How English can be confusing to those for whom it isn’t their mother tongue

It’s July, we’ve been enjoying a heatwave and the schools are about to break up, which can only mean one thing… time to head abroad and enjoy some much deserved R&R!

For some of us this might mean learning a few foreign phrases so that we can at the very least say “thank you” and “hello” in the native language of the country we’re visiting! And even if it all goes horribly wrong, with English being the most commonly used language in the world, it’s more than likely that the other person will speak a little English.

It’s interesting to think of English from the opposite angle: people for whom it isn’t their mother tongue. We have so many idiosyncrasies within our language that are difficult to comprehend when you haven’t grown up speaking the language. And even beyond that, there are a number of phrases that are uniquely British which even other English speakers may be baffled by. How do you explain  “Bob’s your uncle”, a very British phrase, that describes a process which seems more difficult than it actually is?!

Here are some of our favourites:

Bog standard – where this phrase comes from isn’t completely clear but it’s assumed that as it’s derived from the word “bog” which refers to a toilet. It indicates that something is ordinary and nothing special.

Half past – in the UK when we talk about time we say it’s half past the hour. This is very UK specific – in the US for example they use the digital time format, as opposed to the analogue.

Spend a penny – a polite phrase that means you’re heading to the loo! Back in the mid 1850s locks were introduced to ladies public toilets in London (men’s urinals were free). You needed a penny to use them, hence spend a penny. It’s not a common phrase in modern society but very much a British one.

Having a knees up – when you’re having a party, you’re having a knees up! This comes from the music hall song ‘Knees up Mother Brown’ that was first played towards the end of WW1 and synonymous with Cockney culture.

Bob’s your uncle – this one simply means there you go, or simple as that. It’s believed that this phrase comes from when Victorian prime minister, Lord Salisbury, appointed his nephew Arthur Balfour as chief secretary for Ireland, referring to the nepotism of the move. The appointment was unpopular as any people felt that he was wholly inappropriate for this role.

Red herring – it’s believed this phrase originated from a tale by William Corbett in the early 1800s. He described how when he was a boy he had used a red herring (a cured and salted herring) when training hunting hounds to make them follow a false trail. It’s now a common phrase to describe something that’s a distraction or misleading from the real issue.

Builders tea – it’s considered good manners when you’re having work done on your house to offer the builder a cuppa. Builders tea is a very strong cup of English breakfast tea served with milk – you can’t get more British than that!

Faff – when you faff about, you waste time dithering around. It comes from the word  ‘faffle’ which was used in the 16th century meaning flab about in the breeze.

Curtain twitcher – those nosy neighbours who are constantly looking out at what goes on in the neighbourhood! It’s British slang that doesn’t really exist outside of the UK.

Full of beans – these days this means that you’re lively and full of energy. It most likely comes from back in the 1840s when horses were fed on a staple diet of beans, and consequently a well fed horse is one that’s lively, energetic and high-spirited.

Lurgy – when you have ‘the lurgy’ you’re not very well. This comes directly from 1950s British TV show “The Goon Show,” where a character had to deal with a national epidemic of an unidentified illness. It may also have something to do with the mispronunciation of the word “allergy”.

Pea soup – when it’s a pea souper outside it’s too foggy to be able to see much. This comes directly to describe smog filled days in London – as early as the 13th century. The air was thick with smog caused by air pollution from burning fossil fuels.

So there you have it… or should we say “Bob’s your uncle”!!