7 Embarrassing Mistakes I've Made in the UK as an American (didn't know these words!)

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[@cpmahon]

You've got to love the small differences, it's great that you're happy to confess to the misunderstandings and make me laugh!

[@vinceely2906]

If you ever wear khaki trousers. Please don’t tell anyone you’re wearing cacky pants!

[@darnstewart]

😂😂😂

[@andybaker2456]

Yep, a perfect example of how a difference in terms and pronunciation can potentially lead to an enormous misunderstanding! 😆

[@darnstewart]

@andybaker2456 Indeed. Micky Flannagan, on the pull in New York, was hilarious.

[@theotherside8258]

Well worth it to see peoples faces!

[@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.]

Lawyer in the U.K. is an umbrella term, it has two main types within it, Solicitor and Barrister, a Solicitor deals with common legal work, a Barrister (one who has taken the Bar exam and has passed it) deals with advocacy and litigation, I hope that this helps.

[@stonkr]

"I don't know what that means" or "I don't understand" are perfectly acceptable resposes we should all use more often, but are somehow reluctant.

[@clivewilliams3661]

Or " It might be a stupid question but...." As I always say, there are no stupid questions only stupid answers

[@pitanpainter2140]

It would be, but, you have to recognise that there is a misunderstanding before you can ask for clarification.

[@nedludd7622]

​@@clivewilliams3661A stupid answer is how to respond to a stupid question.

[@clivewilliams3661]

@@nedludd7622 The only stupid question is the one that you already know the answer it otherwise it can't be a stupid question.

[@InaMacallan]

In the UK a solicitor might advise you to employ a barrister to defend against a charge of 'soliciting'.

[@woodencreatures]

🤣🤣🤣

[@phoebus007]

I'm not sure that an American would understand the implications of that form of soliciting.

[@bethel1019]

Yes. Was going to say that being a solicitor is one thing, but soliciting is something quite different...

[@JAmediaUK]

@@bethel1019 Yes and no. Soliciting for business is quite legitimate and is used in many trades and professions. However, in some contexts, it has become a by word for soliciting in one line of work in particular.

[@bethel1019]

@@JAmediaUK I do know that. Just didn't want to confuse matters any further.

[@charlestaylor9424]

A girl I knew at university reckons her most embarrassing moment was when she went to get the contraceptive pill at the university health centre. The doctor asked when she was last sexually active and she checked her watch.

[@lucyj8204]

oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[@DNW28]

😂😂😂

[@duncanny5848]

🤣🤣🤣

[@clivenewman4810]

😭😭😭😂🤣

[@JAmediaUK]

Well, it might have been only a few hours before....

[@catw4729]

I remember reading of someone who told the father of an American friend that she was training to be a barrister. She was puzzled why he seemed rather dismissive and didn’t pursue the conversation. It was some time later she realised he thought she was training to be a barista.

[@EdwardLindon]

So it turns out intralinguistic differences are a great way to weed out the snobs, too!

[@scottythedawg]

wait, you mean Tori Amos isnt a member of the conservative party? then who the hell did i vote for?* *for comedic purposes and not an admission of guilt, terms and conditions apply.

[@denniswilliams160]

I suspect there are not many British girls named Tory as it's a diminutive form of Victoria and they are more likely to be called Vicky.

[@carolineskipper6976]

Plus it has such a well known political connotation. |f it is your leaning you wouldn't use it as it is most often used by opponents, and if you are not a lifelong supporter you definitely wouldn't choose it!

[@andybaker2456]

I do actually know a Tori here in the UK. Yes, her parents named her Victoria, but she chose to be known as Tori rather than Vicky. She always was a bit "alternative" though!

[@TheMoonRover]

My first girlfriend was a Victoria who often went by Tori. I've never known anyone actually called Tory though.

[@Canalcoholic]

My daughter answers to Toria or Vicky.

[@Mounhas]

Tori Amos lives in Cornwall!

[@steveb1972]

If your local MP is in town for meetings with the public, they’re holding a SURGERY which you can book in to talk about any issues you have.

[@theotherside8258]

Because its their opportunity to disect and pull apart any ideas you might have of your own

[@daftirishmarej1827]

That always confuses me 😂

[@catherinerobilliard7662]

A surgery can be a one to one meeting with your lawyer too, though less commonly used these days.

