Brit Reacts to AMERICAN Phrases BRITISH People Don't Understand | American vs British 

Monday morning quarterback is because NFL is played on Sundays and on Monday morning at work after a game, people will talk about the game and say things like "oh if I was coaching I would have done this or that instead" THAT is Monday morning quarterbacking.

In the military, whenever a soldier died in combat the expression was that he just "bought the farm." Meaning that his life insurance will now go to his family and help pay for whatever debts the wife may have.

I’m halfway through the video and I’m dying laughing because we understand the Scotsman better than you do…LMAO!

“For the Birds” Back in the day, before automobiles, horses pulled carts and wagons throughout city streets. There was horse shit everywhere. It was awesome for the sparrows because they would eat the undigested oats to be found in the horse’s poop. Therefore, saying something is “for the birds” means that it is practically worthless or not believable. Only birds sifting through shit would find any value in it - For the Birds To put it bluntly: Its horse shit

John Hancock actually signed his name on the Declaration of Independence in very large lettering so that the King would clearly see his name and couldn’t miss it. One of my history teachers told me that at the time, signing your name on that document was virtually a death sentence. A lot of people had the opportunity to sign it and refused to do so because they were afraid. Hancock wanted the king to know that he wasn’t afraid to die for the cause of independence. His signature being so large is supposed to have encouraged other signatories to put their names down too. It’s honestly one of the most American things ever, if you think about it. If someone tells us we can’t do something, we have a tendency to give them a rude gesture and then go on and do it anyway. LOL!

The men who signed the Declaration of Independence, the OG breakup text, were telling off a king. They were basically signing their own warrants, if this didn't go well. John Hancock signed right in the middle, in large clear letters. You have to look close to read a lot of the other names, but Hancock autographed it loud and proud. His is the name you can read from three feet away. There was a lot of "Up Yours, yer majesty." in that signature, that's why it's famous.

As an American, this was hilarious to watch. We Americans use SO MANY slang phrases & words constantly, every day when we speak (and they vary by region even), I can see how it is difficult for foreigners to get confused by them. This video is only the "Tip of the Iceberg" (when only a part of something is being seen or revealed) Here is your video American slang "Rundown" (a summary of something)... "Monday Morning Quarterback" because it's the morning after Sunday night football (nationally televised) is a person who passes judgment on and criticizes something after the event. "Behind the 8 Ball" referring to the game of pool, meaning In a difficult situation or tight spot; at a disadvantage. "For the Birds" is describing something as useless, meaningless, or only believed by the gullible. "Carpet Bagger" is a person perceived as an unscrupulous opportunist. "Plead the 5th" is to exercise the right, (guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the US), of refusing to answer questions in order to avoid incriminating oneself. "Pork Barrel Politics" the wasteful spending of public funds by a politician for the benefit of a small group of people in order to obtain their support, in the form of votes or campaign donations. "Put Up Your Dukes" is a warning to an opponent, from someone in a fighting stance, to put up their hands & get ready to fight/defend themselves. "Bought the Farm" means someone died & their death benefits/insurance paid to the family would be sufficient to pay off the family mortgage. "Keeping Up With the Joneses" is referring to the comparison to one's neighbor as a benchmark for social class or the accumulation of material goods. Thus the title of Keeping Up with the Kardashians show, about a ridiculously wealthy family spending frivolously. "Rain Check" originated from a ticket given for later use when a sports event or other outdoor event is interrupted or postponed by rain. But is commonly used slang to decline an invitation, but would like to do so at a later time. "Jonesing" is to have a strong need, desire, or craving for something. "Getting to 3rd Base" is a baseball sexual reference. All baseball bases are actually referenced in this sense by young people when describing to each other various stages of intimacy. (In baseball a player hits the ball with their bat, then runs to 1st base, then 2nd base, then 3rd base & finally to home plate) "1st Base" = kissing, "2nd Base" = touching above the waste, "3rd base" = touching below the waste, so I'm sure you can image what a "Home Run" would be. "Shoot the Breeze" is having a relaxed casual conversation, about things that are not important. "John Hancock" is your signature, that is so valuable and significant. He is primarily remembered by Americans for being the first person to sign (his large, flamboyant signature) on the US Declaration of Independence. When someone asks for your John Hancock, it means they want your signature. Would love to see more of these.

"Horse shoes and hand grenades", "close but no cigar", "up stream without a paddle", "bless your heart", "the early bird get's the worm" and so many more.

