Ever had that awkward moment when you say something perfectly normal only to be met with puzzled stares?
You might be in Manchester asking for a bread roll and hear “Do you mean a barm cake?” Or in Glasgow where a stranger greets you with “Awright, pal?” when you have never met.
Welcome to British English, a glorious patchwork of accents, slang, and eccentric turns of phrase. While Americans might struggle with the difference between pants and trousers, even we Brits cannot always understand each other from one postcode to the next.
A nation divided by a common language
The thing about British English is that it is not just one language. It is hundreds of little versions stitched together. History, migration, class divides, and local pride have all shaped the way we speak. The result is that if you ask for a simple cup of tea you may get a different answer depending on whether you are in Yorkshire, Cornwall, or Belfast.
Let us be honest, half the fun of travelling around Britain is discovering what everyday things are called elsewhere.
Chips vs Crisps: In Britain, chips are thick sticks of potato served hot, often wrapped in paper with salt and vinegar. Crisps, on the other hand, are thin slices of potato that come in a packet and crunch when you bite them. The confusion starts when you realise different regions have their own terms too. In some parts of the North, a “chip butty” is a national treasure, while in other areas the idea of putting chips in bread raises eyebrows.
Pants vs Trousers: For Brits, pants are underwear. In the North, pants can also be slang for something rubbish, as in “That film was pants!” To avoid embarrassment, trousers is the safe bet.
Jumper: What most of us wear in colder months. Travel around and you will hear alternatives like pullover or simply woolly.
Tea: This one is tricky. For some, tea means the hot drink. For many in the North and Midlands, tea is also the evening meal. So when someone says, “What are you having for tea?” they may not mean a biscuit to go with your cuppa.
Rolls, Baps, Cobs, Barm Cakes, Muffins: The humble bread roll has perhaps the most variety of names. Walk across Britain and you might think people are inventing words just to confuse you.
Wellies: Wellington boots for country walks and muddy festivals. You may hear “gummies” in Scotland.
Regional dialects and local flavour
London Today: The capital is a melting pot of voices. You will hear “innit” tagged onto sentences, “bruv” used between friends, or “mandem” to describe a group of mates. This contemporary London English, shaped by multicultural influences, has spread far beyond the city.
Geordie, Newcastle: A cheerful “Howay man” is both an invitation and encouragement. “Canny” means good, and if someone calls you “pet“, they are being affectionate.
Scouse, Liverpool: The accent is musical and full of colour. Locals might say they are “made up” when delighted or that something is “boss” when it is fantastic. A visitor can easily feel both welcomed and bewildered at the same time.
Scottish English: Words like “bonnie” (beautiful), “aye!” (yes), and “dreich” (dreary weather) are everyday staples. Glasgow banter can be fast and sharp, while Edinburgh often has a softer tone.
The role of class and culture in British expressions
It is not just geography. Class has always played a role in how Brits speak. The pronunciation of “bath” is a classic example.
In much of the North its pronunciation is short, while in the South it stretches to “baath“. Word choice tells a story too. Some prefer “loo“, others say “toilet“, and a few opt for “lavatory“.
Humour adds another layer. Dry sarcasm, understatement, and ironic self-deprecation can leave outsiders puzzled.
Saying “not bad” often means really quite good. Calling something “interesting” might be polite code for terrible. Tone carries as much meaning as the words themselves.
Modern influences: from TikTok to multicultural London English
Languages do not sit still, and British English is evolving faster than ever.
Youth slang: Every generation has its buzzwords. Today teenagers use “leng” for attractive, “calm” for cool or fine, and “mate” for just about anyone. You will also hear “what you saying?” as a friendly way to ask “how are you?”, and “I can’t lie” as a synonym for “frankly”. These terms rise and fall so quickly that many parents find themselves completely lost when overhearing their children. A phrase that is cool one year can be outdated the next.
Multicultural London English: Born in the melting pot of London, MLE blends Caribbean, South Asian, and African influences. Words like “bruv“, “mandem“, “tings“, and “allow it” have spread far beyond the capital through music, television, and social media. What started in one corner of the city is now shaping youth speech from Bristol to Birmingham up until Manchester.
