American Reacts to Common British Idioms (expressions and sayings)

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Tyler Rumple

Tyler Rumple

Жыл бұрын

Check out me and my twin brother reacting TOGETHER here:
/ @ryanandtyler
Idioms, sayings, and expressions are some of the most entertaining things you can learn about another country. That is exactly why I am very interested in learning some British idioms that I have never heard before in my life. I imagine due to the nature of expression I am going to have a very difficult time guessing what these mean, but that is half the fun. If you enjoyed the video feel free to leave a comment, like, or subscribe for more!

Пікірлер: 1 100
@mdx7460
@mdx7460 Жыл бұрын
Northerners grew up hearing ‘ITS LIKE BLACKPOOL ILLUMINATIONS IN HERE’ (all the lights have been left on)
@jaytucker8834
@jaytucker8834 Жыл бұрын
Down south, my dad's was 'house looks like a bloody Christmas tree'
@pandauk2538
@pandauk2538 Жыл бұрын
This is still used in my house since we live in Blackpool 🤣
@susancullum6427
@susancullum6427 Жыл бұрын
I use it all the time in my house 😊
@lesleygore5106
@lesleygore5106 Жыл бұрын
Best & most accurate meaning, especially now a days.
@drwhatson
@drwhatson Жыл бұрын
That's more of a Lancashire simile, of which there are many hilarious examples. :-D
@LisaLearmont95
@LisaLearmont95 Жыл бұрын
"Not my cup of tea" makes perfect sense! Everyone takes their tea differently, so it might not be how you take your tea, but it might be someone else's perfect cup, just swap out tea for whatever activity or product you want 😌
@timefliesaway999
@timefliesaway999 Жыл бұрын
Yup
@davidshipp623
@davidshipp623 Жыл бұрын
Yes that’s it. I think there is an extra dimension in our heads though due to the emotional attachment many of us have to ‘our’ cup of tea. It’s the only way that makes truly feel the comfort. The saying works so well because of this implied understanding.
@ralphm6901
@ralphm6901 Жыл бұрын
Exactly - some people prefer tea with milk, some without milk. My father used to drink China tea, which was nearly clear, slightly green-tinged, nothing like the normal brownish tea color.
@williannetan
@williannetan Жыл бұрын
This is true. British used to drink black tea or different types of loose tea. Now normal tea is with milk. Everyone has a different taste in their drink but tea is very common hence i think it make sense if that make sense :D 😂
@catherinemartin6258
@catherinemartin6258 Жыл бұрын
Exactly good example
@richardcarter5082
@richardcarter5082 Жыл бұрын
Its funny hearing Tyler tell us the idioms he thinks are American but are probably English. Cold feet is definitely English.
@marksimmons5665
@marksimmons5665 Жыл бұрын
Just to clarify. “Beat around the bush” has been part of the English language for a long time. Its earliest appearance is in a Medieval poem found in Generydes, a Romance in Seven-Line Stanzas by W. Aldis Wright. While this book was edited and published in the 1800s, the poem itself is from the 1440s. Source: Google
@Beastlys
@Beastlys Жыл бұрын
I remember when I was a kid I would leave doors open and my mum would say. "Was you born in a barn" or "Born in a field" lol. Anyone else get that a lot.
@mattsmith5421
@mattsmith5421 Жыл бұрын
Didn't everyone get asked born in barn?
@kimwilson3863
@kimwilson3863 Жыл бұрын
Or "put the wood in the hole".
@helenb1374
@helenb1374 Жыл бұрын
Yup, I grew up with that but when I moved to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire (UK) I learnt "are you from Warsop" instead.
@tonys1636
@tonys1636 Жыл бұрын
My reply to that as a kid was, "If I was, I'd have known to shut it". Followed by a clip round the ear for being cheeky!
@crimsonwizard2560
@crimsonwizard2560 Жыл бұрын
Born in a field.
@Codex7777
@Codex7777 Жыл бұрын
'Down Under' was definitely a British idiom first. Australia was a British colony after all. Australians (who were nearly all Brits, originally) also use the term to refer to themselves. I think it only became a popular term in other places as Australian culture began to be more known worldwide, from the 70s and 80s onwards. In contrast, Australia has been relatively prominent in British culture, compared to most other countries. :)
@lindylou7853
@lindylou7853 Жыл бұрын
“Did a runner”, can also mean skipped out on your family eg “He did a runner when he found out his GF was pregnant” or “The bride didn’t turn up at the wedding. She did a runner.”
@cliffbird5016
@cliffbird5016 Жыл бұрын
another i had a lot was ppl doing a runner instead of paying their taxi fare. pull up where they went to get out and they jump out and run without paying the fare. Had 1 that didnt even wait for me stop. they opened the door jumped out and ran while i was doing about 10mph. lots of taxi drivers get customers who do runners.
@paulcaswell2813
@paulcaswell2813 23 күн бұрын
@@cliffbird5016 Walking out of a job rather than facing a disciplinary.
@sampeeps3371
@sampeeps3371 Жыл бұрын
My favourite is telling someone that they're a big girls blouse.
@lukespooky
@lukespooky Жыл бұрын
big fan of "tart" myself
@lizbignell7813
@lizbignell7813 Жыл бұрын
Apple, treacle or Bakewell?
@lizbignell7813
@lizbignell7813 Жыл бұрын
Good idea.
@EastwoodHilfiger
@EastwoodHilfiger Жыл бұрын
or a 'wet girls blouse'!
@Barrheedyin
@Barrheedyin Жыл бұрын
Goodness have not heard that in years
@SpiritmanProductions
@SpiritmanProductions Жыл бұрын
Regarding 'not my cup of tea': There's a subtle difference between disliking something and simply not finding it appealing. The expression generally means it doesn't appeal, but you might still do it if you have to, or if someone wants you to join them. But you wouldn't choose it for yourself.
@maxlothar9719
@maxlothar9719 Жыл бұрын
Good point. Of course, you wouldn't want to offend them.
@Jubilee1989
@Jubilee1989 Жыл бұрын
Donkey's years can be shortened to just Donkey's... "I've not seen you in Donkey's!"
@Paul-hl8yg
@Paul-hl8yg Жыл бұрын
So true lol 👍
@HeidiSholl
@HeidiSholl Жыл бұрын
Also Yonks 😂
@crazycatlover1885
@crazycatlover1885 Жыл бұрын
I also like "[person] could [blank] for England" often it's "talk for England" but in any case usually describes somebody doing something a lot, often to an annoying extent. eg. "He could complain for England".
