#consult-a-brit

[consult-a-brit]

Though, Through Enough Thorough Thought, We Can Change the World

So there are actually two people running this blog but I, @whoknowswheremylifeis, am yet to contribute anything. So here we go. I imagine I’ll be talking a lot about the language aspect because languages are cool. I may also use the International Phonetic Alphabet for pronunciations, which you can find here, or an interactive version here.

Anyone who knows anything about English knows that our spelling and pronunciation rules are pretty messed up and often make no sense whatsoever. Remember, there are approximately a lot of native English accents, so I physically can’t cover all bases in terms of pronunciation, so I’ll be using my own Southern British accent as a reference (think moderately posh).

Enter ough! It’s a pretty well-known example, but worth repeating

Through -  /θɹu:/ like “boo” Though -  /ðəʊ/ like “flow” Thought -  /θɔt/ like “awe” Thorough -  /θʌɹə/ like “colour” (it was really hard to find a similar word, okay? And my accent is non-rhotic, meaning I don’t say the r in colour) Cough -  /kɒf/ like “off” Drought -  /dɹaʊt/ like “out” Rough - /ɹʌf/ like “huff” Loughborough - as you can see, there are two “ough”s here, and they’re both pronounced differently. This town name is pronounced  /lʌfbɹə/, or “Luff-bruh”. But beware: “Borough” is a word in its own right, and is pronounced like “thorough”

And just to really mess you up, hiccup can also be spelt “hiccough” :)

Those are all I can think of, but there are loads more examples of each different pronunciation. I can only apologise for this mess. As always, let us know your thoughts and comments, and if your accent differs from mine, share how you say these words!

[consult-a-brit]

Food - Bacon Sandwiches

As usual I aim to provide vital information for those going to/writing about Britain, and as a well-loved British delicacy, I wish to enlighten others about the bacon sandwich.

The sandwich is very simple. Take some bread/a roll, butter it if you wish, add some bacon (smoked if you want) and if you'd like (highly recommended) add either some ketchup or brown sauce.

Here are the different names we have for it:

Bacon sandwich

Bacon roll

Bacon bap

Bacon butty

Bacon sarnie

Bacon barm

Bacon cob

Bacon muffin (muffin here refers to an English muffin, not the sweet kind)

These names are mostly interchangeable (though I personally only use sandwich and sarnie if it's on sliced bread and the rest for rolls) and somewhat regional. Everyone tends to have a preferred way of refering to them.

A variation of the bacon sandwich is the BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) which, unlike the bacon sandwich, is often eaten cold.

Anyway, the bacon sandwich is a classic breakfast, brunch or lunch and I highly recommend trying one if you're visiting.

Let me know if I missed off any names, tag what you like to call them and feel free to ask any questions, bacon sandwich related or not!

[consult-a-brit]

Shopping - Supermarkets

When it comes to picking what supermarket to shop at, there are lots of things to consider. If someone doesn’t want to shop online, then most people will settle for the closest shop which they can afford. Also, each shop tends to have a specialty, so some will go to more than one supermarket.

With this in mind, it is hard to compare supermarkets because it depends on the types of products being bought, so I decided to make a very simple and personal supermarket comparison chart, only containing the biggest names with which I am familiar.

However, for those wanting a better idea of what these supermarkets are like, I found the results from a survey by Which? illustrating the different brands and people’s rankings for them in 2019, based off both in-store and online shopping. (brackets = sample size)

I hope this helps anyone staying over for a while decide on where to shop, and if you live here, what do you think of these rankings? Do you agree or think that any were rated too harshly/generously?

Have any questions about Britain, our language or customs? Whether they are big or small, feel free to send them!

[consult-a-brit]

Superstition and Lore - Magpies

Seeing a solitary magpie is a bad omen in Britain. However, seeing multiple magpies can have different meanings depending on the number, according to this rhyme:

One for sorrow,

Two for joy,

Three for a girl,

Four for a boy,

Five for silver,

Six for gold,

Seven for a secret,

Never to be told.

(Eight for a wish,

Nine for a kiss,

Ten for a bird,

You must not miss.)

