Vacation and Holiday, and other US-UK phrases

[Agatha]

It's an adjective here, but it's mostly childish usage.

[Debaser]

It's an adjective here, but it's mostly childish usage.


Ahem...Google the phrase 'poorly but stable' for the UK and you find it's actually part of the lexicon of medical staff amongst others.

[Akhenaten]

Shire War! Shire War!

Come and see debasement and throwing stuff!

Pictures at 11.

[ZirconBlue]

Ah. Here's the thread I was looking for.

In another thread I learned that while American's play "tag", some other English speakers play "tig".

[zooterkin]

One I don't think I've seen mentioned, although there are some examples.

UK: A couple of things
US: A couple things.

[ZirconBlue]

One I don't think I've seen mentioned, although there are some examples.

UK: A couple of things
US: A couple things.

Could go either way in the US. Often it's "a coupl'a things".

[Akhenaten]

Ah. Here's the thread I was looking for.

In another thread I learned that while American's play "tag", some other English speakers play "tig".





I haven't heard "tig" before, but I've always assumed US "tag" to be the same as Australian "chasings". Chasings with a tennis ball and evil intent was known as "brandings" and in some disfavour with the grups, which increased its allure no end.


One I don't think I've seen mentioned, although there are some examples.

UK: A couple of things
US: A couple things.





Yeah, actually that's one that always sounds wrong the way you say it, despite most American phrases becoming almost second-nature. It just doesn't a complete phrase.


It reminds me of the way we say "A hundred and eleventy" where you would say "One hundred eleventy".

I reckon you all have conjunctionivitus.

[Rat]

Ah. Here's the thread I was looking for.

In another thread I learned that while American's play "tag", some other English speakers play "tig".
Always 'tick' when I was growing up.

[Akhenaten]

Always 'tick' when I was growing up.





Well, at least that's what the other kids always yelled while they were chasing you?

We may not have the full story here.

[zooterkin]

I haven't heard "tig" before, but I've always assumed US "tag" to be the same as Australian "chasings".
It was usually 'it' when I was at school.




Yeah, actually that's one that always sounds wrong the way you say it, despite most American phrases becoming almost second-nature. It just doesn't a complete phrase.


It reminds me of the way we say "A hundred and eleventy" where you would say "One hundred eleventy".

I reckon you all have conjunctionivitus.

I reckon you need to look more closely at my location. :)

[Akhenaten]

It was usually 'it' when I was at school.




I reckon you need to look more closely at my location. :)





Geez, I'm sorry Mate. It's not that I didn't know you were a Pom, but I got you mixed up with Zircon, which may or may not be a greater or lesser insult.

I'll just pop off and get myself a bigger shovel then.


TTFN

[UnrepentantSinner]

One I don't think I've seen mentioned, although there are some examples.

UK: A couple of things
US: A couple things.

What ZirconBlue said. I don't think I've heard anyone use "a couple things" though.

[arthwollipot]

What ZirconBlue said. I don't think I've heard anyone use "a couple things" though.I have, although for the life of me I can't remember in what context.

[zooterkin]

What ZirconBlue said. I don't think I've heard anyone use "a couple things" though.

Some examples from this forum:

I suggest you consider the benefit of years of education and experience vs reading a couple paragraphs and expecting every detail to be included in those paragraphs. ... but I digress...





“At this time I started moving my car towards them quickly, with idea to help. Had stopped about only a couple seconds. Object was like aluminum--it was whitish against the mesa background, but not chrome. Seemed like O in shape and I at first glance took it to be overturned white car. Car appeared to be up on radiator or on trunk, this first glance.”


Let's hope that these, a bit more organization, more medical facilities, and ramped up distribution of necessities will start to quell the increasing unrest and anarchy displayed over the past couple days.


In UK usage, all those would be "couple of...".

[quadraginta]

One I don't think I've seen mentioned, although there are some examples.

UK: A couple of things
US: A couple things.

What ZirconBlue said. I don't think I've heard anyone use "a couple things" though.

I have, although for the life of me I can't remember in what context.


