I laughed so hard when i first heard my American cousin use this word " Hey Iona you have been sat on your Fanny all day " As then a young brit I almost fell of my chair
Got a bit mixed up in a Hotel in San Francisco. Our room was not ready so pointed to the restroom sign and told the desk clerk we'll just wait in there, imagining armchairs and a TV. Woops
Oh that is adorable! Very funny! Thanks for sharing ;-) Do you get mixed up with floors as well? The whole "2nd floor is 3rd floor" thing is massively confusing! But good on you for visiting San Fran. One of the best American cities to visit! Cheers! XX Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravels Have to say, just got off a plane from Heathrow. The floor thing is already sorted out. Must be more perplexing for our American cousins climbing one floor extra and having to come down one. "Vive la difference"
another funny addition is that "pet" is oddly used as a term of endearment in northern counties, namely Yorkshire such as "no worries pet" - often used in informal exchanges. Interesting when we think of the other, very opposite meaning it has!
Yes, when I filmed this video four years ago I had never watched an episode of Vera. But now I have binge watched all of them, and I'm very familiar with the term of endearment "Pet!"
Pet as an endearment is more associated with Geordies, at least it is in my mind. In fact there was a TV comedy drama series about a gang of building workers, mostly Geordies (i.e. men from Newcastle or the area around it) working in Germany and its title was "Auf Wiedersen Pet." Of course Vera is a portrayal of a Geordie detective from around the Newcastle area, too.
Can I just say, as an English person, that 99% of British people know exactly what the American terms for these items are, so you won’t shock anybody if you speak ‘American’ in the UK. After all, we were all brought up on American films and TV shows - so we’re all completely familiar with the way you speak.
Magenta Otter Travels As for lavatorial terms, I think that most Brits are amused by the terms ‘restroom’ - a room with no couch or bed, or ‘bathroom’ - a room with no bath. In the UK you can safely use ladies/gents, toilet, lavatory, loo, WC (a bit old fashioned) or even bog. They will all be understood, even in the politest company, and you will be directed appropriately. We tend to call a spade a spade.
Steve Young I agree with you. And once I saw things from an outside perspective, I can see where the words restroom and bathroom are strange for a public toilet! However, as a tourist who goes to hotels, restaurants, or other tourist sites, we often encounter people working there who don’t speak English as a first language. I have found that many of them are definitely confused when you say restroom... so I have better success just saying “toilet” 😉
Doesn't mean we won't take a great deal of pleasure in deliberately misunderstanding, then explaining in detail to the Americans' embarrassment - and then, so long as you take it in good humour, maybe even buy you a drink afterwards for being a good sport.
Another great video, Dara. Fun to listen. You explain things very clearly. Thanks especially for the ‘England v Great Britain v United Kingdom’ part. It’s no wonder though that even we Brits get it wrong - and we don’t help the rest of the world - when we have a team in the Olympics called ‘Great Britain’ that includes Northern Ireland, and we have an ‘England’ Cricket team (that won the World Cup last year !) that represents Wales as well !
It's funny how in Oz and Canada they use a mixture of British and American terms for lots of things. I'm always interested to hear what they choose from where ;-)
I find it tedious when visitors say theyre going to England ..but then just go to London..not venturing beyond the M25.. I just wish they would go to a place in England other than London if they say it.. We’ve heard it a million times,and you think…oh they mean just London i suppose..
This was brilliant!! "I don't like to wear pant, I just like to wear a skirt" made me laugh out loud! I didn't understand why Americans used the word "period" like that for the longest time and always thought it was a strange way to use the word. Until I started teaching ESL in America then I was like "ohhhhhh I get it now!" Glad we found each other's channels - new subscribers here!
Brit Girls Go Stateside yes it’s fun to watch things from each other’s perspectives! I am normally in Texas, but in Gloucestershire at the moment. Where are you from in the UK, and what state do you live in now?
4:00 It is a commonly believed myth that soccer is the American word for association football. In fact, the word soccer was in everyday use in Britain in the 1960's and 1970's. I remember it well. Look at any magazine or annual from the period to confirm.
In the UK the word period can also be used as a word for a section of time like time period. When I was at high school in Scotland classes were referred to as periods.
Otters are the cutest animals, full stop!! Well, otters and cats! Otters are basically water cats! 😹😹 I still say pants when I mean trousers and now, on occasions, Mr. Editor will say pants instead to trousers too! My Canadian has rubbed off on him! 😹😹
Glad to see you are having that influence 😂… the cutest otter videos I have are of my visit to an otter sanctuary where I got to hand feed the darlings! ruclips.net/video/VWBYwO_wzwQ/видео.html
Association Football is what you refer to as soccer, there's also rugby football which has two codes, league and union which are played with similar oval shaped balls as American football although they're larger and you can't pass the ball forward unless you're kicking it, in the north we sometimes say pants meaning trousers, there are so many variations of words in the UK
Aye, I’ve learnt a lot of those differences now that I’ve spent 2 summers living in Gloucestershire and travelling to Northumberland, Durham and Scotland. Americans don’t really know the subtleties, but there are many words (and pronunciations!) with a distinct North/South divide! Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment. Cheers! Dara
The odd thing about 'soccer' is that it's a British word. It appeared in the 19th century in public (i.e., private) schools as part of a two-term way of distinguishing Rugby Football (Rugger) from Association Football (Soccer).
@@MagentaOtterTravels No, but 'soccer' was always a term that was around when I was growing up in 1950s England, though 'football' was probably more common.
This was one of the VERY FIRST videos I filmed when I started my channel 4 years ago! But since then I have binge watched every single episode of Vera... so yes, I know "Pet" well! If you haven't seen my Newcastle video I hope you check it out! ;-) Cheers! Dara
Ok, so here I am checking out your channel, and I chose this video! I have never had any ambition to travel abroad, however lately, I am "starting" to get this fascination with possibly traveling to London. Maybe it's the "Ted Lasso" effect. Our favorite music artists/label is headquartered in London, so if we were ever to make the jaunt across the Atlantic, it would be for a music event which would also require some touristy things to do. Along with the difference in slang, I did learn that Ireland is not a part of the United Kingdom. Did not know. I guess I can google that. Cheers! 🥤
@@MagentaOtterTravels It's Trance/EDM/Progressive House label called Anjunabeats/Anjuadeep, and specifically, "Above & Beyond" and all their artists under those labels.
If you ever make it across to the UK don't limit yourselves to London. There are many more beautiful and interesting places to visit. We have wonderful towns, cities, countryside and coastal areas to visit.
Pants means trousers/jeans in northern England. And you shouldn't just ask, "Where's the loo?" In someone's home unless you know them really well. It's better to ask, "Could I please use your loo?" That reminds me that an English friend of mine advised me not to place orders in shops or restaurants. The customer is king in America but in the UK customers are viewed more as pests. So to get good service don't say "Gimme this" or "I'll have that." Instead make polite requests: "Could I please have this or that?" And don't forget to thank people just for doing their job like bringing your food or cutlery (silverware).
Yes, I agree... it is best to be as polite as possible. We Americans tend to be a bit brash at times. But I was just watching a video about travelling in Germany... and how their customer service people are considered rude by American standards. Each country has their own culture.
The American word period had me confused for years… As a period to us is usually directed as a collection of years….as in the Elizabethan Period ,The Carolean Period..etc
Just a quick note, pants means different things in different parts of the UK. Where I'm from in the North pants are trousers, underneath them you wear underpants or boxers etc
Good point! Glad to know we Americans won't embarrass ourselves in 100% of the British Isles! There are of course many regional differences in vocabulary... I'm constantly learning new things. And I honestly CANNOT keep track of all the different names for bread rolls! LOL
There are some words such as the 'Fall', 'Candy' and 'diapers' which are not really used in the UK . However, when you actually look into their origin you see that they were in common use in Britain when North America was being colonised. The UK now use replacement words (such as Autumn, Sweets or nappies). You ,however kept the original words, sometimes with altered spelling which can mean that your English can actually be more British than ours ! I expect there are many examples of this.
Autumn is not a replacement word. However, Leaf Fall was a vernacular expression for autumn here in the UK as far back as the 17th century. I think it is reasonable to assume that the American "Fall" for autumn is a contraction of "Leaf Fall". By the way, as far as "candy" is concerned, where do think the term "candy floss" came from?
Toilet is actually looked down on by the more well to do Brits as a common or working class word. They would prefer to use loo or even lavatory. Saying the 'ladies' or 'gents' should be fine in most cases.
Yes, when I'm in a posh restaurant, I do try to ask for the "Ladies Room". But honestly NOBODY calls it that in the US anymore... I think I would get laughed at :-) What I like about saying "Toilet" is that when I'm speaking to someone for whom English is not their first language (which is a lot of people in London as well as elsewhere in the UK), Toilet is such a universal word, everyone always understands it. But if I forget and ask for the "Restroom" I've gotten some funny stares! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!!
Helen Wood One of the reasons why I try to just ask for the “toilet” when I am in Britain is that often I am asking someone working in a restaurant or shop or something. Quite often, these people do not speak English as a first language. The great thing about the word toilet is that it is very universally understood😉
Good list. Most Brits are familiar with these Americanisms from watching American TV and films, so it is unlikely there will be a real misunderstanding (though you might experience some sniggering with 'fanny'). But you're absolutely right that they do sound a bit strange to Brits and might confuse people who haven't had much contact with American culture. Staff used to dealing with customers should be familiar with the various synonyms for toilets because there is a considerable variation even within the UK, such as loo, lav, bog, lavatory, W.C. (water closet), bathroom, toilet, men's or men's room etc. But "restroom" is not commonly used here.
I agree that Brits know the American terms pretty well… it’s just not true in reverse. Serious Anglophiles know loo, but bog is not very familiar. And we only know lavatory because of aeroplanes! 😂. Thanks so much for your comment! Cheers XX Dara
German fan to Scottish folk singer Hamish Imlach after a rendition of "Cod Liver Oil", "Was ist das Cludgie?". No one has mentioned "Kharzi", no Spike Milligan fans around?