@aimee9668
@aimee9668 Жыл бұрын
In the UK we also say "It's raining cats and dogs" or "It's pissing it down" when we have bad rain. We don't really say "cheap as dirt" here but we do say something is "dirt cheap"
@reggy_h
@reggy_h Жыл бұрын
You can also say for heavy rain, "It's raining stair rods" or "It's coming down straight". If you don't know, stair rods here are what we use (or used to use) to keep the stair carpet in place. A long straight metal rod.
@christineharding4190
@christineharding4190 Жыл бұрын
@@johnjohn5315 I have! Used it many times.
@simonpowell2559
@simonpowell2559 Жыл бұрын
@John John I think cheap as chips is a modern one (Dickinson's real deal is the only time I have heard it.) Dirt cheap is as old as the hills.
@edhamacek2469
@edhamacek2469 Жыл бұрын
In Australia when it is raining heavily we tend to say it is bucketing down or coming down in buckets.
@countesscable
@countesscable Жыл бұрын
@@edhamacek2469 We use this in Wales, along with ‘Chucking down’ ‘Raining Golf Balls’ ‘Coming down in sheets’ ‘emptying down’ plus a few rude ones.
@cheryla7480
@cheryla7480 Жыл бұрын
As a Canadian, having a mum who was an English war bride, I grew up with most of these expressions.
@majorlaff8682
@majorlaff8682 Жыл бұрын
'Beating around the bush' was followed by 'cut to the chase'. Gamekeepers and hired men were to beat the bushes and flush the game (birds for shooting). After the birds took off, the men were then to get back to the chase and keep the birds in flight as they neared the hunters.
@sarahealey1780
@sarahealey1780 Жыл бұрын
I feel so sorry for people who learn English and then come to England and think they can speak to us. 🤣🤣
@maxlothar9719
@maxlothar9719 Жыл бұрын
I was in a shop with an American girl and said I needed to get some loo roll. She said "Eh? What's that?". Love these differences of the same language.
@paulrobson7887
@paulrobson7887 Жыл бұрын
Donkey’s ears is Cockney rhyming slang for years but over time it’s become a bit muddled and we now say donkey’s years. We also just say ‘donkies’. We also say ‘yonks’ to mean the same thing which comes from the same origin. ‘I haven’t seen him for yonks’ 😊
@idontusetwitter
@idontusetwitter Жыл бұрын
I'm not sure that's entirely true....
@angelaharris6577
@angelaharris6577 Жыл бұрын
Yes I've heard the expression "haven't seen him for yonks"
@lesleygordon9634
@lesleygordon9634 Жыл бұрын
I thought it was cos donkeys lived a very long time.
@shininglightphotos1044
@shininglightphotos1044 Жыл бұрын
Apparently the very slow moving crank that dockers used to use to lift goods onto a ship was called a donkey (probably like the wheels that donkeys or even camels walk around, operating a winch). As it moved so slowly it became described as taking donkeys years.
@Yeshua888Lord
@Yeshua888Lord 2 ай бұрын
Yes yonks
@cpmahon
@cpmahon Жыл бұрын
Don't forget that many phrases are hundreds of years old and so they would have traveled to America with anyone that spoke English. Whilst searching for the origin of a piece of cake you said quit beating around the bush. The only difference is we would say stop rather that quit but that saying is from the 15th century. We do also use sayings that come from the States such as bet your bottom dollar or ballpark figure.
@keith.morgan
@keith.morgan Жыл бұрын
I'd say itchy feet is the opposite to cold feet. As you say if you have cold feet you get scared or holdback doing something, whereas itchy feet means you're keen or excited (can't wait) to do something.
@personalcheeses8073
@personalcheeses8073 Жыл бұрын
Correct
@seeyouanon2931
@seeyouanon2931 Жыл бұрын
To me " itchy feet" means eager to travel, can't stay in the same place and have to move on.
@SpiritmanProductions
@SpiritmanProductions Жыл бұрын
We also have a line of phrases describing something useless: • As useful as a chocolate teapot • As useful as an inflatable dartboard • As useful as a handbrake on a canoe • As useful as an ashtray on a motorbike • As useful as an accordion player on a deer hunt etc. 😉
@Elektrakosh
@Elektrakosh Жыл бұрын
"As useful as a chocolate fire guard" was mostly used in our house lol
@daneelolivaw602
@daneelolivaw602 Жыл бұрын
How about, As useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.
@SpiritmanProductions
@SpiritmanProductions Жыл бұрын
@@daneelolivaw602 Why have you repeated the fourth one in my list? 👀
@daneelolivaw602
@daneelolivaw602 Жыл бұрын
@@SpiritmanProductions Because I can't read.
@Goddzi
@Goddzi Жыл бұрын
“About as much use as a one-legged man in an a*** kicking contest” is a personal favourite 😂
@Dan-B
@Dan-B Жыл бұрын
“Not my cup of tea” doesn’t necessarily always mean a negative, just that it isn’t a positive; you don’t actively dislike something, it isn’t to your preference or “your thing” (eg. a way of making a cup of tea isn’t to your preference. You don’t actively dislike a type of music, it just isn’t your cup of tea) A more British variant of “A piece of cake” would be “A piece of piss” 😝 My favourite idiom/saying is “That’s Sod’s Law”/describing something as “Sod’s Law”, as it’s very British. It’s the literal opposite of serendipity. i.e. Ordered bad luck (eg. It’s sod’s law that it rains on the day that your umbrella breaks, because of cause it happens then, it’s sod’s law) “Sod” meaning a person that you’re annoyed by; the universe is being a sod to you in that moment.
@jasonbrown9327
@jasonbrown9327 Жыл бұрын
I think in America they have a version of Sod's law but they say "murphy;s law" instead.
@fayesouthall6604
@fayesouthall6604 Жыл бұрын
It’s like saying a tv show isn’t my cup of tea.
@Zill7711
@Zill7711 Жыл бұрын
Yes, and it also is an acknowledgment that it may well be someone else’s cup of tea, I don’t like it but other may.
@davidhicks5645
@davidhicks5645 Жыл бұрын
always makes me laugh when americans say they are amazed we share so many sayings/idioms/words. Its like they don't realise they speak our language that the proceeded to dumb down quite substantially.
@russ838
@russ838 Жыл бұрын
it's like they don't realise that they've only been a separate entity for a couple hundred years, too, on language timescales, that's basically 10 minutes
@Monica_bondevik
@Monica_bondevik Жыл бұрын
Honestly I think “everything went tits up “ is easier to use that “everything went pear shaped” Also “not my cup of tea “ makes more sense when you realise everyone likes there tea in slightly different ways
@Paralyzed187
@Paralyzed187 Жыл бұрын
I've never said "it's all gone pear shaped" has always been "it's all gone tits up" just rolls off the toungue better and sounds abit more British. 😂
@rudacr
@rudacr Жыл бұрын
I tend to use 'tit's up' rather than 'pear-shaped' too. I also like the phrase 'going arse over tit' for falling over!
