Vacation and Holiday, and other US-UK phrases

[Undesired Walrus]

When did the split between the words Holiday (Used in the UK) and Vacation (US) occur? Did the word 'Vacation' occur in the US? From who?

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), 'Pavement' and 'Sidewalk' (Pavement seems to have a more ambigous origin, wheras sidewalk seems obvious), and 'wanker' and 'dickhead' (Less so these last two).

[Retrograde]

My guess is sometime after the American Revolution. Note that most of the different words refer to things invented relatively recently, so different words ended up being used on the two sides of the Atlantic. The British seem to go in more for making brand names into common nouns (tarmac, tannoy, hoover) than Americans. My guess on pavement/sidewalks: in many parts of the US, especially the West, sidewalks were made of planks rather than paved.

What I don't understand, though, is why both countries have the same linear and weight measurements - feet, yards, miles, pounds, ounces, etc. - but the volumetric measurements are different sizes: a British quart is bigger than a US one. Why agree on some "English" units but not others?

[Hokulele]

What I don't understand, though, is why both countries have the same linear and weight measurements - feet, yards, miles, pounds, ounces, etc. - but the volumetric measurements are different sizes: a British quart is bigger than a US one. Why agree on some "English" units but not others?


Measurement units were not standardized until the early 1800's and there was divergence between the two systems after the Revolutionary War. Just to make life even more interesting, surveyors use a different definition of a foot than the standard (often called International) foot.

[themusicteacher]

Measurement units were not standardized until the early 1800's and there was divergence between the two systems after the Revolutionary War. Just to make life even more interesting, surveyors use a different definition of a foot than the standard (often called International) foot.

And, of course, irrationality rules the day when anyone calls for standardization. As if changing to a uniform measurement system would lead to countries giving over their soveriegnty. While the change would take time, it would not be the end of the world and would make many things much easier.

It also goes along with spelling. "Color" vs. "colour" and such. Americans can be such wankers when it comes to this sort of stuff...

[Gord_in_Toronto]

And, of course, irrationality rules the day when anyone calls for standardization. As if changing to a uniform measurement system would lead to countries giving over their soveriegnty. While the change would take time, it would not be the end of the world and would make many things much easier.

It also goes along with spelling. "Color" vs. "colour" and such. Americans can be such wankers when it comes to this sort of stuff...

You have no clew!

We, the speakers and writers of the Queen's English, seem to have won this one. "Clew" used to grate on my eyes when I read mystery novels printed before 1950 but "clue" now seems to rule.

In Canada we use a mishmash of UK and US spellings. Mostly tilted towards the UK versions.

[Thunder]

When did the split between the words Holiday (Used in the UK) and Vacation (US) occur? Did the word 'Vacation' occur in the US? From who?

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), 'Pavement' and 'Sidewalk' (Pavement seems to have a more ambigous origin, wheras sidewalk seems obvious), and 'wanker' and 'dickhead' (Less so these last two).

-wanker and dickhead do not mean the same thing.

-as far as engineers and the construction industry is concerned, the correct word is pavement. :D

there are great websites that talk about how American English and British English split apart, evolved, and adopted one another's new words.

[gtc]

-wanker and dickhead do not mean the same thing.


Technically they mean different things. However, in common usage they seem to convey the same sentiment.

[Hokulele]

Americans can be such wankers when it comes to this sort of stuff...


Please find a smaller brush, I would love to switch to metric. If you think feet/inches/yards/miles are irritating, throw some furlongs/chains/rods/links into the mix. Going through old surveying documents is a surefire way to get brain cramps.

[Lucian]

On a side note, it seems to me that recently I've been starting to hear American terms in British television/films, like "Santa Claus" instead of "Father Christmas," possibly even "vacation." And I just want to say: Stop it English people, stop it! Resist us. RESIST.

[GlennB]

Cars are a rich source -- hood/bonnet, bumper/fender, boot/trunk

But different useage of the same word can be confusing, and 'momentarily' is a weird one. In the UK it means for a moment, in the US it seems to mean in a moment. "I'll be there momentarily" would leave Brits wondering why you are in such a big hurry to leave ;)

[Madouc]

"Fanny pack" - hee

[Mojo]

But different useage of the same word can be confusing, and 'momentarily' is a weird one. In the UK it means for a moment, in the US it seems to mean in a moment. "I'll be there momentarily" would leave Brits wondering why you are in such a big hurry to leave ;)


"Bring" seems to be another one. In UK usage, it would imply that the object or person is to be brought to where the speaker is, in the US it is entirely possible that it is to be taken from where the speaker is to somewhere else entirely.

But there are plenty of non-standard usages within the UK as well, for example in North-East England "lend" means "borrow" and "learn" means "teach".

[Undesired Walrus]

Anti-Clockwise is said to leave the Americans with their Counter-Clockwise befuddled, vice versa.

Where did the split in Math and Maths come from?

[Professor Yaffle]

Often, both words (or the roots of both words) were used in UK English in the past. One version was carried to the US, while that same version died out in the UK with the other one becoming common. I am thinking particularly of fall/autumn, but there are lots of examples. I'm reading this book which mentions a few words and saying that follow this pattern:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Port-Out-Starboard-Home-Language/dp/0140515348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251361193&sr=1-1

I'll see if I can find some interesting ones later.

[Retrograde]

For some reason (like, they were free) I recently read a number of books written by non-American authors but set in the US. In addition to getting details like radio and TV call letters wrong (they start with W east of the Mississippi, K west of it, a few historical exceptions aside: not R even though it fits your word play better) they always seem to have a scene where a character has to go "to hospital", not "to the hospital" like a normal person from those parts would say. That's the one that always jars me out of my hard-won suspension of disbelief. Whence the dislike of articles?

The UK jumper for US pullover or just plain sweater is another term I find baffling, as is the habit of referring to everything as brilliant. Anglophones aren't the only ones who do this, though: I have an old copy of a French language guide to Canada that has a French/Quebecois glossary in it. And Spanish has as many variants as there are countries in which it's spoken, at least.

[Z]

I don't know if it was the influence of some British people in my childhood, or early exposure to some foreign television, but I've had (ignorant) people accuse me of being at least Canadian before. I don't really recognise much difference between most of these terms, and I've used some forms of English spelling (armour, colour, theatre) all my life.

I baffled a schoomate when I mentioned being 'on holiday to Carlsbad' once... it never really occured to me that 'holiday' and 'vacation' weren't interchangeable to Americans (though it DID occur to me to be strange that we have 'national holidays' where we don't go anywhere).

Some terms, though, sound odd to me - like the various car parts, or referring to cookies as 'biscuits' (No ma'am, biscuits are what you sop up your gravy and drippings with). But we had pudding after dinner (and it wasn't always sweet), even if 'pudding' was 'cake'.

As I look back, though, I have to say, some of those usages were downright bizarre, coming from the mouths of deep-country hicks, born in the southwest, and living in central Florida (Redneck Country - ma, they's a gater in th'outhouse 'gain!)...

I do clearly and oddly recall my father one summer telling me, in his deep, slow Texan drawl, that 'we'll leave fer holiday, son, after you clean out the boot of all yer junk over yonder.'

Now that I think of it, dad did have an English grandmother... maybe that somehow contributed to his odd way of phrasing things?

[Aurelian]

Fag & Cigarette are a bit disconnected.

[geni]

The UK jumper for US pullover or just plain sweater is another term I find baffling, as is the habit of referring to everything as brilliant. Anglophones aren't the only ones who do this, though: I have an old copy of a French language guide to Canada that has a French/Quebecois glossary in it. And Spanish has as many variants as there are countries in which it's spoken, at least.

Heh on the other hand if you pay much attention to the politics of the balkans say it may seem rather odd that americans and brits are prepared for the most part to accept that they speak the same language.

[Careyp74]

"Bring" seems to be another one. In UK usage, it would imply that the object or person is to be brought to where the speaker is, in the US it is entirely possible that it is to be taken from where the speaker is to somewhere else entirely.

But there are plenty of non-standard usages within the UK as well, for example in North-East England "lend" means "borrow" and "learn" means "teach".

I think "bring" has always meant to have something accompany you. So weather you are told to bring something away from or to a speaker, it is correct as long as your location is the same as the object.

When phrases get shortened, as they commonly do in the US, terms start to get confusing. I think in the beginning, people would say "bring that along with you to another place" now it is "bring that to another place" where it sounds much better to say "take that to another place"

[oldhat]

Where did the split in Math and Maths come from?

My stepmom has a cousin who's a schoolmaster in Scotland. He said the split came from the English shortening mathematics to maths, while Americans just lopped off the second half of the word to math.

I found myself on the wrong story floor in apartment buildings several times whilst while on holiday vacation in London. I didn't know that what Americans call the 2nd floor is what they consider the 1st in the UK. :confused:

[Jeff Corey]

I found myself on the wrong story floor in apartment buildings several times whilst while on holiday vacation in London. I didn't know that what Americans call the 2nd floor is what they consider the 1st in the UK. :confused:

Probably from the French. The second floor is "le premier etage".

[GlennB]

I think "bring" has always meant to have something accompany you. So weather you are told to bring something away from or to a speaker, it is correct as long as your location is the same as the object.

When phrases get shortened, as they commonly do in the US, terms start to get confusing. I think in the beginning, people would say "bring that along with you to another place" now it is "bring that to another place" where it sounds much better to say "take that to another place"

Yes. Bring from, but take to.
Fetch, on the other hand, means go there and bring, like a dog going over there to retrieve the stick (apart from my dog, who thinks the stick was thrown there so he could go over and eat it).

I'm pretty sure that's all clear now :)

[zooterkin]

"Table" is another difference, in the sense of tabling a motion. In the UK, this means it's something you will be discussing. In the US, it means that you've decided not to.

[GlennB]

But there are plenty of non-standard usages within the UK as well, for example in North-East England "lend" means "borrow" and "learn" means "teach".

In Yorkshire (or parts of it) the word while can cause confusion, as it also means until, sometimes.

They built a new swing-bridge up near Hull/Beverley way, with a sign that said "Stop while warning lights flash", or something similar. Meaning, don't go when the lights flash. Local people waited until the lights flashed, at which point the bridge wasn't there any more ;) Fortunately the barriers had come down by now.

[Darat]

That's just Yorkshire folk for you:

Yorkshire Born, Yorkshire Bred, Strong in't arm and thick in't head

[Thunder]

Cars are a rich source -- hood/bonnet, bumper/fender, boot/trunk

But different useage of the same word can be confusing, and 'momentarily' is a weird one. In the UK it means for a moment, in the US it seems to mean in a moment. "I'll be there momentarily" would leave Brits wondering why you are in such a big hurry to leave ;)

Well, in NY, we call it a "fender-bender". And we have a street called "Centre" street.