Pet is commonly used in the Midlands and North of England when stroking a dog or cat. You pet your dog your dog in these areas. Alot of words used in American that people think are typical American are used commonly outside the south east of England. Never forget alot of the original imagrants from the UK came from areas outside the south east of England they would have taken how they spoke with them. BTW in the northeast of England pet is used as a term of endearment your hear people say "Hello pet" all the time
So this is one of the very first videos I filmed on my channel 3 1/2 years ago. Since then I binge watched the entire collection of Vera shows! So of course now I've heard the word "Pet" used frequently when she spoke to people! Ha ha The last two summers we had trips to Newcastle, Northumberland and County Durham. I had been to Yorkshire before, but it has been great to get to know so many new areas in the Northeast! What county do you live in?
Yes, people interchangeably say 'pet' or 'stroke' with interactions with cats and dogs. I always assumed 'pet' was short for petal. Something delicate and beautiful as a compliment for women rather than men but has become used sometimes to men. I may be mistaken.
It is true that an American speaking in American English in the UK will be understood as we’re inundated with American culture and this has accelerated in the social media age. I think it’s started working the other way too. But trying to use more British English terms will be appreciated and also helps stop the homogenisation of the language. So I love this video. Some Americanisms that have really taken hold here in the UK recently (and grate with me) include “gotten” (got), “underscore” (underline) and “bathroom” for toilet. There are many more! Some points of nuance. In parts of Northern England “pants” do mean trousers like in the States. I see “pants” meaning underpants as being a Southern English thing so you’ll see that maybe as dominant via film and TV from here. But it’s definitely not universal. Also scoffing at the word “soccer” as an Americanism is only a recent thing. It’s probably come through millennials and Gen Z people on social media. “Soccer” was very widely used here in the UK up until at least the 90s. I get far more offended as a football / soccer supporter by the term “franchise” to describe a club. Football clubs have deep roots in their communities and should not be seen as things to be traded or moved around. They are not “franchises”!
Interesting point about franchise! And yes, the term soccer originated in England😉. Thanks for your comments about those Americanisms. I will be discussing some of those in an upcoming video, so stay tuned! 😉 This was actually one of the videos I made on my very first day of filming when I started my RUclips channel 4 years ago 😊
@@MagentaOtterTravels I only stumbled across your channel last night and it’s great. Whenever I meet up with Americans the language differences are the main topic of conversation and a source of great amusement on both sides. Amusement at British words like wardrobe and Americanisms like Fanny pack. Also telling the time is a big difference. I think Americans are less flexible than we are on this and can’t understand terms like “ half 4” - half 4 logically is 2 but we mean 4:30. I enjoyed your Manchester review in particular as that’s where I’m from. A lot more depth to it than other Manchester vlogs I’ve watched. I always take American visitors to the Abraham Lincoln statue! Looking forward to checking out more of your videos
@@henrylowe7969 yes you are right about telling time! Half four is confusing. And we are not used to a 24 hour clock at all! Lol The Abraham Lincoln statue was a great surprise in Manchester! Especially since I grew up in Illinois . I'm glad you found my channel! Thanks so much for your support. Cheers! Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravels that Abraham Lincoln statue is an interesting one actually and is a big clue as to Manchester's history. Manchester was the home of radical and progressive politics in Britain. Marx and Engels worked together there for instance on a certain book (yet Engels was a mill owner). Anyway as part of this Manchester was the centre of the anti slavery movement (that and the building of the ship canal because Manchester merchants felt Liverpool docks was overpriced may well be the source of the hatred between the two cities). So really it's not a surprise that the city that led the way in opposing slavery has a statue of the American president that abolished it.
Re England - a few years ago an episode of a tv series I watched had a character, allegedly a historian, referring to the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn as a battle between Scotland and Britain! Some historian!
I'm late to the party but as I have already seen someone has said that we fully understand American language and it is not a problem here, that is because the English have more different dialects than you Americans have states and that does not even count the Welsh, Scottish or Irish accents let alone Canadian, Australian, American or the thousands of different dialects worldwide. English is a bastard language combining Old Celt, Danish, Latin, French and a few others which is why it is the easiest language on the planet to learn to use but the hardest to master. Also we spread our language throughout the world by accident so don't ever let anyone language shame you, every dialect is valid as long as it is understandable by everyone else.
No worries being late... thanks for stopping by! I hope you pull up a seat and stay a while! Thanks for sharing your observations and point of view. I agree that the dialects in Britain are quite varied... I struggle to understand some of the accents as well as the "foreign" words (like "nowt"!). The funny thing about my channel is that I created it to educate AMERICANS about Britain... but most of my subscribers are British and definitely 90% of the comments are from Brits! I'm hoping once travel opens up again that more Americans will watch my videos. The crazy thing is that Americans do NOT understand the British terms like the Brits understand ours. Hence this video... and the other two in this series about Travel Words and (my favourite) food words! Thanks again. Have a lovely weekend!
FYI, Great Britain (but not the UK which is a different legal entity) also includes the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands which are mostly self-governing and have their own Paliaments and rely on Britain only for Defence matters.
@@MagentaOtterTravels FWIW I was born in the Isle of Man but my parents moved to England 2 yrs later. Among the resulting oddities I am entitled to both a UK and Manx passport and have to apply to the Isle of Man government for a birth certificate !
@jason longsden So you have 'local' passports (Channel Is or Jersey, Guernsey ?) with British citizenship like the Manx ? The IoM is a self-governing Crown Dependent Territory and the Queen is known as the Lord of Mann there ! The Queen's representative is the Lieutenant Governor same as in the 2 Bailiwicks (Jersey and Guernsey) of the Channel Islands. Fun isn't it ? Confuses the heck out of foreigners !
jason longsden I didn’t know about the government of New Jersey and that you have different passports! How interesting!! I did know about jersey cow milk (higher in A2 protein and very creamy and delicious!) because I worked the last two years on a US milk brand that only used milk from jersey cows. 🐄 I mention that in my Cadbury love story video and show the milk 😉
Through Tossie's lens hi there! Welcome to my channel💗. It’s funny, after I filmed this video, I have been paying attention and Americans use the word PERIOD (all uppercase) for emphasis all the time! Definitely something that we need to think about when we’re speaking to people in the UK 😉
Soccer gets its name from Association Football, (asSOCiation), and was a nickname created by Brits, and used in here long before we exported the Beautiful Game around the world. It just dropped out of fashion here that’s all. So even though many thousands of U.K. football-mad numpties might take offence at Americans’ use of the word, soccer is not an incorrect name for football. It’s like Fall & Autumn. Fall is the old English word for the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, a word which the Founding Fathers took with them across the pond, while those who stayed behind soon adopted Autumn, which is derived from Latin.
Isn't that so ironic? On both counts? Thanks for watching (this VERY OLD video...one of the first I ever filmed!) and taking the time to leave a comment! Cheers! Dara
Very accurate and well presented observations. However you will find that many young people in the UK use the american words. I have even heard a young person use the word "gotten" which I thought had disappeared from the English language 300 years ago.
Wait is your name Ian and you live in Gloucestershire? My husband is Ian and we live in Gloucestershire! Thanks for watching and commenting. It's true that the younger generation in Britain is way more American in their speech... even saying privacy and schedule the American way!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Well sadly I no longer live in Gloucestershire, although I do return home from time to time to support the rugby and cricket teams.
@@MagentaOtterTravels It's not only young people in the UK who use American pronunciations. I have to ask, why? I have no problem with Americans pronouncing things their way but I do resent young British people using American pronunciations which are different from (note, it's :different from" rather than "different than"). The rot started with the American pronunciation of "harass" when the phrase "sexual harassment" was imported to the UK from the US with first wave feminism. Until then the two syllables of harass had equal emphasis in British English and as far as I am concerned they still have. To me harass with the stress on the second syllable is an abomination and always wii be. I attended grammar school from 1959 to 1965 when the word grammar in grammar school was apposite to the kind of education we received.
Yes, I only started watching Vera this summer while we lived in England. Now we are back here in Texas continuing to binge watch it! There are 11 seasons, and each show is an hour and a half, so it’s going to take an eternity! And I’m hearing Vera call people “Pet” all the time! LOL
@@MagentaOtterTravels Yorkshire the county that can't use "the" substitute a T also the land of " I say what I like and I like what I say, aye " Real tight with their money aka brass...
Please remember Scotch is a product of Scotland (like Scotch whiskey), people, accent, language, places etc are Scottish. No matter how courageous a person may be, don't refer to them as spunky, spunk in UK is common slang for semen. I like the comparison of the two versions of the English language and am a big fan of your videos.
Oh goodness! I need to remember not to say spunky! I always get the Scottish stuff wrong... I was scolded earlier this week for saying King of Scotland when apparently one is supposed to say King of the Scots! Thanks for watching my channel! I really appreciate your support! Dara
Actually in the 'Anglosphere', its only in Britain where football is prevelant actually. In Canada, Australia, S. Africa, U.S., NZ, etc all use soccer mainly. Even in Ireland, Soccer is very much interchangeable with Football, as we have Gaelic Football as well, so especially down the country, if you talk about football, the default assumption is Gaelic Football, so soccer is often used to differentiate. Actually up until the 70's or so, in Britain itself soccer and football were pretty interchangable as well.
First of all, "Anglosphere" is a new term for me... I love that! Shall have to remember it!!! Do you live in Ireland? I avoid making mistakes talking about sport by just not talking about it! hahaha... Best to stick to topics I know something about, like food! Thanks for sharing the history and context!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Aye... Grew up in Canada, just across the Border from Buffalo, and near Niagara Falls, but have been living in Ireland for the last 20 years or so. :)
The term "Soccer" was even invented in England. It was used to distinguish "Rugby football" from "Association football" (the FA). Hence "Rugger" and "Soccer" However the terms were only popular with the upper classes who, in any case, preferred the game of Rugby. The rejection of the terms by working class fans of football caused both terms to fall out of use in the UK. So we are now left with simply "Rugby" and "Football"
Spot on. I am British and 76 years old and throughout my childhood and youth and at least up until the 80s we Brits commonly referred to Association Football as soccer. It was more often referred to it that way than merely "football".
Re _Loo_ : In fact, this is probably the politest expression of all: somewhat Middle Class, a bit quaint, but wholly lacking in crudity. Equally at home in Buckingham Palace, the local pub, or someone's home. Said with an American accent, it would be _especially_ charming ! (Etymology still not 100% certain - but some connection with the French _l'eau_ seems most likely.............IMHO) The same, I fear, CANNOT be said of _toilet_ , and certainly not of the (thankfully) soon-to-be-extinct _lavatory_ .