@davidmowbray6352
@davidmowbray6352 Жыл бұрын
I like "arse over tit", the phrase is pretty good as well.
@rudacr
@rudacr Жыл бұрын
@@davidmowbray6352 😂 took me a while but I finally got there!
@iainrollo3525
@iainrollo3525 Жыл бұрын
Or it’s all gone Pete Tong
@sallycostello8379
@sallycostello8379 Жыл бұрын
As well as saying 'I can't sing to save my life ' you could also say 'I can't sing for toffee' - same thing!
@SpeakMouthWords
@SpeakMouthWords Жыл бұрын
That one is a little outdated - you don't really hear many younger people saying that. It's at risk of dying out.
@dylanmurphy9389
@dylanmurphy9389 Жыл бұрын
@@SpeakMouthWordsmaybe I’m old now but everyone said that when I was in school 10 years ago
@seeyouanon2931
@seeyouanon2931 Жыл бұрын
No disrespect, but no one can speak on behalf of the whole country as to whether certain things are still said or done etc. Maybe from your own personal experience of those you have been in contact with may not use the expression, but that doesn't mean joe blogs 10 miles down the road has stopped using it. Also if you are around different age groups, alot of the older expressions will still be in circulation and the younger generation wil probably have heard them. And to be fair , there is regional saying/expressions as well.
@seeyouanon2931
@seeyouanon2931 Жыл бұрын
@Sally I have heard the expression " I can't sing ( or something else) for toffee ". Personally I say " I can't lie to save my life " . Because I have a very expressionate face and eyes that would dob me in lol
@shininglightphotos1044
@shininglightphotos1044 Жыл бұрын
I'd also say I can't sing 'for love nor money'
@SteveWhipp
@SteveWhipp Жыл бұрын
"Not my cup of tea" is actually quite subtle. It gets used in circumstances where it's not a strong dislike, but more of a preference. So whilst you're not totally averse to the idea, it's not something you prefer.
@corringhamdepot4434
@corringhamdepot4434 Жыл бұрын
I would mostly say "It's all gone pear shaped!" when something planed goes wrong. Also "Rotten as a pear" for something falling apart. Like a rusty car or rotten wood. "He did a runner" is more somebody who disappears to avoid taking the consequences of their actions. Like broke something, stole something or didn't repay a debt. We used to say "It's coming down in stair rods" for very heavy rain. Back when stair rods were used to hold down stair carpets on every tread.
@tonys1636
@tonys1636 Жыл бұрын
The beauty of stair rods to attach the stair carpet rater than the adhesive tape often used for foam backed carpets is that if extra carpet length is hidden under the hall or landing carpet it can be moved up or down the width of a tread to even out wear, the same can be done if gripper strips used.
@streetender1878
@streetender1878 Жыл бұрын
another way of saying pear shaped is to say fallen sideways
@N.T_Destroyer
@N.T_Destroyer Жыл бұрын
Another way to use "do a runner" is if somebody is being arrested and ran away, you would say "he's done a runner".
@Paul-hl8yg
@Paul-hl8yg Жыл бұрын
We use the idiom 'cold feet' too. As in, he didn't show up, he got cold feet. Having 'itchy feet' is when say, a person cannot stay in one place for long.
@marythurlow9132
@marythurlow9132 Жыл бұрын
You're felling restless and want a change.
@Paul-hl8yg
@Paul-hl8yg Жыл бұрын
@@marythurlow9132 Yes, other meanings exist for this term. Say someone in a relationship that is unhappy & wants to finish that relationship. A friend may say to them "Oh got itchy feet have you". Meaning wanting to move on, fed up of the present situation. 👍
@helensmusings
@helensmusings Жыл бұрын
@@marythurlow9132 also described as wanderlust 😊, I don't know why but I love that word lol
@jerry2357
@jerry2357 Жыл бұрын
We have an English expression which means the same as “raining cats and dogs”, which I was reminded about by the Greek expression you read out: “It’s coming down in stair rods”. Stair rods were rods about 1/2” diameter, used for securing carpet on stairs (much more common in the past than currently). So the image of rain coming down in solid jets rather than individual droplets really gets the message across.
@billyhills9933
@billyhills9933 Жыл бұрын
In France they might say 'il pleut des hallebardes' - it's raining polearms. More similar to the Greek phrase than the English one.
@laurabailey1054
@laurabailey1054 Жыл бұрын
We use the raining cats and dogs too in Canada
@crimsonwizard2560
@crimsonwizard2560 Жыл бұрын
In Scotland we have "it's pishing doon".
@fenellainnis7216
@fenellainnis7216 Жыл бұрын
@@crimsonwizard2560 😂
@leestirling4623
@leestirling4623 Жыл бұрын
@@crimsonwizard2560 Yeh lol true. I lived in Scotland at one point too and in school I heard them say its bolting dune.
@austinfallen
@austinfallen Жыл бұрын
Not meaning to lower the tone, but at least where I live (I can’t speak for the rest of the country) you are more likely to hear piece of piss, instead of piece of cake. Don’t ask me why lol
@lukespooky
@lukespooky Жыл бұрын
alliteration, like cheap as chips
@frankhooper7871
@frankhooper7871 Жыл бұрын
That came to my mind too LOL.
@geolgirl
@geolgirl Жыл бұрын
Donkey's Years - it’s an old docker’s term. When people put things on a ship, they used a crank called a donkey. They were very slow and when they were asked how long it would take, they said “donkey’s years”. We love watching your videos, it's so funny to see how different our two countries are!! Keep it up :D
@dee2251
@dee2251 Жыл бұрын
You wouldn’t believe how many of these idioms and sayings, also now used in America too as well as here, come from Shakespeare. He invented over 2,000 words and idioms. Check out the poem ‘Quoting Shakespeare’. People also now replace it’s all gone pear shaped with the rhyming slang ‘Its all gone Pete Tong’ meaning it’s all gone wrong, but that’s the modern version. ‘Piss poor’ came from the idiom ‘He doesn’t have a pot to piss in’ from medieval times when there were no toilets and people kept a pot or potty under the bed to relieve themselves during the night. If someone was extremely poor they may not have been able to afford to even be able to buy one. Piss is definitely a very old English word. As rare as hen’s teeth is another one. We say Dirt cheap. ‘It’s sending me around the bend’ means something or a situation is driving me mad. Cold feet is said here too for the same reasons. In fact we had a wonderful tv series called ‘Cold Feet’. There are literally hundreds of idioms originating from England.
