Brits vs. Americans: Clothing Words - Anglophenia Ep 26

Why do Brits and Americans refer to clothes by different names? Siobhan Thompson helps you separate your pants from your trousers. Read more on the topic here: bbc.in/1r5ZrV9
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants image via Getty Images.
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[@aucourant9998]

I can remember asking for a 'plaster' in a chemist shop in New Jersey. The guy didn't have a clue what I meant, I said 'sticking-plaster' and showed him the cut on my finger. He said " Oh you mean a Band-Aid".

[@Elitist20]

aucourant A 'chemist shop' - you mean a 'drugstore'? ;-)

[@Hey_Canadian]

I had a similar experience when I was in a haberdashery in Wales and couldn't think of the equivalent word for "thumbtacks". I played a semi-verbal game of charades with the assistant trying to describe what I meant when he eventually asked if I meant "drawing pins" and I yelled out "THAT'S IT!"

[@samuelhodil1458]

A chemist shop? I'm thinking Walter White (Breaking Bad) when you say chemist shop. Maybe a drugstore? I have never heard of a Band-Aid called a sticking-plaster, but that's interesting.

[@HolyConspiracyTheory]

aucourant Interesting fact, Band-Aid is actually a brand of bandages, but everyone calls every bandage a Band-Aid, regardless of what brand it is....well, I find it interesting. Don't judge me.

[@deco2gogo]

aucourant As if the Brits don't know a thing or two about using proprietary names for generics. In the UK, any old vacuum cleaner is always a called hoover, and vacuuming is, of course, hoovering. In the US, tissues are called Kleenex and cotton swabs are Q-Tips. In the South, all soft drinks are called Coke. Even Heroin was originally a trademarked brand name. Apparently this has been done so much that the term "genericized trademark" was created to describe the phenomena.

[@amydixon2377]

Brilliant! As an Australian teaching assistant in a UK, I had to hurriedly correct myself once when instructing a child on getting changed for a sports lesson. Yes, this was something he completely legitimately needed help with, and it just involved changing outer clothing, not underwear. But stupid me ended up saying, "Hurry up, pants off... no, stop! I meant your trousers, *just* your trousers, leave the pants on!"

[@WestieDoodle]

Amy Dixon hilarious!!

[@junglejim8781]

Amy Dixon luckily you didn't ask them to put on their thongs either... g-string underwear to us... flip flops/sandals to you 😊

[@wedgeantilles8789]

I guess that I am a rare breed of American in that I know many of the different meanings between American English and British England.

[@timothythehuman3977]

lol

[@AlltimeConspiracies]

Never knew Americans called a waistcoat a vest. Interesting!

[@BrianWhiteWGDG]

Alltime Conspiracies When I asked my American wife, then girlfriend, to wash my vest. I had a real suprise when I looked on the clothes line. She said she though it strange but it was what I had asked her to do!

[@EilsTheDaydreamer]

I remember watching the Simpsons when I was little and being horrified at the fact Marge's sisters had a bet on whether or not Homer would be wearing pants when he answered the door. Took me quite a while to realise they meant his trousers not his underwear.

[@RandomButtonPusher]

When you casually toss in "plimsolls" into the discussion of trainers vs. sneakers, you should pause to explain to Americans that that is a UK term for canvas-topped/rubber-soled shoes. Americans also used to generically call sneakers "gym shoes," especially if they were the pair you were required to bring to or keep at school for use in your physical education or "gym" class.

[@yikes3720]

+Random Button Pusher In the Chicagoland area, we almost exclusively use the term "gym shoes." It wasn't until I got to college (in Indiana) that I heard someone use the word "sneakers" outside of TV/movies. My friends who aren't from Chicago often use very specific phrases: running shoes = shoes worn exclusively for exercise, sneakers = Converse, Vans, other canvas/rubber shoes, tennis shoes = usually leather sneakers worn for style purposes rather than exercise (ex: K Swiss, Adidas, etc.). This is typically what I hear from my West Coast friends so it may just be a regional thing, but I was stunned when I realized that the only place in the country that uses "gym shoes" as the default was a small 50-mile radius around Chicago.

[@RandomButtonPusher]

LLC317 I grew up in SW Michigan in the 50s and 60s, and gym shoes and tennis shoes were the two most common terms I remember. Tennis shoes were always low tops, while gym shoes could be either low or high tops, usually Keds or Converse or the like.

[@RandomButtonPusher]

+Ben Young "Ain't dat da troot!"

[@gregb6469]

Shoot, most people in England don't adhere to proper English!

[@susie2251]

I laughed at that too. That was the most obviously British term in the whole video and she just casually dropped it in with no explanation. Lol. As for gym shoes, I think running shoes might be a more popular term after sneakers and tennis shoes.

[@AndrewGruffudd]

British people don't usually go to formal gatherings in pants and vests, unless accompanied by other items of clothing or the police...

[@jred5153]

Unless it's Essex.

[@J00721]

When we say tennis shoes, we make it one word pronounced like tenashoes

[@pantstheterrible]

Jack Strait's Unofficial Channel or we just say tennies

[@J00721]

pantstheterrible yeah

[@frrogg1]

I say tenashoes honestly I've never said sneakers

[@susie2251]

R A Y E I think it’s regional or family based. Personally, I’ve never said tennis shoes.