I was taught the first 7 by my mum and instinctually start reciting the rhyme, normally aloud, when I see a magpie. Apparantly one of the early extended versions went like this:

One for sorrow,

Two for mirth,

Three for a funeral,

Four for birth,

Five for heaven,

Six for hell,

Seven for the devil,

His own self.

Apparantly other countries have altered versions of this rhyme. I'm curious how well known it is outside of Britain, so let me know if you've heard of this or something similar!

Feel free to send us your asks about Britain, our language or culture!

[consult-a-brit]

British Slang - Money

Common:

a quid - a pound (6 quid is £6 etc.)

a fiver/a tenner - a £5 note or a £10 note

a grand - £1,000 (8 grand is £8,000 etc.)

(number)K - that number of thousands (e.g. 370K is £370,000), the letter is pronounced like 'kay

dosh - money

Less common:

a pony - £25

bangers and mash - cash

bread and honey - money

Other money related sayings:

A penny for your thoughts - what are you thinking about? (used when someone looks distracted/troubled by something)

Going (off) to spend a penny - going to the toilet

A penny-pincher - someone who doesn't like to spend their money (goes for the cheapest options etc.)

Pay an arm and a leg (for something) - something very expensive

I hope this helps any authors or people talking to us British about money. Are there any phrases you think I've missed?

If you have any questions about Britain or our language/sayings/slang, feel free to send us an ask!

[consult-a-brit]

Superstition and Lore - Pinch, Punch!

(I was going to make this post yesterday, but oh well...)

In Britain, along with some other countries, on the 1st day of a month we have a tradition, popular with children, in which we say "Pinch, punch, 1st of the month" or something similar to people we meet (usually friends and family) whilst performing the aforementioned pinch and punch. This is usually followed up by "no returns" or "white rabbit, no returns" to prevent the assaulted person from repeating it back. However, there are many comebacks such as "a kick and a flick for being so quick" and "a punch in the eye for being so sly" with which they can retaliate.

The exact origin of the saying is not known, however, one belief is that it originates from medieval times, when witches were hunted. In Britain, we were terrified of witches and killed many women deemed suspicious for the strangest reasons. Salt was believed to weaken witches and thus the pinch refers to a pinch of salt. Meanwhile, the punch refers to beating the weakened witch to banish her.

Another theory is that president George Washington is the origin of the tradition. When he was president, on the first day of each month he would meet with Indian tribes and supply fruit punch with a pinch of salt added to it.

The rabbit superstition was first recorded in a British journal in 1909, stating that children had started saying "rabbits" as their first word of the month to bring them luck. There are several ways in which people say it, but all involve saying or repeating "rabbit", "rabbits" or "white rabbit" up to 3 times.

Now go out there and spread the violence! (I'm kidding - please be gentle when following this tradition!)

Feel free to send us your questions about Britain, our language or our culture!

[consult-a-brit]

Contents

Food

Bacon Sandwiches - what they are and our many names for them

Potatoes - the different ways of cooking them and what we call them

Language, Slang and Sayings

Fanny - we have a different definition

Money - definitions of some of our slang for money

Mannerisms and Etiquette

Using British Roads - how we say “thank you”, “you’re welcome” and “sorry”, as well as how it is different for pedestrians in Britain

School and Education

British vs American vs French school system - how we name our school years compared to America and France

British vs Japanese School System -  how we name our school years compared to Japan

Shopping

Supermarkets - the big supermarket brands and a general comparison of their price and quality

Superstitions and Lore

Magpies - about how the number of magpies you see have different meanings according to a rhyme

Pinch, Punch! - a British tradition for the 1st of each month

[consult-a-brit]

British vs Japanese School System

Just a helpful table for either British or Japanese people to understand what age the other means when referring to a certain school/year/grade:

(England and Wales use just Primary and Secondary schools mainly, whilst Middle schools are rare.)

In Britain we take GCSEs in Year 11 (can take them early in Year 10 too) and A Levels in Year 13.

Thought I'd make this post after reblogging one comparing British, American and French school systems. I got this helpful table here, so let me know if there are any mistakes in the Japanese half!

If you have any questions about Britain, our languages, our sayings or culture, feel free to send us asks!