I loved this from start to finish. It's an easy book to read on the side, reading a few chapters each day and savoring for as long as you can. At least, I'm glad I did it that way instead of devouring it, which would also be easy to do.
The author names each chapter for a word that Americans and English people use differently, or words one country uses exclusively (my favorite English ones are moreish, snaffling, and Crimbo). But it's not a book that's strictly about language. She takes each word and uses it as a launching point to talk about culture in England and America. As an American who married into an English family, she has a lot to say, and it's all presented with affection and humor.
I might need to add this to my personal library. It's one to be read and enjoyed more than once. ( )

Given the number of times I read parts of this book out loud to MT, and the fact that it didn't drive him nearly as crazy as it usually does when I did so, I should rate this book higher than I did. It's good: interesting, funny and informative.

The title is 80% accurate but I'd argue that it's aimed far more pointedly at Americans than it is at the British (and why is it 'the British'? Why can't I just write 'British'... odd). Most of the terms included are Britishisms and that makes sense; the British get far more American-culture exposure than Americans get of the British, so probably need less help. Erin Moore is also an American expat living in London, so her view is naturally inclined towards her experiences and viewpoint.

Moore uses each of the terms as a springboard to discuss related cultural disparities between the UK and the US and I found a lot of these fascinating and sometimes hilarious. I had no idea, for example, what sod was short for, or that stiff upper lip actually started out as an Americanism. And she has made me hopelessly self-conscious, probably forever, of my use of the word quite.

Americans use the word quite in the sense of "totally" or "completely". As Moore uses for an example: to say 'he's quite naked' means, of course, that he's totally without clothing - he can't be partially naked. That's pretty much the only way we use quite.

The British though, they use it to also denote a degree of negativity. Moore's explanation puzzled me - I wasn't able to grasp the idea. But luckily, I had a hair appointment yesterday, and my hairdresser is English! I immediately quizzed him, asking for clarification (upon reading further in the book, I've also discovered I probably offend him regularly with all my direct questions...oops).

It seems (and may the Brits I know here correct me if I'm wrong) that they use quite the same way we Americans might say "meh" or "it was ok" (say if we were talking about a restaurant). In other words it was quite good means, actually, no, it wasn't. Aren't you quite clever? actually means You're a dumb-ass.*

Well, hell. Since reading this I have stumbled over every instance of quite in my speech and writing; if nothing else it has made clear to me how often I use the damn word.

The rest of the book was great and didn't cause me any more crises of confidence, thank goodness. At the end, I can't say why I'm not giving this 4.5 or 5 stars except to say that when I finished it, I could say I enjoyed it thoroughly (notice the absence of the q word) but I didn't love it. But I still highly recommend it.


*Aussies do this too, but they use average, as in The movie was average meaning that movie sucked which took me ages to figure out and caused me no end of confusion. ( )

I'm sure it's not easy to tackle such a trivial topic but the book is simply boring. Extremely scatter-shot and interspersed with author's childhood memories, stories about her family and friends or whatever was on her mind at the moment she was writing this. It doesn't go any deeper than just noting that what we call bum-bags (or would if we ever used them) the Americans call fanny-packs. Isn't that hilarious? Unless you're rocking with laughter right now then maybe give this book a miss. ( )

I've lived in the states for a few years from the colonies. Not a ton of insight here ( )

One of my dearest friends (born and raised in the USA) married a man from England and moved with him to London, where they’ve been for eight years now. Her husband is a dear man who can embarrass very easily. One of my favorite ways to tease him is to ask him to look at my new pants. You’ve never seen a person turn red so quickly. Because, as you may or may not know, while in the U.S. we call those long bits of cloth we put on our legs pants, the English reserve that term for their underwear.

“That’s Not English” is all about the differences between those who speak English English and American English, using language as a jumping off point. Ms. Moore’s book appealed to me because I spent a year living and attending school in London about five years ago, and I was feeling a bit nostalgic. I recalled that even though we allegedly spoke the same language, there were definitely times where Londoners didn’t get me and I did not get them.

Each chapter focuses on one concept, highlighted by a word (more often the English English term it seems). So it isn’t simply a language book or translation guide; the word is the catalyst for a broader discussion on the concept. For example, the chapter on tipping isn’t so much about other ways the English might refer to the concept, but instead about how the English and people from the US think of the service industry. The section on “middle-class” doesn’t just discuss how that term might have a different connotation in the two countries, but takes a more detailed look at the broader issues of class and how they are demonstrated differently.

The book feels a bit more sociological than I expected, but I think that’s a good thing. If you’ve ever traveled to the U.K. (or if you’re from there and have spent time in the U.S.), I think you’ll find this book charming. It’s a quick, entertaining read. ( )