Thank Goodness You're Here: Most British References, Explained

Summary

• You can miss a lot of Thank Goodness You're Here's jokes if you don't know British culture.
• Of course, there are references to political figures, like Diana and Margaret Thatcher.
• If you want to learn some funny British phrases and slang, we have you covered.

There are plenty of video games produced by British development teams, and there are just as many games that make British cultural references. However, there is no game as unapologetically British as Thank Goodness You're Here.

10 Best Games Inspired By British Culture

These games will leave you gobsmacked at how well they encapsulate Britain and its culture.

It's understandable why the short indie title features the option to switch the dialect used, but the default voice acting and language are the most true to the game's core. But if you aren't a local, then some of the references mentioned in the fictional town of Barnsmouth might go over your head, so what does it all mean?

9 Benidorm

She's In A Better Place Now

When exploring the marketplace of Barnsmouth, we'll see one stall selling exclusively second-hand clothes. Upon interaction with the shopkeeper, she'll mention that all the clothes belong to Karen, who's in a better place now.

Turns out if you interact again, that Karen is not in the great beyond, but in fact living it up in Benidorm. Benidorm is not, in fact, in the UK, but on the Spanish coast. While it isn't a British territory, Benidorm is a popular British tourist location, with a long-running TV series even named after it.

8 Thatcherisms

Getting Political

While she is never mentioned by name, if you keep your eyes peeled for some hidden graffiti around town, you'll see a few veiled references to former Prime Minister of the UK, Margaret Thatcher.

Whether it's a note calling her a milk snatcher (referencing her policy taking milk away from primary school children), a scrawling about poll tax (a disastrous community tax), or even a sign saying "Ding Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" (a track from The Wizard of Oz which re-entered the UK charts following the death of the former PM). Thatcher's legacy as an unpopular politician in the North of the UK lives on through the references to her in Thank Goodness You're Here.

7 Regional Slang

Yes, This Is Still English (Kind Of)

The voice acting is a clear highlight of your adventure in Thank Goodness You're Here, and it is part of what makes this cartoonish setting somehow feel real. But if you aren't familiar with regional phrases, you might struggle to understand certain moments.

8 Best Indie Games On The Nintendo Switch

These indie games will keep you entertained for hours at a time — either at home or on the go!

Some slang which might trip you up includes anorl (meaning 'as well', often used at the end of a sentence), reyt (a shortening of 'alright'), and owt (which is used as a substitute for something). Without context these might stand out, but once you know what they mean, they make a lot more sense.

6 Apples And Pears

Charming Chimney Sweep

While Barnsmouth is definitely not intended to be anywhere near London, the presence of Cockney rhyming slang still managed to migrate its way into the game through the recurring character of the chimney sweep, who will help you enter the house below every now and then.

The girl feels like she has been plucked straight out of a musical number in Mary Poppins, and a phrase that sticks out is her reference to the Apples and Pears, a standard example of Cockney rhyming slang meaning 'stairs'.

5 Diana Memorial Plate

The People's Princess

Depending on where and who you ask in the UK, opinions on the royal family are vastly different, but perhaps one of the more widely popular royal figures was Diana, Princess of Wales. Her popularity remained consistent throughout her time in the public eye, with key moments being her wedding to the now King Charles, and her tragic passing in 1997.

With all figures from the royal family, plenty of memorabilia has been sold to commemorate certain events, and perhaps one of the most iconic is a Diana memorial plate. We can see one displayed in a house that we travel under through a pipe, slowly pushing it closer towards the edge, until its eventual fall.

4 Price Shaggers

Of Course It Has A Messy Middle Aisle

Discount shops are not unique to the UK, but in the UK they do tend to follow a certain naming convention. Starting with something as recognizable as a PoundLand, the names start to get more and more on the nose about how cheap their products are.

15 Incredible Comedy Games That'll Split Your Sides

Funny games are an enjoyable experience for many, and here is just a sampling of the most side-splitting titles available to gamers.

This is how the team behind Thank Goodness You're Here likely got to the name of Price Shaggers. Aside from more explicit definitions, 'shagged' can be used as slang for exhausted or tired, so calling the shop Price Shaggers shows just how low the prices you can expect to see will be.

3 Miscellaneous Britishisms

Time For Translation

It's hard to encapsulate the sheer range of British phrases stuffed into Thank Goodness You're Here, but a lot of them will make sense if you look at them in context.

Some that stand out as being the epitome of British phrasing include chuffed (meaning 'happy' or 'pleased'), jiffy (meaning 'quickly'), and tat (used to describe items that are generally useless, a perfect name for the toy shop in the marketplace).

2 Baps

Best Way To Start An Argument

Another reference with a surprising amount of British lore is the stand selling oily baps in the middle of the marketplace. A bap is a phrase used to describe a bread roll, and that might seem to be as deep as it goes.

However, the amount of different names given to a bread roll around the UK is staggering, and the discourse between different regional names for this practical-sized piece of bread gets surprisingly vitriolic. So be careful where you are if you choose to call it a roll, bap, cob, bun, or even a barm cake.

1 Matt Berry

The Man The Myth The Gardener

The voice work in Thank Goodness You're Here is definitely reason enough to play the game, and one voice you might recognize is the work of iconic British actor Matt Berry. While he has leaned into voice work before (no wonder with such a recognizable way of speaking), he is just as well-known for his on-screen roles.

So if you think you might have recognized the voice behind the gardener, there's a good chance you've watched Disenchantment, What We Do in the Shadows, or even IT Crowd.

The Best Indie Games Of All Time

There have been some truly exceptional indie games released over the years. But these titles stand out as the best the genre has to offer.