|
 | London Local Customs | Tips 1 - 10 of 692 |  |
Popular Local Customs | Miscellaneous Local Customs Tips | All Tips (692) Doing some sight-seeing in London and feeling a little tired?? Why not take a nap whilst on the Tube - everybody else does. Doesn't seem to matter what time of day it is, there is always someone sleeping on a seat near you. How they magically wake up in time to alight at their stop is a mystery to me. Leave a Comment Website: www.thetube.com
|
The coffee in London is not good. Most people buy their coffee from one of the coffee chains found in the UK. The main ones are: Cafe Nero Costa Coffee Republic Starbucks They are all guilty of boiling the milk...yuk. But they do have some yummy treats... You will find one (or several) on a High Street near you. Leave a Comment
|
What is it with the British and mayonnaise!!?? 95% of sandwiches that you buy in the UK are pre-made/pre-packaged. And of these, 99% have mayonnaise on them....eeeeeuuuuwwwwwwwwww!!! There ought to be a law against it....not only does it not taste great, it is fattening!! And with so many British overweight, surely cutting back on spreads would be a good start... There are chains over London that sell these pre-made sambos - some better than others. One of the better of these such chains is Pret a Manger. These are scattered all over London, and serve sandwiches, sushi, soup, coffee & cakes. They do have a couple of choices of sandwiches without mayo - just make sure you read the ingredients list before buying. Save the calories from the mayonnaise and have one of their pecan slices instead!! Leave a Comment Website: http://www.pret.com/
|
 | |  |  | American English PART 1 | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
Theses are a few English to American translations. Yes, there IS a difference. I was amazed at our differences in general conversations, and often had to admit that I was an American, and didn't understand. (much to their amusement). Although the opposite was true as well, because after I would explain the American equivalent, my friends in the UK had never heard of such, either. Anyroad, (American meaning, Anyway) I have a funny little story to tell ... I was speaking with someone from England on the telephone, and he really needed to go to the restroom. AKA: "loo." I said to him, "We can speak later, go, to the loo." Then I burst into laughter because I thought of the American saying, "Toodle loo!", meaning, "Goodbye." He couldn't understand WHY I was laughing at him for needing to go to the loo, and thought I must be daft. Then, I told my son the tale, and he didn't understand what was so funny, because he had no clue of what was a "loo." After I explained the differences in our dialect, he also found it to be quite amusing, and now tells the story to his friends. I have put together a little "Dictionary" for your entertainment, of words that I actually heard whilst in England, some of which I wondered, "What?!?" afters (sometimes called pudding): dessert eaten after a meal, hence the name. bin (actually dustbin shortened): trash can, a container in which to properly dispose of litter or rubbish. car park: a parking lot, an area designed as a place to park your vehicle. dressing gown: equivelant to an American robe worn around the house before getting properly dressed. elastoplast (or sometimes referred to as plaster): American band-aid for covering minor cuts (wounds) to stop the bleeding, and keep out germs. fag: cigarette (See the following web-site for a hilarious explanation) Want a fag? Leave a Comment Website: http://www.english2american.com
|
 | |  |
| | | | More Differences Across The Pond {Chapter 9} | Tip Rating: | | | | |
snog:a sensual kiss, otherwise known as a French kiss (making out). You certainly wouldn't snog your Grandmother, but many Brits fondly remember their first snog. solicitor: UK- lawyer or attorney. US- door to door salesperson, or a telephone solicitor, (also known as a telemarketer on both sides of the pond). Solitaire: a game played on a board with pegs, and the object is to end up with only one solitary peg left. The card game in UK is called Patience. spanner: an adjustable monkey wrench tool. spotted dick: a sponge cake like dessert(pudding) with raisins in it. spud: potato.In England, baked potatoes are called jacket potatoes, and of course, fried potatoes are called chips.(or hash browns in both UK and US) Everyone knows that Americans refer to their chips as french fries, but I wonder why? What did France have to do with it, if anything? squash: A diluted fruit drink such as the popular black currant squash, similar to sugary versions like Snapple, which actually have very little fruit juice, maybe 10-20%, and are mostly sugar and water, also available in sugar-free versions as well. stabilisers: training wheels for a tot's bicycle in the UK. (spelt stabilizer in the US, and could be anything that stabilizes, either substances or objects) starter: an appetizer eaten at the beginning (start) of a meal, hence the name. Mention starter in America, and someone will think something is wrong with your vehicle's starter and therefore will not start without the services of a auto-mechanic. steady on: an English expression meaning Whoa! Hold on! (Hold your horses!) etc. stilettos: pumps/ high heels for women. stone: (1)a unit measure of weight equal to 13.99 pounds (lbs.) Someone weighing 10 stone in the UK would weigh 140 lbs. in America. stone: (2) It is also used to describe the pits in fruits such as peaches. straight away: A very common English expression meaning immediately, right this minute, or now. sultanas: golden raisins often used in making delicious English puddings and desserts. Leave a Comment Website: http:www.english2american.com
