The US and UK are divided by a common language - Relocation UK - London Relocation Services
Okay, time to bring on home this lengthy series about British English versus American English to aid your international relocation to London. I’ve been emphasizing every day since last week that there is quite a bit of terminology that differs between the two English languages, and while this hasn’t been an exhaustive list by any means, it’s hopefully been a comprehensive enough one to get you started on your way to fluency. Yesterday, I listed words related to transportation, and, similarly, every day has been devoted to a specific category. Today, however, we’re left with a smorgasbord of randomness…basically, a miscellany of odds-n-ends from my glossary that didn’t logically fit in anywhere else. Well, there might be no rhyme or reason to ‘em, but they have a home here:
[American English = British English]
Money
bill (as in currency) = bank note
check (as in at a restaurant) = bill
check (as in form of payment) = cheque
installment plan = hire purchase
Mail mail = post
package = parcel
ship (as in for delivery) = dispatch
Miscellaneous Verbs
call/phone (as a verb) = ring up
call collect = reverse charges
run (as in for public office) = stand
stand in line/line up = queue
Miscellaneous Nouns
dump = tip (as in “My flat is a tip!” )
legal/national holiday = bank holiday
line = queue
shot (as in injection) = jab
vacation = holiday
General Grammar
period (as in punctuation) = full-stop
zee (as in the letter Z) = zed
zero = nought
Once thing is for sure: there’s nothing lost in translation when it comes to our London Relocation agency. We’re upfront and call it as we see it, spelling out the London property market as clearly as possible for your understanding. Our particular London relocation company will find you your ideal London apartment rental in only one day to save you time for figuring out all the other ins-and-outs of London—like what the locals call the things you see and the places you go. If you’re moving to London, you can call us whatever you want, but do call us.
The US and UK are divided by a common language - Relocation UK - London Relocation Services
Moving to London UK from abroad is quite the journey, and I’m not just talking geographic distance. Once you’ve made your international relocation and assimilate to your new environs, you’ll find that you’ll go a long way indeed in terms of your world perspective. A stepping stone toward this is understanding different cultures and languages, so all last week and the beginning of this week I’ve been getting you started on an easy one: British English. I’ve blogged before in my “Speaking the Queen’s English” posts about how this vocabulary differs from American English, and while yesterday I addressed people and places, today we’ll cover the transportation that will get us around to them:
[American English = British English]
Roadways, etc.
curb = kerb
detour = diversion
divided highway = dual carriageway
freeway = motorway
overpass = flyover
parking lot = car park
pass (as in passing a slower vehicle) = overtake
sidewalk = pavement/footpath
stop light/traffic signal = traffic light
Car Parts/Supplies
fender = wing/mudguard
gas = petrol
gas station = filling station
gear shift = gear lever
hood = bonnet
license plate = number plate
muffler = silencer
odometer = mileometer
oil pan = sump
rear-view mirror = wing mirror
top = roof/hood
trunk = boot
windshield = windscreen
Vehicles
motorbike = moped
motorcycle = motorbike
moving van = removal van
sedan = saloon car
station wagon = estate car
trailer/camper/mobile home/RV = caravan
trailer truck = articulated lorry
truck = lorry
Public Transport
one-way ticket = single ticket
round-trip ticket = return ticket
pedway = subway
subway = tube/underground
schedule = timetable
London Relocation’s services include a hired car to transport you around your portfolio of London apartments with ease, and your London Relocation agent will ensure you know what public transport links (e.g., bus, tube line) are located near the flat you ultimately choose. However you choose to get about town, be safe and mind the different direction of traffic!