This was one of the first videos I filmed on my channel. Interestingly, people talked about how the word "washroom" was very American and strange, and then I recently traveled to Northumberland and saw a sign in a pub calling the toilets "WASHROOMS"!!! I felt so vindicated! Thank you so much for your interesting comment on this video and on many videos lately. I REALLY appreciate it!| Cheers XX Dara
Are you Northern? I think Northerners say pants more than Southerners... just a theory, so tell me if I'm wrong. Please explain the Mick Alnwick comment because I didn't understand it. Thanks!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Under ware . Would be under pant,But i would say pants meaning trousers . Does that help Dara ? Aye ! I'm from Alnwick Northumbria . Dara ! Your videos are so interesting ,as well as educational with regard British history . ( Dara ! you're good lass !! )
@@michaelgray7847 aaaah, so your name is Michael but you go by Mick? Sorry to be daft! My theory is proven... you are from the North and think it is OK to call trousers pants. Very sensible! As you know from watching my videos, I'm a big fan of Northumbria, and Alnwick in particular. We are currently binge watching Vera. I know real Northumbrians probably think their accents are not authentic, but I love the show! Thanks so much for watching and commenting. I REALLY appreciate it! Cheers XX Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravels Mick is just a short for Michael .....a contraction ......And no you're not daft Dara !!) Keep those wonderful videos coming Lass !!) Are you back home at the present time ?
Woow awesome! Sueanne recommended me this channel as i m planning to travel to UK soon to visit my brother over there! These info’s r very interesting and guess needs to follow those important points that u have mentioned! Brilliant observation 👍 Thanks! #jessiemiller
Sueanne is wonderful! Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful visit to the UK! Let me know what you think of Britain after your visit!
I only learnt that Americans also say "restroom" when I visited 15 years ago before going I only thought you guys called it a "bathroom" because of growing up on US comedy sitcoms and showbiz on TV
Lol pants!!!! How funny I had no idea Omg!!! Fanny 🤦🏼♀️ how crazy!! You explain things so well! Football is the same in Mexico too! So what do Brits call American football? Mexico calls is fútbol americano.
You are going to laugh when I say this... but they call it "American Football" haha It's pretty much same idea as in Spanish. Do you speak Spanish when you are at home?
Hi Dara, a couple of things annoy me, it,s not the misunderstanding between British and American english. It,s the saying "oh, how quaint/cute" said in a condescending manner. The other annoyance is not being aired here, as it doesn,t apply to 99.9% of visitors to the UK.
So let's talk about this. I have noticed exactly what you are talking about, and because a subscriber mentioned this to me VERY early on in my channel I have avoided it. Americans do say things are "quaint' or "cute" about all kinds of British things... especially when it comes to villages. But I beg you NOT to perceive it as condescending. This is one of those cultural differences. I promise you, these people (mostly women) are NOT intending it to be condescending. They are enamoured. They are charmed. They are in love with the storybook, picture postcard, or as Brits would say "chocolate box" version of English village life. They love it and we call everything "cute". Just like we say "awesome" ALL THE TIME. It's just a habit. I hope that helps annoy you a little less. ;-)
@@MagentaOtterTravels I take your point Dara, it,s obviously me being a grumpy old man! I,ll try harder to ignore the saying. Btw, I,m in no way anti-American, my mothers sister was a GI bride. I have family in California, my brother works over there, and my father was awarded the American DFC in 1944.
I'm a cranky old lady, I just try not to be that way on my channel, haha! I'm glad you made the comment... it gave me an idea for a future video! And no, I don't think you are Anti-American. Cheers!
i THINK BRITS JUST GOT LAZY BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE ''UNDER PANTS'' , WHICH THEN YOU WOULD THINK ITS THE GARMENT THAT GO'S ON BEFORE YOUR PANTS - BUT WE NEVER USED TO USE THE WORD PANTS FOR TROUSERS OR SLACKS BUT SINCE IVE RETURNED TO THE UK AFTER 28 YEARS IN THE US I HEAR THE WORD PANTS USED FOR TROUSERS NOW AND THEN (hope that wasnt too confusing)
Excellent point... there are SO MANY different British accents! Obviously, American accents vary too. But in the UK I think the difference is so extreme that sometimes it's hard for folks from one part of the British Isles to even understand what a fellow Brit is saying! LOL
...but she got it WRONG! At 8:15, she states that "Great Britain is the island of England, SCOTLAND and Walse", while her map CLEARLY shows England, Wales, and NORTERN IRELAND (which is correct). Scotland is NOT, and never HAS been a part of "Great Britain". The UNITED KINGDOM is the amalgamation of the British Crown (Great Britain) and the Scottish Crown. At least TRY to get it right, yeh bloody Yank!!!
@alexclement7221 The level of geographic ignorance, illiteracy, and rudeness in this response takes my breath away. I hope you'd "had a few", and now regret your intemperate words.
@@alexclement7221 you are wrong - The United Kingdom is England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland ( reduced to Northern Ireland after Eire was separated as a free state). Great Britain is the the countries ( England, Scotland, Wales) in the isle of Britain.
Anybody in the tourist or hospitality industries should know what an American means by restroom. When I was young it was always called the lavatory. This started as a euphemism in Victorian times for the privy, then toilet came in as a euphemism for lavatory. I had never heard of loo until I was an adult in the 60s. I usually use the working class term bog, hence bog roll for toilet tissue. An area in the centre of my home city of Bath is still called Bog Island by the locals after the former public lavatories that were there.
Euel Lane I love learning about euphemisms in both sides of the pond! Lavatory is a term Americans usually only hear on airplanes.😉 We NEVER use bog for toilet and I think most people in the US would have no clue what “bog roll” is. We don’t use the word roll for toilet paper ever. How interesting about Bath... now I want to visit bog island!! You come from a beautiful city! Thanks for your comment.👍
Bum is also another word for cadge, or ask for a small item/amount of cash as a favour. E.g. of you want to cadge a cigarette, you might say "could I please bum a fag?"
I literally used the phrase "bum a fag" in a video I just filmed... watch for it in a couple weeks after Christmas. It's called "Opposite meanings". Cheers! Dara
In regards to "Pet". Saying it means "doing something intimate", isnt quite accurate, that makes it sound a bit like "adult cuddle times" Petting is just another word for kissing. But nobody uses that word like that anymore.. If you say you want to pet a dog, we know you want to touch it. The safest words to use for describing touching animals is "stroke, pet, fuss" (which is more like when you give them a good scratch behind the ear/belly rubs) or "say hello".. "is it ok if i say hello to your doggo" If they say yes, then get on the floor and start tickling the doggo behind the ear.
We also use the word Bum to reffer to a homeless person, we also use it in the context of some one who is a 'Bum' as a person that is jobless and likes that living and is their mentality.. A bit derogatory but we do use that word in the same context as you.
The "pet" thing isn't quite true. It's not that we interpret it in a weird way, it's just that it's not a word we use in that context. Plus I think the more...erm... adult use of the word is an Americanism anyway, so it's just not on our radar.
Paul Russell haha, yeah, agreed, although I don’t think I have ever heard a Brit use that word to refer to that as that, but still, amusing nonetheless
Helen Wood don’t ever what? Firstly, you don’t and can’t speak for the who of the UK, that’s just a general point! Secondly, you have no context for my comment, the comment i replied to no longer exists, so you have no idea what i was responding to, so you can’t comment on it, you have no way of knowing!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Dara I have to tell you a joke....Have you ever tried a Tarka Curry?? It's the same as a Tikka only it's A little 'otter....🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦
Pants doesnt mean underwear in the UK, at least not in the north west. I live in North west England and I can assure you that here pants doesnt mean underwear.
uberwayz another commenter told me that is more of a southern connotation. I’m glad that we Americans won’t embarrass ourselves in the northwest. It’s a tough habit to break! 😉
In the last few decades the world's globalization due to international TV advertizing and the Internet has made American words known by most people outside of the US. Also, Americans and other non-europeans travel here. and live here too far more often than years ago. Likewise, so many modern Brits also travel to the US so the different cultures are becoming less distinct with time. True though, to say 'fanny' out-loud in the UK will cause a reaction!
I filmed this video to try to help Americans blend in... it was one of the VERY FIRST videos I filmed when I started my channel 4 years ago. What I did not realise is that 90%+ of the people who watched it would be British not American LOL... I had no idea how RUclips worked ;-)
Hiya Dara, what American word gets to me is the word "Bad Boys" when describing food, it really gets on my nerves, that's the only annoying thing Americans say that gets to me, this is Choppy in Whitehaven, Cumbria, England
I think most British people would understand what Americans meant if they used those expressions, from context if not familiarity, though one or two might raise a smile ☺ 'Pants' is also commonly used slang for something of no worth, eg Boris Johnson is totally pants as a Prime Minister. 'Period', as in a full stop, is less usually employed but is understood, and also obviously refers to an extent of time. Not being a follower of the sport, I'm on less firm ground when I say that 'soccer' is of British coinage. Doesn't it derive from 'association football'? Brits do prefer to say 'football', though. The geopolitical division of our islands is, as you say, the United Kingdom (of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), while Great Britain refers to the largest of the British Isles, consisting of England, Scotland and Wales. The British Isles takes in the Scilly Isles, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight, the Northern Is, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, sundry others and, as the British Isles is not a political but a geographical description, they also contain the island of Ireland. I don't think the Channel Islands qualify, nor are they part of the UK, but they are Crown Dependencies (of the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The former consists of Jersey and some rocks, the latter of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm, Brechou and Jethou*... And some rocks. Jersey and Guernsey have their own parliaments and, though it is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Sark also has its own parliament). Simple! 🤣 (*Edit: Oh, and Lihou)
That is very complicated! It’s hard for me to keep track of all the different islands and who owns what! The funny thing about this video is that I created it to educate Americans about traveling to Britain. But unfortunately very few Americans watch it! It’s mostly British people telling me “I know all that” LOL… hopefully one day the pandemic will end and people will travel again, and some Americans will watch this video! 🙏🤣
No one says 'ladies room' here either. You got it right with 'gents'. People say 'where is the ladies or gents?' You're just itching to add the word room to anything describing a visit to a toilet facility! Funny how Americans call it a restroom. I wonder if that's because Americans are so on the go all the time it's one of the few opportunities they get to have a little rest!
