American Reacts to Common British Idioms (expressions and sayings)

Check out me and my twin brother reacting TOGETHER here:
/ @ryanandtyler
Idioms, sayings, and expressions are some of the most entertaining things you can learn about another country. That is exactly why I am very interested in learning some British idioms that I have never heard before in my life. I imagine due to the nature of expression I am going to have a very difficult time guessing what these mean, but that is half the fun. If you enjoyed the video feel free to leave a comment, like, or subscribe for more!

[@mdx7460]

Northerners grew up hearing ‘ITS LIKE BLACKPOOL ILLUMINATIONS IN HERE’ (all the lights have been left on)

[@jaytucker8834]

Down south, my dad's was 'house looks like a bloody Christmas tree'

[@pandauk2538]

This is still used in my house since we live in Blackpool 🤣

[@susancullum6427]

I use it all the time in my house 😊

[@lesleygore5106]

Best & most accurate meaning, especially now a days.

[@drwhatson]

That's more of a Lancashire simile, of which there are many hilarious examples. :-D

[@LisaLearmont95]

"Not my cup of tea" makes perfect sense! Everyone takes their tea differently, so it might not be how you take your tea, but it might be someone else's perfect cup, just swap out tea for whatever activity or product you want 😌

[@timefliesaway999]

Yup

[@davidshipp623]

Yes that’s it. I think there is an extra dimension in our heads though due to the emotional attachment many of us have to ‘our’ cup of tea. It’s the only way that makes truly feel the comfort. The saying works so well because of this implied understanding.

[@ralphm6901]

Exactly - some people prefer tea with milk, some without milk. My father used to drink China tea, which was nearly clear, slightly green-tinged, nothing like the normal brownish tea color.

[@williannetan]

This is true. British used to drink black tea or different types of loose tea. Now normal tea is with milk. Everyone has a different taste in their drink but tea is very common hence i think it make sense if that make sense :D 😂

[@catherinemartin6258]

Exactly good example

[@Beastlys]

I remember when I was a kid I would leave doors open and my mum would say. "Was you born in a barn" or "Born in a field" lol. Anyone else get that a lot.

[@mattsmith5421]

Didn't everyone get asked born in barn?

[@kimwilson3863]

Or "put the wood in the hole".

[@helenb1374]

Yup, I grew up with that but when I moved to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire (UK) I learnt "are you from Warsop" instead.

[@tonys1636]

My reply to that as a kid was, "If I was, I'd have known to shut it". Followed by a clip round the ear for being cheeky!

[@crimsonwizard2560]

Born in a field.

[@richardcarter5082]

Its funny hearing Tyler tell us the idioms he thinks are American but are probably English. Cold feet is definitely English.

[@marksimmons5665]

Just to clarify. “Beat around the bush” has been part of the English language for a long time. Its earliest appearance is in a Medieval poem found in Generydes, a Romance in Seven-Line Stanzas by W. Aldis Wright. While this book was edited and published in the 1800s, the poem itself is from the 1440s. Source: Google

[@lindylou7853]

“Did a runner”, can also mean skipped out on your family eg “He did a runner when he found out his GF was pregnant” or “The bride didn’t turn up at the wedding. She did a runner.”

[@cliffbird5016]

another i had a lot was ppl doing a runner instead of paying their taxi fare. pull up where they went to get out and they jump out and run without paying the fare. Had 1 that didnt even wait for me stop. they opened the door jumped out and ran while i was doing about 10mph. lots of taxi drivers get customers who do runners.

[@paulcaswell2813]

@@cliffbird5016 Walking out of a job rather than facing a disciplinary.

[@sampeeps3371]

My favourite is telling someone that they're a big girls blouse.

[@lukespooky]

big fan of "tart" myself

[@lizbignell7813]

Apple, treacle or Bakewell?

[@lizbignell7813]

Good idea.

[@EastwoodHilfiger]

or a 'wet girls blouse'!

[@Barrheedyin]

Goodness have not heard that in years

[@Jubilee1989]

Donkey's years can be shortened to just Donkey's... "I've not seen you in Donkey's!"

[@Paul-hl8yg]

So true lol 👍

[@HeidiSholl]

Also Yonks 😂

[@jog1546]

I was just about to say that! This video is going on for donkeys 😝

[@Codex7777]

'Down Under' was definitely a British idiom first. Australia was a British colony after all. Australians (who were nearly all Brits, originally) also use the term to refer to themselves. I think it only became a popular term in other places as Australian culture began to be more known worldwide, from the 70s and 80s onwards. In contrast, Australia has been relatively prominent in British culture, compared to most other countries. :)

[@SpiritmanProductions]

Regarding 'not my cup of tea': There's a subtle difference between disliking something and simply not finding it appealing. The expression generally means it doesn't appeal, but you might still do it if you have to, or if someone wants you to join them. But you wouldn't choose it for yourself.

[@maxlothar9719]

Good point. Of course, you wouldn't want to offend them.

[@eileencritchley4630]

yes that's how I use it for instance love Rap music however only certain Rap artist so if someone knows I love Rap they might ask about a certain Rap artist and I might say' 'oh he's not my cup of tea'.

[@aimee9668]

In the UK we also say "It's raining cats and dogs" or "It's pissing it down" when we have bad rain. We don't really say "cheap as dirt" here but we do say something is "dirt cheap"

[@reggy_h]

You can also say for heavy rain, "It's raining stair rods" or "It's coming down straight". If you don't know, stair rods here are what we use (or used to use) to keep the stair carpet in place. A long straight metal rod.

[@christineharding4190]

@@johnjohn5315 I have! Used it many times.

[@simonpowell2559]

@John John I think cheap as chips is a modern one (Dickinson's real deal is the only time I have heard it.) Dirt cheap is as old as the hills.

[@edhamacek2469]

In Australia when it is raining heavily we tend to say it is bucketing down or coming down in buckets.

