Things I’ve learned as an American expat in the UKoGBaNI #34

English definitions

“Bloody” is a swear word.

The word “bloody” is considered profane in British English, Australian English, Canadian English, and in many other parts of the Commonwealth and ex-Commonwealth countries.

Example in British English: “That bloody pedestrian crossed the road when they do not cross sign was illuminated so I honked at her!”

In American English, the sentence above would be: “That fucking pedestrian crossed the road when they do not cross sign was illuminated so I honked at her!”

Sometimes, you’ll even hear people apologize before using the word. Example: “Pardon my language but that bloody pedestrian crossed the road when they do not cross sign was illuminated so I honked at her!”

Also, every four years, there is an international, multi-sport event called the Commonwealth Games where athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations (a voluntary association of 53 independent and sovereign states, most of which are former British colonies or dependencies of those colonies) meet in a host city and compete. It’s sort of like the Olympics but only open to Commonwealth countries. The Commonwealth Games were held in Scotland in 2014 and the multi-day event was seriously treated and televised like the bloody Olympics.

For more British jargon, go here.

For the next learning in my Expat Learnings mini series, go here. Alternatively, go here to read this mini-series from the beginning.