# What Britishisms most baffle Americans? What Americanisms most baffle Brits? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 18, 2024, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941 "2024-10-18T08:53:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 62
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1221 "2025-06-06T03:06:46Z")
The City of London is a really tiny and specific part of Greater London. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1222 "2025-06-06T06:20:22Z")
That’s true, but it’s also not the only sense of _city_ that people operate on, with respect to London ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1223 "2025-06-06T06:21:40Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > This one is slightly different in US dialects (IME) - you don’t go _to_ town, you go _into_ town. > > We also say “go to town,” but only as a metaphor for doing something very enthusiastically and thoroughly - “I really went to town on that rack of ribs!” As a Brit I would use both of those as you do. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1224 "2025-06-06T06:32:53Z")
That often seems to be the case with anything where terminology is being compared - for example people might say “Oh, Brits call them _prawns_, not shrimp” - no, actually, we use both terms. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1225 "2025-06-06T08:32:28Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Do people living in outer sections of London refer to “going into the city” when they travel to central London? For the posh Home Counties set the phrase is “going up to town” at which point they will be “up in town”. “Town” is always London, they would be going “to” e.g. Edinburgh for the Festival. For a young working class mixed-race kid from Peckham (outer London) I believe it would be “going into London” but there comes a time in a white middle-aged Scot’s life when he has to admit he is not an authority on the vernacular of young working class mixed-race kids from Peckham. Being “in London” generally means a fairly tightly defined bit of central London which includes the City of London and also e.g. Soho, Mayfair, Westminster but doesn’t include areas that are within the central Tube zone 1 e.g. Vauxhall, Pimlico. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1226 "2025-06-06T12:01:48Z")
There is also “up West”, meaning the West End (anywhere between, say, Hyde Park and Covent Garden) for shopping and/or nightlife. Though there are plenty of other options elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1227 "2025-06-06T12:48:26Z")
As opposed to **[Down East](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_East)**. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1228 "2025-06-07T02:22:31Z")
In the States, at least the lower/ contiguous 48, it’s nearly universal that you travel and refer to “out west” and “back east.” ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1229 "2025-06-07T06:59:57Z")
In speaking of England more widely, we do occasionally say “up north” and “down south”. Somehow, east and west don’t feature in the same way. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1230 "2025-06-07T10:18:52Z")
Maybe because we have the “north/south divide” and not an “east/west” divide. Plus the country is much longer north/south than east/west when you take the whole of the UK into account. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1231 "2025-06-11T02:30:58Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Yes, it’s in that area of difference - the old usage “I would be much obliged if you would..” (i e , I will owe you a favour in return), as opposed to some legal/contractual constraint (perhaps also implying that’s it’s unwelcome). I always thought that “much obliged” was a fancy way of saying thank you. Not that I know anyone who says “much obliged”. ---
**Author:** ![yendis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ed8c4c/32.png) [@yendis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yendis)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1232 "2025-06-11T12:35:01Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > In speaking of England more widely, we do occasionally say “up north” and “down south”. Somehow, east and west don’t feature in the same way. As an immigrant in the UK I always find it amusing that there are roadsigns saying The NORTH, or The SOUTH, in all-caps, if you are foolish enough to drive away from London along certain routes. They’re a final plaintive warning before you leave the safety of the M25. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1233 "2025-06-11T13:47:14Z")
There be dragons. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1234 "2025-06-11T14:31:32Z")
No, they are WEST. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1235 "2025-06-11T16:46:18Z")
> I always find it amusing that there are roadsigns saying The NORTH, or The SOUTH, in all-caps, if you are foolish enough to drive away from London along certain routes. They’re a final plaintive warning [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PT0ay9u1gg4/hqdefault.jpg "Northerner terrifies Londoners by saying "Hello"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT0ay9u1gg4) ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1236 "2025-06-11T19:21:13Z")
I have seen that 1000 times and it’s still funny. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1237 "2025-06-12T01:09:33Z")
That could easily be an _Almost Live_ sketch about Seattle. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/1238 "2025-06-12T11:51:58Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > For a young working class mixed-race kid from Peckham (outer London) I believe it would be “going into London” but there comes a time in a white middle-aged Scot’s life when he has to admit he is not an authority on the vernacular of young working class mixed-race kids from Peckham. > > Being “in London” generally means a fairly tightly defined bit of central London which includes the City of London and also e.g. Soho, Mayfair, Westminster but doesn’t include areas that are within the central Tube zone 1 e.g. Vauxhall, Pimlico. No, I lived in London for many years and this isn’t how we’d describe going into Central London - we’d say ‘I need to go into town’ or ‘I need to go to the West End/City’. The descriptor ‘London’ describes everything inside the M25. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941.md?page=61)