Latest news with #BritishEnglish
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Social media users are proving why nothing beats a Jet2 holiday. What's that?
As of late, the internet seems to be in agreement on one thing: nothing beats a Jet2 holiday. A 2024 television ad for the British airline Jet2 recently resurfaced on TikTok, sparking thousands of users to share their own videos with the audio. Set to the tune of Jess Glynne's 2015 song "Hold My Hand," the ad cheerily declares, "nothing beats a Jet2 holiday." It goes on to detail a discount of £50 per person on flights — which totals £200 for a family of four, the ad points out. The clip has been used over a million times across several audios available on TikTok, with users superimposing the sound over funny moments. Even the voice actor behind the viral audio and the airline itself have weighed in on the trend. Here's what to know. What is a Jet2 holiday? Jet2 is a British airline company. In 2024, it released a television ad titled "nothing beats a Jet2 holiday." The original clip, which has more than two million views on YouTube, promotes a discount on flights using a series of clips of a family on vacation. In British English, it is common to refer to a vacation as a holiday. Voice behind 'nothing beats a Jet2 holiday' weighs in on virality Zoë Lister, a voice actor from the United Kingdom who narrates the viral clip, has leaned into the success on social media. "Chances are if you have a social media account and you live in 2025 on planet Earth, you've heard my voice," she said in an Instagram video this month. Lister said since the audio gained popularity, she has received messages from people all around the world asking about Jet2 holidays. On July 21, Lister and Glynne, the artist whose song is used in the original ad, met up for an appearance on air for Capital UK radio station. "One more thing off our 2025 bucket list" Jet2 commented on the post. 'Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday' trend explained TikTok users have taken over the sound for funny moments that exude the opposite of vacation relaxation — from clips of unwanted rodents and creepy crawlers to activities like axe throwing and surfing gone wrong. Here's a look at some of the videos. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
Cosmopolitan
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
37 American words vs British words: A handy vocab guide as Too Much airs on Netflix
Lena Dunham's Too Much has landed on Netflix, introducing viewers to Jessica (played by Megan Stalter), an overworked American reeling from a seven-year breakup. A fresh start across the pond sees Jessica meeting the charming British musician, Felix. As she navigates her quirky new workplace and tries to rebuild her life, culture shock comes fast: her "estate" isn't a stately manor, but more like what Americans would call "the projects," and her new bae can't help but laugh when she refers to her Airbnb as an "apartment". All the misunderstandings and miscommunications had us thinking: how many everyday words do Americans and Brits use completely differently? As Too Much airs on Netflix, here's a list of hilarious American-British word mismatches that Jessica - and maybe you - should definitely know. While American and British English mostly share the same spellings, there are a few key differences in how certain words are written. Here are some common spelling variations to watch out for: Examples: colour / color, flavour / flavor, armour / armor 2. -ise or -ize (British) vs. only -ize (American) Examples: apologise / apologize, fantasise / fantasize, organise / organize 3. yse (British) vs. -yze (American) Examples: analyse / analyze, paralyse / paralyze 4. Double "L" in verb forms (British) vs. single "L" (American) Examples: travelled / traveled, labelling / labeling, cancelled / canceled 5. ae or oe spellings (British) vs. e (American) Examples: paediatrics / pediatrics, leukaemia / leukemia, oestrogen / estrogen 6. -ence (British) vs. -ense (American) Examples: defence / defense, licence / license (as a noun) 7. -ogue (British) vs. -og or -ogue (American) American English often drops the "ue". Examples: catalogue / catalog, dialogue / dialog 8. -re (British) vs. -er (American) Examples: metre / meter, centre / center, lustre / luster In addition to these common patterns, some specific words are spelled differently in American and British English. Some examples include , gray and grey, tire and tyre, and mold and mould, airplane and aeroplane. Too Much is available to stream on Netflix.
NDTV
08-07-2025
- General
- NDTV
UK Woman Slams Indian Staff At Heathrow Airport For Not Speaking English, Viral Post Sparks Outrage
A social media post by a British woman has sparked mixed reactions after she criticised Indian and Asian staff at London's Heathrow Airport for not speaking English. In her post, Lucy White wrote that after landing in London, she noticed most of the airport staff were Indian or of Asian origin. Ms White claimed that they were not speaking a "word of English". She said when she asked them to speak English, they accused her of being a "racist". "They know I'm right, so they have to use the race card," she wrote. "Deport them all. Why are they working at the first point of entry to the UK?! What must tourists think," Ms White wrote on X. Just landed in London Heathrow. Majority of staff are Indian/ Asian & are not speaking a word of English. I said to them, 'Speak English' Their reply, 'You're being racist' They know I'm right, so they have to use the race card. Deport them all. Why are they working at the… — Lucy White (@LucyJayneWhite1) July 6, 2025 Ms White's post quickly caught the attention of social media users. While some users backed Ms White over challenges ignited by a language barrier, others slammed her, calling her "racist". "You ARE being racist. However I'll take a bet on this being under the list of 'things that never happened'" wrote one user. "They speak British English so you may have mistakenly thought that they don't speak your English. I just came back from London and didn't experience any of the friction with the English language as you have described it to be," commented another. "This is completely fabricated. Yes, a lot of staff at Heathrow are of Asian descent, that's partly because of where it is situated. They all speak English. All of them. Quit making stuff up. BTW, they're incredibly helpful and friendly too. Unlike you," said a third user. "If I was a tourist, I would be impressed that one of the largest cities in Europe was so diverse," expressed another. "On the basis you say deport them all - they were obviously a very good judge of character and 100% correct in their assessment," one user said. "They don't speak "a word of English" but understood you perfectly and were able to denounce you as a racist in English? They should also have called you a fabulist," wrote another.