The US and UK are divided by a common language - Relocation UK - London Relocation Services
An international relocation from America will teach you much about diverse cultures. Moving to London in particular will expose you to more than you probably realize, as many perceive the UK as being very similar to the US. That’s true, but only to an extent, and among the many differences (which we’re constantly blogging about here) is language. That’s right, British English varies from American English, so we’re back this week to continue reviewing some terminology that could help for your London move. Last Friday we covered sundries, the little miscellaneous things you’ll need at the office or in your London apartment rental. Today, let’s step outside our London apartments and get to know some of the folks out there and places we can go:
[American English = British English]
Professions druggist = chemist
janitor = caretaker/porter
lawyer/attorney = solicitor
mailman = postman
policeman = bobby
president (of a business) = chairman
principal = headmaster/mistress
realtor = estate agent/negotiator
sales clerk = shop assistant
scab (derogatory for strikebreaker) = blackleg
prostitute/tramp = tart
Theatre aisle = gangway balcony = gallery
first balcony = upper circle
mezzanine = dress circle
orchestra seats = stalls
movie theatre = cinema
Other Locations candy store = sweet shop/confectioner
downtown = city centre
doctor’s office = surgery
drugstore/pharmacy = chemist’s shop
gas station = filling station
hardware store = ironmonger
jail = gaol
liquor store = off license
news stand = newsagent
wharf/pier = quay (pronounced ‘key’)
zip code = postal code
London Relocation’s services are devoted to situating you close to where you want to be, be it near work, nightlife, the arts, necessities, etc. As you’re viewing your London apartments for rent with us, please do ask our London Relocation agents to point out any differences in terminology for the people and places you see along the way.
The US and UK are divided by a common language - Relocation UK - London Relocation Services
When making a relocation to London from the US, you’ll see (and hear) that British English can often differ from American English. Differences in spelling, pronunciation, and terminology can pose a challenge to expats moving to London. To supplement earlier posts I’ve written on how to “speak the Queen’s English,” I’ve been blogging all week on British English and will continue after our Weekend Warrior Saturday and Sunday. Yesterday, we scanned our grocery list for standard foods, and today we’ll delve into some other items you might purchase while out at the shops. This is the type of stuff you’ll go to Ryman, Boots, and Homebase (the Office Max, Walgreens/Duane Reade, and Home Depot of London) for:
[American English = British English]
Office
adhesive tape = sticking plaster
eraser = rubber (slang for ‘condom’ would be ‘wellie’ instead)
rubber cement = cow gum
scotch tape = sellotape
scratch pad = scribbling pad/block
planner (for scheduling) = diary
thumb tack = drawing pin
white-out = tipp-ex
The London Relocation agency only searches for London apartments that are close to amenities, so you’ll surely have the necessary shops nearby to fulfill your home and office needs. Moving to London for an international relocation is an adjustment where knowing where to shop is concerned, so be sure to ask our London Relocation agents to point you in the right direction.
The US and UK are divided by a common language - Relocation UK - London Relocation Services
A relocation to London from America entails an education in learning British English. My past posts on “speaking the Queen’s English” (found under the “London Language Barriers” category) include grocery items, and the list below should be more exhaustive. Yesterday we talked about vocabulary relating to children, so whether you have young mouths to feed or just your own, now you’ll know what to look for in the grocery aisles:
Breakfast/Brunch (miscellaneous)
cream of wheat = semolina
crèpe = pancake
pancake/flapjack = American/Scottish pancake (‘flapjacks’ are more like granola bars with oats & syrup)
oatmeal = porridge
Beverage
with or without cream (as for coffee) = black or white
straight = neat
Other Grocery-Related
can = tin
cart = trolley
Our London Relocation agents will find you a London apartment rental with plenty of cabinet space for these groceries, though I can’t promise you’ll find a fridge much bigger than the average ones that come in a London flat (see my earlier post, “What to Expect in a London Flat: Crouching Tenant, Hidden Dishwasher,” for more description of a typical London apartment kitchen). May this whet your appetite for your international relocation.