[@countesscable]

@@edhamacek2469 We use this in Wales, along with ‘Chucking down’ ‘Raining Golf Balls’ ‘Coming down in sheets’ ‘emptying down’ plus a few rude ones.

[@sarahealey178]

I feel so sorry for people who learn English and then come to England and think they can speak to us. 🤣🤣

[@maxlothar9719]

I was in a shop with an American girl and said I needed to get some loo roll. She said "Eh? What's that?". Love these differences of the same language.

[@jenObu1]

​@@maxlothar9719bog roll

[@SpiritmanProductions]

We also have a line of phrases describing something useless: • As useful as a chocolate teapot • As useful as an inflatable dartboard • As useful as a handbrake on a canoe • As useful as an ashtray on a motorbike • As useful as an accordion player on a deer hunt etc. 😉

[@KoshTimeStepper]

"As useful as a chocolate fire guard" was mostly used in our house lol

[@daneelolivaw602]

How about, As useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.

[@SpiritmanProductions]

@@daneelolivaw602 Why have you repeated the fourth one in my list? 👀

[@daneelolivaw602]

@@SpiritmanProductions Because I can't read.

[@Goddzi]

“About as much use as a one-legged man in an a*** kicking contest” is a personal favourite 😂

[@lindylou7853]

In the late 1800s, the then Prime Minister (Robert Gascoyne-Cecil) appointed his nephew, Arthur Balfour, as Minister of Ireland. (Arthur was PM later on, too.) Arthur referred to the Prime Minister publicly as, “Uncle Bob”. Hence, “Bob’s your uncle”, meaning things will come more easily to you … as you’ve got relatives in high places. The full saying is, “Bob’s your uncle and Fanny’s your aunt”. But that Bob wasn’t married to someone called Fanny, so the full phrase doesn’t make much sense, although one of his daughters was named Fanny.

[@paulcaswell2813]

The last PM to govern from the Upper House.

[@Monica_bondevik]

Honestly I think “everything went tits up “ is easier to use that “everything went pear shaped” Also “not my cup of tea “ makes more sense when you realise everyone likes there tea in slightly different ways

[@Paralyzed187]

I've never said "it's all gone pear shaped" has always been "it's all gone tits up" just rolls off the toungue better and sounds abit more British. 😂

[@rudacr]

I tend to use 'tit's up' rather than 'pear-shaped' too. I also like the phrase 'going arse over tit' for falling over!

[@davidmowbray6352]

I like "arse over tit", the phrase is pretty good as well.

[@rudacr]

@@davidmowbray6352 😂 took me a while but I finally got there!

[@iainrollo3525]

Or it’s all gone Pete Tong

[@Codex7777]

We don't tend to say 'cheap as dirt' but 'dirt cheap' is a very common phrase in the UK and Ireland.

[@cpmahon]

Don't forget that many phrases are hundreds of years old and so they would have traveled to America with anyone that spoke English. Whilst searching for the origin of a piece of cake you said quit beating around the bush. The only difference is we would say stop rather that quit but that saying is from the 15th century. We do also use sayings that come from the States such as bet your bottom dollar or ballpark figure.

[@cheryla7480]

As a Canadian, having a mum who was an English war bride, I grew up with most of these expressions.

[@crazycatlover1885]

I also like "[person] could [blank] for England" often it's "talk for England" but in any case usually describes somebody doing something a lot, often to an annoying extent. eg. "He could complain for England".

[@majorlaff8682]

'Beating around the bush' was followed by 'cut to the chase'. Gamekeepers and hired men were to beat the bushes and flush the game (birds for shooting). After the birds took off, the men were then to get back to the chase and keep the birds in flight as they neared the hunters.

[@keith.morgan]

I'd say itchy feet is the opposite to cold feet. As you say if you have cold feet you get scared or holdback doing something, whereas itchy feet means you're keen or excited (can't wait) to do something.

[@personalcheeses8073]

Correct

[@seeyouanon2931]

To me " itchy feet" means eager to travel, can't stay in the same place and have to move on.

[@davidhicks5645]

always makes me laugh when americans say they are amazed we share so many sayings/idioms/words. Its like they don't realise they speak our language that the proceeded to dumb down quite substantially.

[@russ838]

it's like they don't realise that they've only been a separate entity for a couple hundred years, too, on language timescales, that's basically 10 minutes

[@sallycostello8379]

As well as saying 'I can't sing to save my life ' you could also say 'I can't sing for toffee' - same thing!

[@SpeakMouthWords]

That one is a little outdated - you don't really hear many younger people saying that. It's at risk of dying out.

[@dylanmurphy9389]

@@SpeakMouthWordsmaybe I’m old now but everyone said that when I was in school 10 years ago

[@seeyouanon2931]

No disrespect, but no one can speak on behalf of the whole country as to whether certain things are still said or done etc. Maybe from your own personal experience of those you have been in contact with may not use the expression, but that doesn't mean joe blogs 10 miles down the road has stopped using it. Also if you are around different age groups, alot of the older expressions will still be in circulation and the younger generation wil probably have heard them. And to be fair , there is regional saying/expressions as well.

[@seeyouanon2931]

@Sally I have heard the expression " I can't sing ( or something else) for toffee ". Personally I say " I can't lie to save my life " . Because I have a very expressionate face and eyes that would dob me in lol

[@shininglightphotos1044]

I'd also say I can't sing 'for love nor money'

[@paulrobson7887]

Donkey’s ears is Cockney rhyming slang for years but over time it’s become a bit muddled and we now say donkey’s years. We also just say ‘donkies’. We also say ‘yonks’ to mean the same thing which comes from the same origin. ‘I haven’t seen him for yonks’ 😊

[@idontusetwitter]

I'm not sure that's entirely true....

[@angelaharris6577]

Yes I've heard the expression "haven't seen him for yonks"

[@lesleygordon9634]

I thought it was cos donkeys lived a very long time.

