American Reacts to British Words that Baffle Americans

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As an American I don’t understand many British words and phrases. Today I am ready to be baffled by these British words but also excited to learn about what they mean. If you enjoyed the video feel free to leave a comment, like, or subscribe for more!

what’s going on everyone I’m just a typical average American here today to react and learn about some British words that baffle Americans well I’m American and I’m pretty easily baffled so I thought this would be perfect for for me to take a look at and I’m also just excited to learn about some new British words maybe expand my VOC cabulary a little bit so with that being said let’s take a look when I first moved here one of those one of the words was flannel actually um not as in the shirt As Americans might think it was the flannel I was just about to say flannel like a shirt like that’s a what is that it’s like a material like a clothing material that sometimes Americans wear like usually it’s plaid or something flannel means something different in Britain is that what we’re saying here chel that we would call or that Americans would call washcloth uh that you wash your body parts with that’s a bit clinical what wait what flannel in Britain means what we would call a washcloth I’m trying to make sure I understand this correctly that is so incredibly random to me so washcloth does that mean anything to British people or you just always call it flannel all and flannel is some kind of shirt to us this is oddly very confusing to me I asked your parents because we lived with Tara’s parents um for a bit and uh we I I needed to find a flannel and they looked at me as if I was demanding shirts from them right there’s probably so many funny situations that could happen uh for a British person in America or an American person living in Britain uh just based on the fact that there seems to be quite a lot of words that like both Americans and British people use it’s the same word but they have different definitions and it’s so incredibly random like flannel like I can’t even remember the last time I said the word flannel I guess I’m not a big uh fan of the shirt but I suppose in Britain that would be used a bit more cuz you might need a a flannel which is a wash cloth we call it a washcloth CU you might need it for like bath time or something okay interesting word for us to start with but another another one actually that came up around about the same time was plaster I’d cut my finger or something like that and I I said hey where where do you keep the plasters in the where do you what you cut your finger and you need a plaster plaster for me as an American that’s like something that you use to build your wall with or patch up your wall like plaster I don’t know that’s like a building material or something but uh what does it mean to put it on your finger or maybe because that would not be a good thing to do that would not be wise to do for the plaster that I’m thinking of house and they looked at me again as if I was a terrorist um so what what uh but what do we call them here again Band-Aids Band-Aids yeah like uh well Band-Aid it’s a Band-Aid I can’t believe that that is that is actually genuinely shocking to me like that is a very very common word in America not that that means everyone in the world should use it or has to use it very clearly they don’t but I just thought Band-Aid was like a really really well it’s a popular brand isn’t it and it’s like it’s it’s a pretty important object I think that’s what I’m really shocked about it’s pretty important like if you need a Band-Aid or or excuse me a plaster um you need to be able to communicate that cuz maybe your finger is bleeding and you’re gushing out blood and somehow a little plaster or Band-Aid is going to stop that but um I just I thought Band-Aid was a universal term I guess I’ve I’ve never heard this before I’ve also never heard it in any sort of British like movie or or show from from any British person ever in any video or content that I’ve ever seen I’ve never heard the word plaster used in this way and I don’t know I guess that just kind of surprises me uh it’s what we call a Band-Aid do British people ever use the word Band-Aid I I thought that was almost like the name of the brand as well kind of like a Kleenex for a tissue uh I don’t know for me Band-Aid is is the Bob gof band that was formed in the 80s to save poverty in Africa or to prevent it and so I was sort of bewildered myself when they came back at me with that so it’s a two-way street it’s not just the Americans being bewildered by me more actually me being bewildered by them no kidding no kidding it really is a two-way street is this like I don’t know sometimes I feel like maybe uh British people consume or are exposed to more American culture than us Americans are exposed to British culture so maybe there are Brits out there who are familiar with the term Band-Aid he he was not familiar with it I’m shocked he had Del literally live in America to learn about the Band-Aid and I mean I guess that makes sense cuz I’ve never heard of plaster and it just works both ways what what is going on the word rubbish actually uh occasionally causes confusion uh no rubbish rubbish is a word that a lot of Americans are actually pretty familiar with as far as British words go rubbish means like uh what we would call trash or Garbage right so much when I use it to mean trash uh but when I say that some such and such is rubbish that thing over there that’s rubbish actually I was pointing at our lovely shelf it’s actually a nice shelf oh when you when you say something is rubbish I don’t know why I know this but I know that that is a bad thing I know that’s a British phrase when something is rubbish that means it’s bad it I guess like it’s kind of like trash or Garbage it’s bad um and I actually think most Americans or at least many Americans are familiar with this term rubbish and using it like that we never say rubbish we never use the word it’s the Forbidden word I don’t I don’t know why we don’t use it but we all like have heard it so this one probably wouldn’t baffle most Americans I I would actually say the idea I think throws people off because I think they think I when I point to something and say ah that thing’s rubbish they they they believe I think Americans think I’m saying that it it literally is trash needs to be put in the bin oh the bin there’s another one the bin we never say the bin but I know I I think that means trash can um so he’s saying when he calls something rubbish us Americans use take it very literally and we’re like oh that’s the British word for for trash or garbage that is garbage whereas it’s more it’s more like metaphorical it’s like that that thing is rubbish that thing stinks it’s bad it’s no good not that you literally want to throw it out into the bin right can another one and this is quite topical for the summer I suppose despite the weather we’ve had in Indiana uh suntan lotion people look at me and not know what I’m talking about okay what what do you think I mean when I say those phrases well here we have a distinction between suntan lotion and sun burn prevention lotion which is okay I think I know what we’re saying here now funny enough I have heard the phrase suntan lotion uh usually Americans say sunscreen or sunblock usually sunblock but I want to say this is almost like an older thing uh like this used to be more of a popular word in America and you don’t hear it anymore suntan lotion CU it almost I can see where it would confuse Americans especially younger Americans it sounds like a product that you use to try to get a tan like the purpose of it is to help your body get a tan a suntan lotion you know just the wording if you’re being literal um I know that that means sunscreen um but I never Ed the phrase suntan lotion it is that actually more popular in Britain to say suntan lotion not sunscreen I did not know that completely different thing that most people use so it’s suncreen right yeah um whereas suntan lotion is what you rub on yourself to keep yourself from getting too tanned I guess at a tanning salon which makes sense and and now yeah like sun I’m I’m I’m going to fight for this one a little bit sunscreen is like it’s screening you from the sun it’s a screen it’s a it’s a shield maybe it should be sun shield uh sunscreen it sh it screens you from the Sun suntan lotion make it sounds like it’s trying to help you get a tan or something but I think a lot of Americans would definitely understand what you’re saying by suntan lotion but most Americans still wouldn’t like use that as their preferred word uh this is this is an interesting one I think about it I can’t decide whether suntan lotion is a sort of generic British term or if that’s just my parents huh I think it’s my parents interesting interesting yeah yeah for sure like uh definitely we used to when I was a child growing up we used to say that around the house like plenty of time suntan lotion I remember that uh I wonder if this is just like a generational thing more than a more than a British American thing I don’t know they just say that and I’ve picked it up well obviously pag pag oh pag pag pag I don’t know I don’t I don’t even like the way it comes out of my mouth pag I’ve never heard this word I don’t know it’s actually kind of fun to say when p P I don’t know if I love it or hate it what what does this possibly mean well pag is an odd one cuz I think that’s kind of a more of a grim grimby is where I’m from and I think that’s more of a Grimsby term it means to ride on the back of a bike with somebody I think I think some people call aaki what a baky a pag and a baky what is this so this could be a British thing or this could be like a certain region of of Britain that he specifically grew up in or there’s there’s a dedicated word to when you’re riding on the back of a bike with someone else driving the bike that is that like doesn’t happen enough for there to be a dedicated word at least that I know of in American English there’s no word for this uh in England hey do you want a baky a I want a pag thank you a uh people think it’s I’ve never heard of backy or pag before I didn’t know there was a word for this stupid uh even in England uh people don’t what it means um I’m not sure I ever use that term yet but I do use the term Mary as in I’m very grumpy today I’m feeling M what is this Mary am I saying this correctly how do you say I I love the ones where these are just words I’ve never heard before in my entire life it’s either it’s either like there’s words that both Americans and British people use and they have different definitions or even more fun these words that I’ve just never heard in my entire existence Mii I’m feeling miy but uh Mii is is Barely Used outside of that part of the north as well I think I believe it’s used in around Lincolnshire and maybe Yorkshire and then not really known else so there’s wow there’s actually Regional words within Britain that are only used in certain are as of Britain we’re getting very specific now does that does that mean people in like the South wouldn’t know what a Mari is I guess unless I’m wrong about that you can correct me if I am I did touch on this one uh in a previous video but uh the term stroking as in stroking the dog which again does sound borderline illegal and I will admit that so what uh what are we talking about right now um well he he seems to know this is that’s not good you don’t want to stroke the dog what having moved here but you guys Americans say petting the dog which actually my mother later pointed out after watching that previous video yes okay you say stroking instead of petting I mean in the in defense of the British word or use of the word stroking you do more of a stroking motion to a dog it makes more sense that’s what you do you stroke them petting is like this motion like almost like slapping you know I’m petting um but especially for us Americans stroking the dog sounds very bad very very wrong you’re going to go to jail for that um even if the word itself is probably more accurate by definition uh stroking motion but is that what you usually say in Britain not petting oh I’m a bit torn on this one that also sounds a little um illegal because uh petting at least where I’m from means kissing uh when you go into the swimming pools there’ll be signs that say no petting oh this goes both ways see silly me I was just thinking about the American perception of this that’s so funny in Britain it would be perceived very very badly if you were petting the dog because it means kissing the dog you just can’t win okay I guess the the only real answer is use the word that is is accepted in your culture whether that’s a petting in America or stroking in Britain okay got it uh as in your you know significant we have that here too exactly so you have it here and yet so each petting no uh I don’t know what she means exactly do they have no kissing signs at