Do some Brits really don't speak English that well?

I'm not sure how much of this is taking the piss.

There's a British expression probably not don't spoke that well, too.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

A "fag" is a cigarette in the U.K., but in the U.S. it normally means a homosexual (or someone who is ridiculous) Why can't the Brits just use the term "cigarette" like the rest of us? Don't they know how homophobic and insensitive they sound?

We use fag to mean cigarette and faggot as a homophobic insult.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Also, why use the term "wanker" or "tosser" when there are perfectly good substitutes such as idiot, stupid, moron, etc...?

We use all of those, along with t***, asshole/arsehole, retard, tool, dickhead, muppet, c*nt, numpty or prick.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Over in the U.K. their black people are called "African-Britons". Why aren't they referred to as African-Americans like they are over here in America?

We just call them black.

The truth is, English slang today contains a lot of American as well as Jamaican imports.

Sharky wrote:

We use all of those, along with t***, asshole/arsehole, retard, tool, dickhead, muppet, c*nt, numpty or prick.

Yeah, never did quite understand why you all call it an "arsehole" or an "arse". Seems like it would be easier to refer to it as an "ass".

Quote :

We just call them black.

The truth is, English slang today contains a lot of American as well as Jamaican imports.

We're allowed to call them "people of color" but not "colored" (I guess the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is racist). Also "the blacks" is acceptable (at least according to Donald Rump.

Black or black people are fine, but not "the blacks", unless you want to sound like a BNP member.

"People of colour", "African-British", "Afro-Caribbean" etc. are too formal and PC.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Yeah, never did quite understand why you all call it an "arsehole" or an "arse". Seems like it would be easier to refer to it as an "ass".

Because that is an animal. It's not a good idea to confuse the two.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Over in the U.K. their black people are called "African-Britons". Why aren't they referred to as African-Americans like they are over here in America?

They probably aren't called African-Americans in the UK for obvious reasons.

Yorkshire Puddings can be served as dessert. Apparently they're delicious with jam. As I don't eat them hot or cold, I wouldn't know.

E by gum.

With jam, you say. We truly are an unqiue people.

Yorkshire puddings go best with gravy.

Well I suppose they're exactly the same as a pancake mix, so why not?

You're leaving Her Majesty with few options, J7.

Hmm cucumber sandwiches delicious!

Well is fairness we Brits were using and abusing most of our words long before Americans were about to misinterpret them...essentially because their ours

I actually believe the American term Fag is actually the result of them being too lazy to use the fuller term Faggot....back in the 70's Americans seemingly had more energy and hence it appears in full in things like The Warriors etc....... A cigarette was called a Fag long before, although it is interesting that going out to have a fag has two valid and applicable meanings for George Michael and may have arisen from some ancient code......Dan Brown should get on the case (err and that isn't a euphemism).

The dictionary is being rewritten all the time mind and certainly not always for the best or even for the shortest route, how long will it be before' Bushisms' are fully adopted some words could go on for weeks unless I am misunderestimating things of course!

Cucumber is a pointless sandwich-ruining bastard, it's like chewy water. Bleuch.

www.wikipedia.org - this is where to go in future to see if the sweeping generalisations you've heard about the UK have any basis in fact, j7 (clue ... they haven't).

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Cucumber is a pointless sandwich-ruining bastard, it's like chewy water. Bleuch.

Cucumbers are the best.

With other things included - not by themselves though.

Fae wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Cucumber is a pointless sandwich-ruining bastard, it's like chewy water. Bleuch.

Cucumbers are the best.

How big do you like them?

How big can you offer?

7.5.

Mmmmmm.

We can talk.

Fae wrote:

Mmmmmm.

We can talk.

It'll need to be a lot bigger than 7.5 centimeters to reach you all the way down in Australia from London.

As Barney the Dinosaur told me, "imagination is your greatest gift."