[@rayaqueen9657]

Also we'd never say 'have A surgery' we'd say 'have surgery' (uncountable) or 'have AN operation'.

[@adriannaconnor6471]

Years ago, I studied at a British university (I'm an American) for the summer semester. I was just chatting with a few random guys and told them that I loved wearing full-length skirts and that I never wore pants as I found them horribly uncomfortable. They looked taken aback a bit which confused the heck out of me. After talking for a while longer, I left and went home. A full 24 hours later, I remembered that "pants" in British English means "underwear."

[@Naptosis]

OMG that's hilarious! They must have thought "wow, I get embarrassed when I accidentally put on differently coloured socks. These Americans are so much less prudish than I thought!". 🤣

[@carolineskipper6976]

Now that really IS embarassing!

[@CaseyJonesNumber1]

@@adriannaconnor6471 I'm sure you didn't refer to it as a "semester" at the British university you went to... 😉

[@ianmontgomery7534]

the silly thing is that underwear is called underpants but what you wear over them are not called pants! Why aren't they called undertrousers.

[@lord.liberty]

​@@CaseyJonesNumber1 in school, it's referred to as 'terms' but in university, they use the word 'semester'

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

When my then 10-yr old son began at his US school after our move there for my work, a new-found schoolmate took him to the nearby stationers for supplies. This friend told me when he visited our house over the following weekend, how he'd collapsed laughing in the store. Apparently, my son had asked for, "A pack of small rubbers; you know the ones one puts at the end of one's pencil." 😅

[@clivewilliams3661]

Classic! 😅🤣😂

[@flying-ship]

Hilarious. The one you 'put at the end of (your) pencil' even sounds like the right euphemism for them too 😂😂😂

[@brucethen]

My nice used to collect erasers and when I was on holiday in the US I asked in a store if they sold rubbers, the guy looked at me funny and said "Erasers".

[@brianbradley6744]

My most embrassing moment in the US was when three of us had booked a hotel room with an extra bed. When we arrived we only found two beds so I rang reception stating the problem. She then asked me if we needed an extra cot, and I said no, we are all adults. It took a while to sort out what she truely meant, i.e. a put-you-up bed rather than aa babies cot.

[@daftirishmarej1827]

Thank you! I went 5 years ago and was confused by that too

[@clivewilliams3661]

The answer to the question "are you a Tory?" "No, my name is Kaityn" is clever and will be seen as "My politics are my business" or "I don't subscribe to any particular party, I am just me" So don't feel embarrassed The descriptions of the misunderstood words would have made a brilliant Two Ronnies TV sketch, thank you for such an entertaining video..

[@Phiyedough]

Unless the person is a close friend it is a rude question to ask anyway. A girl I knew got a job in Dundee and lots of people asked her if she was Catholic or Protestant. I would have answered "Mind your own business"!

[@clivewilliams3661]

@@Phiyedough I was once asked by the elders of a Mosque whether I was a good Catholic to which I replied "No." leaving them to wonder whether I was actually a good Catholic because a good Catholic would never admit to it because they are always striving to do better or whether I was being honest. I never expanded on my reply so that I could see that they were still working out what the answer meant.

[@Naptosis]

@@Phiyedough You're right, that is rather rude! The Scots and the Irish also consider a 'mixed' marriage one being Catholic & one Protestant. In England it's really a non-issue. But that sort of thing could get real spicy in Ireland & Northern Ireland, back during 'The Troubles'.

[@I_Don_t_want_a_handle]

@@Phiyedough My usual answer to that is 'no, I'm a Jew', which confuses and shuts them up. For 30 seconds. Followed, invariably, by an argument about Israel. So I stopped doing that. Doesn't go down well in some circles, either.

[@phoebus007]

As an employee of local government, one is meant to be politically neutral. That you were asked if you were a Tory by a colleague is deeply disturbing and most improper. The correct answer is to tell them to mind their own business.

[@barrysteven5964]

There are so many accents and dialects in the UK that I think we all have similar stories. I am from the north east and am a high school teacher. I remember when I got a job in the north west the first time I warned a child he'd 'get wrong' if he didn't stop it the kids had no idea what I was talking about. I didn't realise 'to get wrong' was a Geordie expression. It means 'to get into trouble'. And the kids were always imitating my Geordie habit of saying 'cannot' (stress strongly on the first syllable) rather than 'can't'.