This modern slang shows how the diversity of the country feeds the language. It is fast and fluid, often baffling to anyone over thirty, yet it reflects a living culture.
Why the quirks matter
The eccentric differences in British English are not just amusing quirks. They are part of our cultural DNA. They reflect where we come from, who we are, and how we see the world.
They also make our islands endlessly interesting. A short train ride can take you from one version of English to another, where words shift, meanings change, and accents play tricks on your ear. It is both a challenge and a delight, a reminder that language is never fixed.
Being aware of cultural differences is valuable in many contexts, especially in the translation industry, where cultural understanding plays a key role in successful communication.
Most of all, these quirks bring people together. They spark laughter when we realise we are saying the same thing differently. They build pride in local culture. They even act as icebreakers in pubs, on trains, or in offices, where someone inevitably asks, “So what do you call it where you are from?”
Conclusion: celebrate the chaos
The next time you are lost in translation in your own country, embrace the eccentricities. Whether you are gutted, buzzing, knackered, or over the moon, you are part of a living language that refuses to sit still.
At BeTranslated we live for this kind of linguistic chaos. Our translation services in England and all over the country are built on understanding these quirks and handling them with care, keeping the world talking.
The way translators and translation agencies calculate their translation rates must seem like some form of voodoo to many clients; you’re supposed to fill out an online form in order to “get a free quote”, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get a call back soon.
How the translation agency arrived at that number often seems like an enigma.
Is there a logic to it, or did they just type some random figures into a calculator?
It’s no wonder why many clients are put off by the lack of transparency when it comes to the rates for quality translations.
Many would rather try their luck with machine translation or use an unverified service, inevitably resulting in a below-par end product. (more…)
The biggest improvement in the movie industry has been breaking the language barrier: we were no longer limited by foreign languages in films, meaning that we could watch almost anything we wanted to.
This made people appreciate film-making more than ever because each country and culture added something unique to the table.
French, American and Chinese films took the world by storm, and with that, movie dubbing and subbing became a must for a movie to gain an audience.
Dubbing is the process where the original script sound is replaced with words from a different language. It is a common practice in animated movies, for example, as well as in news and documentaries.
On the other hand, subbing is just the transcribed text placed at the bottom of the screen so that people can read what the characters are saying.
Both techniques seem easy to perform, but they’re more complicated than it looks.
Let’s find out more about how dubbing is done.
Scripting and timing
To get started with movie dubbing, a translator is needed to translate the original text into the new language.
This is the trickiest task because all languages have different sayings and meanings, so the text must be thoroughly checked before voice actors are involved.
The voice of the actors speaking that foreign language will be recorded and then audio-edited to the original film.
Besides being a translated version, it’s also an adaptation of the original, where tone and emotion are crucial factors.
Each language is different and voice actors must replicate those feelings relevant to their native country, which is not an easy task.
First, a translator needs to be thoughtful about the sentence’s duration and not make it too long because the voice actor needs time to pronounce everything properly.
Plus, the words need to be fitted to the visuals that appear on the screen—work that takes hours to complete.
Casting and recording
The next challenge is finding the perfect person to fit the character and the movie’s vibe.
Voice actors should first mirror the tone and inflection used by the performer from the original film. You might notice these details even in the way voice actors speak in animated movies for children.
The emotion is still there, including the excitement, the singing, and the sadness.
Next is voice recording.
There are two styles: the out-loud reading of the script by actors while they watch the original footage.
This is the standard method, where there will be three beeps, with the performers saying their lines at the fourth beep.
But to get there, performers go through rigorous training.
For example, a British voice actor will study a variety of acting approaches, like Stanislavski’s system, Strasberg’s method, and Meisner’s technique.
Then there’s the alternative recording method, used primarily in France and Canada, where actors read the lines of dialogue at the bottom of the screen while the movie plays.
Editing
Getting to the most tedious work, editing, is converging the new dialogue tracks and recording with the original movie sound.
It all starts by dismantling the original voices from the main soundtrack and creating a “music and effects track” (M&E).
