The title of this post is a reference that will be understood by one person, at most, my former University of Delaware colleague McKay Jenkins. A few years ago, McKay wrote a prescient book about the plastic and other bad stuff that has entered human beings’ bodies, and I suggested What’s Gotten Into Us? as a title. His publisher liked that, except they wanted to change it to What’s Got Into Us? I remonstrated loudly when McKay informed me of this, exclaiming that no American would say “got.” Reason prevailed and the book was published under my suggested title.
The Stephen King reference comes from the fact that I have just finished and enjoyed his latest book, Never Flinch, and for some reason it is chock full of Britishisms, some from the narrator, some spoken by characters. I’ve read a number of other King books–including the entire series featuring the protagonist of this one, the detective Holly Gibney–and don’t recall this being a feature of any of them. (And I would notice.) I’m not sure what’s gotten or got into the master of horror. The internet tells me he spent three months in England in 1977 but doesn’t reveal any more recent contact. Maybe he’s been watching a whole bunch of British crime shows.
Anyhoo, the Britishisms in the book break down into four categories, as follows.
Common NOOBs
These are words or expressions that I’ve covered on the blog and are widespread in the U.S.
- “Jerome is too gobsmacked even to laugh.”
- “Kerfuffle.”
- “That was what Daddy would have called ‘too clever by half.'”
Less Common NOOBs
I find it unlikely that King’s American characters would use these, and when the narrator does, it strikes a discordant note.
- “’I don’t know what you’re on about,’ Roxanne said.”
- “We have a valuable lead and that’s down to [attributable to] you.”
- “Stewart’s gone to ground.”
- “Her anxiety has been replaced by a kind of nervy [nervous] anticipation.”
Words and Phrases I’ve Heard in America but Haven’t Yet Covered on the Blog
- “I’ll leave you to it.”
- “He needs four more days. Until then, he’ll stand down. No more killing.” [Definition of “stand down”: “to withdraw from a contest, a position of leadership, or a state of alert or readiness. Chiefly British.]
What Was He Thinking?–Things I Can’t Imagine an American Saying
Definitions of italicized words (as of “stand down) are from Merriam-Webster.
- “They split a strawberry shortcake for afters,” [“British: Dessert.”]
- “She left us, buddy. Went walkabout.” [“To go on a walkabout (a long walking journey on land that is far from towns and cities.”]
- “Midday custom is slow.” [“Business patronage.”]
notoneoffbritishisms.com 
What a fine crop of Britishisms.
If an author wanted to stop writing, they might agree that a publisher could keep churning out the recipe via a ghost writer, in the hope that no one would notice. If so, Ben has noticed.
You’re probably aware of this, but “gotten” is making a comeback in the UK. I like it, so thanks for looking after it while we had forgotten about it.
And it’s probably also worth mentioning that walkabout was originally Australian, and had a more specific meaning than it does now. Referring to an Aboriginal practice of reconnecting with nature and their traditional life.
When I left the US of A to go to university in Canada (and stayed for 50 years and counting), I had a classmate who informed me that ” ‘gotten’ is rotten.” Easily intimidated at that age and not wanting to appear boorish, I immediately adopted “got.” Sometimes it still doesn’t sound quite right but some habits (especially those picked up under duress) die hard.
As for your “What was he thinking” category of NOOBs, I agree but was reminded of a visit to Dublin about 30 years ago. While there, I became ill and needed to see a doctor. The doctor came to the B&B where I was staying and after I paid him, he gave me a receipt on which was printed “Thank you for your custom.” I thought it was odd – only because I hadn’t considered seeing a doctor to be a commercial transaction to which that expression would apply.
Walkabout is definitely Australian rather than British. Midday custom doesn’t ring true; perhaps lunchtime custom instead?
Then there’s the old argument over whether the midday meal is called lunch or dinner.
I’ve just read an excerpt from Never Flinch here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/stephen-king-never-flinch-exclusive-excerpt
My strong impression is that it was written by an American. ‘Pack it in’ and ‘nervy’ are surely dated in British English. I suppose the writer could possibly be a Brit who has lived in the US for 30 or 40 years.
As a child, I heard phrases like ‘She’s got her nerves bad’; does anyone born after (say)1960 still say anything like this?
I don’t think I’ve heard ‘nervous breakdown’ since returning from London in the early1990s. The translation of Mujeres Al Borde De Un Ataque De Nervios, having drawn our attention back to the phrase, seemed a singular blip not long after, quaint even).
I suspect that the medicalisation/professionalisation of our speech (eg restful becoming ‘therapeutic’) is mainly responsible, along with the vogue for positivity rather than balance.