“Scotty,” the ‘hairy coo.’
Though the British seem to be the most like us Americans, there are quite a lot of small differences between our two cultures. I recently studied abroad in Scotland for a semester and had the chance to travel throughout the UK – London, the whole of Northern Ireland, and various cities in Scotland – and live in the quaint town of Stirling, Scotland. I have taken it upon myself to enlighten the UW public about differences of our culture in a list of what you may do, should you ever visit our mother nation.
1. Learn the “slanguage”:
Obviously, the British (for the record, British means the entirety of the UK, all of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England, while English means people from England – do not mix these two up) use different words and slang than we do here in America. I’ve listed a few so that you will fit in. When saying “hello,” use “heya” instead. “Hairy coos” are the slang for highland cows, which hang around all over Scotland and which can be seen below. Men, when you start dating a pretty lady, you could start calling her your “bird”. Girls, if you want another name for your girl friends, you could call them “hen”, instead of “dear”. Everyone, get used to calling your friends your pals or mates. And the word “wee” is not only in the movies. They say it all the time and as an adjective for anything slightly smaller than something else. Cigarettes are commonly known as “fags,” so don’t be alarmed if someone asks you, “Hey, you got a fag?” One of my personal favorites is “bang-tidy” – it’s a semi-inappropriate word that could be interchanged with sexy. An example sentence that a true Brit would say could be either of the following, “Heya, wee pal! How’s your bird?” or “Mate, check out that wee girl – bang-tidy!”
2. Do not compliment people, and do not be offended by their sarcasm.
The Brits are very dry people. If you’ve ever seen a British comedy, like Love Actually or Bridget Jones’ Diary, which I highly recommend, you will know that the sense of humor on the other side of the ocean is abrupt and cutting. Their speech is laced with sarcasm, and they do not apologize for it, as we frequently do in America. Curse words are also much more appropriate than curse words here in America. Professors, for example, condone and use curse words in class discussions. And they are friendly and helpful in ways like getting directions around town or engaging in a customer at a shop, but they do not take compliments well. They are very formal and don’t quite know how to say, “Thank you.”
3. You must familiarize yourself with world events and US politics.
I was in Scotland during the 2012 presidential election (disclaimer: I am not at all interested in politics), and let me tell you that everyone in the UK knows more about American politics than I did. I am telling you this to save you humiliation for being ignorant. Secondly, regardless of your political beliefs, be prepared for Obama-lovers. Of all the people I met in the UK, I met only one bloke who supported Romney over Obama in the past election. Beware, you Republicans. Have fun, you Democrats.
4. Buy an umbrella, and dress in layers.
In Scotland, it rains nearly every day, and if it doesn’t, clouds darken the sky. When it rains, it’s usually a mere drizzle, but people have learned the value of scarves, not for fashion, but for warmth, and they are not only for women. And rain boots, which they call “wellies” are worn about five out of seven days. Large sweaters are very common, and among men, the cheesy Christmas sweaters that we wear to ugly sweater parties – super common and actually very classy.
5. Go to the pub, every weekend.
Like I have to tell college students to go to the pub! But the fact remains that one of the most popular things to do in all of the UK is to go to a pub. These pubs are very crowded and usually host live bands. Irish pubs are the best, and the Irish know it. They have the best Guinness in Ireland, for one, and the music is a lot more rustic and real. That’s one of the things I miss the most about it.
6. Go to a rugby match.
Rugby matches are one of the most unique experiences – the fans go absolutely nuts! On the way to any rugby game, the town jumps with activity. Everyone in the town that afternoon seems to be on their way to a game. There are food booths, scarf booths, flags being handed out, faces being painted with the home team’s colors, and everyone is yelling (sometimes soberly, sometimes drunkenly). The warm up is one of the best parts – the crowd can see each team warming up at their respective ends, but a live band sets up camp right in the middle of the field, and the band usually includes a bagpipe. The crowd, and you will too, goes crazy and cheers and claps to the national anthem of that country and sings along.
7. Understand that bagpipes and kilts are real, modern artifacts.
In Scotland specifically, men wear kilts pretty frequently. They are mostly worn for special occasions, such as to a formal banquet or a ceilidh (a traditional Scottish partner folk dance and pronounced KAY Lee). The best build for a man to look good in a kilt is stocky and a bit short. Those types of men look especially manly. One thing that the Scots are sure to point out is that their kilt must be “tartan,” what they call plaid, for it to be called a kilt. Otherwise, it’s merely a man skirt. Bagpipes are also seen all over the place, especially in more touristy cities, like Edinburgh for example, there are bagpipe players at every corner. There are even a few very popular bands with bagpipes in them, my favorite of which is called the Red Hot Chili Pipers (not a joke!).
I hope this gave you a bit of insight into the life of the Brits, and I hope that you could use this information in your future travels over the ocean or even in enlightening your insider knowledge of the magnificence of the United Kingdom.
