# What do these Britishisms mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 29, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-britishisms-mean/515623 "2009-10-29T16:32:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-britishisms-mean/515623/121 "2009-11-03T14:00:37Z")
> [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](#): > > Well, well, my apologies for any offense - as far as I’ve heard it used it means “let’s have a look” - yet I can find no reference to it at all other than as a derogatory term for Jew, or a cockney cake! Obviously I’ve only used it in the “have a gander” sense. Wonder where I got it from then, I thought it was London. I wonder if you’re thinking of [“keek”,](http://www.answers.com/topic/keek) or a variation of it. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-britishisms-mean/515623/122 "2009-11-04T00:16:55Z")
Is there someone in this thread who has spent considerable time in both America and Britain who can help me out on this one? In 10th grade a Brit moved to our school, and he indicated that “bloody” was likely to get a scolding from your mother. I’ve since seen it on numerous British tv shows, but given that only F and C seem to be permanently banned from British tv, this is not much of an indicator. On Top Gear, when Jeremy hits Richard’s pedal Porsche with his kiddie electric Jeep, Richard says, “Oh, bloody hell.” So that’s left in the broadcast, but Jeremy says, “No, we can’t swear, mate.” Richard looks chastened and apologizes. I just can’t slot “bloody” into the American list of bad words. Here it’s just not on the list, like some pidgin swear word from Singapore wouldn’t be on yours. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-britishisms-mean/515623/123 "2009-11-04T00:24:59Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > Is there someone in this thread who has spent considerable time in both America and Britain who can help me out on this one? Sure thing. > [@](#): > > In 10th grade a Brit moved to our school, and he indicated that “bloody” was likely to get a scolding from your mother. He is correct; I would never have said it in front of my mother. > [@](#): > > given that only F and C seem to be permanently banned from British tv. Not so - both can be heard, although C is much rarer, after the 9PM watershed. > [@](#): > > I just can’t slot “bloody” into the American list of bad words. Here it’s just not on the list, like some pidgin swear word from Singapore wouldn’t be on yours. Some go the other way. Ass(hole) translated to arse(hole), damn, goddamn are all worse in the US than Britain. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-britishisms-mean/515623/124 "2009-11-05T02:40:30Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Ginger people have hair the colour of [Ginger nuts](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_nut). And nut is British slang for head. Do they look reddish in person? Because they’re brown in that picture. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-britishisms-mean/515623.md?page=6)