# Britishisms **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 24, 2004, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462 "2004-12-24T09:51:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/161 "2004-12-29T23:50:39Z")
In England, yob or yobs - boy(s) spelled backwards, meaning a hooligan…(I think) Something else kinda weird I’ve noticed is when talking plural and singular with spots teams. In US, we’d (or at least I) would say something like…“Green Bay _ **is** _ playing real well lately.” In England I’ve noticed it’ll be something like “Arsenal \*\*\*are \*\*\*playing really well lately.” The is vs. are. They also use he word 'Dearie" a lot. I was on the Tube when a woman had just left and forgot her purse(she was very hungover), a British gentleman picks it up and shouts out the door…“Oh Dearie, your purse.” ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/162 "2004-12-29T23:56:23Z")
Yum yum Parma Violets! Connexion is the correct British spelling, but no-one uses it any more, it’s a little archaic. “You’re having a laugh!” = “You cannot be serious!” Barley Water is made by soaking barley in water and straining it to remove the barley. It’s usually mixed with orange or lemon juice and sugar to make “lemon barley water” or “orange barley water”. It’s the sort of stuff you serve at children’s parties or elderly people enjoy after a game of bowls. It’s quite nice really, and just tastes of the lemon or orange. British and Irish people tend to say “I’d like” rather than " I want" and “may I” rather than “can I” when making requests, especially in shops. An American friend of mine kept complaining about the service he got in shops, and it turned out it was because he’d go in and say “I want X, I want Y, I want Z”. It might be alright back home (or he might just be rude and American shop assistants are more tolerant) but it appears demanding and impolite to shop assistants here. Do Americans have Dolly Mixtures and Liquorice Allsorts? Is it just the Irish who have Rock Shandy? I’ve never seen it in the UK, and don’t know about the US. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/163 "2004-12-30T00:27:40Z")
That reminds me…my mother was English, and when I was younger I let slip “bloody,” as in “bloody hell,” but I didn’t say “hell.” She about had a heart attack. What’s so bad about “bloody?” ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/164 "2004-12-30T00:32:47Z")
Thanks for the heads up on Barley Water–next time I’m in the UK, I’ll try it! If licorice all sorts are the green, pink and white licorice bags of squarish candies, then yes. Never heard of Rock Shandy, but I don’t drink much or to to bars. A Dolly mixture sounds vaguel obscene to me… I found that in addition to picking up some amalgam of a British accent within 2 days of being there (when I’m with my French friends, I take on their accent too–kinda scarey!), I found myself much more diffident and well, polite. I would phrase my needs in the form of a question, not a “demand”. So, I hear ya on the “I want” stuff. and how rude is bloody? or bollocks? I thought that bloody was fairly mild, but bollocks a bit more vulgar–no? ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/165 "2004-12-30T00:46:37Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > Oh and another that I haven’t seen (but may have missed) mention of: > > US: He’s in the hospital > UK: He’s in hospital. Refinement: “in hospital” refers to being admitted as a patient. “In the hospital” would be correct if you were just there, though I would also understand you perfectly well if you said a patient was ‘in the hospital’ I think. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/166 "2004-12-30T00:59:38Z")
Bloody is from Christ’s blood, but almost no-one remembers that anymore, so it’s a mild swear word, rather than the blasphemy it once was! Bollocks is something you could probably say in front of your parents, but not your grandparents. I like the Irish word “banjaxed”, meaning broken, faulty or exhausted…the sense of the word is the same as “f\*\*\*ed up” or “knackered”, but it’s a family friendly word you can use instead. Rock Shandy is a fizzy orange and lemon soft drink, made from real oranges and lemons (it’s got “bits” in it) and made by Club. Liquorice all sorts are those strange sweets made from layers of liquorice and fondant icing stuck together, with the occasinal one made from cocnut and liquorice. Not my favourite. Dolly Mixtures are similar, being made from fondant icing type stuf, but without the liqourice, and they put a few jelly gumdrop ones in to liven it up. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/167 "2004-12-30T01:04:31Z")
Sorry, I’ve been up for the last 36 hours straight. I was just supposed to be checking my emails before bed…apologies for the spelling and grammar, hangovers and tiredness are not friends of coherence. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/168 "2004-12-30T01:23:25Z")