[@JonClem310]

I remember seeing people give nasty looks when I was asking where the pants where when I was in London. First culture shock,

[@dglkhasdlkghjlasdjgldasjglj]

Also, in america braces are metal things to help teeth grow properly.

[@brendanwalker8903]

Same here in the uk

[@dglkhasdlkghjlasdjgldasjglj]

Oh.

[@acmeholloway]

+Jahkobah same in england

[@Hellokitty-m]

In England braces are also metal band and pins to keep teeth straight

[@icebear1559]

+Dreams Come True wait they have straight teeth in the UK? Stop the press. wait is that saying dating me?

[@pjperdue1293]

A couple of years ago after the Academy Awards, Helen Mirren's interviewer said to her, "You don't like to wear pants, do you?" Helen smiled and replied, "That's true, I almost never wear TROUSERS."

[@lewisconroy6225]

I love this channel, you take mundane things put them into a video and somehow make it really interesting.

[@sukhrabayupov1960]

I have come across with this channel just recently and I find it very informative. All the episodes are well-structured and throughly researched. At the same time, all the videos are very succinct and presented in a very clear manner. So I though it would be great if you could do a video on how to obtain British accent (the one that we hear on BBC) and describe the main features of this accent. I feel that it will not only be interesting to see the differences but also, very helpful for people who are learning the language. Thank you!

[@halfpenguinhalflego]

What do people from the UK call bulletproof vests? Oh wait, people from the UK don't need them.

[@cookiecreamicecream]

Alex Hunt still called the same so that joke doesn't work. At all. And there are guns in the UK.

[@halfpenguinhalflego]

I've lived here 21 years and only seen a gun once hahaha

[@darkenfell39]

Alex Hunt Clearly, you haven't spent any amount of time around agricultural sorts. Hell, at my college, the gamekeeping students are taught to handle a gun.

[@shannonhalliwell7154]

Alex Hunt lol

[@shannonhalliwell7154]

Everyone needs to chill it was a joke...

[@CawfeeCakes]

in canada, we just call em running shoes

[@natanyat4901]

They are used for other activities besides running.

[@autumn9445]

yup, or just shorten it to runners

[@ekimadonihs]

im my country... the philippines.. we call those rubber shoes.. trainers, sneakers, tennis shoes... :D hell yeah they are made of rubber :D

[@GameyRaccoon]

In America, since it so large, regionalisms have formed. A trolley is called a trolley in the Northeast, but a shopping cart everywhere else. Trainers are called tennis shoes in the east, but more commonly sneakers in the west. Because of the internet age, these words are dying out, but do still exist.

[@chickenfoot2423]

Matty Bruno Lucas Zenere Salas well thats why we call them trainers in england, no matter what sport you’re doing in them, you’re technically training

[@josephbennett4236]

Hi Siobhan. Love your Anglophenia series. Can you do an episode on car/transport terminology? You could include a bit on the pavement/sidewalk difference, too, along with highway/motorway, etc.

[@ChristianRodriguez-tm3jg]

Thanks for this information. Today i am teaching this class and i was looking around for some differences between names or expressions in both American and British english

[@considerthis768]

Why is she so damn adorable?!

[@The_Space_Born]

Funny, she's just plain-looking to me.

[@Baccus93]

Rayve Napsu No. She's adorable, which is more of a character trait than appearances.

[@ElectricityTaster]

Rayve Napsu This is good news for me; like when you're at a party and nobody likes your favourite (favorite) snack.

[@jeans1889]

i thought i was the only one who thought that soooo cute

[@wardsdotnet]

in America a "jumper" is a type of lightweight summer dress for a woman.

[@worldwanderer8386]

+Bill Ward - it can also be made from corduroy or denim or wool and worn in the colder months with a blouse or sweater(jumper in the UK) underneath,

[@alunpalmer7337]

+Bill Ward I've actually heard Americans use it to describe what the English call a pinafore dress, i.e. one that includes a sleeveless top and is designed to be worn over a blouse.

[@worldwanderer8386]

+Alun Palmer - that is very true too.

[@wardsdotnet]

+Alun Palmer OK, fair enough... I'm no expert on women's styles. But certainly it's not a sweater!

[@elliemccarthy5672]

Or the sleeveless dresses worn over a collared shirt as a girl's catholic school uniform

[@chikknlipps2058]

That was a good video! Thank you.

[@briesparrow4673]

Where I live we use the term trousers to refer to dress pants ( or we use the word slacks) and we use the word waistcoat, but only when refering to the specific kind that pairs with a tuxedo. Vest is usually used to refer to what is basically a sleeveless coat.(keeps your oragans extra cozy)

[@TheStarfieldFan]

We do have jumpers in America but that word refers to a kind of dress. Think overalls but in gown form. We also have braces but they're the metal wire things that straighten your teeth ;)

[@solatiumz]

LyricsbyRachel We call that a pinafore.

[@TheStarfieldFan]

solatiumz Interesting. Thanks for the information. I'm planning on living in the UK someday so it's good to learn all these terms.

[@dontie23]

+solatiumz up in scotland we call it a pinnie.

[@Joani161]

+LyricsbyRachel You forgot there are braces, also, for legs and for construction and other things.