After the foreign dialogue is recorded, the editors will fit it in the right places of the M&E to blend with the sound.
Editing everything from the speech to the music and live action. This is when the audio takes are chosen and combined and the music is cut to fit as close as possible without affecting the sound quality.
Mixing music, adding extra sound effects, and balancing natural speech. Editors will use audio equalisers, dynamic compressors and noise reduction features.
Mastering the sound by levelling the video so that everything sounds equally good. Editors must consider the devices people are playing the sound from, and given that they’re mostly smartphones or laptops, they should master the sounds accordingly.
Why movie dubbing matters
Movie dubbing can be easily underestimated by people who watch subbed videos and movies.
That’s because if you are used to a certain type of voice and talking style, it may sound weird to hear other voices perform.
But subbing takes away the essence of the movie. Besides the fact that you need to pay attention to the text and the screen, it may be tiring to follow everything that is happening.
A study by the British Film Council in 2010 concluded that fans of mainstream cinema prefer dubbing, while people interested in foreign languages want to see a subbed film.
In the end, it’s a matter of taste, but watching a subbed video might alter your experience, which lowers the movie’s quality.
But dubbing can change the film by improving the sound effects and the dialogue, regardless of the conditions in which the audio was recorded.
Moreover, it can increase the reach of a film project since it can be released internationally, and people can view it in their native language.
Let’s take the example of Japanese animations called anime.
The language they’re recorded from the start is quite difficult, but as soon as voice actors started dubbing anime, their popularity rose immediately worldwide, and now everyone knows about Naruto, for example.
Given that the mouth’s movements don’t have to line up with the audio, voice actors are not that limited when it comes to performing.
Wrapping up
Dubbing and subbing movies and video animations are the most remarkable changes in the cinematography industry.
Although they seem easy to do, each process is followed by many challenging steps in order to achieve the perfect audio.
Plus, watching dubbed and subbed movies can help people learn new languages better, as they get to see how voice actors interpret and talk.
Translators often have to meet some pretty tight deadlines. When every minute counts, having the necessary time-saving tools close at hand is vital.
Let’s go over the keyboard shortcuts that will save you precious seconds and mean you can deliver the perfect translation every time.
The big hitters
• Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y
These two keyboard shortcuts go hand in hand and can in many ways save you from some very unpleasant situations.
Firstly, Ctrl + Z lets you undo your last action. Say that you had accidentally deleted your translation for the phrase you’ve spent the last few minutes struggling with, simply press these two keys simultaneously and your sentence reappears!
Meanwhile, Ctrl + Y lets you redo your previous action. Maybe you thought it over and that tremendous sentence that you had just recovered no longer meets your standards.
Press Ctrl and Y, and it’s as if it never existed! You’ll be pleased to know that you can also use this shortcut for a number of programs besides Word.
• Ctrl + A
This shortcut means you avoid scrolling through a 60-page document that you want to copy all the content from; it does it for you! With this shortcut, you can select all the text in a Word, PDF or even Excel document, and it works for all situations, including your homepage or online.
• Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V
These keyboard shortcuts are better known as “copy-and-paste”, indispensable for any computer-user and even more so for a translator.
Once you have highlighted the right section of text with your mouse, press Ctrl + C, place your cursor where you want to paste the text and press Ctrl + V.
And like magic, there it is! It’s child’s play, really. The Ctrl + V shortcut is also handy for things like images or emojis.
The unsung heroes
• “Windows” + V
Very few people know this shortcut, and yet…have you ever lost the word or image that you had copied an hour ago?
This shortcut will open the clipboard, showing all the previous information that you had copied using Ctrl + C.
Once open, you can navigate with the up and down arrows, choose what interests you and press the Enter key to paste.
Bear in mind that the last thing you pasted to the clipboard will be automatically chosen when you next use Ctrl + V.
• Ctrl + Shift + N
Is your file explorer a sea of documents? A dumping ground where you are the only one who understands anything?
Maybe the time has come to reorganise your workspace, to create some folders with their own subfolders. The Ctrl + Shift + N shortcut lets you create a folder for your scattered documents and prompts you to give it a useful name.
