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

Toni Summers Hargis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 2006

How do you respond to a dinner invitation that says "Eight for eight thirty"? What might induce you to get off a London train at a place called Mud Chute? When is it okay to drive over a sleeping policeman? And why do teh 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 dont's that only a Brit would know.

 

Most of us know that an elevator is called a "lifet," a toilet is a "loo," and the trunk of your car is the "boot," but who would have a clue about a "sprog" or a "gobsmacked berk"? These phrases are part of daily conservation in the UK, and leave many visiting Americans as baffled as if they listening to a foreign language.

 

Covering such essential topics as vocabulary, house- or "flat"-hunting, business culture, child rearing, and even relationship etiqutte, 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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Born and raised in England, but living now in Chicago, Hargis offers perspectives from both sides of the pond, proving once again that the United States and the United Kingdom are two countries divided by a common language. In chapters such as "Words That Guarantee Giggles" and "Grub and Other Delicacies," the author explains differences in pronunciation and usage between American English terms and British English terms: "In the U.K., Hush Puppies are a type of comfy shoe, and a sloppy joe is a sweater." Such discrepancies, obviously, can fill a book. Throughout, Hargis also includes lists of "British words that might require translation" (their sleeping policeman is our speed bump, and blokes named Randy or Willy will likely get stroppy and not at all cock-a-hoop after taking the piss from a tosser about their names) and "American words that the Brits don't share" (busboys and the concept of bussing a table are "totally meaningless in the UK"). Sections on road rules, real estate, fashion and employment will be handy for readers planning on staying longer than a vacation (or, in Brit: holiday).
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Review

"Amazingly thorough. If you don't know a plonker from a slapper or a berk from Joe Soap, this is the book for you."
-Joe Queenan, author of True Believers and Queenan Country

"A godsend to Americans trying to negotiate the minefield of British life…it will be like having a helpful British best friend in your pocket, to guide you through all the tricky bits."
-Kate Fox, author of Watching the English

"Although I have traveled through the UK and written about it for years, I found myself reading RULES, BRITANNIA with the pleasure of a first-timer. Toni Summers Hargis answered questions I didn't even know I had, and I smiled in recognition of many of the small but very important nuances she points out. For anyone who wants to arrive in the UK armed with the knowledge of an insider, her book is well-organized, humorous and amazingly comprehensive."
--Susan Allen Toth, author of My Love Affair with England and England as You Like It

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (March 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312336659
• ISBN-13: 978-0312336653
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in the northeast of England (UK):an area called Tyneside. My biggest claim to fame is that Sting and I were born in the same place (Wallsend - literally the end of the Roman Wall). Actually, since his name is Sumner and my maiden name is Summers, we are probably descended from the same Saxons, but I digress.
After 18 years of freezing by the Tyne, I went to Bristol University where I pretended to study Law and generally had a great time. Then off to London where I pretended to work in HR and Training and also had a great time. In 1990 I married my American husband who probably wishes to remain anonymous (Mark) and we settled in Dallas. A year later we upped and moved to Chicago, where we still live with our three offspring.
Ever since I moved to the States, people have asked me for advice before a trip to the UK. After the first few times of saying "Don't say 'fanny'!" I thought it wise to write things down, and soon I had about 35 pages of "advice". A good friend then relocated to London and I wrote as much as I could muster, handing over about 50 pages. Her response, "Goodness, Toni, this is a book!" probably set the wheels in motion.
To say this has been a long process would be a gross understatement, but in between gaining a Masters Degree at nights, having three kids and working either in the corporate world or as a school volunteer, I managed to secure myself a great agent (Nancy Crossman) who in turn, found me a great publisher (ST. Martin's Press). The publishing contract prompted me to pull my finger out and finish the book, which is not easy with a five month old on your lap!

"Rules Britannia" provides what many UK/US books don't - and that's the facts, and nothing but the facts, with some humor thrown in. My aim is to tell visiting Americans exactly what to expect - yes, the showers are generally not up to par; why do you think so many Brits love to take baths? "Rules Britannia" is neither a travel guide nor an etiquette guide, but 22 chapters of invaluable information that will smooth the transition into the British way of life and aid communication between Anericans and Brits.

If you want more of my US/UK stuff, visit my blogs and add your tuppence worth.
Expat Mum - www.expatmum.blogspot.com
Pond Parleys - http://pondparleys.blogspot.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Toni Hargis for Ambassador!, May 5, 2006

By 

Jon Hunt "musician, teacher" (Old Greenwich, Ct. USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rules, Britannia: An Insider's Guide to Life in the United Kingdom (Hardcover)

Whilst scanning my local bookstore's shelves for a quick read I came across "Rules, Britannia" by Toni Summers Hargis. After finishing it (in one sitting) I know not to say "it was 'quite' good", for that would indicate something less than extreme pleasure on my part. "Rules, Britannia" is VERY good, informative and funny and while our language differences deserve credit for the book's inspiration the author has earned all of the rest.

Having grown up on the other side of the pond, Ms. Hargis has spent sixteen years in the States and has a perspective that is most welcome from an American point of view. For those of us who have spent a good amount of time in England, reading "Rules, Britannia" tells one more of the things one doesn't know but probably should. This is not merely a collective glossary of word translations (although at the end of each chapter there is one, relating to that particular chapter) but a look at what every American needs to know upon visiting the mother country. From transportation and food to shopping and partying, the author is a gentle teacher, or perhaps more of a cultural ambassador.

What Toni Hargis does so well is relate things from an English viewpoint. I was surprised to see that the Brits find it very rude if you refer to another person in your midst as "he" or "she", or that if you cannot attend a dinner party it is essential (almost to a comical fault) that you let your host know exactly the reasons WHY you won't be there. I laughed out loud after reading about the fact that Brits never park their car leaving it in gear when the author then goes on to say, "if you borrow someone's car, for heaven's sake don't leave it in gear when you return it, or the owner will kangaroo straight through the garden wall next time the engine's turned on." Who can resist such advice?!

Occasionally, you'll find some repetitions in the book....what you're reading you just read a few pages ago. A couple of additions would be good also... (unless I missed them) when stepping off the pavement make sure to look right before crossing the street (there are reminders on London streets) and if trying to book passage on BritRail on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, forget about it. I suppose this is a way of saying there is probably enough material for another book by author Hargis.....one I would stand hours in a queue to purchase!

I highly recommend "Rules, Brittania". It's practical, down-to-earth and immensely enjoyable.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredibly Helpful Book!, June 19, 2006

By 

KK (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Rules, Britannia: An Insider's Guide to Life in the United Kingdom (Hardcover)

I've now read this book front to back twice and I have found it to be so incredibly helpful as I prepare for my move to the UK in July. I would highly recommend this book to anyone moving from the US to the UK, or the UK to the US...or just anyone interested in British culture, as it is highly entertaining as well as informative.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Read Before Relocating to the UK, April 5, 2008

By 

Nomad77 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rules, Britannia: An Insider's Guide to Life in the United Kingdom (Hardcover)

I read through the entire book the first day I got it, and am sure I will reference it again and again before (and probably after) I relocate to London for six months. It's extremely informative, witty and well-written. Many topics are addressed that I hadn't even thought about. It covers do's and don't's for nearly every situation imagineable. The pronunciations and "glossary" sections the end of each chapter are most helpful.