I had this question when I was reading the Bridget Jones books - “Minstrels” are a kind of card candy, right? At first I thought they were a brand of cigarettes.
Dairy Box, Milk Tray and Quality Street are boxed chocolate candy, I’m guessing and there’s something called a Lion Bar.
I know there are more but I can’t think of them now…
Brits: Please define “wanker” and “wank” - in lots of movies. Is it just “homosexual” and “masturbate” or something more specific?
*Originally posted by eleanorigby *
As regards this list can I point out:
An anorak is generally a particular type fur-lined rainproof coat. pic (also a disparaging term for the obsessive pursuer of traditionally geek activities)
Burberry is a brand-name of a clothing company much loved of certain sections of British youth
and an electric fire may be either some form of bar heater or a faux flame-effect heater designed to be put in a real fireplace.
“Wanker” and “Wank” literally mean Mastubator and Masturbate respectively but have taken on metaphorical meanings related to these.
Any form of self aggrandising intellectualism or sophistry may be regarded as mental mazturbation or “a load of wank”.
Wanker is a good all-purpose insult.
Minstrels are like extra-large Smarties/M&Ms and the candy coating is brown.
Dairy Box and Milk Tray are boxed chocolates. You can get Quality Street in boxes, but the chocolates are loose inside the box - not in a little tray. However, they’re normally sold in a tin.
To add to confessorknight’s last post, wanker is a gender specific insult. You wouldn’t call a woman a wanker, though you might ask if you could watch.
I see on prieview that an answer has been given but,
A Wanker has nothing to do with homosexuality. It’s a derisory term for someone who in some way has not come up to your expectations (to put it mildly 
) eg. David Blunkett is a wanker.
And I see on preview that I can’t spell preview (even though I clicked on “Preview Post” to preview my post.
Smarties are also known as Sweetarts, which is a kind of sour/sweet small crunchy candy.
My SIL and her friend were over in England several years ago. Maybe you can tell me if the faux pas they committed are still as :eek: today.
They went into a pub and ordered pints. They were informed later that ladies don’t order pints, they order half-pints.
They met up with a couple of guys and later on asked if they could get a ride. Apparently that meant something different that a lift home.
The UK also doesn’t have doggie bags? Here, because the servings in sit-down restaurants are so huge, it’s not unusual to have the leftovers boxed up and brought home, called “doggie bags.” We also tip servers over here for restaurant service, something that isn’t as common over there?
subway: an underground passage for foot traffic
drinks party: cocktail party
leaving party: “last day” or retirement party
leavings: scraps (of a meal)
wally: nerd or geek
range: a line of products
stockist: places that sell those products
removals: moving and relocation services
interval: intermission
Spunk. In Britain, that means semen.
US - “I’m leery of…”
UK - “I’m wary of…”
US - leery = suspicious.
UK - leery (or lary or lairy) = sarcastic.
That makes that classic line from The Mary Tyler Moore Show even funnier:
Lou (to Mary): You’ve got spunk. I hate spunk.
(US) theater > (UK) theatre
(US) Movie theatre > (UK) Cinema (or ‘the flicks’, but that might be more international)
In my apartment (or “flat”), I have something on that order – it’s called a space heater in the USA.
In the UK, a saloon car isn’t assumed to be equipped with liquor – the term is equivalent to what Americans would call a sedan. Meanwhile, a station wagon on the roads of Indiana is an estate car if on the motorways of England.
Some spelling differences (USA first):
maneuver – manoeuvre
connection – connexion
encyclopedia – encyclopædia
tire (a rubber ring around a wheel) – tyre
plow – plough
That may have been strictly the case several decades ago, but unless the occasion is verging on the formal, nobody will normally bat an eyelid at a female pint-drinker.
Not all that common; most restaurants will do it if asked (and it’s probably quite commonplace in pizza restaurants, where the leftovers are whole, untouched slices), but yes, portion sizes in UK restaurants are usually the correct size to be eaten at a sitting; conspicuous oversizing of portions is pretty much synonymous with poor quality here.
Tipping is not as common here as I’m given to understand it is in the USA
Thought of another one:
US: emergency room
UK: casualty
I haven’t seen these posted yet;
US -> UK
talk show -> chat show
bathroom -> 'loo or WC (water closet)
cookie or cracker -> biscuit
How 'bout a translation from the English dopers.
What’s a brolly?
I’ve also never really understood the (former) British currency system. Shilling, pence, tuppence I understand, but what the heck is a quid or a bob? 
A brolly is an umbrella . Quid is slang for a pound and bob for a shilling
In the US a shag is a dance or seabird. In Britain it is a type of pipe tobacco.
Argh! Reading this thread makes my head kersplode!
I’m from the Maritimes, in Canada, and we’ve retained much of our UK heritage, but also adopted some US cutoms.
We have Cadbury chocolates of every type, Milk Tray, Quality Street (in tins!) etc. Smarties are chocolate, not this shite I find here in the US!
We say “shite”!
We say rubbish bins, take-away, duff, wanker, bum, arse, bloody (or blinkin’ in front of our grandmothers) etc. Bugger isn’t as innocent as Americans think it is!
I say “for certain”, and I go to “pubs”, and a stubborn child is a “wee stump”.
But my pants are trousers, but we sometimes call them trousers, too.
A sweater can be a heavy pullover or a cardigan.
I spell colour with a “U”, and recognise with an “s”.
We say zed, not zee!
And you know something? On top of all of that, I hear new and unusual stereotypes for being Canadian. I’ve never heard the word “hoser” until I came here. My FIL gave me a purple rubber duckie in my stocking this Christmas (oh, and stockings are socks!) and he says “I got you a purple one, because, you know, you’re Canadian.” Huh??
Cultures… clashing… head… asplodes.
Fancy a shag, love? 
