Choose your side! Are you British or American?
Hi, ladies and gentlemen! Today I'm going to tell you about several words which make British English and American English different from each other.
Ready to choose your side?
I'm going to describe an object, and you need to try to guess what I'm talking about, okay? Ready?
This stuff is delicious, it's fast food but I love it nevertheless. Basically, these are very thin slices of potato that are fried so hard that they are crunchy. They usually come in colorful packages. Do you understand what I'm talking about?
If you called them chips, you are a born American. If, however, you thought of crisps, then you are certainly a Brit.
When was the last time you had crisps or chips? Do you like them? What's your favorite flavor?
Now I'll describe another word. Ready to guess?
This is also connected with potatoes. They have them in McDonald's, long thin stripes of potato fried in oil and salt. Yummy. Especially with ketchup.
Did you think of French fries or chips?
French fries are American, and chips are British. If you say “chips” in the USA, everyone will think about the British crisps.
What sauce do you usually eat French fries with? Do you prefer ketchup or mayonnaise?
So here's the next word.
It's something you can watch in the cinema, like a story on the screen.
Yay! It's a film. Or maybe a movie? What do you call it?
For British guys, it's a film. They won't get what you're talking about if you say “movie”. For Americans, it's a movie, and film is the black plastic stuff that was used for making photographs before digital cameras were invented.
What was the last film or movie you saw? Did you like it? What was it about?
Aaaand word number four. It's a thing in big houses which allows you to go to the top floor without using the stairs. That's right! It's a lift. Or is it an elevator? Which one do you think is British? Great! Lift is British, Elevator is American.
Do you usually use the elevator or the stairs when you need to get to the fifth floor?
Thanks for listening. Watch for our next “Choose your side”!
