10 Everday American Words That Are Totally Inappropriate In Britain

5. Pissed

To be told that you are 'pissed' in the United States is to say that someone is extremely annoyed or angry with something or someone; the continual influx and importation of American culture has led to this meaning being attached to the word in the UK, although a far more offensive implicit meaning is often derived in the United Kingdom; to attend a drinking establishment or party and come back 'pissed' is to be completely and utterly drunk. To speak of how 'pissed' oneself is or was summons imagery in the UK of boozy trolley rides, stumbling down the street and obnoxious, anti-social behaviour. Americans perceive it as anger; "I was really pissed with someone" does not equate to a narrative of getting inappropriately drunk with a friend. It is to say that the figure has done something to deserve contempt and anger in the eyes of the person speaking. This difference in perception can be rather offensive in the United Kingdom, but the use of 'pissed' in the American context has established a double meaning in the United Kingdom, altering our language to allow American media to appear coherent to the growing British demand for their products.