Both usages are relatively common in the states. The second perhaps more than is realized, since I suspect that many people 'hear' the implied "of" even when it isn't actually supplied. Some may not even be aware that they are saying it that way and would adamantly deny ever commiting such a travesty of English.

[Akhenaten]

In any case, the correct usage is 'cuppla'.


Rula, Tula, Fula and Agape?

Cuppla Daaaayz! Beeyooooodiful!


/Con

[arthwollipot]

Oh shut the hell up, Con! No-one wants to listen to you.

American: Living Room
Australian: Lounge Room

I've got a friend who recently bought a lounge, but it looked smaller in the warehouse. Now his lounge room is almost completely lounge.

[The Fallen Serpent]

In the US a lounge room would imply a room in a bar.

[ZirconBlue]

In the US a lounge room would imply a room in a bar.

Really "lounge room" is virtually unheard of. A "lounge" is usually a hotel bar. Hence "lounge music".

[Akhenaten]

So what do you call the 3-seater and two chairs that you sit on in the living room?

[zooterkin]

So what do you call the 3-seater and two chairs that you sit on in the living room?

A three-piece suite.

[The Fallen Serpent]

That is why I said lounge room would imply a bar. We use lounge on its own as a reference to certain types of bars, specifically those in hotels and similar comfortable styles. Or what we call the analog to a living room in a non living space. Offices like to tell people to wait in the lounge. Those who are doing the waiting will call it a waiting room ;) Rarely we use it as its actual meaning related to resting in a relaxed position. Such as with a lounge chair or lounging around the house.

The three seater and two chairs in a living room are a couch and two chairs or a living room set. Three piece suite would be less common outside of sales or interior decorating I think. I could be wrong.

[Akhenaten]

The lounge room is one room down the hierarchy from the Good Room or the Pool Room, and doesn't even get capitalised.

The three-piece suite is only called that when you're looking at which one to buy at Harvey Norman's, but once you get it home it becomes the lounge (or lounge suite, if you're Grandma). It could also become the couch and lounge chairs. Divan used to be common for couch, but less so now, I think.

A lounge bar sounds about the same as in Oz, although it used to be known as the Ladies Lounge, as the presence of ladies in the Public Bar was not the done thing, except for barmaids, who are all gorgeous (sooner or later).

[UnrepentantSinner]

So what do you call the 3-seater and two chairs that you sit on in the living room?

The three seater and two chairs in a living room are a couch and two chairs or a living room set. Three piece suite would be less common outside of sales or interior decorating I think. I could be wrong.

I did a Google search for "lounge set" and got some hits, but interestingly enough there are hits for womens pajamas as well.

Most references I see in furniture ads include items in addition to seats (end tables or coffee tables) in a living room suite.

[zooterkin]

I did a Google search for "lounge set" and got some hits, but interestingly enough there are hits for womens pajamas as well.


You say "pajamas", I say "pyjamas"...

Actually, I think we probably say it the same, but spell it differently.

[UnrepentantSinner]

You say "pajamas", I say "pyjamas"...

Actually, I think we probably say it the same, but spell it differently.

"Pee-Jays" ;)

[Akhenaten]

'Jammies' - prononced 'jarmizs'.

:)

[arthwollipot]

I wouldn't know - I don't wear them.

[Akhenaten]

Chain mail for you, surely?

[Akhenaten]

'Jammies' - prononced 'jarmizs'.

:)





Spelt 'pronounced'.

I r drongo.

[Akhenaten]

I did a Google search for "lounge set" and got some hits, but interestingly enough there are hits for womens pajamas as well.





That must have been awful for you. Your sacrifice in the name of science is most admirable.

;)

[arthwollipot]

Chain mail for you, surely?No way. Have you ever tried to wear mail against your skin?

And for the record, the only appropriate use of the word "chainmail" is in the phrase "chainmail bikini".

Don't google that.

[UnrepentantSinner]

Have any of you UKians seen Stephen Fry in America? Our local PBS station ran an episode Mon. night and I loved it. I'm going to get the DVDs from Netflix.

