Fun With Words

A famous quote by George Bernard Shaw suggests that England and America are "two countries separated by a common language". I'm finding, however, that the language isn't common after all. That said, I've been having a heck of a good time ramping up on my British slang. And best of all, like most of my key phrases/actions, it's tough for others to decipher if I'm being ironic or just stupid when I flaunt my newfound vocabulary. I'm not sure I really know anymore.

So you probably already know that a guy is a bloke, a 5 pound bill is a fiver, and the London subway is the tube. You also probably overuse the term bloody when speaking of the British. Easy, right?

I imagine you're less likely to have heard that the term fanny pack refers to something far more vulgar than your parent's must-have travel item, or that taking the piss refers to when you're giving someone a hard time (while to be pissed is to be drunk). You might not realize that if you pull with a fit bird you're hooking up with a good looking girl, but then again, said birds are tough to come by in this city anyway.

I'm still undecided on my favo(u)rite British slang. For a while, the term chav seemed to have just the right amount of versatility and staying power to lead the list. Unfortunately, it appears to be a bit more classist and offensive than I first realized (even after providing for a generous "gimme" level of British classism). Check out a full description (with pictures!) here.