The longer I live in Spain, the more peculiar I realise we Brits must seem. Especially when it comes to how we speak. We rarely say what we mean and it can be charming, confusing or downright maddening depending on who’s listeing. In today’s edition of Woodside Weekly I want to take you inside that very British habit of indirectness and help you decode what’s really being said.

Learning a language isn’t just about learning words, grammar and vocabulary it’s also about the nuances and understanding what people really mean by, quite often, reading between the lines. We Brits are a peculiar bunch. We don’t generally like confrontation but we do enjoy some passive aggression! We are generally known for being terribly polite and not very good at saying what we really mean. We’re trained to be cool, pragmatic and stoic. No drama, no shouting.

We actually hate to be too direct and for some cultures that’s hard to get to grips with. We Brits tend to hide everything in a huge ball of fluff and friendly words to soften the blow but that certainly doesn’t mean we are always happy, or even friendly!

I thought today I would help you read between the lines and decipher what we say and what we really mean.

British people are very good at controlling the words they use, as a general rule, and also their tone of voice but a huge tip I can give you is that when we have something to say we like to soften the blow with words like “quite” and “slight.”

We might have a slight issue with the proposal…

Translation: This is a disaster.

That’s quite and interesting thought.

Translation: That’s the most boring idea I’ve ever heard of. What are you thinking of by even suggesting it to me?

And when we say “we’ll see.” 99% of the time means “no!” - just ask my kids!

That’s not bad - it actually means: that’s good. (I know I know!)

“I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”

Translation: That’s an absolutely ridiculous idea!

“I hear what you’re saying but…..”

Translation: I completely disagree and there is no way I will even take into consideration what you are saying!

Expression of the Week - If you hear this RUN!

With all due respect – If you hear this coming from a Brit’s mouth, I think I would run. It’s quite a formal phrase used before disagreeing with someone, often hiding criticism.

With all due respect, I think we should try a different approach.

“I don’t agree with you at all. I think you are the biggest idiot on two legs” Now, would a British person ever actually say exactly what they really mean? Possibly. But only if we’re furious. And even then, it would be via email to avoid seeing the other person face-to-face!

Vocabulary

To sugarcoat - To make something bad sound more pleasant

To soften the blow - To make something unpleasant less upsetting

Stoic - Someone who doesn’t show feelings or complain, even in hard situations

To decipher - To interpret or understand something that is not obvious

Bunch - group

To get to grips with - to understand something difficult or complex

To beat around the bush- To avoid talking directly about something

To get to grips with - to understand something difficult or complex

To avoid talking directly about something

Mini Challenge

Have you ever misunderstood what someone really meant in English? Reply and share your story!

So next time a Brit says something that sounds polite, pause for a moment, they might just be hiding a whole lot more behind those words.

That’s all for today folks! Have a great week!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com