This is only a little thing but I thought it might be interesting as you mentioned spanking a Brit. I am English and, when writing, I go to write 'gotten'/'forgotten' then think, 'Oh, but people will think I'm not English' and change it. I don't really say it when speaking out loud but it comes naturally - depending on tense - when I'm writing. Just find it funny that Britpicking is ingrained on my brain even though I'm English. Also, something that so many people consider a no-no is something I would automatically write. Another way of showing how hard it is for an outsider to grasp our language. We're just so fickle and flighty!

Also, as you mentioned 'check' as in the pattern in your post, I'd like to add what Americans call 'plaid' we call 'tartan' and very uniform square, two-colour check would be 'gingham'. Don't know if they use that in America.

Chavs= Trashy uncouth people who live on benefits, have no job, lots of kids, and smoke lots
I'm from Kent - I know all about the chav! Supposedly, the term started in Chatham and on the Isle of Sheppey.

Brits find patriotism embarrassing and think American's are way over the top with theirs.
I think there's an inbuilt hypocrisy with us Brits and patriotism. For example, I am neither proud nor ashamed of being British. However, if someone slags off the British I will defend these isles with the wrath my mum gave me! This, for me anyway, also extends to the particular area I live in because people are so keen to put it down. It's like, 'I'm allowed to slag this town off because I was born and bred here but if you start on it, saying exactly the same thing, I'll bite your bloody head off!'

What's everyone's opinion on swearing? It seems to me that us Brits are a lot more swear-happy than our American counterparts. But that might just be me being a foul-mouthed gobby woman.

(New member by the way though not a new writer. Just a very lapsed one. So hello!)