[@shininglightphotos1044]

Apparently the very slow moving crank that dockers used to use to lift goods onto a ship was called a donkey (probably like the wheels that donkeys or even camels walk around, operating a winch). As it moved so slowly it became described as taking donkeys years.

[@Yeshua888Lord]

Yes yonks

[@nikmych300]

My dad always said “ it’s a bombsite” or “a bombs hit it” to describe a room being messy.

[@SteveWhipp]

"Not my cup of tea" is actually quite subtle. It gets used in circumstances where it's not a strong dislike, but more of a preference. So whilst you're not totally averse to the idea, it's not something you prefer.

[@lindylou7853]

A lot of British sayings relate to the navy … “Hell’s bells and buckets of blood” = anger. “He’s three sheets to the wind” = drunk. “He’s swinging the lead” = seafarer’s expression for being idle, feigning sickness or generally not making much effort. Measuring depth and the construction of the seabed involved lowering a knotted rope over the side of the ship with a lead weight at the end, covered with soft wax - there was a knot every yard and the wax was dropped on the sea floor to see if the seabed was sandy or rocky. The sailor swinging the lead got the easiest job on board ship, sitting down and taking things easy.

[@brigidsingleton1596]

Which is exactly how the Challenger Deep in the Marianna Trench got its name. From the ship, the 'Challenger' which was sent from Britain in the 19th century to measure how deep the oceans were. What a job ?!! It must have taken "ages". 😮🤔🥺😊❤️🖖

[@williamsimpson5808]

You almost got it right

[@freewheelinfranklin6201]

A knot every 'Fathom' (6 feet).

[@Dan-B]

“Not my cup of tea” doesn’t necessarily always mean a negative, just that it isn’t a positive; you don’t actively dislike something, it isn’t to your preference or “your thing” (eg. a way of making a cup of tea isn’t to your preference. You don’t actively dislike a type of music, it just isn’t your cup of tea) A more British variant of “A piece of cake” would be “A piece of piss” 😝 My favourite idiom/saying is “That’s Sod’s Law”/describing something as “Sod’s Law”, as it’s very British. It’s the literal opposite of serendipity. i.e. Ordered bad luck (eg. It’s sod’s law that it rains on the day that your umbrella breaks, because of cause it happens then, it’s sod’s law) “Sod” meaning a person that you’re annoyed by; the universe is being a sod to you in that moment.

[@jasonbrown9327]

I think in America they have a version of Sod's law but they say "murphy;s law" instead.

[@fayesouthall6604]

It’s like saying a tv show isn’t my cup of tea.

[@Zill7711]

Yes, and it also is an acknowledgment that it may well be someone else’s cup of tea, I don’t like it but other may.

[@zenonorth1193]

Canada: "it's raining beavers and moose." (Protective eqpt. required.)

[@austinfallen]

Not meaning to lower the tone, but at least where I live (I can’t speak for the rest of the country) you are more likely to hear piece of piss, instead of piece of cake. Don’t ask me why lol

[@lukespooky]

alliteration, like cheap as chips

[@frankhooper7871]

That came to my mind too LOL.

[@Codex7777]

"Do a runner" is applied much more widely than just leaving a restaurant without paying, lol. I'm not sure why he was fixated on that. It can be used in any stuation where somebody has left or disappeared. Usually, but not always, to avoid an awkward, or unpleasant situation, as well as in a criminal context of having stolen something or committed a crime and then 'done a runner'. It definitely doesn't just involve unpaid bills in restaurants. :)

[@andrewwilliams2353]

"He scarpered" used to be used for the same thing - Women of a flirty and licentious nature who went from man to man were called "Bolters" - after the equestrian set and their flighty horses

[@peterrobinson3168]

I have a book from the 1930s which was issued to RAF recruits. In the back is a glossary of RAF slang. "In the Drink" = Crashed in the sea. "A Blonde Job" = A young lady with fair hair. "Shot down in Flames" = Failed in a romantic encounter. "Pranged" = Crashed your plane. Most RAF pilots in that era went to posh schools and they brought their schoolboy slang with them. 😄

[@eileencritchley4630]

We use prang for a slight car accident oh dear pranged the car today.

[@jerry2357]

We have an English expression which means the same as “raining cats and dogs”, which I was reminded about by the Greek expression you read out: “It’s coming down in stair rods”. Stair rods were rods about 1/2” diameter, used for securing carpet on stairs (much more common in the past than currently). So the image of rain coming down in solid jets rather than individual droplets really gets the message across.

[@billyhills9933]

In France they might say 'il pleut des hallebardes' - it's raining polearms. More similar to the Greek phrase than the English one.

[@laurabailey1054]

We use the raining cats and dogs too in Canada

[@crimsonwizard2560]

In Scotland we have "it's pishing doon".

[@fenellainnis7216]

@@crimsonwizard2560 😂

[@leestirling4623]

@@crimsonwizard2560 Yeh lol true. I lived in Scotland at one point too and in school I heard them say its bolting dune.

[@Paul-hl8yg]

We use the idiom 'cold feet' too. As in, he didn't show up, he got cold feet. Having 'itchy feet' is when say, a person cannot stay in one place for long.

[@marythurlow9132]

You're felling restless and want a change.

[@Paul-hl8yg]

@@marythurlow9132 Yes, other meanings exist for this term. Say someone in a relationship that is unhappy & wants to finish that relationship. A friend may say to them "Oh got itchy feet have you". Meaning wanting to move on, fed up of the present situation. 👍

[@helensmusings]

@@marythurlow9132 also described as wanderlust 😊, I don't know why but I love that word lol

[@corringhamdepot4434]

I would mostly say "It's all gone pear shaped!" when something planed goes wrong. Also "Rotten as a pear" for something falling apart. Like a rusty car or rotten wood. "He did a runner" is more somebody who disappears to avoid taking the consequences of their actions. Like broke something, stole something or didn't repay a debt. We used to say "It's coming down in stair rods" for very heavy rain. Back when stair rods were used to hold down stair carpets on every tread.

