Britishisms
Words from England
Britishisms are words, phrases, spellings, or expressions characteristic of British English rather than American or other varieties.
Americans might notice *flat* for apartment, *queue* for line, *lorry* for truck, or spellings like *colour* and *favour*.
The term usually implies awareness of the usage as distinctly British: Her speech was peppered with Britishisms after a year in London.
Informal British man
- chapInformal term for male
- matePartner or companion
- looBritish slang for toilet
- lorryBritish freight vehicle
lift · flat · rubbish · queue · fortnight · biscuit · crisps · jumper
Informal British parting
- taInformal British gratitude
- cheersCasual toast or farewell
- bloodyGore-covered or British curse
- blimeyBritish surprise interjection
crikey · bollocks · sod · bugger · knackered · gutted · chuffed · gobsmacked
Licensed drinking establishment
- cuppaInformal British tea
- tea-timeMidafternoon refreshment period
- queueOrdered waiting line
- BBCBritish public broadcaster
NHS · telly · footie · cricket · rugby · pantomime · roundabout · council
Stylishly luxurious
- toffMocked wealthy Brit
- plummyAffectedly upper-class sounding
- RPPrestige British accent
- cockneyLondon working-class dialect
working-class · middle-class · upper-class · public-school · comprehensive · Oxbridge · gentry · aristocracy
bloke
Informal British man
lorry · lift · flat · rubbish · queue · fortnight · biscuit · crisps · jumper · nappies
cheerio
Informal British parting
blimey · crikey · bollocks · sod · bugger · knackered · gutted · chuffed · gobsmacked · peckish
pub
Licensed drinking establishment
BBC · NHS · telly · footie · cricket · rugby · pantomime · roundabout · council · garden
posh
Stylishly luxurious
cockney · working-class · middle-class · upper-class · public-school · comprehensive · Oxbridge · gentry · aristocracy · common
colour
Visual wavelength property
centre · theatre · metre · licence · defence · organise · realise · apologise · catalogue · programme
- Regional Slangy'all, bless your heart, cattywampus, ope, you betcha
- linguisticslinguistics, phoneme, phonemes, morpheme, morphemes
- regionalismsyouse, fixin' to, fixing to, ain't, aint
- EnglishAmerican English, Australian English, Canadian English, Irish English, Scottish English
- slangslang, jargon, lingo, argot, cant
BritishismsAmericanisms
US-specific language features
American English · Canadianisms · Australianisms · Indian English