(Sorry for the length) 1. Monday Morning Quarterback - American Football was once played only on Sunday, so on Monday morning (after everyone knows how the games went) people would come out and start talking about how the teams should have done this or that in order to win. It isn't so much "second guessing" as it's about how you think you are smarter than the actual players simply because you have hindsight. 2. Behind the Eight-Ball - In "Straight Pool / 8-Ball", the 8-ball is the last ball needed to pocket in order to win. It is more than simply "Ina tight spot", it is the "pressure to perform successfully." 3. For the Birds - you got it. 4. Carpetbagger - both are correct as that is what the historic context was, a Northern businessman or politician who went South during Reconstruction (post-Civil War) to gain power over the mis-fortune of others. The "carpetbag" in question was a suitcase make of carpet that the Northerns usually had with them when they arrived in the South. 5. Plead the Fifth - Yes, one of the clauses of the Fifth Amendment is that no one "shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself." In other words, if you called as a witness in a case (even if you are the defendant), and a question comes up that could (if you answer thruthfully) implicate you as part of a crime, you have the right to "plead the fifth" and not answer (which is why it is very rare for defendants to take the stand in their own cases). 6. Pork Barrel Politics - that was close. It is actually where a politician gets money appropriated for projects in his/her district (the negative connotation being that this is done simply to earn future votes from the constituents). The "pork barrel" refers to early American practice of keeping larder in barrels at home and that the implied prosperity of a family was directly proportional to how full the barrel was. 7. Put Up Your Dukes - this is correct. The popular (although not definitive) etymology for "dukes" meaning "fists" was that the old slang word for fist (fork) was substituted in a Cockney rhyming slag with "dukes of York" to create "put up your dukes (of York)". 8. Bought the Farm. No, not just dying, she's dead, deceased, passed on, ceased to be, gone on to join the choir invisible (etc.). Another uncertain origin, but popular theory being a really dark military origin. Soldiers at war would often talk about returning home, starting a family, maybe "buying a farm." When they die in battle, and others ask "where is Joe?" his comrades would respond, "he has bought the farm." 9. Keeping Up With the Jones. That is exactly what it is. 10. Taking a Rain-check. The Scott is right, you are wrong. It means "let's do this some other day." The literal sense being that there is a planned event (in this case a baseball game) but then that event has to be rescheduled due to rain and fans are given a note that will let them attend the make-up game. In the figurative sense, it is that circumstances will prevent you from enjoying an event and you are asking the event organizer to redo/reschedule the event to fit your situation. More often than naught it is a self-indulgent way of "politely" refusing to be part of something. 11. Jonesing. Completely right. 12. Getting to 1st/2nd/3rd/Home Base. Baseball again, referencing the order of bases (1st then 2nd then 3rd and finally Home) as an analogy for physical intimacy. How to phrase this......1st base is open mouth kissing. 2nd base is caressing while clothed. 3rd base involves the "certain regions" using hands or mouth. And home base....you get the idea. 13. Shoot the Breeze (sounds like he was saying Bees). He is right, just normal chit chat. It's origin being a slang phrase from the early 1900's that was originally "talking to the wind" i.e. talking with zero value to the conversation. 14. (Can I Have Your) John Hancock. He is right. John Hancock was President of the Continental Congress when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Popular belief as to why his signature is abnormally large on the document was that "so that King George III could see it without his glasses." Regardless, "John Hancock" became the American slang for "signature."

One of my favorite sayings is “calling shotgun” when you are getting in a car with friends. It is said when you want to sit in the front passenger seat, not the back. The saying comes from the old days of stagecoaches. A person would ride next to the driver on the top of the stagecoach and act as bodyguard. He would usually carry a shotgun; hence, “calling shotgun.”

"Bought the farm" doesn't mean dying, it means *died.* Kicked the bucket. Pushing up daisies. Taking a dirt nap. The exact origin of the phrase isn't really known. It's fairly outdated but you still hear it sometimes. He got the origin of "raincheck" right but in modern use, it's when you cancel plans but promise to do it later. "I can't go tonight. Will you take a raincheck?" We don't call women "birds," but "chicks." Maybe not as commonly now, but it's still in use. "For the birds" is anything thats not good (actually I have never heard it refer trivial talk). As in "I tried that beer, it's for the birds," or "these hemorrhoids are for the birds." It's a pretty outdated phrase but you hear it occasionally, often just to be amusing. Nobody says "put up your dukes" anymore. We said it as kids in the '70s (or just "put 'em up"), but that was probably because we heard it in Westerns. Jonesing I believe has it's origin in junkie (drug addict) slang (i.e. craving the drug or going through withdrawals). That's the context in which I first heard it anyway, but now it's gone mainstream. People now talk about jonesing for a donut or for their favorite TV show.

As a teacher, I used the phrase “til the cows come home” as in I can talk about history til the cows come home. As a farmer’s daughter I truly knew what it signified, (I could talk a long time as cows move slowly as they walk from the pasture to the barn to be milked). One student finally asked me, “when DO the cows come home?” At five o’clock pm! Lol Many of our regional/cultural phrases are not used much anymore. Sad

If someone asks for your John Hancock, they indeed want your signature. Reason being, John Hancock signed the Declaration of Independence in a really large script so that King George would be able to read it without any trouble.

