Author:  Colleen

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

If you’re interested in learning more random British terms, and slang ones in particular, allow me to direct you to my earlier post, “Speaking the Queen’s English (Conversational Lingo).”

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.

Author:  Colleen

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!

Author:  Colleen

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

Miscellaneous Public Services
baggage room = left luggage
booth = kiosk
check room = cloakroom
mailbox = pillar box
restroom = toilet/lavatory/WC (water closet)

Enjoy your stroll around town? For a guide on how to pronounce the names of more specific London locations, please see my recent post, “Relocation UK: Places Americans Often Mispronounce.”

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.

Author:  Colleen

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

Home
band-aid = plaster
bobbie pin = hair grip/kirby grip
clothes pin = clothes peg
cotton batting = cotton wool
cotton swab/Q-tip = cotton bud
flashlight = torch
kerosene = paraffin
pitcher = jug
pot holders = oven gloves/cloth
rubbing alcohol = surgical spirit
spatula = fish slice
spool = cotton reel
thread = cotton
wash cloth = face flannel

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.

Author:  Colleen

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:

[American English = British English]

Fruits & Vegetables
arugula = rocket
cilantro = coriander
eggplant = aubergine
endive = chicory
lima bean = broad bean
pit (as in fruit) = stone
raisin = sultana
rutabaga/turnip = swede
scallion = spring onion
squash = (similar to) marrow
zucchini = courgettes

Meat & Fish
ham, cured/smoked (from the hind leg) = gammon
hamburger meat = beef mince
roast = joint (meat)
slice of bacon = rasher
smoked herring = kipper

Breads
hamburger bun = bap
whole grain wheat bread = granary bread
hotdog bun = bridge roll

Snacks / Sweets
candy = sweets
cookie/cracker = biscuit
cotton candy = cotton floss
dessert = pudding
fries = chips
popsicle = iced lolly
potato chips = crisps
soda cracker = cream cracker

Baking
corn starch = corn flour
molasses = black treacle
powdered sugar = icing sugar

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.

Author:  Colleen

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:

[American English = British English]

Supplies/Equipment
crib = cot
baby carriage = pram (short for ‘perambulator’)
diaper = nappy
pacifier = dummy
stroller = pushchair

Snacks
candy = sweets
candy store = sweet shop/confectioner
cookie = biscuit (the sweet kind)
cotton candy = cotton floss
popsicle = iced lolly

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!

Author:  Colleen

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:

[American English = British English]

Clothes
bathrobe = dressing gown
knickers = plus-fours
overalls = dungarees
pants/slacks = trousers
shorts = briefs
underwear = pants
sweater = jumper
undershirt = vest
vest = waistcoat

Outerwear
parka = anorak
raincoat = mackintosh
windbreaker = windcheater

Shoes
pump (as in high-heels) = court shoe
tennis shoes/sneakers = trainers/gym shoes

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!

Author:  Colleen

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

Exterior Space
curb = kerb
sidewalk = pavement
yard = garden

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!

Author:  Colleen

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:

The Chelsea Teapot – on the King’s Road, Chelsea

Peggy Porschen - on Ebury Street, Belgravia

It doesn’t get pinker than this.

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.​