:D

Check out this website. Those of us in the Northeast will recognize a few more terms then other Americans.

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/features/dictionary.html

[oggiesnr]

In Yorkshire (or parts of it) the word while can cause confusion, as it also means until, sometimes.

They built a new swing-bridge up near Hull/Beverley way, with a sign that said "Stop while warning lights flash", or something similar. Meaning, don't go when the lights flash. Local people waited until the lights flashed, at which point the bridge wasn't there any more ;) Fortunately the barriers had come down by now.

As I live near that bridge I can confirm that that's just an old wives tale told to persuade folks that 'Ullites are as thick as two short planks! The truth is that 'Ull is so boring we just wanted the excitement of seeing the lights flash :)

Steve

[Delscottio]

But there are plenty of non-standard usages within the UK as well, for example in North-East England "lend" means "borrow" and "learn" means "teach".

Sorry but utter b*llocks, some people may get them mixed up but after working all over the country, no more than any other working class area.

[Z]

My stepmom has a cousin who's a schoolmaster in Scotland. He said the split came from the English shortening mathematics to maths, while Americans just lopped off the second half of the word to math.

I found myself on the wrong story floor in apartment buildings several times whilst while on holiday vacation in London. I didn't know that what Americans call the 2nd floor is what they consider the 1st in the UK. :confused:

It's actually inconsistant here Sometimes the bottom floor is Ground, sometimes it's 1; sometimes the floor above Ground is 2; and, worse still, some large buildings have floors below ground - or half-below ground (as in, one side build on a hill, other side quite a bit lower)...

Imagine how weird it is to walk into the ground level of a building and find out you're on the fourth floor!

[BTMO]

Fag & Cigarette are a bit disconnected.

Why?

You smoke both...


(ETA: I don't mean you personally, btw! Curse this language!)

[Piscivore]

Please find a smaller brush, I would love to switch to metric.

My car and my tools are (mostly) metric.

[Gord_in_Toronto]

OK. Here's one for the all of us.

Is a "citation" a good or bad thing to get?

In the US it's what a cop gives you when he stops you for a driving infraction.

In Canada it's a certificate you get if you have done something special. Example here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/backgrounders/2009/2009-02-27.asp

[Marcus]

It also goes along with spelling. "Color" vs. "colour" and such. Americans can be such wankers when it comes to this sort of stuff...
Quite the opposite. British spellings are rife with superfulous letters (which are not pronounced). It seems to be a holdover from older forms of English when many of the extra letters were pronounced.

[Undesired Walrus]

I found myself on the wrong story floor in apartment buildings flats several times whilst while on holiday vacation in London. I didn't know that what Americans call the 2nd floor is what they consider the 1st in the UK. :confused:

Fixed.

Is 'full stop' used in the US alongside 'period'? Or is the former just a UK thing?

[oldhat]

Fixed.

Is 'full stop' used in the US alongside 'period'? Or is the former just a UK thing?

We never call it full stop.

[oldhat]

OK. Here's one for the all of us.

Is a "citation" a good or bad thing to get?

In the US it's what a cop gives you when he stops you for a driving infraction.

In Canada it's a certificate you get if you have done something special. Example here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/backgrounders/2009/2009-02-27.asp

Never thought of that, but citation can go either way. A "citation" generally has negative connotation but police, firemen and members of the military are given "special citations" all the time.

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Never thought of that, but citation can go either way. A "citation" generally has negative connotation but police, firemen and members of the military are given "special citations" all the time.

Curious, eh? ;)

[Fitter]

Quite the opposite. British spellings are rife with superfulous letters (which are not pronounced). It seems to be a holdover from older forms of English when many of the extra letters were pronounced.

Like Arkansa?

[Pope130]

The one I keep tripping over when reading is: "review" and "revise". In the US a student will review material, in England she would revise. In the US to revise a book would be to change the content for a new edition.

Technical language seems to be much less of a problem.

Robert

P.S. There also seems to be a problem with the word "coffee". Clearly the word refers to a different beverage in England.

[Z]

I think the real problem is that, here in the USA, we'll use whatever word comes to hand. A residence can be an apartment, a flat, a casa, a pad, or whatever word pops out. We might go to the bathroom, the restroom, the potty, the pot, the WC, the head, the latrine, the s()thouse, the powder room, the personal, the cuarto de bano, the toilet, the john, the porcelain goddess... you name it.

I'm not quite as interested in what individual names differ between the US and the UK, as I am for how many names for things each country has. Like soda/cola/pop/coke/fizzy/soft drink/bubbly/etc. What terms in the UK stand out as having an awful lot of equivalent terms?

And we definitely have our share of misused terms - like the bring/take, learn/teach, and related issues. And if anyone wants to 'axe' me a question one more time, so help me...!

[themusicteacher]

Quite the opposite. British spellings are rife with superfulous letters (which are not pronounced). It seems to be a holdover from older forms of English when many of the extra letters were pronounced.

As are many words in the English language. If you think we've excised all the superfluous letters, try should (would, could) or any word that ends in the letter 'e'. If we're going to be persnickety about it, we should be using phonetics to spell but that just ain't gonna' happen.

[Lucian]

I think the real problem is that, here in the USA, we'll use whatever word comes to hand. A residence can be an apartment, a flat, a casa, a pad, or whatever word pops out. We might go to the bathroom, the restroom, the potty, the pot, the WC, the head, the latrine, the s()thouse, the powder room, the personal, the cuarto de bano, the toilet, the john, the porcelain goddess... you name it.

I'm not quite as interested in what individual names differ between the US and the UK, as I am for how many names for things each country has. Like soda/cola/pop/coke/fizzy/soft drink/bubbly/etc. What terms in the UK stand out as having an awful lot of equivalent terms?

And we definitely have our share of misused terms - like the bring/take, learn/teach, and related issues. And if anyone wants to 'axe' me a question one more time, so help me...!

In Old English, "axian" meant "to ask." It metathesized to "ask," and in some dialects has metathesized back.

[supercorgi]

I'm not quite as interested in what individual names differ between the US and the UK, as I am for how many names for things each country has. Like soda/cola/pop/coke/fizzy/soft drink/bubbly/etc. What terms in the UK stand out as having an awful lot of equivalent terms?

Even in different areas of the US we have wildly different words. For example, a sandwich made on a long roll can be called a sub, a grinder, a po-boy, a hogie, and others I'm sure I can't remember.

[arthwollipot]

Don't know about the UK, but here in Australia, the toilet is usually (though not always) in a different room from the bath. So we don't "go to the bathroom", we "go to the toilet" or some other euphemism, like "loo".

[Thunder]

I know some folks in the USA don't put their dishes away after washing them. They "save" the dishes. How about you folks in the UK, Oz, and Canada?

[aofl]

Like Arkansa?

Don't go there, unless you're willing to explain "Cholmondeley".

A

[gtc]

I know some folks in the USA don't put their dishes away after washing them. They "save" the dishes. How about you folks in the UK, Oz, and Canada?

I try to let them sit in the drainer! However, in Australia I sometimes have to 'put them away' or possible even 'stack them'.

My Irish grandfather would rather stop on his chair for a while than stack dishes.

[Ryokan]

Heh on the other hand if you pay much attention to the politics of the balkans say it may seem rather odd that americans and brits are prepared for the most part to accept that they speak the same language.

When I was in the NATO-forces in Bosnia, I was once almost physically attacked by a middle-aged woman.

She had overheard me saying the word Serbo-Croatian. She yelled at me that the language is called Croatian-Serb!

[Delscottio]

I'm not quite as interested in what individual names differ between the US and the UK, as I am for how many names for things each country has. Like soda/cola/pop/coke/fizzy/soft drink/bubbly/etc. What terms in the UK stand out as having an awful lot of equivalent terms?



Penis or vagina, if we tried to list all the alternatives used we'd be here a while!

[Comrade Raptor]

One of the more interesting ones is the wholly different usage of "table".

In British/Canadian English, to "table" something is to offer it up for discussion and review.

In American English, it's to put it away and forget about it.


I think during the Casablanca Conference this difference resulted in a heated argument when the Americans wanted to discuss a matter and the British suggested it was a good idea to "table it"...

[arthwollipot]

Penis or vagina, if we tried to list all the alternatives used we'd be here a while!I'm not sure all of those are regional.

Well, except maybe for "todger".

[quixotecoyote]

I'm not sure all of those are regional.

Well, except maybe for "todger".


I heard someone mention getting a "hot toddy" and I wasn't sure if he was off to eat something or **** something.

[arthwollipot]

I heard someone mention getting a "hot toddy" and I wasn't sure if he was off to eat something or **** something.No, a hot toddy is simply a hot alcoholic drink, as a nightcap.

[Oliver]

Football vs Soccer

[zooterkin]

One of the more interesting ones is the wholly different usage of "table".


Indeed. That's why I mentioned it on page 1. ;)

Football vs Soccer

More of a class thing in the UK; although "soccer" is now viewed as an Americanism by a lot of people, the word originated in public schools (there's another one, in the UK that means fee-paying schools, in the US it means state-funded), to distinguish Association Football from Rugby Football (rugger).

[arthwollipot]

Indeed. That's why I mentioned it on page 1. ;)



More of a class thing in the UK; although "soccer" is now viewed as an Americanism by a lot of people, the word originated in public schools (there's another one, in the UK that means fee-paying schools, in the US it means state-funded), to distinguish Association Football from Rugby Football (rugger).In Australia we have at least four codes of football that compete for the use of the word. We have Rugby League, Rugby Union, Australian Rules Football, and Soccer. Not sure why any of those deserve Capitals, but whatever. All of them are called "football". The word "football" describes a class of team sports of which the aforementioned four are members.

As far as I know, "footy" (usually pronounced "foody") pretty much exclusively refers to Australian Rules Football, especially south of the border.

ETA: We also sometimes have "American Football" or "Gridiron" but it isn't nearly as popular.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

But there are plenty of non-standard usages within the UK as well, for example in North-East England "lend" means "borrow" and "learn" means "teach".

Sorry but utter b*llocks, some people may get them mixed up but after working all over the country, no more than any other working class area.

Sorry, saying it's b*llocks is b*llocks, except it's the North West rather than North East, and it's not confusion, "learn" is a synonym for "teach" in that dialect

[UNLoVedRebel]

Do they use the word blumkin in the U.K.?

[Undesired Walrus]

Don't know about the UK, but here in Australia, the toilet is usually (though not always) in a different room from the bath. So we don't "go to the bathroom", we "go to the toilet" or some other euphemism, like "loo".

Lav, loo, bog, john, hardly ever bathroom, restroom etc.

[Delscottio]

Do they use the word blumkin in the U.K.?