It's extra funny how L3WG is struggling to understand American phrases spoken in a heavy Scottish accent 😂😂😂

I’ve always understood “for the birds” to mean something of little value. Started with farmers, after a harvest, anything left in the field is “ for the birds”.

A rain check nowadays means “thanks for the offer or invitation, but perhaps another time” It can be sincere but more frequently is used as a polite way of declining. One knows the difference if one person wants to reschedule or leave it open-ended. Sometimes it is used if one detects that the offer was insincere or it was only made to appear polite with the expectation that the recipient be polite enough to not accept. It’s very contextual to the state of the relationship (acquaintance vs friend or good vs strained) between the two people or differences in social class.

"Carpet Bagger" was the name given to people from the North who came down the South, after the Civil War. Named for the "bag" or valise (which was embroidered and looked like a carpet) they carried with their belongings in it. Southerners after the civil war owed taxes on their properties so "Carpet Baggers" tried to swindle or buy properties at low prices from southerners who could not pay their taxes.

In the pool game called 8-ball, you're generally trying to avoid messing with the 8-ball until the very end, because you lose the game if you sink it while you still have other balls on the table. So if you're behind the 8-ball, you're in a position where it's difficult to make a shot without hitting it.

He wasn't 100% right on the "Taking a raincheck" thing. He was correct in where it came from with baseball games getting postponed because of the rain, but when we use the phrase "Take a Raincheck" it's not that we want to cancel plans, it's that we don't want to make plans for that specific time. it's basically like saying "Some other time." For example: someone might say "A few of us are going out tonight if you wanna come" and you could answer "I'll take a raincheck" which means not this time but maybe next time.

9:58 “Pork Barrel Politics” is when politicians use nation wide taxes to benefit their local constitutes or a special interest group. The connotation is that it misusing funds, taking under the name of national interests but used for local or individual interest.

When someone is "riding you" they're nagging or bothering you to do something for them. Don't know if Brits have the phrase "get off my back", but it's like a precursor to that. People often say their boss is riding them when he's micromanaging or giving them a lot to do.

He's right about rain check, it started as an actual piece of paper to give to people at the ball park so they can come back to the rescheduled game. But, it's used now as a way to tell someone "maybe another time" so you might say "hey wanna play video games today" and I would reply "nah, not today, i'll take a rain check."

a "carpet bagger" is a historical term. After the Civil War, there were some people from the North who went to the South and took advantage of the post war conditions in the South. Typically they carried a "carpet bag", a travel bag/valise that was made out of upholstery type fabric. The carpet baggers were seen by the Southerners to be exploiting the local populace for their own financial, political, and/or social gain. aka a scalawag

Rain check used to mean when a store ran out of a sale item and would give you a slip to come back and get the sale price when the item was restocked but I haven’t heard this in decades.

Bought the farm is an older expression you don't hear much anymore. Apparently it was popular around WW2. When a military member died in combat the family back home got a small payment which was usually enough to pay off their farm (most people still lived on farms back then).

My grandfather was in WWII, airplane mechanic. He said when a plane crashed while in training here in the US- it usually hit a farmers land/house/crop and the US govt would have to reimburse the farmer. So, basically, the pilot bought the farm.

the term raincheck doesn't only apply to when it's raining, though the origins of the saying did come from rained-out baseball games. The term now refers to anything that needs to be postponed. It is often used as a polite way to say "no" to an invitation, in a sense, postponing the activity indefinitely. It also includes sales items at a store that are sold out before the sale is supposed to end. The customer can receive a raincheck to get that item at the sale price once it is back in stock.

15:50 rain check is to postpone plans. Canceling with the IDEA of rescheduling. What you're thinking of is "check yourself"

Here's one for you, "Getting down to Brass Tacks". It means getting to the point and say what you want from or what I want from you. Origin of the phrase comes from old American general stores. When you buy cloth from them, they would charge you by the length and to easily measure it the store counters would have tack (often made of brass) placed at equal distance from each other so they would just have to unroll the bolt. Thus get down to the brass tacks meant getting to the price.

Most professional (American) football games take place on Sunday. The Monday Morning Quarterback is the guy who is analyzing what happened the day before and knows all the things that 'should' have been done. It's the person who has all the answers after the fact.

The key here is that the Quarterback is the team leader on the field. The quarterback calls the plays. A Monday Morning Quarterback comes to work Monday morning telling everyone what the Quarterback did wrong in Sunday's game, and how they would not have made those mistakes. Sometimes people talk about an Armchair Quarterback, who does the same by yelling at their TV during the game.

I LOVE THE CONFUSION WITH HIS SCOTTISH ACCENT.

Rain check has gained a bigger meaning to basically say "something unexpected came up and we'll have to reschedule" So when life happens like how the rain hit the game that gave out the tickets, you can just work something else out for later. The "John Hancock" one, his signature was also the largest, in your face signature on the declaration. So that's how that came about.

