Tag Archives: British Words

Six Innocent Phrases and Their Morally Suspect Origins

By Fraser McAlpine | Posted on April 18th, 2013

Tyrant, Traitor, Murderer, and Public Enemy. A contemporary woodcut showing the 1649 beheading of Charles I. The Warder Collection.

From “by hook or by crook” to “going Dutch,” here are six charming expressions that have morally dubious origins.

Same Word Different Spelling

By Brigid Brown | Posted on January 23rd, 2013

Notice the "ae" in the British spelling of "encyclopaedia"? (Wiki)

Brits and Americans speak the same language, but our words aren’t always spelled the same. The reason being (the short story) is that prior to dictionaries, there was no standardized spelling for the English language.

10 Surprising British Words for Familiar Things

By Brigid Brown | Posted on September 28th, 2012

Might be hard to find "aubergines" in the U.S. (Photo via AP)

Surely any self-respecting Anglophile knows ”flat” means “apartment,” a “lift” is an “elevator,” “trainers” are “sneakers,” and so on. It should come in your ...