Common English Words Defined

This post is inspired by some nasty emails I have received lately, in response to some of my emails, which have been auto "corrected" by my UK version of Outlook. Hence such changes have occurred against my will: labor-->labour, neighbor-->neighbour, color-->colour. Basically, I have some family and friends who have accused me of becoming Englishized and being a poser, or one of those obnoxious American people who try to become Europeans (the audacity), and I hereby say IT'S NOT MY FAULT. I am also here to say that I get made fun of on both sides of the pond. There are a surprising number of words that are not the same--I am trying to speak their language here but sometimes I forget.

A list of commonly used English words that differ from American in alphabetical order (more or less):

Advert--commercial
Biro--ball point pen
Bobby--police officer
Brekkie--breakfast
Estate car--station wagon
Git--scumbag
Grotty--dirty
High Street--shopping area
Hoover--vacuum
Jacket potato--baked potato
Jumper--pullover sweater
Kitchen roll--paper towels
Loo roll--toilet paper
manky-rough, dirty, nasty
minger--someone who is unattractive
Nutter--insane person
One the Piss--drinking heavily
Orientate--orient
Pikey--Irish traveler, aka Gypsie
Ping--email
Plait--braid
Plonker--fool, silly person
Press up--push up
Push chair--forward facing baby carriage
Sellotape--tape
Skint--broke
Snog--kiss
Toff--member of the upper class
Uni--college
Wing mirrors--side mirrors
Wobbly-freak out, have a hissy fit
Wonky--not straight
Yob--young troublemaker

So you see, there are a lot of differnces. Please don't have a wobbly if you get a ping from me with wonky words in it because I'm still trying to orientate myself, and this is not the same English as I learnt at uni, I'm not a plonker innit.

Stay tuned for tomorrows/next weeks post: Cockney Rhyme and Other English Anomalies...