@Lily_The_Pink972
@Lily_The_Pink972 Жыл бұрын
We also say It's gone tits up, but that's a bit crude!
@bunnyrox5769
@bunnyrox5769 9 ай бұрын
Being "too poor to have a pot to piss in" meant you couldn't even sell your own piss to the local tannery to be used in hide processing for leather.
@lindylou7853
@lindylou7853 Жыл бұрын
In the late 1800s, the then Prime Minister (Robert Gascoyne-Cecil) appointed his nephew, Arthur Balfour, as Minister of Ireland. (Arthur was PM later on, too.) Arthur referred to the Prime Minister publicly as, “Uncle Bob”. Hence, “Bob’s your uncle”, meaning things will come more easily to you … as you’ve got relatives in high places. The full saying is, “Bob’s your uncle and Fanny’s your aunt”. But that Bob wasn’t married to someone called Fanny, so the full phrase doesn’t make much sense, although one of his daughters was named Fanny.
@paulcaswell2813
@paulcaswell2813 23 күн бұрын
The last PM to govern from the Upper House.
@lindylou7853
@lindylou7853 Жыл бұрын
A lot of British sayings relate to the navy … “Hell’s bells and buckets of blood” = anger. “He’s three sheets to the wind” = drunk. “He’s swinging the lead” = seafarer’s expression for being idle, feigning sickness or generally not making much effort. Measuring depth and the construction of the seabed involved lowering a knotted rope over the side of the ship with a lead weight at the end, covered with soft wax - there was a knot every yard and the wax was dropped on the sea floor to see if the seabed was sandy or rocky. The sailor swinging the lead got the easiest job on board ship, sitting down and taking things easy.
@brigidsingleton1596
@brigidsingleton1596 10 ай бұрын
Which is exactly how the Challenger Deep in the Marianna Trench got its name. From the ship, the 'Challenger' which was sent from Britain in the 19th century to measure how deep the oceans were. What a job ?!! It must have taken "ages". 😮🤔🥺😊❤️🖖
@williamsimpson5808
@williamsimpson5808 3 күн бұрын
You almost got it right
@eloisewarren8457
@eloisewarren8457 Жыл бұрын
We also use the idiom "do a runner" when talking about a parent that leaves and gives no contact details to avoid parental responsibilities. E.g. Todd did a runner leaving behind his wife and child.
@jamgart6880
@jamgart6880 Жыл бұрын
As a Brit I know and use all these idioms. However, I also do not know where they come from and would have also liked it if he gave an origin/background to each of them.
@andybaker2456
@andybaker2456 Жыл бұрын
We wouldn't say something is "cheap as dirt", but we might describe something as "dirt cheap". To be honest, I'd never heard the expression "cheap as chips" until fairly recently when a famous TV presenter started using it. Fellow Brits will know who I mean!
@LouLou10000
@LouLou10000 Жыл бұрын
I don't know who you mean and I'm a brit
@andybaker2456
@andybaker2456 Жыл бұрын
@@LouLou10000 I'm guessing you never watched Bargain Hunt! David Dickenson.
@dib000
@dib000 Жыл бұрын
Been in usage for about 40 years +
@wallythewondercorncake8657
@wallythewondercorncake8657 Жыл бұрын
I've heard cheap as muck
@stephenlee5929
@stephenlee5929 Жыл бұрын
@@dib000 Hi, longer than that, I had forgotten it was a David Dickenson phrase, but it was in use before that. I think it feels less offensive (derogatory) than dirt cheap.
@erineross1671
@erineross1671 Жыл бұрын
I’m Canadian, and I grew up saying “Donkey’d years” or “a donkey’s age”. Many British idioms are common in Canada, especially to those of us who grew up with few channels and we watched BBC everyday.
@pureholy
@pureholy Жыл бұрын
Had a good innings - lived a long life. On a sticky wicket - in a tricky situation. Spend a penny - to go to the loo (rest room). Gordon Bennett! - ‘what the hell!’ or simmer. Bob’s your uncle (Fanny’s your aunt, Robert’s your father’s brother) - ‘there you go/all done/there you have it/it’s easy’. Hank Marvin - hungry (Hank Marvin rhymes with starving). Tonto - crazy/mad, as in ‘He’s gone totally Tonto’. ‘Doing porridge’ or ‘staying at his /her Majesty’s pleasure’ - in prison.
@Joanna-il2ur
@Joanna-il2ur Жыл бұрын
Gordon Bennett was a racing driver in the 1920s. Saying God as ‘gawd’ was considered vulgar, so extending it to Gordon Bennett was what the call taboo deformation.
@gdj6298
@gdj6298 Ай бұрын
@@Joanna-il2ur He was also a bit of hellraiser - one of his favourite things was, when leaving a restaurant, to attempt the tablecloth trick at each table he passed - with mixed success - so his name may also have become an exclamation by that path too !
@Add1ct666
@Add1ct666 Жыл бұрын
An easy one : "To go Dutch". I think it's used both sides of the pond, means to split the bill (check) at a restaurant.
@Codex7777
@Codex7777 Жыл бұрын
"Do a runner" is applied much more widely than just leaving a restaurant without paying, lol. I'm not sure why he was fixated on that. It can be used in any stuation where somebody has left or disappeared. Usually, but not always, to avoid an awkward, or unpleasant situation, as well as in a criminal context of having stolen something or committed a crime and then 'done a runner'. It definitely doesn't just involve unpaid bills in restaurants. :)
@andrewwilliams2353
@andrewwilliams2353 8 ай бұрын
"He scarpered" used to be used for the same thing - Women of a flirty and licentious nature who went from man to man were called "Bolters" - after the equestrian set and their flighty horses
@joyfulzero853
@joyfulzero853 Жыл бұрын
Using "Pardon my French" rather than another language I think is down to the fact that French was one foreign language that was roughly learnt by many British servicemen in WWI and WWII and was the one language you could guarantee would be taught in British State schools from the 1950s onwards. It's been different for a long time now, but these things tend to to get passed down the generations.
@grapeman63
@grapeman63 Жыл бұрын
"To do a runner" is a more generalised version of "doing a moonlight flit" and originally it was probably used in the same circumstance, although, now, its use has been extended to other similar situations like leaving a restaurant before paying the bill. "Doing a moonlight" originates from the early 19th century when economic circumstances had resulted in lodging room rates being very high whilst average wages were headed in the opposite direction. The practice was to rent a room in arrears for a week or month and pack up and move the night before the landlord arrived to claim his rent. The process was then repeated for the next landlord and so on... The practice was very common, particularly in winter-time amongst agricultural day labourers as it was too cold to be sleeping outside under a bush. "As cheap as chips" is a simile not an idiom. To be an idiom the phrase must have a meaning, usually unfathomable, that is distinct from the meanings of the individual words used. This phrase says exactly what it means.