Not that i've heard of. We sometime use blinking as in: blinking heck! what did you do that for?

[Undesired Walrus]

Not that i've heard of. We sometime use blinking as in: blinking heck! what did you do that for?

We do? Never heard that used. Where are you from?

I'd say the equivilent of such an expression (For me) is always something like bloody hell, *********** hell, bugger, bollocks etc.

[Delscottio]

We do? Never heard that used. Where are you from?

I'd say the equivilent of such an expression (For me) is always something like bloody hell, *********** hell, bugger, bollocks etc.


Newcastle, not an extensively used phrase but not unusual. Can be used with heck or hell. I only used it when my mother would tell me off for using "stronger" language :blush:

[Delscottio]

Sorry, saying it's b*llocks is b*llocks, except it's the North West rather than North East, and it's not confusion, "learn" is a synonym for "teach" in that dialect


Maybe in the North West (I assume you mean the Lakes) but not in the North East - my b*llocks were perfectly valid and called for ;)

[BTMO]

OK. Here's one for the all of us.

Is a "citation" a good or bad thing to get?

In the US it's what a cop gives you when he stops you for a driving infraction.

In Canada it's a certificate you get if you have done something special. Example here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/backgrounders/2009/2009-02-27.asp

Similarly... what does the word "cleave" mean?

Ok, admittedly one of the uses is a little archaic these days, but still...!

:bgrin:

[Shrike]

Not quite on topic, but I've noticed Americans using 'the house' in stead of home.
As in, I was driving to the house (I was driving home).
See this (partial) post by Roadtoad, highlights mine.

The week's been an ugly one. Loads have been scheduled on loads, and they were almost all short miles. After two weeks out, I was more than ready to get home.

I had been assigned a new rig, a Freightliner Columbia, and I was bringing it to the house to install some gear, including a CB. I'd been fighting with this thing from the moment I took the wheel, so I was already in a bad mood. It's in no better shape than my old Pete, but at least I didn't have half the electrical problems in that one that this Freightshaker has. The current problem is with the cruise control, but that's only one maintenance issue.

I exited I-80, headed north on Watt Avenue, heading towards the house, driving past what was once the Regency Theater, one of the last of the X Rated theaters in Sacramento. The site now boasts a brand new Golden Corral Buffet, and a sign out front declared they were having a grand opening this week. I called Peggy, let her know that we were going out to dinner this evening.

I've noticed it on tv as well.
Where does this come from? Is this just regional or, well, normal use?

[Mojo]

Maybe in the North West (I assume you mean the Lakes) but not in the North East - my b*llocks were perfectly valid and called for ;)


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Larn-Yersel-Geordie-Scott-Dobson/dp/0946928010 ;)

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Do they use the word blumkin in the U.K.?

Not that i've heard of. We sometime use blinking as in: blinking heck! what did you do that for?

We do? Never heard that used. Where are you from?

I'd say the equivilent of such an expression (For me) is always something like bloody hell, *********** hell, bugger, bollocks etc.

I'm not quite sure what you mean.. blumpkin (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blumpkin) spelled with a 'p' in it is used, albeit infrequently (warning link NSFW):D

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Maybe in the North West (I assume you mean the Lakes) but not in the North East - my b*llocks were perfectly valid and called for ;)

If your b*llocks were only referring to the location, then they were valid, I thought when you said you had worked all over that you meant it was never used.

Anyway, I'm happy, I've learned someone summat today;)

[Jeff Corey]

Then there's roundabouts vs. traffic circles or rotaries. The first time I drove in Ireland, out of the Dublin airport, it took me one and a half times around to exit the roundaboutabout.

[Pope130]

Not quite on topic, but I've noticed Americans using 'the house' in stead of home.

It's in common usage in the US. Normally the distinction seems to be that "house" refers to the structure, usually a conventional detached one family dwelling. "Home" is your domicile, regardless of it's type. You could "make your home" in a house, apartment, mobile home or even a cave. Home also tends to refer to the complete milieu, not just the building.

This is somewhat confused by upscale Realtors, some of whom insist on referring to houses as homes (and apartments as rental condominiums). There is also the expression "In the house", which means a person (or group) is present and ready for action.

Robert

[Small Town Jesus]

Pants.

In the UK pants are knickers while in the US pants are trousers.

At school we would often laugh at Superman or other comic book heroes for wearing their pants over their trousers.

[Marcus]

Pants.

In the UK pants are knickers while in the US pants are trousers.

At school we would often laugh at Superman or other comic book heroes for wearing their pants over their trousers.
I was aware that underwear over there is called knickers, I didn't know about the pants thing. Does this mean that even women's pants are trousers?. Short pants are short trousers? Hot pants are hot trousers? What do you call pants that end just below the knee, what here are called knickers? Just curious.

[Darat]

Pants can also mean trousers... knickers is usually only used to refer to a woman's underwear, a bloke's underwear would usually be called underpants. But usage changes all the time and I'd say "pants" has become more common for both underwear of women and men.

[Fiona]

Womens pants are indeed trousers. Shorts are shorts but if they were referred to fully they would indeed be short trousers. Hot pants are an exception for some reason and I am not sure about trousers which end just below the knee: it is possible they are called peddle pushers? Someone else may know more.

[Aitch]

Don't go there, unless you're willing to explain "Cholmondeley".

A



That's quite simple, like Featherstonehaugh, it's a class shibboleth. Anyone who pronounces your name (if it's one of them) correctly is obviously of a high enough class to 'earn' your respect. Anyone who doesn't is a pleb and can be safely despised.

Until the last century, that is. IIRC.

[wollery]

Fag & Cigarette are a bit disconnected.In the UK it's perfectly acceptable to walk up to a smoker and say, "Can I bum one of yer fags?"

In the US it's likely to get you a smack in the face (at least).

[Comrade Raptor]

Indeed. That's why I mentioned it on page 1. ;)





That's what I get for going on the internet before I've had my first cup of coffee for the day.

Well, at least I wasn't shopping. ("Hey look, this widget is only $10.00, what a bargain!" $1000 later and fully awake, maybe not so much.)

:p

[themusicteacher]

When I was in the NATO-forces in Bosnia, I was once almost physically attacked by a middle-aged woman.

She had overheard me saying the word Serbo-Croatian. She yelled at me that the language is called Croatian-Serb!

That's weird. I had a terrific piano accompanist in college who is from that part of the world and she specifically said that the language she speaks is "Serbo-Croatian." Maybe it depends on which one you identify with ethnically?

[ktesibios]

Technical language seems to be much less of a problem.



A few years ago I was working two jobs- one at a company that provided audio tech services to recording studios and radio stations and another at a recording studio. The former was founded and owned by two Englishmen, and most of the time I was the only Yank in the company.

I found I needed to use a different technical vocabulary at each job. So, during the day I would say "jack socket", "mains", "screen" and "earth" and then, during the drive from job 1 to job 2, switch back over to the normal american "phone jack", "line", "shield" and "ground". I still have a tendency to pronounce "processor" with a long "o"(although at least I don't install toggle switches upside-down any more).

P.S. There also seems to be a problem with the word "coffee". Clearly the word refers to a different beverage in England.

During WWII, US troops shipping to the UK as part of the buildup leading to the Normandy invasion were issued a booklet to help acquaint them with the society they would be encountering. It included the following gem of wisdom:

"The English don't know how to make a good cup of coffee. You don't know how to make a good cup of tea. It's an even trade."

[Lensman]

That's weird. I had a terrific piano accompanist in college who is from that part of the world and she specifically said that the language she speaks is "Serbo-Croatian." Maybe it depends on which one you identify with ethnically?

To anyone of mixed Welsh/Jugoslav ancestry (like me ;) ), it's actually "Serbo-Croat" not "Serbo-Croatian", just like the name for someone who hails from "Jugoslavia" is NOT a "Jugoslavian", but a "Jugoslav", someone from "Croatia" is a "Croat" not a "Croatian", someone from "Serbia" is a "Serb" not a "Serbian".

That's the way I "larned" it dammit.

[dafydd]

Sorry but utter b*llocks, some people may get them mixed up but after working all over the country, no more than any other working class area.

I beg to differ,in the South Wales valleys you learn somebody something.Never tell a girl in the USA that you'll knock her up in the morning.Ask for an eraser in a shop (store),not a rubber,or even worse,a pencil with a rubber on the end.

[dafydd]

Womens pants are indeed trousers. Shorts are shorts but if they were referred to fully they would indeed be short trousers. Hot pants are an exception for some reason and I am not sure about trousers which end just below the knee: it is possible they are called peddle pushers? Someone else may know more.

My Glaswegian mum used to call plus-fours '**** catchers'. (the missing word begins with an s)

[arthwollipot]

From the codpiece thread. Americans wear a piece of protective equipment known as a "cup". We call it a "box".

[dafydd]

Cars and autos
bonnet - hood
boot - trunk
car park - parking lot
car silencer - muffler
cats eyes reflectors
(embedded in road)
central reservation - median
clock - odometer
demister -defroster
- defogger
diversion - detour
drink-driving - drunk driving
driving licence - driver's license
dual carriageway - divided highway
dumper truck - dump truck
flat battery - dead battery
flyover - overpass
full lights - high beams
gear box - transmission
gear lever - gear shift
hire car -rental car
indicators - turn signals
lights dipped - low beams

[dafydd]

In Britain you run the bath,as opposed to filling the tub.

[Z]

In Britain you run the bath,as opposed to filling the tub.

Same in the southern part of the US. We always run the bath. 'Fill the tub', and you wind up with a sloppy wet floor.

And while we do call them 'low beams', the action is to 'dip your lights' (for example, when spotting on-coming traffic at night).

[7th sextile]

The one I keep tripping over when reading is: "review" and "revise". In the US a student will review material, in England she would revise. In the US to revise a book would be to change the content for a new edition.

Technical language seems to be much less of a problem.

Robert

P.S. There also seems to be a problem with the word "coffee". Clearly the word refers to a different beverage in England.

OMG- coffee is NOT a beverage in England -you spat it out,didn't you?

Two I must concede to the MC - "tortoise" and "aluminium".

[Elizabeth I]

Please find a smaller brush, I would love to switch to metric. If you think feet/inches/yards/miles are irritating, throw some furlongs/chains/rods/links into the mix. Going through old surveying documents is a surefire way to get brain cramps.

I think part of the problem - at least, I know part of my problem - with switching over to metric in the U.S. is the fact that we already have a mental image of how much a "foot," "yard," "quart," "cup," etc., is. With metric, I have to stop and think, "Okay, a liter is sort of the same as a quart," or "a kilo is about two pounds," and it seems less efficient. And I still can't remember whether a kilometer is longer or shorter than a mile.

