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7 Votes
33 Comments
Top 10 most annoying Britishisms (by the same author of "Top 10 most annoying Americanisms")
News Type: Opinion — Seeded on Sat Jan 3, 2009 11:02 AM EST
Article Source: Telegraphadvertisement
Toby Harnden has compiled a list of amusing "Britishisms" that are somewhat annoying. Our friends from across the "pond" are perhaps in blissful ignorance of how ridiculous some of their more common sayings are.
P.S. The author's original article on Americanisms has a Newsvine seed at Top 10 most annoying Americanisms
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{"commentId":4645890,"authorDomain":"carloz"}
Well, I rattle off a cheery pre-Christmas blog post about annoying Americanisms and, Bob's your uncle, my inbox fills up with beastly rotten emails full of effing and blinding. Gordon Bennett! Excuse me, but there's no need for people to get the hump or their knickers in a twist. I was only just trying to wind you up.
It's not like I think we British are the dog's bollocks. It's only a laugh, init? So, in the spirit of promoting transatlantic balance, having browned off all those whose country was terribly late for the last two world wars I'll now gratuitously offend those whose country needed baling out by the Yanks twice in a century.
Seasons Greetings, everyone!
{"commentId":4645890,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"carloz"}
- 4 votes
#1 - Sat Jan 3, 2009 11:04 AM EST{"commentId":4658296,"authorDomain":"waynester"}
Churchill said we are two countries (the US and Britain) separated by a common language.
{"commentId":4658296,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"waynester"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":4675442,"authorDomain":"rlstanford"}
Aha! So that's where Shaw (that ol' plagiarist) got it.
{"commentId":4675442,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"rlstanford"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":4678948,"authorDomain":"waynester"}
You know you're right, my bad. The one thing I don't bother verifying and it turns out I misremembered the attribution. ::red face::
Funny way of letting me know, though: much appreciated.
What was that quote of his when told by a Hollywood starlet (Monroe?) that they should have kids? Something to the effect of with his luck they would wind up with her brains and his looks?
{"commentId":4678948,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"waynester"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":4683730,"authorDomain":"rlstanford"}
Waynester -
Yep, it happens to me all the time. You know - it does sound like a quote that Churchill would have said.
Your Monroe-based quote reminds me of a short conversation that I had once at a wedding reception I attended with my wife and very young daughter (who I was holding in the crook of my arm). My wife and I were standing together when a man approached, looked at my daughter and said: "Well, well - I can see that you got your Dad's good looks .....(medium pause while my wife began to stew, then, just as my wife began to react he continued)..... because your Mom still has hers!"
Have a good one.
{"commentId":4683730,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"rlstanford"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":4647072,"authorDomain":"rickace"}
"At the end of the day."
Ten years ago I heard a VP at Citibank in Manhattan use that phrase. Several times, actually.
{"commentId":4647072,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"rickace"}
- 5 votes
#2 - Sat Jan 3, 2009 12:53 PM EST{"commentId":4647905,"authorDomain":"waynester"}
I remember some smart aleck finishing a pundit's sentence: "at the end of the day the shops close and the sun goes down, what of it?" Pretty funny.
I like Mark Twain's version: "When all is said and done more is usually said than done."
{"commentId":4647905,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"waynester"}
- 6 votes
{"commentId":4649085,"authorDomain":"carloz"}
Before reding this I had never heard that "at the end of the day" was originally British (who knows?), but it's not unique to the UK. Maybe his next article should be about annoying International Englishisms.
{"commentId":4649085,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"carloz"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":4647158,"authorDomain":"danields"}
6. "I'm feeling a little poorly."
Translation: "I'm as sick as a dog, perhaps even at death's door." (an understatement, or alternatively a wheedling plea by a malingerer or a hypochondriac). In its worst form, a whine by an English person (particularly a Northerner) who wants a day off work because of a minor or imagined cold.
Same as here in the US. We used to record the "sick calls" and play them for entertainment: especially when in the "background" you could hear someone say: turn the game off for a second.
lol :)
{"commentId":4647158,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"danields"}
- 4 votes
#3 - Sat Jan 3, 2009 1:01 PM EST{"commentId":4649098,"authorDomain":"carloz"}
I suppose the US equivalent might be, "I'm not feeling very well." Read as: "I need a mental health day."
{"commentId":4649098,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"carloz"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":4649184,"authorDomain":"carloz"}
One British habit I find annoying is using "do" in replies instead of the original verb.
For example:
Me: Did you go to the meeting?
Brit: No, but I know I should have done.
It makes me want to say:
"Should have done what?"
Brit: "Gone to the meeting.
To which I would love to reply: "Oh, you meant should have "gone," instead of should have "done." You couldn't have meant "done gone," could you?
