Divided By a Common Language, Part I

One of the things I've realized I have not blogged about is the divide in vocabulary between America and the UK. Now that I've been here for almost a year (!!), I've become familiar -- if not always well-integrated -- with the many strange British-isms around me on a daily basis, some of which are endless sources of amusement. Here are a couple:

• "Loo," "toilet," "water closet": It's considered very American to say "bathroom" or "restroom," and people don't always understand what you're saying, so I've taken to carefully considering my words, then asking someone where the toilet is. It still feels unnatural to me, but I can't bring myself to say "water closet" -- and, heaven forbid, the to-me-still-quite-parodic "loo."

• "Ring up": No, no, I want to say, you don't ring someone up. That makes me think of a 1950s movie with those spin-dial phones. You call that person, si?

• "Nibbles": The British word for hors d'oeuvres or any other snacks/appetizers served at a party. It's fun and cutesy, and always slightly ridiculous to see well-dressed (especially older) men in tuxedos talk about their "nibbles." Admittedly makes this American think of a group of bunny rabbits.

• "Quite": This word is quite prevalent. Since yes, yes, quite, you are quite right. Except "quite good" does not mean what you, my American friends, might think it means. (Inexplicably, "quite good" seems to mean its opposite -- that is, quite average or even horrendous.)

• "Not bad": Self-explanatory and widespread instance of British understatement. How are you? Oh, not bad, old sport. (Whoops, see what I did there?)

• "Keen": As in, I am keen to do XYZ. I am eager, I am on board to do it, I am looking forward to it, count me in. But with a different British nuance, since the Brits would never admit to being "eager" -- it's the Americans who are the Eager Beavers. "Keen" always comes with the danger of being "too keen," which would be appallingly un-British. I suspect I am often too keen, but nevertheless the word "keen" has integrated itself into my vocabulary. (This is one of the words I love.)

• "Whilst": I smirk every time I see this instead of "while."

• "Kit" or "stash": As in, sports wear or team/club attire, I guess? I imagine members of a club or team stashing/hoarding away their "kit" like pack rats whenever I read this.

• "At University" or "At Uni": Since you never, never say "college" here, since (outside of the Oxford college system) a "college" in the UK is very different, more like a vocational school or community college, than in the US. I keep referring to "when I was in college" and getting strange glances until I realize my mistake and say, "Ahem, when I was at university."

• "Pants": Underpants. The proper term is trousers, my dear, but I can't seem to correct myself of this habit and stop walking around in public spaces talking about my new pants.

• "Queue": Both a noun and a verb. I still cannot bring myself to say, "Please queue up now." Even if the queuing ability I witness on a daily basis is rather laudatory. People in other countries certainly do not respect the queue nearly as much as the British!

That covers some of the more obvious ones; more coming soon, chaps!