@markthomas2577
@markthomas2577 Жыл бұрын
In your example of the bridegroom having cold feet you might say 'he done a runner'!. We also use 'cold feet' in the same way you do
@andrewwells3367
@andrewwells3367 Жыл бұрын
The video is badly titled. These are just English language idioms and can be found anywhere that English is spoken.
@mskatonic7240
@mskatonic7240 Жыл бұрын
3:57 - that's exactly it! A Brit will truly enjoy and look forward to their cup of tea, so something they like is metaphorically just like their cup of tea. And something they're not keen on... isn't. It is occasionally used in a positive sense but the negative one is more common.
@nikmych300
@nikmych300 Жыл бұрын
My dad always said “ it’s a bombsite” or “a bombs hit it” to describe a room being messy.
@carolineskipper6976
@carolineskipper6976 Жыл бұрын
'For Donkey's Years' is fairly common in the UK, and everyone will know what you mean. It wouldn't be used for anything less than a year or so- not a couple of weeks as he suggests. 'Doing a runner' is not specifically about restaurants- but it is a fairly common example. Someone who is guilty of doing a dodgy deal might 'do a runner' before his victims catch up with him, meaning he disappears without trace (or at least attempt to).
@Ray_Vun
@Ray_Vun Жыл бұрын
i mean, apparently donkeys can live up to 40 years, which is 10 years longer than a horse. so donkey's years basically translates to "a lifetime" because it's a really long time. dog's years could also make sense, not because dogs live for a long time but because of that whole dog years is human years times 7 myth
@pamelajohnston5003
@pamelajohnston5003 Жыл бұрын
Doing a runner maybe started with people going 'on the run' escaping consequences, trying to avoid the law
@streetender1878
@streetender1878 Жыл бұрын
we dont say donkeys years, more likely we just say for donkeys
@Donizen1
@Donizen1 Жыл бұрын
Everyone of those are well known in Australia and probably every Commonwealth country. We do not use across the pond much obviously, though we could refer to the Pacific Ocean I guess as the pond too.
@warrenmills7127
@warrenmills7127 Жыл бұрын
Apparently, it was derived from potters when they were trying to make items like vases, urns, etc. If the clay object started to lose its form it went 'pear shaped' and had to be scrapped.
@marcushull12
@marcushull12 Жыл бұрын
My dad used to say, "you`d make a good door but not a very good window" meaning you were blocking a view, usually the TV lol
@zaphodbeeblebrox6627
@zaphodbeeblebrox6627 Жыл бұрын
You were pretty accurate when you said ‘Donkey’s Ears’ to start with. I believe original expression comes from the fact that Donkey’s ears ARE long, but somewhere along the way the ‘Ears’ became skewed into ‘Years’ and it just became the accepted term for this indium.
@andybaker2456
@andybaker2456 Жыл бұрын
Yes, that's my understanding too.
@insidiousbeatz48
@insidiousbeatz48 Жыл бұрын
I thought it was cockney rhyming slang 🤔
@insidiousbeatz48
@insidiousbeatz48 Жыл бұрын
Well this is what Wikipedia says... 1923, from donkey's ears, which is rhyming slang for years.[1] That is, donkey's ears is rhyming slang, replacing years with ears, while donkey's years reverts to years, with donkey acting as emphasis. “Donkey’s ears” implies “a long time” because donkey’s ears are long, while “donkey’s years” is supported by the belief that donkeys live a long time.
@stephanstreet2160
@stephanstreet2160 Жыл бұрын
That's the explanation I know too. Thanks for writing all that. But I know it to be said as just "Donkeys" on its own. IE not seen you in Donkeys
@tonycasey3183
@tonycasey3183 Жыл бұрын
"I can't draw to save my life" can also be said as "I can't draw for toffee"
@joyfulzero853
@joyfulzero853 Жыл бұрын
"For goodness sake" is a very common expression in Britain to express exasperation, frustration, etc. It immediately makes me think of the opening line of the pop song 'Hippy Hippy Shake': "For goodness sake, I've got the hippy, hippy shake" that was performed by the Beatles in their early club days (1962-63) and was a very big chart success for another Liverpool band, the 'Swinging Blue Jeans" in late 1963. Interestingly the song was actually written by an American rock and roll performer, Chan Romero, in 1959.
@janemcdonald5372
@janemcdonald5372 Жыл бұрын
Across The Pond also also refers to the Pacific Ocean, ie Australia to the Americas. Bonus fun fact: From Australia to New Zealand (Tasman Sea) is called Across the Ditch.
@glenndouglas458
@glenndouglas458 Жыл бұрын
As is between England and France
@stevetournay6103
@stevetournay6103 Жыл бұрын
There used to be a small bistro in my hometown that was named Pardon My French. Of course it featured French cuisine...always liked that name.
@nevillemason6791
@nevillemason6791 Жыл бұрын
I remember seeing a fast-food shop that sold burgers named: 'burger off'. I think 'they missed a trick' (another common idiom!) as it was in Uckfield. It should have been called: 'Uck off'.
@sameebah
@sameebah Жыл бұрын
Growing up in the UK, I'm used to these - but when I started learning Thai idioms, it opened my eyes (or ears) to how confusing these might seem to non-UK folks 🙃
@sarahealey1780
@sarahealey1780 Жыл бұрын
Everyone takes their tea differently I like mine week and sweet my nan has her black no sugar, so that's not my cup of tea, it just transferred to everything else in life.
@dawn5227
@dawn5227 Жыл бұрын
Exactly, tea is a personal preference. I like mine strong and sweet just a dash of milk.
@zenonorth1193
@zenonorth1193 Жыл бұрын
Canada: "it's raining beavers and moose." (Protective eqpt. required.)
@LouLou10000
@LouLou10000 Жыл бұрын
We have the expression 'dirt cheap' in England . Considering the history , the age of our nation's, I think you'll discover almost if not all the expressions in your video started in the UK. We have ' cold feet' too and it means the same thing. Also, remember that the French occupied England for 300 years and tried to wipe out our language so the be heard speakibg french in working class circles was probably a bad thing here or speaking French after we regained our freedom from them, for historical context
@insoft_uk
@insoft_uk Жыл бұрын
French kind of succeeded wiping out English as modern English has it’s roots in old French. They is a video that describes what letters to change in a French word to change it to what we today call English
@HarryFlashmanVC
@HarryFlashmanVC Жыл бұрын
@@insoft_uk no, it has its roots in old German, it is INFLUENCED by Norman French.
