Ever found yourself in a conversation with a Brit where you thought: Oh, what a polite person! Well think again, because what may seem like perfect politeness and friendliness on the surface, probably conceals their true thoughts, that may or may not be tinged with scorn.

Taking every word at face value is not a good idea when you communicate in or with English. One of the most popular misconceptions is the phrase “very interesting”, which is in fact just a Brit’s polite way of telling you they are not interested in what you have to say at all. Or that your idea may be verging on insanity and you possibly need to seek help, sooner rather than later.

Do not fear, fellow European (but not from this sceptred Isle), – all you need is a good dictionary. The following table, which was first published on Oxfam website by Duncan Green, comes to your rescue as quite a handy guide. It still remains a mystery who actually wrote the table, nonetheless, it’s quite interesting accurate.