For example, switching out the word ‘boot’ for ‘trunk’, or ditching the word ‘rubbish’ for ‘garbage’.
This is something I’ve noticed my 6 year old does pretty regularly. We went through a stage where ‘sweets’ became ‘candy’, ‘holiday’ became ‘vacation’ and ‘courgette’ became ‘zucchini’.
That last one didn’t happen but if you’re still reading you’ve got my respect, or as the Americans might say ‘…mad props’.
“cockwomble” just sounds like you’re trying too hard, like a yank LARPing as a brit they read about on the internet
That’s when you pull out the British understatement and switch to ordinary nouns in a context that implies an insult (“you utter teakettle”)
Teakettle? Isn’t that just a kettle?
It’s a way to call someone extra or superfluous.
Really? Is it regional maybe? Irl I’ve only ever heard it from English people who want to say something stronger than “bell end”.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say it IRL. It’s a pretty minor thing really, use whatever insults you fancy, but if you want something very British you’ve got classics like muppet, nonce, pillock, bawbag.
I’m partial to ‘wankspanner’. Which is pretty un-American since even if they knew what to wank meant, they’d probably to with ‘wankwrench’ which just isn’t the same. Sorry, I’m moving into rambling territory now.
I myself use the insults of my own culture (NZ), but I just like hearing the British people in my life using theirs.
I know an elderly British woman whose worst insult seems to be to call someone a “rotter”.