[@stevelknievel4183]

We also have the word counsellor in British English as someone who provides counsel (advice) rather than someone who forms a part of a council.

[@phoebus007]

Although barely noticeable, counsellor and councillor are pronounced slightly differently.

[@stevelknievel4183]

@@phoebus007 If you're referring to the vowel sound in the second syllable then its functionally identical between the two unless you're putting stress on it. Unstressed syllables in English (irrespective of accent or dialect) tend to be pronounced as a schwa (the name of the sound of the a in comma).

[@rayaqueen9657]

Thanks for correcting the spelling :-) that was painful ;-)

[@matthewwalker5430]

Somewhere there is a Tory who is a Tory Councillor counsellor

[@maudeboggins9834]

That Tory Councillor counsellor has a surgery too

[@johnwellbelove148]

And somewhere there is a Tory who is a Labour Councillor. 😄

[@afpwebworks]

Here in Australia, one of our two major political parties, the conservative side, is called the Liberal Party. Not to be confused with someone whose politics are more liberal (note the absence of a capital letter). The conservatives are called the Liberal party, and the liberals are called the Labor party. Never try discussing Australian politics with an American. you'll have their brain synapses bursting in minutes.

[@misterthegeoff9767]

@@afpwebworks whereas in the UK the Labour party are centre left and the liberal (or Liberal democrat) party are centrist so brits wouldn't be too confused

[@rayaqueen9657]

​@@misterthegeoff9767except they're actually not centrist at all and have always had waaay more radical policies than labour. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@davidbird4713]

You don't need make-up. You're good-looking. Keep making these videos.

[@ianhutchinson1783]

Misunderstandings between nations. Just before being seconded to the US I handed in my grade 1 daughter's school report to the head teacher of her new school and every element of the report had a tick (check) against it. I handed it to the lady and her face dropped - the longer she looked the more concerning her face became. She looked at me and asked "How is her reading?". I told her that she had just taken the school reading prize. Utter confusion followed by the realisation that there was a reversal of convention in using the tick or a cross in the American school system and she thought my daughter had failed in all things instead of 100% achievement. Steep learning curve for both parties.

[@CaseyJonesNumber1]

"Ticking you off" in the UK can also mean getting a "telling off".

[@BarnabyRudge-sx3pb]

@@XennialTV I've often known it used to mean "telling off".

[@weedle30]

@@XennialTVthen you have never read any of the ‘Jennings & Derbyshire’ books by Anthony Buckeridge!! they were always getting “ticked off” by the Head!! - you have missed a deep reading joy!

[@CaseyJonesNumber1]

​​@@XennialTV WTF are YOU on about? I had been ticked off more than once by my parents and bosses in my time. It may be a regional thing...

[@CaseyJonesNumber1]

​@@BarnabyRudge-sx3pbexactly!

[@MikeChannon]

@@XennialTV Sounds like you're getting a bit ticked off !

[@lottie2525]

How funny, loved your examples. I had a German colleague at work years ago who told me one of his mistakes - he was at his other workplace and was limping across the office cos he'd hurt his foot and a colleague shouted out, hey are you okay and he guessed the English word for limping based on the German word humpeln for limping and said, it's okay, I'm just humping! Different meaning in the UK!🤣

[@Phiyedough]

I think hump must also have a different meaning in USA as "hump day" is a slang term for Wednesday.

[@lottie2525]

@@Phiyedough haha, how funny. That definitely wouldn't work in the UK.

[@johnwellbelove148]

My friend had a German colleague who upon watching him struggle, frowning, with a door lock told him "Take it easy, you will put creases in your foreskin!"

[@Naptosis]

@@lottie2525 "hump day" is used in the UK too. Most especially because of the double-entendre. 😋

[@lottie2525]

@@Naptosis Never heard it before.. Where abouts in the UK are you then? Maybe it's a regional thing.

[@SimonDanson]

One of the things I watch your videos for is to learn about an American who has gone to London. When I visited Chicago there were signs saying 'No Solicitors' I just had to have a picture of my wife standing under one because to us, in that context, a solicitor is a lady of the night. Just shows how much I need to learn. When I arrived at a hotel in Beijing There were a few children at the reception desk about age five. A lady explained to us that you are allowed to bring your child to work after school hours in China. Sometimes they help out sometimes they go to sleep under the counter.

