With standardising our food, our social customs and even our language, where can the overseas visitor find a truly British experience? The answer lies in The How To Be British Collection.
Not sure why everyone keeps talking about the weather? Can’t tell your Earl Grey from your English breakfast? Feeling a wobble in your stiff upper lip? It sounds like you need a crash course in How to be British. This handy pocket guide brings together 130 classic cartoons covering all the crucial elements of life on our sceptred isle: from queuing under absolutely any circumstances, to avoiding eye contact on the bus, to tutting and saying ‘Honestly’ when it starts raining. Whether you’re a born-and-bred Brit or the most transient of tourists, How to be British is your one-stop remedy to Brexit blues. At least it’s better than chatting about the weather again.
The quintessential A to Z guide to British English—perfect for every egghead and bluestocking looking to conquer the language barrier Oscar Wilde once said the Brits have "everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language." Any visitor to Old Blighty can sympathize with Mr. Wilde. After all, even fluent English speakers can be at sixes and sevens when told to pick up the "dog and bone" or "head to the loo," so they can "spend a penny." Wherever did these peculiar expressions come from? British author Christopher J. Moore made a name for himself on this side of the pond with the sleeper success of his previous book, In Other Words. Now, Moore draws on history, literature, pop culture, and his own heritage to explore the phrases that most embody the British character. He traces the linguistic influence of writers from Chaucer to Shakespeare and Dickens to Wodehouse, and unravels the complexity Brits manage to imbue in seemingly innocuous phrases like "All right." Along the way, Moore reveals the uniquely British origins of some of the English language’s more curious sayings. For example: Who is Bob and how did he become your uncle? Why do we refer to powerless politicians as “lame ducks”? How did “posh” become such a stylish word? Part language guide, part cultural study, How to Speak Brit is the perfect addition to every Anglophile’s library and an entertaining primer that will charm the linguistic-minded legions.
John R. Weeks based his study on long-term observations made at the British Armstrong Bank in the UK. Not one person, from the CEOs to the junior clerks had anything good to say about its corporate culture, yet the way things were done never seemed to alter.
On the bus, at the hotel, by the seaside, under the weather...wherever you are, you'll need the right words to express yourself. No worries With Get Around in English you'll know what to say to anyone, anywhere, at any time (well, more or less). The book is packed with modelconversations, cultural clues, vital vocabulary, and comic illustrations in every unit to help you brush up your language and laugh along the way.
British Civilization: A Student's Dictionary is an invaluable reference guide to the British way of life.It explains the often puzzling and confusing terms and phrases used routinely in Britain and by British people. This easy-reference alphabetical guide sheds light on a comprehensive selection of words, phrases, organizations and institutions. All these are fundamental features of British civilization and society, and include aspects of: * politics and government * the Law, economics and industry * education * the media * religion and social welfare * health and housing * leisure and transport.
FOREWORD by David Cameron Fleeing Idi Amin's regime, seventeen year-old Ugandan Indian immigrant Dolar Popat landed at Heathrow in 1971 with just £10 and a cardboard suitcase to his name but with everything to prove. Fuelled by a tenacious entrepreneurial spirit, a sharp talent for finance and an unparalleled drive for success, Popat worked relentlessly to pay his gratitude to the country that offered him a fresh start: Great Britain. With this same passion, he tells the incredible story of his journey from Wimpy Bar waiter to business magnate to member of the House of Lords. Despite battling prejudice, he found allies in the Conservative Party and, with guidance from David Cameron and his spiritual leader, Morari Bapu, has become one of the most influential people in commerce and politics today. Full of life lessons and business wisdom, A British Subject is a timely testament to the importance of integration in Britain. A love letter to his adopted country, this is the inspirational tale of how the barefoot boy from the streets of Tororo now treads the corridors of Parliament.
What can homespun cloth, stuffed birds, quince jelly, and ginseng reveal about the formation of early American national identity? In this wide-ranging and bold new interpretation of American history and its Founding Fathers, Kariann Akemi Yokota shows that political independence from Britain fueled anxieties among the Americans about their cultural inferiority and continuing dependence on the mother country. Caught between their desire to emulate the mother country and an awareness that they lived an ocean away on the periphery of the known world, they went to great lengths to convince themselves and others of their refinement. Taking a transnational approach to American history, Yokota examines a wealth of evidence from geography, the decorative arts, intellectual history, science, and technology to underscore that the process of "unbecoming British" was not an easy one. Indeed, the new nation struggled to define itself economically, politically, and culturally in what could be called America's postcolonial period. Out of this confusion of hope and exploitation, insecurity and vision, a uniquely American identity emerged.