A clear, well-organised workspace will obviously mean you can increase your efficiency as you will be able to find the documents you need straight away.
We recommend developing a classification system for your folders and subfolders. Remember that depending on your keyboard, the Shift key might show a small arrow pointing upwards rather than the word ‘shift’. Whatever your keyboard, it will be found above the Ctrl key.
• Ctrl + F2
This shortcut is the perfect complement to the one above. You have now created and named your folder, but a typo has sneaked into the folder name.
Don’t panic, it happens to the best of us, even translators!
Click on the folder and press Ctrl + F2. You can get rid of the ugly mistake in a flash, then save the name by pressing Enter. This is a useful quick fix for any type of document in your file explorer.
• Alt + Shift
Have you changed your keyboard, so you can write in your second language? Alt + Shift will get it back to normal! This shortcut is hugely helpful when you work with different languages.
Each language has a specific keyboard layout for use in any Windows system, whatever the letters and symbols displayed on the keys.
Press and hold Alt with the Shift key, and the menu of languages and settings available on your computer will stay open.
Scroll through them by pressing Shift again and release Alt once you have chosen the language you need.
• Ctrl + Alt + Prnt Scr
This shortcut is designed with any person using two screens in mind. The Prnt Scr key lets you take a screenshot of everything your computer is showing and saves it on the clipboard (remember Windows Key + V? This is a shortcut that you will come to rely on).
However, there is one problem: you only want to screenshot one screen. Simply press Prnt Scr and the Ctrl and Alt keys at the same time, and only the screen with the cursor will be saved.
All that remains is to paste the screenshot with Ctrl + V!
Quick tip – if you want to save this screenshot, open Paint (available on all Windows devices) and paste the image there. You can name and save it in the folder of your choice.
With these extremely handy keyboard shortcuts, you have now had a glimpse at some of the secret weapons in a translator’s arsenal.
They might seem like no big deal to begin with but these mean many of us can meet the deadlines set for us, and meeting deadlines is a point of pride for BeTranslated!
Idioms are expressions or phrases with figurative, non-literal meanings, that can easily confuse language learners.
They are often unique to a country or region and, as such, offer a glimpse into local cultures and ways of thinking. Learning English idioms can be great fun and very useful.
Familiarising yourself with idioms truly deepens your knowledge of colloquial, everyday language, which will give you a great advantage if you are thinking about travelling, working, or settling in that country.
If you’re heading to the UK and want to impress the locals with your English abilities, brush up on your idioms sharpish!
Turn yourself into an advanced level English speaker
If you’ve been learning English for a while and have reached a level where you can hold your own in everyday situations, it’s time to take it to the next level.
Having knowledge of some of the most common idioms will help you communicate better, and give you a deeper understanding of songs, TV shows, and books in English.
Not to mention, using them will impress any native you meet and chat with!
As idioms are often regional, native English speakers who are not from Britain could also do with studying British idioms if they plan to visit the UK.
Knowing these phrases demonstrates deeper cultural awareness and will aid in social integration, earning respect for your language skills from the Brits in no time.
A good place to start
We’ve come up with a list of 11 frequently used British idioms for you to peruse and add to your vocabulary. Once you’ve learned the real meaning of these idioms and how to use them correctly, you’ll sound like you’ve lived in the UK for years.
You don’t know your arse from your elbow – we are not referring to someone who has a poor understanding of biology, but instead someone who has made a mistake or keeps getting things wrong. Be careful with this one, it’s best used in very informal settings!
Working your socks off – this has nothing to do with removing anyone’s socks and actually refers to a person who is working extra hard.
It’s a piece of cake – if the English were actually referring to cake with this one, we’d need more bakers! When used, this means that something is really easy.
I’m over the moon – an unlikely place to be, unless we are referring to being really happy, a much more frequent occurrence.
The ball’s in your court – not only used when playing sport as you may have guessed, it actually means that the decision or power lies with you. It’s your choice.
You’re barking up the wrong tree – no dogs involved when using this term, or trees for that matter! It simply means that the person in question has misunderstood, or got the wrong idea.