{"commentId":4649184,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"carloz"}
- 4 votes
#4 - Sat Jan 3, 2009 4:03 PM EST{"commentId":4649440,"authorDomain":"TheEarthIsTheLORDs"}
Anglophile. When it comes to speaking, the British do it better, but they've been at it longer.
However, we Americans have some of the crazy funniest idioms and expressions in the world.
{"commentId":4649440,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"TheEarthIsTheLORDs"}
- 4 votes
#5 - Sat Jan 3, 2009 4:24 PM EST{"commentId":4649535,"authorDomain":"carloz"}
Have you ever read the book "Mother Tongue" by Bill Bryson? It's really good.
{"commentId":4649535,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"carloz"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":4649893,"authorDomain":"rickace"}
I agree with you. As an American I've always found their phrasings to be more inventive and subtle than ours, and the accent can be quite charming. Perhaps we should offer British in our public schools :-)
{"commentId":4649893,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"rickace"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":4650558,"authorDomain":"carloz"}
But which British accent are you talking about? From Wikipedia:
According to Tom McArthur in the Oxford Guide to World English (p. 45), "[f]or many people...especially in England [the phrase British English] is tautologous," and it shares "all the ambiguities and tensions in the word British, and as a result can be used and interpreted in two ways, more broadly or more narrowly, within a range of blurring and ambiguity".
...The form of English most commonly associated with educated speakers in the southern counties of England is called the "Received Standard", and its accent is called Received Pronunciation (RP). ...The best speakers of Standard English are those whose pronunciation, and language generally, least betray their locality.[8] It may also be referred to as "the King's (or Queen's) English", "Public School English", or "BBC English" as this was originally the form of English used on radio and television, although a wider variety of accents can be heard these days. Only approximately two percent of Britons speak RP, and it has evolved quite markedly over the last 40 years.
Other accents include:
Cockney
Estuary
Kettering
Corby
West Country (South West England)
East Anglian
West Midlands (Black Country, Birmingham)
East Midlands
Liverpool (Scouse)
Manchester and other east Lancashire accents
Yorkshire
Newcastle (Geordie) and other northeast England accents
Then, when we talk about British accents, I suppose the varieties of accents in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are techinically British accents, too.
{"commentId":4650558,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"carloz"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":4658130,"authorDomain":"waynester"}
Have you ever read the book "Mother Tongue" by Bill Bryson? It's really good.
It's on the list. I have read "A Short History of Nearly Everything" and " The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid". I adore the way that guy writes. I also understand "I'm a Stranger here Myself" about his return to the US after living in the UK for twenty years is good.
{"commentId":4658130,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"waynester"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":4658147,"authorDomain":"waynester"}
Then, when we talk about British accents, I suppose the varieties of accents in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are techinically British accents, too.
Do not tell an Irishman (or Scotsman) his accent is technically British, unless you want a fight, lol.
{"commentId":4658147,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"waynester"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":4658461,"authorDomain":"carloz"}
Hi Waynester,
Oh, believe me, living in Spain and teaching English alongside English, Scottish and Irish teachers, I am familiar with the risks! However, Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh folks are, like the English, British citizens, whether or not they like it or claim it. Still, it might be wiser, and more accurate, to speak of English accents, Scottish accents, etc.
Other than Mother Tongue I have not read the other books you mentioned. Other books of his I've read are Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe and Notes from a Small Island. They were both excellent. Next I want to read Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States, Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words and A Short History of Nearly Everything.
Cheers! (as the Brits say)
{"commentId":4658461,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"carloz"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":4666496,"authorDomain":"TheEarthIsTheLORDs"}
"Have you ever read the book "Mother Tongue" by Bill Bryson? It's really good." -Gipper1
I think I once saw a documentary by that title.
Not by might, nor power, "I agree with you. As an American I've always found their phrasings to be more inventive and subtle than ours, and the accent can be quite charming. Perhaps we should offer British in our public schools" :-) -rickace
Rickace, Yes, all the various accents, from Cockney to as you mentioned, the "subtlety and phaseology" of Received Pronunciation of the Royals, it's like music. Makes you wonder where we derive our American accents. It may not be necessary to teach British English to young American students, yet I would be in favor of increasing their vocabulary and diction.
{"commentId":4666496,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"TheEarthIsTheLORDs"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":4666518,"authorDomain":"TheEarthIsTheLORDs"}
"Oh, believe me, living in Spain and teaching English..." -Gipper1
Congratulations, Gipper1, on landing that wonderful new position!
,Felicitaciones'
{"commentId":4666518,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"TheEarthIsTheLORDs"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":4666846,"authorDomain":"waynester"}
There was a book and/or doc entitled "Muvver Tongue" as well. (It turns out to be part 7 of a multi-part series on the spread of English.)
