I highly recommend the book 'Watching the English', by Kate Fox. You may find it amusing.. edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/4434518/mod_resource/content/1/Watching%20the%20English.pdf
When I was at school, we were taught to avoid using "nice" at all costs, as it was regarded as the laziest and most mundane of all adjectives. In my experience, "pardon me" is most often used when you've burped or accidentally farted.
For us it was 'Lots' or 'a Lot of'. It was great to be able to create a composition that had dialogue, where you could actually say whatever you liked 'lots of'😁😁😁
Again it depends on how it's said, but I always feel that 'Pardon me' can be a little passive-aggressive! "Well, pardon me for breathing" comes to mind!
Sketchy is a fairly recent slang word in America and is not as common as shady, seedy and suspicious are in America, which have similar use in the UK too.
I want to congratulate you on having a young nephew. I love having nieces, nephews and grandchildren. It's like having most of the best bits of parenting but avoiding most of the worst bits (because you can hand those off to the actual parents).
Give you a ring is used in America too. Give you a bell, is similar to the Dutch expression, to bell somebody and I haven't heard it in America, but would understand.
'Pardon me' is often used in an exaggerated way when people burp or even fart and can't hide it up! 'Cheers' is also used as a sort of toast, when about to drink alcohol.
@@tonys1636 The second one I tend to say when someone has unintentionally said a "double entendre". I have to careful who I say it in front of as my image is of a polite innocent. But I was brought up on the Navy Lark and Up Pompeii as well as Chaucer!
It's so interesting hearing your list. I would say 'excuse me' if I wanted someone to move out of my way, 'sorry' if I was in the way, and only 'pardon me' as a sarcastic dig under my breath, if I thought someone should have said either 'excuse me' or 'sorry' to me. Brilliant, lovely, fab, cheers, mate! 🤩
@lottie2525 I was brought up to say "pardon me" or "I beg your pardon" if I committed some socially impolite act, such as belching or breaking wind. Some people would shorten this to "pardon" and it would become a reflexive and meaningless phrase. Also "I beg your pardon" alongside "I didn't hear that" was intended to be a polite request for someone to repeat themselves. My brother is slightly deaf and uses a barked "pardon" as an aggressive form of "I didn't quite hear that" and as such it loses all sense of being an apology. But "I beg your pardon" has also long also been used ironically and or sarcastically when you have clearly heard what the other person has said and you wish to express shock or disagreement or offence. "Pardon!" is now being used in a similar way. It is quite a long time since I have heard people using "pardon me" as an equivalent to "excuse me" such as when trying to get people to move out of the way. "Excuse me!" seems to imply that English sense that one is aware of not wanting to be a bother, but one simply must get through the crowd, whether it is to get to the loo or to the bar. For the under the breath dig at someone who is less than polite, I have heard some say "pardon you" or the much more damning "pardon me for breathing"!
@@charleshayes2528 You've reminded me of that little rhyme .... Pardon me for being rude, it was not me it was my food. It just popped up to say hello and now it's going back down below.
@@lottie2525 Thanks for that! I know the first half but the second half is new to me. The second half, following a belch was "It came right from my heart, if it went the other way it would have been a fart!"
"Quite" is an interesting one. As someone who works for an American company and therefore very closely with Americans on a daily basis, I've found that "quite" has a slightly different meaning on either side of the Pond. For example, a group of us recently had to work on an emergency project for our CFO, who is based in the US. We worked hard to get it done, and on successful completion, we each received an email from the CFO thanking us, and saying that she thought the project had gone "quite well". As a Brit, to me, that meant she thought there was room for improvement! But when I questioned her comment with my American boss, I was assured that she meant the project had gone "very well"!
I’ve really been enjoying your recent videos, the more relaxed style suits you and the content is really good. I just wanted to say keep doing what you’re doing!
aw that's nice, thanks so much! I like doing a variety of relaxed and more scripted ones to keep it interesting. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Hope you continue to enjoy!
'I wouldn't buy a car from that place. The guy who runs it is proper dodgy.' The original 'Fab Four' were, of course, the Beatles. 'Fab' is, to my ears, 60s speak and sounds a little odd nowadays.
Some words/phrases using rhyming slang are just for fun, others are used to add emphasis, like if a car park is full/busy, I would say It's rammed, chock a block just seems old hat now. "A sticky wicket" is common to use, it means you're in a challenging situation/position, a cricket term for having to deal with an unusual ball bounce, another one is: "It's just not cricket" meaning they are not playing by the rules, or someone is playing dirty. "Dealt a Googly" is like a curveball or braudsided. If someone is "loved up" means they are smitten with their partner. If someone is "minted" they are well off, proper minted, they are very rich.
Hiya mate, I'm gutted that I can't give you a ring but your holiday looks proper lovely ! Did you sort it out ? It must cost a few quid but it'll be brilliant to have a mooch around those places ! Cheers !
Your list of things your not prepared to say, was better than the list of things you adopted! LOVED IT and have to agree that if your not feeling it, your best off avoiding it.
Some thoughts, for what they're worth, 1. I'm definitely in the "excuse me" camp but I would use "pardon me", or its stronger variant "well pardon me for breathing" in a snarky way to somebody being pompously aggressive. (Snarky is one of those American words I like so have appropriated for my own use). 2. Fab/Fabulous, oh my that takes me right back. Do people down south really still say that? To me it's ever so early 1960s, it goes with listening to early Beatles songs on "Fab 208" (Radio Luxembourg) when I was 9 or 10. There was a Fab magazine for pre-teenage girls with news and gossip about pop stars, and a Fab ice lolly ("popsicle") marketed to girls (it was pink and white with a top section covered with sprinkles) as the distaff counterpart to the Zoom lolly, which was rocket-shaped. Even ice lollies were gendered in those unenlightened times. I see from googling that these items have been revived, so maybe the words have come round again as well. Not heard much in Scotland though, I think. 3. Hiya, very northern English (where I was born) and Scottish (where I live). The sort of greeting you would hear on Coronation Street from the very beginning (1960, when the sound of Manchester vowels coming from the telly outraged polite society). Other northern greetings from Up North would be Ay Up, which is more Yorkshire than Lancashire, and the peculiar to Hull "Now then", which can have people new to that city feeling they must have done something wrong. "Hi" is always a good general greeting so stick to that if you're comfortable with it. 4. Chuffed - much more quietly pleased with something you've done or that's happened to you, and not really excited. We're not excitable people! 5. No need to go out of your way to change the way you speak. Everybody will know you're American, they won't mind because you're clearly somebody who's ready to take us as you find us and muck in, and they will understand you just fine. Pick up what you find useful and discard the rest.