Yemenat
06-07-2025
- General
- Yemenat
From My Diary in America: The Torment of the Grave in America
My friend Al-Harazi, whose name is Abdulwahid Al-Qudaimi from Bani Ismail in Haraz, greets you with a military salute and a face radiant with love. Each time you meet him, you feel a sense of shyness from his warm welcome and heartfelt reception. The features of his face and his cheerful demeanor bring you comfort, tranquility, and peace of mind. He envelops you in familiarity, love, and warmth, seeping into your soul like a stream of fresh water. His conversation captivates you from the first moment, overflowing with humanity. As you engage in small talk, you feel as if you have known him for ages, showered by a rain of affection. He is a rare human being; it's hard to find a man like him in reality. He persistently refused to accept money for the goods I bought from his store. When I began to hesitate in taking what I needed from him, he started accepting a symbolic amount to ease my embarrassment. Yet, I still felt uncomfortable with this arrangement. My shyness weighed heavily on me, and I found it increasingly difficult to face him. I felt compelled to leave my friend and refrain from buying what I needed without severing the bond of affection and peace between us, promising daily that all was well. I began to deal with another shopkeeper to avoid my friend Al-Harazi. However, he continued to call me and offer ready meals he prepared at home, not from his store, insisting with oaths of friendship that I accept them. This man overwhelmed me with his generosity, nobility, chivalry, and the grace of his character. I was confused and often thought about leaving him, departing like a beloved one without a return. But fate had other plans, and I will return to discuss this at another time. * * * I dealt with the other shopkeeper, whom I believed to be American of Indian descent or something similar. I didn't care where he was from as long as he didn't speak Arabic. I tried to communicate with him using the limited English words I knew, but sometimes I struggled; I relied on gestures at times and handing over items at others. It was surprising that some English words I had memorized and tried to use were not understood by the shopkeeper. For instance, the word 'water' in British English is pronounced differently in American English, and I often had to clarify by gesturing or physically showing him what I meant. I thought my Arabic tongue was unaccustomed to English, let alone its pronunciation. The truth is, I have difficulty with the pronunciation of Arabic letters as well. My brother Abdulkarim once accused me of mispronouncing certain letters when I read, even swallowing some of them. If this is my situation with Arabic, how would I fare with English? And if American English itself shortens some words and letters from British English, how would someone who struggles with their own language manage with a foreign one? It was undeniably a difficult and complex situation, or so it seemed to me. * * * One day, overwhelmed and filled with despair, I carried my medical files and other belongings, feeling burdened by a charlatan and a liar, confronted by a boldness of deceit that sought to crush me. My mind was lost in confusion, searching for an escape from the predicament I was in, while malice tightened its grip around me. There was no honor in this conflict, no knightly duel—just deep pain and a good knight being killed by treachery. Upon reaching my residence, I searched for my phone but couldn't find it. I felt as if my memory had become my phone, and I had lost my memory altogether. I asked my roommate if he had my number to call it and check if my phone was in the room. He informed me he didn't have my number, and regrettably, I hadn't memorized it. I suggested he call another colleague living with us. When he did, I discovered I had lost my phone, and no one was answering it. I suspected I might have left it at the building entrance while burdened with my belongings and unlocking the door. I rushed to the entrance but found no trace of it. I hurried to the shop where I had purchased some items, and instead of speaking to the owner in English, I spoke to him in hurried Arabic, feeling panicked and disorganized: 'Did I forget my phone here? Did you find my phone?' He replied in Arabic, 'Where are you from?' I said, 'From Yemen.' He asked, 'Where in Yemen?' I replied, 'From Taiz.' Then I asked him, 'And you, where are you from?' He answered, 'From Rada'a.' He said, 'I thought you were Indian during the time I dealt with you.' I laughed and said, 'I also thought you were Indian.' We both laughed, and he handed me my phone. My spirit lifted, and I felt relieved after a period of tightness and stress. I told myself that a person can turn even their misfortunes into opportunities, as well as into new experiences and acquaintances. I asked him if I could take a picture with him. He surprised me by saying sternly, 'No, photography is forbidden. Clean your phone of pictures, songs, and videos. Photos and songs are a sin. Do you remember the torment of the grave? Have you heard about what happened to that Egyptian artist in the grave? Clean your phone. Don't keep any pictures, songs, or videos. Everyone should prepare themselves for departure; death can come at any moment.' I asked him the name of this Egyptian artist. He replied that he couldn't remember but had heard it on YouTube. I asked him, 'Do you believe this?' He swore an oath, one, two, three times. I asked him how long he had been here. He said, 'I was born here.' I left, astonished and alarmed, and never returned.