@tonys1636
@tonys1636 Жыл бұрын
@@insoft_uk It wasn't modern standard French but Norman French, France being a collection of Dukedoms at that time all speaking a related but not standardised language. Ruled by a Monarch but semi independent. The same feudal system that the Normans brought over.
@laurabailey1054
@laurabailey1054 Жыл бұрын
We use dirt cheap in Canada too
@HarryFlashmanVC
@HarryFlashmanVC Жыл бұрын
@Dj O.B it comes from degeneracy... I blame Bonaparte! 😉 (only joking French people, I love you really)
@davidgilfillan
@davidgilfillan Жыл бұрын
How about "Doing a moonlight flit" meaning to disappear in the dead of night, leaving your debts unpaid e.g. "My tenant did a moonlight flit, he owed three month's rent"
@speleokeir
@speleokeir Жыл бұрын
You hear 'Moonlit flit' too which I prefer as it rhymes.
@kwlkid85
@kwlkid85 Жыл бұрын
What country is that from because I've never heard it in Britain
@speleokeir
@speleokeir Жыл бұрын
@@kwlkid85 I first heard it at uni where if someone had a dodgy landlord who for instance never fixed the broken boiler leaving them with no heating or hot water, they'd refuse to pay the rent then find somewhere new and do a 'moonlit flit'. I noticed it tended to be my Irish and northern friends that used it most.
@davidgilfillan
@davidgilfillan Жыл бұрын
@@kwlkid85 I am in the UK, probably likely to be said by older people (must admit haven't heard it recently)
@VickyF_
@VickyF_ Жыл бұрын
Sods law goes hand in hand with pear shaped lol. "Bloody sods law, been waiting donkeys years for this, and now it's all gone pear shaped" Lol
@kimwilson3863
@kimwilson3863 Жыл бұрын
Knackered or in Cockney rhyming slang 'Cream crackered' comes from the knackers yard, a place for old horses to go to die or rather to be put down and made into glue. They went there when they had become too exhausted to work any longer. The term can also be used for mens testicles? Not to be confused with knockers, a slang term for breasts or boobs. These terms should not be used in polite company lol.
@emmahowells8334
@emmahowells8334 Жыл бұрын
Beating around the bush is also a saying in the UK too. We also use the cold feet saying to in the uk, also in the context of a wedding too Tyler.
@frankhooper7871
@frankhooper7871 Жыл бұрын
Idioms by definition aren't meant literally and rarely make much sense. It's also quite rare for their origins to be known. As an opposite to 'donkey's years' my Nan use to say 'in two shakes of a donkey's hind rudder' basically meaning quite soon LOL - I've heard this too a 'two shakes of a lamb's tail'
@brigidsingleton1596
@brigidsingleton1596 10 ай бұрын
I used to have a "rough 'n' ready" boss who (somewhat crudely) who would frequently say, "two shakes of a dog's c*ck !!" 😮... I've never heard anyone else use _that_ phrase since then... (in the 1970's) lol ?!😊
@PatriciaRosha
@PatriciaRosha Жыл бұрын
My daughter in Law is a born American and drinks tea all the time, which was very handy when l was visiting them.
@UTubeAngelique
@UTubeAngelique Күн бұрын
We also say ‘it’s gone a bit Pete Tong’ only because it’s rhyming slang for ‘wrong’. He’s actually a lovely person and a famous DJ but he’s very sweet and down-to-Earth… it’s just he had the perfect name for rhyming slang! He just has to take it on the chin! He’s not only famous for being a DJ but more so famous for one of our favourite British sayings.
@paulharvey9149
@paulharvey9149 Жыл бұрын
It's little wonder we have some common idioms, as we speak a common language! For instance, we also have "don't beat about the bush," and one not so far mentioned is "several sandwiches short of a picnic," which means "that person is stupid," or "he's not well educated, or a bit thick...". Actually, it might have its origins in a derogatory term to describe someone with learning difficulties - so we'd better not go there! On a similar vein is "away with the fairies," which might describe anything from daydreaming to heavily intoxicated or even psychotic, though as relatively few people experience the last one first-hand, it tends to be more general... To "Paint the town red" means to have a really good night out with your friends, possibly drinking all your money and behaving in a risque manner as a consequence. I think the 'donkey's years' one refers to how donkeys used to be literally worked until they dropped - and so, donkeys had particularly long, hard, lives - literally working from as soon as they were able to carry something until they weren't - as in, "ready for the knacker's yard" or dying. The restaurant thing is a bad example - it is more likely that a child does a runner from school or, perhaps we do a runner from a boring party, and the like. Doing a runner without paying for something is normally called theft! In Scotland, we often describe cold weather as "Baltic," though as the coldest (and thankfully rarest) weather fronts do come from that direction, I expect that might be your origin... We also "gi(v)e it laldy," which means to have a really good go at something or someone, especially if it involves remonstrating. For example, "We a' gie'd Boris (Johnson, when he became Prime Minister) laldy when he come ae' see Nicola (Sturgeon, the First Minister of the Scottish Government) at Bute House!" (Her Official Residence in Edinburgh - opposite which several hundred demonstrators Boo'ed him so loudly that he later left by another door to avoid enduring it all a second time!).
@Phil_A_O_Fish
@Phil_A_O_Fish Жыл бұрын
Here's a couple more for you, Tyler: If somebody does a moonlight flit then it means that they've left somewhere to avoid paying for something....usually their rent or to avoid being arrested by the police. Still on the crime theme if somebody does a five finger discount it means that they've been shoplifting. On a funnier and cruder note if someone lets Polly out of prison it means that he or she has just farted. Still on the crude but funny theme if a man's been bashing his bishop or having a Barclays it means that he's been masturbating. The first of these is derived from the bishop on a chessboard and it being a similar shape to a man's 'knob' and the second is rhyming slang as in Barclays Bank which rhymes with w@nk.
@gastrickbunsen1957
@gastrickbunsen1957 Жыл бұрын
This side of the pond, it isn't "as cheap as dirt" but it's "dirt cheap." In the Midlands "yonks" means a long time. And N.Ireland uses "piece of cake" but the expression, "wee buns" is also used for something that is easy, or for showing joy that you've achieved something.