The Beatles were the original Fab Four, I think. But a large part of the popularity of 'Fab' comes, I think, from Absolutely Fabulous (aka Ab Fab), a 90's sitcom with Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Sounders as a couple of wannabe-fashionable society girls.
Pardon me is often used if you accidently do a loud fart or burp in public, I tend to either give a quick sorry can i squeeze past you, or excuse me, if im trying to get past someone in the way of me
Pardon me is used in the UK when you burp or fart to a more forceful level that it's now audible in a public place like on a bus or shop queue and everyone around you needs someone to claim it vocally to ease this unexpected but heartfelt alarm. I have often wondered why Madonna called her early hit song Holiday and Not Vacation?! 'If we took a vacation, just one day out of life, it would be, it would be so nice. Vacation!'
As a child, when I first heard someone say, "I'm going for a vacation", (it was a US school chum), I thought he meant he was going to the dorm lavatory for a dump. 😅
I picked up "lovely" back in college from a roommate obsessed with Britain, but I mostly use it with sarcasm when referring to a situation or circumstances.
I have many American friends and frequently use more than one word for the same thing (American and British versions) but it’s so ingrained into me now that I sometimes do it with fellow Brits 😂 So in a restaurant I might ask where the loo or restroom is for instance. When I first went to NYC someone asked me where the facilities were and I had no idea what they were talking about because in the UK this usually means the electricity, gas or other utilities. The fact he was talking about the toilets totally stumped me. I have one American friend who always calls me mate and I confirm it does sound weird 😂
One of our words that i love which you didn't include is 'gormless ' meaning stupid, usually about a person, but i often use it to refer to an absurd situation. I've loved that word since i was a kid. My American girlfriend loves it too, and has started using it in Texas lol.
gormless (adj.) c. 1746, also in early use gaumless, gawmless, "wanting sense, stupid," a British dialectal word, from gome "notice, understanding" (c. 1200), from Old Norse gaumr "care, heed" (of unknown origin);
@jonbolton3376 - As a Bristolian, it can only mean stupid, since an absurd situation isn't necessarily lacking in intelligence, but may arise because someone is lacking in intelligence. But, I can't think of an equivalent for a situation, so feel free. Often it would get shortened to "gorm" as in the timeless poetry of "you gurt gorm"!
"Loveliness ". There was a famous 1920's & 30's song in the USA, sung by Josephine Baker AND one of the brothers of Bing Crosby - Bob - called "The Loveliness of You". Madonna sang " Holiday ". Not vacation...
Your use of "pardon me" sounded right to me. One way to describe it is that it's a more aggressive version of "excuse me". As others have said, it's also used when you want to be pardoned for something rude.
'Pardon me' is an interesting one. It can be used to excuse one's own behaviour but, depending on the intonation, can be used to upbraid somebody who has accused you (erroneously) of doing something they have taken exception to, as in the expression, 'Oh! PARdon me for living!' (with the stress on the first syllable of the word 'pardon'). It's another one of our ways of answering a social challenge without actually saying what really needs to be said. We're very good at that!!
"Pardon me!" said with force when someone does not move out of one's way. Two or more people blocking a passage or corridor whilst chin wagging and not moving out of the way.
One thing I’ve noticed about Americans is when talking about sums of money , I often hear things like “it cost me 25 hundred dollars” , where we would say it’s “2 thousand 500 pounds” or “2 1/2 grand”
Madam, you are very insightful and honest about your experience. Your words are loaded with deeper meanings and not just statements of fact. I feel that you have picked up a British intellect during your time with us. You are welcome to stay as long as is pleasurable for you
Maybe you could do a video about American words/phrases that are not used in the UK. One example is the word "excited". In the US you might get a business executive saying "I'm really excited about our new ad campaign". That's never said in the UK. Excited is a word for children: like a five year old child might say he's really excited about going to a party The only time "excited" appears in UK grown ups' vocabulary might be in connection with "bedroom activities"! lol Anyway, keep up the good work! :)
@gmdhargreaves I would suggest that you and I might never do so, but it is no longer quite correct to say "we never", since both of my nieces - public school and university educated and lovely young women in their early 30s - have used it, although one of them did also use "Fab" in a recent conversation with me.
I feel like ‘pardon me’is something that Americans decided Btits said, or that upper class Americans are portrayed in films by saying pardon me. I was taught to say ‘pardon’ when I didn’t hear something. And ‘excuse me’ if I was rude or noisy
That Vlog was a proper job🤪 I would be interested to know what your American family and friends (non UK resident) think of the way you speak having been here several years now. Cheers 👍
A cashier gives me my cakes and shopping and I always say 'Lovely, Cheers' . Not so familiar with 'Pardon Me'. I just say 'sorry'. As I push past them to get more cake. FAB was used a lot in the Sixties and was even used as a call sign for Thunderbirds a popular Children's show. So Fab has stuck with us. Anyway cheers mate it was brilliant and fun. Weird how easily we fall into phrases. Love the 'still Americans' comment. Reminds of Donald Sutherland at the end of Invasion of The Bodysnatchers where he has turned and points and screams at the human. STILL AMERICAN would be a great scream. 'So Anyway' another phrase I have fallen into. Great fun.
"Fab" dates from the 1960s, when the Beatles were often referred to as the Fab Four. It continued later in the 1990s with the TV show "Absolutely Fabulous" which is widely called "Ab Fab." "Hiya" is said everywhere, but is especially common in Manchester. Since you live in London, I´m surpised you omitted the constant substitution in that city of "very" for "well", which is both well common and maybe well dodgy.