[@tonys1636]

The beauty of stair rods to attach the stair carpet rater than the adhesive tape often used for foam backed carpets is that if extra carpet length is hidden under the hall or landing carpet it can be moved up or down the width of a tread to even out wear, the same can be done if gripper strips used.

[@streetender1878]

another way of saying pear shaped is to say fallen sideways

[@geolgirl]

Donkey's Years - it’s an old docker’s term. When people put things on a ship, they used a crank called a donkey. They were very slow and when they were asked how long it would take, they said “donkey’s years”. We love watching your videos, it's so funny to see how different our two countries are!! Keep it up :D

[@margaretbamford7176]

I thought it was because donkeys are very hardy and live a long time, compared to, say, hansom cab or cart horses in earlier times.

[@maxthecat14]

If that is true, I have learned something today, which is always good.

[@andybaker2456]

We wouldn't say something is "cheap as dirt", but we might describe something as "dirt cheap". To be honest, I'd never heard the expression "cheap as chips" until fairly recently when a famous TV presenter started using it. Fellow Brits will know who I mean!

[@LouLou10000]

I don't know who you mean and I'm a brit

[@andybaker2456]

@@LouLou10000 I'm guessing you never watched Bargain Hunt! David Dickenson.

[@dib000]

Been in usage for about 40 years +

[@wallythewondercorncake8657]

I've heard cheap as muck

[@stephenlee5929]

@@dib000 Hi, longer than that, I had forgotten it was a David Dickenson phrase, but it was in use before that. I think it feels less offensive (derogatory) than dirt cheap.

[@N.T_Destroyer]

Another way to use "do a runner" is if somebody is being arrested and ran away, you would say "he's done a runner".

[@jamgart6880]

As a Brit I know and use all these idioms. However, I also do not know where they come from and would have also liked it if he gave an origin/background to each of them.

[@erineross1671]

I’m Canadian, and I grew up saying “Donkey’d years” or “a donkey’s age”. Many British idioms are common in Canada, especially to those of us who grew up with few channels and we watched BBC everyday.

[@dee2251]

You wouldn’t believe how many of these idioms and sayings, also now used in America too as well as here, come from Shakespeare. He invented over 2,000 words and idioms. Check out the poem ‘Quoting Shakespeare’. People also now replace it’s all gone pear shaped with the rhyming slang ‘Its all gone Pete Tong’ meaning it’s all gone wrong, but that’s the modern version. ‘Piss poor’ came from the idiom ‘He doesn’t have a pot to piss in’ from medieval times when there were no toilets and people kept a pot or potty under the bed to relieve themselves during the night. If someone was extremely poor they may not have been able to afford to even be able to buy one. Piss is definitely a very old English word. As rare as hen’s teeth is another one. We say Dirt cheap. ‘It’s sending me around the bend’ means something or a situation is driving me mad. Cold feet is said here too for the same reasons. In fact we had a wonderful tv series called ‘Cold Feet’. There are literally hundreds of idioms originating from England.

[@Lily_The_Pink972]

We also say It's gone tits up, but that's a bit crude!

[@bunnyrox5769]

Being "too poor to have a pot to piss in" meant you couldn't even sell your own piss to the local tannery to be used in hide processing for leather.

[@eloisewarren8457]

We also use the idiom "do a runner" when talking about a parent that leaves and gives no contact details to avoid parental responsibilities. E.g. Todd did a runner leaving behind his wife and child.

[@Add1ct666]

An easy one : "To go Dutch". I think it's used both sides of the pond, means to split the bill (check) at a restaurant.

[@joyfulzero853]

Using "Pardon my French" rather than another language I think is down to the fact that French was one foreign language that was roughly learnt by many British servicemen in WWI and WWII and was the one language you could guarantee would be taught in British State schools from the 1950s onwards. It's been different for a long time now, but these things tend to to get passed down the generations.

[@rudacr]

I'm just a typical, average Brit, here to comment and confirm that all of these idioms are used daily up and down the country. I didn't particularly agree with the guy's explanation for 'do a runner' in the restaurant setting, I don't think i've ever known anyone to do that but i'm sure it happens. But it is used in the sense of someone running away from something to avoid consequence. Another popular British idiom is 'Bottling it', i.e, 'he bottled it', meaning he lost the confidence to do something. For instance, my wife and I went SCUBA diving on our honeymoon but as soon as I got in the water, I bottled it and had to sit on a rock on the beach for 40 minutes while my new wife went off with some random Greek bloke (thankfully, he was fat and beardy, so I didn't get too jealous!)

[@rudacr]

@@MrPercy112 no, but I did feel like a right plonker!

[@mskatonic7240]

3:57 - that's exactly it! A Brit will truly enjoy and look forward to their cup of tea, so something they like is metaphorically just like their cup of tea. And something they're not keen on... isn't. It is occasionally used in a positive sense but the negative one is more common.

[@marcushull12]

My dad used to say, "you`d make a good door but not a very good window" meaning you were blocking a view, usually the TV lol

[@Donizen1]

Everyone of those are well known in Australia and probably every Commonwealth country. We do not use across the pond much obviously, though we could refer to the Pacific Ocean I guess as the pond too.

[@carolineskipper6976]

'For Donkey's Years' is fairly common in the UK, and everyone will know what you mean. It wouldn't be used for anything less than a year or so- not a couple of weeks as he suggests. 'Doing a runner' is not specifically about restaurants- but it is a fairly common example. Someone who is guilty of doing a dodgy deal might 'do a runner' before his victims catch up with him, meaning he disappears without trace (or at least attempt to).

