UK Easy

USA-UK differences: British words that might requiere translation (Part 1)

2010-04-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

We start this series of post with words used in the UK for our american cousins, translated.

At Her Majesty's Pleasure - an indefinite stay in prison

A. W. O. L. - absent without leave

Bent a- crooked

The Bill - a reference to a TV drama show about the police

Bizzies n- the police (especially in Liverpool)

Black Maria n-large, black police van

Bobby n - policeman

Burgle v- to burglarize

CID - Criminal Investigation Department

Constable n- officer; old-fashioned salutation-"Good evening. Constable."

Fiddle v- to cheat/embezzle (e.g., fiddling your expenses)
(On the fiddle- to be involved in some form of embezzlement)

Filch v- to steal

Filth n- the police

Fuzz n-the police

GBH (Grievous bodily harm) - technically a criminal ofense, but also used in common parlance

Grass v- to inform

Grass n- an informant

In the nick - in prison

Jam sandwich n- police car (so called because the cars are white with a red line along the middle)

UK political division classic map

2010-04-24T01:23:00.000-07:00

In the last post, we talk about the regions in the UK, so now here you have a map for print (watch the full post).

Map in JPG version or Map in PDF version

Regions and Nicknames used in the UK

2010-04-24T00:56:00.001-07:00

Often, the regions, cities, and their inhabitants have nicknames, which are used regularly in the UK.
Birmingham – the people are called “Brummies” and the accent is “Brummy.” Birmingham is sometimes referred to as “Brum.” The area around Birmingham is also known as Black Country.

The Black Country – comprises the areas north and west of Birmingham, but not Birmingham itself.

Blighty – nickname for England, from the Hindu bilayati meaning “foreign.”

Border country – refers to the counties of England and Scotland on either side of the border, or the border between Wales and England.

The Broads, or Norkfolk Broads – a stretch of very flat land in the county of Norkfolk, near seaside town of Great Yarmouth, on the east coast.

Bristol – The residents are Bristolians and their accent is Bristolian. However, because of the accent, Bristol sometimes sounds like “Brizzle.” (People from the West Country in general are often referred to as “carrot crunchers.”)

Channel Isles – off the French coast of Normandy, in the English Channel; they comprise Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, Herm, and a handful of smaller islands.

Fen country – referrers to Lincolnshire and parts of Cambridgeshire; here the land is extremely flat and boggy.

Glasgow (by the way, it’s pronounced “Glazzgo,” not “Glass Cow”) – The people are Glaswegians (“Glazweejans”), and their accent is unintelligible. (Just kidding!)

Home Counties – refers to the counties surrounding London, whence many people commute into the City.

The Isle of Man - both the people and the accent are called Manx, there is also a Manx cat that has no tail.

The Lakes - the Lake District, on the northwest border of England and Scottland.

Liverpool - people living there either Liverpudlians or Scousers. Their accent is called "Scouse" (soft "s"). The region is Merseyside (pronunced the first "s" like a "z").

London - (which is a city, not a town) - the residents are generally known as Londoners, although you can call yourself a Cockney if you were born within the sound of Bow Bells. St. Mary-le-Bow Church (or Bow Church) is situated in Cheapside. London is sometimes referred to as "The Smoke."

Manchester - there you'll find Mancunians (hard "c"); their accent is Mancunian.

The Midlands - southerners think the Midlands start just north of London, but this is really the area around Birmingham, Coventry, and Leicester.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne - The people are called Geordies ("Jordies") and they have Geordie accent. The region is Tyneside.

The Northeast - The northeast of England: the cities of Newcastle, Durham, Sunderland, York, and sorrounding areas.

The Peak District - an area in the middle of England, between Sheffield and Manchester; a favorite of walkers and nature lovers.

The Pennines - the area of England around the Pennine Mountains, in the mid-Northeast.

The Potteries- a group of small towns in Staffordshire making up Stoke-on-Trent.

The Provinces - anywhere outside London.

The Shetlands and the Orkneys - small groups of remote islands off northern tip of Scottland.

Snowdonia - the mountain region in the west of Wales.

The Western Isles - remote islands off the west coast of Scottland.

Why people come to the UK

2010-04-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, maybe your first taste of britain was with films starring Hugh Grant or novels by Jane Austen, but also:

Coming here on holiday: Britain loves tourists and is proud of its unique history and heritage.
Coming here to work: With a shortage of labour, Britain welcomes workers from abroad. The British economy is a star performer compared to many of its European rivals, with plenty of relatively well-paid jobs. Unsurprisingly, Britain attracts large numbers of people particulary from poorer Eastern Europe.
Coming here to study: The UK is famed for its educational institutions. English is the world's premiere language of bussiness and the media, so it's no surprise that the UK is a magnet for foreing students.

Pearhaps you came to the UK for more personal reasons such marriage, or you're simply exercising your birthright to live in Britain.

The main reasons for people coming to Britain either for a short or permanent stay are:

Tourism
Employment
Education
Marriage
Birthright

Britain has a complex and multilayered inmigration system in place to deal with every scenario.