And if you think old surveying documents in general are weird, you should read some of them in the southwestern U.S., which also incoporate the "vara," an old Spanish measure of length. (One meaning of the word is rod or pole. It is sometimes spelled bara or bar. In 1568 Phillip II made the prototype of the vara kept in Burgos the official standard for Spain and all its possessions; to distinguish this vara from the many others it is often referred to as the vara of Burgos. The square vara was an important land measure, and in some areas the vara itself became a unit of area.) (http://www.sizes.com/units/vara.htm)

On a side note, it seems to me that recently I've been starting to hear American terms in British television/films, like "Santa Claus" instead of "Father Christmas," possibly even "vacation." And I just want to say: Stop it English people, stop it! Resist us. RESIST.

I know - it really bothered me when the title of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was changed to Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone for U.S. publication, on the theory that U.S. audiences wouldn't understand "philosopher's stone." Well, excuse me, but I think reading, even enjoyable fiction, should teach you something, and besides, "philosopher's stone" is a phrase with a specific meaning that has been around for a long time.

P.S. There also seems to be a problem with the word "coffee". Clearly the word refers to a different beverage in England.

Also with the quantity associated with a "cup" of coffee - in the U.S. if you order a "cup of coffee," you get refills unless you ask the server to stop. In the U.K. (at least, on my visit), a "cup" of coffee was just that - A cup, one (1) - and no more - cup of coffee, and if I asked for a refill I got it (because the British are polite), but I also got a strange look.

However, you order a "cup of tea," and you get the entire teapot plus as much more hot water to keep it going as you want, no questions asked.



Don't go there, unless you're willing to explain "Cholmondeley".

A



And "Beauchamp." And "Thames."

In Britain you run the bath,as opposed to filling the tub.

I've noticed in British movies that you also "bath" (pronounced with a short a and soft th) the baby instead of "bathe" (long a and hard th). In the U.S., we "bathe," not "bath."

[wollery]

I've noticed in British movies that you also "bath" (pronounced with a short a and soft th) the baby instead of "bathe" (long a and hard th). In the U.S., we "bathe," not "bath."Oh, yes, that's a good one. In the UK to "bathe" means to go for a swim.

Hence, the clothes you wear to go swimming are referred to as bathing suits.

[UnrepentantSinner]

USian or other such permutations of words that don't exist to refer to Americans.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

In Britain you run the bath,as opposed to filling the tub.

Perhaps you do in your working class hovel, once you've emptied the coal out. In the better class of home one draws a bath.

[zooterkin]

Perhaps you do in your working class hovel, once you've emptied the coal out. In the better class of home one draws a bath.

Actually, one's man does it for one.

[Fiona]

I noticed one today in chat: faucet was used for tap. Is that usual?

[Elizabeth I]

I noticed one today in chat: faucet was used for tap. Is that usual?

You hear both - people will say, "That faucet is dripping," but speak of "tap water" (as opposed to bottled.)

[arthwollipot]

I have always been of the impression that Americans called taps faucets.

[Pope130]

I have always been of the impression that Americans called taps faucets.

Could go either way for water, although faucet is more common, fixture and spigot are also used. Beer on the other hand is tapped.

Robert

[Z]

I have always been of the impression that Americans called taps faucets.

I've heard both; faucet is a bit more common, because 'tap' reminds us of beer, I suppose. If the faucet is outside, it is also called a spigot.

ETA: Beaten by the Pope! Argh!

[wollery]

ETA: Beaten by the Pope! Argh!Now that's definitely a euphemism!

[NoZed Avenger]

I found myself on the wrong story floor in apartment buildings several times whilst while on holiday vacation in London. I didn't know that what Americans call the 2nd floor is what they consider the 1st in the UK. :confused:

Apartment buildings? Couldn't you find a block of flats anywhere?

[NoZed Avenger]

Torch vs. flashlight?

And you don't want to know about a friend's trip to England where her tourguide tried to knock her up.

[Gord_in_Toronto]

sweets vs candies?

(They are candies in Canada.)

[Z]

They are candies AND sweets down here in the US, though 'sweets' often also refer to pies, ice cream, cookies, brownies, cakes, and any other 'sweet' treat.

[BTMO]

And you don't want to know about a friend's trip to England where her tourguide tried to knock her up.

He took a butchers, thought she was a corker and tried for a bit of the old 'ow's your father, eh?

[arthwollipot]

They are candies AND sweets down here in the US, though 'sweets' often also refer to pies, ice cream, cookies, brownies, cakes, and any other 'sweet' treat.Are you talking about lollies?

[zooterkin]

Are you talking about lollies?

Only if they are on sticks.

[arthwollipot]

Only if they are on sticks.Oh, you mean paddle pops!

[Gord_in_Toronto]

They are candies AND sweets down here in the US, though 'sweets' often also refer to pies, ice cream, cookies, brownies, cakes, and any other 'sweet' treat.


There are bonnets and hoods in Canada, the USA and the UK. And? ;)

I'll give you a biscuit or would you like a cookie?

[Marcus]

Apartment buildings? Couldn't you find a block of flats anywhere?
Flats are women's shoes without heels, I don't think I've ever seen a whole block of them.:)

[Marcus]

Torch vs. flashlight?

And you don't want to know about a friend's trip to England where her tourguide tried to knock her up.
A torch would be a device sporting an open flame, hand held stick, welding torch, whatever. So if "torch" is applied to a flashlight, what would a torch be called?

[NoZed Avenger]

A torch would be a device sporting an open flame, hand held stick, welding torch, whatever. So if "torch" is applied to a flashlight, what would a torch be called?

Ask the Brits and their crazy moon-language; it's all crazy talk.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

A torch would be a device sporting an open flame, hand held stick, welding torch, whatever. So if "torch" is applied to a flashlight, what would a torch be called?

A torch obviously, what else?

srsly, you'd use context e.g.
'The cat didn't come in last night so I had to go out looking for it with a torch' is obviously not a welding torch.

Or use an adjective e.g.
'There was a drunk guy running around the streets last night in his jocks waving a burning torch, must have thought he was a Viking'.
Clearly not a flashlight.

Simples

[Marcus]

A torch obviously, what else?


Who knows, I thought you might do your welding with a flashlight.

[Marcus]

'There was a drunk guy running around the streets last night in his jocks waving a torch
If he was British, it must have been a flashlight.:)

[Elizabeth I]

A torch obviously, what else?

srsly, you'd use context e.g.
'The cat didn't come in last night so I had to go out looking for it with a torch' is obviously not a welding torch.

Or use an adjective e.g.
'There was a drunk guy running around the streets last night in his jocks waving a burning torch, must have thought he was a Viking'.
Clearly not a flashlight.

Simples

Who knows? Maybe he thought he was a Jedi.

[666]

[...] I am not sure about trousers which end just below the knee: it is possible they are called peddle pushers? Someone else may know more.
We spell that pedal pushers round these parts. I don't know if yours was a typo but I think my spelling helps to explain the etymology.

[Retrograde]

"purse" and "handbag" caught me up on my first visit to the UK in the early 80s. I'm used to the US usage where they're interchangeable; the UKian I was talking to about a purse thought I meant what I'd call a coinpurse - a small container for small change you carry in your pocket or inside a larger purse.

[dafydd]

Perhaps you do in your working class hovel, once you've emptied the coal out. In the better class of home one draws a bath.

Ah wis born in Glesga,see me,A'm scum.

[dafydd]

Ask the Brits and their crazy moon-language; it's all crazy talk.

We invented it,and it's not our fault that Daniel Webster couldn't spell.

[Marcus]

We invented it,and it's not our fault that Daniel Webster couldn't spell.
"programme". Come on now, really. You might as well spell it "programmmeee.

[Thunder]

I like how Ulster folk pronounce Northern Ireland...."Nor'n Iron".

:)

Soda...or Pop?

You decide.

[Sun Countess]

Torch vs. flashlight?


Heh. I'd just moved to Canada when a neighbor (from Fiji) asked if I had a torch she could borrow. I was very perplexed to say the least, with visions of pitchforks and storming Frankenstein's castle. She got her torch from another neighbor, which I saw her using, and told her that if she'd just asked for a flashlight, she could have borrowed mine. I honestly had no clue.

Lift vs. elevator is another. Car park vs. parking lot. And I'm still not sure about the differences in the names of meals. When does one have supper in England?

Is chesterfield strictly a Canadian term, or is it used in England as well?

[wollery]

I'm still not sure about the differences in the names of meals. When does one have supper in England?Depends on which part of the country you're in. In the North supper is a small snack you eat just before going to bed. In the south it's the main evening meal.

Is chesterfield strictly a Canadian term, or is it used in England as well?It's descriptive of a specific type of sofa.

[zooterkin]

Soda...or Pop?

You decide.


You mean, "fizzy drink"? :)

[Retrograde]

You mean, "fizzy drink"?

Not, say, lemonade, which in the US is generally a non-fizzy drink made with lemon juice, sugar and water. I say generally because in the Bay Area Vietnamese immigrants have introduced lemonade made with lemons, sugar and soda water, but so far that's not widespread.

[arthwollipot]

A torch obviously, what else?

srsly, you'd use context e.g.
'The cat didn't come in last night so I had to go out looking for it with a torch' is obviously not a welding torch.

Or use an adjective e.g.
'There was a drunk guy running around the streets last night in his jocks waving a burning torch, must have thought he was a Viking'.
Clearly not a flashlight.

SimplesI remember the first time I ever played D&D (way back in about 1978) I said at one point "I shine my torch into the room."

What can I say? I was 8.

[fleabeetle]

As are many words in the English language. If you think we've excised all the superfluous letters, try should (would, could) or any word that ends in the letter 'e'. If we're going to be persnickety about it, we should be using phonetics to spell but that just ain't gonna' happen.

Having just discovered this thread -- cannot resist picking up on a particular word here, with a minor difference UK / US, which I have a personal "thing" about.

Here in the UK, the adjective concerned, is "pernickety", without the "s". I think this is basically a nice word, worth having and using; but for some unaccountable reason, I utterly hate the US form, with "s" -- it strikes me as prissy and silly beyond all description. I realise, cerebrally, that this is excessive and irrational prejudice, about something of no importance whatever -- and apologise accordingly -- but there it is.

[Elizabeth I]

I like how Ulster folk pronounce Northern Ireland...."Nor'n Iron".

:)

Soda...or Pop?

You decide.


In the southern U.S., they're pretty generally all "Cokes," regardless of actual flavor or brand, as in "You want to go get a Coke?"

[linusrichard]

Then there's roundabouts vs. traffic circles or rotaries. The first time I drove in Ireland, out of the Dublin airport, it took me one and a half times around to exit the roundaboutabout.
Also used: "Idiot circle." Etymology obvious.
Pants.