[@Ray_Vun]

i mean, apparently donkeys can live up to 40 years, which is 10 years longer than a horse. so donkey's years basically translates to "a lifetime" because it's a really long time. dog's years could also make sense, not because dogs live for a long time but because of that whole dog years is human years times 7 myth

[@pamelajohnston5003]

Doing a runner maybe started with people going 'on the run' escaping consequences, trying to avoid the law

[@streetender1878]

we dont say donkeys years, more likely we just say for donkeys

[@pureholy]

Had a good innings - lived a long life. On a sticky wicket - in a tricky situation. Spend a penny - to go to the loo (rest room). Gordon Bennett! - ‘what the hell!’ or simmer. Bob’s your uncle (Fanny’s your aunt, Robert’s your father’s brother) - ‘there you go/all done/there you have it/it’s easy’. Hank Marvin - hungry (Hank Marvin rhymes with starving). Tonto - crazy/mad, as in ‘He’s gone totally Tonto’. ‘Doing porridge’ or ‘staying at his /her Majesty’s pleasure’ - in prison.

[@Joanna-il2ur]

Gordon Bennett was a racing driver in the 1920s. Saying God as ‘gawd’ was considered vulgar, so extending it to Gordon Bennett was what the call taboo deformation.

[@gdj6298]

@@Joanna-il2ur He was also a bit of hellraiser - one of his favourite things was, when leaving a restaurant, to attempt the tablecloth trick at each table he passed - with mixed success - so his name may also have become an exclamation by that path too !

[@GrimmjowBunny]

Being told "You make a better door than a window". Meaning standing in the way of something. Usually in the way of the TV. Haha

[@janemcdonald5372]

Across The Pond also also refers to the Pacific Ocean, ie Australia to the Americas. Bonus fun fact: From Australia to New Zealand (Tasman Sea) is called Across the Ditch.

[@glenndouglas458]

As is between England and France

[@UTubeAngelique]

We also say ‘it’s gone a bit Pete Tong’ only because it’s rhyming slang for ‘wrong’. He’s actually a lovely person and a famous DJ but he’s very sweet and down-to-Earth… it’s just he had the perfect name for rhyming slang! He just has to take it on the chin! He’s not only famous for being a DJ but more so famous for one of our favourite British sayings.

[@tonycasey3183]

"I can't draw to save my life" can also be said as "I can't draw for toffee"

[@markthomas2577]

In your example of the bridegroom having cold feet you might say 'he done a runner'!. We also use 'cold feet' in the same way you do

[@dylanmurphy9389]

Imagine thinking “for goodness sake” was American. It’s the most British sounding thing ever

[@mattruzh8470]

Yeah, somewhat annoying and revealing of his lack of knowledge of history.

[@stevetournay6103]

There used to be a small bistro in my hometown that was named Pardon My French. Of course it featured French cuisine...always liked that name.

[@nevillemason6791]

I remember seeing a fast-food shop that sold burgers named: 'burger off'. I think 'they missed a trick' (another common idiom!) as it was in Uckfield. It should have been called: 'Uck off'.

[@sameebah]

Growing up in the UK, I'm used to these - but when I started learning Thai idioms, it opened my eyes (or ears) to how confusing these might seem to non-UK folks 🙃

[@LouLou10000]

We have the expression 'dirt cheap' in England . Considering the history , the age of our nation's, I think you'll discover almost if not all the expressions in your video started in the UK. We have ' cold feet' too and it means the same thing. Also, remember that the French occupied England for 300 years and tried to wipe out our language so the be heard speakibg french in working class circles was probably a bad thing here or speaking French after we regained our freedom from them, for historical context

[@insoft_uk]

French kind of succeeded wiping out English as modern English has it’s roots in old French. They is a video that describes what letters to change in a French word to change it to what we today call English

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

@@insoft_uk no, it has its roots in old German, it is INFLUENCED by Norman French.

[@tonys1636]

@@insoft_uk It wasn't modern standard French but Norman French, France being a collection of Dukedoms at that time all speaking a related but not standardised language. Ruled by a Monarch but semi independent. The same feudal system that the Normans brought over.

[@laurabailey1054]

We use dirt cheap in Canada too

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

@Dj O.B it comes from degeneracy... I blame Bonaparte! 😉 (only joking French people, I love you really)

[@joyfulzero853]

"For goodness sake" is a very common expression in Britain to express exasperation, frustration, etc. It immediately makes me think of the opening line of the pop song 'Hippy Hippy Shake': "For goodness sake, I've got the hippy, hippy shake" that was performed by the Beatles in their early club days (1962-63) and was a very big chart success for another Liverpool band, the 'Swinging Blue Jeans" in late 1963. Interestingly the song was actually written by an American rock and roll performer, Chan Romero, in 1959.

[@zaphodbeeblebrox6627]

You were pretty accurate when you said ‘Donkey’s Ears’ to start with. I believe original expression comes from the fact that Donkey’s ears ARE long, but somewhere along the way the ‘Ears’ became skewed into ‘Years’ and it just became the accepted term for this indium.

[@andybaker2456]

Yes, that's my understanding too.

[@insidious82]

I thought it was cockney rhyming slang 🤔

[@insidious82]

Well this is what Wikipedia says... 1923, from donkey's ears, which is rhyming slang for years.[1] That is, donkey's ears is rhyming slang, replacing years with ears, while donkey's years reverts to years, with donkey acting as emphasis. “Donkey’s ears” implies “a long time” because donkey’s ears are long, while “donkey’s years” is supported by the belief that donkeys live a long time.

