Rules, Britannia : An Insider's Guide to Life in the United Kingdom

How do you respond to a dinner invitation that says "Eight for eight thirty"? What might induce you to get off a London train at a place called Mud Chute? When is it okay to drive over a sleeping policeman? And why do teh Brits keep saying "Who's she, the cat's mother"? Rules, Britannia is an invaluable resource for Americans who want to make a smooth transition when visiting or relocating to the UK. This entertaining and practical insider's guide contains scores of established do's and dont's that only a Brit would know. Most of us know that an elevator is called a "lifet," a toilet is a "loo," and the trunk of your car is the "boot," but who would have a clue about a "sprog" or a "gobsmacked berk"? These phrases are part of daily conservation in the UK, and leave many visiting Americans as baffled as if they listening to a foreign language. Covering such essential topics as vocabulary, house- or "flat"-hunting, business culture, child rearing, and even relationship etiqutte, Rules, Britannia will ease the anxiety that comes with a transatlantic move or extended visit, and is sure to make any old Yank feel like a regular Joe Bloggs.

A must-have guide for Americans who want to move to the UK

Library Journal

Hargis knows whereof she speaks. She grew up in England and holds a law degree from Bristol University; today, she's a business writer and resident of Chicago. Her perspective on the difference among U.S. and U.K. cultures is, as a Brit might say, spot on. The key, in large part, is the language. Familiar terms in our version of English are often unknown in the United Kingdom, and the reverse is equally, if not more, true. Covering a wide range of topics, from the considerable differences among the Welsh, Northern Irish, and Scots-none of whom want to be called British-to the structure of British education and the differences among wedding and dining out rituals between the two countries, Hargis ends each chapter with a vocabulary list of British terms and those Americanisms that don't translate across the pond. The book's greatest value will be for those intending an extended stay in Great Britain, but it will prove useful for vacationers planning more than a few days in old Blighty. Recommended for academic libraries and public libraries with large travel collections.-Janet Ross, formerly with Sparks Branch Lib., NV Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

This book is a resource for Americans who want to make a smooth transition when visiting or relocating to the UK. This insider's guide contains scores of established do's and don'ts that only a Brit would know. Covering such essential topics as vocabulary, house- or "flat"--Hunting, business culture, child rearing, and even relationship etiquette, Rules, Britannia will ease the anxiety that comes with a transatlantic move or extended visit Toni Summers Hargis offers resource for Americans who want to make a smooth transition when visiting or relocating to the UK. This work is an insider's guide containing several established do's and don'ts from across the pond that only a Brit would know A useful resource for Americans who want to make a smooth transition when visiting or relocating to the UK. This work is a practical insider's guide containing several established do's and don'ts from across the pond that only a Brit would know.