[@williamhogben2002]

LyricsbyRachel braces were invented by British people

[@fussel5000]

As someone who learned English as a foreign language and is exposed to the language from both sides of the pond rather equally, this is ever so confusing. Admittedly, due to the pop cultural influence of the US simply being felt stronger, I tend to go with the US vocabulary but always use British spelling.

[@jejemaatita]

+The Fussel same, although lately i've been using UK vocabulary because of tv series.

[@catblues8645]

+The Fussel yep, similar problem, English at work is a mix of US/UK (my boss is a Brit, thank god for that). My boyfriend's parents are Brits as well, so I'm more on the British side but sometimes use American vocabulary which can be funny and/or confusing and/or embarassing....

[@fussel5000]

I'm just glad that I'm not smoking (for a myriad of reasons, obviously), because I cannot (and don't really want to) get it out of my system to call a cigarette a fag and should that ever come up for whatever reasons that might become a bit misleading.

[@alunpalmer7337]

+Alun Palmer And I suppose if you got really confused you might tell people you were smoking a meatball or eating a cigarette.

[@marcusbmatgmail]

I'm British but have lived in places where there are a lot of Australians and Americans so my English is softened to a more neutral language but I can just about flip between the three ways of speaking - at least enough for non-native speakers to accept the accents.

[@elenamonzheley]

Thank you for the video!

[@TheClareiscool]

In from the north of England and pants are just anything you wear to cover legs but trousers specifically are more formal bottoms

[@ericacrombie9035]

These types of videos are very interesting to me, as an Australian. We're clearly a weird amalgamation of British and American culture and language. With a few random Australian-only things thrown in there too. To us, sneakers/trainers are usually called runners. But people would know what you meant if you used the other words.

[@AndrewofWare]

SaiyanHeretic wrote: 'Okay, I get why you call an "elevator" a "lift" (that's pretty logical), but why is an "apartment" called a "flat"? Because it's all one level?' Sorry, but there was no 'reply' button on your post. Apartment' or 'apartments' is an English word going back many hundreds of years. It referred to a suite of rooms in a larger building where someone could be 'apart' from other people. For example, a Queen in a royal palace may have a suite of rooms where she was apart from the king and where she could live with her ladies-in-waiting. However these rooms may have been on different floors. A less important person may only have two or three rooms to be 'apart' and these would probably be all on the same floor - i.e. they were all on a flat level. Thus an apartment on one level became known as a 'flat'.

[@animegan24]

I love your channel 😊 where I live in Canada Sneakers are also called Runners! Most of the American ones are similar though I have heard Pants be called Trousers in certain high end stores :)

[@dominikkulas3038]

Great shirt, Siobhan!

[@erictaylor5462]

2:40 In America we call that a "hot guy" I always thought a "jumper" was a sweater.

[@mnm2156]

my brain is confused.... oh boy.

[@ORIGINALTHUNDERDUDE]

loved it!

[@SamOnMaui]

To make suspenders and bracers more confusing: I've heard it used to specify the way they attach to the pants! One uses metal clips, whereas the other uses buttons. I don't remember which is which, but some folks do make a distinction! One is the cheaper option, but might damage the pants/trousers, whereas the other requires you have buttons sewn into them.

[@HarryPotterMad2012]

Actually here in Wales, well South Wales at least, we refer to Swimming Costumes as Bathers...

[@oliviatouba9313]

Some Americans use the term "bathing suit," but other Americans prefer "swim suit." I use the latter term, but my neighbors always used the prior. I don't know if "swim suit" sounds any more normal to Brits or not...

[@Sniper_viper]

In the first part of Wales every body enters from the bridge we still say swimming costumes ☺

[@Berkana]

I just looked up what 'fanny' means in British. I imagine the references in the news during the economic crisis to the mortgage commonly known as "Fannie Mae" (FNMA- Federal National Mortgage Association) must have been weird. Is the word "fanny" really taboo?

[@MrLeathercouch]

Berkana I'm not sure if you're joking or not... Fanny refers to a vagina. I actually thought that's where fanny packs got their name... Up til now.

[@spottedmask1777]

Marcel YAY, Vigina pack!

[@Sniper_viper]

Adive:NEVer say fanny in the UK ok ok

[@MonkeyButtMovies1]

Dungarees are called Overalls in the US. US calls every top a shirt, but in the UK a the word shirt is only used for button down shirts. Sweatshirts: on american TV I've seen this used to describe a zip up hoodie, but in the UK a sweatshirt is a type of jumper. In the US a jumper is what people from the UK might call a pinafore or pinafore dress.

[@spencerkieft6021]

Dear Anglophenia, Could you make another video about different words for things for US vs UK and also words that mean different things in each country? For example: yard vs garden, biscuits vs cookies, etc . . .

[@Nikolai508]

Only deviation would be that in the North West where I'm from most people say pants or use terms interchangebly. If I ask or speak about pants people around here know I mean trousers.

[@dg-hughes]

Pants for underpants probably comes from pantaloons, if you said pantaloons in the US or Canada we'd understand and also think you were 200 years old.

[@Middlesbrough250]

Nice video, one unique between U.S. & G.B. is how they use the term for Pie.

[@6shooter498]

Thanks for your reply!

[@AnythingBtOrdinary91]

Braces are also the metal used to straighten your teeth. What then?

[@nowknow]

Jen Blah they are also beams and poles used to brace structures.

