Britishisms sneaking into American vernacular

[dhermann1]

Here's a good article from BBC News about British phrases that are creeping into American usage. interesting, and from my experience, accurate.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19670686

 

[m0nk]

Interesting, I didn't realize that some of the words and phrases that we commonly say these days originated across the pond... but I suppose with the prevalence of the Harry Potter books and movies (for those younger folks), and channels like BBC America (big Doctor Who fan here) we have more and more influence on our culture each year...

Of course, my mom lives over there, so I've picked things up from her too...

 

[LizzieMaine]

There are a lot of Britishisms that found their way into New England dialect, but are barely recognizable today. In Maine we call an innocent oafish teenager "gommy." Which is a Maine pronunciation for "Gormy," which is a corruption of "gormless."

I worked for a Brit for nine years, once impersonated her on a radio show when she had laryngitis with nobody ever getting the wiser, and still find myself using her phrases and spellings. It's a very insinuating language.

 

[Louise Anne]

I actually find that article bordering on insulting ever though it's on the BBC web site,
I am British and that's what I put down on any official documents for my nationality. I live in Great Britain but today we tend to use United Kingdom and I speak English
one of seven official languages of Britain, Not British however there are about 27 variations of English,

At college one of my best friends lived 30 miles away from me and he spoke one of these variation on English and even I had to ask him what some of the words he used meant

Some of the words in that article I would never use.
Ginger:- I would call a man ginger in reference to his hair colour, not a lady if I said a lady was Ginger then I see that as using it as insulting way to talk about a lady
Ginger as in the spice is the and any this like ginger bread would be the other use.

Twee , I cannot think that I have every used this,I know what it means see it as Scottish and would identity any one using it as Scottish.

If I go to Wales then I all the road signs have to be in Welsh with the English translation below. Scotland might go the same if it splits from the UK in a few years who knows.

Confused! So are we most of the time.

Then there is BBC English which they been told to phase out. That another long story

it looks like we all speak Indo-European English apposed to Celtic English.

P.S Twee is not even in my spell checker! Wee is,

 

[sheeplady]

I can't believe that "book a room" is not that common in the U.S. I've used it all my life.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

One of my favorite Briticisms is "dodgy" -- I use that one a lot.

 

[Louise Anne]

One of my favorite Briticisms is "dodgy" -- that's one I use a lot.

in what context?

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I would use it to describe, for example, a bad part of town. "The area is a bit dodgy."

 

[JonnyO]

I can't believe that "book a room" is not that common in the U.S. I've used it all my life.

Maybe it's a New York thing, I myself have used "book a room" or "book a hotel" etc my whole life as well.

 

[Paul Roerich]

I've always asked waiters to please bring me "the bill". Only recently did I realize that Americans tend to say "check, please" at restaurants.

 

[DJH]

As an Essex guy living in These United States, I try to do my part to spread British culture.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I never heard "book a room" around here. It was always "make reservations." Or even more often, "Hah, where you think you ah, the Riviera? Just show up, they got beds."

 

[vitanola]

As an Essex guy living in These United States, I try to do my part to spread British culture.

If you're an "Essex guy" why are you driving an Infiniti?

 

[DJH]

They had sold out of Xi3's

 

[Gregg Axley]

I never heard "book a room" around here.

Come down South Lizzie, I hear that quite often.
Especially in my family.

 

[sheeplady]

Maybe it's a New York thing, I myself have used "book a room" or "book a hotel" etc my whole life as well.

Yeah, I will need to ask my parents about this... I am pretty sure they use "book a room" being native up-staters. Reservations are for restaurants and shuttles. You book a room, a hotel, and reception halls.

I've seen food with a "sell-by-date" since I've been buying groceries. It's different than the expiration date. The ground meat I bought tonight has a "sell-by" date.

And "washing up" didn't refer to dishes, but in my family, washing up was what you did for dinner or when you woke up. I'd assume the rest of the country uses "washing up" like this?

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

As an Essex guy living in These United States, I try to do my part to spread British culture.

Not to be confused with an Essex Girl.


"What do you think of all that?"
"Rubbish!!!"
...Eric Morecambe, OBE

 

[MikeBravo]

I never heard "book a room" around here. It was always "make reservations." Or even more often, "Hah, where you think you ah, the Riviera? Just show up, they got beds."

I think I read the phrase the same way you did. When two people are being overly affectionate in public, they are told to "get a room" (the variation in Australia), meaning to go away and have sex.

Some others here read it as literally booking a hotel room/making a reservation when staying away from home. Must be how our minds work lol

 

[Louise Anne]

I would use it to describe, for example, a bad part of town. "The area is a bit dodgy."

That's one way it might use it , I am more likely to say "dodgy person" or to describe dodgy " wiring in a plug"

 

[JonnyO]

Yeah, I will need to ask my parents about this... I am pretty sure they use "book a room" being native up-staters. Reservations are for restaurants and shuttles. You book a room, a hotel, and reception halls.

I've seen food with a "sell-by-date" since I've been buying groceries. It's different than the expiration date. The ground meat I bought tonight has a "sell-by" date.

And "washing up" didn't refer to dishes, but in my family, washing up was what you did for dinner or when you woke up. I'd assume the rest of the country uses "washing up" like this?

"Reservation" is used in the same context over in the Albany area as well.

Our cold cuts from the local stores have "sell-by-dates" on them as well as the meat.

It's the same around here "wash up" is to clean yourself up, "clean up" would be to "clean up the dishes" after dinner.