11 common British words I had NEVER HEARD before moving to the UK

[@charlestaylor3027]

The Australianbrand name for sellotape is Durex. In the UK Durex is a leading brand of condom. Imagine the silence in the office when an Australian colleague asked a female if she had finished with the office Durex.

[@Poliss95]

@charlestaylor3027 I read that it's no longer made in Australia. 😢

[@DukeOfKidderminster]

Jasper Carrott used to do a routine about that. 😂

[@simonbutterfield4860]

Yep that Australian brand once sponsored the now defunct BRM F1 team in the 70s. @charlestaylor3027

[@gillkati6294]

I would wet myself laughing. I can't imagine handing a used durex around the office like it was sellotape, I wouldn't be able to stop laughing.

[@bustedfender]

I had a Durex branded pit jacket in the 70s. When I wore it in the UK, a bloke in hysterics asked me if it had a hood

[@onlymeok]

Biro is the surname of the inventor of the ball point pen.

[@watcherzero5256]

Yep, Bic's another commonly used brand name we use for it. But Biro is the most common word for cheap disposable ball point pens (as opposed to more expensive or ornate ball point pens ones that are less disposable)

[@JonK...]

He was the Hungarian Laszlo Biro ... great man, sad life

[@BrightonandHoveActually]

Yes - Lazlo Biro. He was a Hungarian and invented it for Magna Carta!

[@DavidHeafield]

I think your downfall here is assuming that the U.K. viewers you’re addressing are as “world blind” as you know your own USA citizens are . I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of USA terms or products are easily worked out to the average English speaking European whereas the opposite may not be so…. To quote a Valley Girl “hmmmm like , totallllllly to the maxxxxxx”

[@aloluk]

I've even heard it called a Bic Biro. Bic is the company, Biro is now the product.

[@shaneintheuk2026]

An interesting question. Do Americans call the thing in a barrel to let beer out a faucet? In Britain the tap comes from “tapping a barrel”.

[@NyagoNoir]

Americans call it a Beer Tap or just tap.

[@gizmo5601]

Torch versus flashlight. A friend’s American 7 year old had cut himself but the light was poor. So I said, “I need to get a torch”. He cried “Not a torch!”. He thought I was going to use an open flamed torch on his wound 😀.

[@Poliss95]

@gizmo5601 The Bobbsey Twins had the same problem when they visited Great Britain. 😁

[@katrinabryce]

A torch was originally a long stick that was dipped in pitch/tar at one end that you set on fire for light. In the UK when we got handheld electric lights, we originally called them electric torches, and now just torches, because nobody really uses non-electric ones outside of film sets.

[@0utcastAussie]

42 blankets ? Because 42 is the meaning of Life, the Universe, Everything !

[@gaynorhead2325]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@clivewilliams3661]

Its more probably a derivation of the 'Princess and the Pea' story

[@lawrenceglaister4364]

Hitchhiker's guide to the universe

[@bobanob1967]

Brain the size of a planet.

[@rayraamsalu6092]

The ballpoint pen was developed by Hungarian Laszlo Biro.

[@judithrowe8065]

I only call bears 'teddy'. Other furry stuffed animals are 'cuddly toys'.

[@Graxer]

Same here! I would be confused if someone said teddy and they weren't referring to a bear specifically.

[@paulgeorge6353]

I had a Golliwog as a child. Not politically correct anymore.

[@meeds7473]

@@paulgeorge6353 Who asked?

[@Aengus42]

​@@meeds7473Who rattled your cage?

[@judithrowe8065]

@@paulgeorge6353 Of course they are- people are much more aware of how offensive they're perceived to be. Welcome to the 21st century.

[@willscott4785]

British terms I had to learn included: polystyrene, aluminium, fortnight, loo, silencer, bog roll, nappy, serviette, hoover, spanner, rubber, rubber binder, carboot sale, kichen towel, pro, cutlery, rat arsed, hammered, skinful, reception room, snug, flannel, crikey, blimey, mate, courgette, aubergine and many more.

[@nigelogilvie9450]

Hoover is unknown in the US?

[@Hydraas]

Box cutter refers to a different tool in the UK. It is something that is used specifically for cutting open boxes, usually by people who have to open a lot of them for their job. In contrast, a Stanley knife is more multipurpose, for cutting or scoring things

[@marioluigi9599]

Aren't they called "safety" knives? You know with the snap off blades

[@Hydraas]

@@marioluigi9599 Safety knives can refer to either box cutters or Stanley knives, it just means it should be safer. Snap off knives are their own thing

[@marioluigi9599]

@@Hydraas nah I just checked on the shop websites. They do call them all safety knives. With the snap off blades

[@Hydraas]

@@marioluigi9599 ok. Good for you that the sites you checked listed them that way. It doesn't mean people call it that

[@marioluigi9599]

@@Hydraas oh sorry. I thought the shop websites were correct

[@harrybarrow6222]

For me, a Brit, “teddy” only means “teddy bear”, not a generic plushie.

[@karlgookey]

When I was a kid (in the 90s) teddy was a teddy bear but a cuddly was a general cuddly toy/plushie.

