E-Z Brit-American Glossary

In order to be a true Earthling as opposed to a boring American, it is necessary to have a handle on the local patois wherever one travels. Just because you’ve seen Austin Powers movies a half dozen times doesn’t give you the right to try out for a speaking part at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art…Shagging and Snogging are fun words, but there is so much more.

Since we’re in Edinburgh right now (Sept 13,  07 a day that will go down in mystery) we’ll start with Brit on the Quick, a concise guide to Sounding Less Awful for foreigners. For starters, be aware there are so many regional variations that to try to distinguish and be accurate to each region would be impossible. This 80 pence guide of one-by one-and-a-half inches, can make us ( the Ugly Americans) sound somehow more acclimatized.

Like naff (not in good taste). Lady Di coined “Naff off!’ because to be unfashionable was the cruelest insult

Faff : putter about trying to get ready

Gaff: place you live. Also see : Steading.

Bang on schedule. Bang means precisely.

Car park…means parking lot.

Barking mad= crazy

Box of Frogs=someone who’s really daft is ‘mad as a box of frogs’

Skive off work=shirk
skint= broke (fiscally)

have a go: try something

On the rivet…’red line’ something

dodgey oh, you’ve seen that in Austin Powers
stonking I think I’ll leave that one to the pros (click on it)