Say what?!: Quirky British Words Translated
I recently made a new ex-pat friend from England*. We were chatting and the word “windscreen” came up about his car. He then said “That’s a windshield, sorry need to use the North American word!”.
I already knew this, but it made me remember that I had started a list of the British words and translations that I have learned and compiled over the years of visiting my second favourite rainy place after Vancouver. Every time I visit the UK, I learn at least three new words from my Scottish friends. I also thoroughly enjoy seeing/hearing North American tourists trying to figure out what people are saying. (It took me a while, too!)
So, on this rainy Vancouver day, here is a mini dictionary of quirky British words. But you’re on your own for the accents. That’s a whole other ball of wax.
(*Update (May 23, 2021): This was The Brit, and we were on I think our third date. As you may or may not have figured out from my subsequent content, it all worked out! 🙂 In late 2020, we decided to move to the UK — and I arrived at the beginning of May 2021 after The Brit came back in February to start his new job. With that, this list will continue to grow as I dive into ex-pat life in England.)
The Mini Dictionary of Quirky British Words
| British Word | North American Translation | How It Would Be Used in the UK |
| Aubergine (vegetable) | Eggplant | |
| Aye | Yes | “Aye, laddy!” |
| Biscuit | Cookie | Tea and biscuits |
| Bonnet | Car hood | |
| Bonnet | Hood (of car) | |
| Bonnie | Pretty | A bonny lass |
| Boot | Car trunk | |
| Bouffin’ (BOUGH-fin) | Horrible, awful, inedible, disgusting | “That’s bouffin’!” |
| Braw (like raw) | Good | “That’s braw!” |
| Brolly | Umbrella | |
| Candy | Chocolate | |
| Chippy | The fish and chips shop; no real North American equivalent | “I’ll grab something at the chippy” |
| Chips | Fries | As in fish and chips |
| Chuffed | Happy, proud | I was feeling rather chuffed with myself. |
| Coriander | Cilantro | |
| Crisps | Chips | Ask for chips and you’ll get fries |
| Dinna | Don’t | “I dinna ken” |
| Driech | Damp, drizzly weather | Pronounced dreek with with a rolled “r” and phlegm at the end. “It looked driech outside.” |
| Flat | Apartment (or the regular version of flat) | |
| Football | Soccer | |
| Git | Silly, stupid, incompetent, or childish person | “You git…” |
| Glen | Valley | The glen was full of sheep and just one cow. |
| Grand | Good | “That’s grand” |
| Har | Mist | Pronounced like car; but if you’re not careful, this can sound like a lot like another, less complimentary word. |
| Hiya | Hello, hi | |
| Juice | Soda, pop | “I’ll have a juice, please.” |
| Ken | Know or understand | “I dinna ken” |
| Kirk | Church | |
| Knickers | Underwear | |
| Laddy | Guy/boy | |
| Lassy | Girl | |
| Lift | Elevator | |
| Loch | Lake or sea inlet | Pronounced “lock” with some phlegm behind it. |
| Loo | Bathroom, washroom | |
| Lorry | Truck | |
| Mac(Intosh) | Rain coat | |
| Mardy | Sulky or moody | He was feeling a bit mardy when he got home. |
| Mince | Ground meat | |
| Mingin | Horrible, awful, inedible, disgusting | “That’s mingin’!” |
| Motorway | Highway | |
| Muppet | Ignorant, idiot or moronic person | “What a muppet…” |
| Nappy | Diaper | |
| Neeps | Turnips | |
| Neeps’ n’ tatties | Turnips and potatoes | A common Scottish dish |
| Pants | Underwear | A highly recommended word to use otherwise, everyone will either look scandalized when you say pants, or just have a good snicker… |
| Pitch | Field | Football/soccer or rugby (or Quidditch!) pitch |
| Pram | Stroller | |
| Proper | Really | “That was a proper good dinner” |
| Pudding | Dessert | Pronounced “puddin’ “ |
| Rocket (vegetable) | Arugula | |
| Shag | Not the kind of rug 😉 | I’m assuming Austin Powers has made this a fairly explanatory one. Ha. |
| Skits | Upset digestive system | |
| Skunnert | Fed up or stuck | He’s skunnert or “I’m so skunnert” |
| Snog | Make out (with someone) | |
| Soz | Sorry | Sometimes it means “sorry, not sorry” |
| Strop* | Hissy fit, tantrum | She had a proper strop. *I LOVE this word! |
| Sweeties | Candy | |
| Tatties | Potatoes | |
| Tea | Dinner; or just to be confusing, it’s also literally having a cup of tea | “What do you fancy for tea?” |
| Trainers | Running shoes. sneakers | |
| Trousers | Pants | To be used instead of pants as everyone will look at you funny otherwise and snicker |
| Wee | Small, tiny | The dog was just a wee thing. |
| Wellies | Rain boots | |
| Whinge | Whine | “Stop your whingeing and get on with it!” |
| Wind screen | Windshield |
We all smile in the same language.
~ Unknown ~