[@marioluigi9599]

Yeah I don't know who told this chick a teddy can be anything. Girl, it's a bear. If you heard someone in England say that a penguin is a teddy, then that person clearly doesn't care about animals and certainly is no vegan 😂

[@falaise6077]

The difference between tap and faucet is technical. A tap has a screw type valve, whereas a faucet has a valve which opens fully when turned 90 degrees. In England, hospitals use faucets, they have handles which you operate with your elbow, so you don't touch it with dirty hands. In ordinary houses, you have taps, which you have to open with your hands by rotating them through typically 720 or more degrees to fully open them

[@exiled_londoner]

I'm not sure this is correct. Lever-taps are common in UK homes and not just in hospitals and I've never heard them called 'faucets' in hospitals The word faucet would probably be understood in the UK but no-one ever uses it in everyday language.

[@listerofsmegv987pevinaek5]

We've got leavened taps. Had them for years. There still just a tap

[@nigelogilvie9450]

What you are describing is a tap with a quarter-turn valve and a lever operating handle.

[@listerofsmegv987pevinaek5]

@falaise6077 we've had lever taps in our home for twenty years now give or take a year

[@andym9610]

You don't need to faucet, you just give it a gentle twist and the water flows right out!

[@juliajoyce4535]

When I was in school in the UK in 70’s, we called it liquid paper which was sold in the UK at that time, it was the brand name of the first correction fluid invented by Bette Nesmith mother of Mike Nesmith from The Monkees. Tipp-Ex then saturated the market and the name stuck. We call the bears Teddy or teddies but other plush toys are called cuddly toys in the UK

[@dinger40]

I knew it as Snopake, it was the Brand they used in the RN where I first came across it

[@bethel1019]

​@@dinger40When I started doing office work in the 1980s, one of my older colleagues always called it Snopake. I was more familiar with Tipp-Ex, but I remember Liquid Paper as well.

[@roberts1437]

You've only got 42 blankets because it is currently summer here in the UK.

[@tinaunderhill5412]

True

[@daveofyorkshire301]

1984: The concept of Band Aid was born, and the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was recorded in November 1984, featuring a supergroup of British and Irish musicians.

[@bushwhackeddos.2703]

Now there’s millions more of them.

[@jarvisa12345]

6:00 A guy went into a French seafood restaurant and asked to see the dishes of the day. The waiter wheeled over a trolley with a large tank full of various species, and the man examined the dishes. “I’ll have the little green squid with the hairy lip, please” said the man. “An excellent choice, they have a delicate, mild flavour.” replied the waiter and called out “Gervais!” A little French chef appeared with a large knife, the waiter instructed the chef to kill the little green squid with the hairy lip. Gervais was just about to slice at the poor squid when he noticed a tear running down its face. Gervais is touched, and admitted that he hadn't the heart to kill the squid. “Not to worry” says the waiter, and called out “Hans!” at which an enormous German bloke came out of the kitchen. “Sir”, said the waiter, “This is Hans, the dishwasher. Hans kill that little green squid with the hairy lip!” The dishwasher wielded a huge rolling pin and was just about to bludgeon the little green squid with the hairy lip when it cringed back and gave a little cry. “I am sorry sir, I just cannot kill the squid” Hans admitted, his lower lip trembling. “Well sir,” said the waiter, “it just shows that Hans that do dishes can be as soft as Gervais, with mild, green, hairy lipped squid!” _______ A play on Fairy's advertising slogan: “Hands that do dishes can be as soft as your face with mild, green, Fairy liquid.”

[@DadgeCity]

That's one minute of your life you'll never get back.

[@dinger40]

Old but gold

[@Poliss95]

@jarvisa12345 I shall never be able to tell that joke again. 😭

[@martinwhitworth3979]

I'm singing along to the tune as I read this. 😂

[@davidmalin5491]

I have a fairy lives in my garden, first time I met her I asked her name she said I am Lick Wid I said that’s a stupid name she replied I am famous every body has heard of me IAM FAIRY LIQUID.

[@Larry]

We often call Vacuum Cleaners, Hoovers in the UK.

[@peterbrown1012]

One of the early brands of vacuum cleaners was Goblin, but goblin the carpet doesn't sound right.

[@willowtree9291]

I Hoover with my Shark.

[@Phiyedough]

One that confused me for years was plexiglass. I used to read a lot of science fiction and I thought it was some futuristic material like dilithium crystals. I eventually worked out it is the American name for perspex!

[@Poliss95]

@Phiyedough Perspex and Plexiglass are brand names. Generic would be acrylic. Fibreglass is also a brand name. Other makers have to call it glass fibre.

[@danielyeshe]

I only know of plexiglass because that is what Scotty used to make the whale tank in Star Trek IV!

[@Poliss95]

@@danielyeshe The government must be keeping transparent aluminum secret. Probably in that warehouse where they have Indy's Ark stashed. 😉

[@danielyeshe]

@@Thurgosh_OG Transparent aluminium was what Scotty used to get the Plexiglas.

[@Oligodendrocyte139]

​@danielyeshe No, he used transparent aluminum. 😂 Stands back and waits for the aluminium vs aluminum debate.....again.

[@kIdeoCash_TMG]

Plaster is also used as a nickname for drywall compound you put on the wall We plastered the wall today

[@rosemarielee7775]

Then went out and got plastered😅😂

[@simonpeace]

Ironically the UK designation Teddy for a stuffed bear comes from the American president Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, who refused to shoot a real bear that had been captured. This event was captured in a political cartoon and lead to the use of his nickname for the soft toys.