[Damien Evans]

No way. Have you ever tried to wear mail against your skin?

And for the record, the only appropriate use of the word "chainmail" is in the phrase "chainmail bikini".

Don't google that.

:eye-poppi:D:D:D

[dafydd]

You say "pajamas", I say "pyjamas"...

Actually, I think we probably say it the same, but spell it differently.

Jim-Jams

[Akhenaten]

So one could lounge about in the living room, wearing their Jim-Jams, eating Tim Tams, reading Flim-Flam.

On the settee.

[arthwollipot]

I had a customer once whose name was Timothy Tam.

[Akhenaten]

[insert dunk-and-suck joke]

[Akhenaten]

Have any of you UKians seen Stephen Fry in America? Our local PBS station ran an episode Mon. night and I loved it. I'm going to get the DVDs from Netflix.





I saw it on the ABC a while ago, and I enjoyed it in a 'postcards' kind of way.

Some American friends said that it seemed to move too quickly from state to state, and I agree that a bit more depth would have been great, although I suppose there has to be a limit to how much they could cover.

My favourite aspect of the whole show was hearing the different accents in the interviews. That alone undid a lot of Hollywood-induced damage.

[CORed]

I'm not sure when the split happened, but I have it on good authority (The Firesign Theater) that the Aztecs invented the vacation.

[Akhenaten]

I'm not sure when the split happened, but I have it on good authority (The Firesign Theater) that the Aztecs invented the vacation.





The split? Between the UK and the Aztecs?

I heard that was a fairly bloodless affair, without a single shot being fired.

Perhaps the Brits were on holiday.

[UnrepentantSinner]

I saw it on the ABC a while ago, and I enjoyed it in a 'postcards' kind of way.

Some American friends said that it seemed to move too quickly from state to state, and I agree that a bit more depth would have been great, although I suppose there has to be a limit to how much they could cover.

Agreed. Each region could have had its own 6-8 show series. From what I've seen though, he does a pretty good job capturing the different cultural flavors in each of the regional episodes.

My favourite aspect of the whole show was hearing the different accents in the interviews. That alone undid a lot of Hollywood-induced damage.

Our accents aren't as diverse within a concentrated area as they are in the UK, but we certainly have quite a variety of them.

[Akhenaten]

Our accents aren't as diverse within a concentrated area as they are in the UK, but we certainly have quite a variety of them.





That's true alrighty, but I think because I grew up with a lot of English accents around I learned to associate them with their appropriate counties etc, but in the case of the US, my 'education' came from TV and movies.

I've obviously had a lot of misconceptions to clear up as result of that.

:)

[Akhenaten]

Can I ask a big favour, Cobbers, and Cobberettes?


There's this thread in Community, called 'teh Pith Poll' and I was just kinda wondering . . . well . . . you know. :)


If you vote for me, I'll post a nice big picture of your favourite subject and host it for a year.

[gumboot]

When did the split between the words Holiday (Used in the UK) and Vacation (US) occur?

Until the 16th Century "Holiday" was "Holy Day", but a century earlier "Vacation" was being used to describe "freedom or release" from an activity or occupation.

Holiday derives from Old English and Vacation derives from Latin through Old French.

It wasn't until the late 19th Century that "Vacation" began to be used as "Holiday" (in the modern sense) in the USA.



I'm also interested in the split and origin of other US-UK words describing the same thing, like 'Nappies' and 'Diapers' (Both have an ambigous origin),

The origin of Diaper is pretty easy to explain - it originally referred to a type of cloth, and just happened to be the type of cloth that the early diapers were made of. Much the same thing happened with "doiley".

Nappy is indeed ambiguous, and one suggestion is it's a shortened version of "napkin" however I think there's an alternative; "nappy" as an adjective dates back to the late 15th Century and means "downy". The soft cotton used for diapers fits this description quite well.


'Pavement' and 'Sidewalk' (Pavement seems to have a more ambigous origin, wheras sidewalk seems obvious)

Pavement's very old, dating from the late 13th century, and like vacation, derived from Latin via Old French. Originally it meant "beaten floor".



and 'wanker' and 'dickhead' (Less so these last two).