The word "soccer" is not unique to the US. It has been used as an alternative to "football" in the UK for at least 70 years. I believe it is derived from the word "association" which is part of the correct name "Association Football",
@@MagentaOtterTravels You are right. The word 'Soccer' does originate from England - the rules of Association football (Soccer) diverged from Rugby football (Rugby) in 1863 and from then on people (particularly in Oxford, where both games were played at the university) shortened the words to 'soccer' and 'rugger'.
The Machine haha excellent question! This was probably the third video I had made in my entire life, and I was still learning how to edit. I think it was just sloppy editing!🤪🙄 I no longer use that software anymore, thank goodness!
We do not use UK it’s England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, it’s only used when the Queen and Royal Family or the Prime Minster are abroad UN, EU, G7 etc.
I use UK. I am Yorkshire and UK, “England” means nothing to me (living in the south-east of it and having the rise taken out of my northern accent and my hometown for 30 years). Each to his own...
SOCCER: Let's break this down. The younger generations in the UK consider soccer to be an Americanism. Hold on to your seats because here comes a shocker. Here in the UK, when I was young enough to play association football we referred to it as soccer which is derived from that word "association". Think about it. I would suggest that those here in the UK who sneer at the American use of the word to just ask themselves, "Why do Americans call the game soccer?" The answer of course is that when the game first started to gain a foothold in the US, here in the UK it was commonly referred to by that very word so, naturally, Americans adopting the game would adopt its common British English name, too.
It's detinitely time that Americans began to speak English properly, it's called English because we invented it, but I suppose we will continue to be divided by a common language
I think we might find some commonalities, but don’t expect all Americans to start speaking the English way. I think there are quite a few things that even the English are not united in how they say them… as shown in my “mushy” video 😉
On the use of the word 'pants' thats not accurate really,I tbink many brits like to wind you Septics up sometimes. Whilst - and this is recent really, underpants can be called pants and many may frequently use it that way, we do also use pants sometimes to mean trousers, although more with regards to kids than grown ups. We also use other words such as keks (in the north of England).
You left out Cornwall and the Isle of Man, both countries in their own rights and both are part of Britain and the UK. Also, we understand the word "pet" in that context, even if we don't use it and period can mean a period of time - it is not just menstruation.
@@MagentaOtterTravels Bit of a grew area. You had a Celtic nation there with its own language, which went extinct but is being revived(related to Welsh, and Briezh in Brittany France), called Kernewek, and Cornwall in that language is Kernow. Basically when the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invaded England and lowland Scotland, they pushed the Celtic Britons to the extremes of Wales and Cornwall and the Scottish Highlands and Islands. Unlike Wales and Scotland , it isn't politically and historically it isn't viewed one of the constituent independent nations making up the UK as its been integrated with England. That being said, many Cornish do view themselves as having a unique culture, and there are many that want more autonomy for the region and even a small minority that wants outright independence. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_nationalism
Peadar Ruane thanks so much for giving me this context! I find it fascinating, and shall keep it in mind the next time I go to Britain, when we will be visiting Cornwall! 🙌
Pants you'll probably get away with, especially if you have a US accent. Soccer is derived from Association Football, so is fine in the UK. What rankles is the assumption that football equates only to gridiron. The really important one to take away from this video is the last bit about England not equating to the UK. That can really get you in trouble!
Oh yes.... to Americans all of the UK is England. And all of England is London! I can't tell you how many times I've told an American that I live in England during the summer (in Cheltenham)... and then I hear them repeat to someone else "she lives in London". Ugh!
The world Wales interestingly was invented by the English to make fun of them as it meant "no country" the negative connotation no longer exists as everyone just forgot, but it still makes me laugh when someone from there refers to it as Wales as they actually have their own word for it (Cymru).
uberwayz that is fascinating! I love Wales... was there for a brief stay last week, but hope to spend more time there next summer. I’d love to do some videos about the alphabet, language and place names.❤️🏴
@@MagentaOtterTravels Sorry but that is not accurate. Wales relates to the old germanic term for Romanised foreigners, Hence Walloons in Belgium as well as Welsh in Britain.
@@neilbuckley1613 thanks for the comment. I learn the most interesting things from my subscribers! I appreciate you watching and sharing that information.
With the correct context we know what you mean if you happen to say pants, those that choose to make fun of it are probably not worth getting bothered over.
Ha ha, yes that's a good one! I had an American friend named Randy who moved to England for a three-year work assignment. He tried to change his name so that British people wouldn't have to call him that!
@@MagentaOtterTravels "Randy" can be short for something, like "Randolph". So there is often a way out of it. I did hear that the British meaning of "randy" derives from the French "rendezvous". Where, if this is held in secret, there is probably lust involved
@@MagentaOtterTravels "Randy" can be short for something, like "Randolph". So there is often a way out of it. I did hear that the British meaning derives from the French "rendezvous". Where, if this is held in secret, there is probably lust involved
@@MagentaOtterTravels By the way, there are two posts because RUclips said they would not send the first one. But they did anyway. I only changed one or two words in the second
Soccer is actually the English name for the game football its only in the last 30/40 years the game has been more commonly called Football, because that the name used by FIFA. There are two types of football played in the England rugby know football and association football. So the English shortened the name to soccer. Its only the under 40s that have only known the game to be called Football. When I was a child on Saturdays you went to the soccer match, not the football game in England. It was different in Scotland as they have their own football leagues.
Please, please never say that someone has "spunk" which in the US refers to people displaying courage or guts because in my part of the UK it refers to something very sexual
I laughed so hard when i first heard my American cousin use this word " Hey Iona you have been sat on your Fanny all day " As then a young brit I almost fell of my chair
🤣🤣🤣
Got a bit mixed up in a Hotel in San Francisco. Our room was not ready so pointed to the restroom sign and told the desk clerk we'll just wait in there, imagining armchairs and a TV. Woops
Oh that is adorable! Very funny! Thanks for sharing ;-) Do you get mixed up with floors as well? The whole "2nd floor is 3rd floor" thing is massively confusing! But good on you for visiting San Fran. One of the best American cities to visit!
Cheers!
XX
Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravels Have to say, just got off a plane from Heathrow. The floor thing is already sorted out. Must be more perplexing for our American cousins climbing one floor extra and having to come down one. "Vive la difference"
another funny addition is that "pet" is oddly used as a term of endearment in northern counties, namely Yorkshire such as "no worries pet" - often used in informal exchanges. Interesting when we think of the other, very opposite meaning it has!
Yes, when I filmed this video four years ago I had never watched an episode of Vera. But now I have binge watched all of them, and I'm very familiar with the term of endearment "Pet!"
In West Yorkshire we prefer “luv” to “pet”.
@@KevinStraw I like them both. I definitely say luv more often 😉
Pet as an endearment is more associated with Geordies, at least it is in my mind. In fact there was a TV comedy drama series about a gang of building workers, mostly Geordies (i.e. men from Newcastle or the area around it) working in Germany and its title was "Auf Wiedersen Pet."
Of course Vera is a portrayal of a Geordie detective from around the Newcastle area, too.
Can I just say, as an English person, that 99% of British people know exactly what the American terms for these items are, so you won’t shock anybody if you speak ‘American’ in the UK.
After all, we were all brought up on American films and TV shows - so we’re all completely familiar with the way you speak.
Steve Young that is very reassuring! Thank you for your comment😉
Magenta Otter Travels As for lavatorial terms, I think that most Brits are amused by the terms ‘restroom’ - a room with no couch or bed, or ‘bathroom’ - a room with no bath. In the UK you can safely use ladies/gents, toilet, lavatory, loo, WC (a bit old fashioned) or even bog. They will all be understood, even in the politest company, and you will be directed appropriately.
We tend to call a spade a spade.
Steve Young I agree with you. And once I saw things from an outside perspective, I can see where the words restroom and bathroom are strange for a public toilet!
However, as a tourist who goes to hotels, restaurants, or other tourist sites, we often encounter people working there who don’t speak English as a first language. I have found that many of them are definitely confused when you say restroom... so I have better success just saying “toilet” 😉
Doesn't mean we won't take a great deal of pleasure in deliberately misunderstanding, then explaining in detail to the Americans' embarrassment - and then, so long as you take it in good humour, maybe even buy you a drink afterwards for being a good sport.
@@denewst01 😂😂👍
Presented in such a courteous and gracious manner!
Why thank you, kind sir!
Another great video, Dara. Fun to listen. You explain things very clearly. Thanks especially for the ‘England v Great Britain v United Kingdom’ part. It’s no wonder though that even we Brits get it wrong - and we don’t help the rest of the world - when we have a team in the Olympics called ‘Great Britain’ that includes Northern Ireland, and we have an ‘England’ Cricket team (that won the World Cup last year !) that represents Wales as well !
Haha, I didn't know the England team included Wales!!! Thanks for your comments, and thanks so much for watching!
Yes it's the England and Wales Cricket Board to give it the full title.
THAT WAS A GOOD VIDEO - I HAD A SMILE ON MY FACE FOR MOST OF THOSE
Always happy to hear that I make someone smile!😊
Soccer is another one of those words we decided to call something else and in Australia I’m always thrown as I’ve heard both terms used often.
It's funny how in Oz and Canada they use a mixture of British and American terms for lots of things. I'm always interested to hear what they choose from where ;-)
I find it tedious when visitors say theyre going to England ..but then just go to London..not venturing beyond the M25..
I just wish they would go to a place in England other than London if they say it..
We’ve heard it a million times,and you think…oh they mean just London i suppose..
True! They should just say London!
@@MagentaOtterTravels London England….but then I can’t talk i think Frisco is a great word, but i think it offends people in SF..
He’s the greatest dancer, on the outskirts of Frisco..he never leaves the disco alone..(he’s usually frog marched out)
Very true and helpful if you do not know.....spent time there so I knew some...thanks for sharing ...new family here 💛🍁🌾🍂 see you soon !
Welcome Florida friends!
This was brilliant!! "I don't like to wear pant, I just like to wear a skirt" made me laugh out loud! I didn't understand why Americans used the word "period" like that for the longest time and always thought it was a strange way to use the word. Until I started teaching ESL in America then I was like "ohhhhhh I get it now!" Glad we found each other's channels - new subscribers here!
Brit Girls Go Stateside yes it’s fun to watch things from each other’s perspectives! I am normally in Texas, but in Gloucestershire at the moment. Where are you from in the UK, and what state do you live in now?
4:00 It is a commonly believed myth that soccer is the American word for association football. In fact, the word soccer was in everyday use in Britain in the 1960's and 1970's. I remember it well. Look at any magazine or annual from the period to confirm.
