Bonkers for Britishisms: the UK terms Americans have embraced
But in recent years, there's been growing interest in the opposite phenomenon: Britishisms that have made their way into American English. These days, it's not uncommon to hear Americans describing a single event as a 'one-off' or noting that a perfect assessment is 'spot-on'.
People on both sides of the Atlantic have complained about this exchange. Britons have long argued that Americanisms are 'poisoning' or even 'killing' their language, but it must be alive and well, since some Americans vent about the opposite; they feel that their compatriots are being a bit twee when they 'impersonate an Englishman'. Others, however, welcome the cross-pollination – not least, apparently, young Americans.
Gen Z is helping to fuel the import of Britishisms into American English, according to researchers at Northern Arizona University, who collaborated with the language-learning platform Babbel to investigate the phenomenon. Using a database called the Lancaster-Northern Arizona Corpus of American Spoken English – a joint project with the UK's Lancaster University – the team analyzed 1,000 hours of spoken American English recorded between January 2023 and October 2024. In the process, they identified the most commonly used Britishisms in American English.
Related: The other British invasion: how UK lingo conquered the US
The most common was bonkers, meaning 'absurd', which was applied to topics from politics to sports to internet trends, according to the language learning platform Babbel. The word is believed to derive from 'bonk', meaning 'hit on the head', and first appears in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1943; at the time, a soldier wrote that losing contact with his family would cause him to 'go bonkers'. By 1965, it had appeared in the US, in a New York Times article describing a film character, and by the 2000s, it was common in the US. Back in the UK, it got renewed life from Dizzee Rascal's 2009 hit of the same name, which later appeared in the US show Rick and Morty, the researchers note.
The rest of the top 10:
Amongst (rather than 'among'), whose use has nearly quadrupled in the US over the past four decades
Queue, whose frequent use on tech platforms such as Netflix has given its British meaning – what Americans would generally call a 'line' – new life in the US
Wonky, meaning a bit off
Cheeky, meaning a bit naughty or indulgent, as frequently used by Mike Myers (a Canadian with English parents) on Saturday Night Live in the 1990s
Snarky, often used to describe early internet discourse and sites such as Gawker
Cheers, which has long been used while clinking glasses in the US but has started to mean 'thanks' in some contexts
Keen, meaning enthusiastic
Maths, rather than just math, which has become more familiar in the US due to international academic work and social media
Nil, meaning zero, which is turning up in online gaming
In addition to the list of words, researchers examined the demographics of the speakers. They found that the use of 'bonkers' is most common among gen Z, whose members accounted for 77% of uses in the database. People aged 66 and older didn't use it at all. Meanwhile, 90% of 'bonkers' speakers were women, and 97% lived in urban areas.
Esteban Touma, a linguistic expert with Babbel, said gen Z's use of Britishisms was a result of 'cultural globalization', pointing to the impact of social media as well as streaming services that give Americans greater access to UK television and films. Love Island, for instance, has taught Americans about 'getting the ick' and 'grafting'; meanwhile, British musicians including Charli xcx and Harry Styles continue to make their mark in the US. British media outlets, including the Guardian and the Mail, have a growing influence on the US political conversation.
And for the most part, Americans seem to welcome the linguistic imports. We have occasionally complained about British incursions into American English – a US literary critic named Richard Grant White, who coined the term 'Briticism' in 1868, was enraged by the use of 'awfully' to mean 'very', as Ben Yagoda notes on his blog, Not One-Off Britishisms. But generally speaking, the vitriol is reserved for Americanisms infiltrating Britain: Yagoda, perhaps America's premier tracker of Britishisms, didn't hear any complaints from Americans over his book Gobsmacked! The British Invasion of American English (adapted last year for a Guardian story).
So why do Americans embrace Britishisms? Sometimes, Yagoda says, it's just 'Darwinian': 'it's better, it's more useful, it's more vivid'. 'Gobsmacked' is far more colorful than 'surprised'; the phrase 'go missing' to describe a missing person is so useful, and thus so embedded in American English, that most Americans saying it (including me) probably didn't realize it's borrowed. In other cases, Yagoda says, users of Britishisms – especially writers – are just looking for a new way to say something. In either direction, the exchange of phrases is a healthy thing, Yagoda says: 'It aerates the language a little bit.'
Related: Think you know the differences between UK and US spelling? Take our quiz
But of course, there is a charm in different dialects – who hasn't chatted with friends about regional quirks, whether between Dallas and Los Angeles or New York and London? Treasuring the differences between British and American English, and fretting about the increasing UK use of 'cookies' for biscuits or TV 'seasons' instead of series, is understandable.