In the UK pants are knickers while in the US pants are trousers.
I have heard some Americans use the word "knickers" to refer to a specific type of undergarment, I'm not sure what, maybe pantalettes.
In Britain you run the bath,as opposed to filling the tub.
I usually draw a bath, but I feel kind of quaint when I say it, but it's feels more natural to me than "filling" or "running."
Two I must concede to the MC - "tortoise" and "aluminium".
Tortoise is used in the US.

Aluminum was the original name, and then it changed to aluminium, and then the US changed it back to aluminum. So, I think aluminum has the better pedigree.

Oh, yes, that's a good one. In the UK to "bathe" means to go for a swim.

Hence, the clothes you wear to go swimming are referred to as bathing suits.
I use "swimming suit" and "bathing suit" interchangeably.
sweets vs candies?

(They are candies in Canada.)
They are candies AND sweets down here in the US, though 'sweets' often also refer to pies, ice cream, cookies, brownies, cakes, and any other 'sweet' treat.
Yes, and I would add that, in my experience, "candy" is used as a collective noun, and the plural "candies" is not usually used. "Pieces of candy" would be natural. "Here is a basket of candy. Would you like a piece of candy? Take as much candy as you like."
In the southern U.S., they're pretty generally all "Cokes," regardless of actual flavor or brand, as in "You want to go get a Coke?"
Yes, and then to specify, you say "Coke coke," "Pepsi coke," "Mountain Dew coke," etc., right?


Also -
"Lego," in the US, refers to a Lego brick, and if you're playing with a set of them, you're playing with Legos. "I bought some Legos today! I stepped on a Lego and it hurt. Can I have some red Legos?" In the UK, Lego is a collective noun. "I bought some Lego today! I stepped on a Lego brick and it hurt. Can I have some red Lego?"

And -
Although I don't know if it fits the topic, but in the US, periods and commas are properly placed within quotation marks, while in the UK, the correct placement of full stops and commas in relation to quote marks is dictated by the logic of the sentence.

[Z]

Also used: "Idiot circle." Etymology obvious.

I've only heard it called 'circle' - or, for some reason, 'square'. Don't ask me.

I have heard some Americans use the word "knickers" to refer to a specific type of undergarment, I'm not sure what, maybe pantalettes.

It always seemed to be a priss term for 'underpants' - we just called 'em 'drawers'.

I usually draw a bath, but I feel kind of quaint when I say it, but it's feels more natural to me than "filling" or "running."

That always sounds prissy, usually said by quaint, older, possibly Engish aunts.

Tortoise is used in the US.

As opposed to what?

Aluminum was the original name, and then it changed to aluminium, and then the US changed it back to aluminum. So, I think aluminum has the better pedigree.

I learn something new every day. But then I forget two things a day...


I use "swimming suit" and "bathing suit" interchangeably.

We just say 'swimsuit'. I used to say 'bathing suit', but no one I knew seemed comfortable with it.

Yes, and I would add that, in my experience, "candy" is used as a collective noun, and the plural "candies" is not usually used. "Pieces of candy" would be natural. "Here is a basket of candy. Would you like a piece of candy? Take as much candy as you like."

Agreed. 'Candies' is a bit of an odd term - often refers to sweets as a class, but not in general use.

Yes, and then to specify, you say "Coke coke," "Pepsi coke," "Mountain Dew coke," etc., right?

No, we usually just say, 'Ya wanna coke?' 'Sure, gotta muntin do?', etc. Or, 'I got some cokes in here - looks like pepsi, ar-cee, and some root beer.'

Also -
"Lego," in the US, refers to a Lego brick, and if you're playing with a set of them, you're playing with Legos. "I bought some Legos today! I stepped on a Lego and it hurt. Can I have some red Legos?" In the UK, Lego is a collective noun. "I bought some Lego today! I stepped on a Lego brick and it hurt. Can I have some red Lego?"

Having played with LEGO my entire life - my parents started collecting it before I was born - and having lived in the south for most of that life - I think I've only ever heard a few kids ever call them legos. For us, it's always been LEGO (capitalized). "Wanna play with the LEGO?" "I bought some LEGO today." "I stepped on a LEGO brick and it hurt." and so forth. And they were never Legos - they were LEGO pieces, or LEGO toys, or LEGO sets...

What sets my teeth on edge are people who insist on referring to any interlocking block set as LEGO. "I bought you some LEGO today..." Hmmm... Mega-Bloks???? BOLLOCKS!

And -
Although I don't know if it fits the topic, but in the US, periods and commas are properly placed within quotation marks, while in the UK, the correct placement of full stops and commas in relation to quote marks is dictated by the logic of the sentence.

I'm having trouble with that myself, having been posting here a while. My English teacher had to correct several places where I put punctuation outside of quotations...

[Rogue1stclass]

They are candies AND sweets down here in the US, though 'sweets' often also refer to pies, ice cream, cookies, brownies, cakes, and any other 'sweet' treat.

We usually don't pluralize "candy" though. We wouldn't say "look at all of those candies" we'd say "look at all of that candy" or "look at all of those peices/types of candy".

Also...

"Man, I got so pissed last night."

"What happened?"

"I drank a lot of beer."

"What got you pissed?"

"The beer."

"Was it bad? Cost too much? What about the beer got you pissed?"

"The alcohol."

[Marcus]

Having just discovered this thread -- cannot resist picking up on a particular word here, with a minor difference UK / US, which I have a personal "thing" about.

Here in the UK, the adjective concerned, is "pernickety", without the "s". I think this is basically a nice word, worth having and using; but for some unaccountable reason, I utterly hate the US form, with "s" -- it strikes me as prissy and silly beyond all description. I realise, cerebrally, that this is excessive and irrational prejudice, about something of no importance whatever -- and apologise accordingly -- but there it is.
That's a new one, I've never heard "pernickety". I feel the same way about "soda" and "pop", it just irritates me. Silly, I know.

[Z]

We usually don't pluralize "candy" though. We wouldn't say "look at all of those candies" we'd say "look at all of that candy" or "look at all of those peices/types of candy".

Also...

"Man, I got so pissed last night."

"What happened?"

"I drank a lot of beer."

"What got you pissed?"

"The beer."

"Was it bad? Cost too much? What about the beer got you pissed?"

"The alcohol."

LOL!

Yes, yes. I've heard 'piss-drunk' all my life, but the first time I ever heard 'get pissed' used that way was when a Scottish-born fellow soldier invited us to get trashed... Hmm. Do Europeans use 'get trashed' that way?

Also, 'get s--- faced' and 'get wasted' - though, the latter is usually used to refer to the use of drugs, such as 'getting stoned' or 'getting blasted'...

'Pissed-off' for angry led to the rather popular phrase 'it is better to be pissed-off than pissed-on...'

Then, of course, there's the ever-present 'pissing contest' - which has nothing to do, AFAIK, with people competing about how much alcohol they can consume.

There's one I've heard only once, and I wasn't sure of its origin: 'pissing up my leg' - used much like 'pulling my leg', I think. Any ideas?

[Z]

That's a new one, I've never heard "pernickety". I feel the same way about "soda" and "pop", it just irritates me. Silly, I know.

'Persnickety' appears to pre-date 'pernickety', and both appear to be pre-dated by 'perjinkety'...

[arthwollipot]

As are many words in the English language. If you think we've excised all the superfluous letters, try should (would, could) or any word that ends in the letter 'e'. If we're going to be persnickety about it, we should be using phonetics to spell but that just ain't gonna' happen.The trailing 'e' has a purpose - to indicate that the final vowel is long.

Fat - Fate
Bed - Bede
Nit - Nite
Pot - Pote
Flood - Floode... no, wait...

[Aitch]

One thing I noticed recently is that on UK boards people 'fluff' to bring the post back up to the top, whereas on US boards they 'bump'.

But I'm working from a small sample, so I may be mistaken.

[Agatha]

When does one have supper in England? The names of meals (and their timings) can be a bit of class issue. Breakfast is just in the morning, but after that, what word you use is fraught with subtexts.

Lunch is the middle of the day, but some people call it dinner (especially if it's their main meal). Tea is late afternoon, and can mean a snack or a main meal.
Afternoon tea is strictly cups of tea with light sandwiches and/or cakes/scones. High tea is more of a workman's meal immediately after the end of the working day, and would be more substantial.

Dinner is the main evening meal, sometimes called tea. Generally, but not exclusively, people in higher social classes say breakfast, lunch and dinner, and are more likely to have afternoon tea and no supper, although children would have nursery tea (more than afternoon tea, less than high tea) instead of dinner, and then supper before bed.

Breakfast, dinner and tea is a more working class turn of phrase, and there may well be supper before bed. It's not a simple question!



Is chesterfield strictly a Canadian term, or is it used in England as well?
For a sofa? and there's another class-conscious term - sofa or settee? We don't use couch much in England. I have heard Chesterfield used for furniture rarely, but as it's the name of a fairly big town in the midlands (incidentally, near where I live) we don't use it much.

[Lothian]

Cider and apple juice. I understand that cider in the states in non-alcoholic.

[zooterkin]

Gherkin and dill pickle.

[ZirconBlue]

Cider and apple juice. I understand that cider in the states in non-alcoholic.

Correct. "Hard cider" is the alcoholic variety. Here, the distinction is that apple juice is typically filtered, while cider is not, so there is a vast difference in taste and appearance between the two.

[Fiona]

Gherkin and dill pickle.

Are they the same thing? I was completely unaware of that if so

[ZirconBlue]

Gherkin and dill pickle.

Here "gherkin" is typically a very small pickle (made from a whole "baby" cucumber). "Sweet gherkins" are more common, I think, but I have seen dill gherkins, which, again, are smaller than a typical "dill pickle". Like cornichons.

Now, I've just looked it up on wiki, and apparently a gherkin isn't a cucumber, but a close relative. And it's still a gherkin, whether it's been pickled or not.

[KoihimeNakamura]

Soda is sometimes called soda pop. I've never figured it out myself, but..

[zooterkin]

Now, I've just looked it up on wiki, and apparently a gherkin isn't a cucumber, but a close relative. And it's still a gherkin, whether it's been pickled or not.

Well, I should probably have said 'pickled gherkin', but I've never seen or heard a reference to one that wasn't, so the 'pickled' tends to be dropped. ETA: Except for the erotic one, of course.

If they're not exactly the same thing, then they're are close enough; the ones I've had in sandwiches in the US are maybe slightly longer than the ones in the UK, but they taste the same.

I think the 'dill' refers to dill being used as flavouring in the pickling vinegar. Certainly the jar of pickled gherkins I bought recently had dill listed in the ingredients.

[Aitch]

Waitrose do a nice 'Cornichons pickled in sweet and sour vinegar'.

Well, I like them. :o

[skbuncks]

LOL!