Kind of like saying "fall" for autumn. I think that originated in England but now English people get irritated when Americans say it 😆
This an very informative video. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
In the UK the word period can also be used as a word for a section of time like time period. When I was at high school in Scotland classes were referred to as periods.
Ah yes, more meanings for period! 😉
Thanks for the lesson on the difference between great Britain and United Kingdom. I never knew that.
Most of us don't! And unfortunately Scots and Welsh folks are bugged by Americans thinking that Britain is just England :-(
Otters are the cutest animals, full stop!! Well, otters and cats! Otters are basically water cats! 😹😹 I still say pants when I mean trousers and now, on occasions, Mr. Editor will say pants instead to trousers too! My Canadian has rubbed off on him! 😹😹
Glad to see you are having that influence 😂… the cutest otter videos I have are of my visit to an otter sanctuary where I got to hand feed the darlings! ruclips.net/video/VWBYwO_wzwQ/видео.html
I'd recommend adding 'subway' to the list, as in the UK it means a pedestrian underpass
Ah yes, that is different!
Association Football is what you refer to as soccer, there's also rugby football which has two codes, league and union which are played with similar oval shaped balls as American football although they're larger and you can't pass the ball forward unless you're kicking it, in the north we sometimes say pants meaning trousers, there are so many variations of words in the UK
Aye, I’ve learnt a lot of those differences now that I’ve spent 2 summers living in Gloucestershire and travelling to Northumberland, Durham and Scotland. Americans don’t really know the subtleties, but there are many words (and pronunciations!) with a distinct North/South divide! Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment. Cheers! Dara
The odd thing about 'soccer' is that it's a British word. It appeared in the 19th century in public (i.e., private) schools as part of a two-term way of distinguishing Rugby Football (Rugger) from Association Football (Soccer).
That IS ironic, innit?!
Have you watched the Netflix show The English Game by Julian Fellowes? We really enjoyed it.
@@MagentaOtterTravels No, but 'soccer' was always a term that was around when I was growing up in 1950s England, though 'football' was probably more common.
It’s so funny how words mean so differently in UK!!! Such a good video for people going to London for the first time!!
Sueanne Metz thanks. It is surprising how many words are different!
@@MagentaOtterTravels we brits also call the loo, the bog lol.
Pet is also a term of endearment used in everyday conversation in the north east.
This was one of the VERY FIRST videos I filmed when I started my channel 4 years ago! But since then I have binge watched every single episode of Vera... so yes, I know "Pet" well! If you haven't seen my Newcastle video I hope you check it out! ;-) Cheers! Dara
Ok, so here I am checking out your channel, and I chose this video! I have never had any ambition to travel abroad, however lately, I am "starting" to get this fascination with possibly traveling to London. Maybe it's the "Ted Lasso" effect. Our favorite music artists/label is headquartered in London, so if we were ever to make the jaunt across the Atlantic, it would be for a music event which would also require some touristy things to do. Along with the difference in slang, I did learn that Ireland is not a part of the United Kingdom. Did not know. I guess I can google that. Cheers! 🥤
Haha thanks for visiting! I hope you do make it across the pond one day! Who’s your favourite music artist?
@@MagentaOtterTravels It's Trance/EDM/Progressive House label called Anjunabeats/Anjuadeep, and specifically, "Above & Beyond" and all their artists under those labels.
@@SippyCupAdventures that so cool!
If you ever make it across to the UK don't limit yourselves to London. There are many more beautiful and interesting places to visit. We have wonderful towns, cities, countryside and coastal areas to visit.
"fanny packs" have made me laugh for years. It sounds so rude!
So crazy that we call them that! 😳
Makes me laugh, makes me think I've scored!! 🤣🤣
Pants means trousers/jeans in northern England. And you shouldn't just ask, "Where's the loo?" In someone's home unless you know them really well. It's better to ask, "Could I please use your loo?" That reminds me that an English friend of mine advised me not to place orders in shops or restaurants. The customer is king in America but in the UK customers are viewed more as pests. So to get good service don't say "Gimme this" or "I'll have that." Instead make polite requests: "Could I please have this or that?" And don't forget to thank people just for doing their job like bringing your food or cutlery (silverware).
Yes, I agree... it is best to be as polite as possible. We Americans tend to be a bit brash at times. But I was just watching a video about travelling in Germany... and how their customer service people are considered rude by American standards. Each country has their own culture.
The American word period had me confused for years…
As a period to us is usually directed as a collection of years….as in the Elizabethan Period ,The Carolean Period..etc
Yes there are a few very different meanings!!
sometimes called 'time of the month'...
@@bobm4378 but always called Menstruation.,Period !
I found out when an American stayed with us that the word 'homely' to describe a home is a bit of an insult in the US but it's a compliment in the UK.
Yes! It's so funny. I'm going to do a video about that soon 😉
Just a quick note, pants means different things in different parts of the UK. Where I'm from in the North pants are trousers, underneath them you wear underpants or boxers etc
Good point! Glad to know we Americans won't embarrass ourselves in 100% of the British Isles! There are of course many regional differences in vocabulary... I'm constantly learning new things. And I honestly CANNOT keep track of all the different names for bread rolls! LOL
@@MagentaOtterTravels you mean teacakes? 😁
Mark Richardson haha maybe??
And to describe something as being absolutely pants means it's total rubbish, or garbage according to preference.
There are some words such as the 'Fall', 'Candy' and 'diapers' which are not really used in the UK . However, when you actually look into their origin you see that they were in common use in Britain when North America was being colonised. The UK now use replacement words (such as Autumn, Sweets or nappies). You ,however kept the original words, sometimes with altered spelling which can mean that your English can actually be more British than ours ! I expect there are many examples of this.
I totally agree! Another one of those words is soccer!!
Autumn is not a replacement word. However, Leaf Fall was a vernacular expression for autumn here in the UK as far back as the 17th century. I think it is reasonable to assume that the American "Fall" for autumn is a contraction of "Leaf Fall".
By the way, as far as "candy" is concerned, where do think the term "candy floss" came from?
'Pet' is also Geordies for 'love' or 'dear' a term of endearment 👍
wencire one good point! A noun rather than verb, right?
@@MagentaOtterTravels I guess so, English wasn't my strong point🤣🤣
wencire one No worries, it’s all good! I’m not the grammar police myself!
@@MagentaOtterTravels it's a good job too, otherwise I'll need several other offences to be taken in too consideration 🤣👍❤
wencire one 😂🤣
Toilet is actually looked down on by the more well to do Brits as a common or working class word. They would prefer to use loo or even lavatory.
Saying the 'ladies' or 'gents' should be fine in most cases.
Yes, when I'm in a posh restaurant, I do try to ask for the "Ladies Room". But honestly NOBODY calls it that in the US anymore... I think I would get laughed at :-) What I like about saying "Toilet" is that when I'm speaking to someone for whom English is not their first language (which is a lot of people in London as well as elsewhere in the UK), Toilet is such a universal word, everyone always understands it. But if I forget and ask for the "Restroom" I've gotten some funny stares! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!!
Incorrect. Lavatory is seen as working class or middle class. Upper class folk call it a toilet.
@@helenwood8482 so what does the Queen call it then? I'll wait.
By the way, don't rely on wiki - toilet is only used by the 'lower classes' which of course covers most of us in the UK.
Helen Wood One of the reasons why I try to just ask for the “toilet” when I am in Britain is that often I am asking someone working in a restaurant or shop or something. Quite often, these people do not speak English as a first language. The great thing about the word toilet is that it is very universally understood😉
Good list. Most Brits are familiar with these Americanisms from watching American TV and films, so it is unlikely there will be a real misunderstanding (though you might experience some sniggering with 'fanny'). But you're absolutely right that they do sound a bit strange to Brits and might confuse people who haven't had much contact with American culture. Staff used to dealing with customers should be familiar with the various synonyms for toilets because there is a considerable variation even within the UK, such as loo, lav, bog, lavatory, W.C. (water closet), bathroom, toilet, men's or men's room etc. But "restroom" is not commonly used here.
I agree that Brits know the American terms pretty well… it’s just not true in reverse. Serious Anglophiles know loo, but bog is not very familiar. And we only know lavatory because of aeroplanes! 😂. Thanks so much for your comment! Cheers XX Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravels I wonder how many Anglophiles know what a cludgie is though :-)
German fan to Scottish folk singer Hamish Imlach after a rendition of "Cod Liver Oil", "Was ist das Cludgie?". No one has mentioned "Kharzi", no Spike Milligan fans around?
Gents or Ladies is probably the most common in say a restaurant or café
Brilliant, spot on! 👌
Thank you kindly! Thanks for watching :-)
Pet is commonly used in the Midlands and North of England when stroking a dog or cat.
You pet your dog your dog in these areas.
Alot of words used in American that people think are typical American are used commonly outside the south east of England. Never forget alot of the original imagrants from the UK came from areas outside the south east of England they would have taken how they spoke with them.
BTW in the northeast of England pet is used as a term of endearment your hear people say "Hello pet" all the time
So this is one of the very first videos I filmed on my channel 3 1/2 years ago. Since then I binge watched the entire collection of Vera shows! So of course now I've heard the word "Pet" used frequently when she spoke to people! Ha ha
The last two summers we had trips to Newcastle, Northumberland and County Durham. I had been to Yorkshire before, but it has been great to get to know so many new areas in the Northeast! What county do you live in?
Yes, people interchangeably say 'pet' or 'stroke' with interactions with cats and dogs. I always assumed 'pet' was short for petal. Something delicate and beautiful as a compliment for women rather than men but has become used sometimes to men. I may be mistaken.
You can also ask for the bogs
Haha probably not 😉
It is true that an American speaking in American English in the UK will be understood as we’re inundated with American culture and this has accelerated in the social media age. I think it’s started working the other way too. But trying to use more British English terms will be appreciated and also helps stop the homogenisation of the language. So I love this video. Some Americanisms that have really taken hold here in the UK recently (and grate with me) include “gotten” (got), “underscore” (underline) and “bathroom” for toilet. There are many more!
Some points of nuance.
In parts of Northern England “pants” do mean trousers like in the States. I see “pants” meaning underpants as being a Southern English thing so you’ll see that maybe as dominant via film and TV from here. But it’s definitely not universal.
Also scoffing at the word “soccer” as an Americanism is only a recent thing. It’s probably come through millennials and Gen Z people on social media. “Soccer” was very widely used here in the UK up until at least the 90s.