[@stephanstreet2160]

That's the explanation I know too. Thanks for writing all that. But I know it to be said as just "Donkeys" on its own. IE not seen you in Donkeys

[@VickyF_]

Sods law goes hand in hand with pear shaped lol. "Bloody sods law, been waiting donkeys years for this, and now it's all gone pear shaped" Lol

[@joannemoore3976]

We have the expression cold feet too. In your example, the bridegroom gets cold feet and does a runner 🤣

[@ElizabethDebbie24]

HI TYLER DEBRA HERE FROM SOUTH WALES UK We in the UK also say "stop beating around the bush", it is a common idiom here too. As is "dime a dozen", I am in my late 50s and I cannot remember a time when I haven't heard these sayings, they are really common here in the UK. We also say cold feet, if you are afraid of something. Itchy feet means you are fed up of something or being in a particular place and want to go on a journey and experience new things. One of my favourite sayings is "I believe you, thousands wouldn't" meaning that you do not really belive what that person has just told you for example: PERSON A - I met a martian down town today. PERSON B - yeah, yeah, yeah, I believe you thousands wouldn't. We also say for something that is cheap, "oh it was dirt cheap". If something is horrible looking we also say "it was cheap and nasty", as in "did you notice her shoes gosh they were cheap and nasty looking". When it is raining nastily we say "gosh it's raining cats and dogs" meaning it is teaming down with rain. My grandmother also used to say about a wind that makes you really cold "that it would rather go through you than around you".

[@frankhooper7871]

Idioms by definition aren't meant literally and rarely make much sense. It's also quite rare for their origins to be known. As an opposite to 'donkey's years' my Nan use to say 'in two shakes of a donkey's hind rudder' basically meaning quite soon LOL - I've heard this too a 'two shakes of a lamb's tail'

[@brigidsingleton1596]

I used to have a "rough 'n' ready" boss who (somewhat crudely) who would frequently say, "two shakes of a dog's c*ck !!" 😮... I've never heard anyone else use _that_ phrase since then... (in the 1970's) lol ?!😊

[@edwinakastner8806]

Answer: It's an old docker's term. When people put things on a ship, they used a crank called a donkey. They were very slow and when they were asked how long it would take, they said “donkey's years”.

[@sarahealey178]

Everyone takes their tea differently I like mine week and sweet my nan has her black no sugar, so that's not my cup of tea, it just transferred to everything else in life.

[@dawn5227]

Exactly, tea is a personal preference. I like mine strong and sweet just a dash of milk.

[@stevengreenstock6095]

In Scotland its common to hear someone ask you if you were raised up or dragged up if you displayed bad manners in front of them

[@andrewwells3367]

The video is badly titled. These are just English language idioms and can be found anywhere that English is spoken.

[@paulharvey9149]

It's little wonder we have some common idioms, as we speak a common language! For instance, we also have "don't beat about the bush," and one not so far mentioned is "several sandwiches short of a picnic," which means "that person is stupid," or "he's not well educated, or a bit thick...". Actually, it might have its origins in a derogatory term to describe someone with learning difficulties - so we'd better not go there! On a similar vein is "away with the fairies," which might describe anything from daydreaming to heavily intoxicated or even psychotic, though as relatively few people experience the last one first-hand, it tends to be more general... To "Paint the town red" means to have a really good night out with your friends, possibly drinking all your money and behaving in a risque manner as a consequence. I think the 'donkey's years' one refers to how donkeys used to be literally worked until they dropped - and so, donkeys had particularly long, hard, lives - literally working from as soon as they were able to carry something until they weren't - as in, "ready for the knacker's yard" or dying. The restaurant thing is a bad example - it is more likely that a child does a runner from school or, perhaps we do a runner from a boring party, and the like. Doing a runner without paying for something is normally called theft! In Scotland, we often describe cold weather as "Baltic," though as the coldest (and thankfully rarest) weather fronts do come from that direction, I expect that might be your origin... We also "gi(v)e it laldy," which means to have a really good go at something or someone, especially if it involves remonstrating. For example, "We a' gie'd Boris (Johnson, when he became Prime Minister) laldy when he come ae' see Nicola (Sturgeon, the First Minister of the Scottish Government) at Bute House!" (Her Official Residence in Edinburgh - opposite which several hundred demonstrators Boo'ed him so loudly that he later left by another door to avoid enduring it all a second time!).

[@jang3412]

An English friend of mine who'd spent time in Australia used to say 'Not my bag' - instead of 'not my cup of tea'. So I guess her bag was my cut of tea!

[@allenwilliams1306]

“A piece of cake” and “to go pear-shaped” are both RAF slang terms, the former is an easy mission, the latter is something going terribly wrong. It derives from the shape an aeroplane went if it nose-dives into the ground, forward fuselage and wings a crumpled heap at the bottom gradually getting thinner as you look upwards to the tail sticking out of the top. Planes did not travel as fast as they do now: they didn't simply disintegrate and scatter wreckage over a wide area. There are many other RAF-inspired phrases. “To go for a Burton” is to die, originally, to be killed, or, of a thing, to cease to exist or function. Example: [On entering the pilot's mess] “Where's Tim?” “Went for a Burton yesterday over the Channel, I'm afraid”. The phrase is most commonly said to have been a reverse adaptation of the earlier phrase “to go for a Burton Ale”, explaining a temporary absence to have a pint or two. [Burton-upon-Trent was packed to the gills with breweries and famous for pale ale.] Of course, the absence in the idiomatic sense was quite the reverse of temporary. Switches and control buttons were nicknamed “tits” in the RAF. Guns in fighter aircraft were activated by pressing a button, or tit, so “press the tit” came to mean more generally, to do something decisive and, if given as an instruction, to do it immediately. “To go tits-up” means for something to go disastrously wrong. Switches in aircraft were down for “on”, and a number of them needed to be down for the aircraft to work. If an aircraft went “tits-up” it meant it could no longer be flown, and it would inevitably crash, or, at the best, crash-landed. The services are a fruitful source of idioms. My dad was in the army in WW2, and he learned and continued to use very many, which he taught me, and I use. Two I like particularly are: “If you can't shit, get off the pot”, which means, generally, if you have been trying for some time to achieve something and failed, it is time to desist, and let someone else have a go. The other is “To bang like a shithouse door in the night”, which has two applications, the first direct: it is simply persistently to make a loud annoying noise (especially at a quiet time). The other is less literal, and hinges on the alternative use of “to bang”, which is “to fuck” (pardon my French), so “she bangs like a shithouse door” means “she is an incredibly good and easy fuck”.

