19 Confounding Discrepancies Between American English and British English

As a lifelong Anglophile and a recent newcomer to London, I can understand America’s burgeoning love affair with British English. But even with the spike in usage of Britishisms, there are still a number of words and phrases that can baffle even the most pretentious BBC America fans. Next time you’re in London, keep these translations to hand—or as the Yanks would say, nearby—and you’ll be just fine.

1. Knock up: To wake up. Don’t freak out if your flatmate says he will be sure to knock you up in the morning.

2. Pants: Underwear. Be careful not to compliment your friend’s new pants, or she will be very confused. Trousers or slacks are what you wear over your pants.

3. Take the piss: To take advantage of; to ridicule. This is one of the more unattractive British phrases that show up frequently in conversation.

4. Bum bag: Fanny pack. For your own sake, don’t say “fanny pack.” (Come to think of it, don’t say “fanny” at all.)

5. Poncy: An especially negative version of the word “posh.”

6. Plaster: A band-aid.

7. Whinge: To whine.

8. Cash point: An ATM.

9. Car park: Though it sounds more like an auto show, it’s just a parking lot.

10. Garden: Backyard. A front yard or lawn is referred to as the front garden.

11. Accident and Emergency: An emergency room or trauma center; commonly referred to as the “A&E.”

12. Pot: Carton or container, as in, “I had a yoghurt pot for breakfast.”

13. Sex pest: Though it sounds like some unpleasant disease, a sex pest is more akin to a sexual predator or someone who sexually harasses others.

14. Sign on: It has nothing to do with AOL—it actually means to sign up for welfare.

15. The dog’s bollocks: If something is the dog’s bollocks, it is excellent.

16. Tramp: Homeless person. You can still get upset if someone says you dress like a tramp; you’ll just be upset for a different reason.

17. Rude boy: Thug or delinquent. A rude boy in England probably has no special affinity for ska music, unlike the rude boys in the U.S. and Jamaica.

18. Jumper: Sweater or pullover.

19. Mucky pup: Messy person.

Kathleen Elise is a graduate student at University College London..

Source- http://mentalfloss.com/article/12843/19-confounding-discrepancies-between-american-english-and-british-english

Ayurveda - Achieve balance with Ayurveda

How can the science of Ayurveda benefit you? Sri Sri Ravi Shankaranswers in the excerpt below:

"Life has four characteristics -- it exists, evolves, expresses and extinguishes. For this, it depends on five elements, namely earth, water, air, ether and fire. To make it easier to understand we can bring in the five senses and its objects, namely sight, smell, taste, sound and touch.

Ayurveda is the study of life. Ayur is life and Ved means to know. According to Ayurveda, life or existence is not a rigid compartment, but a harmonious flow. Even the five elements of which the whole universe is made of are not tight compartments of defined objects. They flow into one another. Each one of the elements contains the other four.

The subtlest element in us is space, which the mind is made up of, and the grossest is the earth element, which our bones, marrow, the skin and the structure are made of. This is further divided into three Doshas -- Vata, Pitta and Kapha. This is a way to understand our physiology, its characteristics and its reflection on the mind.

When an illness arises, it comes first in the thought form, the subtlest aspect, then the sound form, and then the light form, which is in the aura. It is only then that the illness manifests in the body. Simple symptoms arise in the fluid form, which can be eradicated, and then it manifests in the grossest form, where it needs medication. But with the practice of Ayurveda, the illness can be nipped in the bud.

The holistic approach of Ayurveda includes exercise, breathing and meditation. Breath is synonymous to life. Our life is our breath. Our breath is our life. It is very interesting to observe the relationship between breath and the different Doshas in the body, namely Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These three Doshas affect certain parts of the body more than the other parts.

For example, Vata Dosha is predominant in the lower part of the body -- stomach, intestine, etc. Diseases like gastric problems and joint aches can be due to the Vata imbalance. Kapha dosha is predominant in the middle part of the body. Cough is mainly a result of Kapha imbalance. And Pitta affects the upper part of the body -- the head. Short temper is a sign of Pitta.

Yoga and breathing techniques such as Sudarshan Kriya and the pranayama (channelizing Parana or life force to different parts of the body) have an effect on these three Doshas, bringing balance to the system.

Among different pranayama and other breathing techniques, there are specific breathing exercises for the lower, middle and the upper parts of the body, which help bring balance to the respective areas.

How do we bring good health to our system? The first remedy is calming the mind, coming from the subtlest aspect of creation, the ether. If your mind is bottled with too many impressions and thoughts, and it is draining you of your resistance power, that is where it is preparing your body for some illness. If the mind is clear, calm, meditative, and pleasant, the resistance in the body will increase and it will not allow an illness to come into it. The skillful use of breath and meditation can calm the mind.

Then comes the air element. Breathing, aromatherapy, etc., come in this category. Next is the light element, wherein color therapy is used to heal. Before an illness manifests in the body, you can see it in the aura of a person. And by energizing our system with the Parana or life energy one can clear the aura and prevent the illness.

Next is the water element. Fasting or purifying the system with water can bring a lot of balance in the system.

The final recourse would be medicines, medicinal herbs and surgery. All these come in when other things fail and the illness becomes inevitable.

The practice of Ayurveda can truly enhance the quality of your life."

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