The Quirky English

Just was trying to compile some of the different words used here to describe food, items, and such and thought I'd share them with you!

Afters: What's for afters? When you hear a kid ask this they are meaning dessert.

Beer Mat: What we American's call coasters. This is what pubs call their coasters they set your beer on.

Bevvy: When you're asked to "go out for a bevvy" this means typically a beer, but in general a beverage.

Biscuit: Cookies as we know them to be in America, but also can mean "crackers" as well. So confusing!

Bitter: When someone asks for a bitter, that's the common word for beer even if it's a lager or stout.

Crackling: The skin of the pork joint, scored with a knife, rubbed with salt and roasted so that it crunches around the outside of the meat. It's quite yummy!

Gherkin: A pickle as we know them to be.

Haggis: One of the best known and most misunderstood Scottish inventions. Haggis is made from offal and grain and is held together in a sheep's stomach. It can be grilled, fried, or boiled whole. Traditionally served with neaps and tattles (turnips and mashed potato).

Jacket Potatoes: Baked potato in America. Also referred to as "potatoes in their jackets, meaning skins, not little tuxedos! 


Lemonade: Lemonade in England is a clear, sparkling, lemon flavored drink that is either drunk as it is or added to beer. Seven-Up and Sprite both qualify as lemonade here.

Mince Pie: At Christmas these are served at cafes and restaurants. They are small pies filled with mincemeat and topped off with cream or served hot with brandy butter. Mincemeat is a sweet product made from dried fuit and suet (a dry form of beef fat) and is used as a filling for mince pies, eaten at Christmas. Yuck!

Off License: Beer, wine, and spirits are sold in supermarkets here in England, though the off license still thrives. It is the place that you go to buy all of these items in the same way we American's would from a liquor store. Also called the "offy" here.

Pudding: Any sort of dessert here.

Savoury: In come cafes and tea shops you might see savouries on the menu or the black board. This is just a term for pastries that are savoury rather than sweet. They might have cheese or meat in them. Also, known as sandwiches. I was so confused the first time someone asked where our savouries were in Costa!

Semi-Skimmed: 2% milk as we call it.

It sure has been very interesting figuring all of these out by default or by kind friends! The English way of things can be quite quirky, but I'm sure they think the same of us!