One American has opened up about the culture shock of British lingo after she moved across the pond to the UK. She admitted she was left “baffled” by the likes of ‘taking the mick’ and ‘Gordon Bennett’
American mum living in the UK goes shopping in B&M
An American living in the UK revealed what British words and phrases left her “baffled” upon her move – including “lollipop lady” and “taking the mick.”
Ashley Jackson, 42, relocated from Austin, Texas, USA, to Stretford, Greater Manchester, in April 2022. She made the move with her husband Andi, 40, originally from Preston, Lancashire, in pursuit of “better opportunities” for their children Levon, six, and Matilda, four.
Since settling into her new life, Ashley has had to familiarise herself with quintessentially British. She finds Brits’ knack for abbreviations fascinating and takes pleasure in “dissecting” the language.
The librarian expressed: “You guys are really great at slang and I absolutely love it. So many words pop up in daily conversation and I take note, or I’ll look to my husband and he’ll explain to me. Taking the mick – I think my mother-in-law, Pam, first used that term.
“I was like, ‘What? Where are we going? What are we doing?’ I’ve come to find out lots of variations of words and phrases.
“The first one that came to mind was lollipop lady. I realised it was a crossing guard and was like, that’s so cute.”
Ashley is smitten with “so many things” about the UK and shares her experiences with her online followers. She added: “Other words I don’t understand are ‘chalk and cheese’.
“Gordon Bennett is one I hear a lot and ‘bobs your uncle Fanny’s your aunt’. I’m infatuated with how creative everyone is with their language here and I like dissecting that.
“A lot of people give me the etymology of words which is great.”
It’s not just our lingo that has gone down a treat with Ashley. In comparison to across the pond, the mum believes that the UK is more child-friendly and we have an abundance of green spaces.
She also thinks that the UK is a “more genuine authentic place.” Ashley found that understanding our language quirks has helped immerse her into British culture.
The mum has been posting snippets on social media of new words she’s learned and her reflections on them.
Despite missing home, Ashley says she’s “really happy with” the UK’s rainy weather as a refreshing change from Texas heat.
She shared: “I find a lot of people are enjoying my content as I’m talking about the positives of living here as oppose to the ‘UK versus USA’ stance.
“And people are always commenting saying they are ‘thankful for me seeing the little things in culture and not taking advantage of it”.
Words and phrases Ashley had never encountered before moving to the UK:
- Lollipop lady
- Ar**
- Taking the mick
- Chalk and cheese
- Bob’s your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt
- Gordon Bennett