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Product Description
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).
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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
-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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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Toni Hargis for Ambassador!, May 5 2006
By Jon Hunt "musician, teacher" - Published on Amazon.com
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!, Jun 19 2006
By KK - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
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
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hmmmm, Sep 4 2011
By E. Raptis - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Rules, Britannia: An Insider's Guide to Life in the United Kingdom (Hardcover)
First off, let me say I liked this book. However I've been an American anglophile all my adult life, and I was already familiar with nearly all the subjects brought up in Ms. Hargis's book, so I suppose I'm not really her target audience. However, I did find several thinly veiled insults at Americans which sort of put me off a bit, as I very much dislike being lumped in with the typical "ugly American". She implies that the British educational system is superior to ours, and that we're often "unintentionally" rude. I daresay, when someone is only uninformed or misinformed, he can hardly be described as rude. She also fails to mention things Britons do that we find crude, like asking for the "toilet" instead of the ladies' room. At least she admits we have the upper hand at dentistry, insisting that British kids wouldn't be caught dead with a mouthful of braces. I guess our kids would rather have straight teeth. Anyway, it's a cute book - apart from the patronizing tone.
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