London Resources

Overviews/Histories

•    The London Guide

•    The British Monarchy (official website)

•    Kings and Queens of England & Britain (a nice brief overview)

•    Medieval English Towns

Maps

•    London Tube

•    London Transport

•    London Map (Google)

•    London Boroughs

•    My London Map

•    London (large)

Interesting Articles

•   Andy Dangerfield, “The lost rivers that lie beneath London.” BBC News, 4 Oct 2015. [read]

Historical Maps

•    London (1300)

•    London (1593)

•    London Railway (1899)

Museums [overview]

•    The British Museum [WP] [Video: RickSteves.com] [Video: LondonWalks]

•    The British Library [Web Pages on: Magna Carta, Gutenberg Bible. Caxton's editions of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales] [Video: RickSteves.com] [Video: Henry VIII at the Library]

•    Natural History Museum [Video: YouTube]

•    Science Museum

•    Victoria and Albert Museum

•    Sir John Soane’s Museum [Video: YouTube]

•    Medieval Gallery of the Museum of London

•    London Transport Museum

Art Galleries/Museums [overview]

•    National Gallery

•    National Portrait Gallery

•    Tate Britain

•    Tate Modern

•    Courtauld Gallery [Video: YouTube]

Other Sites in London

•    Tower of London [Video: YouTube] [Video: RickSteves.com] [Video: Henry VIII at the Tower]

•    Royal Observatory [Video: YouTube]

•    Royal Society

•    St Paul’s Cathedral [Video: YouTube]

•    Westminster Abbey [Video: YouTube]

•    Buckingham Palace

•    A map of London street markets

Music and Theatre

•    Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre [Video: YouTube]

•    London Theatre

•    St Martin-in-the-Fields

Outside London

•    Cambridge [Video: YouTube]

•    Royal Museums Greenwich

Speaking British

[Pronouncing place names]

The meanings of some words shift a bit after crossing the Atlantic:

banger = sausage

biscuit = cookie

bollocks = testicles

bonnet = the hood of a car

boot = the trunk of a car

braces = suspenders

caravan = trailer

chemist = pharmacist

chippie = fish and chip shop

chips = french fries

cider = alcoholic apple cider

crisps = potato chips

fag = cigarette

fagged = exhausted

first floor = second floor

fish = is still fish

flat = apartment

football = soccer

ground floor = first floor

half-eight = 8:30 (not 7:30)

High Street = Main Street

hire = rent

hoover = vacuum cleaner

jumper = sweater

kipper = smoked herring

knickers = ladies’ panties

lemonade = lemon soda

lift = elevator

loo = toilet

lorry = truck

noughts and crosses = tic-tac-toe

pants = underwear/briefs

pavement = sidewalk

people-mover = minivan

petrol = gasoline

pissed = drunk

pitch = playing field

plaster = Band-Aid

pram = baby carriage

public school = private school

pudding = dessert in general

queue up = line up

quid = pound (money)

rasher = slice of bacon

rubber = eraser

skip = dumpster

snogging = kissing

sod = a mildly offensive insult

soda = carbonated water

solicitor = lawyer

state school = public school

stone = 14 pounds (weight)

subway = underground walkway

suspenders = garters

suss out = figure out

ta = thank you

telly = TV

tenner = a ten-pound note

tick = check mark

tights = panty hose

tin = can

tip = public dump

top up = refill a drink

torch = flashlight

trainers = sneakers

Tube/underground = subway

wanker/tosser = idiot/loser

whacked = exhausted

zebra crossing = crosswalk

Last update: 28 Dec 2012