IOL News
02-07-2025
- General
- IOL News
Is the semi-colon semi-dead?
Too demure to be a colon but more assertive than a comma, the semicolon is a useful little tool. Mark Lasswell Like the fissionable atom, punctuation marks are wee items capable of causing a tremendous release of energy. Passionate disagreement over the use of exclamation points is so familiar that a 'Seinfeld' plotline saw Elaine's new romance with a writer blow up because he didn't share her enthusiasm. F. Scott Fitzgerald, in the anti-exclaim brigade, famously said using them is 'like laughing at your own joke.' Tell that to Tom Wo!fe. Or just about anyone who texts in this angry age, when the exclamation point signals 'I'm not fuming!' and a period can go off like a gunshot. Apostrophes? George Bernard Shaw loathed 'em, often leaving the 'uncouth bacilli' out of contractions, including didnt, wont and aint. Today, capricious apostrophe usage is so widespread (Its banana's out there!), and meets with such predictable fury, that one suspects a vast prank-the-English-teachers campaign. No piece of punctuation, though, stirs people up more than the humble semicolon. Too demure to be a colon but more assertive than a comma, the semicolon was introduced in 1494 by Venetian printer and publisher Aldus Manutius. What a useful little tool it has been in its primary role of inserting a graceful pause between two related independent clauses, as in: 'RFK Jr. came to my house; he tore out the medicine cabinet with a crowbar.' But now the semicolon is dead. Or semi-dead. Its use has collapsed, as underlined last month by a study from Babbel, an online language-learning platform. 'Semicolon usage in British English books has fallen by nearly 50% in the past two decades,' the survey said - and this sudden drop followed a steady decline across the past two centuries. A study of semicolon use in U.S. publishing from 1920 to 2019 saw a similarly dramatic slide. Newspapers, magazines, and fiction and nonfiction books all soured on the semicolon, though nonfiction after 2000 did see an uptick from the depths. The Babbel analysis touched off a gratifying round of articles in the British press contemplating the semicolon. The Independent: 'Our best punctuation mark is dying out; people need to learn how to use it'; the Financial Times: 'Semicolons bring the drama; that's why I love them'; the Spectator: 'The semicolon had its moment; that moment is over.' (A secondary function for semicolons is to divide up unwieldy lists; a tertiary function is to help headline writers amuse themselves.) On Team Semicolon, it turns out, we have Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain and possibly Abraham Lincoln. ('I have a great respect for the semicolon; it's a very useful little chap' is a line attributed to Abe by a reminiscing journalist in 1878, which is to say: It sounds too good not to quote.) Virginia Woolf's novel 'Mrs. Dalloway,' the Guardian noted, employed 'more than 1,000 [semicolons] to echo its hero's flow of conscious thought.' On the Not a Fan side, the flow of conscious thought hating on the semicolon is considerable. 'Do not use semicolons,' Kurt Vonnegut advised in 2005. 'All they do is show you've been to college.' George Orwell: 'An unnecessary stop.' (Unnecessary but irresistible, apparently: He used plenty.) Cormac McCarthy: 'Idiocy.' Edgar Allan Poe wrote in an 1848 magazine article about being 'mortified and vexed' by printers who substituted semicolons for the dashes in manuscripts. But a couple of paragraphs above that complaint, Mr. Nevermore himself used one, writing, 'That punctuation is important all agree; but how few comprehend the extent of its importance!' Then again, maybe the printer just couldn't resist. Here's New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia delivering the keynote address at the 1935 U.S. Conference of Mayors: 'We have developed a new kind of officeholder: 'the semicolon boys.' The semicolon boys are simply a boil on the neck of this administration - the fellows, you know, who have an office and some law school has graduated them. … They sit down and look for semicolons. … If they would only stop the typewriters, we could get the steam shovels working.' When you have the Little Flower and Kurt Vonnegut, 70 years apart, agreeing that semicolon users are irritating, diploma-flaunting show-offs, what chance does the self-effacing little dot-over-comma have in these populist times? It's a miracle the Trump administration's threats to universities haven't included making federal support for infectious-disease research contingent on the immediate cessation of all semicolon use. But the semicolon will never completely go away, not as long as there are grown-ups around who still think punctuation emoticons are fun, using a ; and a ) to make a winking face and sending it to their teenage children, who are probably as mortified as Edgar Allan Poe. Maybe even vexed.