"monday morning quarterback" the big gridiron football games are shown on Sunday afternoon. a monday morning quarterback comes in and tells everything the actual quarterback did wrong. also known as "armchair quarterback" it refers to someone who didn't do the actual work, but is now saying how the person who did the work did it wrong. (for those unfamiliar with gridiron football, the quarterback is the player who guides the strategy while on the field)

"Monday morning quarterbacking" is an idiomatic expression that is often used in a colloquial or informal context. It refers to the act of criticizing or offering opinions and advice about a situation or decision after the fact, especially when it's easy to do so in hindsight. The term comes from the world of American football, where fans and commentators often analyze and critique the decisions made by the team's quarterback, who is responsible for making crucial decisions during the game.

To explain "behind the 8-Ball": In pool, if you accidentally knock the 8-ball into a pouch before you've cleared all of your balls (stripes or solids) it results in an automatic loss for you. So, if you're behind it, you're in a tight/difficult spot because hitting the cue ball (the solid white ball you hit to knock other balls around) could accidentally also knock the 8-ball into a pouch and you instantly lose.

"Bought the farm" comes from World War One, I think. Soldiers would take out insurance on their lives and if the were killed in battle, the insurance would pay of the mortgage back home. So their family could "buy the farm". "Bought the farm" is used like "kicked the bucket".

Behind the 8-ball is a reference to a popular pocket billiards game. For Brits it would translate as being snookered, a phrase we also use but is less common. So literally in the game it means your next shot on the cue ball is so positioned that you cannot possibly make a legal shot, so you end up committing a foul. Figuratively it means you are in an untenable position, whatever you do will be somehow wrong.

The best part of of this videos was watching an English person unable to understand a Scottish accent, simply priceless. National Football Games are played on Sunday. A "Monday Morning Quarterback" is someone who in hindsight knows all the right answer to why a team lost, etc. and this phrase is applied to other situations where the person is using the benefit of hindsight. "Carpet Bagger" was derived from the carpet material used to make soft sided luggage (Carpet Bags) popular at the time, as "Steamer Trunks" (used for luggage on steamships voyages) were too bulky and heavy to transport on trains and stage coaches in the 1860's.

As indicated by other commentators, “Behind the 8 ball” means being in a difficult situation. It is a reference to the game of pocket billiards or pool. Each of the balls is numbered and colored differently with seven solid colored balls for one player and seven white balls with a colored stripe on them for the other player. In addition to the colored balls there is the 8 ball which is typically black and a que ball which is solid white. The game is played by using a que stick to hit the que ball into one of your balls causing it to roll into one of the pockets. The object is to knock all of your balls into the pockets (to sink them) before your opponent is able sink all of theirs. The last ball that you must sink is the 8 ball. If you sink the 8 ball before you sink all your other balls, you lose the game. A player continues to shoot as long as he sinks one of his balls. If he misses or hits one of has opponent’s balls in, it becomes the other player’s turn. A savvy player who sees that he no longer has any good shots will attempt to roll the que ball such that the 8 ball is between it and his opponent’s balls (behind the 8 ball) making his opponent’s next shot very difficult.

A Britt, listening to a Scot, talking about American phrases…….. I hear a SNL plot line coming soon

In the history of the United States, carpetbagger is a largely historical term used by Southerners to describe opportunistic Northerners who came to the Southern states after the American Civil War, who were perceived to be exploiting the local populace for their own financial, political, and/or social gain.

A carpet bag was a traveling bag made out of carpet that opened at the top and had two handles. These were very popular in the U.S. and Europe at the time, and after the war these hustlers and swindlers who came South were carrying these carpet bags.

Rain check started from sports games and carnivals that got rained out, and they gave a "rain-check" to come back free when it was rescheduled. it became more generic to include stores where the item that was on sale was sold out. they were given a rain check to get the item when it was in stock again.

A "Carpet Bag" was a type of suitcase/valise. It was much like a cross between a duffel bag and a woman's giant handbag, and was made of what was basically wool carpet instead of canvas. It was the mark of the traveling salesman, the scam artist, and the out of town politician.

"raincheck" is used quite a bit in retail..If something is out of stock, you receive a raincheck so that you can pick up the product at a later date for the price that it was when it was out of stock. (Used quite often during heavy sales). HISTORICALLY, a "rain check" was given to people because a baseball game was "rained out" (postponed due to rain) so that they could come back. Basically, a "raincheck" is an IOU/promissory note from a company to a customer.

We don't call women birds, if you told me "look at those birds" I'd be really excited about whatever bluebird or Cardinal you were about to show me. Edit: Carpetbagger is a term associated heavily with the post-Civil War era in which Northern politicians and businessmen came South to make money off of the exploitation of the poor economic/political situation down here. Many of us still use the term to refer to Northerners who come down here and try to get involved in the business/politics landscape.

