# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2015, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/81 "2015-07-22T12:31:31Z")
“Nick” referring to an action well short of outright thievery. I hope that’s what it means. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2015, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/82 "2015-07-22T12:46:09Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > “Nick” referring to an action well short of outright thievery. I hope that’s what it means. It does. If you wanted to go full Cockney you could also go for “half inch” (pronounced “ar-finch”) as rhyming slang for “pinch”. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2015, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/83 "2015-07-22T13:00:42Z")
I’m old school…I prefer “filched”, or even “pilfered”. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2015, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/84 "2015-07-22T13:05:37Z")
Or there’s “scrumping”, which is pretty specialised as it refers to stealing fruit (apples, usually). ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/85 "2015-07-22T15:35:40Z")
I use: Petrol, bugger that, nicked, knackered on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![OffByOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/45deac/32.png) [@OffByOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OffByOne)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/86 "2015-07-22T19:25:46Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > I use “bloody” where I’d like to say “fucking” or “goddam” but children are present. > > However, if you pronounce “schedule” as “shedule” instead of “skedule”, I think you’re full of skit. > > (stolen from Dorothy Parker.) I have heard that when Eisenhower and Churchill were planning the invasion of France, Churchill said “shedule”, while Ike said “skedule”. Churchill asked Ike where he learned to mispronounce that word. Ike answered, “In shool.” ---
**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 22, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/87 "2015-07-22T19:31:37Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > Or there’s “scrumping”, which is pretty specialised as it refers to stealing fruit (apples, usually). Yes, I’ve seen that in stories. Usually a young woman doing the scrumping, and the old man who owns the orchard catches her, and gives her a perfectly hellacious bare-bottomed spanking. Shit, I’ve been getting TOO British. ---
**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 22, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/88 "2015-07-22T19:33:34Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I use the words “rubbish” and “bollocks” pretty often. My pub trivia team is named The Dog’s Bollocks, because my teammate is from England. Was going to mention this. “That’s a load of BALLS.” Or “That’s a load of old balls.” Or substitute “bollocks.” Americans don’t use testicles enough in our slang. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/89 "2015-07-22T19:55:29Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Americans don’t use testicles enough in our slang. There’s the slightly archaic “He’s a right plum”, and the very much current Scottish “bawbag”. The latter is more scrotal, though. ---
**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 22, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/90 "2015-07-22T19:56:23Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Americans don’t use testicles enough in our slang. To the German Commander. NUTS! The American Commander ---
**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 22, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/91 "2015-07-22T19:58:46Z")
[RAF banter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rKYL0tW-Ek) ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/92 "2015-07-22T20:05:08Z")
not seeing enough love for ‘you WANKER!’ /OI! ---
**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 22, 2015, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/93 "2015-07-22T20:42:39Z")
I will say that upon further examination my Britishisms tend to drift into Discisms as well. Especially when things go wahoonie-shaped. ---
**Author:** ![Majestic\_Lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Majestic\_Lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Majestic_Lee)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/94 "2015-07-22T21:02:58Z")
Anyone mentioned the word “Khazi” yet? Especially when pronounced in the style of Wilfrid Brambell in the 60s/70s UK show “Steptoe and Son”. (Which is absolutely full of “Britishisms”). Khazi by the way is a bog/toilet/lavatory… ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/95 "2015-07-22T22:53:01Z")
Mate. Brit or Oz? ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/96 "2015-07-22T23:02:36Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Mate. > > Brit or Oz? British, obviously. Prison dodgers would know an original term if it punched them in the mush. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2015, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/97 "2015-07-22T23:14:05Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > British, obviously. Prison dodgers would know an original term if it punched them in the mush. Eh, she’ll be right, mate. ---
**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 23, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/98 "2015-07-23T00:33:09Z")
On the other hand not too many Americans are going to say that they “knocked up” a woman when they mean they visited her. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/99 "2015-07-23T01:17:23Z")
I visit the 'loo a few times a day. I buy petrol then park my car in the GEHR-aj. I go on holiday a few times a year. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626/100 "2015-07-23T03:05:16Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Comes from watching a lot of BBC I suppose but I find myself adopting British usages for a few things: > > How about you? Comes from reading a lot of British authors: I used to spell things British. Spellcheck has basically eliminated that. I made Yorkshire pudding after reading about it so much in James Harriot’s books. (Didn’t care for. But can see why it’s popular in poor farming families as it’s very dense and filling.) Have crackers at Christmas. Probably comes from a combination of reading and watching some British programs: I use some British slang like knackered, chuffed, twat (as an obnoxious person, not a vagina), bloody, boff etc. Comes from a British friend who bought me a can of Orange Peko tea (loose leaf, of course) and instructed me how to make it: I preheat the teapot with boiling water, then dump the water before I steep my tea in more boiling water. I only use milk and sugar at my tea and give people strange looks when they ask for honey. I certainly don’t pronounce anything British unless it’s a British name and that would be the correct way of saying it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms-ive-adopted/725626.md?page=6)