Brexit, Regrexit, whatever. What matters most is how the United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union can benefit you. The pound sterling is the weakest it’s been in decades, which means one crucial thing for Americans: cheap vacations to the country we’re celebrating our independence from this weekend! Take out your relatively strong-ass dollar bills and book yourselves a flight from Jolly Old O’Hare to Jolly Old England this Fourth of July holiday weekend.
But be warned y’all. They speak a little differently over there. So while you’re on your trip, here are some important British slang terms you might need to be able to translate.
Blimey: A mild swear in Britain that blasphemes the name of Blimey, the British God of Befuddlement.
You there, boy: A common way for Brits to greet each other on the street.
So fetch: Turns out Gretchen Wieners was right! This slang—from England—is how modern British teens challenge each other to duels. Take that, Alexander Hamilton.
Moo cow: In America we’d just say “cow,” but British people always say the sound an animal makes before saying the name of the animal.
Winston Churchill: A colloquialism for the celebrated wartime leader, whose given name was Minister Bot X6QtBy8.2.
Yank: Many people believe this to be an expression for an American. However, this is not the case. No British person has ever said “yank,” as it is physically impossible for them to pronounce.
Primary school: An entry-level educational facility in the UK. The closest equivalent we have in America is freshman year at LSU.
The apostrophe: Apostrophes actually function as the 27th letter in Britain’s alphabet, as in “bloody ‘ell.:
Hugh: The name Hugh does not exist in the UK. It’s just how Brits say the word “you.” In his home country, Hugh Grant doesn’t even exist.
Happy Independence Day weekend, y’all! Or as the Brits now call it…Independence Day weekend.
Maggie Smith (@THEJudiDench) is a Chicago-based writer and improviser.
Get more from The Second City (@thesecondcity) at secondcity.com.