The US and UK are divided by a common language - Relocation UK - London Relocation Services
Making an international relocation to London from the US has enough challenges; one that many Americans don’t anticipate, though, is having to learn another language—they take it for granted that the UK is English-speaking. While you’ll get along just fine (really! Don’t worry!), it’s worthwhile to brush up on your British English knowledge so it shows that you’re at least trying. I’ve written posts before about how to “speak the Queen’s English” (category: “London Language Barriers”), and I’m dedicating all this week and part of next to more of these British English terms. Yesterday we focused on clothing, and today we’ll cover some useful terms if you’re moving to London with a family:
Toys/Games jump rope = skipping rope
paddle (as in ping-pong) = bat
roller coaster = big dipper
sled = sledge
slingshot = catapult
soccer = football
tic-tac-toe = noughts and crosses
School
grade = class/form
grade school/elementary school = primary school
middle school + high school = secondary school
preschool – kindergarten = nursery (age 3) – reception (age 4) – Year 1 (age 5)
principal = headmaster/mistress
private school = public school
public school = state school
recess (as at school) = break
semester = term (3 per year versus 2)
9th grade/freshman (age 14) = Year 10
10th grade/sophomore (age 15) = Year 11
11th grade/junior (age 16) = Year 12/Lower Sixth Form
12th grade/senior (age 17) = Year 13/Upper Sixth Form (Years 12 & 13 also called ‘A Levels’)
Our London Relocation agency can help you find an ideal London apartment or house to rent if you’re relocating your family to London, UK. We can also assist you with a school search if your children are of that age; what school they attend can greatly determine what London neighborhood you’ll want to live in. Contact our London Relocation agents if these services can be of use!
The US and UK are divided by a common language - Relocation UK - London Relocation Services
Moving to London from America requires learning another language: British English. Yesterday’s post kicked off my series on how to speak like a local after an international relocation to London, to supplement my previous posts on “speaking the Queen’s English” (found under our “London Language Barriers” category). Yesterday touched on some property lingo for when you rent London apartments, and today will delve into what you’ll be storing inside that flat:
Accessories
barrette = hairslide
garters/garter belt = suspenders/suspender belt
purse = handbag
rhinestone = diamonté
suspenders = braces
Clothing-Related
clothes pin = clothes peg
collar button = collar stud
collar stay = collar stiffener
cuffs (as in at the bottom of trousers) = turn-ups
custom made = bespoke
snaps = press studs
tag = label
thread = cotton
Our London Relocation agents will help you find sufficient closet space for all those clothes when you enlist their London relocation services for the grand flat-hunt. For some vocabulary that will relate more to the wee ones that are perhaps moving to London and into that apartment rental with you, be sure to check out my post tomorrow!
The US and UK are divided by a common language - Relocation UK - London Relocation Services
When making a relocation to London from the US, you may have already realized through your research that British English is not always the same as American English. There are spelling and pronunciation differences, to be certain (like using “s” instead of “z” or saying “vitt-amin” instead of “vie-tamin”), but there is also an entirely different lexicon that can pose a challenge to expats moving to London. I’ve written previous posts addressing how to “speak the Queen’s English” that can be found under our “London Language Barriers” category and will be devoting this week and part of next to a lengthier series of British English terms. Let’s start with one set of vocabulary that relates to your upcoming London move:
[American English = British English]
Interior Space (Unit) bathroom = toilet (if it doesn’t, indeed, have a bathtub in it)
living room = sitting room/lounge/drawing room/reception area
pantry = larder
Interior Space (Building)
lobby = foyer
first floor = ground floor
second floor = first floor
Furnishings/Fixtures/Utilities
antenna = aerial
baseboard = skirting board
cabinet/closet (with shelving) = cupboard
closet (for hanging clothes) = wardrobe
faucet = tap
garbage/trash can = dustbin/bin
housewares = hardware
hutch = Welsh dresser
outlet/socket = power point
stove = cooker
valence = pelmet
wall to wall carpeting = fitted carpeting
water heater (electric) = immersion heater
water heater (gas) = geyser
weather stripping = draught excluder
Chores doing the dishes = washing up garbage/trash = rubbish
monkey wrench = spanner
vacuum (as noun and verb) = hoover
Property (miscellaneous) apartment = flat
apartment hotel = service flats
duplex = semi-detached
lease/rent = let
realtor = estate agent
sub-division = housing estate
zip code = postal code
You’ll surely hear some of these terms during your international relocation to London as you search for and settle into your London apartment rental. If you need any additional help “translating” the London property market, please do call on our London Relocation agents!
