British Family Reacts to 5 British words that Americans Find Rude Or Weird!

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]We have the family back with another react. We're going to be taking a look at five British words that Americans find rude or weird.

[00:00:10]>> So, just words that we can't say or shouldn't say.

[00:00:13]>> Know some.

[00:00:13]>> Yeah. Or shouldn't say when we go to America.

[00:00:16]>> Do you think you know some?

[00:00:17]>> Probably not.

[00:00:18]>> Yeah, I do.

[00:00:20]>> Don't say it. You can't say it.

[00:00:21]>> Well, we can say it cuz it's fine in the UK.

[00:00:23]>> Should I say it? Go on.

[00:00:26]I'm not What?

[00:00:37]>> You can't say it. I said >> you just told me to say it.

[00:00:41]>> Is that right?

[00:00:42]>> You might have said the worst one possible.

[00:00:45]>> You told me to say it.

[00:00:46]>> No, >> I was going to say that.

[00:00:49]>> Told me to say it.

[00:00:51]>> You did.

[00:00:52]>> I said it.

[00:00:53]>> I thought you was going to say something else. I don't know.

[00:00:55]>> I don't know.

[00:00:56]>> Cuz I'm going to beat that out. It's the f word that we use for cigarettes. Okay.

[00:01:01]>> Very normal word in the UK.

[00:01:04]>> Very normal word in the UK, but very offensive in America.

[00:01:08]>> There we go. Let's check out these words. That probably will be in it.

[00:01:11]>> I think it will be. She'll be that as well. But you just go ahead and blow it out there. Don't you?

[00:01:19]>> All right, let's check this out.

[00:01:21]>> I've officially passed the 12 month mark of living in America.

[00:01:25]>> This has to be the biggest shock to me.

[00:01:27]There are a lot of differences between our two countries, but thankfully we speak the same language. So adjusting isn't as hard as it would be if you moved somewhere where you had to learn a new one.

[00:01:37]>> Oh, that would be hard.

[00:01:38]>> Even though we do speak the same language, so many words we use in England either mean something completely different here or worse are considered rude. And nobody wants that. Nobody wants to accidentally be rude. So thanks to the people who comment. I don't know.

[00:01:53]I'm >> I'm scared. God.

[00:01:55]>> Cozy.

[00:01:57]>> Cozy.

[00:01:57]>> Cozy in it.

[00:01:58]>> Oh, no. No. You're on the right lines.

[00:02:01]It's cuz I've said it to you, isn't it?

[00:02:02]>> Co. Oh, cozy.

[00:02:04]>> No, not cozy.

[00:02:05]>> About a house.

[00:02:06]>> Homely homely. Homely in America kind of means like old and Yeah.

[00:02:13]>> On my videos, I've learned that I've actually been walking around either boldly insulting people in their own homes or just sounding completely odd to Americans.

[00:02:23]>> Yeah. Oh, this house is so homely.

[00:02:25]They're like, "Huh? It is. It's homely."

[00:02:29]>> So, here are the top five words I've learned about since moving to the US.

[00:02:35]>> Yeah. It must be so weird for like Americans to listen to British people because like imagine we walk into the house. Oh, this is so homely. I'm going to go and get an F.

[00:02:47]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:02:48]>> That's so weird for Americans. They're thinking what? We've got no offensive words.

[00:02:52]>> Egg and chips.

[00:02:53]>> No, we have loads of offensive words.

[00:02:54]>> I don't think that's offensive.

[00:02:57]>> Egg and chips.

[00:02:59]>> It's not offensive, but it's confusing word, isn't it? Cuz >> egg and chips.

[00:03:04]>> Yeah, cuz chips is crisp.

[00:03:06]>> Oh, wait. Yeah, I know. Yeah, I know what she's saying. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know what you're saying.

[00:03:10]>> Pants is pants. Pants is >> our pants is their trousers.

[00:03:15]>> Yeah. What?

[00:03:16]>> Our pants is their trousers. So if you go to buy pants, you'll be coming out with a pair of trousers. Songs they call trousers.

[00:03:23]>> No, >> no, not >> what we call pants.

[00:03:27]>> Pants.

[00:03:27]>> So So they they call pants in America trousers. No, no. Their trousers are called pants.

[00:03:37]>> Yeah.

[00:03:37]>> So if America says to you, I'm only wearing pants.

[00:03:43]>> No, they're wearing trousers.

[00:03:45]>> They're wearing trousers.

[00:03:48]That is loud.

