Choose Your Side: Are You British or American. Episode 6.
Hello, dear folks
How are you today? I'm ready to help to make this difficult decision – British or American? Let me help you choose your side!
What do women wear on their legs? Do they wear pants or trousers? If you're in the USA, it's okay if you have pants on your legs. Pants in the USA are long, they cover the legs completely. If, however, you go outside wearing only pants in Britain, you might get laughed at. What are pants in British? Are they long? Are they like shorts? Nope. In British English, pants are underwear; you wear them UNDER your trousers. You can't wear only pants on your legs to go to work. How do you call the same garment in American English? Do you know? In the USA, we say “panties” instead of “pants” when we're talking about underwear.
What is your favorite color for panties?
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Well, let's continue with another word. What is said to be as huge as the universe? Yes, a woman's purse. Or a handbag? Which is better for you? Which do you think is British?
You're right, a purse is what we call a woman's small bag in the USA. And if we want to sound British, we call the same thing handbag. Can we say that a man has a purse? No, we don't usually say that. A man has a briefcase, not a handbag or purse.
Do you have a handbag with you right now?
What is the first thing you put in a brand-new purse?
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Have you graduated from school yet? Did that happen a long time ago or only a short while ago? While you were at school, who were you? A pupil or a student? What do you call a person who studies at school?
If the school is located in Great Britain, the kids who go there are pupils. If, however, the school happens to be somewhere in North America, the same kids are students.
Were you a student or a pupil?
Who, in your opinion, gets better education: students or pupils?
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Well, the kids got very tired after a full school year and their parents decided to take them camping. What should they take with them? A tent, right. What else? Food? Well, sure, why not. What if it gets dark? What will they need? A flashlight! Great! What is a flashlight? It's a device that has a small light bulb and shines in the dark if we switch it on. And is a flashlight a British or an American word? Good, it's an American word. What do we call the same thing in British? Do you know? It's a torch. In American English the word 'torch' has a different meaning. It is a stick with some cloth on top that burns, giving a lot of light. They were used by travelers in caves a long time ago. There are still torch walks when a lot of people walk in a long line carrying torches and sometimes singing. And the torches used to light the flames of the Olympic Games.
Do you have a flashlight at home? Do you take a torch with you when you travel? Would you like to participate in a torch walk?
Well, now you know some more words that make English so diverse! Good job
See you next time, whenever you decide to choose your side!
