Monday, September 27, 2010

BBC Dialect

I've been watching on TV (Dr.Who) and listening on the radio (Phoenix KJZZ NPR) to a great deal of BBC lately.  I started a running list of vocabulary, that is common on the BBC, but rare (or non-existent) in typical US dialects.  Initial observations include:

Rogering / Buggering / Toss Off
Blimey   (as an exclamation)
Bullocks
Car Park (instead of a parking lot)
Champion!  (as an exclamation)
Clever
Daft
Fancy    (instead of being 'interested')
Garden     (for a yard)
Jolly!      (as an exclamation)
Lift        (instead of an elevator)
Lorrie     (instead of a truck)
Mad     (as in 'crazy' or 'insane')
Poppycock
Queue     (instead of a line)
Smashing!  (as an exclamation)
Swimmingly
Torch     (instead of a flash light)
 
There's many online translators, for British English to American English.  A funny one is here (link). 

2 comments:

  1. Tyre = tire
    Cheque = check
    Bonnet = hood (car)
    Boot = trunk (car)
    Flat = apartment
    Snogging = making out

    Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, grin, grin, eh? Say n'more, squire!

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