[@Aengus42]

You beat me to it! There's a little cartoon from an American contemporary newspaper too of a bespectacled Roosevelt, gun in hand & a baby bear cowering behind a tree.

[@alanwhiplington5504]

The connection with the cuddly toy originated at the dinner party that evening when one of the guests brought imported German toy bears to commemorate Roosevelt's compassion for the live bear, giving one to each of those at the dinner table.

[@ravens-crypt]

Same here

[@WillKemp]

Mostly the same in Australia as the US, except tap = tap; box cutter, not in Australia, probably Stanley knife, but that may only be for knives made by Stanley, generic term may be utility knife; band aid; dish detergent or dishwashing liquid; teddy bear; sticky tape; cling film = glad wrap (brand name used generically).

[@seanmcmichael2551]

I had a word with my Teddy. He was most perplexed and annoyed. He told me that he doesn't ever remember the word 'teddy' being used as a generic reference for any old stuffed toy. Only used specifically for him. Or for his friends, that other folk may have had when they were young.

[@russellbradley454]

I had a Rupert Bear Rupert was a Character in the Daily Express newspaper.

[@hazelanderson1479]

@@russellbradley454 And Rupert’s middle name was The.

[@noelsalisbury7448]

🎶"Everyone knows his name"🎶

[@colinturner2253]

Rubber gloves is fine in the UK. Always use that term in our family. Never Marigolds

[@jamesbeeching6138]

And of course GGL you missed out the best word: Rubber!! In Britain a rubber gets rid of mistakes,..In America a rubber prevents them in the first place!!!😅😅😅😅😅

[@Yandarval]

Biro was normally used for the disposable pens. A ball point is more the higher end pens with a replaceable combo ink and ball. parker etc for a brand for example.

[@kippen64]

As an Australian, I would say sticky tape, I also say Biro but generally say pen. They are taps. It's cling film. It's a tea towel. Teddies are always Teddy Bears and not soft toys.

[@Stereophonicsobsessed]

Very similar to uk ❤❤❤🎉🎉

[@galinor7]

In British English "White out" is when it snows a lot.

[@tubaman66]

Caused confusion in an American hotel some years ago when I asked for a flannel. They didn't have a clue until I described it and they realised I was wanting a wash cloth.

[@livvymunro1929]

A lot of British people would use the brand name Elastoplast for a sticking plaster.

[@cijmo]

We use 'tap' in Canada, too. What do they say in the US when you ask for water that's not bottled? When I go somewhere and ask for water, I say "tap water is fine".

[@GrilloTheFlightless]

In my entire 47 years on this earth I’ve never heard anyone in the U.K. use the word ‘teddy’ to describe a generic plush toy. I’ve only ever heard ‘teddy’ used in the context of describing a ‘teddy bear’. I’ve usually heard other stuffed/plush toys referred to as ‘cuddly toys’ or occasionally ‘soft toys’. Maybe it’s a regional thing.

[@ashlinorrell3490]

I always say cuddly toys. I know someone from Bradford that says teddys for everything

[@isoney]

Could be. I’m 42, Lancs, and I say teddy for any cuddly toy.

[@DaveKeenan1956]

Ah, you've never had the pleasure of seeing a fit young girl "wearing" only a teddy?

[@ajs41]

We do and we're British. But I always thought it was a bit eccentric to do so.

[@Deano-Dron81]

Teddy and teddy bear are used by kids, at least many parts of the UK. If the animal isn’t an actual bear, then it would be a “Teddy”. Deffo a regional thing as you said. Never have I ever heard of any child refer to it as a “soft toy/plush toy” especially a young child. It sounds like something an adult would say to a shop worker if they didn’t know where to find such things in their store. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I think an adult may use the term you refer to “soft toy” but a child would not. Also “Plush toy” is a rather American term and isn’t generic outside of the US and a few other countries.

[@TukikoTroy]

I remember back in Junior school when the first Biros were given to us. Up until then we used pen and nib (basically a wooden stick with a socket at the end into which you mushed a metal nib. The ink for it came from a ceramic inkwell recessed into the right hand top corner of the desk.) And if you think that's 'ancient tech', we still had slates kept in a cupboard in case we ran out of ink.

[@anonymes2884]

Don't quite remember pre-Biro _but_ our desks did still have the inkwell hole in the corner (and we still _occasionally_ used slates and chalk but i'd assume just to not waste paper).

[@judithrichardson3684]

Do you remember the piece of fresh blotting paper that you got each Monday and you had to try to use the same piece all week. And being 'ink monitor' was a real privilege!

[@TukikoTroy]

@@judithrichardson3684 Yes! And how the ink in the big bottle started out black at the start of the term but was pale grey by the end of it due to watering it down to last.

[@TukikoTroy]

@@anonymes2884 Were they the old two seater bench desks with the iron frame? I remember the seats were worn so smooth over the decades of use that bottom-shaped depressions had formed. Oh and I found the desk where my dad had once sat and carved his initials into it with the nib of the pen.

