My British Education

It's been a while since I've written about things that I'm learning over here as being different from the States. Since my time with the Brits has now come to an end, I thought I'd share some of the new British language that has infiltrated my vocabulary over the past 2.5 years. I've had more and more realizations that my language use has changed over time, despite my best efforts to resist. Here is a list of new words or phrases that I find myself regularly using that I recognize as not American (notice the purposeful American spelling, but we'll come to that later):

bin instead of trash or garbage

bin liner instead of trash bag or garbage bag

bin it instead of throw it away

sort (usage: "sort it out," "get it sorted," or simply, "sorted")

holiday instead of vacation

"can't be bothered" to mean that you're too tired or just don't care

university/uni instead of college

a one-off instead of one-time only or just this once

sun cream instead of sunblock

swimming costume instead of swim suit or bathing suit

trainers instead of sneakers

football instead of soccer (but you all knew of that one already)

corridor instead of hallway

lesson instead of class

trousers instead of pants (because pants means "underpants" and boy have I had a couple of embarrasing moments regarding that difference)

"I'm not trying to be funny" to say that you have something serious to say and do not mean to make fun or offend

full stop instead of period (at the ends of sentences)

do the register instead of take attendance

revise instead of study

and of course I have to make a concerted effort to be aware of my audience when spelling (realise instead of realize, favourite instead of favorite), and usage of 'inverted commas' instead of "quotation marks"

And these are only the ones that I've given into (and remember at this particular moment)! There are many more that I've come to know but refuse to take part in :)