I get far more offended as a football / soccer supporter by the term “franchise” to describe a club. Football clubs have deep roots in their communities and should not be seen as things to be traded or moved around. They are not “franchises”!
Interesting point about franchise! And yes, the term soccer originated in England😉.
Thanks for your comments about those Americanisms. I will be discussing some of those in an upcoming video, so stay tuned! 😉
This was actually one of the videos I made on my very first day of filming when I started my RUclips channel 4 years ago 😊
@@MagentaOtterTravels
I only stumbled across your channel last night and it’s great.
Whenever I meet up with Americans the language differences are the main topic of conversation and a source of great amusement on both sides. Amusement at British words like wardrobe and Americanisms like Fanny pack. Also telling the time is a big difference. I think Americans are less flexible than we are on this and can’t understand terms like “ half 4” - half 4 logically is 2 but we mean 4:30.
I enjoyed your Manchester review in particular as that’s where I’m from. A lot more depth to it than other Manchester vlogs I’ve watched. I always take American visitors to the Abraham Lincoln statue! Looking forward to checking out more of your videos
@@henrylowe7969 yes you are right about telling time! Half four is confusing. And we are not used to a 24 hour clock at all! Lol
The Abraham Lincoln statue was a great surprise in Manchester! Especially since I grew up in Illinois .
I'm glad you found my channel! Thanks so much for your support. Cheers! Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravels that Abraham Lincoln statue is an interesting one actually and is a big clue as to Manchester's history.
Manchester was the home of radical and progressive politics in Britain. Marx and Engels worked together there for instance on a certain book (yet Engels was a mill owner).
Anyway as part of this Manchester was the centre of the anti slavery movement (that and the building of the ship canal because Manchester merchants felt Liverpool docks was overpriced may well be the source of the hatred between the two cities).
So really it's not a surprise that the city that led the way in opposing slavery has a statue of the American president that abolished it.
When the American settlers travelled over the Atlantic, one of the Ls got lost overboard. They find they had traveled when they got there.
hahahahaha, so true! And they left with jewellery but only had jewelry when they arrived!
Love this Dara!!
Thanks for watching! I hope it saves a few people embarrassment ;-)
Re England - a few years ago an episode of a tv series I watched had a character, allegedly a historian, referring to the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn as a battle between Scotland and Britain! Some historian!
Oh my! I think that TV programme needed a historical consultant ;-)
Very informative 🥰
Thanks for watching!
I'm late to the party but as I have already seen someone has said that we fully understand American language and it is not a problem here, that is because the English have more different dialects than you Americans have states and that does not even count the Welsh, Scottish or Irish accents let alone Canadian, Australian, American or the thousands of different dialects worldwide. English is a bastard language combining Old Celt, Danish, Latin, French and a few others which is why it is the easiest language on the planet to learn to use but the hardest to master. Also we spread our language throughout the world by accident so don't ever let anyone language shame you, every dialect is valid as long as it is understandable by everyone else.
No worries being late... thanks for stopping by! I hope you pull up a seat and stay a while! Thanks for sharing your observations and point of view. I agree that the dialects in Britain are quite varied... I struggle to understand some of the accents as well as the "foreign" words (like "nowt"!).
The funny thing about my channel is that I created it to educate AMERICANS about Britain... but most of my subscribers are British and definitely 90% of the comments are from Brits! I'm hoping once travel opens up again that more Americans will watch my videos. The crazy thing is that Americans do NOT understand the British terms like the Brits understand ours. Hence this video... and the other two in this series about Travel Words and (my favourite) food words! Thanks again. Have a lovely weekend!
FYI, Great Britain (but not the UK which is a different legal entity) also includes the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands which are mostly self-governing and have their own Paliaments and rely on Britain only for Defence matters.
Thanks for the comment! I don't know that much about the Isle of Man and Channel Islands. I appreciate you noting how they are related.👍
@@MagentaOtterTravels FWIW I was born in the Isle of Man but my parents moved to England 2 yrs later. Among the resulting oddities I am entitled to both a UK and Manx passport and have to apply to the Isle of Man government for a birth certificate !
@jason longsden So you have 'local' passports (Channel Is or Jersey, Guernsey ?) with British citizenship like the Manx ?
The IoM is a self-governing Crown Dependent Territory and the Queen is known as the Lord of Mann there !
The Queen's representative is the Lieutenant Governor same as in the 2 Bailiwicks (Jersey and Guernsey) of the Channel Islands.
Fun isn't it ? Confuses the heck out of foreigners !
jason longsden I didn’t know about the government of New Jersey and that you have different passports! How interesting!! I did know about jersey cow milk (higher in A2 protein and very creamy and delicious!) because I worked the last two years on a US milk brand that only used milk from jersey cows. 🐄 I mention that in my Cadbury love story video and show the milk 😉
jason longsden NO WAY!!! I love that!!!❤️🐄
Good to know,not an American but most words are relatable.I got to know period after I became an adult.Always known it as fullstop.
Through Tossie's lens hi there! Welcome to my channel💗. It’s funny, after I filmed this video, I have been paying attention and Americans use the word PERIOD (all uppercase) for emphasis all the time! Definitely something that we need to think about when we’re speaking to people in the UK 😉
Soccer gets its name from Association Football, (asSOCiation), and was a nickname created by Brits, and used in here long before we exported the Beautiful Game around the world. It just dropped out of fashion here that’s all. So even though many thousands of U.K. football-mad numpties might take offence at Americans’ use of the word, soccer is not an incorrect name for football.
It’s like Fall & Autumn. Fall is the old English word for the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, a word which the Founding Fathers took with them across the pond, while those who stayed behind soon adopted Autumn, which is derived from Latin.
Isn't that so ironic? On both counts?
Thanks for watching (this VERY OLD video...one of the first I ever filmed!) and taking the time to leave a comment! Cheers! Dara
Very accurate and well presented observations. However you will find that many young people in the UK use the american words. I have even heard a young person use the word "gotten" which I thought had disappeared from the English language 300 years ago.
Wait is your name Ian and you live in Gloucestershire? My husband is Ian and we live in Gloucestershire!
Thanks for watching and commenting. It's true that the younger generation in Britain is way more American in their speech... even saying privacy and schedule the American way!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Well sadly I no longer live in Gloucestershire, although I do return home from time to time to support the rugby and cricket teams.
@@ian_of_glos that's cool! The first tenant we had renting our Flat from us was a rugby player for the Glos team!
@@MagentaOtterTravels
It's not only young people in the UK who use American pronunciations.
I have to ask, why? I have no problem with Americans pronouncing things their way but I do resent young British people using American pronunciations which are different from (note, it's :different from" rather than "different than").
The rot started with the American pronunciation of "harass" when the phrase "sexual harassment" was imported to the UK from the US with first wave feminism. Until then the two syllables of harass had equal emphasis in British English and as far as I am concerned they still have. To me harass with the stress on the second syllable is an abomination and always wii be.
I attended grammar school from 1959 to 1965 when the word grammar in grammar school was apposite to the kind of education we received.
Here in Australia it's called Soccer, million and one words for the toilet, Pet is a term of endearment up in the North East
Yes, I only started watching Vera this summer while we lived in England. Now we are back here in Texas continuing to binge watch it! There are 11 seasons, and each show is an hour and a half, so it’s going to take an eternity! And I’m hearing Vera call people “Pet” all the time! LOL
@@MagentaOtterTravels enjoy the Northumbrian countryside and the occasional very dodgy Geordie accent..
I think I had more trouble understanding people in Yorkshire, to be honest… but love both places!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Yorkshire the county that can't use "the" substitute a T also the land of " I say what I like and I like what I say, aye " Real tight with their money aka brass...
Starting laughing at #1. And laughed all the way through!😂
I'm so glad! Always happy to make someone smile... even if they are laughing AT me! ;-)
Please remember Scotch is a product of Scotland (like Scotch whiskey), people, accent, language, places etc are Scottish. No matter how courageous a person may be, don't refer to them as spunky, spunk in UK is common slang for semen. I like the comparison of the two versions of the English language and am a big fan of your videos.
Oh goodness! I need to remember not to say spunky!
I always get the Scottish stuff wrong... I was scolded earlier this week for saying King of Scotland when apparently one is supposed to say King of the Scots! Thanks for watching my channel! I really appreciate your support! Dara
Whiskey is Irish, whisky is Scots.
@@missharry5727 thank you for clarifying! I was trying to remember what the distinction was.
Another one is Parking Lot.. here, it’s just the Car Park.
Yes, that is one I have to remember to say the right way in each country ;-)
Actually in the 'Anglosphere', its only in Britain where football is prevelant actually. In Canada, Australia, S. Africa, U.S., NZ, etc all use soccer mainly. Even in Ireland, Soccer is very much interchangeable with Football, as we have Gaelic Football as well, so especially down the country, if you talk about football, the default assumption is Gaelic Football, so soccer is often used to differentiate.
Actually up until the 70's or so, in Britain itself soccer and football were pretty interchangable as well.
First of all, "Anglosphere" is a new term for me... I love that! Shall have to remember it!!! Do you live in Ireland? I avoid making mistakes talking about sport by just not talking about it! hahaha... Best to stick to topics I know something about, like food! Thanks for sharing the history and context!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Aye... Grew up in Canada, just across the Border from Buffalo, and near Niagara Falls, but have been living in Ireland for the last 20 years or so. :)
Peadar Ruane How fun to live near Niagara Falls!
The term "Soccer" was even invented in England. It was used to distinguish "Rugby football" from "Association football" (the FA). Hence "Rugger" and "Soccer"
However the terms were only popular with the upper classes who, in any case, preferred the game of Rugby.
The rejection of the terms by working class fans of football caused both terms to fall out of use in the UK. So we are now left with simply "Rugby" and "Football"
Spot on. I am British and 76 years old and throughout my childhood and youth and at least up until the 80s we Brits commonly referred to Association Football as soccer. It was more often referred to it that way than merely "football".
Re _Loo_ :
In fact, this is probably the politest expression of all: somewhat Middle Class, a bit quaint, but wholly lacking in crudity. Equally at home in Buckingham Palace, the local pub, or someone's home. Said with an American accent, it would be _especially_ charming !
(Etymology still not 100% certain - but some connection with the French _l'eau_ seems most likely.............IMHO)
The same, I fear, CANNOT be said of _toilet_ , and certainly not of the (thankfully) soon-to-be-extinct _lavatory_ .
