If you’re in England and want some cream cheese to go with your bagel, ask for Philadelphia. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Philadelphia on Your Bagel”
I did not know until I was reading Lynn Murphy’s book about the differences between American English and British English that in Britain you often say Philadelphia to refer to cream cheese.
Well, you knew that.
Yeah, I did know that.
Yeah.
But that’s interesting.
They’ve taken the brand name and made it a generic.
Right.
That’s cool.
Right.
Another thing I learned from her book is the fact that Americans think of the British all say WC for bathroom for water closet, and they don’t.
And they haven’t for a really long time.
You may see it on the tank, but that’s an archaism.
It’s just left over from the decades ago when they might have actually used it.
But it’s been a really long time.