@AriMalatesta
@AriMalatesta Жыл бұрын
"My cup of tea" is in the sense of "not my type of tea" , that everybody likes something, but maybe not English Breakfast instead of Earl Grey tea., or black coffee instead of Capuccino. The "pardon my French" thing is because French was used as an intellectual and kind of elegant and pedantic language by the upper classes, so you´re basically being sarcastic about the language you use (as in "excuse my elegance, but f*** off"!*) . As for the ones the OP left off I like "It tickles my fancy " (As in "I do like that, I'm curious about it""´), "He´ll take the hair off your head and come back for your eyebrows in the night" (Con you, take total advantage), and one of my personally favorites, "I'd rather sh** in me hands and clap" ("I really don´t want to do that"). I really like your channel. It's the dog's bollocks (another one). Cheers!
@dylanmurphy9389
@dylanmurphy9389 Жыл бұрын
Imagine thinking “for goodness sake” was American. It’s the most British sounding thing ever
@mattruzh8470
@mattruzh8470 Жыл бұрын
Yeah, somewhat annoying and revealing of his lack of knowledge of history.
@ElizabethDebbie24
@ElizabethDebbie24 Жыл бұрын
HI TYLER DEBRA HERE FROM SOUTH WALES UK We in the UK also say "stop beating around the bush", it is a common idiom here too. As is "dime a dozen", I am in my late 50s and I cannot remember a time when I haven't heard these sayings, they are really common here in the UK. We also say cold feet, if you are afraid of something. Itchy feet means you are fed up of something or being in a particular place and want to go on a journey and experience new things. One of my favourite sayings is "I believe you, thousands wouldn't" meaning that you do not really belive what that person has just told you for example: PERSON A - I met a martian down town today. PERSON B - yeah, yeah, yeah, I believe you thousands wouldn't. We also say for something that is cheap, "oh it was dirt cheap". If something is horrible looking we also say "it was cheap and nasty", as in "did you notice her shoes gosh they were cheap and nasty looking". When it is raining nastily we say "gosh it's raining cats and dogs" meaning it is teaming down with rain. My grandmother also used to say about a wind that makes you really cold "that it would rather go through you than around you".
@jameslewis2635
@jameslewis2635 Жыл бұрын
The phrase 'it's not my cup of tea' makes more sense when you realise that many people like their tea a certain way (stronger/weaker, with/without sugar, different blend/herbal tea/green tea, with/without more/less/no milk, etc) and will often not be willing to drink tea made a different way.
@olwynmason7788
@olwynmason7788 Жыл бұрын
If you got cold feet you could do a runner.
@matthewhale2464
@matthewhale2464 Жыл бұрын
To do a runner can be used in lots of different ways like the police arrived to arrest him but he had done a runner or his wife tried to catch him in the pub but he did a runner so it’s not just about restaurants.
@cireenasimcox1081
@cireenasimcox1081 Жыл бұрын
Tyler - I sincerely hope I'm not sounding condescending - but do you know what the word ETYMOLOGY means? The 'etymology' of a word/phrase is it's history...where did the word/phrase come from? Why do we say it? Who first started using it? Why? Knowing a word's etymology helps make sense of the language we use; and helps work out those meanings that don't seem to make sense at first glance. It's also a way to understand our culture & history. It also explains why most English words retain their original spellings e.g. "colour" . The 'our' spelling immediately signals this is a French word [for the Old English word} "hue". So it's a double whammy...a) you realise you know a lot of words from French (or Latin, or Arabic etc.), b) English learners already know many of the words used in English. As someone said below, American English derived from (British) English, so that includes idioms, phrases, sayings, etc. like "cold feet" (originally 17thC Germanic, but revived in WWII). I usually look up the etymology of a word/phrase before I look at the straight-out dictionary entry because that helps me understand how & when the word/phrase fits into the language. Or whether it's a word used solely in the USA,GB AUS. RSA, etc. As I said, hope I don't sound condescending - the reason I've mentioned this is purely to help you in your journey through the English language. Etymology is one of the most valuable tools we have in language studies. Hopefully it would help you when lost or confused in the depths of the English language; or when something makes no sense at all? (Beside the fact it's really interesting & leads one down all sorts of paths). Give it a go: it helps de-mystify communication.
@paulcaswell2813
@paulcaswell2813 23 күн бұрын
Just don't get 'etymology' mixed up with 'entomology'...
@peterrobinson3168
@peterrobinson3168 2 ай бұрын
I have a book from the 1930s which was issued to RAF recruits. In the back is a glossary of RAF slang. "In the Drink" = Crashed in the sea. "A Blonde Job" = A young lady with fair hair. "Shot down in Flames" = Failed in a romantic encounter. "Pranged" = Crashed your plane. Most RAF pilots in that era went to posh schools and they brought their schoolboy slang with them. 😄
@MadnessQuotient
@MadnessQuotient Жыл бұрын
1. So imagine you have just made 2 cups of tea in identical cups for you and your friend but your friend takes 2 sugars and you take none. Somehow you muddle them up. You take a sip and instantly you know "that's not my cup of tea". It's still tea. In a pinch you would drink it. But you would prefer to swap and have your cup. 2. You don't even have to say "donkeys years" just "it's been donkeys" is enough to communicate the idiom. 3. Chip shops (Fish & Chip Shops aka Chippys) are some of the most common urban food takeaways. If you live in a city you probably live within walking distance of 3 chip shops. By chips of course British hot, thick, fried potato chips, not skinny American fries. Sold on their own or with fish, sausages, or a bunch of other cheap and cheerful accompaniments. Usually Chip shops will sell a huge range of portions or even let you just walk in with whatever money you have and give you something to eat. As a kid it was common that even when the smallest advertised portion was £1 you could ask for a 50p chips and get a little bag or paper cone with enough chips to stave off your immediate hunger.
@paulcaswell2813
@paulcaswell2813 23 күн бұрын
Showing my age here: a decent portion of chips when I was a youngster was 6d (old money!). Once I asked for a 'bob of chips' (a shilling): I simply couldn't finish them - it was an ENORMOUS serving!!!
@sampeeps3371
@sampeeps3371 Жыл бұрын
Haven't seen this channel in donkeys
@tracymcardle1236
@tracymcardle1236 Жыл бұрын
No they don't make sense, they are not ment to, that's the point, we know🤣🤣
@wallythewondercorncake8657
@wallythewondercorncake8657 Жыл бұрын
You've gotta be having a bubble, mate.