{"commentId":4666846,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"waynester"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":4667543,"authorDomain":"carloz"}
Thanks, Not by might, but it's not a new position. I've been teaching English for over 10 years now and have been in Spain since 2000. But sometimes I still feel like pinching myself to make sure I'm really here. I'm very lucky.
Waynester, I love that title -- Muvver Tongue! LOL
{"commentId":4667543,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"carloz"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":4675758,"authorDomain":"rlstanford"}
Gipper1 -
Bill Bryson's books on language are great (as are his other books). I read his "In a Sunburned Country" on a recent trip to Australia. It had me in tears I was laughing so hard - equal to Mark Twain's "Innocents Abroad" that I read on a trip to Europe (especially Italy).
One book that I find as good (and often as humorous) as any of Bryson's is Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage (1st and 2nd editions - don't bother with the 3rd edition). I find that I go to Fowler almost as often as I go to a 'regular' dictionary - and I often get engrossed in reading his entries way beyond what I had originally intended. If you've been teaching English for over 10 years you probably are familiar with Fowler - but if by chance it has escaped your notice, you should pick up a copy.
{"commentId":4675758,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"rlstanford"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4693408,"authorDomain":"carloz"}
Hi ris8r, I am not familiar with Fowler´s Dictionary of Modern English Usage. My "bible" is An A - Z of English Grammar & Usage by Geoffrey Leech. I've been carrying a copy with me to every class I teach since 1999.
{"commentId":4693408,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"carloz"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":4650387,"authorDomain":"ElliePhat"}
Fun seed, Gipper. Funny, we say "feeling poorly" and "at the end of the day" in our family. Of course, we do have some British roots.
{"commentId":4650387,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"ElliePhat"}
- 2 votes
#6 - Sat Jan 3, 2009 5:52 PM EST{"commentId":4658258,"authorDomain":"waynester"}
There are a couple of Britishisms of which I am rather fond: "In for a penny, in for a pound" and "More's the pity".
The best speakers of Standard English are those whose pronunciation, and language generally, least betray their locality.[8] It may also be referred to as "the King's (or Queen's) English", "Public School English", or "BBC English" as this was originally the form of English used on radio and television, although a wider variety of accents can be heard these days. Only approximately two percent of Britons speak RP, and it has evolved quite markedly over the last 40 years.
In the old days if you wanted to hear RP (Received Pronunciation) you listened to the BBC world service broadcasts. No cockney, or any other regional accent, allowed.
{"commentId":4658258,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"waynester"}
- 2 votes
#7 - Sun Jan 4, 2009 12:04 PM EST{"commentId":4658725,"authorDomain":"ElliePhat"}
How about Benny Hill English?
{"commentId":4658725,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"ElliePhat"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":4661497,"authorDomain":"carloz"}
When I was a kid, all you heard on American news programs was what was then considered "standard" -- the midwest accent. Nowadays, you hear all sorts of American accents. I think it's refershing.
ElliePhat, I think Benny Hill English might qualify as a dialect, if not a foreign language. ;-)
{"commentId":4661497,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"carloz"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":4678542,"authorDomain":"TheEarthIsTheLORDs"}
Gipper1, ¿Viviendo en España por tanto tiempo, ha aprendido Usted hablar español?
¿En qué ciudad reside Usted?
{"commentId":4678542,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"TheEarthIsTheLORDs"}
- 2 votes
#8 - Mon Jan 5, 2009 10:29 PM EST{"commentId":4693275,"authorDomain":"carloz"}
Por favor, ¡tutearme! En españa la gente España sólo utiliza Usted en situaciones formales. Si, yo hablo español pero con un acento norteamericano horroroso. Vivo en Barcelona. ¡Saludos!
{"commentId":4693275,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"carloz"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4707592,"authorDomain":"TheEarthIsTheLORDs"}
"Por favor, ¡tutearme!" -Gipper1
Con mucho gusto, carnal! Aunque el acento norteamericano verdaderamente se suene muy mal, yo pienso que usted, perdón, tu eres un poco modesto, y la pronunciación tuya mejor de que te des cuenta.
Confieso que yo te envidio tanto trabajando y aún enseñando, en Barcelona, España.
Tus estudiantes son muy afortunados.
Suerte!
Hasta la proxima.
{"commentId":4707592,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"TheEarthIsTheLORDs"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":4742442,"authorDomain":"carloz"}
Eres muy amable. Gracias y que te vaya bien, amigo.
{"commentId":4742442,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"carloz"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":4679652,"authorDomain":"computersplus99"}
Right intrestin' artickle, wot?
{"commentId":4679652,"threadId":"459504","contentId":"2270076","authorDomain":"computersplus99"}
- 3 votes
#9 - Tue Jan 6, 2009 12:37 AM EST{"canLink":false,"threadId":"459504","isPrivate":false}
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