[@Loroths]

+Jen Blah What DO we (Brits) call those? I think we call them bracers too. But it's unlikely both those two types will come up in the same sentence so it's all good.

[@Bramicus]

+Jen Blah - It did sound as though she said braces, but she actually said bracers.

[@AnyoneCanSee]

Nope braces. Bracers are worn on your arms.

[@smissions7340]

That shirt the male model is wearing used to be called a "singlet". No one says that any more unless they're really old :)

[@MichaelHampton-Whitney]

+S Missions it's also commonly called a "wife beater" but that's a term used to deride the people that wear them.

[@beckym28]

We call them singlets in Australia.

[@markbollinger1343]

+S Missions I see a singlet as something wrestlers wear. I'm 31 and all my friends say tanktop-I hate them btw. Unless of course its an undershirt.

[@alunpalmer7337]

+Mark Bollinger I've also come across tanktop as a sleeveless jumper/sweater, which is also called a pullover.

[@charlieb.8518]

Plaster is something they used to put on the interior walls of a house to cover the slats. Something we don't do anymore. You can also make a plaster to put on someone's chest for a cold, but I have not seen that done for years.

[@ManualKarmaProps]

There is also the old eraser vs rubber problem if you come to the US to teach or for school. A visiting teacher asked for a box of them in the school store.. very embarrassed clerk, shortly followed by an embarrassed teacher when the box was produced. (not really on topic for clothing but ya do wear one of the two)

[@aucourant9998]

Because of the influence of American TV and film, many British people now also use 'sweater', 'sneakers' (not so much) and 'bathing suit' (or at least would easily understand what you meant). 'Pants', 'suspenders' and 'vest' would still be confusing: 'trousers', 'braces' and 'waist-coat' are still the norm in the UK. P.S. I've always called a 'bathing suit' a 'swimsuit'.

[@aprilkroll1712]

I think tennis shoes is a lot more common than sneakers these days.

[@reverist]

aucourant For what it's worth, most Americans my age and under don't say "bathing suit" anymore; it's just "swim suit," for the most part.

[@beatlesrgear]

aucourant Me too (about the swimsuit). One thing that has always perplexed me: In The Beatles' song "Get Back," Paul says Loretta is wearing a low neck "sweater." This recording was made in Jan. 1969. I've never heard anyone in the UK call a jumper a sweater until the 21st century, and even then it's uncommon.

[@alanladd7081]

beatlesrgear I'm about the same age as Paul Mccartney ,come from Essex and can't remember a time when sweater and jumper were not interchangeable.Perhaps it's a regional thing.I often see words nowadays which seem to have a different meaning or come in and out of fashion.eg.soccer was commonly used to describe football but seems to have become completely alien nowadays.Shag and snog almost disappeared from the mid sixties and have only come back into common use in the last few years.

[@solatiumz]

Alan Ladd I would generally call a knitted top a jumper and a woven top a sweater.

[@SalvatoreEscoti]

in Italian we say also "Costume" for a Swimming Costume

[@SarahBrewer0513]

Small region distinction, in some parts of the US people differentiate between a long-sleeve knitted top (sweater) and the more casual/athletic fleecey top (sweatshirt) and I *think* they're both called a jumper in the UK.

[@trendingrightnow21stcentur66]

Actually people from most of northern England say pants for jeans / trousers etc and underwear , so there is different dialect here in the UK.

[@PlannedObsolescence]

Fanny Chmelar.

[@sophiefrancis8295]

Also braces are those things you where on your teeth

[@SlyPearTree]

When I starter learning English, "tennis shoes" is what we learn was the proper name for that kind of shoes, in Québec "joual" (slang) we called them "running shoes", "joual" borrows a lot from English and when I did not know English I thought it was one word instead of two, in fact I did not even know I was speaking English when I said it.

[@brettknoss486]

In Saskatchewan we always called them runners, although I remember sneakers from tv. Also tennis shoes reffers to a specific type of shoe, a canvas runner like the original Converse or Vans that no one uses for athletics, but are common as casual shoes, high tops can be called basketball shoes, and cross trainers can be called trainers.

[@nunyabiznez6381]

I grew up in New England in the 1960's and 1970's and we called them exclusively sneakers. I never heard them called anything else until the 1980's. Sneakers is what we all called them. Then the kids began calling them gym shoes. Then department stores wanted to increase their prices so they started calling them athletic shoes and quadrupled the price. Then they changed the name to running shoes and moved the decimal point. Today I own safety shoes, steel toe boots, hiking shoes, sneakers, running shoes, flip flops, sandals, wingtips, oxfords, penny loafers, moccasins, boat shoes, slippers galoshes rubbers and beach combing shoes.

[@izziissoawesome]

The most confusing thing is how Americans refer to the ground floor as the first floor, while we refer to the first floor above ground as first floor

[@TheRealBethanyW]

Some of us do refer to it as the ground floor. Sometimes it depends on the person or the place since some elevators are labeled differently

[@siangreenwoodx]

many American buildings and houses have basements, so i think thats why they call the ground floor a first floor but i could be wrong

[@SuperTheresaable]

It varies, I always grew up calling the ground floor the first floor, but I know people who call basements the first floor. And it doesn't even matter if it's a finished basement or not, my in-laws have a finished basement and they call the ground floor he first floor.