[@clivewilliams3661]

We had those desks at Grammar School but there was no way they were going to allow us to fill those ink wells with ink! However, initially we had to use a fountain pen for all official work in the exercise books even though ball point pens were available because it was thought that fountain pens forced a neat writing style. They relented after a couple of years

[@lesleynelson7708]

Cling film is a generic term in the UK because there are so many different brands

[@mwinn23]

Just discovered your Chanel, really enjoying it. It has always fascinated me the way Americans look at us Brits in utter bewilderment sometimes at the different words, food way of life etc.and try to make sense of it all. Good work.

[@VGL72]

We say rubber gloves too .. I’ve never called them marigolds…

[@helenchelmicka]

No, I've never heard them being called that here in UK

[@gillleach4082]

Americans use words us Brits don't understand too, like the shop with sign "no strollers". I said to my hubby you can't go in, unless you are definitely going to buy something, as you can't browse (stroll around). He pointed out "stroller" just meant no buggies (or pushchairs)!

[@RWBHere]

Bic and Biro are the same company. We would never call washing up detergent a soap; soaps are usually solid, and detergents are usually liquid. Tea towels are often called teacloths. What Americans call plaster (the children's toy) is what we would call plasticine, or sometimes play dough. Then there are lots of other differences, including: Aeroplane instead of airplane Footpath or pavement instead of sidewalk Carriageway or road instead of pavement Shop instead of store Supermarket instead of warehouse Aerodrome instead of airfield, although airfield is becoming more common now Film instead of movie Crisps instead of chips Chips instead of french fries Charity shop instead of thrift store Secondhand instead of pre-owned Handbag instead of purse (What do Americans call what we would call a purse?) Biscuit instead of cookie Courgette instead of zucchini Red/orange/yellow/green pepper instead of capsicum Trainers instead of sneakers Trousers instead of pants (Pants are underwear here! So be careful.) Bin men instead of garbage collectors Spanner instead of wrench (Car) bonnet instead of (automobile) hood (Car) boot instead of (automobile) trunk Maize instead of corn - (we once used corn to mean wheat. Some people still do) Pushchair or pram instead of stroller Petrol instead of gas Football instead of soccer And many more.

[@Stereophonicsobsessed]

They call a purse a wallet I think 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@atonio2476]

Don't forget the pre-decimal (pre Feb 1971) pounds, shillings and pence British monetary system. There were 12 pennies to a shilling, and 20 shillings to a pound. You had to learn the 12 times-table by heart to convert pennies to shillings. For example 54 pence became 4s/6d in old money. There was a 10 shilling note, which was replaced by the 50 pence coin. There was a silver sixpence, which would be put in Christmas puddings, and the half-crown coin (2s/6d). 21 shillings was called a guinea.

[@wobaguk]

I think a lot of people in the UK still call Scotch tape Scotch tape because here it is usually the removable/matt finish type. Sellotape doesnt come off when its on, and is shiny so they are different enough to consider separately.

[@GM-wl9mp]

Scotch Tape was also once a brand of VHS Tape in the UK.

[@Poliss95]

@@GM-wl9mp All brands of 3M.

[@dcarbs2979]

@@Thurgosh_OG Fun fact, in respect of 'poor' quality 3M. Post-it notes came about as a failed experiment for a stickier paper. The poor quality adhesive was useful for temporary sticky notes.

[@williambavington5392]

Same here. In fact, if I need to stick something up or pieces of paper together somewhere and I don't care which kind I use, I would ask for 'sticky tape' in case they only have the other kind to the specific one I ask for.

[@JacknVictor]

America does use the word tap aswell to have the same meaning. When out for a meal, and they want water, but not the pre-bottled ttype, they dont ask for faucet water. They ask for tap water. Also, ihave only ever really heard the word Teddy to refer to, other than a name, or for Teddy Roosevelt whom the stuffed bears are named after, as Teddy bears, but that could only be within my family and group of friends, so others may refer to soft toys as teddies, but ive not heard that before.

[@rahb1]

When the tap is on a barrel, the US calls it a tap too. Not sure why the difference.

[@marioluigi9599]

​@@rahb1Do Americans sometimes also call it faucet water, like in causal conversation? I know in some countries they call it pipe water, because it comes from the water pipes.

[@richardparker296]

The UK electrical shop I worked in during the seventies sold Saran Wrap, so this has never been a source of confusion for me. At the same time we were selling refrigerators and freezers, and Bejam (now Iceland) were helpfully boosting our sales.

[@01jvb]

When you started I thought you were going to mention about the different words we use for 'couch'. Generally in the UK we don't use the word 'couch', we say 'sofa' or 'settee'.

[@annfrancoole34]

I always say couch 😀😃😄☘☘☘

[@stevenbalekic5683]

In Australia we say lounge. The lounge goes in the lounge room. Lounge suite, 3 seater lounge, two and a half seater lounge, two seater lounge and lounge chairs or arm chairs for the single seaters....a lounge suite may contain a three seater lounge and two armchairs for instance.

[@kittyjohnstone5915]

I tend to use couch, sofa, settee almost interchangeably, though most often I use “settee” when talking about a “bed-settee”… “Couch”, to indicate a squishy, comfortable seat for two or more people, and “sofa” for a more formal seat for more than one person. I’m Scottish,🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@marioluigi9599]

​@@kittyjohnstone5915why do you have 3 words for one thing? I just call it a couch. And a sofa if it's more formal maybe I don't even know what a settee is. Who even says that?

