10 Things Americans don't realize are offensive to Brits

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I stumbled upon this article and couldn't help but smile at how much the innocent misunderstandings between Americans and Brits sounds a lot like innocent misunderstandings between aspies and NTs...

http://www.bbcamerica.com/mind-the-gap/2013/01/29/10-things-americans-dont-realize-are-offensive-to-brits/

We live in a complicated world

http://www.bbcamerica.com/mind-the-gap/ ... americans/

I think #4 started the revolution.

I think Americans' namby-pamby mealymouthed reticence to swear paints an unflattering picture of us.

The term "Brit" itself can be pejorative. I don't care for it.

my link was clickable, but it didn't have the underline. Did I do something wrong?

what is your recommended substitution?

it worked no doubt, don't know about the underline.

It can?? Wow, i am never visiting the UK. I would be cluelessly making all kinds of mistakes.

"British" or "Briton" will do just fine.

A fair number of British people use the word "Brit" these days. I just have a dislike of it.

As I say, the term 'Brit' or 'Brits' is seen as less offensive than it used to be, but I probably wouldn't use it to describe, say, an older NI unionist.

OMGosh! I just realized I'm British!

"Brit" is generally fine.

If you want to impress a native while in Albion, brush up on your geography and general knowledge of Britain. I think we're easily impressed by U.S. Americans especially who make the effort. But of course, one notable error like thinking Cornwall's a city will mean you're back to square one. Perhaps learn a dozen or more cities in the British Isles if you don't know that many already, and similarly with our counties.

Another source of respect would be correct pronunciation and stressing of place names and I'll throw down some examples because it's 2am and this is what I do:

Birmingham = Burr-ming-UM (not Burr-ming-HAM/-HAYUM)
This same rule applies for most "-ham" towns. Durham = DUH-rum.

Scarborough = SCAR-bur-UH (not Scar-BRO)
This same rule applies for most "-borough" towns, including cases like Middlesbrough and Edinburgh.

Cheshire = CHESH-uh (not Che-SHY-uh)
This same rule applies for most "-shires" despite "Shire" being pronounced "SHY-uh", although examples like CHESH-eer, SHROP-sheer and WUSS-ter-sheer are also used.

Leicester = LESS-ter
This same rule applies for examples like Worcester (WUSS-ter) and Gloucester (GLOSS-ter).

Plymouth = PLIH-muth
This same rule applies for examples like Portsmouth (PORTS-muth) and Cockermouth (Cock-UH-muth).

Then there are other strange variables, eg. Southwark = SUTH-uk, Keswick = KEZ-ick, Norwich = NOH-rich, Salisbury = SOLS-bury.


I've forgotten what I was attempting to achieve with this or why, but that should make anyone well-prepared and leave us natives appreciative.

Would you'd rather be called a "Limey?" I didn't think so!

What?! That's too much work! We'll pronounce it the way we like (Americans are the only people on Earth who speak English correctly, anyhow), and if the Brits don't like it, we'll bomb them back into the Stone Age and install a corrupt government!

I think I'd be about equally as likely to offend someone, no matter where I was, whether it be in my home state or another country. I'm not very good at any form of standardized social etiquette, so I just try to act nice and hope I don't accidentally piss someone off. My concept of etiquette would probably be considered about equally as valid in China as it is in the US. Being in an unfamiliar culture would be unlikely to make my sense of etiquette seem noticeably worse.