# Britishisms I've adopted **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 19, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626 "2015-07-19T18:20:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/1 "2015-07-19T18:20:58Z")
Comes from watching a lot of BBC I suppose but I find myself adopting British usages for a few things: [ul] [li]Saying Aunt as in awe-nt simply to distinguish it from ant[/li][li]Pronouncing a building where cars are parked a GAR-age.[/li][li]Both i’s short in pri-vi-cy[/li][li]I’ve even a couple of times called it a Lift instead of an Elevator.[/li][/ul] How about you? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/2 "2015-07-19T18:37:41Z")
I learned to spell ‘litre’ when I was five years old, from the [badge](http://image.mustangandfords.com/f/8748665+w620+re0/a162567_large%2B1966_ford_galaxie_7_litre%2Bemblem.jpg) on my dad’s Ford Galaxie 500. I’ve preferred British spelling since at least high school at the latest, and my classmates I’m still in touch with use it too. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/3 "2015-07-19T19:11:20Z")
Do any Americans pronounce the ‘h’ in ‘herbs’? I assume the silent h is from French influence on American English. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/4 "2015-07-19T19:14:48Z")
A lot of my milder profanity is British. I also tend to hold my eating utensils in a British (European) manner. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/5 "2015-07-19T19:39:35Z")
Rogered by an omnibus. (Black Adder, I think.) As in: You look like you’ve been rogered by an omnibus. I feel like I’ve been. . . . You’ve just been. . . . I was. . . . Rogered by an omnibus, were you? ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/6 "2015-07-19T20:04:00Z")
> [@Staggerlee](#): > > Do any Americans pronounce the ‘h’ in ‘herbs’? I assume the silent h is from French influence on American English. > [@Eddie Izzard](#): > > “You say ‘erbs, and we say herbs… because there’s a fucking ‘h’ in it!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/7 "2015-07-19T21:47:21Z")
The short “i” in privacy. Recce (“Rekky”) for reconnoiter (or reconnoitre!) “Chance your arm.” Hospital (not “the hospital.”) (“Jack got hurt; he’s in hospital now.”) “In future.” (Not “the future.”) “Rules okay.” (Heh! 1970’s Britishism!) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/8 "2015-07-19T21:52:24Z")
The word “dodgy.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/9 "2015-07-19T22:04:24Z")
Just to be clear, you guys have purposely adopted Britishism even though you are Americans living in the US? Really??? I may have picked up a few back when I was spending a lot of time in the UK, but I’m having a hard time understanding how you pick up different pronunciations of things when you don’t live where those pronunciations are common. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/10 "2015-07-19T22:06:05Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Rogered by an omnibus. (Black Adder, I think.) Yes, I enjoy “rogering” as well. Also “snogging,” which usually leads to “rogering.” And “boffin.” I don’t get chances to use it very often, but it is SO much fun to say. Boffin. Boffin! BOFFIN!!! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/11 "2015-07-19T22:09:04Z")
I’ve recently picked up the British usage of “pants” meaning underwear, as opposed to “trousers”. I only use this usage in my head, as it would cause great confusion were it let out into the wild. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/12 "2015-07-19T22:10:39Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Just to be clear, you guys have purposely adopted Britishism even though you are Americans living in the US? Really??? > > I may have picked up a few back when I was spending a lot of time in the UK, but I’m having a hard time understanding how you pick up different pronunciations of things when you don’t live where those pronunciations are common. It stamps us as pretentious dickwads!!! It’s great fun! Join us! Say “Bob’s your uncle!” a half-dozen times over the course of an evening, and you too can be heartily punched in the face by irritated companions! BOFFIN! ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/13 "2015-07-19T22:14:21Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Just to be clear, you guys have purposely adopted Britishism even though you are Americans living in the US? Really???. I know. It’s almost as affectatious as adopting not only the singing voice but the lifestyle of African American Delta Blues musicians. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/14 "2015-07-19T22:21:10Z")
I’ve picked up a few from watching so much football. (Starting with that.) I also say things like “Arsenal are in the lead,” or “England are going to be stronger in the next WWC.” It just makes much more sense to me that a collective noun takes a plural verb form. This usage mostly only applies for me when speaking of sports, though, never about international politics for example, so I’m not 100% consistent. Although I do say “the faculty are” and “the data are” as well. I say “pitch” when speaking about football; also I use “nil” (as in, “One-nil to the Arsenal!”) as well as “touch-line,” etc., and “rubbish,” among other terms and football slang from England English. Not “bloody” or “bollocks,” though; such usage seems too affected even for me. I call the letter z “zed.” I adore tea time. Tea is civilized. As you can see, I still prefer American spellings, though. Especially those that use zed. ETA: “Snog” is one of the pet names my wife and I use for each other, obviously coming from British slang. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/15 "2015-07-19T22:26:27Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > I’ve picked up a few from watching so much football. (Starting with that.) I also say things like “Arsenal are in the lead,” or “England are going to be stronger in the next WWC.” It just makes much more sense to me that a collective noun takes a plural verb form. This usage mostly only applies for me when speaking of sports, though, never about international politics for example, so I’m not 100% consistent. Although I do say “the faculty are” and “the data are” as well. > > I say “pitch” when speaking about football; also I use “nil” (as in, “One-nil to the Arsenal!”) as well as “touch-line,” etc., and “rubbish,” among other terms and football slang from England English. Not “bloody” or “bollocks,” though; such usage seems too affected even for me. I have to admit that I saw an absolutely brilliant football match the other day! ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/16 "2015-07-19T22:27:21Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I have to admit that I saw an absolutely brilliant football match the other day! Exactly! (Which one? USA v. Japan?) ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/17 "2015-07-19T22:27:31Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The word “dodgy.” This. I’m pretty sure I was using that word before I realized it was supposed to be a Britishism. I was talking to a girl online from Australia, she was surprised that we (Americans) refer to bars as pubs. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/18 "2015-07-19T22:29:21Z")
Yes, I’ve picked up the word “dodgy” as well. As in, “Liverpool’s defense have been a bit dodgy of late.” ETA: And I like many Americans prefer pubs to bars. ---
**Author:** ![Grey\_area](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Grey\_area](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey_area)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/19 "2015-07-19T22:33:40Z")
“Innit” for “isn’t it.” Easier to say and I’m lazy. Among close friends, I say fuckoff, which isn’t necessarily British, but Americans tend to enunciate the individual words more, which I don’t. Again, probably because I’m lazy. For the British spelling of “gray/grey” in my username, a part of my schooling was in Canada so I sometimes I get confused with the spelling of some words if it’s not the usual o/ou, like favo(u)r. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/20 "2015-07-19T22:44:26Z")
Occasionally I’ll drop in this one, in appropriate accent: “Let’s drop in to see the old boy and have a bit of a chin-wag”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626.md?page=2)