Yes, yes. I've heard 'piss-drunk' all my life, but the first time I ever heard 'get pissed' used that way was when a Scottish-born fellow soldier invited us to get trashed... Hmm. Do Europeans use 'get trashed' that way?

Also, 'get s--- faced' and 'get wasted' - though, the latter is usually used to refer to the use of drugs, such as 'getting stoned' or 'getting blasted'...


Was that pissed as a:

Fart
Newt
C**t
Parrot
Whistle
or your mums mattress?

or pissed as:

S**t
or F***?


skb

[arthwollipot]

Parrot.

Obviously.

[wollery]

Nished as pewt!

[Debaser]

"programme". Come on now, really. You might as well spell it "programmmeee.

Dammit man, how else would you differentiate between a TV or radio programme and a computer program? Lives could very well depend upon such a distinction and you'd be left floundering!

[Z]

Dammit man, how else would you differentiate between a TV or radio programme and a computer program? Lives could very well depend upon such a distinction and you'd be left floundering!

Oh, simple: TV and radios have 'shows'; computers have 'programs'.

[Disclord]

The names of meals (and their timings) can be a bit of class issue. Breakfast is just in the morning, but after that, what word you use is fraught with subtexts.

Lunch is the middle of the day, but some people call it dinner (especially if it's their main meal). Tea is late afternoon, and can mean a snack or a main meal.
Afternoon tea is strictly cups of tea with light sandwiches and/or cakes/scones. High tea is more of a workman's meal immediately after the end of the working day, and would be more substantial.

Dinner is the main evening meal, sometimes called tea. Generally, but not exclusively, people in higher social classes say breakfast, lunch and dinner, and are more likely to have afternoon tea and no supper, although children would have nursery tea (more than afternoon tea, less than high tea) instead of dinner, and then supper before bed.

Breakfast, dinner and tea is a more working class turn of phrase, and there may well be supper before bed. It's not a simple question!


For a sofa? and there's another class-conscious term - sofa or settee? We don't use couch much in England. I have heard Chesterfield used for furniture rarely, but as it's the name of a fairly big town in the midlands (incidentally, near where I live) we don't use it much.

All my life, growing up in Torrance, CA and Albuquerque, NM, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner was the norm - although, Supper could and was often used interchangeably with Dinner.

In the den of our house, where the big TV was, was the Couch, which held two people, and the Sofa was against the opposite wall and 4 to 5 people could sit on it. A Settee was a little 2-person thing, kinda delicate, maybe for a small room or something. In the front room of our house, called the Living room, was the Davenport, which was much larger than even the sofa in the den. It also had a small couch with it that could sit 2 people. The Living Room was used only for formal visitors who would only be there for an hour or so and it had all the very best furnishings and decorations from the Home Interiors catalog. It didn't even have a TV in it until we got our first LaserDisc player (A Magnavox Magnavision) in 1978.

When my partner and I moved in together, I mentioned wanting to get a nice Davenport for the living room in our house since we already had a couch and sofa for the den - he looked at me blankly - he had never in his life heard the word "Davenport" and had no clue as to what it meant. Once, he even asked his mom - she didn't know the word either. It just didn't seem to be used in Jerseyville, Il were they lived.

[Disclord]

Oh, simple: TV and radios have 'shows'; computers have 'programs'.

Just like a Disk has computer data on it and a Disc has A/V entertainment.

[Rogue1stclass]

One of the other things I loved about Britain was that the signs nicely pointed you to the "Way Out" instead of the "Exit".

[linusrichard]

Soda is sometimes called soda pop. I've never figured it out myself, but..

Soda pop is soda water with syrup added to it. In my opinion, the term "soda" could refer to either soda pop or soda water, and should not be used. The term "pop," on the other hand, is a perfectly good abbreviation for "soda pop," and should be used.

The fact that I live in the upper midwest (http://popvssoda.com:2998/) may be a factor in this reasoning.

[Z]

All my life, growing up in Torrance, CA and Albuquerque, NM, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner was the norm - although, Supper could and was often used interchangeably with Dinner.

Pretty much the same here - breakfast, lunch, and dinner/supper. And, of course, brunch and lupper.

In the den of our house, where the big TV was, was the Couch, which held two people, and the Sofa was against the opposite wall and 4 to 5 people could sit on it. A Settee was a little 2-person thing, kinda delicate, maybe for a small room or something. In the front room of our house, called the Living room, was the Davenport, which was much larger than even the sofa in the den. It also had a small couch with it that could sit 2 people. The Living Room was used only for formal visitors who would only be there for an hour or so and it had all the very best furnishings and decorations from the Home Interiors catalog. It didn't even have a TV in it until we got our first LaserDisc player (A Magnavox Magnavision) in 1978.

When I grew up, if it sat two, it was a loveseat; if it sat three or more, it was a sofa/couch. Settees, Davenports, Chesterfields - these were fancy names for expensive loveseats and couches. We weren't wealthy enough to own such luxuries. Of course, we had a Laz-Y-Boy - two at one point - but never a 'recliner'.

[Disclord]

Pretty much the same here - breakfast, lunch, and dinner/supper. And, of course, brunch and lupper.

When I grew up, if it sat two, it was a loveseat; if it sat three or more, it was a sofa/couch. Settees, Davenports, Chesterfields - these were fancy names for expensive loveseats and couches. We weren't wealthy enough to own such luxuries. Of course, we had a Laz-Y-Boy - two at one point - but never a 'recliner'.

Yes, Brunch! I forgot about that. 'Champagne' Brunch was on Sunday's when my dad took us out to the O-Club at Kirkland Air Force Base.

And yep, loveseat, forgot about that one too, although I knew it more from TV commercials than from hearing it used in my house.

Chesterfields makes me just think of cigarettes... I didn't know until looking it up just now that Davenport was a sofa manufacturer's brand name and that D'van was also slang for it - to me, a D'van was a super-fancy, multi-thousand dollar couch the very rich and snooty would have in their home.

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Nished as pewt!

S'damned s'right I am. Giggle.

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Yes, Brunch! I forgot about that. 'Champagne' Brunch was on Sunday's when my dad took us out to the O-Club at Kirkland Air Force Base.

And yep, loveseat, forgot about that one too, although I knew it more from TV commercials than from hearing it used in my house.

Chesterfields makes me just think of cigarettes... I didn't know until looking it up just now that Davenport was a sofa manufacturer's brand name and that D'van was also slang for it - to me, a D'van was a super-fancy, multi-thousand dollar couch the very rich and snooty would have in their home.

Ha. I'll add divan to the list of soft things to sit on. Though I don't think I have heard the word since I left the UK sometime around the middle of the previous Century.

[Thunder]

do any Brits or Ozzys pronounce huge....."yoog"?

a lot of nutty New Yorkers say it this way. i think its the only word where they drop the H sound.

and whore is pronounced "hoor". such weird, silly people. =)

sorry, they don't even pronounce the R in "hoor". its more like "hooah".

[aofl]

Soda...or Pop?

You decide.
Coke.

A

[aofl]

LOL!

Yes, yes. I've heard 'piss-drunk' all my life, but the first time I ever heard 'get pissed' used that way was when a Scottish-born fellow soldier invited us to get trashed... Hmm. Do Europeans use 'get trashed' that way?

Also, 'get s--- faced' and 'get wasted' - though, the latter is usually used to refer to the use of drugs, such as 'getting stoned' or 'getting blasted'...

'Pissed-off' for angry led to the rather popular phrase 'it is better to be pissed-off than pissed-on...'

Then, of course, there's the ever-present 'pissing contest' - which has nothing to do, AFAIK, with people competing about how much alcohol they can consume.

There's one I've heard only once, and I wasn't sure of its origin: 'pissing up my leg' - used much like 'pulling my leg', I think. Any ideas?

"Taking the piss" would certainly get you a lot of strange looks in the U.S.

A

[aofl]

All my life, growing up in Torrance, CA and Albuquerque, NM, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner was the norm - although, Supper could and was often used interchangeably with Dinner.


I grew up the opposite way in South Dakota. For me it was Breakfast, Dinner, Supper. The in-between meals were snacks. I don't recall hearing the term Brunch until we moved down south to a city. In the south the main thing that I separated me from the natives (aside from having all my teeth) was that it took me a while to get the hang of Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and I still sometimes slip. And I also got laughed at for pronouncing "aunt" as AWNT instead of ANT.


When my partner and I moved in together, I mentioned wanting to get a nice Davenport for the living room in our house since we already had a couch and sofa for the den - he looked at me blankly - he had never in his life heard the word "Davenport" and had no clue as to what it meant. Once, he even asked his mom - she didn't know the word either. It just didn't seem to be used in Jerseyville, Il were they lived.

I knew the word Davenport, but I think it was only a term my grandmother used. Sofa and couch are interchangeable.

A

[Thunder]

excuse me..but the correct pronunciation of Aunt...is indeed "ant".

=)

[SezMe]

Sorry but utter b*llocks,...
Speaking of which, I never hear bullocks in the US. I infer from discussions here that it means "nonsense" or is meant to be stronger?

[SezMe]

As far as I know, "footy" (usually pronounced "foody") pretty much exclusively refers to Australian Rules Football, especially south of the border.
There's a southern border in Australia?

[SezMe]

Also, 'get s--- faced' and 'get wasted' - though, the latter is usually used to refer to the use of drugs, such as 'getting stoned' or 'getting blasted'...
Getting hammered. Although the first time I heard it used commonly was by a lady who had just recently moved here from Australia.

[SezMe]

When my partner and I moved in together, I mentioned wanting to get a nice Davenport for the living room in our house since we already had a couch and sofa for the den - he looked at me blankly - he had never in his life heard the word "Davenport" and had no clue as to what it meant. Once, he even asked his mom - she didn't know the word either. It just didn't seem to be used in Jerseyville, Il were they lived.
I grew up in Danville and davenport was what we called it.

[Elizabeth I]

One of the other things I loved about Britain was that the signs nicely pointed you to the "Way Out" instead of the "Exit".

...and the very nice signs in rooms with low doors that warn you to "Mind your head."

[Rogue1stclass]

What is it with the English turning every statement into a question, usually by adding "Isn't it?" ("Innit?"). Is this a Londoner thing, or is it more widespread. And perhaps most importantly, are we expected to answer?

Though I guess we do have people over here who not only add "know what I'm sayin'?" to the end of every statement but will in fact use it in place of all forms of punctuation within a sentence.

"So I went to the store, knowamsayn, and bought some bread, knowamsayn, milk, knowamsayn, and cheese, knowamsayn."

YES! I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SAYING! STOP ASKING ME THAT!

[Thunder]

"So I went to the store, knowamsayn, and bought some bread, knowamsayn, milk, knowamsayn, and cheese, knowamsayn."