But Yagoda isn't worried. The difference between dialects is 'still very distinct, and there's no reason to think it won't be in the future'. While certain phrases are traded between the countries, countless other subtle differences hold – going 'round' someone's house (UK) rather than 'over to' their house (US); saying things are 'different to' rather than 'different from' each other; having 'an ice cream' versus 'having ice cream'.
There's no reason for these usages to cross the ocean, Yagoda says: unlike 'gobsmacked' and 'surprised', 'different to' is no better than 'different from', so why would anyone make the switch? It would be bonkers. In the meantime, new Britishisms and Americanisms are enriching their home countries all the time, Yagoda says. 'Some of them will come over one way or the other, if they're cool and flashy and funny, but the majority, I think, will stay put.'
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Associated Press
a day ago
- Associated Press
Two London pubs, both alike in riverside locality, keep a civil grudge over which is more ancient
LONDON (AP) — On a charming cobblestone street tucked away in London's East End, a pub proudly hangs out a sign that reads 'Oldest riverside pub in London.' Across the Thames River, a pub with a different name makes the same bold claim. The unofficial title of the oldest riverside pub in the city has long been disputed, with both the Mayflower and the Prospect of Whitby laying claim to the title. The two contenders can be found along a quiet stretch of the Thames, far from the city's crowded souvenir shops and tourist sites, serving up traditional British dishes — from steak and ale pie to sticky toffee pudding — with a side of history. The Mayflower is named after the Pilgrim Mayflower ship, which set sail from the site in 1620 to begin its journey to America. Though it only got its name in 1957, it is said to have some of the ship's original timbers incorporated into its structure. Today, pubgoers who can prove direct descent from one of the Mayflower passengers can sign its 'Descendants Book.' Escaping the skyscrapers Every night, tourists step out of black cabs at the doors of the two pubs, trading the capital's modern skyscrapers for the storied streets of London's East End, lined with quaint terraced houses and red brick warehouses. In both pubs they enter spaces where old paintings hanging on dark paneled walls and other mementos of their histories seem to leave the contemporary world behind. 'There really is a feeling that you might have stepped back in time and could be drinking beer with sailors or pirates or anybody from any Dickens novels really,' said Emily Godwin, a Londoner who has been to both. She spoke while sipping a pint of lager with friends at the Prospect on a recent summer evening. The Prospect boasts a pewter bar – the longest of its kind in Britain — where the infamous 'Hanging Judge Jeffreys' is said to have watched the many hangings that took place at the nearby 'Execution Dock.' Early on, the pub was known as the Devil's Tavern due to its association with thieves and smugglers. A hanging noose outside serves as a reminder of the pub's grisly history. It 'feels like such a pocket of history in London,' Godwin said. 'So much of London's East End feels very new and trendy, and the Prospect feels like it's barely changed.' Challenging times for the pub industry British pubs have always been at the center of social life, with locals coming together over a pint, even in times of war and economic hardship. But the last five years have been challenging for the industry as pubs contended with the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs. This year an estimated 378 venues are set to shutter across England, Wales, and Scotland, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. 'When a pub closes, it puts people out of a job, deprives communities of their heart and soul and hurts the local economy,' said Emma McClarkin, head of the BBPA. Pubs across the country have been forced to find new ways to attract customers. History is a big draw for pubgoers, with a trip to a traditional British pub coming in high on tourists' London bucket lists, raising the stakes of the Prospect and the Mayflower's competition. A 'loving rivalry' The Prospect claims it was established in 1520, with its original flagstone surviving an arson attack in 1666 — the same year as the Great Fire of London. The pub was outside of the city limits at that time and was not affected by the conflagration that gutted the medieval city. Justin Billington, assistant manager at the Prospect, said some people date the pub to its full reconstruction in 1774 after the 1666 fire. But he doesn't see it that way, noting that it operated continuously. The day after the fire, the workers rolled out a barrel of beer that had survived the flames and locals showed up with their tankards, drinking vessels, and enjoyed a drink on the spot. There were several reconstructions in the pub's subsequent history, but none withstood the salt water and shifting foundations of the Thames, Billington explained. Not, that is, until 1774 when the retired captain of a merchant ship called 'The Prospect' rebuilt it using the ship. 'This rebuild held and continues to hold on for dear life,' he said. If the pub was actually established in 1774, that would make the Mayflower — established in the 16th century — older. But there are no hard feelings between the pubs as Billington described their competition as a 'loving rivalry.' 'We compete against each other to be the oldest, and to serve the best food and drink,' he said. The search for the oldest pub in London But the question remains: How can either pub definitively claim the title? Unlike the title of the 'Oldest pub in England,' held by the Porch House in southern England, which is said to date to the 10th century, there is no official certification for the oldest pub in London. Guinness World Records said it has not formally awarded the title because of the complexities created by numerous name changes, relocations and reconstructions. 'There are lots of very old pubs that might make a claim to being oldest, but it could be contested because it could be argued they weren't always in 'London,'' English historian and author Jacob Field said. 'Many pubs have changed name over time, making it hard to claim they are the oldest.'
a day ago
Two pubs claim to be London's oldest riverside pub. Which one is right?