[@williambailey344]

Don't worry everyone around the world have said or done things that is embarrassing, this shows how honest you are and have a British sense of humour 😊

[@geoffclarke3796]

Love it Kalyn, thanks for sharing. I worked with a lady from San Francisco many years ago and there were many instances where the different use of certain words and phrases between UK & US English caused much amusement and confusion.

[@alanelesstravelled8218]

The UK and USA divided by a common language. And 3000 miles of ocean 😊

[@ravenclawgraduate2900]

As Winston Churchill said.

[@andybaker2456]

This was hilarious!!! Your "cot" example reminded me of a question a couple of years ago on the Trip Advisor London Forum. An American lady asked how likely it was that her London hotel might put a cot in her room for her 13 year old daughter to sleep on. It of course solicited many responses from locals enquiring about how tiny her 13 year old must be to be able to fit into a cot, or why she didn't ask for something larger and more comfortable for the poor girl!! Then there was the time that my cousin from North Carolina came to live in London for six months. She got herself a temporary job working in Boots, where she was required to wear a skirt as part of the uniform. As winter drew on, she found herself feeling the cold, so decided to ask her boss if it was acceptable to wear something a bit warmer. So of course she went to her boss and asked if it was OK if she wore pants to work. His red-faced response was, "That's...really none of my business!". Her face was equally as red when she realised she had just asked her manager if he minded her wearing underwear to work! 😂

[@alanwatson7560]

More confusion......in the UK we use the word grill instead of broiling. Broiling is never used in the UK and this caused me a real problem when I first travelled to Canada.

[@catgladwell5684]

Broiling sounds very unappetising to me because it sounds like boiling. Imagine boiled chicken or a boiled steak😝

[@kittyprydekissme]

'"Brillig" means four o'clock in the afternoon, the time when you begin broiling things for dinner.' From Through The Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll. Apparently, broiling was known in 19th Century Britain.

[@alanwatson7560]

@@kittyprydekissme Oh, of course! "Twas bryllyg, and the slythy toves Did gyre and gymble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves; And the mome raths outgrabe." Beware the Jabberwocky!!

[@Poliss95]

@@alanwatson7560 Great film.

[@Poliss95]

Chickens for meat are known as broilers.

[@vijay-c]

My little one is starting Reception in September & now I'm imagining him sitting behind the front desk in the school reception... 😂

[@Lily33McC]

Get them a job in reception 😂 it’s a great idea 😂

[@michaelbloomfield9911]

This must be a new thing. Never heard of it before this video. It was always nursery, infants, junior, high shool

[@carolineg3079]

​@michaelbloomfield9911 no not new - my son is 30 and he started in reception in 1999

[@lanabmc3519]

@@michaelbloomfield9911 It’s regional. Scotland and Northern Ireland have primary and highschools. Reception to us is primary 1 and it goes up to p7. Highschool goes a bit like Harry potter- first year, second year etc

[@damonwilliams5033]

English,65 year old man here and this is the first time I took have come across the term reception to mean early school.Nursery school would be the the term I would still use.

[@weedle30]

After a rough night’s sleep (I have psoriasis and it itttttccchhhhes like crazy at night when I am trying to sleep! Uhhhhh 😖😖😥😥) but today’s vlog has put a big 😃 on my mush! It really made me laugh with your “misunderstandings” of our particular terms and expressions… poor you….but hey, it was funny and I am feeling your ‘cringe’ moments! 🫣😂😂 Please carry on presenting your blogs “as you are” - there’s no need to get dressed and made up to the “nines” (have you heard of this term - it has a real meaning behind it) - just pop yourself in front of the camera and just chat away - you are really “one of us” and we like you - as Mr Billy Joel says - “just the way you are….” 🥰🥰

[@FalcomScott312]

Love your videos, Kaylyn & keep up the great work!

[@DaddyStoat]

The Canadian Conservatives are referred to as Tories, as is the Liberal Party in Australia (despite the name, they are anything but liberal - Australia, everything's upside down :D ).