[@Dadams206]

Yes and this one is confusing for everyone. Elevators in London always take me a day or so. (Pardon me - 'lifts'.)

[@PetCatullus]

Izzi Seale We use both first floor and ground floor to mean the same thing.

[@DarthJedi2005remixes]

No wonder Americans give me odd looks when I talk about having to do PE at school in our vest and pants when we forgot out kit... Imagining a load of forgetful kids playing sports in a waistcoat and trousers probably would make me more than a little confused!

[@chrisspero102]

Sweater comes from sweat suit which is worn after strenuous exercise to keep warm and avoid catching a chill

[@CobaltRaine]

In The States we use braces too. Suspenders have the alligator clip at the end, braces have the buttonholes.

[@samplerstitcher]

First time I went to England asked my aunt for a wash cloth, she handed me a dish rag...I should have asked for a flannel. That is what we call a face cloth or wash cloth...

[@natanyat4901]

I grew up calling a wash cloth a rag.

[@Freshbott2]

Since I was little I've noticed the more British leaning or local words we use in Australia being steamrolled by American terms. Jumper is often being called sweater. What I remember as fancy-dress is now costume. I grew up calling those shoes 'runners' or sometimes trainers, but people are calling them sneakers more now. We say suspenders although they're so uncommon and irrelevant I'm not sure how many people have actually stopped to think about the word. Trackies are being called sweatpants. Biscuit or 'bikkie' is becoming cookie. Chips becoming fries. It irritates me not because I have any problem with Americans, but because too many people are learning it by rotting their brains watching the filth that is the majority of American TV and trying so hard to emulate it. When you're educated by TV you only get the worst of American culture and not much of the good. Oddly though the British TV we get here is for the most part intelligent, often funny and COMPLETELY unheard of by most people. There's one local word we won't lose though - singlet. You guys have got tank top and vest both wrong! Siobhan you're awesome!

[@usafvet100]

Bannicus As an American, I'm with you on American TV and a great deal of our films, they typically don't represent the best of our culture. Another aspect of mass media being available to all is that many of the regional dialects/colliquialisms here in the US are dying out, though I'll retain my Ozarks twang till I die. Now, what about potato "chips," are they still called "crisps" in OZ?

[@Freshbott2]

usafvet100 Crisps we call chips. Fries are also chips. If it's made of potato and fried in any way, it's a chip. Not really sure why :o but if you need to specify then you can say hot chips. But that reminds me of another one, your tater-tots (definitely a positive thing to come out of America!). Here they're called tato gems. Do you guys say wedges? I've heard some of these regionalisms you may be referring to. I knew someone from somewhere south who called any soft drink a Coke. Even if it was a Pepsi! The audacity! Once when an American told me he'd been a busboy, I thought that was a bit archaic and said we either swipe our card or pay to the driver :o we were both confused from there.

[@usafvet100]

Bannicus"wait, what?"Oh bus, now I get it! Right, "bussing" tables here means removing the dirty dishes and changing the cloth/wiping the table down for the next customers. How the term came into being I haven't a clue. As to the "coke" business, it's another regionalism that has died out, but i can remember as a kid this sort of conversation: "You want a coke?" "Sure!" "What kind?" "Mountain Dew." A generic soft (fizzy?) drink is now called either pop or soda. Tater tots? tasty little morsels to be sure, born of frugality. A french fry manufacturer noticed a lot of the potato scraps left over from cutting the fries were being wasted, He came up with the bright idea to gather them up, shred them, mold them into little cylindrical shapes, and fry them up. Voila'! The tater tot is born. Another example: Kingsford charcoal, which used the scraps of wood left over from Henry Ford's Model Ts to make a usable product, the stuff is flying off the shelves as we speak as people are preparing for 4th of July BBQs. As to wedges; yes, we have them, the term usually refers to thicker cut, wedge shaped potato slices that are usually coated with seasoning.

[@Freshbott2]

usafvet100 I thought that was just in movies! We always use gas barbecues. One thing I've always thought was odd is that you never hear of shrapnel plates in US TV, even though tipping's a thing there. Most Aussies know what it is which is even more odd still considering tipping is pretty well nonexistent here.

[@usafvet100]

Bannicus Gas grills have caught on here, but there's still plenty of purists like me who prefer the flavour which charcoal imparts to your food. It is more time consuming and messy, you have to pyramid the charcoal, soak it with charcoal starter fluid, Light it off, give it about 45 minutes to come to max temperature, then spread it before you replace the cooking grids and begin grilling. You also have to deal with the ashes once the charcoal has burned itself out and cooled. Personally, I prefer BBQing to grilling, in which you slow-cook the meat for hours using indirect heat and chunks of hickory, mesquite, apple, or cherry wood which have been soaked in water then laid atop the charcoal to generate lots of smoke. Ribs, pork shoulder, poultry, brisket, all come out juicy, flavourful, and falling off the bone tender, your patience is amply rewarded! Yum!

[@cbahm]

A jumper is also a sleeveless dress layered with a blouse. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumper_(dress) Love your videos!

[@JanesGallimaufry]

It gets worse - tank top to Brits of a certain vintage is a sleeveless knitted top that was popular in the 70s worn over a shirt. To younger Brits, tank top is a skimpy tee shirt with very thin straps. Older people call them vest tops because you are wearing your vest ( which should be under your top) as a top.