Relocation UK - Keeping it Chic in Chelsea after your relocation in London.
If you’re an American gal moving to London, then oh…mah…gawd, have I stumbled on the blog for you! Written by a fellow American expat and inspired by her own international relocation to London, allow me to introduce you to An American Girl in Chelsea: A chic guide for American women who have relocated to London, England.
As the American Girl herself says:
“I finally decided that there should be a resource to help women who were as lost as I was back in ’03 in how to navigate this massive city. A resource tailored to fabulous and chic ex-pats!
The purpose of An American Girl in Chelsea is to share all I (and my trusted friends) have learned about moving to and living in London. There’s fun things like where to eat and shop, but also practical information- (i.e. How to get pages added to your passport for those last minute trips? What ex-pat groups should I join?, Should I find a private dentist? Etc, etc)”
Much like we do here, of course, at the London Relocation blog, but through a special Lady Lens. I’ve only just started perusing it myself, but this site looks as girlie as it gets! Which is a good or bad thing depending on your perspective, I suppose…Well, the very good thing about it is its focus on lifestyle from a woman’s point of view. Singles, mothers, and those who just like getting dolled up and pampered will all find themselves at a loss when first moving to London like any other expat. It takes a while to even figure out the basics, let alone where to really dine/shop/etc. to up your fabulosity factor.
In keeping with this perdy blog’s aesthetic and content, allow me to add two recommendations myself of super-feminine local London spots I’ve recently discovered:
So, after your London move, go get your Girly on! An international relocation to the UK is challenging, so you’ll be in need of a pamper. Our London Relocation agents can contribute to the indulgence by helping you find an ultra sweet London apartment rental—it’ll be your bachelorette pad with all the frills in a lovely neighborhood like Chelsea that is popular among Americans and London’s socialites.
Living in London – As English as… - Image via Flickr
One of the things most people struggle with when moving to London is adapting to day to day living. When you’re moving to London, you must try to push that concern to one side so that your enthusiasm for the big move isn’t dampened by your anxiety for how it could fail. I think what really helps to ease the transition is discovering something that you like about your new home. It really isn’t that hard (unless you’re determined not to find anything you’ll like).
My personal list of favorite things about living in London probably amount to all the clichés that I’ve discovered are truisms. I mean the kind of things you read about in books or see in movies and then come over here and you discover that it’s just the way you pictured it in your head. Like bangers and mash.
It really does sound like the simplest meal ever, doesn’t it? And it is. It really is. But it’s also very tasty. And when you combine ‘simple cooking’ with ‘very tasty’ you get what is officially the top recipe on The Lazy Person’s List of Cooking. Honestly, it really doesn’t get much better than this. Get some bangers (sausages if you’re new to this English thing), potatoes, baked beans (you could try gravy if you wanted but I did say this was for lazy people) and bread. Fry up the sausages, cook the potatoes and mash them, put the baked beans into a pot, get them hot and toast the bread. Now, arguably speaking, that’s more of a sentence than it is a recipe. But, like I said, it’s very tasty.
And if you’re the lazy sort of person and if it’s been a particularly trying day at the office, you could do far worse than stopping at your local Tesco’s on your way home from work, picking up the necessary ingredients and heading home for some (All together now) Bangers and Mash! It might not be up there on the list of the most wholesome meals you could eat while living in London, but it’s quick, easy and very English.
Living in London – Tea for Two!- Image via Wikipedia
Immersing yourself in fine English traditions can be a whole lot of fun when you’re living in London. When you’re moving to London one of the first English traditions that you have to experience is ‘Tea and Scones’. If you want to show off that you know a bit, call it a Devonshire Tea instead of just Tea and Scones (Or Cornish Tea). Cream Tea is another common name for this popular practice. Tea and Scones is the kind of thing that’s become so ingrained in the British culture that you could go to any tea room across Britain and be offered a proper English Tea with Scones. It’s also popular outside of Great Britain and you could go as far as South Africa and be able to be served a Cream Tea.
