SE Session 5: Bits and bobs

Spoken EnglishA few bits and pieces

Common English slang words

Slang words are not universally used, but they are commonly heard in informal conversation.Bob’s Your Uncle – There you go, you’ve got it!Gobsmacked – Amazed, awed by something

Give You A Bell – Call youBlimey! – My GoodnessGutted – DevastatedChuffed – ProudFancy – Like

Lost the Plot – Gone CrazyFortnight – Two WeeksSorted – ArrangedBee’s Knees – Awesome

Dodgy – SuspiciousWicked – Cool!Whinge – complain, moanTad – Little bitTenner – £10Fiver – £5Quid – £1Skive – to avoid doing something

Cockney rhyming slangCockney rhyming slang originated in the East End of London.This is a different world to “normal” English - but sometimes on tv shows etc. you hear these phrases:Butchers’ – look, from butcher’s hook - “Would you like to have a butchers?”

Adam and Eve – believe - “Would you Adam and Eve it…?”Apples and pears – stairs - “I’m off up the apples and pears to bed.”Barney Rubble – trouble - “You’re going to be late home again, you’re in for some Barney Rubble from the wife.”

Plates of meat – feet – “Sit down and take the weight off your plates?”Ruby Murray – curry – “Do you fancy having a ruby murray tonight?”Trouble and strife – wife - “Time to go and pick up the trouble and strife…”Skin and Blister – sister – “That’s my skin and blister over there…”

A few websites that might be helpful in Learning English

Excellent general sites:http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/

More general sites:http://www.okey-dokey.co.uk/index.phphttp://www.learnbritishenglish.co.uk/

Specifically for speaking with a British accent:http://www.wikihow.com/Speak-in-a-British-Accent

These videos looking at English language are on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-I_jNXdVbRIAGDl27NPLKAhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwk6ifONlkvqnoMF2uyA05g

This one focusses on culture:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAm0yDpqqVEvBbqwlTAJNfg

If you like football this is a fun site to learn English:http://premierskillsenglish.britishcouncil.org/

An online pronunciation dictionary:http://www.howjsay.com/

Different wordsEnglish and American people speak the same language but use different words:A film becomes a movie, a wardrobe is a closet, a toilet / lavatory becomes a restroom

TrousersNappy

RubberHoliday

PetrolFlat

Biscuit

PantsDiaperEraser

VacationGas / Gasoline

ApartmentCookie

BonnetWindscreen

BootReversing lights

Exhaust

HoodWindshield

TrunkBack-up lights

Tail pipe / Muffler

British English words that end in -re often end in -er in American English:centre centerfibre fiberlitre litertheatre theater

British English words ending in -our usually end in -or in American English:colour colorflavour flavorhumour humorlabour laborneighbour neighbor

Other examples include: Words ending in -yse are always spelled -yze in American English:analyse analyzebreathalyse breathalyzeparalyse paralyze

Other examples include: Words that include two (or more) vowels together are spelled without one of the vowels in American English:leukaemia leukemiamanoeuvre maneuveroestrogen estrogenpaediatric pediatric

And so on…defence defenselicence licenseoffence offenseanalogue analogcatalogue catalogdialogue dialog