While I love a good British accent, I’m more enthralled with the way Brits construct their sentences, the words they use. Even if you Americanize the spelling of a paragraph written by a Brit writer (such as changing “Americanise” to “Americanize”) there’s a certain rhythm and cadence to their sentences that sound nothing like American English.
But let’s talk about Brit words or expressions, words I can’t use in my everyday American speech lest I sound like a poseur. Here are some of my favorites in no particular order:
Fancy. Verb made popular by Austin Powers. As in “Fancy a shag?”
Stroppy. Ill-tempered.
Gobsmacked. Flabbergasted. I admit, I use this word sometimes.
Brilliant. Used in assent, as in “Brilliant! I’ll bring the wine.”
Wanker. So much nicer than dickhead. I get to say wanker a lot, though, when I’m talking to my Australian friend Deb. Wanker is popular Down Under.
Barrister. So much nicer than lawyer or attorney. Think John Cleese in A Fish Called Wanda.
Cheeky. Means impertinent. Often used around children.
Petrol. The gas station gone exotic.
Jolly. Who can resist, “He’s a jolly fellow, all right.”
What are your favorite Brit words? Add them to the comments section below.
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