YES! I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SAYING! STOP ASKING ME THAT!

so, like, I wen't to the mall, and like, I bought this new shirt, and like, it was soo cool, and I saw these sneakers and like, they were soo awesome!! and like, I had this burger, it was like sooo yummy, and the soda was like sooo bubbly!!

Like, OhmaGawd!!!!

:)

[scarlettinlondon]

"

But there are plenty of non-standard usages within the UK as well, for example in North-East England "lend" means "borrow" and "learn" means "teach".

This makes me all Stabby....

[scarlettinlondon]

[QUOTE=Agatha;5074929]The names of meals (and their timings) can be a bit of class issue. Breakfast is just in the morning, but after that, what word you use is fraught with subtexts.

Lunch is the middle of the day, but some people call it dinner (especially if it's their main meal). Tea is late afternoon, and can mean a snack or a main meal.
Afternoon tea is strictly cups of tea with light sandwiches and/or cakes/scones. High tea is more of a workman's meal immediately after the end of the working day, and would be more substantial.

Dinner is the main evening meal, sometimes called tea. Generally, but not exclusively, people in higher social classes say breakfast, lunch and dinner, and are more likely to have afternoon tea and no supper, although children would have nursery tea (more than afternoon tea, less than high tea) instead of dinner, and then supper before bed.

Breakfast, dinner and tea is a more working class turn of phrase, and there may well be supper before bed. It's not a simple question!


QUOTE]

you are great. well explained. I love it

[Mojo]

What is it with the English turning every statement into a question, usually by adding "Isn't it?" ("Innit?"). Is this a Londoner thing, or is it more widespread. And perhaps most importantly, are we expected to answer?

Though I guess we do have people over here who not only add "know what I'm sayin'?" to the end of every statement but will in fact use it in place of all forms of punctuation within a sentence.

"So I went to the store, knowamsayn, and bought some bread, knowamsayn, milk, knowamsayn, and cheese, knowamsayn."

YES! I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SAYING! STOP ASKING ME THAT!


We also have "know what I mean", sometimes abbreviated as far as "nu' a min" (especially in parts of Saar Flanden).

[Mojo]

What is it with the English turning every statement into a question...


Of course, there's also the Australian rising inflection?

[zooterkin]

Is "innit" or the other similar appeals for agreement any different from "you know?" which people have been complaining about for years?

ETA:
UK doner kebab = US gyros
(although I'm not sure all the cultural assocations are the same. Do you go for a gyros after spending the night in a bar?)

[UnrepentantSinner]

UK doner kebab = US gyros
(although I'm not sure all the cultural assocations are the same. Do you go for a gyros after spending the night in a bar?)

Kinda sorta. I'm not sure I've seen any place that serves them with Turkish hot sauce. They've all served them with Tzaziki.

As far as that goes, no and yes. Gyros are mainly served at Greek eateries or by street vendors in some large metro areas. The Dallas county courthouse has a Greek run cafeteria in the basement (my Gyro for lunch was the highlight of my jury duty). That said, fast food establishment Jack In The Box served them for a number of years in the mid-90s and I stopped by there many times after a night out to pick up a couple.

[Disclord]

I grew up the opposite way in South Dakota. For me it was Breakfast, Dinner, Supper. The in-between meals were snacks. I don't recall hearing the term Brunch until we moved down south to a city. In the south the main thing that I separated me from the natives (aside from having all my teeth) was that it took me a while to get the hang of Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and I still sometimes slip. And I also got laughed at for pronouncing "aunt" as AWNT instead of ANT.



I knew the word Davenport, but I think it was only a term my grandmother used. Sofa and couch are interchangeable.

A

Had to call my dad yesterday and ask him - he said that when he was growing up (in Utah) it was Breakfast, Dinner, Supper! And as best he could figure, it wasn't until he went into the Navy for the Korean War that "Lunch" displaced "Dinner" in his vocabulary for the noon/mid-day meal.

Because of his service in the Navy, I have the memories of the teenage embarrassment I suffered when he'd say "Head" instead of "Bathroom" - I have no idea why, but it drove me crazy. Of course, aren't all teenagers supposed to be embarrassed of their parents sometimes?

[Disclord]

Kinda sorta. I'm not sure I've seen any place that serves them with Turkish hot sauce. They've all served them with Tzaziki.

As far as that goes, no and yes. Gyros are mainly served at Greek eateries or by street vendors in some large metro areas. The Dallas county courthouse has a Greek run cafeteria in the basement (my Gyro for lunch was the highlight of my jury duty). That said, fast food establishment Jack In The Box served them for a number of years in the mid-90s and I stopped by there many times after a night out to pick up a couple.


Oooooh, Jack In The Box!!! I LOVED them, especially their "Cheeseburger Lover's Cheesburger" and their "Frings". In NM, they changed their name to Midnight Jacks in the mid-80's, trying to 'upscale' fast food, then switched back a few years later, but the quality kinda went down hill.

I can't seem to find the post but someone mentioned "Valspeak", the California "Valley Girl" slang - In the early 80's I hung out at The Galleria in Encino and Del Amo Mall in Torrance all the time and I picked up a case of Valspeak BAD - I still slip into it sometimes - I can't help it, I just like do, ya' know?

[Elizabeth I]

That said, fast food establishment Jack In The Box served them for a number of years in the mid-90s and I stopped by there many times after a night out to pick up a couple.

Heretic! In Texas you're supposed to go out for either Mexican food or one of those huge, cholesterol-filled, artery-clogging breakfasts. <<Bacon, fried eggs, hash browns, and Texas toast dripping with butter, yum...>>

[Rogue1stclass]

We also have "know what I mean", sometimes abbreviated as far as "nu' a min" (especially in parts of Saar Flanden).

I forgot about that one. We have it in the Deep South, but it's pronounced "KnowaddaImeen". Jim Varney created something of an acting career off of that one phrase.

[arthwollipot]

do any Brits or Ozzys pronounce huge....."yoog"?I've definitely heard it, but I don't.

"Taking the piss" would certainly get you a lot of strange looks in the U.S.Really? We take the piss all the time.

There's a southern border in Australia?Yeah, the Murray.

[Undesired Walrus]

What is it with the English turning every statement into a question, usually by adding "Isn't it?" ("Innit?"). Is this a Londoner thing, or is it more widespread. And perhaps most importantly, are we expected to answer?

Though I guess we do have people over here who not only add "know what I'm sayin'?" to the end of every statement but will in fact use it in place of all forms of punctuation within a sentence.


'Innit' is mostly a Londoner thing, used mostly by (and originating within I believe) female Londoners with Indian backgrounds. Although many other people in London use it (Including myself, I have just realised).

London also has a variation on "know what I'm saying" which is "You get me?".

Oh yeah, and 'drop out' doesn't necessarily mean someone who has dropped out of college of uni, it can mean someone who has just dropped out of the usual way society runs.

[Z]

Oh yeah, and 'drop out' doesn't necessarily mean someone who has dropped out of college of uni, it can mean someone who has just dropped out of the usual way society runs.

I have heard it - rarely - used that way in the States. Though I'm not actually sure we have a normal term for such a person - aside from 'weirdo', 'heretic', 'eclectic', 'skeptic'...

[dafydd]

so, like, I wen't to the mall, and like, I bought this new shirt, and like, it was soo cool, and I saw these sneakers and like, they were soo awesome!! and like, I had this burger, it was like sooo yummy, and the soda was like sooo bubbly!!

Like, OhmaGawd!!!!

:)

Yes,like gets on my Bristols too.

[dafydd]

Of course, there's also the Australian rising inflection?

Yes,when they talk to you it's like they're asking you a question? Even when it's a not a question?Even when they're just saying hello?

[Elizabeth I]

I have heard it - rarely - used that way in the States. Though I'm not actually sure we have a normal term for such a person - aside from 'weirdo', 'heretic', 'eclectic', 'skeptic'...

Much more common in the 60s - tune in, turn on, drop out.

[Lensman]

Speaking of which, I never hear bullocks in the US. I infer from discussions here that it means "nonsense" or is meant to be stronger?

Not "bullocks", the word is "bollocks", it can mean nonsense or it can mean testicles.

eg. "You're talking bollocks" = "you're talking nonsense".
eg. "I just got kicked in the bollocks" = "I just got kicked in the testicles".

As for "taking the piss", that can also be "taking the mick/michael" = making fun off/pulling one's leg.

[six7s]

Just to make life even more interesting, surveyors use a different definition of a foot than the standard (often called International) foot.That's simply because they have weird mouths

[fromdownunder]

Sorry for not reading the whole thread, so this may have been mentioned already, but as another Aussie, who says just as we are heading off to the beach, "hang on, I am just putting my thongs on", somebody in the USA may think I am being rather kinky.

They are called thonge here, flip-flops in New Zealand, and are casual footwear.

And I understand that suitcases are called ports in New South Wales. but then they think that rugby is football, and there can only be ONE.

Go Geelong!

Norm

[Elizabeth I]

Sorry for not reading the whole thread, so this may have been mentioned already, but as another Aussie, who says just as we are heading off to the beach, "hang on, I am just putting my thongs on", somebody in the USA may think I am being rather kinky.

They are called thonge here, flip-flops in New Zealand, and are casual footwear.

And I understand that suitcases are called ports in New South Wales. but then they think that rugby is football, and there can only be ONE.

Go Geelong!

Norm

When I was a kid living in Arizona and rubber flip-flops first made their appearance there, they were called thongs, thong sandals, and zoris, after the Japanese straw sandals made in the same style.

[six7s]

they are called thonge here, flip-flops jandals in New Zealand, and are casual footwear.

FTFY :)

I have heard that the name 'jandals' comes from India

[BTMO]

FTFY :)

I have heard that the name 'jandals' comes from India


I understood it was because thongs (I am Australian...) look like Japanese footwear that some folks call Japanese sandals ... jandals.

[arthwollipot]

I have never heard "jandals". But a lot of people call them flip-flops.

[Rogue1stclass]

Here in the States, thongs are the actual name (as in, that's what they'll be labeled in a store), while flip flops is the more commonly used colloquialism.

In boot camp, though, we called them shower shoes. But then, Marine boot camp is a whole 'nuther language, even within the Marines.

[SpitfireIX]

"Table" is another difference, in the sense of tabling a motion. In the UK, this means it's something you will be discussing. In the US, it means that you've decided not to.


The British Staff prepared a paper which they wished to raise as a matter of urgency, and informed their American colleagues that they wished to "table it." To the American Staff "tabling" a paper meant putting it away in a drawer and forgetting it. A long and even acrimonious argument ensued before both parties realized that they were agreed on the merits and wanted the same thing.