These on the other hand are both quite new. "Wanker" first appeared in the 1940s, as "masturbator" and was used as a general insult only as recently as the 1970s. "Dickhead" being self explanatory, appeared in the late 1960s.

"Dick" itself, as slang for the penis, is British Army slang from the late 19th Century.

[zooterkin]

Nappy is indeed ambiguous, and one suggestion is it's a shortened version of "napkin" however I think there's an alternative; "nappy" as an adjective dates back to the late 15th Century and means "downy". The soft cotton used for diapers fits this description quite well.


Well, an old-style cloth nappy is very similar to a table napkin; just a folded piece of cloth (and given that 'table napkin' is qualified, the implication is that a napkin is something more general; my OED is at home, so I can't check that now). I also know people (in their 70s) who still refer to them as napkins, so I wasn't aware there was doubt about that deriviation.

[Aitch]

My Oxford English Reference Dictionary gives the 'abbreviation of napkin' derivation. If I could remember where I put my copy of the Shorter, I could double check.

[Lucian]

My Oxford English Reference Dictionary gives the 'abbreviation of napkin' derivation. If I could remember where I put my copy of the Shorter, I could double check.

The unabridged OED says the same.

[gumboot]

Well, an old-style cloth nappy is very similar to a table napkin; just a folded piece of cloth (and given that 'table napkin' is qualified, the implication is that a napkin is something more general; my OED is at home, so I can't check that now).


Napkin dates back to 1420 and is a merger of "nappe" meaning tablecloth in Old French, and "kin" meaning "little" in Middle English. So it would appear that Napkin has always meant "little tablecloth".


I also know people (in their 70s) who still refer to them as napkins, so I wasn't aware there was doubt about that deriviation.

Well from your points and the comments of others, it appears it's pretty much settled. Abbreviation of "napkin" it is. :)

[Aitch]

Well from your points and the comments of others, it appears it's pretty much settled. Abbreviation of "napkin" it is. :)

Unless... it's a conspiracy by the compilers of the OED to destroy the English language prior to, er... <insert something to do with Masons, the Illuminati, Mossad and lizard people here>.

[zooterkin]

Unless... it's a conspiracy by the compilers of the OED to destroy the English language prior to, er... <insert something to do with Masons, the Illuminati, Mossad and lizard people here>.

You forgot the (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?postid=4247667#post4247667) Jews (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?postid=4245472#post4245472)...

[Aitch]

You forgot the (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?postid=4247667#post4247667) Jews (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?postid=4245472#post4245472)...

Damn! Does that mean I have to do the training course again? :covereyes

[gumboot]

Damn! Does that mean I have to do the training course again? :covereyes

You'll be recalled for re-cloning and destruction. Your clone will be uploaded with a non-buggy version of the software. Sorry.

[arthwollipot]

In Australia, it's always a nappy, and never a diaper.

I was actually under the impression that "diaper" was a brand name that had been coopted for general use. Like Hoover, or Xerox. Clearly I was wrong about that. :)

[Akhenaten]

Like Hoover, or Xerox. Clearly I was wrong about that. :)





Just make sure that you don't get sucked in and duplicate your mistake.

[Lolly]

Oh, I think we're going to have to ask the admins about finding a huge groan smiley for us, after all:D.

[Akhenaten]

It was pretty bad, eh, but I couldn't resist a double-whammy.

I could actually hear the groans coming from near and far as soon as I clicked the submit button.


Mwahahahahah!

[Lolly]

Reminds me of a thing they used to do to us when we were kids. "Haven't seen you for ears and ears (grabs your ear, wiggles it), but I still nose ya! (grabs your nose, wiggles it)" Absolutely hilarious. Not. :)

[Akhenaten]

Yeah, I remember similar delights, such as "Am I boring you?" accompanied by a thumb being driven into your upper arm or "Am I getting on your nerves?" to go with a flick to the schnozz.

It was really nice that I ended up outgrowing some of those little chums of mine and their behaviour improved heaps.