WORDS
Pavement instead of sidewalk. Often, the pavement is much wider than a sidewalk would be, particularly in cities; England is very pedestrian-friendly.
Chemist instead of pharmacy. Although “pharmacy” is used, “chemist” is more popular.
Revise instead of study. This is a more common saying; “study” most often refers to reading or looking over new material and is used less, while “revising” describes preparing for an exam or paper by reviewing what you already know. To “revise” also means to make changes to an assignment, the same way it is used in the US.
Draughts instead of checkers. The game! Pronounced “drafts.”
SAYINGS
Hiya/heya! “Hey” and “hi” aren’t so common here! They are occasionally used, typically by young people, but almost everyone says “hiya!” as a casual greeting, such as when entering a store, ordering at a restaurant, or talking to someone in passing.
Pottering. “I’ve been pottering about.” Essentially, this means to waste time: to enjoy yourself while being utterly useless. A sublime form of procrastination.
What’s your surname? If someone is asking for your last name — for example, if you have a reservation or enrollment somewhere — this is what he or she will say. “Family name” is another, though less popular, version. I’ve never heard anyone say “last name” here.
Mate. What you call your friends: both a direct address and can be used in conversation. (e.g., “Good to see you, mate!” / “I was out with my mates last night.”) This can also be used when talking to strangers — usually men — to indicate friendliness or in a casual setting. For example, you might say “Cheers, mate!” to the bus driver or cashier or “Hiya, mate, could I ask a favor?” if you need someone to watch your stuff for you while you order a coffee.
CULTURE
Consumer tax. Value added tax (VAT) is most often included in the listed price, so you usually pay what you see! Books and a handful of other items are VAT-exempt.
Canned macaroni and cheese. It’s real, it’s everywhere, and it’s not good.
Traffic lights. Following a red light, the red and yellow light go off together before switching back to green. You are not supposed to start driving when this happens, but a lot of people do anyway.
Movie ratings. While US film ratings are determined by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), films in the UK are rated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). The BBFC uses different rating criteria and categories than the MPA; because of this, many films are treated significantly differently by the BBFC than the MPA. There is no direct equivalent of each rating category between the two groups. The BBFC ratings are:
U – all ages. “Star Wars: A New Hope,” “Finding Nemo,” “Labyrinth” (1986)
PG – parental guidance, described as age eight and up. “Zootropolis” (Zootopia), “Back to the Future,” “Spider-Man” (2001)
12 (also called 12A) – “Titanic” (1977), “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Barbie” (2022)
15 – “Joker” (2019), “The Matrix,” “Saltburn”
18 – adult content. “Scream” (1996), “Saw,” “The Evil Dead” (1981)
Have any questions or suggestions? Reach me at https://forms.gle/uDQQ1MC92GiLN5Hd7 and I’ll try to answer you in next month’s article!