Really enjoyed your video and understand why you don't use certain phrases as when I travelled around the States it would feel fake to use terms such as "bucks" You could also do an entire video on slang and phrases from Yoekshire.😅
I’ve heard that Americans use “quite” to emphasise quality being much better than just good, while Brits use it to mean fairly good to average. So kind of opposite sides of “mid” depending where you live.
One thing that amuses British people about American English is that the alternative words used in the US are often much longer and harder to say: flat is apartment, lift is elevator, car used to be automobile, etc. Also, unnecessary descriptors, such as 'horseback riding' instead of just 'riding'.
My favourite is from the prewar debate on air power. An American general said: "There is no known agency that can prevent the accomplishment of a bombardment mission". Our Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin said: "The bomber will always get through" -six words instead of fourteen!
You are so genuine. The word chuffed/chuff can be used in so many ways and all different. I worked with someone from a different part of the UK and she was so amused at my use of this word I was crowned Queen of Chuffs.
The shortening of "fabulous" to "fab" is a Liverpool Scouse thing - they often shorter words, taking off unnecessary syllables where it won't obscure the meaning. It was popularised by beat culture, particularly The Beatles, in the 1960s
When you said about your friends being American it reminded of when I lived in San Francisco and a fellow Brit asked me how come I knew so many Americans.
If you wanted to get past someone in a shop (if they were standing in your way or in front of a display with a product you needed), you'd definitely say 'excuse me' and not 'pardon me'. As the latter indicates that someone has muttered something under their breath - which might have been rude or at least 'brusk'; and your response would then be 'pardon me'. So if you said this to someone you wanted to get past (in a shop or cafe), they might instantaneously say 'sorry, I didn't say anything?' in a surprised or perplexed way.
Brits don't say 'vacation', but 'staycation' has become popular lately, but used wrongly. 'Staycation' used to mean spending your vacation time at home. Now it seems to mean spending it in your home country, in which case 'staycation' covers almost all American vacations.
I noticed in one of your earlier videos you said you would “venture a guess”. I had to look that up as I’d never noticed it, but it sounds like that is the American variation of “hazard a guess” which I’m more used to hearing. Now I’ve noticed a few Americans saying venture.
Here in Bristol, we do say proper but also add job to it as in "Proper Job." Also, "Cheers Drive" when getting off the bus. We also like adding an "L" here & there; for eg. "I bought this from Asdal". Referring to Asda! Finally, "Right Mate!" Are alright mate or You Alright Mate!
hi Kalyn very interesting topic, l am an adopted moonraker, (Wiltshire)but originated from Kent, l did go to boarding school. not for rich kids, as kids from most of the areas of the UK went there my phrases and us of words were picked up there. For example instead of saying l would do something, l now say.. we would do something, in others words you pick up the language of the locals.
What is interesting is - taken together - the words you have adopted are social class markers. They say "middle class, home counties". This is even clearer with the ones you have not adopted as they tend to be lower class words or phrases. So well done - you have found your place in society.
proper is used instead of the word very and the word dead is used instead of very aswell. you may have heard "thats dead good" at least they both are in the north
Hi Kalyn, Good job on learning some English words and phrases. here is a very useful one you could adopt. The word is "Numpty". The word sounds more insulting than it is so I think it can be useful in certain situations. Actually thinking about it now, perhaps this is not such a good word to be picking up. Please disregard this message.
A good one I see a lot of foreigners saying is 'taa', which is an informal thank you. Usually used to demonstrate that you're appreciative for something, but not when someone has gone really out of their way, otherwise a simple 'taa' would seem less grateful.
Knackered can have a double meaning. A knackers' yard is a horse abattoir where you take your brocken down old nags to be turned into glue. The other service provided by a knackers was to geld stallions so I think that being knackered can mean both.
I believe "knackered" meaning completely tired derives from the 'knackers yard' - a place where old horses would be taken 'care of/or not so much' in their older years.
While I know the activity, this is the first time I have come across "cheersing". Mooching I take to mean either investigating or freeloading; I have never heard it used to mean meandering.
I always understood 'mooching' to be engaging in some aimless activity, often to the annoyance of another person. 'Stop mooching about and get on with your homework!' was something I remember being told by my mother.
We'd never use mooching to mean investigating or freeloading. But I do love to have a good mooch around the shops, or in our lovely historic towns and cities, just have a mooch.
I remember when I started a job in Stoke-on-Trent and in the place I worked it was big with a few hundred people working there. They all would say 'eh up' to each other in the morning so you'd hear just 'eh-up' 'eh-up' everywhere. This is more a northern thing but we never said it in Blackpool bit I'd say 'tara' for goodbye and 'ta' for thanks.
It sounds as if the phrase much used on the Rail transport system of 'See it, say it, sorted!' (what you are supposed to do if you see something suspicious on the rail system) would potentially sound quite weird to Americans, if they typically only use 'sorted' to refer to organising collections of objects. As a Brit, I would use 'excuse me!' to ask someone to get out of my way, but 'pardon me?' if I failed to hear or understand what they were saying, or realised that I has offended them in some way. I have realised recently that Americans, when they do use 'Quite', use it to mean that something is especially so. For example "The kids are quite excited to go to Disneyland for the first time this summer". In the UK, we often use it to mean that something is particularly underwhelming. So, if your guests tell you the meal you cooked was 'quite nice' you would be wondering what was wrong with it.
As an American who has lived in the states my entire life and have a clearly American accent, I have always been perplexed why people always ask which country I’m from. I think I’m starting to get it! I say so many of these words in everyday speech.
I think the way you say “quid” and “cheers” is fine and doesn’t come across as weird or fake at all. I’m sure it feels weird saying them because you only ever hear them in British accents, but honestly it sounded fine.
I like to keep up the British tradition we have employed throughout the ages when meeting foreign people and understanding their language. I learn the swear words first.
1990s rave culture used "Sorted" for pretty much anything that was good or is progressing well- a lot of older people (like me) still use it on its own or in "sort it out" etc.
