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The Britishism Invasion
So, we might be to blame for the fact that Americanisms like “my bad” and “you do the math” has entered the British lexicon, but Slate writer Ben Yagoda has been chronicling the Britspeak, or what he has coined Britishisms, that have been showing up on our sandy shores.
Here are just a few examples:
Advert (instead of advertisement or ad), bespoke, bits (instead of parts), brilliant, called (instead of named), chat show, chat up, cheers, a coffee, cookery, DIY, early days, fishmonger, full stop (instead of period, as in the punctuation mark), ginger (a red-haired person), gobsmacked, had got (instead of gotten), Hoover (as a verb), in future, keen on, kerfuffle, mobile (as in mobile phone), on holiday, one-off, posh, presenter (a television host), queue, sell-by date, shite, short-listed, snog (passionately kiss), sort out, spot on, starter (instead of appetizer), straight away, take a decision, top up, twee, wait for it, wanker, and whilst.
And you can read more in this week’s Slate article.
A special thanks to @RichAppy who tweeted me this story.
Lohs Angeleez
Last night, we watched the series premiere of The X-Factor, which spotlighted auditions in Los Angeles.
Or should I say Lohs Angeleez? Because that’s what host Steve Jones, as well as British judges Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole were calling it repeatedly. LohsAngeleezLohsAngeleezLohsAngeleez.
An aerial view of downtown Lohs Angeleez. Photo credit: Marshall Astor.
But why? What’s wrong with Lahs Anjuhles? Or at least the original Spanish Lohs Annhelles?
I don’t think it’s a turn of phrase that is difficult to say with a British accent so I have to wonder … How do these sorts of national mispronunciations get started? Is there a British pronunciation handbook somewhere that decides these sorts of things? Is it written by the Queen? And can I buy it on Amazon?
It’s Hunter season
Ah, I hate rain but I love a good Hunter wellie. And lucky for me, Hunter season is nearly upon us!
Always a classic: Hunter Original in Green
Wellington boots originated back in World War I, as a response to the demand for footwear appropriate for European trench warfare. The North British Rubber Company rose to the challenge and later became Hunter Boot Ltd., the company that is still in business today.
Made of 100 percent natural rubber, these classics are perfect for stomping through any rainstorm. But the Hunter brand is also continuing to reinvent the boot. Check out some of this fall’s latest styles.
A rainbow of boot flavors
Clockwise above: May in Mahogany, Original in Apple Green, Original Tall in Candy Pink, Dallin Tall in Cuioio, Lapins in Spice, Chandler in Chalk, and Regent Savoy in Black.
And the best Scotch egg is …
A few weeks ago I blogged about the upcoming Scotch egg challenge.
Well, last night was the night we were all waiting for. Scotch egg heads gathered at The Ship in Wandsworth to taste and then crown the best homemade Scotch egg. Without further adieu, let me congratulate The Devonshire Arms in Chiswick.
Behold the winning egg!
And the winning Scotch egg was from The Devonshire Arms in Chiswick!
I’ve never eaten a Scotch egg. Their mere sight, particularly when cold and purchased at a service station, makes me want to gag. But I love the look of that gooey yolk and crumbly breaded exterior.
I could be converted.
X-tatic
For years, I’ve been hearing about The X-Factor from my British friends.
But despite America’s clearly insatiable hunger for a) reality-based singing shows and b) caustic British judges, America has been an X-Factor desert.
Until tonight!
It is with bated breath that I count down the hours to the series premiere of the American version of The X-Factor and the return of Simon Cowell to the telly.
This winning TV formula, which originated in the UK seven years ago, has already spread to over 30 countries and has finally landed on our shores.
I am looking forward to the smorgasbord of talent and trash, as they comb the country in search of that one individual or band with the so-called X-Factor. The addition of Paula Abdul as a judge is just icing on the cake.
Here’s a sneak peek to whet your appetite.
Hen night
Last weekend, a good friend of mine and her fiance got married in a beautiful ceremony in South Lake Tahoe.
In classic tradition, on Friday night, she had a bachelorette party or what Brits would call a “hen night.”
To protect the innocent, I'm going with this generic shot from "Bridesmaids."
I’ve been searching online to find something about the origins of “hen night” and could only come up with a few theories – but the most popular has been that it originated in Scotland where women are termed “hens.”
I actually prefer the British term. Bachelorette party just has a sordid connotation, don’t you think? It just sounds like it would have to involve a bow-tied Chippendale leaping out of a cake or worse. I also think that if American guys can have a stag party, then we should also be given a term with a female animal equivalent. But what? Doe party, perhaps? Sow night? Bitch ‘do?
Yeah, I’ll pass and stick with a free-range hen. Cluck. Cluck.
