This past Sunday I watched the The Mexico City Grand Prix (previously known as the Mexican Grand Prix) and aside from the vehicles, what I found most entertaining were the (I am guessing) British announcers.
Not only did it show they were super excited to be in the broadcast booth, but I loved their vocabulary. I didn’t catch on right away, but by the time the word “kerfulle” was used a second time, I was hooked.
“Oh, there was a little kerfuffle at that curve . . .”
I haven’t heard the word kerfuffle in a million years and I think it’s a shame as it rolls nicely off the tongue and is pleasant to hear. (Kerfuffle is a commotion or a fuss.) And, while it is easy to make fun of the stodginess of the British, I must say I dig their use of their language. While we in America are doing our best to shorten every word into the fewest letters possible to make texting faster (whatevs . . .) the Brits are speaking with color (or in their world, colour.)
The Grand Prix announcers also used the phrase, “Oh, he didn’t fancy that at’all . . .”
And, I got to thinking what other words do the British use that are awesome? I harkened back to my youth, and went into my mind’s vault of old movies and television shows for British words I should use more in my daily lexicon. In the video library of that vault I found Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Monty Python movies; I searched for and found that 1939 movie Gunga Din with Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Oh! and that guy who played Dr. Bombay in the 1960’s Bewitched sitcom, I remembered him, too (he was also in the 2000s remake of The Mummy movie with Brendan Fraser). I found them all, loaded my enternal videos into the enternal player and hit “play.”
The first word which comes to me, my old junior high school teacher Richard Swartout forbids me to use . . . whilst. I don’t know why. “Whilst” seems like a happy little word.
“Whilst prancing down the path.”
Which led me to the word “amongst.” “Whilst prancing down the path amongst the daffodils and posies.”
Gobsmacked is a sound, strong word which I need to use a lot more.
“Whilst prancing down the path amongst the daffodils and posies I was left open-mouthed and astonished. I was gobsmacked.”
“Blimey,” I exclaimed. “Something looks a little dodgy down there.”
I don’t know about the thought-control or speech police (bobbies) in England, but I think using their word “nutter” would cause immediate cancellation of its users in the USA.
“Whilst prancing down the path amongst the daffodils and posies I was left open-mouthed and astonished. I was gobsmacked. “Blimey! Something looks a little dodgy down there. That bloke looks to be a nutter.”
Of course when I think of the word “blimey” I automatically think of the word the late Australian TV show guy Steve Irwin always said, “Crikey.”
Crickey and Blimey are words of surprise.
“Whilst prancing down the path amongst the daffodils and posies I was left open-mouthed and astonished. I was gobsmacked. Blimey! Something looks a little dodgy down there. That bloke looks to be a nutter. Crikey!”
Then, I reckon if you wanted to end that little story in a British sort we can write, “Whilst prancing down the path amongst the daffodils and posies I was left open-mouthed and astonished. I was gobsmacked. Blimey! Something looks a little dodgy down there. That bloke looks to be a nutter. Crikey! Oh, bollocks, he’s coming my way. To avoid a row (which sounds like cow), I fancy I better exit this vicinity. Cherio!”
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  don rush, don’t rush me