[@nicksmallwood8828]

This was hilarious Kalyn! I could feel your embarrassment, but I couldn't stop laughing at the misunderstandings. Great video.😅

[@Bakers_Doesnt]

'Reception' is also the gathering for the guests after a wedding, for cutting of the cake, food, dancing, drinking, etc. If held at a hotel you could ask at reception where the reception is.

[@wessexdruid7598]

If you work somewhere that needs photo ID, it's a pretty major security breach on the part of the team issuing those IDs to give you one with the wrong picture on - the level that leads to being shown the door...

[@alantheinquirer7658]

I come from London and the first day at work in Nottingham, at lunch I was asked "Have you brought your snap?" 'Snap' in local dialect means 'lunch'. I heard this (in their accent) as 'snout' - a London term for tobacco or cigarettes. When I answered "No, s'okay - I don't smoke" then confusion abounded. We have solicitor - legal entity handling things like land, probate, legal issues up to court appearance. In court appearances, we have barristers - from the term being called to the Bar (who are 'recruited' by solicitors). Then higher ranking, you have K.C.s - King's Councels who are barristers who have qualified to act on behalf in court for the monarch. As far as I know. As far as 'surgery' is concerned, it's use is of a verb or a noun. You use surgery to cut into someone; you go to a surgery to speak to a doctor. Considering regional dialects and phrases, it's not only Americans who have trouble! 🙂

[@Phiyedough]

I'm English but moved to Scotland and sep up a business repairing domestic alliances. I quickly learned never to use the word "done" as in "it's done". People there thought I was saying their machine was done as in beyond repair.

[@susanford2388]

I laughed my head off at your snap story. Very funny. I too am from London, although I left the UK in the 90's. I friend from Newcastle asked me "Am I corn beef"? I thought Corn Beef!! She said "Deef". Oh, you mean "Mutton Geoff".

[@Poliss95]

@alantheinquirer7658 They would say 'Have you brought your bait? 'in Newcastle. According to Stephen fry it's not called snout now. It's called 'burn'. 'Two's up on your burn.'

[@afpwebworks]

Here in Australia, KC or King's Counsel or in some juristictions SC meaning Senior Counsel it means you can get away with charging your clients $3000 per hour rather than the more normal $650 per hour for ordinary counsel.

[@andyt8216]

The solicitor tale and the camping one made me chuckle 🤭 :)

[@kathaag]

This is a great video, thanks for the chuckle.

[@jonbolton3376]

First i think it's great you go for the natural look rather than being fake. I have an American girlfriend who lives in Texas, over the years we have had several misunderstandings over words, on both sides.

[@johnwellbelove148]

Many years ago I was in a sandwich shop in Vermont and I asked what 'fillings' they had. They look confused at me for a moment and said, "You mean, what's on them?" My friend in New York told me that they almost certainly thought I was asking about their dental work. 😄

[@trevorlsheppard7906]

Enjoyed that , good fun ,i think there are a lot of councillors who need counselling looking at the way they are running our towns and cities 😊😊❤.

[@rollstuhlmeister]

As a British person I cannot get used to "doctor's office". Like, why would I go to an office to see a doctor? Doesn't this doctor have a room where he sees patients?

[@kevinmurray7789]

In Ireland a doctor sees patients in his "surgery", as in the UK, and Public Health is (was) dispensed in a "clinic" but while UK politicians also meet their constituents face-to-face in a "surgery", in Ireland they do so at their "clinic", which probably makes a little more sense.

[@finlandtaipan4454]

LOL this was fun! My anecdote: when I moved to the US, a friend of a friend was very surprised that I didn't know what "bullion logic" was. Now, I know Boolean logic very well but I had no clue that they were talking about the same thing.

[@brun4775]

I thought your solicitor misunderstanding was going to go a different way. Which would have been more embarrassing.

[@ianhutchinson1783]

In the US I was confused as to why lawyers were not allowed to use rural rest spots, as they had signs saying 'No solicitors'

[@jenniedarling3710]

I think it's great that you are on camera as you are, you seem like such a lovely person and that's what counts. Good on you.

[@user-ot6lo7yl4o]

They are called TORY in Canada too.

[@chrisbodum3621]

Who are ?

[@Naptosis]

@@chrisbodum3621 People named Tory.

