Name: If You Know These 5 British Expressions, You Are Fluent
Uploaded: 2024-06-17T05:07:24.000Z
Duration: 10 min 33 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Hello everyone, my name is Dylan and welcome to another video.

I teach modern RP British English in a fun and entertaining way.

Today I'm going to be sharing five British English expressions that only native speakers know about.

So if you do know these, then congratulations, you must be fluent.

And if you don't know these, well, you're about to.

As always, everything that we cover in today's lesson will be included in a free PDF.

Just hit the link in the top comment and press download.

Expression number one:  "The land of nod."

So if you are in the land of nod, what might you be doing?

Well, if you said A, then you are absolutely wrong because the answer is B.

If you are in the land of nod, it means that you are sleeping.

So I'm not too sure exactly where this expression has come from.

However, it is definitely linked to a very common phrasal verb that we have.

I reckon you might have heard of this one.

So if you have nodded off or if you are nodding off, it means that you are falling asleep.

Normally, unintentionally, without you actually meaning to, perhaps you are just very tired.

So therefore, if you have nodded off, it means you are in the land of nod and you must be sleeping.

However, it is still fairly commonly used.

You know, people will know what you're talking about if you say this.

So the next time you feel like going for a nap, why not say, "Right, I'm off to the land of nod."

And if you do do that, then congratulations, because you will be the first non-British person in the history of the world that has ever used that sentence.

This is a proper piece of British slang right here.

So if you have bugger all, what do you have?

Or is it C) You have something that is very valuable?

Well, if you said A, then congratulations, because you are nearly right.

So bugger all is a piece of very British slang, meaning absolutely nothing.

Yeah, she complained about the food, but you know, she did bugger all to help prepare it.

This means she complained about the food, but she didn't do anything at all to help make it.

Yeah, mate, I'm looking through the manual now, but there is bugger all information about how to actually fix the problem.

This just means that I'm looking through the manual, but there is no information whatsoever about how to solve the problem.

You know, I have worked here for years and I have received a bugger all recognition.

This just means that I have worked here for a long time and I have received no recognition whatsoever.

So this expression can be used in many different ways.

I'll put some more examples in the PDF, but all you need to know is that bugger all means absolutely nothing.

Right. I must warn you, though, this word bugger is like a very old swear word, so it's not really considered rude these days.

I think my grandmother told me off once for using it like that's how old it is.

It's definitely not like a proper swear word.

I don't think anyone would be particularly offended by this unless they're over the age of 100.

So just bear that in mind, though, and I would probably just save this for casual situations only.

Once again, this is a very old expression, but it is still used in the UK.

Number three, and this is probably the easiest one, so you might already know this.

So if you describe two people as being like two peas in a pod, what does this mean?

Is it A) They are introverted, so they don't really like going outside or meeting new people?

Is it B) They are always eating food together?

Well, if you answered with C, then congratulations because you are absolutely right.

So this expression is still very commonly used, not only in the UK, but I believe in America as well.

And two people are like two peas in a pod, it just means that they are very similar in some way.

So in this instance, the pod refers to the little sleeping bag thing that peas grow inside.

And if you are like one of the peas and your friend is the other pea, and it's just you two in that pod, you are likely to have a lot of similarities.

Expression number four: "Excuse my French."

Or is it C) Because French is not taught in our schools?

Well, if you have answered with B, then congratulations because once again, you are nearly correct.

So British people say "excuse my French" before or after we have just sworn.

So when we say "excuse my French" after swearing, we are kind of pretending that the word we have just said, the swear word, isn't actually a swear word.

I guess the joke is that obviously we both know that that's not the case and it is a swear word, but we say it anyway.

It's kind of a way to acknowledge the fact that you have just sworn without having to actually, you know, apologise for it.

Another element is that the French language is seen as quite a sophisticated and elegant language.

And therefore, when we pass our dirty British swear words off as French, I guess that adds a humorous touch as well.

So as mentioned, it's basically just a humorous way of us acknowledging that we have just sworn or that we are about to swear without having to apologise for it.

By the way, some people do also prefer to say pardon my French.

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If You Know These 5 British Expressions, You Are Fluent

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absolutely

introvert

pretend