Biting off more than you can chew – this phrase is not about some hungry person stuffing their face with food. Instead, it refers to someone who has taken on more than they can manage.
It costs an arm and a leg – don’t worry, no limbs have been used as a form of payment! This is a way to express that something was very expensive.
At the drop of a hat – no reference to headgear here; this just means that something is done instantly.
You’ve missed the boat – this doesn’t mean you’re late for your travel plans or missed your holiday, it’s an expression of being too late to make the most of something or having missed an opportunity.
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch – you don’t have to be a farmer to use this one! This expresses the need to wait for an outcome before assuming a result.
The importance of learning English idioms for language professionals
If you’re a language teacher, interpreter, translator, or content writer working in a foreign language or between a foreign language and your own, knowledge of idiomatic terms is crucial.
Idioms and proverbs are an ideal way to directly connect with a native speaker, crossing linguistic and cultural barriers and demonstrating mastery of their language.
This is why at BeTranslated we ensure that all our professional translators are certified native speakers, guaranteeing cultural sensitivity in our translations, both in understanding the source text and writing the final translation.
Also, students can visit sites like Studycrumb to find more advice on learning English idioms for language professionals.
Now you’re well on your way to communicating like a true English speaker!
Now that you’ve started learning some British idioms, you’ve taken a huge step towards sounding like a true native. Remember, there are hundreds of more idioms out there!
Why not challenge yourself to learn one a day for the next two weeks?
Many businesses aiming to expand beyond the domestic market concentrate on B2B sales; sales between businesses, rather than between a business and an individual customer (B2C).
If your company plans to pursue B2B deals with companies overseas, the creation and delivery of a high-quality B2B marketing campaign are paramount.
Of course, going global creates the need for B2B translation.
If you plan to branch out into countries where a language other than English is spoken, said marketing campaign will have to be translated by a professional translator, along with a myriad of documents and correspondence.
In this guide, we will share the most important factors to be considered when hiring a reliable translation service for your B2B translation needs.
Define your target market
Having a clear target customer, whether they are an individual or another business, is crucial to producing a successful marketing campaign.
Be clear on who you are communicating with and what tone you wish to portray.
If your translator knows these details they will be able to produce translations that are perfectly tailored to the reader, giving your product or service the best chance of resonating with the potential client.
Establish language combinations for your B2B translation
Once you have established your target market and identified which language or languages your content will need to be translated into, you can begin to work with a translation service that specialises in those languages.
Although some languages are spoken in many countries around the world, the dialects vary greatly from country to country.
Let’s take French as an example; there are huge differences between the French spoken in France, Canada, Belgium, and Haiti, to name just a few French-speaking nations.
If you are expanding into more than one country or region that speaks the same language, the translation agency can give you advice on whether a different B2B translation for each country is needed, or whether their dialects are similar enough for that to be unnecessary.
Find a translator who understands your niche market
The best translation service for you will not only specialise in the right language combinations, but they will also have native translators who are experts in your specific sector.
If your company produces medical equipment, working with a translator specialised in the medical field to translate your instruction manuals, for example, will guarantee clear and accurate translations.
Don’t underestimate the importance of localisation
If you haven’t worked with a translator before, you may see the process of translation as simply replacing words in one language with words in another.
Of course, it’s much more complex than that, and one of the major considerations for the translator is making sure that the target text will be understood in the context of the target culture.
This process of tweaking the text to suit the new audience is called localisation and takes into account issues such as humour, pop culture, religion, and superstition.
Hiring an experienced, native speaker as your website translator will help you to build a relationship with your new clients, which will directly benefit your sales.
A professionally translated website will give a good impression to those local businesses you are interested in working with on a B2B basis.
If your website is not available in their language it not only sends the message that your company is not invested in their market, it also forces them to use automated translation which can lead to serious misunderstandings.
Always follow local regulations
Remember that different countries and regions may have different laws and requirements when it comes to information such as ingredients lists, disclaimers, and instructions, and getting these wrong could lead to serious ramifications.
Do your own research, but also discuss these issues with your translation service so that you are all on the same page.
