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

A godsend to Americans trying to negotiate the minefield of British life.. .

A must-have guide for Americans who want to move to the United Kingdom or just blend in during a visit. Covering such essentials topics as vocabulary to avoid using (both American and British), how to behave at a wedding, what the schools are like and how to read a British menu, Rules, Britannia will lessen the anxiety that comes with a trans-Atlantic move or extended visit, while giving the reader a leg up on the advanced communication ladder. This book is written in an informative and entertaining way and is guaranteed to educate and entertain at the same time.

I am very excited to have this book out there as I think it fills a gap for Americans visiting the UK. Since moving to the States from England in 1990, I have been asked repeatedly to give advice to Americans planning a trip across the pond. As my list of advice grew, so too did the positive feedback from Americans who read it. Apparently this was providing the type of information they really needed but couldn't find in other books.
Rules, Britannia is best described by what it's not - it's not a boring old etiquette guide, nor a US/UK dictionary, and since it doesn't give suggestions for places to visit, it's not a travel guide. The books twenty two chapters cover a variety of topics including driving, shopping, managing with small children, and taking a vacation. Each chapter deals with a single subject and gives nuggets of information that readers won't find elsewhere, followed by a handy list of Brit words to demystify some of what Americans will hear, as well as Americanisms to avoid, since the Brits won't have a clue what you mean.
Although many UK-themed books contain observations (albeit witty ones) about the Brits, most are written by Americans. Only a true Brit can give Americans the real skinny on what to do and what to avoid when staying in the UK.

How do you respond to a dinner invitation that says Eight for eight thirty? What might induce you to get off a London train station as a place called Mud Chute? Whan is it okay to drive over a sleeping policeman? And why do 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 don'ts that only a Brit would know.
Most of us know that an elevator is called a lift, a toilet is a loo, and the trunk of your car is the boot, but would you have a clue about a sprog or a gobsmacked berk? These phrases are part of daily conversation in the UK and leave many visiting Americans as baffled as if they were listening to a foreign language.
Covering such essential topics as vocabulary, house - or flat -hunting, business culture, child rearing, and even relaionship etiquette, 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.

Some ways to know you're ready for Blighty (that's England)
You:
Pronounce Leicestershire as Lestershu
Emphasize the correct syllable in oregano
Think twice before flashing someone two fingers
Know not to go looking for any argy-bargy
Can tell the difference between a snog and a sod
Mind the lollypop man at the zebra crossing
Gobble up a breakfast of rashers and kippers
Celebrate Pancake Tuesday, GUy Fawkes Day and Red Nose Day
Keep Left

Toni Summers Hargis is a Brit, living in the United States. In a former life she was a business writer and organization development consultant, with a law degree from Bristol University, England, and a Masters from Loyola University, Chicago. She currently serves as personal chef and chauffeur to her three children and writes in her spare time. She lives in Chicago, Illinois, with her husband and children and visits the UK at least once a year.

Regions and Their Differences

First things first - the Brits don't actually call themselves Brits. I do here for convenience but would never do it in the UK. People in the UK tend to say they're English, Irish, Scottish/Scots or Welsh(Scotch refers to the drink). Passports however, state the nationality of all people living in the UK ans Northern Ireland as British. Try asking someone if they're British and most Brits will correct you and say, Actually, I'm English, Welsh, and so on. It's basically the same as lumping Americans and Canadians together.

..Many place names in the United Kingdom have extremely peciliar spellings, and even the Brits don't know how to pronounce them all. However, there are a few key places that you might want to pronounce correctly, or at least recognize the correct pronunciation when you hear it. If you are traveling in Wales, Scotland, and parts of the Southwest, the place names may be in Welsh, Gaelic, or Cornish, and any attempt at pronunciation will be painful to you and the locals. It's best to do what every other visitor does - ask or point!