Here then are the best places in London to get a proper Cream Tea:
The Ritz – First of all, we’re talking about one of the oldest and most recognized hotels in the world. The Ritz isn’t so much a hotel as it is an institution. And much the same could be said of their Tea’s, with five sittings a day, from 11:30 to 7:30.
The English Tea Room, Brown’s Hotel – None more English Tea Room than this. This place comes with specially wood-paneled rooms and a pianist offering some music, all for that classic, “olde worlde” feel (they’ve done the same at the Ritz. Pianists really do add to that high tea feel!).
The Mandeville Hotel – This place is as traditional as they come. How traditional? When they serve the tea, it’s brought in blue china cups for the men and pink floral cups for the women. That’s how traditional.
The Savoy – Much like the Ritz, the Savoy is another London hotel that’s pretty much an institution. Again like the Ritz, you’ll have someone tinkling the ivories just to give the setting some ambiance.
And lastly, because I have a major sweet-tooth, go to The Metropolitan. All the other places I’ve mentioned have a fine selection of cakes and sweet treats but when I saw a photograph of the offering at The Metropolitan, that was enough for me to call ahead and make a booking.
Moving to London and acclimatizing to your new home doesn’t have to be that hard, although you will pile on the pounds if you make afternoon tea a daily ritual!
Living in London – Smile for the Camera!- Image via Wikipedia
One of my favorite things about living in London is catching the city I live in on the telly. And I don’t just mean EastEnders (though that’s fun too). I mean watching a movie and suddenly seeing a part of the city you visit quite regularly. Like watching ‘Mission Impossible’ and spotting Bankside located nearby to London’s Southwark Bridge. Or an unnervingly empty and desolate Piccadilly Circus in ‘28 Days Later’. It can be loads of fun playing ‘spot-the-location’ while sitting on your couch watching movies or amongst an audience at the cinema. Here are some of my favorite examples of London in the movies.
28 Days Later – Like I said, hugely unnerving. The part where Cillian Murphy runs around the city looking for someone, anyone, and not finding a soul gave me shivers given how I much I take it for granted the huge crowds I see in the city.
Notting Hill – Obvious choice this but, given the millions of people that have been inspired by this film to visit and move to London, it has to come into this list. It really does help to show off the city. For any true Londoner, the last bit with them tearing through city, fighting traffic is both funny and thrilling.
The Bourne Ultimatum – it’s doubtful that anyone has gone sprinting around Waterloo station quite as frantically as Matt Damon does in this film, but for anyone who’s experienced the mad crush of people in one of the busiest train stations in the world, this is fantastically exciting.
Shaun of the Dead – A favourite for film buffs in general and not just Londoners. North Londoners will probably spot Crouch End, Muswell Hill and Finsbury Park in the background.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – two words: Millennium Bridge.
I guess you could say that it’s not exactly a list of top class cinema (more crowd-pleasers, actually), but I think all these films help to show off the swinging city. There must be hundreds of films that could be added to this list, so maybe this blog needs a sequel. And who knows, spend enough time exploring London, and you might spot yourself on the telly if you’re lucky.
Living in London – Summer Shopping- Image via Flickr
If you’re living in London and you’re lucky enough to have some cash to throw around, why not take advantage of the fact that London is, without a doubt, one of the shopping capitals of the world. You’ve got your choice of places to carry your wallet to and a plethora of things to buy for you to kit out your London flat. It’s a big city so there’s loads of shopping opportunities for you to explore.
Let’s start with the obvious – Harrods. The store has about one million square feet of selling space and over 300 departments, including the world famous Food Hall. So you won’t struggle to find anything for dinner.
Also pay a visit to Covent Garden, for the best in High Street fashion. Up till the 1960s Covent Garden was more likely to be recognized for its fruit and veg market, but these days, its popular visit for the tourist looking for famous fashion labels and its top quality restaurants.