[@kittyjohnstone5915]

@@marioluigi9599 - I’m elderly. The words used in the seven, nearly eight generations I’ve been on the planet, plus the regional differences in Scots added to the varying nouns used in standard English come in to play in my brain. They seem to enjoy themselves 😉. Having lots of words from which to choose saves me, and others like me, from the boredom of continual repetition. By the way, I’m writing in what, to me, is a lighthearted manner. I have been told, on occasion, I have a warped sense of humour, this is usually excused because, as I’ve said already, I’m Scottish and old😆

[@watcherzero5256]

In the UK Scotch tape is more commonly associated with frosted or coloured masking tape (being used to obscure) rather than transparent sealing tape.

[@paulgeorge6353]

And in Australia it is called Durex which in the UK is the leading brand of condoms.

[@ryklatortuga4146]

@@paulgeorge6353 Alan Jones used to drive an F1 car in the 70's sponsored by Durex- He used to burn through a lot of rubber

[@gillkati6294]

Dish towel is wrong, we call it a tea towel or we have done further last 76 years.

[@Stereophonicsobsessed]

In uk we say tea towel

[@lottie2525]

Years ago, in Norwich, there was a gentle, eccentric guy, who used to stand at the top of St. Stephens Road, directing traffic wearing yellow Marigold washing-up gloves and he was well known to everyone as just his nickname 'Marigold'. I really hope someone else reading this comment remembers him too.🖐🤚

[@jarvisa12345]

You beat me to it. I'm from Great Yarmouth but I saw him several times on visits to Norwich.

[@jasonchamberlin1532]

That man was a legend

[@Larry]

He was mortal enemies with the Puppet Man.

[@AlanEvans789]

@@Larry So am I when I have to travel to Norwich on the bus in my wheelchair. He usually wants to put that stupid pram in the wheelchair bay with me, then sit close to me. Boy does he STINK! I also remember Marigold very well from when I was posted to Norfolk with the RAF in the mid 80's.

[@Larry]

@@AlanEvans789 Really? I did always wonder how he travelled from Norwich to Yarmouth. Do you know where he lives at all? I know he's never washed any of his puppets, he only replaces them once they're rotted away from the years of stale sweat inside them. But doesn't he know that place is only for disabled access? I've never seen Marigold myself, but told about him many times by Norwich friends. Is he still around?

[@mikepanchaud1]

I didn't know Saran wrap. Another one for your part 2 video is , Wrench in USA, but SPANNER in UK .

[@dinger40]

Adjustable wench - Shifter

[@wessexdruid7598]

I wonder what happens when you call somebody a proper 'wrench' in the US...

[@iangarrett741]

However adjustable spanners are often called wrenches!

[@chrisaskin6144]

Sometimes instead of the word Tipp-Ex, the word Snopake might be used - another correction fluid brand name.

[@josiecoote8975]

I was trying to remember that name!

[@darnstewart]

We also like to go out at the weekend and get plastered ( drunk ).

[@georgealderson4424]

A stanley knife is also callwd a craft knife

[@hughtube5154]

It's true. When Charlie's Angels, and The $6m Man were shown in the UK she was listed in the credits as Farrah Tap. I always felt her performances ran hot and cold.

[@stephenlee5929]

True but not a Major issue.

[@dougwilson4537]

😂 You got a solid laugh out of me, when I read this. Brilliant.😊

[@wessexdruid7598]

Don't be a spigot...

[@bethel1019]

😂

[@vanessaeden8174]

This remark gave me a sinking feeling😂

[@anonahawkins7230]

They are called taps from when we had wooden taps in barrels in medieval times so we could draw off beer, wine, etc. We still tap barrels in pubs when they are connected to either the pumps or taps (depending on whether it is real ale or keg beer) in the bar.

[@philash824]

2:07 In Britain bic are/were synonymous with disposable razors

[@steverpcb]

A box cutter is a blunt safety knife - for opening boxes without cutting yourself.

[@crazyfroggie6546]

And they are the worst thing for opening boxes or breaking down a box. Stanley knife, 3 quick slices box done 5 seconds

[@charlesfranks9792]

As a Brit I had a confused moment at Vancouver Airport (think this also applies to the USA). I wanted a car with Sat Nav (satellite navigation), the guy at the desk thought I wanted a satellite phone. After some description eventually realised that I meant GPS. Not such an issue now as most seem to use either Apple or Google maps on their phones (Smart not Cell).

[@colinclarke7957]

In 1930, a Hungarian inventor observed children playing with marbles in a puddle, noticing that the marbles left a trail of water in their wake. That's how the idea came about: why not use a ball-shaped metal nib for writing? This is how the pen was born. ✒🖋 László József Biro shared his idea with his brother György, a chemist, and together they began researching and experimenting to create a new type of pen based on this concept. Finally, they found the perfect combination: a viscous ink and a tip with a small ball that rotated freely, preventing the ink from drying out and controlling its flow. They presented their invention at the Budapest International Fair in 1931 and patented it in 1938, although they did not market it immediately. With the start of World War II, the brothers emigrated to Argentina, where they founded a company in a garage. Although they were initially unsuccessful due to the high cost of the product, they secured a contract with the British Air Force, which boosted their popularity. In 1943, they licensed their invention to Eversharp Faber in the United States for $2 million. In 1950, Marcel Bich acquired the rights and, on the recommendation of an advertising expert, dropped the "h" from his surname and founded the company BICGroup. In that year, they launched the first BIC Cristal, one of the most perfect designs ever created, of which more than 20 million units are sold every day around the world. Since 1953, more than 100 billion BIC Cristals have been manufactured, making it the best-selling pen of all time. Courtesy: Shila Isabella

[@pspence9569]

It's doing the dishes and dish towel in most of Scotland. We do have tea towels, we wouldn't use them to dry the dishes.