[@CherylVogler]

@@Naptosis 🤣

[@kenc7478]

nice to see a fresh face who just is real...keep on going with this. Lived in the UK now for 15 years and is a definite learning experience everyday

[@chrislaing7153]

They say that you learn something new everyday. Today I learned that Disney are no different to the Costa Brava Timeshare Scammers of the 1980s

[@brucethen]

When I was in the US, I used to chuckle to myself because every shopping centre I entered seemed to have sign on the door, NO SOLISITORS. I knew what it was referring to, but it still made me chuckle.

[@ianb5949]

This is wonderful. Thanks Kalyn, for the entertainment. 😄

[@heneagedundas]

When dealing with GCSEs and A-levels, marks and grades are not the same. You get marks, and they then finalise the grade boundaries based on the distribution of marks for all people taking that exam. After that they can calculate your grade. So a mark of 75 can lead to different grades depending on the subject, the exam board, and the year.

[@Simonsvids]

Please please, she is confused enough already lol!

[@hughtube5154]

I've heard the equivalent term for a British solicitor in the US is an attorney (someone who does your legal paperwork), while an American lawyer in Britain is called a barrister (someone who represents you in court).

[@RoyCousins]

You may, however, end up court if you are prosecuted for soliciting. 😉

[@AutoReport1]

In the US all lawyers need to pass a bar exam in their state both to practice and represent someone in court. In the UK only barrister's are members of the bar. A solicitor can't represent you in court only in front of the magistrate (not a judge) for an initial hearing. A solicitor brings cases to a barrister. They have a separate governing body and rules to follow.

[@captainnutnut6077]

That is pretty much spot on, although it is a little more nuanced than that. A barrister is indeed a solicitor who represents a person in court, albeit only within the Crown Court, which is one 'rung' on the ladder of the court system. Above the Crown Court is the High Court, which is reserved for only the most high-profile and significant trials, and below it is the Magistrate's Court, which deals with less serious crimes. Solicitors work in all of these courts, but barristers have to undergo further training once qualified as a solicitor due to the intricacies involved in that position. I could get very deep into the weeds here, explaining the reasons for the wigs and robes, the KC (King's Counsel) title, and various other things, but that feels a) like far too much for a YT comment and b) a little unfair to just dump all this stuff here without being asked. So, with that in mind, I shall post this, do some digging on YT and come back to edit this comment if I find a video that will do a better job than me waffling on here! 🙈🤪

[@alanj9391]

Not UK, just England and Wales. Scotland does not have barristers, the nearest to that is an Advocate, who undertake different training to barristers.

[@captainnutnut6077]

@alanj9391 oh, shoot, yeah! Thanks for that.

[@brucethen]

When i was a kid in the 70s and 80s, i went to nursery, then infant school, then junior school, and finally high school.

[@EdwardLindon]

As a British native who has (inexplicably?) faced similar problems, I sympathize. "Off you go," the teacher said to 7-yr-old me. So I walked off, relieved I didn't have to talk to her after all. Naturally, instead she meant, "Please begin." Eleven years later, the first week of my philosophy course was given a fantastical tinge when one of our lecturers spent several classes talking about "magicians". Except of course he was in fact talking about logicians...

[@alanwatson7560]

I think that I have already told you about my confusion on returning a rented car to an airport in the US. I was asked whether I wanted a valet service. In the UK a valet is typically a servant who looks after his master's clothes and "valeting" is cleaning clothes.

[@maudeboggins9834]

When one orders coffee in Greece one asks for "plain coffee with milk" (Sketto me gala). Sketto - plain. Skartar is poo . I onced asked for skartar me gala - poo with milk. My two friends who could speak Greek burst out laughing, the waitress was very kind & diplomatic. Phew

[@BarnabyRudge-sx3pb]

My dad once asked for "vin courant" in a restaurant in France, he wanted the house wine.

[@maudeboggins9834]

@@BarnabyRudge-sx3pb What is "Courant"? Is that rude? Should it have been "vin maison", although I have no idea. 😂

[@BarnabyRudge-sx3pb]

@@maudeboggins9834 It means running, as in "running water". If you want tap water rather than bottled you ask for "eau courante". Yes he should have asked for vin maison.