This was one of the first videos I filmed on my channel. Interestingly, people talked about how the word "washroom" was very American and strange, and then I recently traveled to Northumberland and saw a sign in a pub calling the toilets "WASHROOMS"!!! I felt so vindicated!
Thank you so much for your interesting comment on this video and on many videos lately. I REALLY appreciate it!|
Cheers
XX
Dara
Dara ! I think of pants and trousers as one and the same , apart from under ware.
Mick ALNWICK .
Are you Northern? I think Northerners say pants more than Southerners... just a theory, so tell me if I'm wrong.
Please explain the Mick Alnwick comment because I didn't understand it. Thanks!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Under ware .
Would be under pant,But i would say pants meaning trousers .
Does that help Dara ?
Aye ! I'm from Alnwick Northumbria .
Dara ! Your videos are so interesting ,as well as educational with regard British history .
( Dara ! you're good lass !! )
@@michaelgray7847 aaaah, so your name is Michael but you go by Mick? Sorry to be daft!
My theory is proven... you are from the North and think it is OK to call trousers pants. Very sensible!
As you know from watching my videos, I'm a big fan of Northumbria, and Alnwick in particular. We are currently binge watching Vera. I know real Northumbrians probably think their accents are not authentic, but I love the show! Thanks so much for watching and commenting. I REALLY appreciate it!
Cheers
XX
Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravels Mick is just a short for Michael .....a contraction ......And no you're not daft Dara !!)
Keep those wonderful videos coming Lass !!)
Are you back home at the present time ?
Lmao I'm Asian and live in Europe, why is this recommended to me? xD
Unknown person I guess RUclips wants you to visit Great Britain!😂
You need to ask RUclips's algorithms 🤷😆
Woow awesome!
Sueanne recommended me this channel as i m planning to travel to UK soon to visit my brother over there!
These info’s r very interesting and guess needs to follow those important points that u have mentioned! Brilliant observation 👍
Thanks!
#jessiemiller
Sueanne is wonderful! Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful visit to the UK! Let me know what you think of Britain after your visit!
I only learnt that Americans also say "restroom" when I visited 15 years ago before going I only thought you guys called it a "bathroom" because of growing up on US comedy sitcoms and showbiz on TV
@@BigC1290 yes, we would say bathroom in a house and often restroom in a public place
@MagentaOtterTravels oh ok I see
Thank you Dara for highlighting the "England is not the UK" thing. Sadly, lots of Europeans (including English people) do this too... 🙄
I really love Wales, as well as Scotland. We still need to make it to Northern Ireland!
I like your username! So I have to ask, did you watch my #1 national treasure video yet?
Pants means trousers in England
From what I've heard, more so in northern...
Lol pants!!!! How funny I had no idea
Omg!!! Fanny 🤦🏼♀️ how crazy!! You explain things so well! Football is the same in Mexico too! So what do Brits call American football? Mexico calls is fútbol americano.
You are going to laugh when I say this... but they call it "American Football" haha
It's pretty much same idea as in Spanish. Do you speak Spanish when you are at home?
Magenta Otter Travels if I need to speak Spanish I do, I’m not 100% fluent so I’d rather speak English but if I need to speak Spanish I can.
KC Konvos Do you have a video on your channel that explains how you ended up living in Mexico and working in the US? I would love to watch it!
jason longsden NFL players do wear a lot of armor! 🛡
If you ask us where the restroom is, we will know what you mean but you will definitely get some funny looks
And those people will wonder if I REALLY need a rest... or a pee ;-) LOL
Girls often had the name fanny in times gone by
Hi Dara, a couple of things annoy me, it,s not the misunderstanding between British and American english. It,s the saying "oh, how quaint/cute" said in a condescending manner. The other annoyance is not being aired here, as it doesn,t apply to 99.9% of visitors to the UK.
So let's talk about this. I have noticed exactly what you are talking about, and because a subscriber mentioned this to me VERY early on in my channel I have avoided it. Americans do say things are "quaint' or "cute" about all kinds of British things... especially when it comes to villages. But I beg you NOT to perceive it as condescending. This is one of those cultural differences. I promise you, these people (mostly women) are NOT intending it to be condescending. They are enamoured. They are charmed. They are in love with the storybook, picture postcard, or as Brits would say "chocolate box" version of English village life. They love it and we call everything "cute". Just like we say "awesome" ALL THE TIME. It's just a habit. I hope that helps annoy you a little less. ;-)
@@MagentaOtterTravels I take your point Dara, it,s obviously me being a grumpy old man! I,ll try harder to ignore the saying. Btw, I,m in no way anti-American, my mothers sister was a GI bride. I have family in California, my brother works over there, and my father was awarded the American DFC in 1944.
I'm a cranky old lady, I just try not to be that way on my channel, haha! I'm glad you made the comment... it gave me an idea for a future video! And no, I don't think you are Anti-American. Cheers!
i THINK BRITS JUST GOT LAZY BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE ''UNDER PANTS'' , WHICH THEN YOU WOULD THINK ITS THE GARMENT THAT GO'S ON BEFORE YOUR PANTS - BUT WE NEVER USED TO USE THE WORD PANTS FOR TROUSERS OR SLACKS BUT SINCE IVE RETURNED TO THE UK AFTER 28 YEARS IN THE US I HEAR THE WORD PANTS USED FOR TROUSERS NOW AND THEN (hope that wasnt too confusing)
Someone told me that using pants to mean trousers is more common in Scotland or northern England than it is in the south
In the UK we have petting zoos which are not at all offensive.
Good point!
Soccer is used in New Zealand. Football is Rugby.
Thanks for doing the geography lesson there, hope people pay attention. And also tell people that is why you CANNOT refer to a British accent. 😁
Excellent point... there are SO MANY different British accents! Obviously, American accents vary too. But in the UK I think the difference is so extreme that sometimes it's hard for folks from one part of the British Isles to even understand what a fellow Brit is saying! LOL
...but she got it WRONG! At 8:15, she states that "Great Britain is the island of England, SCOTLAND and Walse", while her map CLEARLY shows England, Wales, and NORTERN IRELAND (which is correct). Scotland is NOT, and never HAS been a part of "Great Britain". The UNITED KINGDOM is the amalgamation of the British Crown (Great Britain) and the Scottish Crown. At least TRY to get it right, yeh bloody Yank!!!
@alexclement7221 The level of geographic ignorance, illiteracy, and rudeness in this response takes my breath away. I hope you'd "had a few", and now regret your intemperate words.
@@alexclement7221 you are wrong - The United Kingdom is England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland ( reduced to Northern Ireland after Eire was separated as a free state). Great Britain is the the countries ( England, Scotland, Wales) in the isle of Britain.
Anybody in the tourist or hospitality industries should know what an American means by restroom.
When I was young it was always called the lavatory. This started as a euphemism in Victorian times for the privy, then toilet came in as a euphemism for lavatory. I had never heard of loo until I was an adult in the 60s. I usually use the working class term bog, hence bog roll for toilet tissue. An area in the centre of my home city of Bath is still called Bog Island by the locals after the former public lavatories that were there.
Euel Lane I love learning about euphemisms in both sides of the pond! Lavatory is a term Americans usually only hear on airplanes.😉 We NEVER use bog for toilet and I think most people in the US would have no clue what “bog roll” is. We don’t use the word roll for toilet paper ever. How interesting about Bath... now I want to visit bog island!! You come from a beautiful city! Thanks for your comment.👍
@@MagentaOtterTravels I should say that many prim and proper people hate the nickname. The official name is Terrace Walk.
Euel Lane good to know! Thanks for the insider info😉
@@MagentaOtterTravels The word "bog" meaning toilet is not at all polite.
Please don't use the word in cafes or restaurants.
Jill Hobson thanks for the word of warning 😉
Bum is also another word for cadge, or ask for a small item/amount of cash as a favour. E.g. of you want to cadge a cigarette, you might say "could I please bum a fag?"
I literally used the phrase "bum a fag" in a video I just filmed... watch for it in a couple weeks after Christmas. It's called "Opposite meanings". Cheers! Dara
In regards to "Pet". Saying it means "doing something intimate", isnt quite accurate, that makes it sound a bit like "adult cuddle times" Petting is just another word for kissing. But nobody uses that word like that anymore.. If you say you want to pet a dog, we know you want to touch it. The safest words to use for describing touching animals is "stroke, pet, fuss" (which is more like when you give them a good scratch behind the ear/belly rubs) or "say hello".. "is it ok if i say hello to your doggo" If they say yes, then get on the floor and start tickling the doggo behind the ear.
Thanks for the advice, Pet! ( that's my Vera impersonation 🤣)
We also use the word Bum to reffer to a homeless person, we also use it in the context of some one who is a 'Bum' as a person that is jobless and likes that living and is their mentality.. A bit derogatory but we do use that word in the same context as you.
Thanks for your comment! 💖
The "pet" thing isn't quite true. It's not that we interpret it in a weird way, it's just that it's not a word we use in that context. Plus I think the more...erm... adult use of the word is an Americanism anyway, so it's just not on our radar.
Interesting clarification! Thank you so much. It’s often the nuances that make things so confusing for us foreigners...
If ur a brit watching this, you laughed out loud at number 3.
Paul Russell I’m glad my video made you LOL! Number 3 is also the one that most Americans are shocked to discover is inappropriate! 😳
Paul Russell haha, yeah, agreed, although I don’t think I have ever heard a Brit use that word to refer to that as that, but still, amusing nonetheless
Magenta Otter Travels yeah, you did well to keep a straight face through the whole thing, I am not sure I could have, lol
@@Penddraig7 That's because we don't, ever.
Helen Wood don’t ever what?
Firstly, you don’t and can’t speak for the who of the UK, that’s just a general point!
Secondly, you have no context for my comment, the comment i replied to no longer exists, so you have no idea what i was responding to, so you can’t comment on it, you have no way of knowing!
Rubber is another one!! No British child would be ready for school unless they have a rubber!!😅😅😅😅😅😅
Yes, a very strange term to an American ;-) LOL
@@MagentaOtterTravels Dara I have to tell you a joke....Have you ever tried a Tarka Curry??
