Naughts and Zeds: Britishisms in America

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

Ever wonder about the words and phrases attributed to the British and sometimes used in America? I remember being surprised during Mark Kermode's review of The Avengers that he thought Loki used a rather R-rated word at one point. I believe he described it as "a very Anglo-Saxon swear word." When I saw the movie, I didn't notice anything. But it is explained on a web site dedicated to Not One-Off Britishisms. I should warn you that the post does translate it into current R-rated slang.

This is the blog's self-description:

 Over the last decade or so, an alarming number of traditionally British expressions have found their way into the American vocabulary. This page offers a growing list of Britishisms that have been widely adopted in the U.S.–that is, they are not “one-offs.”  Each entry offers a definition/American equivalent, followed by quotes representing the first and most recent American usages I’ve found.

It's another good resource to understand the differences and samenesses of our shared language!

h/t to Happy Catholic who posted about Streets Ahead!