Briticism
Definition:
A word or phrase that is typical of English as it is used in Britain. Also known as a Britishism.
Bryan Garner points out that "Briticism came first (in the mid-19th century) and is more often used by linguists, [but] the term Britishism is more than twice as common in contemporary journalism" (Garner's Modern American Usage, 2009).
See also:
Examples and Observations:
- "Fortnight has been an English word for a long while, going back to Anglo-Saxon feowertyne niht. Yet Americans gave up using it, so it is now a Briticism."
(John Algeo, "British-American Lexical Differences." English Across Cultures, Cultures Across English, ed. by Ofelia García, Ricardo Otheguy. Walter de Gruyter, 1989) - Three Main Categories of Briticisms
"Briticisms fall into three main categories:- Those that are used in both countries to mean different things. Thus, davenport means 'small writing desk' in Britain and 'large sofa' in America. Some words and phrases in this category have diametrically opposed meanings in the two countries. Bomb in Britain is slang for 'dazzling success'; in America it generally means 'dismal flop.' The verb 'table' is an example of the same phenomenon.
- Those that are not used at all in America, or extremely rarely, like call box and kiosk for 'telephone booth'; hoarding for 'billboard'; dustman for 'garbage man.'
- Those that are not used (or if used at all, used differently) in America for the simple reason that their referent does not exist there. Examples abound: beefeater; commoner; during hours; Oxbridge. Often these refer to social and cultural institutions and have taken on connotative meanings which may have approximate American counterparts: Chelsea; Bloomsbury; redbrick."
- Briticisms in American English
"To arms, to arms, the Britishisms are coming! . . .
"One sees it everywhere: 'at the end of the day' is replacing 'when all is said and done'; the 'marquee' has replaced the 'tent' in the backyard at fashionable social functions; 'fridge' is now the name for 'refrigerator' or 'icebox.' The British 'mixed bag' has been adopted in the United States for any assortment of people or inconclusive result; 'smarmy' has overwhelmed 'unctuous,' and 'trendy' has bypassed 'chic.'"
(William Safire, "Take That Decision." The Sunday Times Magazine, April 16, 1989)
"To term a word a Briticism is not necessarily to stigmatize it as noxious, for many terms and phrases now peculiar to Great Britain are certain in time to win acceptance, even in the United States, to the permanent enrichment of the English vocabulary. . . .
"Fad . . . was, first of all, a piece of British slang, which came rapidly into general use in Great Britain, and so established itself as a Briticism; but its utility has made it acceptable in the United States also, and it is coming into general use here, at least along the Atlantic coast. Very soon, apparently, fad will cease to be a Briticism."
(Brander Matthews, "Briticisms of All Sorts." Harper's Monthly Magazine, April 1903)
Also Known As: Britishism
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