Humor is the punctuation for the seriousness of life. Royce Bennet
JUMPER: To an American the word “jumper” could mean there is someone standing on a very high ledge threatening to jump off and end it all — Goodbye, cruel world!
But to a British speaker, there is no drama, it simply refers to a sweater. So if you hear a Brit say “I just saw a lovely jumper,” don’t think they have no sense of empathy, they simply liked a harmless sweater.
TRAINERS: In the United States, we go to our trainers to get fit, mold our bodies, become flexible. In Britain they wear their trainers, which has one wondering if it’s some sort of craze to carry about your fitness guru for strength and endurance. They use the word trainers for our sneakers — come to think about it, sneakers imply stealthily following someone around! Perhaps trainers is the more descriptive term!
VEST: In America, a vest is a sleeveless article of clothing worn over a blouse or shirt as an extra accent piece or under jacket for added formality or warmth.
A British person would imagine a narrow sleeved, scoop-necked cotton undershirt—what we would call a “wife- beater,” an unsavory term to think about later! Again, the British term may have the upper hand.
WAISTCOAT: This is the term the British use to describe our Vest (above). For an American, waistcoat is an antiquated word used mostly in fashion history books or perhaps to communicate a sense of extreme formality in describing an ensemble.
BRACES: If you are out shopping and told you should consider a set of braces, you might wonder at the rudeness of commenting on your (slightly) crooked teeth or posture! The sales associate is only trying to complete your outfit by adding a pair of “suspenders,” in addition to keeping your pants or skirt fixed at the waist! Do not leave in a huff!
Nota Bene: if, as an American, you ask for the pants department (meaning slacks), you are likely to be directed to the underwear (lingerie) department. So unless you really mean underwear, ask for the trousers department!