It's the same as a Tikka only it's
A little 'otter....🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦
Pants doesnt mean underwear in the UK, at least not in the north west. I live in North west England and I can assure you that here pants doesnt mean underwear.
uberwayz another commenter told me that is more of a southern connotation. I’m glad that we Americans won’t embarrass ourselves in the northwest. It’s a tough habit to break! 😉
In the last few decades the world's globalization due to international TV advertizing and the Internet has made American words known by most people outside of the US. Also, Americans and other non-europeans travel here. and live here too far more often than years ago. Likewise, so many modern Brits also travel to the US so the different cultures are becoming less distinct with time. True though, to say 'fanny' out-loud in the UK will cause a reaction!
I filmed this video to try to help Americans blend in... it was one of the VERY FIRST videos I filmed when I started my channel 4 years ago. What I did not realise is that 90%+ of the people who watched it would be British not American LOL... I had no idea how RUclips worked ;-)
Hiya Dara, what American word gets to me is the word "Bad Boys" when describing food, it really gets on my nerves, that's the only annoying thing Americans say that gets to me, this is Choppy in Whitehaven, Cumbria, England
Haha that's funny! 😆
It's not funny it's bloody annoying,I won't loose my rag over it
I think most British people would understand what Americans meant if they used those expressions, from context if not familiarity, though one or two might raise a smile ☺
'Pants' is also commonly used slang for something of no worth, eg Boris Johnson is totally pants as a Prime Minister. 'Period', as in a full stop, is less usually employed but is understood, and also obviously refers to an extent of time. Not being a follower of the sport, I'm on less firm ground when I say that 'soccer' is of British coinage. Doesn't it derive from 'association football'? Brits do prefer to say 'football', though. The geopolitical division of our islands is, as you say, the United Kingdom (of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), while Great Britain refers to the largest of the British Isles, consisting of England, Scotland and Wales. The British Isles takes in the Scilly Isles, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight, the Northern Is, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, sundry others and, as the British Isles is not a political but a geographical description, they also contain the island of Ireland. I don't think the Channel Islands qualify, nor are they part of the UK, but they are Crown Dependencies (of the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The former consists of Jersey and some rocks, the latter of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm, Brechou and Jethou*... And some rocks. Jersey and Guernsey have their own parliaments and, though it is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Sark also has its own parliament). Simple! 🤣
(*Edit: Oh, and Lihou)
That is very complicated! It’s hard for me to keep track of all the different islands and who owns what! The funny thing about this video is that I created it to educate Americans about traveling to Britain. But unfortunately very few Americans watch it! It’s mostly British people telling me “I know all that” LOL… hopefully one day the pandemic will end and people will travel again, and some Americans will watch this video! 🙏🤣
No one says 'ladies room' here either. You got it right with 'gents'. People say 'where is the ladies or gents?' You're just itching to add the word room to anything describing a visit to a toilet facility! Funny how Americans call it a restroom. I wonder if that's because Americans are so on the go all the time it's one of the few opportunities they get to have a little rest!
Probably!
saying thats pants means that's rubbish
I have heard that, but I've not actually said it yet 🤣
I thought knickers meant underwear. My English stepmother always called it that.
Yes knickers are undies! Don’t get your knickers in a knot 😉
@@MagentaOtterTravels The phrase most of the UK would use is "Don't get your knickers in a twist! "
I’ll ask where the loo is when I’m in the UK.
The word "soccer" is not unique to the US. It has been used as an alternative to "football" in the UK for at least 70 years. I believe it is derived from the word "association" which is part of the correct name "Association Football",
Yes, I believe the term originated in England...
@@MagentaOtterTravels You are right. The word 'Soccer' does originate from England - the rules of Association football (Soccer) diverged from Rugby football (Rugby) in 1863 and from then on people (particularly in Oxford, where both games were played at the university) shortened the words to 'soccer' and 'rugger'.
What happened at 5:01?
The Machine haha excellent question! This was probably the third video I had made in my entire life, and I was still learning how to edit. I think it was just sloppy editing!🤪🙄 I no longer use that software anymore, thank goodness!
We do not use UK it’s England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, it’s only used when the Queen and Royal Family or the Prime Minster are abroad UN, EU, G7 etc.
Thanks 😊
I use UK. I am Yorkshire and UK, “England” means nothing to me (living in the south-east of it and having the rise taken out of my northern accent and my hometown for 30 years). Each to his own...
SOCCER:
Let's break this down. The younger generations in the UK consider soccer to be an Americanism. Hold on to your seats because here comes a shocker. Here in the UK, when I was young enough to play association football we referred to it as soccer which is derived from that word "association". Think about it.
I would suggest that those here in the UK who sneer at the American use of the word to just ask themselves, "Why do Americans call the game soccer?" The answer of course is that when the game first started to gain a foothold in the US, here in the UK it was commonly referred to by that very word so, naturally, Americans adopting the game would adopt its common British English name, too.
It IS ironic, isn't it? Americans get in trouble for saying soccer and for calling autumn "fall"... but both of those terms are of British origin ;-)
It's detinitely time that Americans began to speak English properly, it's called English because we invented it, but I suppose we will continue to be divided by a common language
I think we might find some commonalities, but don’t expect all Americans to start speaking the English way. I think there are quite a few things that even the English are not united in how they say them… as shown in my “mushy” video 😉
On the use of the word 'pants' thats not accurate really,I tbink many brits like to wind you Septics up sometimes. Whilst - and this is recent really, underpants can be called pants and many may frequently use it that way, we do also use pants sometimes to mean trousers, although more with regards to kids than grown ups. We also use other words such as keks (in the north of England).
I think the whole "pants" snobbery is definitely a Southern thing... and yes those English folks from down South do like to wind us up ;-) LOL
@@MagentaOtterTravels the word pants is also used to mean something isn't very good by the way.
To be fair, most people in the UK are aware of many of these American usages.
You left out Cornwall and the Isle of Man, both countries in their own rights and both are part of Britain and the UK.
Also, we understand the word "pet" in that context, even if we don't use it and period can mean a period of time - it is not just menstruation.
Wait, Cornwall is a separate country?!?!!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Bit of a grew area. You had a Celtic nation there with its own language, which went extinct but is being revived(related to Welsh, and Briezh in Brittany France), called Kernewek, and Cornwall in that language is Kernow. Basically when the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invaded England and lowland Scotland, they pushed the Celtic Britons to the extremes of Wales and Cornwall and the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
Unlike Wales and Scotland , it isn't politically and historically it isn't viewed one of the constituent independent nations making up the UK as its been integrated with England. That being said, many Cornish do view themselves as having a unique culture, and there are many that want more autonomy for the region and even a small minority that wants outright independence.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_nationalism
Peadar Ruane thanks so much for giving me this context! I find it fascinating, and shall keep it in mind the next time I go to Britain, when we will be visiting Cornwall! 🙌
@@MagentaOtterTravels No, Cornwall is an English county, but there are those who like to think they live in a separate country.
gerald blaney I understand. I live in Texas. Many people here think they live in their own country...LOL 🤠
Weirdly, using the word to pet a dog , is correct in Scotland.
Northern England and Scotland are a bit easier for Americans. You can say pet and you can call trousers "pants"!! ;-)
Pants you'll probably get away with, especially if you have a US accent. Soccer is derived from Association Football, so is fine in the UK. What rankles is the assumption that football equates only to gridiron. The really important one to take away from this video is the last bit about England not equating to the UK. That can really get you in trouble!
Oh yes.... to Americans all of the UK is England. And all of England is London! I can't tell you how many times I've told an American that I live in England during the summer (in Cheltenham)... and then I hear them repeat to someone else "she lives in London". Ugh!
The world Wales interestingly was invented by the English to make fun of them as it meant "no country" the negative connotation no longer exists as everyone just forgot, but it still makes me laugh when someone from there refers to it as Wales as they actually have their own word for it (Cymru).
uberwayz that is fascinating! I love Wales... was there for a brief stay last week, but hope to spend more time there next summer. I’d love to do some videos about the alphabet, language and place names.❤️🏴
@@MagentaOtterTravels Sorry but that is not accurate. Wales relates to the old germanic term for Romanised foreigners, Hence Walloons in Belgium as well as Welsh in Britain.
@@neilbuckley1613 thanks for the comment. I learn the most interesting things from my subscribers! I appreciate you watching and sharing that information.
Pass !
😂
With the correct context we know what you mean if you happen to say pants, those that choose to make fun of it are probably not worth getting bothered over.
I’m sure MANY Americans have been laughed at for that one 😉
In parts of Northern England they use pants as well so if you're ever in the North West you'll be in good company.
I agree ,we know what American are saying when they misuse English words
One of the most annoying things is when Americans refer to the Queen (or now) King of England! No no no! It's the King of the UK!
I hear you... and you are of course absolutely right. But that's gonna be a tough habit to break! 😬
You didn't mention the problem with the name "Randy"
Ha ha, yes that's a good one! I had an American friend named Randy who moved to England for a three-year work assignment. He tried to change his name so that British people wouldn't have to call him that!
@@MagentaOtterTravels "Randy" can be short for something, like "Randolph". So there is often a way out of it.
I did hear that the British meaning of "randy" derives from the French "rendezvous". Where, if this is held in secret, there is probably lust involved
@@MagentaOtterTravels "Randy" can be short for something, like "Randolph". So there is often a way out of it.
I did hear that the British meaning derives from the French "rendezvous". Where, if this is held in secret, there is probably lust involved
@@alexdavis1541 that's an interesting theory. I always wondered how the word got that connotation in Britain!
@@MagentaOtterTravels By the way, there are two posts because RUclips said they would not send the first one. But they did anyway. I only changed one or two words in the second
Soccer is actually the English name for the game football its only in the last 30/40 years the game has been more commonly called Football, because that the name used by FIFA.
There are two types of football played in the England rugby know football and association football.
So the English shortened the name to soccer. Its only the under 40s that have only known the game to be called Football.
When I was a child on Saturdays you went to the soccer match, not the football game in England.
It was different in Scotland as they have their own football leagues.
Isn't it ironic that soccer was the original term in England?!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Hiya Dara, its short for Association Football , so soccer is short for association.
Pants? It means trousers too.
Please, please never say that someone has "spunk" which in the US refers to people displaying courage or guts because in my part of the UK it refers to something very sexual
Yes, I recently learned that one! I didn't mention it in the video, but I have since learned not to say someone is spunky!!😬
Was this a try not to laugh challenge? :D
Mouse Potato I hope you laughed!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Laugh? I was biting the carpet lol. I failed miserably.
Mouse Potato haha haha 😂