[@GWAYGWAY1]

Stanley knife is an American make of box cutter.

[@EK-gr9gd]

Biro was the chap, who invented that pen.

[@ianmoseley9910]

I would say "sticking plaster" To wash up in the US tends to mean washing youself; a usage I have never come across oin the UK The knives are sometimes called craft knives.

[@01jvb]

We have Scotch tape in the UK, but it is very different to Sellotape. I've found Scotch tape to be better quality, but often it is much more expensive, that's why it's not used as much.

[@Joanna-il2ur]

And then we have sticky-backed plastic.

[@john_g_harris]

I'm old enough to remember Biro's ball point pens first appearing. They were horribly splodgy pens, but they were cheap and didn't need frequent refilling like fountain pens.

[@clivewilliams3661]

I went on a school trip to Russia in 1968 and we were told to take 'Clicky Biros' that we could give to the Russian kids as gifts. but not the Bic pens that weren't retractable. Those of us who took them could make a fortune on the black market as they were highly prized, as the Russian equivalent were useless. The same went for Wrigleys (chewing gum). My mate was on the cusp of being a black marketeer as he left Russia having seemingly only spent £2 but having a suitcase full of souvenirs

[@ianmoseley9910]

They were first sold in the 1930s

[@CrazyWorld-ij6se]

Regarding the use of the word tap in the UK, Americans do say tap water, so surely that must make some sense?

[@alasdairhepburn5202]

And then there's the use of the word tap in Scotland... At the High Court, a man is giving evidence. Witness: "An' then ah went roond tae ma mate's for a tap" Judge: "Is your mate a plumber?" Advocate:" M'lud, 'a tap' can mean a loan of money" Judge: "I see. And did you borrow any money from your mate?" Witness: "Naw. It wisnae that kind of tap" Judge: "What kind was it?" Witness: "A fitba tap"

[@alantheinquirer7658]

With Pritt, when it first came out the ads had the strap-line "The non-sticky sticky stuff ... not glue!" 🙂 With Tippex, it was developed in Germany and a German word for "Typing" is "Tippen"; thus it's ex-typing. 🙂 In general, brand names that get used as a general noun will always vary from country to country. And an interesting thought is that a teddy is also a form of lingerie!

[@thesunreport]

Tippex is from 1958, whereas the original idea came from the Mother of Michael Nesmith, who was in the 1960's pop band The Monkees. She invented her ' Mistake Out' in 1956 apparently. She rebranded as 'Liquid Paper' in 1958, which is a brand name I do recognise like Tippex, as we have had both brands here in the UK.

[@arthurvasey]

How do you tell a bad word processor operator? Wite-Out all over the computer monitor!

[@rogerjenkinson7979]

My favorite kind of teddy! If she also has the other kind of teddy to also snuggle up with!!!

[@NickfromNLondon]

In the UK armed forces if an officer loses his temper he is said to have “thrown his teddy out the window”. I had a toothache in the US and had difficulty getting paracetamol tablets because they call them Tyranol.

[@tnit7554]

@alantheinquirer7658. Pritt is also a German product, made by Henkel. Greetings from Germany.🇩🇪

[@shaunw9270]

I can remember kids calling a Pritt-Stik a "Prick stick" accidentally on purpose 😅 When I think of a Stanley knife I immediately think of the 99E / 199. Classic 👌

[@MrBulky992]

I have always called that item a "glue stick". Am I wrong?

[@shaunw9270]

@@MrBulky992 Yes you are wrong. A glue stick is the type of adhesive stick that goes into a hot glue gun. A Pritt-Stik is a Pritt-Stik.

[@MrBulky992]

​​​​@@shaunw9270Well, if I am wrong, I am in good company. I have just looked at my "Pritt Stick" which I bought from the stationery shelves in Sainsbury's supermarket. On the side of the cylinder containing the retracting cylinder of glue, it quite clearly describes itself as "Glue Stick". Amazon and Staples, the major stationery chain, describe these items as "glue sticks". Manufacturers Baker Ross, Bostik and UHU all describe their products in this category as "glue sticks". None of these are for use with a hot glue gun.

[@shaunw9270]

@@MrBulky992 Ask anyone in industry about glue sticks and the last thing they will think of is Pritt Stik.

[@MrBulky992]

​@@shaunw9270The sticks you are talking about are advertised as "glue gun sticks". I can well understand that people in that trade might abbreviate that term to "glue stick", no argument there, but that does nor stop the generic "Pritt Stick" also being known as a "glue stick" too.

[@skasteve6528]

In Australia, a popular brand of adhesive tape until the 1980's was Durex, which is a completely different product in the UK.