[00:03:49]>> Pointed it out. First word I'm only aware of thanks to the people who watched my Gettysburg video and pointed it out. Otherwise, I would have continued using this word, ignorantly insulting people every time I went to their house.

[00:04:01]>> Okay, it's probably going to be the first one. Can you shut the door? I think the door is slightly open.

[00:04:06]>> Dang it.

[00:04:07]>> And that word is homely. In England is a compliment to go to someone's home and say your house is so homely. Homeike.

[00:04:14]You know, it's nice. It's comfortable and welcoming. Much to my shock, in America, it means ugly. This is what a couple >> Yeah, that's crazy. In the in the UK, it's a compliment. In America, it's an insult.

[00:04:26]>> We've said it loads of times on them videos away.

[00:04:30]>> Yeah, true. But I feel like I feel like most people that watch these videos kind of understand that we say in a nice way.

[00:04:38]>> Yeah. people who commented on my Gettysburg visit video >> or a lot of people might have unsubscribed, disliked the video and left because they hate those rude Brits >> that I posted a few weeks ago. Let me know. I saw the comments and I went straight to Google feeling really confused and yep, homely in America means lacking in physical beauty or proportion. So, you can imagine my shock and embarrassment as I've been going to American people's homes complimenting their homes when in fact I've been insulting them and no one So, please if any more words pop up on my channel, please correct me. But now I know the word to use instead of homely is homey. I don't mean at all. I don't understand how homely can mean ugly. This one is really, really strange to me. I honestly didn't believe the comment on my channel when I first saw it. I was really confused. But I will definitely make sure to never use the word again whilst I'm in America. So, thank you for commenting, but homie is like a friend like, "Oh, you're my homie."

[00:05:39]>> Yeah, I was just about to say that.

[00:05:41]>> So, you go into a house and say, "Your house is homie. Your house is my mate."

[00:05:46]>> Well, yeah. Good mate.

[00:05:49]>> I don't know. I'm confused already.

[00:05:51]>> Rubber >> in England.

[00:05:52]>> Oh, wait. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:05:54]This is one >> definitely make sure to never use the word again whilst I'm in America. So, thank you for commenting and letting me know. Now, here's another unfortunate rude one. Rubber. In England, a rubber is what kids keep in their pencil cases at school.

[00:06:07]>> Yeah. So, >> rubbers a rubber, but what else is a rubber?

[00:06:12]>> Condom.

[00:06:13]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:06:15]>> And and and rubber in America is only a condom.

[00:06:19]>> Oh, is there?

[00:06:20]>> Yeah.

[00:06:21]>> They don't have rubbers in America.

[00:06:22]>> They have rubber. They have They have rubbers, but they call it erasers.

[00:06:28]>> Oh, okay.

[00:06:28]>> Oh, yeah. That is the correct name.

[00:06:30]>> Yeah. Well, we call it erasers, but we mostly call it a rubber.

[00:06:34]>> It means eraser. My daughter has loads of rubbers for when she's drawing. So, imagine my shock when I found out if I ask her where her rubber is to an American. It sounds like I'm asking where the condom is, which is obviously not something you want to do. So, I have to be very conscious of saying a razor to my daughter so she doesn't >> Imagine a kid. Imagine a British kid going up to a store. Um, can I have five rubbers, please?

[00:06:59]Oh gosh.

[00:07:01]>> Ask for a rubber at preschool.

[00:07:03]Otherwise, she'll end up in class asking her teacher for a condom instead of something to fix mistakes.

[00:07:09]>> Definitely not the kind of parent teacher conversation.

[00:07:11]>> Condoms John is, don't we?

[00:07:26]No, we do.

[00:07:30]>> Oh dear.

[00:07:31]>> Well, have you ever been to the shop?

[00:07:33]Can have some Johnny's, please.

[00:07:35]>> No, but it is a name for it.

[00:07:38]>> I have never.

[00:07:39]>> Yeah. America. America. America. There's definitely Americans watching this called John and they're going, "Why am I a condom?"

[00:07:52]>> No, that's what they used to call them.

[00:07:53]>> No, they are. That is another name for him as well.

[00:07:57]>> I want to be having. In fact, I've been told if you walk into a shop in the US and ask for a rubber, you won't be pointed towards a stationary aisle, you'll likely get pointed toward pharmacy section. So, while some people might understand you in context, like if you're holding a pencil, it's much safer to just say eraser here in the third word isn't rude or insulting.