Hi there. A carpetbagger was a person from the North, after the Civil War happened, that made a suitcase or bag, for their clothes, out of a carpet. And being that the North won, they had the money to buy property and pay the taxes for the property in the South. It wasn't a nice thing to say.

John Hancock had the largest signature on the Declaration of Independence. He wanted to make sure King George could read it without spectacles/ eyeglasses. To shoot the breeze, is just a fun unimportant conversation. "Joe and I were just sitting on the porch shooting the breeze" More modern version is "shooting the shit." He was spot on with "keeping up with the Jone's"

I think "put up your Dukes" might be a reference to the actor John Wayne, who was also known as The Duke...and a much admired fighter. Practically all his films have him punching someone and getting into brawls. So to say youre putting up your dukes means youre ready to brawl, and to "duke it out" means youve fought until things were settled.

For "rain check" I think what you're actually thinking of is "check yourself", which means to step back and examine your position or attitude, because somebody feels you are being too arrogant or misguided, etc. "Rain check" is never used in the way you're describing (at least that I've ever heard in the US). It just means to reserve the right to do something at another time instead of now.

For John Hancock, I'm seeing some people mentioning that he had an interesting and flamboyant signature, but not why that fact is memorable. The Declaration of Independence was a, quite literal, declaration of secession, treason, and civil war against the British Crown, at the time the most powerful nation in the world, and a government that had already proven itself to be _incredibly_ brutal _to its own 'allies'_ let alone its enemies. Every signatory of the Declaration of Independence knew that he was putting a target on his back that, if the Revolution failed, would see not only _his_ life forfeit, but his entire family and possibly legacy for an unknown number of generations, who would all be declared Traitors to the Crown and be treated accordingly. John Hancock didn't simply sign, putting his life on the line. He took up _half_ of the available space, with a large flamboyant signature that would be remembered _forever._ Some say he had a case of the nerves and overcompensated, some say he moved boldly to inspire his fellows. Whatever the case, a 'John Hancock' isn't _just_ a signature, it's a mark of confidence. Ironically used by Confidence Men (conmen), lawyers and financial service providers to entice people to sign for things by appealing to their bravery/confidence. A signature is written. A John Hancock is _written._

"The Monday morning quarterback" isn't exactly just someone who second guesses. It is someone who does it with hindsight on there side. This is particularly common in sports. In your football the Monday after matches (generally played on Saturday or Sunday) when you're at work, he is the guy or girl that knows what changes the gaffer should have made, because they have this "great" knowledge. In reality just have hindsight on their side. I always learned "porker barrel politics" or as i learned it "pork belly politics" is the (to use another phrase) "you wash my back I will wash your back" situation as well as the add-on to political budget bills. For example, a small playground will get approved at a cost of $1 billion. The playground only costs $100,000, but there is a lot of "pork barrelling" going on (added hidden expenses).

When Northerners moved South after the Civil War, it was to essentially to loot the South of what little wealth it had left. The luggage they brought tended to be made from old carpet, which really stood out as it was weirdly sturdy but cheap. For the Southerners, the Northerners were 'Carpet Baggers' coming to make things worse than it already was.

The bases and home run are basically translated into sexual milestones in relationships (usually teenage relationships). The specifics of what each base is supposed to signify can vary, but "home run" is always intercourse.

"Take a Rain Check" just means that you'll do something later. So like if someone says "Wanna go out to the bar tonight?" you could say "I'll have to take a rain check. I've got work in the morning." That would mean that they can't go to the bar tonight, even though they probably really want to.

I think the best part of this is that you associate "an 8 ball" with the thing that tells you the future instead of realizing that object is a larger version of a pool ball. :)

I always thought a Monday-morning quarterback was more of a person who confidently criticizes a situation they were not a part of, after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. "They should have done this, and I would have done it this way instead." The reason for Monday morning, is that most games are played on Sunday night, and the next day in the office, the game is discussed.

I was cracking up at some of your guesses and whenever you would misunderstand the Scottish guy's accent. 😂 This was fun to watch. "Put up your dukes" isn't used that much, but I often jokingly tell my friends or my kids, "Y'all will have to duke it out" (for example, when there is one treat left, or if there are two jobs to do and one is more desirable than the other, etc.

I've heard all the phrases 😊 I've used most of them as well. I had no trouble understanding either of you except when you were talking over the video. There are so many more phrases in use here. Some are regional and don't translate well if you're not from the region. Others catch on thanks to TV and movies. One of my favorites in recent history is "Hold my beer" useful when someone tells you you can't do something 😂

I know there's already been some explanations of Monday-morning quarterback (games on the weekend, the guys getting together at work Monday morning to talk about how they'd have played the game better). I just wanted to mention it's similar to "armchair general". It's not just about musing in hindsight what could be done better, but also about non-experts not doing the thing thinking they know better than the actual experts actually doing the thing.