[@craigbush9449]

Band aid in the UK is the Christmas song for Ethiopia

[@evelynwilson1566]

Here in Scotland I ' do the dishes' not the 'washing up'. 😅

[@blacktronlego]

We really are 'Two Nations divided by a common language'! László Bíró invented the modern ballpoint pen, that is why we call them by his name. In my experience the term 'cuddly toy' is more often used for non-bear soft toys. For us a 'stuffed animal' is usually a real animal that has been preserved by a taxidermist.

[@vinceely2906]

If someone came up to me bleeding profusely and asked for a plaster. My first thought would not be they wanted to do some arts and crafts.

[@markjones127]

I worked in a few supermarkets as a teen in the UK and through my college holidays and we'd have a specific type of Stanley knife which we'd refer to as a box cutter, I just googled them and couldn't find one so maybe they're not used anymore, they were a very specific design with a wide flat end made of sheet metal bent over so they lay flat against a box with just a few mm of the edge of a blade protruding so you could open boxes without worrying about cutting the contents.

[@Lily-Bravo]

I have a box cutter, also from days when I worked packing stuff.

[@simonTrevor-h9o]

I speak to many people from across the USA and none of them understands or have ever heard of the English word 'Fortnight' which is in common usage in Britain. This is a unit of time equal to 14 days (two weeks). The word derives from the Old English term fēowertīene niht, meaning "fourteen nights" (or "fourteen days", since the Anglo-Saxons counted by nights).

[@merrygoblin]

Nowadays, they'll probably think you mean the game. :)

[@lawrenceglaister4364]

The name of Stanley knives are used because when they came on the market they were so much better ( cost more though ) than the cheaper rubbish we were using , so you always asked for a Stanley - - - - - - - so you got a good equipment

[@Poliss95]

@lawrenceglaister4364 They still are better. I've bought other brands and the blade is always slipping out. I'm looking at you Rolson!

[@rahb1]

ONE of my classic encounters in the US was asking for a quickunpick. I needed to remove the label on my jacket because it had a nylon thread which tickled my neck. I went into a millinery shop (do they exist anymore?) and asked for a quikunpik (brand-name). After much back and forth, they finally understood what I needed was a 'stitch-ripper'! Such fun!

[@nicksavage567]

I think that US term plaster is probably closest to what we in the UK would call "Plaster of Paris" for crafting purposes (and still used medically for setting broken bones)

[@Poliss95]

@nicksavage567 Mostly replaced with fibreglass, polyester, and rubber casts these days because they're lighter.

[@johnadams9314]

Fun fact, Plaster of Paris is gypsum which is also used to make tofu. It’s one of the common coagulants used to separate soy milk into soy curds (compressed to become tofu) and soy whey.

[@misolgit69]

how about J cloths first introduced in UK by Johnson and Johnson now there are copies in stores everywhere but we'll still call them J coths

[@andrewknots]

Biro was the Hungarian who invented ball pens. Teddy is entirely American derived after your president Roosevelt spared a baby bear on a hunting trip.

[@bertrach]

I still use the term 'elastoplast' too, which seems mad now that I think about it.

[@suewhite4821]

Canadians use Saran wrap. Teddy is only a bear in the U.K.

[@WalterHildahl]

-Before the rise of plastics, tape was made from cellophane, plant based, hence Sello. -Teddy Bears are named for Thedore Rosavelt, because he wouldn't shoot a tied up bear, because it was unsportman like. -A boxcutter is a flat two part, sliding knife . That uses a rectangular one-sided razor blade , a Utility knife use thicker polygon blade. Like the one shown.

[@martinwilson7246]

Elastoplast was a UK brand for adhesive plaster, possibly swallowed up by some corporate takeover. More recently, I agree, the terminology is likely to be 'plaster' or 'sticking plaster.'

[@johnwilson6721]

I think that most of us would say 'sticking-plaster' rather than just 'plaster', though we might say 'plaster' once the use had been established or when repeated.

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

An older name for tippex is Liquid Paper which was another brand

[@nick_Hfc]

The word faucet derives from a bung put in the vent hole of a cask of ale, (or other beverage) and is French in origin. Tap (noun) comes from Old English Taeppa meaning a bung put in the vent hole of a cask of ale. Hence tap and faucet are the same one French one Saxon. Tap (verb) comes from Middle English tappen meaning to hit something lightly. So the verb and the noun have different origins.

[@andyhowlett2231]

Sellotape and Scotch Tape are just different tradenames of the giant 3M company. They are the same product. Also AFAIK, the only soft toy we call a Teddy in the UK is an actual Teddy Bear. All other soft toys are usually called just by their given nickname like 'where's Boris'? When you vacuum the carpets over in the US, do you call it 'Hoovering'? Here in the UK almost everyone calls it Hoovering because Hoover, although an American company, were the first to grab the mass market for vacuum cleaners and for a long time it was just about the only vacuum we could buy in the shops. Other brands such as Electrolux and Hotpoint came along but we still called them the hoover.

[@H20.]

What you call tank tops in the US, we call vest tops here in Ireland. Here a tank top is a jumper without sleeves.

[@annfrancoole34]

Frank Spencer "Some Mothers Do 've Them" Ah sure you're probably too young to remember that. 😀😃😄☘☘☘

[@jdb47games]

Tank tops are called turrets.😆

[@jarvisa12345]

1:33 The first commercially successful ballpoint pen was invented by László Bíró. His product became known by the company name.