[@Graves3]

British person here, If any American needs a question answered, I will try to the best of my ability.

[@aucourant9998]

What is the meaning of life?

[@ManualKarmaProps]

aucourant That would be .. 42

[@aucourant9998]

chad johnson LOL. I'd forgotten about that.

[@The_Space_Born]

Why do Brits have horrible teeth?

[@Graves3]

Rayve Napsu It's just a stereotype. like "All Americans are fat" It's not true.

[@The_Space_Born]

So if someone in Britain were to say "I shit my pants!", would that make it redundant?

[@Megasmithy2001]

No it would still be weird and just as embarrassing for them.

[@Baccus93]

They might only say that on the telly, as pants means shit only on the telly. "Oh pants!" they say.

[@ElectricityTaster]

Rayve Napsu It would make it worse because it means it transcended.

[@xjdndndmsvsvr]

Baccus93 Lol @ "Telly". Not only does it sound funny, but with Chromecast, Hulu, and Netflix, televisions seem far less popular in the US now. I believe streaming services are still lagging outside the US though.

[@ElectricityTaster]

Andy G Yep, copyright laws in the EU are more restrictive than in the US.

[@MtnNerd]

Growing up we called the lightweight cloth shoes tennis shoes, while the more complex sport shoes like those made by Adidas and Nikes are sneakers.

[@rpmb5883]

My dads Scouse and my mums from Yorkshire so there are a lot of words for these like trainers are trainees, tracksuit bottoms are traccies, etc

[@aljowen]

I think the only thing that i have learned from this channel is that there are no standards in the UK at all. Pretty much everything that has been said someone disagrees with often myself included. Im sure its the similar in the USA but the UK has lots of different areas that all have very different mannerisms and dialects, people from one area will be different than people from another. Perhaps rather than referring to the UK as a whole on this channel you should perhaps focus on the differences between both the US and different areas of the UK. Or perhaps things that are nationwide. I have noticed recently due to a certain punching incident that a lot of people around the world do not understand how the BBC operates at all, including statements such "the BBC will go out of business by destroying the most popular show" since most people dont understand that TV Licensing is a thing in the UK. Perhaps you could mention the differences between brands a bit more such as walkers being the British version of lays. Maybe even explaining what housing estates are and the differences between houses in housing estates, more traditional countryside houses, town houses and houses that are common in America. I love the channel but a lot of the things that you say are so inconsistent throughout the UK with people from different areas commenting that it is different in their own area. Maybe it might be worth taking that into consideration when you choose topics for your videos :)

[@beatlesrgear]

aljowen One thing I've learned about the BBC is, whenever a TV show becomes popular, really interesting, and most people love it, the bloody BBC says: "Right, that's it, cancel it now!" SO irritating! I especially want my "Mighty Boosh" back!

[@solatiumz]

aljowen Walkers (founded in the UK in 1948) are not the British version of Lays, they were bought out by them. The difference between the UK and the US is that generally the British person will be able to work out what someone is saying even if they are not familar with certain words or phrases, the American will not.

[@aljowen]

solatiumz Historically that may be accurate. I haven't checked. But walkers and lays are the same thing today and that counts for a lot more whether they were different 60 years ago. For instance the packaging is almost identical.

[@solatiumz]

aljowen The packaging may be the same, but the product is not. We have many of the same flavours we have always had. Maybe it would be better for you to check before commenting further?

[@aljowen]

solatiumz If you say so. All i have said is that it is the same company, selling products in the same packaging with the same logo often selling the same flavors. While walkers have some exclusives and i presume lays probably have some as well, they are still very similar products.

[@hearfan]

Americans say swimsuit

[@kevintisdale5750]

+hear fan Some do but just as many say bathing suit. There's more than one term. Just like if you buy your suits from Sears you probably say suspenders but if you buy them from Jos. Bank you probably call them braces.

[@squiddi1393]

Rare, we mostly say bathing suit

[@RandomButtonPusher]

+Squiddi Not so fast...growing up in the upper Midwest, I never heard anyone use anything other than swimsuit, which is still the term I hear used.

[@lohphat]

+Squiddi Like coke/cola/soda/pop -- it's regional.

[@MichaelHampton-Whitney]

+Random Button Pusher or swimming trunks if you only mean the men's version

[@stephenandersen4625]

a Jumper in the US is a type of sleeveless dress.. usually for girls.. and I thought vest reference to a standard undershirt (tee shirt) rather than a tank top or an A shirt, a tank top can refer to a sleeveless outer garment as well

[@ennuimedic]

In South Africa we call the shoes takkies. Why? Idk, and a swimming costume can be called a cozzie, and a jumper would be a jersey and a vest (to my knowledge) is a top u put on under ur shirt to keep u warm. :) xP

[@TEEETHREEEMEEE]

Tuxedo? You mean a Dinner Suit surely. Tuxedo is 100% American.

[@TEEETHREEEMEEE]

+TEEETHREEEMEEE Talking about footwear, I remember in my youth we used to have rubber soled black canvas shoes called "pumps". We had "plimsoles" too which were of better quality and white canvassed. Another type we had were like white canvas ankle boots with a high welted rubber sole which we called "basies" or "Baseball Boots". There were other elastic sided canvas shoes with either rope or rubber soles called "espedrilles". I didn't like them much though as they fell off your feet if you tried to run.