[@maudeboggins9834]

@@BarnabyRudge-sx3pb hahahaha. I like that. Running wine, & why not, it is France after all. Thanks

[@bethel1019]

I once ordered a glass of white wine with a meal in France and received a carafe of red. My French was OK, so I reckoned that was just the nearest thing they had.

[@bsasteve]

My US mother in law offered me some squash and I said no thank you I'm not thirsty but she ment was squash as a vegetable.

[@Tim.Weaver]

This was such fun to watch! I learnt a couple of things from your video. I never realised that solicitor in the US is a person who works in telesales. Also your use of the word "checkmark" confused me, and maybe your ex-friend didn't understand either. Happily, google explained to me that it's another word for what I would call a "tick".

[@mrapollo2918]

I don't know when we started to use the word 'reception' in an educational context, but when I was growing up we called it the infants' (school).7

[@bikerstuff2]

A Brit here. I smiled all the way through until you told the Reception story when I laughed. Thank you.

[@sideshowjimmy4204]

It may have been embarrassing for you Kalyn, however I'm sure you were forgiven and just keep being your true self. It is so refreshing to see 😃

[@atempuser]

Thanks for sharing your mistakes. Very brave and most of all, very funny.

[@continental_drift]

You are a gem Kalyn, never change, cheers 🦘

[@steveb1972]

I was born in the 1970’s. We called Reception Play School.

[@LordToogood]

OMG 3 mins in and in hysterics.😂 Kudos for sharing this. This is comedy gold. The inner workings of Tory's mind. I hope my comments don't tick you off.

[@peckelhaze6934]

This is fantastic! 😃😃

[@cerysfrost3215]

In the 1990s there was a British TV comedy called the Brittas Empire where the receptionist put her babies in her desk drawers as she couldn’t get childcare (using the drawers as cribs😀)

[@zhukov43]

You always crack me up, 😂. I’m so hungover from watching England last night, and laughing hurts my head.

[@PaulMGleeson]

Fun video I enjoyed. UK Councillor the American equivalent is Councilman or Councilwoman. Strangely I have an LGA online training session this evening as I am one of those Councillors.

[@Rockyandmom]

In the south we still use cot for the baby’s bed. But we wouldn’t know what a pram is.

[@robinholland1136]

As an aside, the word 'Tory' comes from the old middle Irish word 'tóraidhe', meaning 'outlaw' or 'robber'. Make of that what you will 😁 I made many similar 'mistakes' or 'faux pas' when I worked in France. It can all be very confusing, when you first move to another country. Embarrassing at the time, but they make you laugh in the end.

[@flawedgenius]

Yep, and The Court Party rebranded to The Tory Party, and then later to The Conservative Party

[@HootMaRoot]

And supposedly that's where the word toerag also came from

[@2eleven48]

Yep. In France, years ago (but it still sticks in my head), I was just about to miss a train and rushed through, shouting to the staff which platform I needed. They looked bemused. I'd asked where the ceiling was ('plafond'). Sounded reasonable at the time.....

[@1polly]

A very, very funny video!! Thank you for making me laugh!

[@Dirkblokey]

Some really good ones. I was cringing along with you. Though, in the greater scheme of things, not such big issues 😀

[@TheMoonRover]

I'm from the northwest of England, and had a friend at university who was from the southeast. One day she made some remark like "it's warm today" and I could not understand what she was saying. To me it sounded like woam. She then clarified she was talking about the weather, and I understood. I guess to her,my pronunciation of warm sounded like wahm.

[@ItsMeJenBB]

I laughed at the first one, because we totally have city councillors in local government in the US.

[@Naptosis]

4:05 "Do they all just need emotional support for this new building that's going up?" That made me laugh, and it's probably somewhat true! 😅

[@transtasman57]

In New Zealand where I was born and in Australia where I live we use pre-school now but between 3-5 years old it was called kindergarten too!😊

[@willowpaws5078]

Love your vids. So refreshing and so funny 😂

[@edwardblair4096]

"Reception" is also a social event where people gather to meet. Often it is part if a larger event. So a weekend conference could start with a welcoming reception, or after the main part of a wedding in a church there will be a separate wedding reception. So I guess kids could have a "reception" on their first day of school, or the school could hold a reception so that the teachers can meet the students they will be teaching that year, along with their parents.