Vacation envy
Kynance Cove in Cornwall is a popular spot for British holidaymakers. Photo credit: David Wogan/Robert Harding World Imagery/Getty Images
Oh, to vacation like a Brit! While most Americans are slaving away each working day, living for an average of 13 miserly days of paid time off each year, British workers are living the life of Riley, basking in a statutory minimum of 28 vacation days and eight public holidays a year, according to CNBC. (I’m not sure who this Riley guy was, but he certainly wasn’t American … wait, stop the presses! According to Wikipedia, Riley WAS American. Who knew?).
Twenty-eight vacation days! More than an entire month! I remember fondly having 20 vacation days back when I was working in London and I remember wishing for more. For more! Oh, the greed! And if you got sick, you took a sick day. No, you didn’t have to use a vacation day for it. No, you didn’t have to cough up a lung on the phone to prove you were really sick. You just stayed home and you got paid for doing so.
These days I have 13 vacation days, about two weeks of sick leave and 11 public holidays, which is considered a fair amount. By all American accounts, it’s nothing to balk at, but balking I do. Particularly when I take stock of the amount of vacation that my British friends get. I see their Facebook statuses. I know the fun and frivolity that they enjoy by virtue of being employed British folk.
They work hard and play hard and take time to stop and smell the roses along the way – and those roses might be in the south of France or off the coast of Africa or somewhere in between. It’s a good lesson for us all.
When you don’t want to supersize …
Who needs this much toilet paper?
My British friend Helen officially moved stateside last weekend to live the so-called American dream.
As it turns out, the first thing that she’s noticed has been the overabundance of super-sized American products and dearth of everyday items in sensible quantities. She doesn’t want to buy six or 12 eggs. She wants four. (Who knew that British grocers sold eggs in four-packs?) She doesn’t want nine rolls of loo roll (translation: toilet paper). She wants two. She doesn’t want 20 rolls of paper towels to store in a closet or pack away in a garage. She doesn’t care if it’s cheaper in bulk. She only wants what she needs. No more, no less.
I love the Britishness of this sensibility.
And I understand it. I often forget this way of thinking, living here for as long as we have. But I love the size of a Soreen loaf. I love single packs of tissues and fruit that is not bagged or bundled together. I love small packs of batteries and buying detergent that won’t give me a hernia when I carry it into the house. It’s the antithesis of everything that Costco and Sam’s Club stand for and there’s something refreshing about it.
Welcome to the U.S., Helen. Don’t ever change.
The cure for the mid-morning slump
Picture it. It’s 11 a.m. The coffee is wearing off. It’s too early for lunch but you want a little something. What to do? Well, meet one of Britain’s most perfect solutions: Elevenses (pronounced: Eleven-zees)!
Ah, tea and biscuits! A sight for sore eyes! I'm not sure what kind of biscuits these are. Lemon poppyseed, perhaps?
Elevenses is a traditional little mid-morning snack, complete with tea and often something sweet like a biscuit (translation: cookie), iced bun or slice of cake. Just a little something to get you over the hump until lunchtime. It’s a little respite that the Brits take seriously.
Apparently, Winnie the Pooh enjoyed some honey on bread and condensed milk for elevenses and Hobbits eat elevenses to break up the time between their second breakfast and lunch.
What is your favorite thing to eat for elevenses?
What? No Royale with Cheese?
You might have heard the news last week that McDonald’s in the UK will now display calorie counts on their menu items.
Well, it kind of begs the question: What’s McDonald’s in the UK like?
I should begin by saying that I am no fan of the chain but I am inherently fascinated by the way that McDonald’s gears its menu to different locales.
In Hawaii, they serve ramen noodles (known as “saimin”) and Spam musubi (basically a wedge of rice with Spam on top). In India, they serve a veggie burger called a McAloo Tikki. And who could forget that classic scene in Pulp Fiction, when John Travolta’s character explains to Samuel L. Jackson’s character that a Quarter Pounder in France is called a Royale with Cheese?
Well, in England, a Quarter Pounder is a Quarter Pounder. A Big Mac is a Big Mac. And French fries are called French fries, not chips, which is kind of puzzling.
Actually, it’s pretty disappointing how similar their menu is to ours. Yes, they do have a little regional flair in their breakfast menu – namely, a traditional Bacon Roll made with British bacon, Heinz tomato sauce or brown sauce. And they have something called a Chicken Legend, which is basically our crispy chicken sandwich with lettuce, mayo or tomato salsa on a soft, white bakehouse roll. For dessert, they have a Belgian Bliss Brownie, made from real Belgian chocolate. I’ll give them 5/10 for originality.
Lastly, they don’t have a dollar menu or a pound menu. They have a “Saver” Menu. I’m thinking that pounds are the last thing people want to think about at McDonald’s … despite the fact that calories are now listed on their menu.
BRITRISH.COM 