[@philipnorton4469]

surely the correct term is "black tie"

[@rowynnecrowley1689]

true, the correct term for formal gathering is "black tie", but if you said "fancy dress" to an american, we would assume "black tie"... unless of course it's an anglophile talking to a brit in the uk.

[@nunyabiznez6381]

No, a Tuxedo is what high school boys wear to their prom or what men wear at their own wedding if they are on a budget and are almost always rented. Generally, most adult men who would wear such a garment would call them according to their specific use. Dinner jacket, trousers, tie and white shirt for dinner. Morning suit for formal occasions early in the day (if the sun is still up when you're done for the day then you wear a morning suit though I think traditionally you wear one before noon. Black tie means wear a formal evening suit. White tie is rare today in the U.S. but it would require very specific garments. I've never worn such. Black tie is as far as I've gone. Tux is what most people call a tuxedo and yes I am an American. I've never worn a tuxedo. When I was young enough to go to a prom they were ridiculous outfits with more ruffles than a baby's knickers and were available in every shade of the pastel rainbow.

[@thefukyouchannel860]

LMAO.. fanny pack offends you but you say c un t and t wat like its nothing and everyday convo.... also diapers and napkins or nappies.

[@helenwood8482]

No, the C word is the most offensive in our language and anyone who uses it is considered both rude and common.

[@helenwood8482]

Illyasviel von Einzbern It's a term used by people who hate women. If you don't hate women, you don't use it.

[@bobtexan592]

Helen Wood Perhaps your circle judges them as "women haters" but in my exposure to Brits in my travels across the pond as well as some TV celebs, male and female, [Gordon Ramsay among others] its a pretty common terminology and isn't used as gender specific. In the US however, it is usually used to describe a woman.

[@Loroths]

+Mega Smith01 LOL I love that you think that about the south. I don't think we're more polite tbh, I hear that the north is friendlier actually. Personally I feel like the whole country swears a lot but I've never actually been very far north.

[@dalesands1291]

I see someone else chimed in with Canadians calling athletic shoes, runners. Not so much in this one but the one about British sweets boy is there a lot of crossover in Canada. I think Kate would find the candy shelves stock some familiar products.

[@thepayne7862]

Well thankfully due to watching the IT Crowd knew that pants meant underwear in the U.K.. Really enjoy these videos very educational and help me understand a lot more of the culture and other references in the various U.K TV shows that I enjoy watching.

[@lejlasomun2656]

I like the frames of these glasses, which brand is this? thanks in advance!

[@soulsrocker]

I know that the trend in menswear stores in the U.S. is toward distinct meanings for "braces" and "suspenders." Braces are designed for more formal clothing, having button-holes at the bottom, and generally only have a small elastic part above the butt. Suspenders are entirely elastic and may have clips to attach them to jeans or other trousers for something much more casual... think of suspenders being worn with a plaid shirt and work boots and braces with a professional business outfit.

[@Kryoclasm]

Wow, how different can we be. Seems like the fruit fell far from the tree. :) Love the videos, very interesting and entertaining.

[@TALKSchools]

Oh this explains a lot!

[@TheWaterguru]

Thanks for explaining fanny packs. On a group trip, We had quite a few UK shop clerks turning bright red as our battle axe American ladies would say "I don't need a bag, I'll just stuff it in my fanny pack."

[@lin-m80]

I have English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry so I heard a mix of terms, but Father always referred to a Vest as a Singlet.

[@MichaelHampton-Whitney]

I was raised to call the straps that clip onto your trousers, suspenders, and the ones that button onto the trousers, braces. Just to add a bit more confusion...

[@marilyneddy3297]

In the US, a "jumper" is a sleeveless dress, usually worn over a blouse or light sweater. So you can wear a sweater with your jumper.

[@jerseygirl3428]

You left out the fact that while we don't call a sweater a jumper, we do have something we call a jumper, which is a scoop neck sleeveless dress that is specially made to have a shirt or blouse worn underneath it (providing the sleeves and the collar).

[@dollysgirlyworld9093]

vests to me are strappy tops tank tops are what you refer to as UK vests. also vests tend to be an undergarment similar in shape to a tank top. whereas a tank top is an actual garment to be worn in summer.

[@dickwintered]

here in australia we grab vocab from both sides! We use fanny packs and suspenders and vests but say jumpers instead. We don't, however say vests/tank tops... we say singlets

[@Loroths]

+dickwintered Aww that's cute :3 I've always found the word "singlet" pretty hilarious. I feel like Australia is like Britains much younger little brother. You'll get there Australia, keep trying, we love you!

[@dickwintered]

+Loroths we love you back!!! :)

[@kalliste01]

+dickwintered We don't use fanny packs.. we use bum bags.. if one were to wear them at all. I've never heard an Australian call a bum bag a fanny pack because fanny is also slang for vagina here. Which, off topic, as a kid reading the Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton with characters Fanny and Dick, made us giggle no end. We also use 'togs' for swimmers.. is swimmers also Australian? By Swimmers/togs I mean bathing suits/swimming costumes. I have no idea of the origin of the word 'togs'

[@mahenonz]

Kalliste I think 'swimmers' is Australian only - we definitely don't use it in NZ, it's bathing suit or togs. I always find it confusing - to me a swimmer is someone who swims! You won't hear 'cozzie' or 'swimming costume' here either.