[@johnp8131]

As an ex-RAF Armourer I can confirm most of these.

[@davidgilfillan]

How about "Doing a moonlight flit" meaning to disappear in the dead of night, leaving your debts unpaid e.g. "My tenant did a moonlight flit, he owed three month's rent"

[@speleokeir]

You hear 'Moonlit flit' too which I prefer as it rhymes.

[@kwlkid85]

What country is that from because I've never heard it in Britain

[@speleokeir]

@@kwlkid85 I first heard it at uni where if someone had a dodgy landlord who for instance never fixed the broken boiler leaving them with no heating or hot water, they'd refuse to pay the rent then find somewhere new and do a 'moonlit flit'. I noticed it tended to be my Irish and northern friends that used it most.

[@davidgilfillan]

@@kwlkid85 I am in the UK, probably likely to be said by older people (must admit haven't heard it recently)

[@warrenmills7127]

Apparently, it was derived from potters when they were trying to make items like vases, urns, etc. If the clay object started to lose its form it went 'pear shaped' and had to be scrapped.

[@margaretbamford7176]

I thought it might be from hot air balloons, pear-shaped is not good. Common expression on The Bill, wasn't it?

[@olwynmason7788]

If you got cold feet you could do a runner.

[@gastrickbunsen1957]

This side of the pond, it isn't "as cheap as dirt" but it's "dirt cheap." In the Midlands "yonks" means a long time. And N.Ireland uses "piece of cake" but the expression, "wee buns" is also used for something that is easy, or for showing joy that you've achieved something.

[@emmahowells8334]

Beating around the bush is also a saying in the UK too. We also use the cold feet saying to in the uk, also in the context of a wedding too Tyler.

[@AriMalatesta]

"My cup of tea" is in the sense of "not my type of tea" , that everybody likes something, but maybe not English Breakfast instead of Earl Grey tea., or black coffee instead of Capuccino. The "pardon my French" thing is because French was used as an intellectual and kind of elegant and pedantic language by the upper classes, so you´re basically being sarcastic about the language you use (as in "excuse my elegance, but f*** off"!*) . As for the ones the OP left off I like "It tickles my fancy " (As in "I do like that, I'm curious about it""´), "He´ll take the hair off your head and come back for your eyebrows in the night" (Con you, take total advantage), and one of my personally favorites, "I'd rather sh** in me hands and clap" ("I really don´t want to do that"). I really like your channel. It's the dog's bollocks (another one). Cheers!

[@cireenasimcox1081]

Tyler - I sincerely hope I'm not sounding condescending - but do you know what the word ETYMOLOGY means? The 'etymology' of a word/phrase is it's history...where did the word/phrase come from? Why do we say it? Who first started using it? Why? Knowing a word's etymology helps make sense of the language we use; and helps work out those meanings that don't seem to make sense at first glance. It's also a way to understand our culture & history. It also explains why most English words retain their original spellings e.g. "colour" . The 'our' spelling immediately signals this is a French word [for the Old English word} "hue". So it's a double whammy...a) you realise you know a lot of words from French (or Latin, or Arabic etc.), b) English learners already know many of the words used in English. As someone said below, American English derived from (British) English, so that includes idioms, phrases, sayings, etc. like "cold feet" (originally 17thC Germanic, but revived in WWII). I usually look up the etymology of a word/phrase before I look at the straight-out dictionary entry because that helps me understand how & when the word/phrase fits into the language. Or whether it's a word used solely in the USA,GB AUS. RSA, etc. As I said, hope I don't sound condescending - the reason I've mentioned this is purely to help you in your journey through the English language. Etymology is one of the most valuable tools we have in language studies. Hopefully it would help you when lost or confused in the depths of the English language; or when something makes no sense at all? (Beside the fact it's really interesting & leads one down all sorts of paths). Give it a go: it helps de-mystify communication.

[@paulcaswell2813]

Just don't get 'etymology' mixed up with 'entomology'...

[@jameslewis2635]

The phrase 'it's not my cup of tea' makes more sense when you realise that many people like their tea a certain way (stronger/weaker, with/without sugar, different blend/herbal tea/green tea, with/without more/less/no milk, etc) and will often not be willing to drink tea made a different way.

[@davidwebley6186]

Except for "Down Under" whose origin could be disputed the others are originally British. Yes, they are ALL in very common use over here in the UK. Cup of tea can be used in several ways A topic/interest or even a person can be or can not be your cup of tea You have many different teas so that is not my cup of tea meaning you would prefer a different cup of tea ( or variety). Another use might be I enjoy my leisure time but work is another cup of tea. Sometimes it is used as an alternative to another idiom, "A kettle of fish". As in "That's another kettle of fish. or regarding an interest you could alternatively say that for example fishing "is not your bag". Doing a runner can be just a phrase meaning to physically moving away from something you do not want to do. e.g. Little Jimmy did a runner when it was his turn to do the washing up (Do the dishes).

[@SpiritmanProductions]

I'd say 'down under' is actually more likely than any to have been coined in Britain, considering we colonised the place.

[@kimwilson3863]

Knackered or in Cockney rhyming slang 'Cream crackered' comes from the knackers yard, a place for old horses to go to die or rather to be put down and made into glue. They went there when they had become too exhausted to work any longer. The term can also be used for mens testicles? Not to be confused with knockers, a slang term for breasts or boobs. These terms should not be used in polite company lol.