LONDON -- On a charming cobblestone street tucked away in London's East End, a pub proudly hangs out a sign that reads 'Oldest riverside pub in London.' Across the Thames River, a pub with a different name makes the same bold claim. The unofficial title of the oldest riverside pub in the city has long been disputed, with both the Mayflower and the Prospect of Whitby laying claim to the title. The two contenders can be found along a quiet stretch of the Thames, far from the city's crowded souvenir shops and tourist sites, serving up traditional British dishes — from steak and ale pie to sticky toffee pudding — with a side of history. The Mayflower is named after the Pilgrim Mayflower ship, which set sail from the site in 1620 to begin its journey to America. Though it only got its name in 1957, it is said to have some of the ship's original timbers incorporated into its structure. Today, pubgoers who can prove direct descent from one of the Mayflower passengers can sign its 'Descendants Book.' Every night, tourists step out of black cabs at the doors of the two pubs, trading the capital's modern skyscrapers for the storied streets of London's East End, lined with quaint terraced houses and red brick warehouses. In both pubs they enter spaces where old paintings hanging on dark paneled walls and other mementos of their histories seem to leave the contemporary world behind. 'There really is a feeling that you might have stepped back in time and could be drinking beer with sailors or pirates or anybody from any Dickens novels really," said Emily Godwin, a Londoner who has been to both. She spoke while sipping a pint of lager with friends at the Prospect on a recent summer evening. The Prospect boasts a pewter bar – the longest of its kind in Britain — where the infamous 'Hanging Judge Jeffreys' is said to have watched the many hangings that took place at the nearby 'Execution Dock.' Early on, the pub was known as the Devil's Tavern due to its association with thieves and smugglers. A hanging noose outside serves as a reminder of the pub's grisly history. It 'feels like such a pocket of history in London,' Godwin said. 'So much of London's East End feels very new and trendy, and the Prospect feels like it's barely changed.' British pubs have always been at the center of social life, with locals coming together over a pint, even in times of war and economic hardship. But the last five years have been challenging for the industry as pubs contended with the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs. This year an estimated 378 venues are set to shutter across England, Wales, and Scotland, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. 'When a pub closes, it puts people out of a job, deprives communities of their heart and soul and hurts the local economy,' said Emma McClarkin, head of the BBPA. Pubs across the country have been forced to find new ways to attract customers. History is a big draw for pubgoers, with a trip to a traditional British pub coming in high on tourists' London bucket lists, raising the stakes of the Prospect and the Mayflower's competition. The Prospect claims it was established in 1520, with its original flagstone surviving an arson attack in 1666 — the same year as the Great Fire of London. The pub was outside of the city limits at that time and was not affected by the conflagration that gutted the medieval city. Justin Billington, assistant manager at the Prospect, said some people date the pub to its full reconstruction in 1774 after the 1666 fire. But he doesn't see it that way, noting that it operated continuously. The day after the fire, the workers rolled out a barrel of beer that had survived the flames and locals showed up with their tankards, drinking vessels, and enjoyed a drink on the spot. There were several reconstructions in the pub's subsequent history, but none withstood the salt water and shifting foundations of the Thames, Billington explained. Not, that is, until 1774 when the retired captain of a merchant ship called 'The Prospect' rebuilt it using the ship. 'This rebuild held and continues to hold on for dear life," he said. If the pub was actually established in 1774, that would make the Mayflower — established in the 16th century — older. But there are no hard feelings between the pubs as Billington described their competition as a 'loving rivalry.' 'We compete against each other to be the oldest, and to serve the best food and drink,' he said. But the question remains: How can either pub definitively claim the title? Unlike the title of the 'Oldest pub in England,' held by the Porch House in southern England, which is said to date to the 10th century, there is no official certification for the oldest pub in London. Guinness World Records said it has not formally awarded the title because of the complexities created by numerous name changes, relocations and reconstructions. 'There are lots of very old pubs that might make a claim to being oldest, but it could be contested because it could be argued they weren't always in 'London,'' English historian and author Jacob Field said. 'Many pubs have changed name over time, making it hard to claim they are the oldest."