"Shout Out" used to be said only by a DJ or MC at a Club, to the audience in relation to some artist, artist's music , or a member of the audience. For in return - a round of applause. Now it's a generalism, meaning to simply seek approval.
Holiday - you will hear "going on hollies!" Give you a ring - you will also hear " Give you a bell!" Have a mooch - you will also hear "Have a gander" Parden me - excuse me you will also hear "Scuse me!" Hiya - you will also hear " Yo!" Dodgy - you will also hear " really dodgy" Brilliant- you will also hear " Brill!" or " SMART!" YOU MUST LEARN TO SAY "CHEERS!"
I bet you don't use "Dodgy Geezer"! Usually referring to a car dealer who is a bit iffy, there's another one, iffy... Its a totally different language, isn't it?🤣🤣 You're right, with your comments at the end, some words just don't work from an American accent Enjoyed this one!
In the US the word geezer is used when referring to old people. "I wish that old geezer would drive the speed limit!" We'd probably say sketchy to replace dodgy.
You would have been completely lost in East end London in the 80s with sayings like that's sound or that's mint, meaning that is really good and there are so many more
Hi Kaylan, you could get a larger audience by comparing Americans to Aussies and even New Zealanders, Canadians etc. Some Australians think Americans, not all of them, are dumb, loud, obese, very religious, unhealthy, always rambling on about the constitution and their fear of communism and shooting each other. So when we see someone like yourself who is articulate, intelligent, thin, healthy, not so loud, not always shoving your opinions down other peoples throats, not rambling on about the constitution or advocating for the use of guns, we wonder (in the words of an American) "What the Goddamn Hell is going on???!!!" 😄😅😂 And it's someone like you we are more likely to listen to, who is more like us, when we want to find out more about, perhaps the real America or the America no commonly portrayed in the media. Keep up the great work. Love your videos :)
I love the way that 'quite' can mean 'a little bit' but just as often means 'very', and 'brilliant' can mean 'fantastic' but just as often means 'oh crap'.
In Canada you will hear people say pardon me, but is often used as an interjection in response to someone saying something stupid or insulting.often used when someone pushes abruptly in front of you, often interchanged with EXCUSE ME!!!
Hiya! Lovely for you all to join me today. I quite like hearing your comments, so let know them down below!
I highly recommend the book 'Watching the English', by Kate Fox. You may find it amusing..
edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/4434518/mod_resource/content/1/Watching%20the%20English.pdf
Can I put my garbage in your bin?As an English comedian that can mean many things 😂🙌
I see what you did there. ;-)
If you're not saying 'cheeky', 'gutted' or 'mate' congratulations you're a posh girl.
What are the chances of you using British phrases and words in America by accident?
Chuffed doesn't mean excited; it means being really pleased at accomplishing something unexpected.
another excellent reason I don't use it as I don't even understand the context I'd use it in clearly 😂
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial Builder asks: "Are you happy with the new kitchen extension?". Customer replies: "I am absolutely chuffed with it!".
"I was chuffed to bits when my son achieved very high marks in his exam at school today "
It means “pleased”
Dead chuffed. ie Very very chuffed. ie very pleased.
When I was at school, we were taught to avoid using "nice" at all costs, as it was regarded as the laziest and most mundane of all adjectives.
In my experience, "pardon me" is most often used when you've burped or accidentally farted.
That's immediately what I thought when nice was used instead of lovely. Anything but nice! It was drummed into us in English lessons at school.
For us it was 'Lots' or 'a Lot of'. It was great to be able to create a composition that had dialogue, where you could actually say whatever you liked 'lots of'😁😁😁
It's a excellent word for sarcasm 😊 especially with mmmm in front of it
@@lawrenceglaister4364 True - it's excellent if your subtle intent is derogatory.
Again it depends on how it's said, but I always feel that 'Pardon me' can be a little passive-aggressive! "Well, pardon me for breathing" comes to mind!
As a Brit in the USA I'd say that "sketchy" is the best Amriecan equivalent of the British use of "dodgy".
But then the American use of sketchy is not what sketchy in English means, ie ill defined, literally like a sketch.
Sketchy is a fairly recent slang word in America and is not as common as shady, seedy and suspicious are in America, which have similar use in the UK too.
This American says dodgy. People know what I mean.
@@ultraredd Shady.
In the USA, you can also just say that something is sketch.
I want to congratulate you on having a young nephew. I love having nieces, nephews and grandchildren. It's like having most of the best bits of parenting but avoiding most of the worst bits (because you can hand those off to the actual parents).
As well as being used to mean an apology, ’excuse me’ is sometimes used sarcastically
And to simply attract someone's attention.
" Scuse me, 'scuse me , you forgot your coat ! " or something.
You've been on public transport enough "See it, say it, Sorted!"
Hi Kalen. Love your channel, girl.
The etymology of the phrase " give you a ring ", and " give you a bell " is that early phones had bells.
Give you a ring is used in America too. Give you a bell, is similar to the Dutch expression, to bell somebody and I haven't heard it in America, but would understand.
Tinkle. On the blower. Just to upset Evan Edinger...
@@wessexdruid7598 'dog 'n bone' - phone
I wonder if 'give you a bell' also got prominance from Alexander Graham Bell, the inventer of the telephone.
I'm more interested in the flip side, what other uses do Brits & Yanks have for variations of "calling" ?
'Pardon me' is often used in an exaggerated way when people burp or even fart and can't hide it up! 'Cheers' is also used as a sort of toast, when about to drink alcohol.
Often followed by "Vicar" Often someone would add "As the Bishop said to the Actress".
Sarcastic not exaggerated 👍
@@tonys1636, bishop to actress ( or vice versa ) is one of my favorites , you can make loads of jokes 😂
@@tonys1636 The second one I tend to say when someone has unintentionally said a "double entendre". I have to careful who I say it in front of as my image is of a polite innocent. But I was brought up on the Navy Lark and Up Pompeii as well as Chaucer!