[@visionsinblue7093]

Tyler - do the contents of that table behind you ever change? That mug, the polish? 🤣

[@peterrobinson3168]

"Daft as a Brush" is a good one and much used in the UK. I don't know why as I have lots of brushes and they are all quite sensible entities. 🙂

[@MadnessQuotient]

1. So imagine you have just made 2 cups of tea in identical cups for you and your friend but your friend takes 2 sugars and you take none. Somehow you muddle them up. You take a sip and instantly you know "that's not my cup of tea". It's still tea. In a pinch you would drink it. But you would prefer to swap and have your cup. 2. You don't even have to say "donkeys years" just "it's been donkeys" is enough to communicate the idiom. 3. Chip shops (Fish & Chip Shops aka Chippys) are some of the most common urban food takeaways. If you live in a city you probably live within walking distance of 3 chip shops. By chips of course British hot, thick, fried potato chips, not skinny American fries. Sold on their own or with fish, sausages, or a bunch of other cheap and cheerful accompaniments. Usually Chip shops will sell a huge range of portions or even let you just walk in with whatever money you have and give you something to eat. As a kid it was common that even when the smallest advertised portion was £1 you could ask for a 50p chips and get a little bag or paper cone with enough chips to stave off your immediate hunger.

[@paulcaswell2813]

Showing my age here: a decent portion of chips when I was a youngster was 6d (old money!). Once I asked for a 'bob of chips' (a shilling): I simply couldn't finish them - it was an ENORMOUS serving!!!

[@kathryndunn9142]

I had an American say to me you live across the pond I didn't know what he meant at first he had to tell me 😂😂😂 I felt so stupid he also thought we kick cans down the street for football 😄😂😂😂🤣.( This had me in stitches laughing) 😂😂 I almost peed my self laughing 🤣

[@matthewhale2464]

To do a runner can be used in lots of different ways like the police arrived to arrest him but he had done a runner or his wife tried to catch him in the pub but he did a runner so it’s not just about restaurants.

[@PatriciaRosha]

My daughter in Law is a born American and drinks tea all the time, which was very handy when l was visiting them.

[@Cephlin]

Your brother was super confused by the 'pear shaped' idiom too haha

[@stephenlee5929]

HI, with Donkey's Years, in cockney, Donkey's is the said part with 'Ears' not said, and ears rhymes with years, so Donkey's ears, translates to Years, but is used to mean a long time, same meaning as Yonks, but I have no idea where that comes from. Cold & itchy feet are similar, cold meaning you have decided against an action and itchy meaning you want to do/change something, you might be thinking of changing jobs, that would be having itchy feet, but it might be better to stay, you got cold feet. If something is cheap as chips, its also dirt cheap

[@jacquelinekabugo-raderson1878]

Favourite saying, "it's all gone pear-shaped now" 😂😊

[@zo7034]

Across the pond relates to how similar the UK and the US are. We're an ocean apart but we're very similar. Or at least were. We are also very closely linked, the special relationship/alliance.

[@5imp1]

When my dad told me that when he was a young man before he met my mum, he and a few friends would go to an Indian restaurant for a curry and after they had eaten and consumed many beers they would all get up and 'do a runner' without paying, I laughed and laughed for donkeys years. The chef would sometimes grab a big knife and chase them down the road.

[@laurabailey1054]

A lot of these I have heard living in Canada. Mind you I also grew up in a British household being a first generation Canadian on one side and second generation on the other. Another one used in my house growing up was “ I haven’t seen it in yogs”

[@joyfulzero853]

Other expressions that spring to mind are: "Sending someone to Coventry" meaning to ostracise someone (Coventry is a city in the middle of England and maybe refers to captured Royalist soldiers being sent there during the English Civil War). "Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole" "Give someone some stick"; to criticise or mock someone. "Couldn't care less" as opposed to the illogical "Could care less" frequently used in the US.

[@kimwilson3863]

Sorry just watching a couple of your videos and want to let you know why we say something and how. Quids in is short for quids in the bank. Another term is loaded meaning you have a lot of money. Another slang term for money is dosh,' loadsa dosh mate!' Tuppence is a word for two pence, two pennies, tuppeney bit is slang for a two pence piece or coin. When letting someone know your opinion on something it's called 'putting your tuppenceworth in'!.. 😁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@MrPercy112]

Or giving someone a ‘fourpenny one’ 😁

[@marielouise9126]

Or haven’t got tuppence or two pennies to rub together, meaning skint !

[@johnp8131]

@@MrPercy112 I haven't heard that in years?

[@picaSapien]

Pear shaped basically mean most things went to the bottom, thus wrong. It kinda makes sense. It's also used as in "things are going pear shaped", ie things are all beginning to go wrong (to the bottom) thus pear shaped.

[@grapeman63]

"To do a runner" is a more generalised version of "doing a moonlight flit" and originally it was probably used in the same circumstance, although, now, its use has been extended to other similar situations like leaving a restaurant before paying the bill. "Doing a moonlight" originates from the early 19th century when economic circumstances had resulted in lodging room rates being very high whilst average wages were headed in the opposite direction. The practice was to rent a room in arrears for a week or month and pack up and move the night before the landlord arrived to claim his rent. The process was then repeated for the next landlord and so on... The practice was very common, particularly in winter-time amongst agricultural day labourers as it was too cold to be sleeping outside under a bush. "As cheap as chips" is a simile not an idiom. To be an idiom the phrase must have a meaning, usually unfathomable, that is distinct from the meanings of the individual words used. This phrase says exactly what it means.

[@vascocourtney]

We have a few following the phrase "about as much use as......" Like "he's about as much use as a chocolate chisel" or a chocolate tea pot or an ashtray on a motorbike. Etc there are lots more.

[@BillCameronWC]

For ‘across the pond’ I think it also relates to the fact that the Atlantic is much smaller than the Pacific Ocean, although obviously it still a large expanse of water.

[@shininglightphotos1044]

I took it that it may in reality be a vast expanse of water, but we're so similar it's more like a pond. There's not a huge distance between our ideas and ideals.