[00:08:18]Thankfully, I'm saving the worst one for the end, but it's >> we know what the worst one is. You said it at the start. Whoever said that's the worst one you can say.

[00:08:26]>> Important to know to make sure you're getting what you actually want and not to be shocked. Now, it's widely known in England that chips in America is what we English people call crisp. So, you don't need to learn that one. But what isn't widely known is that biscuit in America is not what it is in England. In England, a biscuit is a sweet, crunchy snack like what Americans call a cookie.

[00:08:48]>> Yeah. So, Americans call all our biscuits cookies.

[00:08:51]>> Cookies. Yeah, but we have a difference between a cookie and a biscuit.

[00:08:55]>> Yeah. So, what do they call biscuits?

[00:08:58]>> Cookies. They'll go.

[00:08:59]>> No. What do they say biscuit for? What's a biscuit to them?

[00:09:03]>> Oh, so a biscuit weird biscuit.

[00:09:05]>> Have you seen biscuits or gravy? Like a >> you dunk it in your tea and it softens just enough without falling apart. Think digestives, hobnobs, custard creams.

[00:09:16]Those are biscuits to us in England. In America, a biscuit is completely different from the British version. It's not crunchy or sweet at all. It's a soft, fluffy, buttery bread roll, almost like a savory scone. Americans usually eat biscuits warm, split open with butter, honey, or jam, or the classic way I've been told about is smothered in gravy. So, if you're in America and you ask for a biscuit with your tea, don't be surprised when you get handed a bread roll covered in gravy instead of gravy.

[00:09:46]>> Yeah, the white gravy.

[00:09:47]>> Dummy. When we first moved here, >> that is the white gravy.

[00:09:50]>> Dummy.

[00:09:51]>> Yeah, dummy for us is what babies use.

[00:09:54]>> Pacifier. Yeah, >> they call it pacifiers.

[00:09:58]You don't call it pacifier.

[00:09:59]>> Of course I bloody don't.

[00:10:01]>> I call it pacifier.

[00:10:03]>> No, you said pacifier like you call it a pacifier.

[00:10:05]>> No, they don't. I say dummy.

[00:10:07]>> Yeah.

[00:10:08]>> Gravy instead of a hobnob. The fourth word is dummy. When we first moved here, my daughter used a dummy, which in America is a pacifier or a binky.

[00:10:17]>> Binky. That's cute. I love that.

[00:10:20]>> Say, "Where's your dummy?" to my daughter or ask my husband where the dummy is. People we were with.

[00:10:25]>> Yeah. To be fair, it's a bit weird that we call it a dummy cuz we know what a dummy is. A stupid person. Yeah. Right.

[00:10:31]>> Oh, really?

[00:10:33]How >> a dummy?

[00:10:35]>> Dummy.

[00:10:36]The only other thing I know a dummy be is like a stat like a dummy statue. Like a blow up dummy.

[00:10:44]>> What?

[00:10:46]>> Yeah. Like a blow up doll.

[00:10:48]>> Yeah, that's a dummy.

[00:10:51]>> Dummy. Yeah.

[00:10:52]>> Oh, you never heard of a dummy like oh you you stupid like you dummy. Like that person's a dummy.

[00:10:58]>> I know what dumb means.

[00:10:59]>> Oh, we I've probably seen it in movies.

[00:11:00]>> I've heard a dummy.

[00:11:01]>> Yeah.

[00:11:02]>> No.

[00:11:02]>> Yeah. Yeah. That's what they call it.

[00:11:04]But I like the word binky. That's That's kind of cute for Chris.

[00:11:06]>> I don't you I don't >> Binky >> Binky >> were probably thinking that we were really weird and finding the word dummy for pacifier even offensive England.

[00:11:17]>> Pacifier sound kind of crazy though.

[00:11:19]>> Pacifier is too long man called pacifier.

[00:11:23]>> It s it sounds very like demony like go get your pacifier.

[00:11:30]and America, it can be a childish insult, but to call a pacifier a dummy in America, it's generally not a thing and you're just going to look really weird. And the final word, luckily this one does not apply to me because I don't smoke, but a lot of my family members who do smoke have visited me here in America and in England a cigarette is widely called a In context, it's >> that that is the most common word for a cigarette. Everybody that smokes or don't smoke says that word.

[00:12:02]>> Yeah. What does it actually mean? Um >> it's just an offensive word.

[00:12:11]>> Does it mean um >> you got to be careful here.

[00:12:15]>> I know. Hold on.

[00:12:16]>> Don't say it.