If someone barges past you might say pardon me in an exaggerated voice
It's so interesting hearing your list. I would say 'excuse me' if I wanted someone to move out of my way, 'sorry' if I was in the way, and only 'pardon me' as a sarcastic dig under my breath, if I thought someone should have said either 'excuse me' or 'sorry' to me. Brilliant, lovely, fab, cheers, mate! 🤩
I agree - that's exactly the only time that I would use "pardon me"
@lottie2525 I was brought up to say "pardon me" or "I beg your pardon" if I committed some socially impolite act, such as belching or breaking wind. Some people would shorten this to "pardon" and it would become a reflexive and meaningless phrase. Also "I beg your pardon" alongside "I didn't hear that" was intended to be a polite request for someone to repeat themselves. My brother is slightly deaf and uses a barked "pardon" as an aggressive form of "I didn't quite hear that" and as such it loses all sense of being an apology.
But "I beg your pardon" has also long also been used ironically and or sarcastically when you have clearly heard what the other person has said and you wish to express shock or disagreement or offence. "Pardon!" is now being used in a similar way. It is quite a long time since I have heard people using "pardon me" as an equivalent to "excuse me" such as when trying to get people to move out of the way. "Excuse me!" seems to imply that English sense that one is aware of not wanting to be a bother, but one simply must get through the crowd, whether it is to get to the loo or to the bar.
For the under the breath dig at someone who is less than polite, I have heard some say "pardon you" or the much more damning "pardon me for breathing"!
@@charleshayes2528 You've reminded me of that little rhyme .... Pardon me for being rude, it was not me it was my food. It just popped up to say hello and now it's going back down below.
@@lottie2525 Thanks for that! I know the first half but the second half is new to me. The second half, following a belch was "It came right from my heart, if it went the other way it would have been a fart!"
"Quite" is an interesting one. As someone who works for an American company and therefore very closely with Americans on a daily basis, I've found that "quite" has a slightly different meaning on either side of the Pond. For example, a group of us recently had to work on an emergency project for our CFO, who is based in the US. We worked hard to get it done, and on successful completion, we each received an email from the CFO thanking us, and saying that she thought the project had gone "quite well". As a Brit, to me, that meant she thought there was room for improvement! But when I questioned her comment with my American boss, I was assured that she meant the project had gone "very well"!
In Britain there is almost an unspoken "all things considered" after the "quite well" Would you agree?
@@Lily-Bravo Yes indeed! 😄
I’ve really been enjoying your recent videos, the more relaxed style suits you and the content is really good. I just wanted to say keep doing what you’re doing!
aw that's nice, thanks so much! I like doing a variety of relaxed and more scripted ones to keep it interesting. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Hope you continue to enjoy!
'I wouldn't buy a car from that place. The guy who runs it is proper dodgy.'
The original 'Fab Four' were, of course, the Beatles.
'Fab' is, to my ears, 60s speak and sounds a little odd nowadays.
These phrases always come around, fab dahling.
F.A.B Scott.
Similar to 'cool'. Which at one time, would have been though very 'old hat'.
"Fabuloso" is of course High Camp".
We don't say "vacation", but post-Brexit, post/during Covid we've gone for "staycation" big time.
Some words/phrases using rhyming slang are just for fun, others are used to add emphasis, like if a car park is full/busy, I would say It's rammed, chock a block just seems old hat now. "A sticky wicket" is common to use, it means you're in a challenging situation/position, a cricket term for having to deal with an unusual ball bounce, another one is: "It's just not cricket" meaning they are not playing by the rules, or someone is playing dirty. "Dealt a Googly" is like a curveball or braudsided. If someone is "loved up" means they are smitten with their partner. If someone is "minted" they are well off, proper minted, they are very rich.
Fab is very 50s American , although we had the fab four in the sixties.🏴
Hiya mate, I'm gutted that I can't give you a ring but your holiday looks proper lovely ! Did you sort it out ? It must cost a few quid but it'll be brilliant to have a mooch around those places ! Cheers !
Tidy
@@nathjones77
Quite.
I’ll give you a ring: comes from when telephones had an actual bell inside, that rang when a call came in.
Your list of things your not prepared to say, was better than the list of things you adopted! LOVED IT and have to agree that if your not feeling it, your best off avoiding it.
Some thoughts, for what they're worth,
1. I'm definitely in the "excuse me" camp but I would use "pardon me", or its stronger variant "well pardon me for breathing" in a snarky way to somebody being pompously aggressive. (Snarky is one of those American words I like so have appropriated for my own use).
2. Fab/Fabulous, oh my that takes me right back. Do people down south really still say that? To me it's ever so early 1960s, it goes with listening to early Beatles songs on "Fab 208" (Radio Luxembourg) when I was 9 or 10. There was a Fab magazine for pre-teenage girls with news and gossip about pop stars, and a Fab ice lolly ("popsicle") marketed to girls (it was pink and white with a top section covered with sprinkles) as the distaff counterpart to the Zoom lolly, which was rocket-shaped. Even ice lollies were gendered in those unenlightened times. I see from googling that these items have been revived, so maybe the words have come round again as well. Not heard much in Scotland though, I think.
3. Hiya, very northern English (where I was born) and Scottish (where I live). The sort of greeting you would hear on Coronation Street from the very beginning (1960, when the sound of Manchester vowels coming from the telly outraged polite society). Other northern greetings from Up North would be Ay Up, which is more Yorkshire than Lancashire, and the peculiar to Hull "Now then", which can have people new to that city feeling they must have done something wrong. "Hi" is always a good general greeting so stick to that if you're comfortable with it.
4. Chuffed - much more quietly pleased with something you've done or that's happened to you, and not really excited. We're not excitable people!
5. No need to go out of your way to change the way you speak. Everybody will know you're American, they won't mind because you're clearly somebody who's ready to take us as you find us and muck in, and they will understand you just fine. Pick up what you find useful and discard the rest.
The Beatles were the original Fab Four, I think. But a large part of the popularity of 'Fab' comes, I think, from Absolutely Fabulous (aka Ab Fab), a 90's sitcom with Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Sounders as a couple of wannabe-fashionable society girls.
