British Sayings - What do they Really Mean?

Oh I watch that too..I watch older one's mostly. Coupling, The Office, and the newer lot didn't do much for me. Probably the newer Red Dwarf's, AbFab's are the most recent I've watched and liked. the brit Office is MUCH funnier than the US one...but it's so painful to watch...I just can't LOL.

B'asia is definately not daft...tell him he's daft...

AbFab is one of my fave shows...Daisy and Onslow are way too funny too...

I remember every Friday night it was "Are you being served?", followed by Keeping up Appearances then Red Dwarf and finally the Black Adder! My dad used to watch Faulty Towers as well but I couldn't get it in to it. 

I also use a lot of British sayings (thanks to my friends) but it sounds a lot better when some one British says them. Lol. 

Sometimes, I will get frozen fish and french fries, when I feel like cheating and just warming stuff up, but I will still call it fish and chips. Brits call fries chips and call what american refer to as chips as crisps.

Americans go to the bar for a beer. Brits go to the pub for a pint.

I can't remember but do Brits call darts snooker.

The brits spell differently, too. Theater is theatre. In the south, we say standing in line. In the northeast, they say standing on line. But the brits say standing on queue.

And this I found out from my friend who is from Manchester, England. American electricians refer to the electrical zero point as ground, usually, literally in the ground. Brits call it earth and earthing, as opposed to our ground and grounding.

I'm a huge fan of the Good Life, Dr Who, and, of course, the Masterpiece Theatre (specifically the Jane Austen).  I'm also a huge fan of Sharpe's Rifles and Sean Bean (YUM) despite it's huge variance from the Cornwell novels.

We're also definite Anglophiles around here--bogey and bum are two regulars.  My daughter does not know what a booger is.  Someday when debts are paid off we plan to move to the UK for at least one year, if not more.  We'd still be fish out of water, but at least we have an appreciation!  Gladly will we take ridicule from the natives for being foreign gits.
 

In the south, we say standing in line. In the northeast, they say standing on line.

If you mean like "standing in line at the grocery store," we say the same thing. Never heard anyone say standing on line...

I too love other accents... although I'm not sure if I like that south drawl or not.

At least here in Vermont, we tend to cut the g of of ing. So, "skiing" is "skiin' "... us native Vermonters anyway

ron2

Sometimes, I will get frozen fish and french fries, when I feel like cheating and just warming stuff up, but I will still call it fish and chips. Brits call fries chips and call what american refer to as chips as crisps.

Americans go to the bar for a beer. Brits go to the pub for a pint.

I can't remember but do Brits call darts snooker.

The brits spell differently, too. Theater is theatre. In the south, we say standing in line. In the northeast, they say standing on line. But the brits say standing on queue.

And this I found out from my friend who is from Manchester, England. American electricians refer to the electrical zero point as ground, usually, literally in the ground. Brits call it earth and earthing, as opposed to our ground and grounding.

 

Something that totaly threw me the first time I heard it was when our friend (also from Manchester, Ron) asked for a cigarette- he asked for a ***. 

micksmom

Something that totaly threw me the first time I heard it was when our friend (also from Manchester, Ron) asked for a cigarette- he asked for a ***. 

HAHAHA I know what that starred word is.....that always throws foreigners who are used to that word being employed differently.  

Unfortunately, some of our most amusing bits of slang are words I really shouldn't type here.  LOL.   

We say "standing in line"; "burger and fries", but "fish and chips"- all of the time.  We call our cops, police and what do English call them? (and why?)- "bobbie" (sp?)

In New England we may say for directions "go straight ahead" and I think they may say it differently in other parts of the country....

In Canada there is a lot of similarities to British tongue, and spellings.

When we travelled down south for the first time, my mother ordered an ice coffee, it was very hot July- think we were in Virginia and they didn't know what that was- mostly why i think, lol.  She asked to just bring a cup of ice with her coffee, thanks!

In Long Island words ending with ing get the g sound pronounced "ga" and in Portuguese people in areas near here the same !  It is not easy to change that habit either I guess.

Benedict

micksmom

Something that totaly threw me the first time I heard it was when our friend (also from Manchester, Ron) asked for a cigarette- he asked for a ***. 

 

HAHAHA I know what that starred word is.....that always throws foreigners who are used to that word being employed differently.  

Unfortunately, some of our most amusing bits of slang are words I really shouldn't type here.  LOL.   

Oops, I never even thought of it being sensored.  Glad "someone" is on the ball this morning.  It sure ain't me!  LOL 

LOL.  That word, and many others, are automatically censored by the software. :) 

I grew up in Canada but my folks had emmigrated there from N. Ireland.  My Mum (note spelling and pronunciation) would be on the phone trying to explain something and she would finally hand the phone to me and say "Sarah, translate for me!".  She always thought that was very funny, after the frustration had worn off.

One thing that my parents always corrected me about was saying "off of" something.  One "gets off their bike"  they don't "get off of their bike".

I love listening for accents and such...

keedokes

I'm a huge fan of the Good Life, Dr Who, and, of course, the Masterpiece Theatre (specifically the Jane Austen).  I'm also a huge fan of Sharpe's Rifles and Sean Bean

When I first met my husband, he'd watch the Brit-coms and Mystery! with me, and he'd constantly say, "What did they say?"  I watched it for so many years that my ear became accustomed to the accent.  I realized I watched way too much British television  when I called to order Thai food once, and I said to the person on the phone, "Yes, I'd like to order some take away -- oops, I mean take out, please." 

Davey would tell all of you he HAS no accent -- because everyone (near Dundee, Scotland) speaks the same way!!  Tis the Yanks who "murder the King's English" (note that's said by a Scot so it's all tongue in cheek ANYWAY)

"Turn left at the corner"

"Where, dear"

"AT the corner!"

"But ... dear ... tell me where to turn and I will"

"AT THE FRIGGING CORNER BEFORE WE'RE BY IT!!!"

"corner" = curve to a Brit

"corner" = INTERSECTION to an American *grin*

That one only took us FOUR YEARS of marraige to get to!!  LOL

"pants" to a Brit is 'underwear'.  to me they are slacks, jeans, or whatever but David absolutely dies if I ask him which pants he's wearing!  LOL Then he'll look sternly at me and say:

"Trou-sers ...!!!"

And I'll tell HIM no one has worn 'trousers' here since the 1930's -- and the only woman I've ever known who claimed to wear 'trousers' was Marlene Dietrich!!  Me?  black pants, brown pants ... jeans ... whatever ...

tons of them ...

keedokes

Dr Who, and, of course, the Masterpiece Theatre (specifically the Jane Austen). 

Love that.......also, check out Torchwood.........awesome.......