40 Weird Things British People Say That Just Don’t Make Sense To Americans

On July 4, 1776, the United States issued the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. Though it took until the 1783 Treaty of Paris for the Brits to acknowledge their former colony as an independent and sovereign nation. Since then, the two countries have forged their own paths and eventually became friends and allies again. One area where they still differ, though, is in their use of the English language. Consider these 40 words, for instance. Some of them have entirely different significance in the U.S. than in the U.K. And then there are some sayings that you’d only hear from a Brit with equally as surprising meanings to them, too.

40. Chips

What’s your potato preference? Make sure you know to say it in British English before popping over to the U.K. Because there, if you order chips, you’ll get a basket of chunky cut fries, as opposed to the crunchy, circular potatoes you’d get in the U.S. If you want the latter, you’ll have to ask for crisps.

39. Hamper

Grabbing the hamper has much more exciting implications in Britain than in America. At home, of course, you’d use this kind of container as a receptacle for your dirty clothes before you wash them. Across the pond, though, they refer to a picnic basket as a hamper. And who doesn’t like to have a meal in the park?

38. Chemist

To become a chemist, you need plenty of schooling whether you’re in Britain or the U.S. Though such a career path will lead you in different directions – depending on the country in which you obtain such a title. An American chemist typically works with chemicals in a science lab, while their British counterparts are pharmacists.

37. Trainers

Want to get in shape? You’ll need trainers – definitely the British kind, and perhaps the American version, too. In the U.K., people use this word in place of sneakers or tennis shoes, which are a must-have for any sort of athletic endeavor. Across the Atlantic, trainers are the experts we hire to get us fit with customized workouts.