News: 30 of your Britishisms used by Americans

[FlyTexas]

30?? Cobblers!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19929249

Brian

[speedbird591]

Brilliant, Brian. Every one of those is in everyday use over here and seeing them displayed like that, I can see just how British they are and would be very cool in use in the USA. I hope you are learning them and popping them into conversations at every opportunity to show just how amazingly cool you are

Ian

[Paul K]

My American brother-in-law, who was based in the UK for many years, acquired a wide British-slang vocabulary. He still slips into it, and its fun to hear. Ah, the Yanks and the Limeys- we squabble about who did what in history, but Heaven forbid we ever stop being the best of friends.

[FlyTexas]

I hope you are learning them and popping them into conversations at every opportunity to show just how amazingly cool you are
Ian

Just the other day, while struggling with a computer issue, I found myself blurting out "Bull@cks!". Good thing nobody was around to hear it.

Ah, the Yanks and the Limeys- we squabble about who did what in history, but Heaven forbid we ever stop being the best of friends.

Hear, hear.

Brian

[WhisperJet]

Great Link! Thanks Brian!

Believe me I had many -Moments spending time at this very forum... "Crikey" for example... or "Bugger!"...

Cheers,

Nick

[airboatr]

I used one a while ago. You all might remember a thread on gin and tonic some time ago? Yeah well I was eating so many limes that when I wee'd it smelled like limes. When I put two and two together I exclaimed

Blimey I'm a limey!!

Started writing my dates down backwards and everything.

[speedbird591]

Blimey. Did you ever use my Gin and Tonic recipe? I still claim it's the best ever

Blimey is a contraction of the cockney expression 'cor blimey' or 'gor blimey' and they are contractions of 'god blind me'. As in 'God blind me if Mr Speedbird's gin and tonic ain't the finest wot I 'ave ever tasted!'

Jeez. I think I'm going as crazy as you, Joe

Ian

[FlyTexas]

Blimey I'm a limey!!

Started writing my dates down backwards and everything.

Just don't start driving on the wrong side of the road...especially after you've had a few of Speedbird's gin and tonics. A friend of mine just returned from holiday in Ireland...flying nonrev on American Airlines no less. His rental car had a manual transmission. Can you imagine driving on the other side of the road and shifting gears with your left hand? I couldn't do it.

Brian

[WhisperJet]

As in 'God blind me if Mr Speedbird's gin and tonic ain't the finest wot I 'ave ever tasted!'

So Ian, can you give me some background for "Crikey" as well...?

Cheers,

Nick

[speedbird591]

So Ian, can you give me some background for "Crikey" as well...?

Ah, no. I don't know the origin of that one, even though I use it a lot. Nowadays it's accepted as an important part of the vocabulary of our Australian cousins. In fact it makes up about a tenth of their non-swearing vocabulary.

However, I remember it from my childhood in Billy Bunter TV stories in the 50s about a fat (it was OK to laugh at fat people then) public schoolboy. Bearing in mind that in England, in this context, public means private. Honestly. Anyway, these posh kids would always be involved in some fun that ended up with Bunter being humiliated, intimidated, thrown in a pond etc. etc.

'Crikey, chaps, the fat owl of the remove has scoffed all the buns from the tuck shop! Let's debag the rotter!'

Ian