|
| | |
| | | | More Differences Across The Pond {Chapter 3} | Tip Rating: | | | | |
arse: Yes, you guessed it, only difference in usage would be someone in the UK saying, "I can't be arsed", meaning "I can't be bothered." bangers: sausage. Most commonly used when referring to bangers and mash, which is a very English dish consisting of sausages and mash potatoes. bitter: a proper English beer, not to be confused with lager, which is weak by comparison. blag: to convince someone of giving or doing something for nothing, as in blag a ride to work. In US, they would bum a ride, but since bum means something entirely different in England, you would NEVER hear that expression. bloke: a man, fellow, guy, or male. You would not refer to a male friend as a bloke, it is more reserved for some bloke you don't know. (A Joe Public in England or sometimes referred to as a "Joe Blow" in America). Please, don't go around saying, "Hi blokes! How are you?" blow off: The act of breaking wind, also known as chuffing. To blow someone off in America could best be described as ignoring them, not farting on them. To complicate things further, someone in the UK who is chuffed, is very happy, meaning something very different than chuffing. Bob's your Uncle!: Ta Da! There you have it! Similar to an American expression, "That's how the cookie crumbles!" bog: another slang name for toilet, although the loo is used more frequently. A loo roll, or a bog roll, is a roll of toilet tissue in the US. bonnet: the hood of a vehicle. boot: the trunk of a vehicle. hood: in the UK, a hood is a convertible top. boozer: a pub. Fancy a pint? bottle: nerve. To lose someone's bottle is like losing one's nerve. braces: suspenders in the UK. braces: metal grid-like covering teeth for straightening purposes in the US. (in UK-brace) bugger: multi purpose Brit word. An inoffensive insult. You little bugger, you! bum: what you are sitting on as you read this. The body part that makes contact with the chair, your derriere, or rear end. (among other less polite words). What Americans call bums, in the UK, they are called tramps. Leave a Comment Website: http://www.english2american.com
|
| | |
| | | | More Differences Across The Pond {Chapter 5} | Tip Rating: | | | | |
cinema: movie theater. In England, they go to the cinema to view a film. In America, it is to the movie theater to watch a movie. (Not to be confused with "The Theatre" which is another act entirely. Also, in England, they rent films, not movies, at Blockbuster. Therefore, returning a film could have nothing to do with a camera. cobblers: nonsense or rubbish, very informal between mates (friends) An example might be, someone saying, " I can outdrink anyone here!" and the reply was, "Yeah, right, cobblers." cooker: oven or stovetop unit. cot: baby crib. A US cot is an extra bed that folds up for storage, and is large enough for an adult. council house: similar to public housing in America, sometimes referred to as "The Projects." court shoes: ladies pumps. Not running shoes you might wear on a basketball court or tennis court in America, but suitable for going to Civil Court, I suppose. dear: As well as meaning endearment, it is also used to describe something as expensive. Harrod's is rather dear, considering my budget. dodgy: a shady character, possibly on the verge of being criminal. A dodgy bloke might sell an unsuspecting tourist stolen merchandise. daft: silly, crazy, or perhaps absent-minded, depending on use. dole: Someone in the UK who is on the dole is similar to an American on welfare. dosh: money. Most of us, need more dosh. dozy: slow to grasp something, such as an idea, or not very quick to catch on. draughts: a board game recognized in the US as checkers. drawing pin: a thumb tack. dustman: equivalent to a American garbageman, although they prefer sanitation worker. duvet: A part of a bed ensemble that is referred to as a comforter in the US. fringe: Someone's hair that is cut across the forehead. In America, they are known as bangs. full stop: period(.) In England, sentences might end with a full stop. In America, they would end in a period. Question marks, and exclamation points, I believe, are international, or TransAtlantical. Leave a Comment Website: http://www.english2american.com
|
| | |
More London Tips Overview
| General Tips
Tips: 2,311 - Photos: 1,895 | Restaurants
Tips: 2,692 - Photos: 1,642 | Hotels and Accommodations
Tips: 1,621 - Photos: 835 | Things To Do
Tips: 9,048 - Photos: 7,980 | Nightlife
Tips: 1,342 - Photos: 835 | Off the Beaten Path
Tips: 1,526 - Photos: 1,288 | Tourist Traps
Tips: 495 - Photos: 273 | Warnings or Dangers
Tips: 685 - Photos: 345 | Transportation
Tips: 1,876 - Photos: 1,208 | Local Customs
Tips: 692 - Photos: 475 | Packing Lists
Tips: 288 - Photos: 116 | Shopping
Tips: 931 - Photos: 684 | Sports Travel
Tips: 207 - Photos: 177 | Flights
Tips: 153 - Photos: 102 |
 |
More Sponsored Links for London |
|
on April 16, 2004
London
on March 25, 2006