The Hill
a day ago
- The Hill
Two pubs claim to be London's oldest riverside pub. Which one is right?
LONDON (AP) — On a charming cobblestone street tucked away in London's East End, a pub proudly hangs out a sign that reads 'Oldest riverside pub in London.' Across the Thames River, a pub with a different name makes the same bold claim. The unofficial title of the oldest riverside pub in the city has long been disputed, with both the Mayflower and the Prospect of Whitby laying claim to the title. The two contenders can be found along a quiet stretch of the Thames, far from the city's crowded souvenir shops and tourist sites, serving up traditional British dishes — from steak and ale pie to sticky toffee pudding — with a side of history. The Mayflower is named after the Pilgrim Mayflower ship, which set sail from the site in 1620 to begin its journey to America. Though it only got its name in 1957, it is said to have some of the ship's original timbers incorporated into its structure. Today, pubgoers who can prove direct descent from one of the Mayflower passengers can sign its 'Descendants Book.' Escaping the skyscrapers Every night, tourists step out of black cabs at the doors of the two pubs, trading the capital's modern skyscrapers for the storied streets of London's East End, lined with quaint terraced houses and red brick warehouses. In both pubs they enter spaces where old paintings hanging on dark paneled walls and other mementos of their histories seem to leave the contemporary world behind. 'There really is a feeling that you might have stepped back in time and could be drinking beer with sailors or pirates or anybody from any Dickens novels really,' said Emily Godwin, a Londoner who has been to both. She spoke while sipping a pint of lager with friends at the Prospect on a recent summer evening. The Prospect boasts a pewter bar – the longest of its kind in Britain — where the infamous 'Hanging Judge Jeffreys' is said to have watched the many hangings that took place at the nearby 'Execution Dock.' Early on, the pub was known as the Devil's Tavern due to its association with thieves and smugglers. A hanging noose outside serves as a reminder of the pub's grisly history. It 'feels like such a pocket of history in London,' Godwin said. 'So much of London's East End feels very new and trendy, and the Prospect feels like it's barely changed.' Challenging times for the pub industry British pubs have always been at the center of social life, with locals coming together over a pint, even in times of war and economic hardship. But the last five years have been challenging for the industry as pubs contended with the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs. This year an estimated 378 venues are set to shutter across England, Wales, and Scotland, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. 'When a pub closes, it puts people out of a job, deprives communities of their heart and soul and hurts the local economy,' said Emma McClarkin, head of the BBPA. Pubs across the country have been forced to find new ways to attract customers. History is a big draw for pubgoers, with a trip to a traditional British pub coming in high on tourists' London bucket lists, raising the stakes of the Prospect and the Mayflower's competition. A 'loving rivalry' The Prospect claims it was established in 1520, with its original flagstone surviving an arson attack in 1666 — the same year as the Great Fire of London. The pub was outside of the city limits at that time and was not affected by the conflagration that gutted the medieval city. Justin Billington, assistant manager at the Prospect, said some people date the pub to its full reconstruction in 1774 after the 1666 fire. But he doesn't see it that way, noting that it operated continuously. The day after the fire, the workers rolled out a barrel of beer that had survived the flames and locals showed up with their tankards, drinking vessels, and enjoyed a drink on the spot. There were several reconstructions in the pub's subsequent history, but none withstood the salt water and shifting foundations of the Thames, Billington explained. Not, that is, until 1774 when the retired captain of a merchant ship called 'The Prospect' rebuilt it using the ship. 'This rebuild held and continues to hold on for dear life,' he said. If the pub was actually established in 1774, that would make the Mayflower — established in the 16th century — older. But there are no hard feelings between the pubs as Billington described their competition as a 'loving rivalry.' 'We compete against each other to be the oldest, and to serve the best food and drink,' he said. The search for the oldest pub in London But the question remains: How can either pub definitively claim the title? Unlike the title of the 'Oldest pub in England,' held by the Porch House in southern England, which is said to date to the 10th century, there is no official certification for the oldest pub in London. Guinness World Records said it has not formally awarded the title because of the complexities created by numerous name changes, relocations and reconstructions. 'There are lots of very old pubs that might make a claim to being oldest, but it could be contested because it could be argued they weren't always in 'London,'' English historian and author Jacob Field said. 'Many pubs have changed name over time, making it hard to claim they are the oldest.'