[00:12:17]>> You got to be very careful.

[00:12:19]>> No. I'm going to get the right word.

[00:12:21]>> Okay. Come on. Does it mean it's not a heterosexual?

[00:12:30]>> You're looking for bisexual.

[00:12:31]>> No. No.

[00:12:32]>> Oh, yeah. That's what it is.

[00:12:33]>> No. It's It's an offensive word.

[00:12:35]>> Yeah.

[00:12:36]>> To like people that aren't straight.

[00:12:37]>> Yeah.

[00:12:38]>> Right. They'll be called the F word.

[00:12:41]>> Yeah.

[00:12:42]>> Right. And we use that word for cigarettes as a normal word.

[00:12:46]>> So they call it the F word.

[00:12:49]>> Yeah. But like Tony is an F word.

[00:12:54]>> We would say it to Tony and that's not offensive.

[00:12:57]>> But no mean but it is offensive in America.

[00:13:01]>> Yeah.

[00:13:01]>> Highly offensive.

[00:13:02]>> So does that mean they're not proud to be that?

[00:13:05]>> Well, it's offensive, Georgia.

[00:13:07]>> It's just an offensive word. It's >> Do you know what offensive means?

[00:13:11]>> Yeah.

[00:13:12]>> Yeah. So if you call anybody in America the f word, they're going to be very offended. Yeah.

[00:13:19]>> Whereas like in the UK that word is just mostly used >> for a cigarette and it's probably not that offensive >> to other people as well >> cuz we don't use it as an offending word. We use it as a >> No, but I feel I feel like in the UK I feel like in the UK it is slightly becoming more offensive. I don't know.

[00:13:40]Well, I don't know if that's because I spend most of my time online, >> but I don't know. Do Do you guys think it's slightly becoming offensive or not?

[00:13:47]Never heard of it other than going to the shop and getting a cigarette.

[00:13:51]>> No, I haven't.

[00:13:52]>> No, it's Yeah, it's just in America it's very offensive.

[00:13:55]>> If we're at the pub or anywhere, >> let's say I was stood outside, someone might come up and say, "Have you got a f?"

[00:14:03]>> Well, yeah, it's very normal for it.

[00:14:04]It's It's a very normal word. Very normal.

[00:14:07]>> Completely normal slang. You'll hear people say, "I'm going out for a fag."

[00:14:10]And nobody thinks twice about it. But here in America, never means cigarette. It's only used as a really offensive slur against gay people. And to be fair, even back in England, when it's not used in the context of smoking, it can carry that same insulting meaning.

[00:14:26]>> Well, yeah, that's the thing.

[00:14:28]>> Yeah, it can.

[00:14:29]>> Like even though a lot of people don't get offended by it, like you just said, Tony, right? Some people might nowadays.

[00:14:37]>> Yeah, >> some people might. So, it it is kind of catching on. I don't know if it will change in the UK though because it's such a common slur for cigarette.

[00:14:46]>> Yeah, >> I don't think it would change. I don't know. I don't know. Maybe. I don't know.

[00:14:49]>> So, while it's casual slang for a cigarette in the UK, it's very casual.

[00:14:53]It's a word you absolutely should not use ever.

[00:14:57]>> So, yeah, this one is one of those words where the cultural difference really matters or you could accidentally really offend and hurt somebody. The reason we use it for cigarettes back in England, if you don't know, actually comes from the old slang end, which meant the last stub or leftover of something like the end of a cigarette. Over time, that just got shortened to and it was completely harmless.

[00:15:21]>> But yes, don't use that one for a cigarette here. So, those are the five.

[00:15:25]>> Yeah, that's wild, though. That's wild.

[00:15:27]There's something used so commonly.

[00:15:30]>> Yeah.

[00:15:30]>> Like you could be in America and be in a lot of trouble, but I just say it's kind of have a cigarette.

[00:15:36]>> Well, when they say it's um you'd be in a lot of trouble, like could you get arrested for saying that?

[00:15:41]>> No, you won't get arrested, but you might get punched in the face.

[00:15:45]>> Oh, I'm sorry for saying it at the start. I did I didn't go to America now.

[00:15:50]>> No, but it's Yeah, it's just a very offended word over there. But there we go. The five words. It's just completely different meanings in the UK and America. It It is very interesting to see like the difference.

[00:16:01]>> Like even though we speak the same language, it is very different. But there we go. If you guys enjoyed, make sure to leave a thumbs up, subscribe for more content. We'll see you all in the next one. Peace.