The ABC of England

A

Albion

Albion (Greek: Ἀλβιών) is the oldest known name of the island of Great Britain. It is thought to derive from the white cliffs of Dover. Today, it is still sometimes used poetically to refer to the island or (incorrectly) England in particular.

B

Big Ben

The Clock Tower called “Big Ben”, is known the world over. The name Big Ben actually refers not to the clock-tower itself, but to the thirteen ton bell hung within. The bell was named after the first commissioner of works, Sir Benjamin Hall.

C

Cambridge University

The University of Cambridge is the second oldest university in the English-speaking world. The university grew out of an association of scholars that was formed in 1209 by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute with townsfolk there. The two "ancient universities" have many common features and are often jointly referred to as Oxbridge.

D

Double-Decker Bus

E

English Channel

It is the piece of water between France and England. It is about 560 km (350 mi) long and varies in width from 240 km (150 mi) at its widest, to only 34 km (21 mi) in the Strait of Dover. At 37.9 kilometers (23.5 mi), the Channel Tunnel has the longest undersea portion of any tunnel in the world.

F

Fish and Chips

Fish and chips is a popular take-away food that originated in 1858 or 1863. It consists of deep-fried fish (traditionally cod, haddock or flounder) in batter or breadcrumbs with deep-fried chipped (slab-cut) potatoes. The dish became popular in wider circles in London and South East England in the middle of the 19th century.

G

Guy Fawkes' Night

H

Halloween

The night of October 31 when it was formerly believed that the spirits of the dead appeared. Children make jack-o’-lanterns: candles are put inside hollow pumpkins which have holes cut into them in the shape of eyes and a mouth.

I

Isles

J

Jaguar

Jaguar Cars Ltd., better known simply as Jaguar is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Coventry, England. Founded as the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922, by two motorcycle enthusiasts, Sir William Lyons and William Walmsley.

K

Keep Left

Be careful when you cross the street in England, because the traffic keeps to the left, and not to the right as in European countries. When you want to cross the street, look first to the right and then to the left.

L

London

London is the capital of the UK. It is situated upon both banks of the River Thames. Its population is about 7 million people. The Romans founded it more than 2000 years ago. Now London is really a precious stone of the British Crown.

M

Manchester United F.C.

This football club was formed in 1878. Manchester United are the reigning English champions, having won the 2008–09 Premier League. The club is one of the most successful in the history of English football and has won 22 major honours since Alex Ferguson became manager in November 1986.

N

Nursery Rhymes

The term nursery rhyme is used for ‘traditional’ songs for young children in England. In the early nineteenth century printed collections of rhymes began to spread to other countries.

O

Oxford University

One of the oldest and most highly regarded English universities. Oxford University is a group of independent colleges, they are 34 now. The University was created in the first years of the 13th century.

P

Pubs

The word pub is short for public house. Pubs are important part of English life. People talk, eat, drink, meet their friends and relax there. Most pubs are open from 11 to 11. They have traditional names which date back over 600 years.

Q

Queen

The UK is a constitutional monarchy. The official head of the state is the king or the queen. But the country is actually run by the government, led by the Prime Minister. The present Queen is Elisabeth II. She was born on April 21, 1926. The Queen lives at Buckingham Palace.

R

Red Rose

The red rose is the national symbol of England. It is connected with the history of the country. The Wars of the Roses were the wars within the country (the 15th century). The Duke of Lancaster (his emblem was the red rose) won, so the emblem of England became the red rose.

S

Soccer

Soccer is more commonly known as football. The modern game was codified in England following the formation of The Football Association, whose 1863 Laws of the Game created the foundations for the way the sport is played today. The England national football team is the joint oldest in the world.

T

Tea

England is a tea-drinking nation. The most English like their tea strong and dark, but with a lot of milk. Afternoon Tea is a light meal typically eaten between 3 pm and 5 pm. High Tea (also known as meat tea) is an early evening meal, typically eaten between 5pm and 6pm.

U

United Kingdom

England is a country that is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and unitary state consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

V

Viking Centre

An archaeological museum in York dealing with the Saxon period (600-1066). The visitors of the museum are carried in “time cars” through a vivid recreations of York as a part and trading centre under the Danish kings.

W

Weather

The weather in England changes very quickly. One day may be fine and the next day may be cold or rainy. That is why the English say, “Other countries have a climate, in England we have weather.” People talk about the weather more here than in the most parts of the world.

X

Xmas

Xmas is abbrev. for Christmas, a Christian holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated on December 25. It is very popular in England.

Y

Yorkshire Pudding

Yorkshire pudding is a dish that originated in Yorkshire, England, and has attained wide popularity. It is made from batter and most often served with roast beef, chicken, or any meal in which there is gravy.

Z

Zoo

London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on April 27, 1828. Today it houses a collection of 755 species of animals, with 15,104 individuals, making it one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom.

A double-decker bus is a bus that has two levels or 'decks'. They are in common use throughout the United Kingdom. The red double-decker buses in London have become an icon of Britain.

All About England

In The ABC

England is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe.

November 5th when people light fireworks and burn a guy on a bonfire. This is in memory of the time when Guy Fawkes tried to destroy Parliament in London in 1605.