[@UberKlown]

My brother and I recently went on holiday in London. Being brothers, we of course sought to harass and insult each other, calling each other "wanker" or "tosser" at every opportunity. Although we thought these terms to be synonymous, they are apparently not. Can someone please explain the difference? Thanks much.

[@tj7686]

in australia it’s a whole mix of things...like some say trousers others say pants. but it’s like it for everything. even objects and items

[@ArtistinMO]

Trousers comes from the Scottish Trews. Trews (Truis or Triubhas) are men's clothing for the legs and lower abdomen, a traditional form of tartan trousers from Scottish apparel Pants comes from Pantaloons, from French pantalon, (itself derived from Italian pantalone, named after San Pantalone ), An article of clothing covering each leg separately, that covers the area from the waist to the ankle.

[@GNParty]

Don't ever stop making videos.

[@montyollie]

Thought of a few others... kit v uniform, tanktop v vest v SINGLET, also, we Canadians call trainers pretty much exclusively "running shoes"

[@StutleyConstable]

What you pronounce as "waist-coat" I would pronounce as "wesscut". And there is a difference between a waistcoat and a vest in the U.S. Waistcoats are made with more material and cover the torso more than a vest which has larger arm holes, a wider neck opening and is generally shorter.

[@lohphat]

Then there's "jacket" vs. "Anorak": A heavy warm outer coat used in winter or in the UK from September to June.

[@dollysgirlyworld9093]

a jacket to me is a short light 'coat' a coat is a thick jacket anorak is a winter coat

[@nunyabiznez6381]

I own a raincoat and a winter coat but I call my winter coat a parka because it goes to my knees, is made of leather and is lined in fur and has a hood. My father would have called my rain coat a slicker. With a business suit I wear my Chesterfield coat which is a full length wool coat in a grey herringbone pattern. I have a similar black wool coat I also sometimes wear over my business suit but if it rains I wear a trench coat. I've always thought that what distinguishes a jacket from a coat was length. If it stops at the waist it's a jacket. I have a leather jacket for chilly days in a casual occasion. I wear a canvas jacket for outdoor work where I might get it dirty. I wear a windbreaker over layers of clothes if it is a chilly windy day. Mine has a hood but not all do. If it is not windy or rainy but a little chilly I might wear a hoodie which is a sweatshirt with a hood. For the few occasions when I might wear black tie I would wear an over coat which is a fine weave wool coat that has a silk like shine and comes below the tails by a few inches and has a vent in the back. My grandfather called any coat that covered or protected garments an over coat. Mine is designed strictly for covering formal wear and taking off and handing to the coat check before walking into the venue. Now, despite my description of a jacket above, if is a coat that you wear under another coat it's called a jacket but if it's blue and has brass buttons and is worn casually it's called a blazer. That is what we called all that for the most part in New England

[@GustavoLadeira42]

I will never forget when I was asked about the Scottish cold and answered with "It's so cold here! I have a good coat but my pants are not holding the heat inside." It took me one week to understand why everybody was so shocked with my answer.

[@crunch1757]

Also when they say vest they mean bodywarmer and a brace is also what americans call a retainer but braces (the ones on teeth are the same)

[@TheMinnie419]

My grandmother used to use words like Braces, Pants, petticoats, waistcoats , and shirt waists, etc. which were British words to her. He mother and grandmother were from London. I used to think that these words were funny but you just explained them to me. Thanks.

[@sergeantbigmac]

Funny enough, the picture you showed of pants is what most in the US would ironically enough call trousers and/or slacks because they looked more formal. Pants is more of a term for casual wear like jeans or khakis. Also ive heard more people use the term waistcoat over here. And finally, tennis and sneaker and running shoes are all subtly different types of shoes.

[@hootmanwillie]

aye, you got it right this time, this is why I've been having trouble in Canada lol I wear braces with my kilt because of my fat belly, a belt just keeps slipping down to my hips where I would normally wear trousers so to save embarrassing moments, I wear braces, just like the Regiments did back in the day. Thanks for sharing

[@laurenbeck9088]

y'all are soo formal

[@poohbearsmom7025]

I think it's worth mentioning that in the US a "jumper" is a type of dress worn by young girls. The kind that she would have to wear a shirt or blouse underneath. I also grew up thinking trousers and pants were synonyms...not that the word "trousers" was strictly British. As an American with British friends, I was most confused by the word "kit," worn by athletes. In America, we call it a "uniform," but uniforms are also worn by school children, grocery store workers, etc. When I hear the word "kit," I think of first aid! Lol!

[@poohbearsmom7025]

Also, boots v. cleats when referring to athletic shoes worn for football/soccer.

[@WanderlustVegans]

Canadians say runners or running shoes. I think some Americans do too? Also I've noticed in the UK people say Fizzy Drinks when they are talking about soft drinks or pop as I'd say.

[@deepblue1909]

i loved it

[@ParaditeRs]

I knew most of these mostly because I talk to a few British people quite often on skype but this was still fascinating to me lol. Also, I would totally wear a tank-top, or a vest as you guys call it, to a wedding. Just to be that guy.