ShowBritish English

Words, phrases, expressions, idioms, and other linguistic and dialect features from the United Kingdom. British English refers to the dialects and accents of English used in the United Kingdom, exhibiting significant regional variation in pronunciation and vocabulary across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Although Received Pronunciation (RP) is often historically considered a standard accent, it’s spoken by a small percentage of the population, with most speakers using regional accents and dialects. Distinctive (almost to the point of being clichéd) features compared to American English include differences in vocabulary (e.g., “lift” for “elevator,” “flat” for “apartment”), spelling conventions (e.g., “colour,” “centre,” “realise”), and certain grammatical structures.

Fair Dinkum, Mate

Commonly heard in Australia, fair dinkum is used to describe something “authentic” or “legitimate.” This phrase is also used as an intensifier. Less common versions: square dinkum and straight dinkum. The expression fair...

Prince and Dickens

Author Nick Hornby is an ardent fan of both the novelist Charles Dickens and the musician Prince. In Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius (Bookshop|Amazon), Hornby shows that those two very different men actually had a lot in common...