Rules, Britannia: An Insider's Guide to Life in the United Kingdom

Front Cover
Macmillan, Apr 1, 2007 - Reference - 240 pages

How do you respond to a dinner invitation that says "Eight for eight thirty"? What might induce you to get off a London train at a place called Mud Chute? When is it okay to drive over a sleeping policeman? And why do teh Brits keep saying "Who's she, the cat's mother"?

Rules, Britannia is an invaluable resource for Americans who want to make a smooth transition when visiting or relocating to the UK. This entertaining and practical insider's guide contains scores of established do's and dont's that only a Brit would know.

Most of us know that an elevator is called a "lifet," a toilet is a "loo," and the trunk of your car is the "boot," but who would have a clue about a "sprog" or a "gobsmacked berk"? These phrases are part of daily conservation in the UK, and leave many visiting Americans as baffled as if they listening to a foreign language.

Covering such essential topics as vocabulary, house- or "flat"-hunting, business culture, child rearing, and even relationship etiqutte, Rules, Britannia will ease the anxiety that comes with a transatlantic move or extended visit, and is sure to make any old Yank feel like a regular Joe Bloggs.

 

Contents

1 Regions and Their Differences
1
2 Words That Guarantee Giggles
11
3 Words That Guarantee Embarrassment
17
4 Words That Guarantee Confusion
23
5 Out and About
40
6 Drive Time
52
7 Home Sweet Home
67
8 Grub and Other Delicacies
79
13 Managing with Small Children
139
14 Schools Out
149
15 Taking a Vacation
161
16 Celebrate
168
17 Weddings Funerals and Everything In Between
176
18 The World of Work
185
19 Attire and Accessories
193
20 Crime and Violence
200

9 Dining In or Out
90
10 Thats Entertainment
106
11 Shop Till You Drop
116
12 At Your Service
125
21 Naughty Bits
206
22 Miscellany and Manners
219
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About the author (2007)

Toni Summers Hargis is a Brit, living in the United States. In a former life she was a business writer and organization development consultant, with a Law Degree from Bristol University, England and a Masters from Loyola University, Chicago. She currently serves as personal chef and chauffeur to her three children and writes in her spare time. She lives in Chicago, Illinois with her husband and children and visits the UK at least once a year.

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