"sort it out" can be use on the kids, say they are arguing in the back of the car, "OI, you two, sort it out".
Pardon me is often used if you accidently do a loud fart or burp in public, I tend to either give a quick sorry can i squeeze past you, or excuse me, if im trying to get past someone in the way of me
Pardon me is used in the UK when you burp or fart to a more forceful level that it's now audible in a public place like on a bus or shop queue and everyone around you needs someone to claim it vocally to ease this unexpected but heartfelt alarm. I have often wondered why Madonna called her early hit song Holiday and Not Vacation?! 'If we took a vacation, just one day out of life, it would be, it would be so nice. Vacation!'
As a child, when I first heard someone say, "I'm going for a vacation", (it was a US school chum), I thought he meant he was going to the dorm lavatory for a dump. 😅
Evacuation?
I picked up "lovely" back in college from a roommate obsessed with Britain, but I mostly use it with sarcasm when referring to a situation or circumstances.
I have many American friends and frequently use more than one word for the same thing (American and British versions) but it’s so ingrained into me now that I sometimes do it with fellow Brits 😂 So in a restaurant I might ask where the loo or restroom is for instance.
When I first went to NYC someone asked me where the facilities were and I had no idea what they were talking about because in the UK this usually means the electricity, gas or other utilities. The fact he was talking about the toilets totally stumped me.
I have one American friend who always calls me mate and I confirm it does sound weird 😂
One of our words that i love which you didn't include is 'gormless ' meaning stupid, usually about a person, but i often use it to refer to an absurd situation. I've loved that word since i was a kid. My American girlfriend loves it too, and has started using it in Texas lol.
@jonbolton3376 I don't think gormless is used much down south.
Interesting! Haven't heard anyone say it so had never heard of it before!
gormless (adj.)
c. 1746, also in early use gaumless, gawmless, "wanting sense, stupid," a British dialectal word, from gome "notice, understanding" (c. 1200), from Old Norse gaumr "care, heed" (of unknown origin);
@@Poliss95 I am from Bristol and it is very much used down South! Esp. in the south of Bristol - the northern half doesn't speak dialect.
@jonbolton3376 - As a Bristolian, it can only mean stupid, since an absurd situation isn't necessarily lacking in intelligence, but may arise because someone is lacking in intelligence. But, I can't think of an equivalent for a situation, so feel free. Often it would get shortened to "gorm" as in the timeless poetry of "you gurt gorm"!
"Loveliness ". There was a famous 1920's & 30's song in the USA, sung by Josephine Baker AND one of the brothers of Bing Crosby - Bob - called "The Loveliness of You".
Madonna sang " Holiday ".
Not vacation...
Your use of "pardon me" sounded right to me. One way to describe it is that it's a more aggressive version of "excuse me".
As others have said, it's also used when you want to be pardoned for something rude.
When in doubt say 'Sorry' and that will cover all eventualities!!
@@dorothywhite5836 yes, sorry seems to be the European word 'excuse me' and 'pardon' ;)
'Pardon me' is an interesting one. It can be used to excuse one's own behaviour but, depending on the intonation, can be used to upbraid somebody who has accused you (erroneously) of doing something they have taken exception to, as in the expression, 'Oh! PARdon me for living!' (with the stress on the first syllable of the word 'pardon'). It's another one of our ways of answering a social challenge without actually saying what really needs to be said. We're very good at that!!
"Pardon me!" said with force when someone does not move out of one's way. Two or more people blocking a passage or corridor whilst chin wagging and not moving out of the way.
@@tonys1636 Yes. Why is it that people always decide to have a conversation in the doorway I need to get through? It's a mystery . . .
One thing I’ve noticed about Americans is when talking about sums of money , I often hear things like “it cost me 25 hundred dollars” , where we would say it’s “2 thousand 500 pounds” or “2 1/2 grand”
I'll never hear fab without thinking Beatles. They're my favorite band! 😍
As a Brit myself, this video made me proper chuffed. Lovely.
"Cheers" - the name of a popular US Sitcom based around the staff & clientele of a Bar.
'Fab' is a definite throwback to the sixties.
Madam, you are very insightful and honest about your experience. Your words are loaded with deeper meanings and not just statements of fact. I feel that you have picked up a British intellect during your time with us. You are welcome to stay as long as is pleasurable for you
Brilliant means ”shining brightly ’..
😊l
Maybe you could do a video about American words/phrases that are not used in the UK. One example is the word "excited".
In the US you might get a business executive saying "I'm really excited about our new ad campaign". That's never said in the UK.
Excited is a word for children: like a five year old child might say he's really excited about going to a party The only time "excited"
appears in UK grown ups' vocabulary might be in connection with "bedroom activities"! lol Anyway, keep up the good work! :)
In the UK we never use the word Awesome, I’ve never anyway unless it was with an over exaggerated American accent ❤❤❤
I would use it in relation to something like Niagara Falls, but not like Americans frequently use it for even trivial things 😂
Everything is awesome!
@@djs98blue name a few please?
@gmdhargreaves I would suggest that you and I might never do so, but it is no longer quite correct to say "we never", since both of my nieces - public school and university educated and lovely young women in their early 30s - have used it, although one of them did also use "Fab" in a recent conversation with me.
I feel like ‘pardon me’is something that Americans decided Btits said, or that upper class Americans are portrayed in films by saying pardon me. I was taught to say ‘pardon’ when I didn’t hear something. And ‘excuse me’ if I was rude or noisy
You've been pardoned.. You need to watch the sitcom Abfab, you'll be in stitches.
That Vlog was a proper job🤪 I would be interested to know what your American family and friends (non UK resident) think of the way you speak having been here several years now. Cheers 👍
If you go up to places like Staffordhire/Stoke on Trent area they will call you 'duck' everywhere you go. Quack quack
I think you should adopt bawbag! To describe people negatively 😜
Wee dafty
Fannybaws.