[@danmayberry1185]

In Canada: Scotch Tape (Sello = cellulose tape) Marigold (also our rubber glove brand) Tea towel Hockey (vs ice hockey) Paper bags (vs US sacks) The States (vs "America")

[@seijika46]

Biro refers to Lazlo Biro who first patented the ballpoint pen (note he was not its first inventor). He later sold the patent to the French company Bic who are still well-known for such disposable pens.

[@christopherdavies7213]

Washing Up liquid, never Fairy, unless it is Fairy; Teddy only means a bear; Marigolds only if they are yellow; and drying up cloth; a dish cloth is what you use in the washing up bowl to clean the dirty dishes.

[@danielferguson3784]

Most of these are brand names that have become generic. Different companies in each place therefore different brand names, some became generic. A plaster has long been a medical term. A wound is plastered with ointment & bandaged. A broken limb is covered by a plaster cast. A sticking plaster is what is put on a minor cut. Elastoplast is a British brand name, almost generic, but Band Aid are now also in UK.

[@stevet7695]

As a medical buyer in the NHS in the 80's I had to learn not to call plasters "plasters"! They're just one type of wound dressing. As I was also working in an orthopaedic hospital at the time it got very confusing if you started to refer to anything other than PoP as plaster.

[@alanstebbings2886]

To me a box cutter is a specific tool with a shielded blade on end and a flat blunt retractable blade at the other for breaking packing tape We were issued them at work The third time I used mine it broke into several sharp pieces of plastic and I went back to using a knife

[@neill392]

I believe, in Australia, sellotape is sold under the brand name durex. In the UK, that is an entirely different product.

[@williamdom3814]

When I came to England from Australia and I needed sticky tape and asked for the durex I did get some funny looks!

[@UKCougar]

Huh, curious. I always thought it was the other way around, that Sellotape made condoms in Australia.

[@tonycasey3183]

​@@UKCougar I suppose you could get sellotape to work 😂

[@davidhastings5363]

Roll your own?

[@DReedsfbay]

In the seventies, Bic biro was a model of a Bic disposable pen. And Glad made “cling wrap” which is the term I used growing up but that gave way to plastic wrap. While working in a warehouse everyone incorrectly called cling film shrink wrap even though we never heat shrunk it.

[@IsabellaL82]

I'm from Australia, but I love your channel. It's interesting with the terminology. To see whether us Aussies would agree with the Brits or Americans.

[@rahb1]

Mostly the Brits.

[@greg6172]

As an Australian I recognize and use more of the American terms, but some UK words as well. It just shows how mixed we Ozies are. Or was that "mixed up"?

[@robinholland1136]

A few brand names used to identify specific items in French, just to confuse us even more! Le scotch - obvious. Although the 'official' term is 'le ruban adhésif' le sparadrap - Elastoplast. Or, more commonly, 'plaster' (for small cuts) un caddie - Shopping trolley (or 'cart' [US]) un K-way - a hooded cagoule type garment which can be folded up small un kärcher - 'un nettoyeur à haute pression' - a pressure washer le placoplâtre - plasterboard un kleenex - paper handkerchief le sopalin - paper kitchen towel un bic - ballpoint pen I'm sure there are lots of others and in different languages too. It's what makes language so interesting and, sometimes, rather confusing.

[@hazelanderson1479]

I remember as an au pair in France being very perplexed by my six-year old charge asking me where the Scotch was!

[@TontonMacoute]

Spud (potato) Flannel (face cloth) Braces (suspender and retainer)

[@Ubique2927]

In the US. 10 stitches (@ $10,000 bill). In the UK…Better put a plaster on that.

[@bobpockney]

Also in the UK, 10 stitches, free.

[@frankbrodie5168]

Mmmmm.. As an actual middle-age man, my very first thought if an adult said the word 'teddy' to me, I would think lingerie to be honest. Like everyone else is telling you, the stuffed bear would be called a teddy bear.

[@alancoomes2797]

A lot of these are to do with the original patent (Sellotape, Tip Ex, Pritt stick etc) hence other manufacturers had to come up with alternative names not to infringe on the patent holders property. The one that surprises me is the 'Teddy' or 'Teddy Bear' - this name can be traced back to 1902 when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear during a hunting trip, hence this is an American term, and from what you're saying has travelled the pond but not stayed at home. The first Teddy Bears were made in Brooklyn (with permission from President Roosevelt to use the name) the company went on to become the Ideal Toy Company.

[@SabotsLibres]

"doing the dishes" and "rubber gloves" are normal in the UK too... "soft toys" - "cuddly toys"; certainly when I was younger, a teddy was a bear (when I was a little older, a Teddy was something entirely different!!!!)

[@TheWebcrafter]

1:45 - BIRO - A ballpoint pen invented by Hungarian Lazlo Biro. In the UK, many everyday items are identified by the original inventor/manufacturer or brand name even when using a different brand of the same item. Biro (ballpoint pen), Sellotape (adhesive tape/sticky tape), Hoover (vacuum cleaner), Stanley knife (box cutter), Tipp-Ex correction fluid), are a few examples. Similarly, the US does the same, i.e. Kleenex (tissue paper), Band-Aid (adhesive bandage/plaster). The British tend to give attribution to the original creator/inventor of items out of respect.