Do you have kids? Then it’s only right that you make a stop at Hamleys, the biggest and most famous toy shop in the entire world. Don’t think that you’ll only be able to stop for a quick fifteen minutes, and be in and out. When a toy store takes up six floors packed from top to bottom with toys and games, you’ll have to devote an entire day to taking it all. And if feels a bit indulgent to be taken in by all this kiddie fare, just remind yourself that it’s not just for play, as Hamleys is over one hundred years old, which makes a valid part of London’s history.
Or are you a bit of a bookworm? Get thee down to Charing Cross Road, noted for its many book stores, from comic book stores to those stocking the classics to second hand book stores, you won’t leave disappointed.
And if you’re are in the vicinity of Charing Cross Road, head to St. Giles’ Circus where you’ll find Tottenham Road, where you’ll find anything and everything you’ll need to kit yourself out with the latest that electronics has to offer.
Shopping in London is an experience, whether you’re getting your groceries delivered to you London apartment, or you’re striding down the High Street on a Saturday morning looking for that perfect outfit.
Living in London – Home is Where the Heart is…- Image via Wikipedia
If you’re an American moving to London, one of the things that you’ll struggle to overcome is the feeling of homesickness that will sweep over you occasionally. It’s not enough to just will yourself to adapt or to focus on your work so that the aching feeling of being away from home will go away. Sometimes you’re just going to miss home and all that comes with it, like pancakes, BBQ, the 4th of July or having your family and friends over for the Super Bowl.
It doesn’t matter either that you can make your own pancakes or buy them, that you could try getting a grill and some marinade and giving the BBQ a shot (weather withstanding), that London also has a 4th of July on its calendar (albeit, not with quite the same fanfare) or that the Super Bowl can be broadcast over in England as well (internet streaming helps in a big way in this case).
An adage that I really have taken to heart is that it’s not just where you go, what you do, but what matters above all is who you’re with. You’re not alone while you’re living in London. Turns out that there are over forty four thousand Americans staying in London. Not only that, but they get together pretty regularly and also have websites dedicated to that effect. It won’t be quite the same as walking in your mom’s front door for Thanksgiving Dinner, but spending an evening with people from back home can really help to ease the transition that comes with moving from one country to the next.
You can meet with groups as diverse as students studying in London, families that have pulled up roots to move here, an American TV Nights group (no, seriously) and all other sorts. So even if you are struggling with the big move, it helps to understand that there are others that have been there before and may even be experiencing what you’re experiencing at the same time. You can tear your hair out about the problems of moving to a new country, or you can laugh about it with someone who shares your pain.
I’ve read articles before about how moving abroad is good for you—it expands your mind with new perspectives and can cultivate adaptability and problem-solving. Today in particular I just found some survey results by ACS International Schoolsthat may interest you if you’re relocating to London with children and needing to enroll them in school.
ACS alumni attest that attending an international school in London successfully developed their “soft skills” (e.g., critical thinking and time management) to a greater extent than those enrolled in UK schools with prescriptive curricula geared toward national qualification exams. A majority of ACS’s past students felt better prepared for entering the workforce, as they’d developed an enhanced cultural awareness. This diversity in perspective likely contributes to the other key qualities they cited in the survey, like effective communication and an inspired curiosity that encourages asking more questions.
Over half the respondents also mentioned self-management, and I can certainly understand how this intrinsic discipline can emerge at any school abroad when one is having to make a go of all-new surroundings and peers outside the comfort zone of home. Braving a new world can be empowering and foster such maturity and independence, for children and adults alike!
ACS provides this video in which Educational Consultant Rebecca Grappo further speaks to the benefits of international schools in particular:
If you and your family of school-age children are moving to London, renting a London apartment is one thing and sending your kids to a London school quite another where relocation logistics are concerned. You might consider the possibility of an international school, so I’ll write more on this topic as the week continues—stick with us here at London Relocation!
Direct: 
Yesterday, I listed words related to transportation, and, similarly, every day has been devoted to a specific category. Today, however, we’re left with a smorgasbord of randomness…basically, a miscellany of odds-n-ends from my glossary that didn’t logically fit in anywhere else. Well, there might be no rhyme or reason to ‘em, but they have a home here:
