AMERICAN vs. BRITISH expressions phrases we wont understand
hello everyone and welcome back to
english with lucy today i’m going to
talk to you about 20 idioms which have
different inversions in American English
and in British English you need to be
really careful with these because you
risk being misunderstood if you use the
wrong version in the wrong country
actually that would mean you would be
understood cuz that’s a double negative
anyway I’m going to tell you the British
version of the idiom and then I’m going
to tell you the American version of the
idiom I’m going to give you the
definition and I’m going to give you an
example
so get your notebooks out and write
these down before we get started I’d
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right let’s get on with a lesson now I
have curated a list of 20 idioms which
mean the same things but have different
versions in British English and
American English they’re all fairly
common and you can use most of them in
everyday conversation and your homework
for today is to write in the comments
any other idioms that you know that
might be different in different
countries in different parts of the
world right number one in Britain we say
to throw a spanner in the works to throw
a spanner in the works but in American
English they say to throw a monkey
wrench in the works or sometimes just to
throw a wrench in the works
it’s basically different because what
Americans call a monkey wrench we call a
spanner and this idiom basically means
to do something that prevents a plan or
activity from succeeding
for example the intern threw a spanner
in the works by ghosting the client on
tinder this actually happened to someone
I know they met someone on tinder never
applied to their messages and turns out
they’re a big client for their company
it didn’t go well
they threw a spanner in the works number
two as we say in British English to blow
your own trumpet to blow your own
trumpet but in American English they say
to toot your own horn to toot your own
horn this means to boast or to praise
your own abilities and achievements for
example I don’t mean to blow my own
trumpet but I read the Oxford Dictionary
three times before the age of five that
is a lie I did not number three in
Britain we say to sweep something under
the carpet to sweep something under the
carpet but in America they say to sweep
something under the rug to sweep
something under the rug this means to
deny or ignore something that is
embarrassing or might damage your
reputation a lot of politicians like to
sweep things under the carpet for
example as one of the most controversial
youtubers on the platform
I have swept many scandals under the
carpet number four in British English we
say
peaks and troughs peaks and troughs but
in American English they say peaks and
valleys peaks and valleys this means to
avoid something at all costs or to
refuse to associate with something
whoops I said the wrong one this is the
mixture of good and bad things in life
for example having lovely sponsors like
Skillshare helps my business through the
peaks and troughs of the year number
five in Britain we would say to not
touch something with a bargepole
to not touch something with a bargepole
in American English they would simply
say to not touch something with a
ten-foot pole to not touch something
with a ten-foot pole this simply means
to avoid something at all costs or to
refuse to associate with something for
example my father would not touch trifle
with a bargepole
he absolutely hates trifle he’s very
good at pretending to like things but
I’ve never seen him pretend to like a
trifle it’s that dessert which is like
cake Jam jelly
custard Creole I would eat it but I
wouldn’t choose it right number six this
is a sort of superstitious one in
British English it’s touch wood touch
wood in American English it’s knock on
wood knock on wood and it’s a phrase
that’s used just after mentioning a way
in which you’ve been lucky in the past
and it’s said to prevent bad luck so an
example would be I am NOT a great driver
but I’ve never been in a serious car
crash
touchwood I’m saying touch wood to
prevent myself from being in a serious
car crash I actually need to touch wood
now ok I’m not superstitious I just I’m
just British number seven British
English we would say to flog a dead
horse
to flog a dead horse in American English
they would say to beat a dead horse to
beat a dead horse this simply means to
waste energy on something that has no
chance of succeeding for example you’re
flogging a dead horse by trying to make
my dad
to trifle he’s not going to do it you’re
not going to succeed number eight I will
admit that sometimes I use the American
version and you do have to bear that in
mind with these idioms because in
Britain we consume so many American
sitcoms TV programs and movies that
their vocabulary does bleed into our
vocabulary but in Britain traditionally
we would say to take something with a
grain of salt to take something with a
grain of salt when in America they would
say to take something with a pinch of
salt to take something with a pinch of
salt and this means to view something
with skepticism or to not take something
literally for example if I offer you a
tequila you should take it with a pinch
of salt and a slice of lemon just joking
that’s proof that you should take
everything I say with a grain of salt
number nine in British English we would
say swings and roundabouts swings and
roundabouts in American English they
would simply say ups and downs ups and
downs these idioms are used to describe
situations where there are as many gains
as there are losses for example in the
UK we pay high taxes but it’s all swings
and roundabouts because we have a great
national health service number 10
another one where I might actually say
the American one because the
Americanisms have bled into Britain but
the British idiom is skeletons in the
cupboard skeletons in the cupboard
whilst in American English they say
skeletons in the closet skeletons in the
closet and we don’t actually use the
word closet which means wardrobe in
British English but I would use the word
closet for the specific idiom and a
skeleton in the closet is a secret that
would cause embarrassment if known for
example I could never run for prime
minister because I have far too many
skeletons in my closet
number 11 oh this one is
British the British version is so
British to have a go at someone to have
a go at someone we use this all the time
if there’s one that you remember
remember this one the American version
is to tear into someone to tear into
someone it means to attack someone with
either force or language for example
true story a teacher once had a go at me
for faking an illness when I was
genuinely very unwell number 12 in
British English we say a storm in a
teacup a storm in a teacup in American
English they say a tempest in a teapot a
tempest in a teapot this sounds much
more posh teacup teapot much more tea
this means great outrage or excitement
over a trivial matter for example I
don’t think the apocalypse is coming I
think it’s a big old storm and a teacup
number 13 in British English we say a
drop in the ocean a drop in the ocean
and in American English they say a drop
in the bucket a drop in the bucket it
means a very small or insignificant
amount compared to the amount needed for
example I saved 33 pence by doing my
shopping online which is a drop in the
ocean compared to what I need to save
for a house deposit that’s what I’m
trying to say for at the moment and it’s
not easy number 14 this is a personal
favourite I just really like it and I
actually love the American version
they’re saying it makes me cringe the
British version is hard cheese hard
cheese the American version and I find
it very very hard to say this without
sounding so ridiculous
so bear with me the American version is
tough titty tough titty I wonder if I
can say it without smiling tough titty
no I can’t this is used to express
somewhat sarcastic sympathy over a petty
or trivial matter for example you missed
your exam because you stayed up watching
bird box
hard cheese mate number 50
another super British one that we use so
frequently to bang on about something to
bang on about something in American
English they would say to rant and rave
about something to rant and rave about
something this means to talk about
something for a long time especially in
a way that is boring to others for
example I know I bang on about
Skillshare but it really is a fantastic
service number 16 in British English
it’s to call a spade a spade to call a
spade a spade in American English to
call it as one sees it to call it as one
sees it this simply means to speak
honestly and describe something as it
really is for example my mother calls a
spade a spade if I’m being out of order
which I sometimes am she will put me
right and she always does number 17 in
British English we say to cram to cram
which isn’t strictly an idiom but the
American version is in American English
they say to hit the books to hit the
books and this means to study
intensively over a short period of time
usually right before an exam for example
I relied heavily on cramming throughout
my university degree I wouldn’t
recommend it but I did get a first-class
degree so make of that what you will
number 18 in British English to get
itchy feet to get itchy feet in American
English they say to seek new pastures to
seek new pastures this means to start to
want to travel or to do something
different with your life for example
after fourteen years of schooling
I got itchy feet and started to plan my
move to Spain number 19 in British
English we say to go pear-shaped to go
pear-shaped in American English they say
to go south to go south this means to go
wrong or to go badly for example the
party was great but after they handed
out two kilo shots it started to go a
bit pear-shaped our final idiom of the
lesson and I’ve saved the best till last
because this is what I love to do
in British English we say to queue up to
queue up but in American English they
say to wait in line to wait in line
simply means to take one’s place in a
queue for example as a Brit I can
honestly say there is nothing I enjoy
more than queuing up and silently
judging those who try to break the queue
rules oh I love it and hate it at the
same time anyway moving on that’s it for
today’s lesson don’t forget to check out
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shall see you soon for another lesson
yeah
and since Skillshare are sponsoring this
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genuinely be interested in we’re gonna
use the word cool curated now I have
curated a list of bows so good I love
that word now I have curated just love
the word
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now I’ve created no I haven’t created it
okay Rach I really want to use word no
that’s wrong
that is wrong this simply means to
refuse to associate and that’s a phrase
that’s new oh my god
my neck is so itchy these phrases are
used to describe a situation where their
own there’s no swings and roundabouts
because we have a great energy I bet you
get itchy feet and don’t forget to check
me out check me out
[Music]
[Music]
you