John Hancock was the first person to sign Declaration of Independence, and he signed it larger than anyone else and right in the top middle of the lower section. This is very significant in that signing was essentially an act of treason so putting his name out there in such a bold manner is pretty significant.

In American baseball when you hit the ball you need to run around the bases to score a point. Before you can get to the fourth base (a home run, which scores the point), you have to go through all 3 bases. So 1st base isn't the top, it's the starting point. So in relationships, making 1st base is kissing. Making 2nd base is touching above the waist (bewbs!). Making 3rd base is stimulating the private parts. And a home run is that you actually had sex. A lot of these phrases he mentions are going out of style -- many people from the newer generations have never heard any of these either. You'll hear more of them in old movies, or in real life, among old people. And I think a lot of rural areas will hold onto these longer than others in the U.S.

American Southerner here, from the state that was burned during the Civil War. Carpetbagger: Opportunistic merchants who rushed South during Reconstruction were portrayed in newspaper comics and such as having come down from the North in such a hurry that they only had what could fit in a bag...made of carpet. Think of it as a large tote bag with a metal frame and closure. Very spacious and roomy, and very easy to pack your things...and someone else's. How true that portrayal is up for debate. Put up the Farm: correct. You put everything you had for sale. Bought the farm: died. Usually means there's some money left behind (which would have been used to buy a farm.)

I will never forget, My wife and I were on the beach somewhere in the Caribbean, while walking down a path we passed a British couple, and there was a cool little bird hanging out with no fear of humans. Myself and the British guy noticed the little bird and we both stopped at the same time to check him out. After a few moments of casual conversation, my wife comes walking up and asks what we were doing, and I said, we were just checking out this cute bird, and as he was walking away i heard the Brit holler out....."of the feathered variety". I literally laughed out loud,and thanked him for assuring my better half we were checking out girls in bikinis.

as an American, I feel like I need to do a response video just to add context for just about all of these 😅

The bases really depend on context but generally are: 1st base - hand holding, kiss on the cheek 2nd base - copping a feel (Or sometimes over-the-belt petting, depending on context) 3rd base - heavy make-out (proper snogging) w/ heavy petting. Homerun - all the way (the Devil's tango)

Bought the Farm is because of Britain and the American Revolution. Land ownership costs more than just money and you don't truly own something without having to pay for it again and again. The freedom to keep your farm, your land, your freedom, costs blood. It's never truly paid for, no matter what. Regardless, "bought the farm" actually means "I've gone so far into this situation that there's no going back" but it's usually in reference to paying the final price. I'll take a rain check. "Let's do this another time when things are better." The baseball reference is correct. It's for both teams to decide because they are loyal to fans. Everybody who bought a ticket gets to come back so they don't waste it when the game is put off to another day. I know that's almost unheard of to Brits because y'all will play soccer/football in a hurricane and nobody is leaving the stadium. Baseball is played in the summer on a groomed dirt field, though, which becomes a lake of mud when the summer rains come. We at least admit that we only want to competitively play against the other team when we're both at our best. American football seems to ignore this entirely and they will play in a blizzard because they think their players and fans are just mutants who can deal with it. No refunds. First, second, and third base are lewd comments about how well a date is going. First base is touching above the clothes. Second base is touching under the clothes. Third base is basically everything short of full on sex. "Going all the Way" is just what it sounds like. Shooting the Breeze / Shooting the shit. It's banter going back and forth. You're not really shooting at anything, just shooting. No preset targets. I think it came from World War One when soldiers fighting in the trenches were known to fire aimlessly without the intention of actually hitting anyone with their bullets. It's an almost friendly exchange between people who don't even have to be friends to understand a lack of actual hostility. Basically "These shots don't count because we're not trying to advance right now, but bullets are flying around because its war and if we're not firing guns, what are we really doing here, anyway?" If you get a chance to look at the Declaration of Independence at the Smithsonian in Washington DC, the most visible signature is SO visible and anyone can read that it clearly says "John Hancock." You don't even need to know who he is, his signature is so clear. So if someone's asking for your John Hancock, they want a signature at its best and boldest, clearly representing you in a way that can't be mistaken. Quality and with flair.

A raincheck is also something that stores will do. Say an item is on sale, but they've run out of that item. They'll write you a raincheck which basically allows you to buy that item when it's back in stock and paying the sale price even if it's back to original price. I ask for rain checks all the time at the grocery store.

The only reason we understand the Scotsman better is because we are already familiar with the sayings he is presenting. Fun video. Thanks.