A cashier gives me my cakes and shopping and I always say 'Lovely, Cheers' . Not so familiar with 'Pardon Me'. I just say 'sorry'. As I push past them to get more cake. FAB was used a lot in the Sixties and was even used as a call sign for Thunderbirds a popular Children's show. So Fab has stuck with us. Anyway cheers mate it was brilliant and fun. Weird how easily we fall into phrases. Love the 'still Americans' comment. Reminds of Donald Sutherland at the end of Invasion of The Bodysnatchers where he has turned and points and screams at the human. STILL AMERICAN would be a great scream. 'So Anyway' another phrase I have fallen into. Great fun.
"Nicker" is another slang word we use for Quid .....Off piste a bit is "put wood in't hole" = close the door. )
The latter is very Yorkshire. Like: "I'm going over yon Pennines in't coach!
"You born in a barn?"=close the door
I say I am going "off piste" when I drive a roundabout way, or walk a different route, and also when I am wandering a bit when telling a story.
@@Lily-Bravo Agreed - not doing a normal/conventional thing!
@@crossleydd42I love Yorkshire slang. My favorite is "popped his clogs." 😂 Love that!
"Fab" dates from the 1960s, when the Beatles were often referred to as the Fab Four. It continued later in the 1990s with the TV show "Absolutely Fabulous" which is widely called "Ab Fab." "Hiya" is said everywhere, but is especially common in Manchester. Since you live in London, I´m surpised you omitted the constant substitution in that city of "very" for "well", which is both well common and maybe well dodgy.
hallo girl gone;really liked this video;made me feel quite at home as your talking like a londoner now;keep those words going.thankyou.
I typically use 'lovely' sarcastically.
Really enjoyed your video and understand why you don't use certain phrases as when I travelled around the States it would feel fake to use terms such as "bucks" You could also do an entire video on slang and phrases from Yoekshire.😅
I’ve heard that Americans use “quite” to emphasise quality being much better than just good, while Brits use it to mean fairly good to average. So kind of opposite sides of “mid” depending where you live.
One thing that amuses British people about American English is that the alternative words used in the US are often much longer and harder to say: flat is apartment, lift is elevator, car used to be automobile, etc. Also, unnecessary descriptors, such as 'horseback riding' instead of just 'riding'.
My favourite is from the prewar debate on air power. An American general said: "There is no known agency that can prevent the accomplishment of a bombardment mission". Our Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin said: "The bomber will always get through" -six words instead of fourteen!
Burglarise for burgle.
You are so genuine. The word chuffed/chuff can be used in so many ways and all different. I worked with someone from a different part of the UK and she was so amused at my use of this word I was crowned Queen of Chuffs.
Riding can be ambivalent though. If I was going for a ride in the park it'd be on a bike. For others it would be on a horse.
Nice point regarding the ease and lack thereof of speech. Very true. Least amount of facial muscles required....
The shortening of "fabulous" to "fab" is a Liverpool Scouse thing - they often shorter words, taking off unnecessary syllables where it won't obscure the meaning. It was popularised by beat culture, particularly The Beatles, in the 1960s
When you said about your friends being American it reminded of when I lived in San Francisco and a fellow Brit asked me how come I knew so many Americans.
If you wanted to get past someone in a shop (if they were standing in your way or in front of a display with a product you needed), you'd definitely say 'excuse me' and not 'pardon me'. As the latter indicates that someone has muttered something under their breath - which might have been rude or at least 'brusk'; and your response would then be 'pardon me'.
So if you said this to someone you wanted to get past (in a shop or cafe), they might instantaneously say 'sorry, I didn't say anything?' in a surprised or perplexed way.
Brits don't say 'vacation', but 'staycation' has become popular lately, but used wrongly. 'Staycation' used to mean spending your vacation time at home. Now it seems to mean spending it in your home country, in which case 'staycation' covers almost all American vacations.
The only regular use of the word vacation in the UK refers to the breaks between university terms. NB: terms not semesters.
I noticed in one of your earlier videos you said you would “venture a guess”. I had to look that up as I’d never noticed it, but it sounds like that is the American variation of “hazard a guess” which I’m more used to hearing. Now I’ve noticed a few Americans saying venture.
I've noticed in the last few year on american TV shows is the word "sketchy" being used
Ah yes, we do say that a lot!
I need you to start saying "jolly good" and "good show" (or "jolly good show") more often ;-)
Here in Bristol, we do say proper but also add job to it as in "Proper Job." Also, "Cheers Drive" when getting off the bus. We also like adding an "L" here & there; for eg. "I bought this from Asdal". Referring to Asda!
Finally, "Right Mate!" Are alright mate or You Alright Mate!
Yes dear
hi Kalyn very interesting topic, l am an adopted moonraker, (Wiltshire)but originated from Kent, l did go to boarding school. not for rich kids, as kids from most of the areas of the UK went there my phrases and us of words were picked up there. For example instead of saying l would do something, l now say.. we would do something, in others words you pick up the language of the locals.
It is a lovely/amazing video. Your analysis is quite interesting!
Lovely is also frequently used sarcastically. "The weather is lovely" could mean it is warm/sunny, or equally cold/wet!
very true! good point!
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial It kinda depends on what order.
"The weather is lovely" is more likely to be sincere than "Lovely weather today"
Or when you knocked a saucepan of freshly cooked spagbol onto the kitchen floor: "oh, lovely'" ^^
Yes, you might find your car has a flat tyre, you might say, that's lovely
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial , like most things it's not what you say but how it's said 😂
What is interesting is - taken together - the words you have adopted are social class markers. They say "middle class, home counties". This is even clearer with the ones you have not adopted as they tend to be lower class words or phrases.
So well done - you have found your place in society.
'Barry' means fantastic on Scotland's South East Coast xx
Never use nice...the weakest adjective...but..nice one mate!..is a lovely compliment
proper is used instead of the word very and the word dead is used instead of very aswell. you may have heard "thats dead good" at least they both are in the north
Hi Kalyn,
Good job on learning some English words and phrases. here is a very useful one you could adopt. The word is "Numpty". The word sounds more insulting than it is so I think it can be useful in certain situations. Actually thinking about it now, perhaps this is not such a good word to be picking up. Please disregard this message.
