An American man who is now living in the UK has said there are three British words that have become part of his vocabulary since leaving the US – and he can’t stop saying them
We may speak the same base language as our cousins across the pond in the US, but there’s some British slang that just can’t be replicated in any other part of the world. And as one American man who moved to the UK has found out, it’s very hard to stop yourself from picking up on the myriad of slang words we have in various parts of the country.
K Jordy currently lives in London, but originally lived in Bristol when he first settled down in the UK after leaving his US roots behind. He is now a successful vlogger who regularly makes content about British life that leaves his viewers in stitches – and his latest TikTok video is no exception.
The man declared in that living in the UK has “changed him”, as there are now three English words that he would never say before moving here that he now catches himself uttering every single day.
1. Quid
Brits will know this as a popular slang term for money, specifically as an alternative to “pound”. But this is not a word used in the States at all, so K Jordy was surprised when he noticed it had become part of his vocabulary.
He said: “I think this is regional, because I first moved to Bristol in the South West of England, and it was so popular. I just love how they [say] quid [for] money. At first it started as a joke, and now I just love saying it. Like, 20 quid.”
2. Rubbish
Typically known as “trash” in the US, “rubbish” is another staple of the English language that K Jordy insisted he had “never uttered” before moving to the UK. He even claimed that he was forced to swap to using “rubbish” after his co-workers at his first job in a local Wetherspoons pub mocked him for saying “trash”.
Warning: The below video contains strong language.
He explained: “Rubbish is that one word you hear all the time in British TV shows and British movies. I didn’t think I’d actually catch on, but then I almost got kind of made fun of for saying trash.
“One of my first jobs, I worked at Spoons, [and I would say] ‘Where’s the trash at?’, and they’d all be like ‘Where’s the trash?’ [in a mocking tone]. To get out of people making fun of me, I switched to rubbish, and now it’s just become part of my vocabulary.”
3. Banter
K Jordy described “banter” as one of his “favourite words”, and said he loves how it encompasses all sorts of chat from having a good sense of humour to flirting with someone.
He said: “Banter isn’t just joking. It could be joking, flirting, or taking the p**s. It’s such a perfect word to describe so much all wrapped into one. And that’s why I love it.
“You’re on a date with a girl and she has good chat, [you can say] ‘Oh mate, she has good banter’. That’s why you might like her. Banter. It’s goated. I will forever say that.”
Commenters on K Jordy’s video dubbed him an “honorary Brit”, with many pointing out that the way he dropped “taking the p**s” into his clip made him “more British” than he might have realised.
One person said: “I can hear your British accent forming.”
Another added: “You have become an honorary Brit!”
Someone else from the US also expressed their wish to move to the UK, writing: “I’ve been watching a lot of Coronation Street lately, and now I want to move to England! Plus, videos of Americans living in the UK keep popping up, which makes me want to move from the US to the UK even more.”