Behind the 8 ball: Disadvantage In pool/billiards, the 8 ball is the last ball you have to get in to win, but if you put it in the hole at anytime before that you automatically lose. Often you are also not allowed to hit the 8ball first with the cue ball for called shots So, if you're behind the 8 ball, that means that a large portion of the table is obstructed, making your shot significantly more difficult as it may require multiple bounces and a lot of travel distance to make the shot

The US version of "bought the farm" actually comes from military death pensions. Early pensions were only based on injuries or death sustained in the line of duty, but later pension acts allowed benefits for general military service. From 1788 to 1855, the War Department also granted bounty land warrants as a reward for military service. Usually the widow of a military veteran in those days would file for the pension after the death of her husband, which would be enough to pay off the farm as most people in the population were farmers. So, by dying they literally bought the farm.

it's "carpet bagger" cheap suitcases were called carpetbags, around the time of the US civil war. carpetbaggers were northern speculators who would show up and try to take advantage of the aftermath of the war.

"Shoot the breeze" because a breeze is a gentle, pleasant wind. People shooting the breeze are just letting the breeze/wind flow out of their mouths without much real meaning. Thus, a pleasant chat.

"Shoot the breeze" I think is more replaced with "shoot the shit" now. Just referring to small talk, casual conversation, or idle chatter. There are definitely some regional sayings through the US, and I'm sure there's some I've never heard before. The south definitely has dozens of metaphors in and of themselves.

Behind the 8 ball refers to a shot in billiards where the 8 ball is blocking you from taking an easy shot at the ball you have to shoot. You can't hit the 8 ball first, so you have to pull off a more difficult bank shot to hit your ball and sink it...thus, a difficult situation.

This is the getting to a base, obviously a baseball analogy. It’s used more often in a very literal sense like first base is kissing., second base is touching breasts, third base is touching below the belt, and a home run is going all the way. I think in the 1950s or 60s, this was the manner in which young men would brag to each other about how they did on their date last night. We still use it in a joking manner, but I don’t think young people talk that way anymore. Petting is a weird old fashioned word for making out. Oh yes, you have it incorrectly. The way it goes is first base, second base, third base, back to the beginning, which is called a home run. This means after a batter hits the ball it is an indicator of how far he ran. You get a point every time someone crosses home base, which is again getting all the way around and coming back to the beginning.

Here are a few phrases we say in the US south. Maybe elsewhere too, but definitely down here (from North Carolina). 1) Gully Washer really heavy rain, usually a short heavy downpour (washes out the ditch/gully) 2) Lord willing and the creek don’t rise: example- I’ll be there Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, or I’ll be there as long as there are no unforeseen complications that prevent me 3) Pot calling the kettle black: calling someone else out on something you are guilty of too. Ex: A gossip saying someone else has loose lips - well isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black (from when all cookware was cast iron) 4) Fly off the handle - to get really angry, lose your temper 5) Barking up the wrong tree - making a mistake, misguided, isn’t gonna happen. Ex: If you think I’ll do that for you, you’re barking up the wrong tree. 6) Can’t find his way out of a paper bag - really stupid 7) I’ll let you go- polite way to exit a conversation you are done with 8) Hold your horses - wait. Ex: you are walking out to your car but I’m not ready to go - “Hold your horses I need to grab my purse first.” 9) Too big for your britches: thinking too highly of yourself. 10) Cattywampus - crooked. Ex: Straighten that picture, it’s all cattywampus.

You’re an honorary American to us here in the US (Alabama here). And if they’ve bought the farm they have already died not dying. A rain check is when you have to cancel plans or when you can’t go at the time so you postpone it for later. It doesn’t have to be raining.

Carpet Bagger - After the Civil War, many people came from the North to exploit and steal from the Southerners whose property had destroyed or on the verge of lose. When they arrived they often carried their clothing and belongings in bags (luggage) made of carpet. So, someone being called a carpet bagger is an insult basically saying that the person is an individual who is a crook and intent on exploiting the hardship of others for their own personal gain. Also, in another video that you posted you wondered why so much of the south eastern US was in poverty - The Civil War caused so much damage to the population that many people have never really recovered.

"Take a Rain Check" simply means that you have to cancel plans, but you want to meet up at a later date.

There are tons of sayings that are nationwide and tons that are more regional. For example, I grew up and live in the South and some of ours include: -tan your hide (means beat your ass) -knee high to a grasshopper (very short) -pitchin' a fit (throwing a temper tantrum) -fixin' to (getting ready to do something) and -Bless your heart (the most dangerous saying in the South. To people unaware, it can seem like someone is being kind and polite, but most often it is a passive agressive way of someone calling you an idiot or a dumbass)

As someone who grew up in the South (Southern United States) A carpetbagger was always someone who came from an area in the north and doesnt have the same values or understanding of the culture in your area. It did evolve later on to mean things like politicians who come into a place they are not from and dont have your best interest in mind. The phrase came from Northerners coming into the South after the Civil War, carrying all their belongings in a "Bag made from Carpet" which was a popular industry at the time in the north.

15:17 - To "take a rain check": he explains the origins of that turn of phrase here, but not that Americans now also use that term metaphorically, for whenever we need to reschedule plans, or for when someone proposes a plan with us that we are either unable or unwilling to accept, but want to convey that we would still like to make those plans with them at some other time.