the pool not that I’ve ever seen and uh petting does not mean kissing in America definitely not each of us has these terms for being affectionate toward animals that take it a little too far you don’t kiss your dog I well I I do kiss my dog I don’t kiss my dog in the French way oh boy well I don’t even have a dog wait don’t know whose dog is it then I have cats so where did that come from um but yeah I certainly don’t who what do you mean some people do who kisses dogs in the French way okay all right okay moving along this is a strange video so far we’ve gone a little too far wish dictionary of British English or [Music] something uh if in doubt turn to this lovely book at anglotopia dictionary of British English British slang from a to zed even the Zed we don’t even say Zed is that on purpose because we say Z not Zed Ang anglotopia dictionary of British English okay by anglotopia um you can get this at Amazon of course and let me take a look inside interesting there’s a there’s a whole dedicated like book to British English really that’ actually be like useful for Americans who are visiting Britain actually cuz some of this some of these words like actually it actually matters like if you know them or not some of them are inconsequential but like the plaster if you need a Band-Aid if you’re hurt or you don’t want to be uh petting the dog like there’s some serious miscommunications that could happen so maybe it’s good that there’s a book on this what do I what do I say I’m trying to think oh I did say that once this one here lost the plot oh yeah yeah I say that all the time now and I think some people don’t understand what I mean lost the plot that’s actually like a phrase has become kind of popular in America like kind of recently actually I don’t know if they’re talking about the same usage lost the plot if you say he lost the plot that means like they really are they have misunderstood they don’t understand they’re saying something completely wrong completely backwards they’ve lost the plot is that what we’re talking about yeah they flam around teachers all day so they kind of get it just because I’ve read Harry Association huh just what what does this mean in in British English what losing the plot literally means yeah it’s someone who’s gone mad um I’ve lost the plot and I someone who’s gone mad no I’ve never really heard it like that I mean it’s kind of similar someone who’s gone crazy someone who’s gone mad that’s kind of how it’s used in America this isn’t like the most common phrase honestly but you you see it on the internet a bit and stuff and it’s really like someone who has be like terribly misunderstood something or saying something totally wrong um which is kind of like being mad or crazy I guess sort of similar I right for that chap Chap’s for people yeah you’re a fine upstanding chap chap chap is a funny one cuz it’s one of the those stereotypical British words like when Americans think of British words or British culture that’s like one of the first words we go to like oh hey chap uh we do not use that word here in America ever in a serious way but we do know of it like we are familiar with this word and I don’t know what’s it mean like not your friend but your acquaintance like you’re being friendly it’s like almost like calling someone dude but not really it’s like hey chap or he’s a nice chap just like guy or person or what what would British people say is the definition of chap actually cuz that’s how I talk CH know chap actually I do remember I I do remember one instance when I used to work for Indianapolis Fringe um back in the day there was there was a performer come over from the east coast and uh I I asked him so are you uh are you part of the The Fringe Festival and he had to ask me again and again did did you just say French Festival oh that was a good one this this one did did did he did he not just say French Festival I’m a little confused and I also didn’t get super Clarity on what chap means but I I think most Americans have like a a vague idea of chap used to confuse uh the wife when I’d uh you know we’d be talking about a food that’s been in the fridge a little too long and I’d ask her has it gone off and she wouldn’t know what I meant and I again use that ha has it gone off yeah I would have no idea what you mean that that is a perfect one that is absolutely baffles me that would totally confuse me now I know thank goodness but if I was just hearing that for the first time ever um has it gone off is that what he said I’d ask her has it gone off has it gone off I would think has something turned off have we lost power or it means has something expired um in America we would say has it gone bad do you ever say that in in Britain at all is that an American way of saying it we’d say has it gone bad British people would say has it gone off it’s sort of close it’s sort of similar but bad means means bad but off has it gone off I don’t know about that one that’s confusing to me like has the cheese turned off I don’t know is it powered by electricity what I don’t get it and she wouldn’t a men and I again use that all the time now and people don’t understand yes indoctrinated uh speaking of going off we’re going to go off now uh not in that way um have shower today uh but okay very good I think that’s the end of it that was really fun that was quite entertaining for me uh this was by lost in the pond and I got to give it a like I did like that quite a bit quite a few words that are genuinely baffling uh and it’s also baffling to me how many like extra words and phrases that seem to exist in Britain it’s kind of cool it’s like British people have a whole bunch of extra like vocabulary to to use so it’s actually really fun for me to kind of learn some of these new words I don’t know maybe uh I can try to incorporate this into my vocabulary but then no one will understand what I’m saying especially if I’m stroking the dog that would be then I’m just going to end up in jail like so I will use this new found Power Vocabulary responsibly I swear but I did enjoy this anyway if you enjoyed this as well feel free to give this video a like or leave a comment with your thoughts on any of these words that baffle Americans or or any other words that you think baffle Americans that’d be fun to hear about and if you’re interested in more videos like this me reacting to Britain and British culture and learning things about Britain for the first time feel free to subscribe for more and until then thanks for watching and see you next time