two minutes apologising for whenever he shows you how to make it? -- green bean casserole?

― thomp, Sunday, 21 August 2011 22:35 (fourteen years ago)

http://www.poisonappleshirts.com/ohsofat/071508wendys1.jpg

― Countdown to Alma Cogan (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 21 August 2011 22:36 (fourteen years ago)

green bean casseroles et al, those things are almost always Midwestern in origin iirc

― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:05 (fourteen years ago)

yup. tho I've always been alarmed by how ~French~ the word "casserole" looks.

cf "booyah" getting served up by Lutheran church fundraisers.

― remembrance of schwings past (gbx), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:27 (fourteen years ago)

"Real" British cuisine is A++++ IMO, shame most British chefs don't know how to make it

― Lophar Andreusz DeLeone (admrl), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:30 (fourteen years ago)

This is obv something that irks me personally, but I wish Americans would retire all the shit about British food, teeth, whatever which hasn't really been the case for close to 30 years, and people in UK can stop calling Americans fat and ignorant (also deeply simplistic, of course)

― Lophar Andreusz DeLeone (admrl), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:34 (fourteen years ago)

I mean, get some new joeks

― Lophar Andreusz DeLeone (admrl), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:34 (fourteen years ago)

OTM

― Inevitable stupid samba mix (chap), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:35 (fourteen years ago)

you first

― remembrance of schwings past (gbx), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:36 (fourteen years ago)

It sounds like British cooking was made shit by the War and rationing, and took a long time to recover. But it has now.

― Inevitable stupid samba mix (chap), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:36 (fourteen years ago)

Also possible anti-French sentiment leading to distrust of "haute cuisine", although seemingly this hasn't hurt the US...

― Lophar Andreusz DeLeone (admrl), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:37 (fourteen years ago)

...who figured out how awesome everything tastes when u put sugar in/on it

― Lophar Andreusz DeLeone (admrl), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:38 (fourteen years ago)

joeks ;)

― Lophar Andreusz DeLeone (admrl), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:38 (fourteen years ago)

I hate yr teeth

― remembrance of schwings past (gbx), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:39 (fourteen years ago)

no really britain is a country with a preponderance in crap food guys

the teeth bit i find deeply irritating and weird, though

― thomp, Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:40 (fourteen years ago)

I think it has its basis in actual historical fact fwiw, something to do with the water supply

― Lophar Andreusz DeLeone (admrl), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:41 (fourteen years ago)

and rationing

― Lophar Andreusz DeLeone (admrl), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:41 (fourteen years ago)

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?1497848-Why-do-all-americans-think-the-British-have-bad-teeth

― buzza, Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:42 (fourteen years ago)

bad diet / the whole 'limey' thing

― thomp, Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:44 (fourteen years ago)

does the 'british people have bad teeth' meme predate americans having orthodontic treatment on a big-ish scale?

― old money entertainment (history mayne), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:46 (fourteen years ago)

yeah that's one of the aspects that i find curious about it

― thomp, Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:46 (fourteen years ago)

It's funny because many Americans don't seem to actually be able to afford dentistry. I have some friends who haven't been to one in years

― Lophar Andreusz DeLeone (admrl), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:47 (fourteen years ago)

but that's an upper-middle-class thing, right? like i suspect that americans actually do have better teeth in the income bracket $60k and up

ha xpost

― thomp, Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:47 (fourteen years ago)

You do not have to pay for NHS dental treatment if, when the treatment starts, you are:
aged under 18
under 19 and receiving full-time education
pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months
staying in an NHS hospital and your treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist
an NHS hospital dental service outpatient (however, you may have to pay for your dentures or bridges).
You also do not have to pay if, when the treatment starts, you are receiving:
Income Support
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Pension Credit guarantee credit
or
you are named on a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate or you are entitled to an NHS tax credit exemption certificate
you are named on a valid HC2 certificate

― thomp, Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:47 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slKNd22GGaQ

― Lophar Andreusz DeLeone (admrl), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:48 (fourteen years ago)

It sounds like British cooking was made shit by the War and rationing, and took a long time to recover. But it has now.

― Inevitable stupid samba mix (chap), Monday, August 22, 2011 12:36 AM (35 minutes ago) Bookmark

orwell reckoned the food was good pre-war, but that it never made it into restaurants, where they favoured faux-french and italian. guess we wanted something different when we went out? also seems to be of a piece with our anti-hospitality culture, closing pubs early etc. anyway, this essay does seem to predict st john, anchor and hope, dinner by heston etc:

http://orwell.ru/library/articles/cooking/english/e_dec

― joe, Monday, 22 August 2011 00:18 (fourteen years ago)

i think of britain as having amazing food but actually only cuz london offers so much cuisine from all over the world, ie not british

― lex pretend, Monday, 22 August 2011 00:40 (fourteen years ago)

Ginger (enough already)

― The Freewheelin' Rebecca Black (Eazy), Monday, 22 August 2011 00:48 (fourteen years ago)

― thomp, Sunday, August 21, 2011 11:47 PM (Yesterday)

well what this can mean is that we have 'quirky' teeth that are yet good and strong for eating and such. i don't think i know any brits who've gone hardcore cosmetic dentistry in the way that seems almost default for americans, though i do only know middle-class americans.

― Merdeyeux, Monday, 22 August 2011 01:50 (fourteen years ago)

has anyone ever dined at Simpson's on the Strand?

I am going to go there and have a nice dinner ALL ALONE

― homosexual II, Monday, 22 August 2011 03:11 (fourteen years ago)

Anyone who thinks British food is shit hasn't been there since 2003, imo
It's gotten, uh, LOADS better

― Ban or Astro-Ban? (Ówen P.), Monday, 22 August 2011 04:45 (fourteen years ago)

Also we have, yes, quirkier teeth than Americans ie normal person teeth which don't blind you with their radiance. Like fucking salt flats or something.

― Inevitable stupid samba mix (chap), Monday, 22 August 2011 05:36 (fourteen years ago)

The Orwell article starts We have heard a good deal of talk in recent years about the desirability of attracting foreign tourists to this country. It is well known that England’s two worst faults, from a foreign visitor’s point of view, are the gloom of our Sundays and the difficulty of buying a drink.

What does "the gloom of our Sundays" mean? Is it the same thing Morrissey sang about in "Every Day is Like Sunday"?

― weakness for Cinnabon; rampant heterosexuality (Je55e), Monday, 22 August 2011 16:18 (fourteen years ago)

sunday opening hours were highly restricted until very recently

― nakhchivan, Monday, 22 August 2011 16:24 (fourteen years ago)

also bylaws against unclouded sunday sun sunshine in some regions

― mark s, Monday, 22 August 2011 17:21 (fourteen years ago)

Flapjack (oat bar), a sweet bar made from oats and golden syrup in British cuisine

My god, I subsided on these when I lived in the UK when I was 19.

― Aziz Ansari & III (jaymc), Monday, 22 August 2011 17:31 (fourteen years ago)

*subsist, not subside

― Aziz Ansari & III (jaymc), Monday, 22 August 2011 17:31 (fourteen years ago)

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