When I was young, back in the late 70's and early 80's, almost every kid would have heard the saying "Put up your dukes" and would have known what it meant because of media syndication. We learned it from Looney Tunes. Bugs Bunny and friends were our teachers.

John Hancock's signature was the largest, boldest, most legible signature on the Declaration of Independance. A document where many of the signatures were written in small fonts, and some weren't very legible. The hypothesis is that most didnt want their signatures to stand out and thus make themselves easy early targets for the British, but John Hancock famously made his signature boldly large, legible, fancy, front and center.

Once when visiting friends in Scotland, they asked me what we should get for lunch from the store. I said that we should get some cold cuts. They did not know what I meant. Cold cuts are slices of deli meat like ham, turkey, chicken, and bologna.

The wife "riding" you is from riding a horse hard by kicking heels or spurs into their ribs to "spur" them into action. "Nagging" comes from horses too essentially meaning same thing.

He's exactly right, a rain check is a ticket given for when a ball game is postponed due to rain. It is also used by stores when they are out of a sale item. They'll give you a rain check so you can still buy the item for the sale price when it is back in stock.

Another word that always gets me is 'thongs.' Back before the skimpy underwear became popular, it meant 'flip flops.' It still does to older people.

Several elaborated on the most common usage of "rain check," but it's also used in the context of shopping in a more specific way. For example, If you go grocery shopping and you have a coupon for a sale item, if the item is sold out, you can generally go to the manager's desk and ask for a "rain check" to purchase the item at the discount when it's back in stock.

You DEFINITELY need merch Lewis. You have a lot of fans.

It's funny as an American how many of these are just normal phrases that I don't even think about other people not recognizing them. I love how different we all can be

You should make a "don't be a carpet burger" shirt. I almost lost it when you said "carpet burger."🤣🤣

Raincheck is used differently here. I, personally, love rainchecks -- they are issued by stores for an item that is on sale that week but are out of stock of. You get a raincheck for the sales price on that item when that item comes back in stock (basically, you just get a piece of paper that extends the sale for you in the future). Other ways to use raincheck would be if someone (as an example) asks you to come out to their house or do something, and you have alternate plans (or merely don't feel like it), so you say "I can't do that, can I get a raincheck?" meaning basically don't be disappointed, let's do this activity in the future.

Monday morning quarterback comes from the fact that there's usually a big football game on Sundays, and fans often discuss their favorite teams on Monday, when it's easy to look back at the mistakes made the previous day. Hence why a Monday morning quarterback is someone who second guesses everything. Behind the 8 ball is a difficult position, because in a billiards/pool game, you aren't allowed to sink the 8 ball until all of your balls have been sunk, and in some rules, the first ball struck by the cue ball has to be one of your balls. If you are behind the 8 ball, that means the 8 ball lies directly between the cue and your ball, so you'd have to bank the cue off a rail just to make a legal shot. Pleading the 5th was a legal defense, meaning that you refuse to comment for fear that you might accidentally say something to incriminate you, either for what you're being accused of or something unrelated. The phrase has migrated from purely legal terms to common use. Bought the farm means that someone has died. I live in the south-east U.S., I'm about to turn 41, I've seen this phrased used before, but never actually heard anyone use it in conversation. I have no idea where it comes from, and it's not exactly in common use where I live. A "rain check" originated from sports, as he said. Now, it is used to mean, "can we do it later?" If someone invites you out, for example, but you don't want to go at the time they suggested, asking for a "rain check," is a sort of colloquial way of telling them you're interested, but want to do it later. (You were thinking of a reality check, which is when you need to reevaluate something.) When it comes to baseball, or baseball analogy, you have to remember, the bases are numbered in the order you run to them. After batting, you run to first base, then second, then third. Yes, baseball analogy is still used when talking about relationships, although I don't know how often these days.

Rain checks mean basically that you can't do it now, but you would possibly like to do it at a later date. The term is also sometimes used in stores, when an item is on sale, but they are out of it. You can get issued a rain check to get it at that price at a later date, even after the sale ends. Thus the phrase, "Can I get a rain check?"

The pork in pork barrel politics is also used to describe random extra favors put into bills that come before congress. We'll say "That transportation bill is loaded with pork. " Just so you know, a lot of these expressions originated in the 19th century, and some are rather dated now.

For "Plead the 5th," Normally when you are on trial or a potential witness, you must answer questions you are asked. You do not have to answer the question however, if answering it could get you into criminal trouble (specifically criminal). People have the right to "Plead the 5th" so they don't incriminate themselves. Outside of court, it's used as a general phrase to mean, "I don't want to answer because I may get into trouble/somebody would be angry at me."

7:03 carpet bagger not carpetburger, a carpet bag is a cheap bag that was used by people who came from out of town desperate to make any coin they could. It was a sign someone was a desperate opportunist in the days of reconstruction.