Dolly Mixture is teh sex. Few more (US - UK): Cooties - the lurgy. Boogers - Bogies. I also seem to recall them being called crows when I was younger, but that may have been regional. Hokey Pokey - Hokey Cokey. There’s more actions as well. And Oh, little town of Bethlehem is sung to a different tune. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/169 "2004-12-30T01:31:39Z")
> [@Kal](#): > > Cooties - the lurgy. And yet another Eddie Izzard routine suddenly makes sense! ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/170 "2004-12-30T01:36:19Z")
> [@Kal](#): > > And Oh, little town of Bethlehem is sung to a different tune. And the UK melody is \*so \* much nicer than the US one. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/171 "2004-12-30T07:16:49Z")
> [@The Big Cheese](#): > > In England, yob or yobs - boy(s) spelled backwards, meaning a hooligan…(I think) > > Something else kinda weird I’ve noticed is when talking plural and singular with spots teams. In US, we’d (or at least I) would say something like…“Green Bay _ **is** _ playing real well lately.” In England I’ve noticed it’ll be something like “Arsenal \*\*\*are \*\*\*playing really well lately.” The is vs. are. > > They also use he word 'Dearie" a lot. I was on the Tube when a woman had just left and forgot her purse(she was very hungover), a British gentleman picks it up and shouts out the door…“Oh Dearie, your purse.” As I said above my dictionary defines yob as a lout or hooligan ( always male and young ). Regarding the dearie phrase , that depends where you live. Here in the East Midlands everyone says "duck " , further north it is “love” ---
**Author:** ![prisoner6655321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@prisoner6655321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prisoner6655321)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/172 "2004-12-30T09:59:29Z")
US: Standing in-line (or on-line if you are in NYC area) GB: Standing in a queue ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/173 "2004-12-30T10:52:29Z")
“Are you looking at my bird?” (US) - Are you admiring my parrot? “Are you looking at my bird?” (UK) - Do you want a fight? “Yob” is being partially replaced with “chav” at the moment - but this may well pass, as they aren’t exactly the same thing. Also 10.45am in the UK is a “quarter to eleven”. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/174 "2004-12-30T11:06:39Z")
US: Taking a piss = urinating UK: Taking the piss = messing with somebody, making sport ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/175 "2004-12-30T11:18:26Z")
My American friends all call coriander “cilantro” (or is that spelled with an “s”?). As much as I would love to go into “Irish-isms” with Irishgirl, I think they merit their own thread. Irish grammar is lovely and wild in particular. It often takes grammatical constructions from the Irish language which makes it really interesting and often confusing for newcomers. As for the old “fanny” confusion. My friend’s (American) mother, who is fairly elderly, once said after a long drive in the car: “Oh my, I’ve got fanny fatigue!”. Hysteria all round in the car, quickly followed by the advice that she’d better re-phrase that talking to Irish people. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/176 "2004-12-30T12:47:07Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > As I said above my dictionary defines yob as a lout or hooligan ( always male and young ). > > Regarding the dearie phrase , that depends where you live. Here in the East Midlands everyone says "duck " , further north it is “love” In the West country it’s ‘my lover’, or as the milkman used to say to me every day: “Good morrrrning, moy luvvvvvvurrrrr”. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/177 "2004-12-30T13:57:18Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Also 10.45am in the UK is a “quarter to eleven”. Just out of curiosity, what do you think it is over here? ---
**Author:** ![Sassafras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@Sassafras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassafras)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/178 "2004-12-30T13:58:27Z")
I have often heard the expression “ta” = what does that mean?At first I thought it was “thank you” , but I have heard in used in films where saying " thank you" didn’t make any sense. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/179 "2004-12-30T14:06:54Z")
> [@Sassafras](#): > > I have often heard the expression “ta” = what does that mean?At first I thought it was “thank you” , but I have heard in used in films where saying " thank you" didn’t make any sense. Yep, it’s ‘thank you’. What context did you hear it in that this didn’t make sense? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462/180 "2004-12-30T14:10:06Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > Just out of curiosity, what do you think it is over here? " a quarter of eleven" [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishisms/281462.md?page=10)