by Raelene Gorlinsky
The BBC News Magazine has an article on Britishisms that are becoming sorta common usage in the U.S. (or at least we are familiar with the terms and know what they mean, even if we don't all use them ourselves).
See the full article at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19929249 for definitions. But here are the words. Hmm, I don't think I've ever heard 'chav' or 'numpty'. But I realize I do hear and use many of the others.
autumn
bloody
bum
chav
cheeky
cheers
fancy
flat
frock
gap year
gobsmacked
holiday
innit
kit
knickers
loo
mate
mobile
muppet
numpty
pop over
proper
queue
roundabout
row
shag
skint
sussed
twit
wonky
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I had not realized that 'gobsmacked' was considered a British term. I was just talking this over with some friends yesterday. I've used that term since I was a child, but I'm from the US South, so perhaps it is a regional thing. I'd be curious if other Southerners use it?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I know what skint means?
skint means broke as in no dosh :)
ReplyDeletei probably use most of these words or hear them on a daily basis, apart from init. only chav's finish every statement with that.
I'm British and there's a few in that list I'd never use and and a few I've never heard used!
ReplyDeleteMy least favorite word is gobsmacked - it's the gob bit - because although gob means mouth, to gob means to spit in slang. Yuk.
I'm an Aussie and our speech is very much alike to the Brits. I've never heard of the terms "numpty" or "chav" either. Every other word in the list is pretty much text book in this country.
ReplyDeleteI live in the north of England where 'numpty' is used to mean 'idiot'. I've only ever heard it used in an affectionate or self-decprecating way.
ReplyDelete'Chav' is a relatively new term. It describes a type of person. I guess the closest equivalent might be 'trailer trash'. (I could be wrong, feel free to correct me)