@rudacr
@rudacr Жыл бұрын
I'm just a typical, average Brit, here to comment and confirm that all of these idioms are used daily up and down the country. I didn't particularly agree with the guy's explanation for 'do a runner' in the restaurant setting, I don't think i've ever known anyone to do that but i'm sure it happens. But it is used in the sense of someone running away from something to avoid consequence. Another popular British idiom is 'Bottling it', i.e, 'he bottled it', meaning he lost the confidence to do something. For instance, my wife and I went SCUBA diving on our honeymoon but as soon as I got in the water, I bottled it and had to sit on a rock on the beach for 40 minutes while my new wife went off with some random Greek bloke (thankfully, he was fat and beardy, so I didn't get too jealous!)
@rudacr
@rudacr Жыл бұрын
@@MrPercy112 no, but I did feel like a right plonker!
@mattsmith5421
@mattsmith5421 Жыл бұрын
The ones I got the most are were you born in a barn, and you make a better door than a window. Most popular not one of these tho was every day growing up when I went round to my cousins and he wasn't In his room I'd go to the kitchen table where my auntie mum and other female family members would be talking and say where's Si gone, got the reply "Vietnam" every time for years and they never once didn't find themselves highly a amusing.
@davidwebley6186
@davidwebley6186 Жыл бұрын
Except for "Down Under" whose origin could be disputed the others are originally British. Yes, they are ALL in very common use over here in the UK. Cup of tea can be used in several ways A topic/interest or even a person can be or can not be your cup of tea You have many different teas so that is not my cup of tea meaning you would prefer a different cup of tea ( or variety). Another use might be I enjoy my leisure time but work is another cup of tea. Sometimes it is used as an alternative to another idiom, "A kettle of fish". As in "That's another kettle of fish. or regarding an interest you could alternatively say that for example fishing "is not your bag". Doing a runner can be just a phrase meaning to physically moving away from something you do not want to do. e.g. Little Jimmy did a runner when it was his turn to do the washing up (Do the dishes).
@SpiritmanProductions
@SpiritmanProductions Жыл бұрын
I'd say 'down under' is actually more likely than any to have been coined in Britain, considering we colonised the place.
@joannemoore3976
@joannemoore3976 Жыл бұрын
We have the expression cold feet too. In your example, the bridegroom gets cold feet and does a runner 🤣
@catherinemartin6258
@catherinemartin6258 Жыл бұрын
British language is amazing 💯
@5imp1
@5imp1 Жыл бұрын
When my dad told me that when he was a young man before he met my mum, he and a few friends would go to an Indian restaurant for a curry and after they had eaten and consumed many beers they would all get up and 'do a runner' without paying, I laughed and laughed for donkeys years. The chef would sometimes grab a big knife and chase them down the road.
@princessnatty
@princessnatty Жыл бұрын
"Not my cup of tea" is literally said when someone makes a round, you take a cup and a sip, notice it either does or doesn't have sugar in it (and you have the opposite) and you exclaim "oh that's not my cup of tea' it has(n't) got sugar"
@kimwilson3863
@kimwilson3863 Жыл бұрын
Sorry just watching a couple of your videos and want to let you know why we say something and how. Quids in is short for quids in the bank. Another term is loaded meaning you have a lot of money. Another slang term for money is dosh,' loadsa dosh mate!' Tuppence is a word for two pence, two pennies, tuppeney bit is slang for a two pence piece or coin. When letting someone know your opinion on something it's called 'putting your tuppenceworth in'!.. 😁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
@MrPercy112
@MrPercy112 Жыл бұрын
Or giving someone a ‘fourpenny one’ 😁
@marielouise9126
@marielouise9126 Жыл бұрын
Or haven’t got tuppence or two pennies to rub together, meaning skint !
@johnp8131
@johnp8131 Жыл бұрын
@@MrPercy112 I haven't heard that in years?
@steelfanther328
@steelfanther328 Жыл бұрын
Thanks a whole lot for your awesome videos! Keep up the good work! We kind of wish you would include more US idioms and slang expressions in your teaching materials, though, so we could communicate with native speakers of American English on an entirely new level. - ESL students from Moscow, Russia ******************************* Here's a joke for you ... - What advice would you give to a worm? - Sleep late.
@MoReeceJTV
@MoReeceJTV Жыл бұрын
Brits all have different preferences with Tea, whether how much Milk, Sugar and even the order they are added and how long the Tea bag stays in ect So by saying 'not my cup of Tea' you are using that preference system as an analogy
@catherineprentice6717
@catherineprentice6717 Жыл бұрын
Going pear-shaped is something a bomb disposal chap never wants to see!
@Cephlin
@Cephlin Жыл бұрын
Your brother was super confused by the 'pear shaped' idiom too haha
@DruncanUK
@DruncanUK Жыл бұрын
He was a bit too specific with "doing a runner". This can mean running away from a sticky situation - not just restaurants, like "he did a runner from the police". You could also say "legged it or legging it" eg. "he legged it from the police".
@MrPercy112
@MrPercy112 Жыл бұрын
Yes, I found that a tad odd too.
@stephenlee5929
@stephenlee5929 Жыл бұрын
HI, with Donkey's Years, in cockney, Donkey's is the said part with 'Ears' not said, and ears rhymes with years, so Donkey's ears, translates to Years, but is used to mean a long time, same meaning as Yonks, but I have no idea where that comes from. Cold & itchy feet are similar, cold meaning you have decided against an action and itchy meaning you want to do/change something, you might be thinking of changing jobs, that would be having itchy feet, but it might be better to stay, you got cold feet. If something is cheap as chips, its also dirt cheap
@zo7034
@zo7034 Жыл бұрын
Across the pond relates to how similar the UK and the US are. We're an ocean apart but we're very similar. Or at least were. We are also very closely linked, the special relationship/alliance.
@laurabailey1054
@laurabailey1054 Жыл бұрын
A lot of these I have heard living in Canada. Mind you I also grew up in a British household being a first generation Canadian on one side and second generation on the other. Another one used in my house growing up was “ I haven’t seen it in yogs”
@Codex7777
@Codex7777 Жыл бұрын
We don't tend to say 'cheap as dirt' but 'dirt cheap' is a very common phrase in the UK and Ireland.
@lostinfrance9830
@lostinfrance9830 Жыл бұрын
The biggest mistake in American history was the misspelling hiccup with Aluminium back in the early days to Aluminum and it was never noticed till many years later, but by that time it was Aluuuminum for ever after 😂
@Mark-yk1ny
@Mark-yk1ny Жыл бұрын
The best way to explain it's not my cup of tea. It's for someone else
@davebrown8215
@davebrown8215 Жыл бұрын
I use "Donkeys" all the time....
@picaSapien
@picaSapien Жыл бұрын
Pear shaped basically mean most things went to the bottom, thus wrong. It kinda makes sense. It's also used as in "things are going pear shaped", ie things are all beginning to go wrong (to the bottom) thus pear shaped.
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