"I beg your pardon" is the articulated version of a slap in the face
'The dogs bollocks' - 'very good'.
You did a proper job there!
Hiya is very old if you've ever watched old movies from the 40s or 50s
A good one I see a lot of foreigners saying is 'taa', which is an informal thank you. Usually used to demonstrate that you're appreciative for something, but not when someone has gone really out of their way, otherwise a simple 'taa' would seem less grateful.
ta.
ta
/tɑː/
exclamationINFORMAL•BRITISH
thank you.
"‘Ta,’ said Willie gratefully"
don't forget that in English usage one can merely change the tone of the word to put a negative spin on that word. Grate!
I loved this - it was lovely!!
Knackered can have a double meaning. A knackers' yard is a horse abattoir where you take your brocken down old nags to be turned into glue. The other service provided by a knackers was to geld stallions so I think that being knackered can mean both.
"Bowled him a Googly" vs "Sold him a bum steer"
I believe "knackered" meaning completely tired derives from the 'knackers yard' - a place where old horses would be taken 'care of/or not so much' in their older years.
While I know the activity, this is the first time I have come across "cheersing". Mooching I take to mean either investigating or freeloading; I have never heard it used to mean meandering.
I always understood 'mooching' to be engaging in some aimless activity, often to the annoyance of another person. 'Stop mooching about and get on with your homework!' was something I remember being told by my mother.
We'd never use mooching to mean investigating or freeloading. But I do love to have a good mooch around the shops, or in our lovely historic towns and cities, just have a mooch.
I remember when I started a job in Stoke-on-Trent and in the place I worked it was big with a few hundred people working there. They all would say 'eh up' to each other in the morning so you'd hear just 'eh-up' 'eh-up' everywhere. This is more a northern thing but we never said it in Blackpool bit I'd say 'tara' for goodbye and 'ta' for thanks.
It sounds as if the phrase much used on the Rail transport system of 'See it, say it, sorted!' (what you are supposed to do if you see something suspicious on the rail system) would potentially sound quite weird to Americans, if they typically only use 'sorted' to refer to organising collections of objects.
As a Brit, I would use 'excuse me!' to ask someone to get out of my way, but 'pardon me?' if I failed to hear or understand what they were saying, or realised that I has offended them in some way.
I have realised recently that Americans, when they do use 'Quite', use it to mean that something is especially so. For example "The kids are quite excited to go to Disneyland for the first time this summer". In the UK, we often use it to mean that something is particularly underwhelming. So, if your guests tell you the meal you cooked was 'quite nice' you would be wondering what was wrong with it.
As an American who has lived in the states my entire life and have a clearly American accent, I have always been perplexed why people always ask which country I’m from. I think I’m starting to get it! I say so many of these words in everyday speech.
I think the way you say “quid” and “cheers” is fine and doesn’t come across as weird or fake at all. I’m sure it feels weird saying them because you only ever hear them in British accents, but honestly it sounded fine.
We here in the UK often use the word "bloody hell" when we're angry about something!
I like to keep up the British tradition we have employed throughout the ages when meeting foreign people and understanding their language. I learn the swear words first.
Just insert 'absolute' in front of any noun - and enunciate each syllable - and voila! You are swearing fluently in British!
1990s rave culture used "Sorted" for pretty much anything that was good or is progressing well- a lot of older people (like me) still use it on its own or in "sort it out" etc.
"Give a big Shout-Out" used to be something only a DJ or MC would say.
"Shout Out" used to be said only by a DJ or MC at a Club, to the audience in relation to some artist, artist's music , or a member of the audience. For in return - a round of applause. Now it's a generalism, meaning to simply seek approval.
To mooch: to amble around aimlessly with a fairly nebulous, undefined purpose - to see what turns up or where you finish up.
I'm from the UK. If someone says pardon me I always says I didn't even hear you fart. 😊
Holiday - you will hear "going on hollies!"
Give you a ring - you will also hear " Give you a bell!"
Have a mooch - you will also hear "Have a gander"
Parden me - excuse me you will also hear "Scuse me!"
Hiya - you will also hear " Yo!"
Dodgy - you will also hear " really dodgy"
Brilliant- you will also hear " Brill!" or " SMART!"
YOU MUST LEARN TO SAY "CHEERS!"
I bet you don't use "Dodgy Geezer"!
Usually referring to a car dealer who is a bit iffy, there's another one, iffy...
Its a totally different language, isn't it?🤣🤣
You're right, with your comments at the end, some words just don't work from an American accent
Enjoyed this one!
In the US the word geezer is used when referring to old people. "I wish that old geezer would drive the speed limit!" We'd probably say sketchy to replace dodgy.
I find a lot of us begin sentences with “oh” over here!
Words i picked up from Katelyn, since i started watching her videos:
"To Infinity and Beyond"
You would have been completely lost in East end London in the 80s with sayings like that's sound or that's mint, meaning that is really good and there are so many more
Hi Kaylan, you could get a larger audience by comparing Americans to Aussies and even New Zealanders, Canadians etc. Some Australians think Americans, not all of them, are dumb, loud, obese, very religious, unhealthy, always rambling on about the constitution and their fear of communism and shooting each other. So when we see someone like yourself who is articulate, intelligent, thin, healthy, not so loud, not always shoving your opinions down other peoples throats, not rambling on about the constitution or advocating for the use of guns, we wonder (in the words of an American) "What the Goddamn Hell is going on???!!!" 😄😅😂 And it's someone like you we are more likely to listen to, who is more like us, when we want to find out more about, perhaps the real America or the America no commonly portrayed in the media. Keep up the great work. Love your videos :)
I would love to hear you say all these in your best English accent now. That would be an entertaining video i am sure!
I love the way that 'quite' can mean 'a little bit' but just as often means 'very', and 'brilliant' can mean 'fantastic' but just as often means 'oh crap'.
In Canada you will hear people say pardon me, but is often used as an interjection in response to someone saying something stupid or insulting.often used when someone pushes abruptly in front of you, often interchanged with EXCUSE ME!!!