[@andrewtulloch9727]

When you mentioned reception, it reminded that as a Scot our language is different to England. I would say nursery which is pre-school. Reception would be called Primary 1.

[@sashh2263]

Re the cot. I remember an American couple and their adult daughter booked a hotel room with a 'cot'. So they walked into a room with a double bed and a crib. The hotel found another room. sorted

[@colingreysful]

A grade in the UK tends to be a letter, a mark is usually a number out of a maximum number of marks.

[@heneagedundas]

Except for GCSEs, where it's 1-9.

[@atorthefightingeagle9813]

To be ticked off also means unhappy over here too.

[@michaelduffy6874]

Maybe imported from the US.

[@stevieinselby]

I really don't understand why we call the first year of primary school "reception" either ... it's a word that already does multiple duties in the language, none of which really line up with a class full of very small children. I remember when it came in, and I was confused because I had to do Year 5 twice ... when I started primary school, it went from year 1 to 7 with, unsurprisingly, year 1 being the first year. Then it changed to being year R to year 6, so everyone already in school stayed with the same year number for two years at the changeover. I guess it fits with the way we number storeys in buildings to start at 0 rather than 1, but I'm still sure we could have found a better name for it!

[@mitsy40uk73]

This was so funny, thanks for sharing 😂

[@pythonprojectsforwindows6795]

Unique content. I liked the situation about no makeup.

[@gailstevens6831]

You are you, and that's why we love you!

[@shezza66]

When I first got to Australia I was told to not to forget my Parka (jacket) when I went home. The only parka I had of was a Parker pen. So I was confused why I need to take my pen home until I learnt what they meant.

[@merseydave1]

A Councillor is a local elected representative in a City - Town or Borough within that "Council Authority" who administrate that area. We spell "Counsellor" in this way, for a person why supports people with Depression. Over here in Britain we use "Ticking You Off" is used in the two explanations you gave.

[@pjcarter8230]

Just come across your site. Interesting. However we do have Kindergarten here in the UK, leastways in the area where I live, it is for pre-school children, one would go to Kindergarten before joining Reception in a Primary school. Fascinating how both US and UK speak English but we can confuse each other.

[@nicolataylor]

Very funny nearly wet myself laughing. It's very endearing

[@what-uc]

Even crazier, MPs and councillors have surgeries!

[@rowanmcglaughlin1559]

I had a professor who used to work in the UK. He told us about how a coworker stepped into his office asking if he could borrow a rubber. My professor was kinda weirded out and told him he should get his own. He later found out that, in the UK, a "rubber" is an eraser, not the useful bit of latex found in the pharmacy aisle.

[@user-zu6ir6kj5g]

When I lived in SE Asia, I must have told my girlfriend how beautiful she was numerous times (as you do). It was some months before it was pointed out to me that I was using the wrong tone (it's a tonal language), and all that time I'd been telling her, "You're really unlucky"!

[@jimclark1374]

Reception for kindergarden? I work in education and have never heard of that term. We call it playschool.

[@carolineg3079]

Definitely reception in London/South East. Where are you from?

[@GenialHarryGrout]

Your local MP will also have surgeries, which is just a time, usually when they are not in London, to meet local people and answer questions. Reception is also used at weddings, as in the meal after the ceremony. You may have had one of these when you got married

[@dragonmummy1]

It works both ways. I was bemused when a young woman in Flagstaff told me her name was “terror”. I asked her to repeat it, and then just stood there looking stupid. It was hours before I realised it was Tara, or Tahrah, as we would say in the UK.

[@alexmctear5420]

I would have thought that after the linguistic misunderstanding was cleared up it may have lead to you being friends for life, but then it could be for other reasons that you are no longer best buddies.

[@caw25sha]

I think reception is a relatively new term in the UK. The word kindergarten was used when I was that age.

[@carolineskipper6976]

In the UK, Kindergarten is an alternative word for Nursery, the non-statutory year(s) before Reception. Reception has been reception since at least 1980 - and I can't think what else it would have been called before that.

[@paulturner8372]

I thought we used the word nursery for pre school children.

[@brianchalkley1093]

during the American revolution the term Tory was used interchangeably with the term Loyalist, i.e.loyal to the crown

[@user-vs6br2dc6d]

This was awesome ❤

[@michaelduffy6874]

totally