--Winston Churchill, The Grand Alliance

[arthwollipot]

And here, a thong will usually be called a G-string. Which puts an entirely new light on the Bach air.

[Darat]

And here, a thong will usually be called a G-string. Which puts an entirely new light on the Bach air.

He totally sold out when he did that that music for the commercial.

[arthwollipot]

He totally sold out when he did that that music for the commercial.Not as bad as Pachelbel did.

[six7s]

Not as bad as Pachelbel did.Is he the one who wrote that jingle for the printer adverts?

[arthwollipot]

Is he the one who wrote that jingle for the printer adverts?Not sure which adverts you're referring to. Pachelbel did the jingle for that car ad.

[six7s]

Canon










;)

[quadraginta]

Cider and apple juice. I understand that cider in the states in non-alcoholic.

Correct. "Hard cider" is the alcoholic variety. Here, the distinction is that apple juice is typically filtered, while cider is not, so there is a vast difference in taste and appearance between the two.


Apple juice is the prerequisite for cider, which has begun to ferment. Some carbonation is often the key distinction. If it has simply been filtered fermentation is still likely. If it has been pasteurized it will remain apple juice. (ETA: Regardless of what the blankity-blank, yeast murdering idiots put on the label. [/vent])

Hard cider has fermented sufficiently for there to be a noticeable alcohol content.

This is the prerequisite to apple jack, which leads to an entirely new discussion.

(Speaking as someone who grew up waiting for the co-op apple press to go to work every harvest season.)

[quadraginta]

I have heard it - rarely - used that way in the States. Though I'm not actually sure we have a normal term for such a person - aside from 'weirdo', 'heretic', 'eclectic', 'skeptic'...


"Tune in, turn on, and drop out."?

You skipped an entire media enshrined subculture somehow, Z.

[quadraginta]

Much more common in the 60s - tune in, turn on, drop out.


Whoops.

Shoulda read ahead.

[Matthew Best]

Here in the UK, we say "oregano".

Over there you say "oregano".

[quadraginta]

Here in the UK, we say "oregano".

Over there you say "oregano".


"basil"

[Guybrush Threepwood]

"basil"

(H)erbs

[NoZed Avenger]

Here in the UK, we say "oregano".

Over there you say "oregano".

"Oregano."

[Agatha]

"Oregano"

[Fiona]

coriander leaves/cilantro

[Mashuna]

Courgette and aubergine.

[quadraginta]

I had some thoughts on the "o" vs. "ou" controversy (e.g. "color" vs. "colour") which I offered some time ago on another board. I 'd like to share them here.



I have a theory about this.

In early times the English were quite casual about the entire concept of spelling. This is clearly evidenced by the example of the 666 variations of the name "Shakspar" ("Scheckspere"?). After all, if they couldn't be bothered with an agreed on spelling of the name of the foremost deity in their literary pantheon then why worry about mere words.

After the Irish invented the printing press literacy and the penny dreadful were very slowly introduced into what has come to be known as "British Culture".

Somewhere in the process attentive printers on the island noticed that they were plagued with a surfeit of the letter "u" in their type drawers. Concerned about unsightly dents in their ink pads from uneven type wear they cleverly decided to hide the extra "u"s where they would not be noticed.

There really wasn't much danger of their being caught. The Scots hadn't invented the dictionary yet, so the Tories would never be able to tell the difference, and the Whigs wouldn't care since the "u" was silent and involved no extra work.

The colonists on the other hand were suffering an acute lead shortage at the time, as so much of it was being used to send small (approx. 3/4 oz.) love notes to uninvited strangers in red. As a result all their surplus "u"s were melted down and used to make "French" letters, also known as "Minie balls".

And so we come to modern times.

[Fiona]

Courgette and aubergine.

Ok I know they call aubergine eggplant: what do americans call courgette?

[Agatha]

Zucchini, Fiona.

[quadraginta]

Zucchini, Fiona.



I looked that up on Google Earth and got an error message.

[Fiona]

Thanks Agatha :)

[Aitch]

Zucchini, Fiona.
I looked that up on Google Earth and got an error message.

I looked it up on Google Pictures.

I must have Safe Search on. ;)

[Darat]

Thanks Agatha :)

I think Agatha is the same in the USA.

[arthwollipot]

It's zucchini and eggplant in Australia.

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Tomato. Tomato?

[arthwollipot]

Tomato. And potato.

[quadraginta]

Tomato. And potato.


"Let's call the whole thing off."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdH2ODFYV5s

[Elizabeth I]

"basil"

Rathbone.

Oh, it's not word association?

coriander leaves/cilantro

Either way it's disgusting stuff.

[Matthew Best]

My wife (who's American) was convinced that I had made up the English pronunciation of "oregano" purely to toy with her. In fact, I think there's a part of her that still thinks I've just persuaded everybody else to say it like that while she's around as a joke.

[SpitfireIX]

I try to let them sit in the drainer! However, in Australia I sometimes have to 'put them away' or possible even 'stack them'.

My Irish grandfather would rather stop on his chair for a while than stack dishes.


You mean the dish rack. :p

[SpitfireIX]

In the UK it's perfectly acceptable to walk up to a smoker and say, "Can I bum one of yer fags?"

In the US it's likely to get you a smack in the face (at least).


When I was at university in college a friend of mine had a roommate who was an exchange student (for one year) from England. One day he said to my friend, "I'm going to go suck a fagot." My friend was a linguistics major so he understood the intended meaning, but he told his roommate he'd better avoid using that expression. :D

This fellow guy was also somewhat confused about American geography; he wanted to borrow a car so that he could "drive out to California for the weekend." California is about 2000 miles [3000 km] from Indiana. :D

[SpitfireIX]

Not quite on topic, but I've noticed Americans using 'the house' in stead of home.
As in, I was driving to the house (I was driving home).
See this (partial) post by Roadtoad, highlights mine.



I've noticed it on tv as well.
Where does this come from? Is this just regional or, well, normal use?


Romanesi eunt ite domusum!

:duck:

[SpitfireIX]

We invented it,and it's not our fault that Daniel Webster couldn't spell.


Erm, the famous American lexicographer was Noah Webster. Daniel Webster was a 19th-century American statesman.


:teacher:

[jimbob]

P.S. There also seems to be a problem with the word "coffee". Clearly the word refers to a different beverage in England.

What my brother refers to as a "cup of brown".

We do have proper coffee, but there seems to be this insane acceptance of utter crud if it has the right name.

The first time someone offered me a cappuccino, and produced an instant coffee with powdered cream I nearly cried. That alone is roof that Nestle is evil.

[malbui]

When I was at university in college a friend of mine had a roommate who was an exchange student (for one year) from England. One day he said to my friend, "I'm going to go suck a fagot." My friend was a linguistics major so he understood the intended meaning, but he told his roommate he'd better avoid using that expression. :D


Someone's going to have to help me here. I spent most of the first twenty years of my life in the UK and speak the language like a native, but I have no idea what the phrase I've bolded might mean. Could it instead have been something like "suck on a fag", said deliberately to provoke a reaction from an American?

[Elizabeth I]

Someone's going to have to help me here. I spent most of the first twenty years of my life in the UK and speak the language like a native, but I have no idea what the phrase I've bolded might mean. Could it instead have been something like "suck on a fag", said deliberately to provoke a reaction from an American?

It's my understanding that it means "to smoke a cigarette."

[jimbob]

Not in the UK it doesn't.
(in my experience)

ETA: Malbui, I think your hypothesis is probably correct.

just as I try to mention fag-packet calculations as often as possible when talking to my American colleagues....


(instead of back of the envelope calculations)

[Elizabeth I]

Just thought of some other differences in spelling - the past tenses of some words:

burnt/burned
spelt/spelled
learnt/learned
smelt/smelled

I think the "T" form of the past tense is a more archaic spelling but I'm not sure. And of course, it still exists on both sides of the pond in words like "slept," "bent," "knelt."

[Guybrush Threepwood]

What my brother refers to as a "cup of brown".

We do have proper coffee, but there seems to be this insane acceptance of utter crud if it has the right name.

The first time someone offered me a cappuccino, and produced an instant coffee with powdered cream I nearly cried. That alone is roof that Nestle is evil.

While I agree you can get some disgusting coffee in England, I'm not convinced America should be bigging itself up. Starbucks et al serve perfectly acceptable coffee, but many American restaurants and diners don't, and as for American workplaces, some of the worst coffee I have ever drunk has come from US factory canteens.

[Matthew Best]

Not in the UK it doesn't.
(in my experience)



jimbob is right - no-one here would say they were going to "suck a faggot", but someone addicted to cigarettes might perhaps say "I can't go half an hour without a fag in my mouth", which could give rise to a certain confusion in the US.

[Lensman]

Quite right, a faggot is a small, round offal pattie, usually served with mushy peas.

Or it can be a bundle of firewood.

A fag, on the other hand, is a cigarette or a first year student who id forced to be a servant to an older student at a public (private) school, like Eton etc.

[John Jones]

I gotta know:

In the USA, a pharmacist is one who legally dispenses medications. A chemist is someone who mixes chemicals together and perhaps synthesizes these medications.

What do you call a chemist in the UK to distinguish them from pharmacists?

[BTMO]

I gotta know:

In the USA, a pharmacist is one who legally dispenses medications. A chemist is someone who mixes chemicals together and perhaps synthesizes these medications.

What do you call a chemist in the UK to distinguish them from pharmacists?

Chemists.

You don't often find industrial chemists or chemical engineers working in chemist shops, and conversely, you rarely find registered pharmacists working in chemical engineering environments.... unless they are running the dispensary...

:bgrin:

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Just thought of some other differences in spelling - the past tenses of some words:

burnt/burned
spelt/spelled
learnt/learned
smelt/smelled

I think the "T" form of the past tense is a more archaic spelling but I'm not sure. And of course, it still exists on both sides of the pond in words like "slept," "bent," "knelt."

Hmm. That "smelt" smells rather fishy to me. :duck:

[Fitter]

I gotta know:

In the USA, a pharmacist is one who legally dispenses medications. <snip>

When I was growing up on the east coast of Canada they were called "druggists".

[Z]

"Tune in, turn on, and drop out."?

You skipped an entire media enshrined subculture somehow, Z.

I do that. I'm still not sure what 'friends' everyone talks about all the time...

[Z]

coriander leaves/cilantro

Hear it both ways around here. Which is a little confusing to some people, being as I cook heavily with cilantro when I cook Tex-Mex foods...

[quadraginta]

I do that. I'm still not sure what 'friends' everyone talks about all the time...


Well ... yeah. I sorta missed that one, too. :)

[zooterkin]

Sneaked/snuck.
Dragged/drug.

[arthwollipot]

While I agree you can get some disgusting coffee in England, I'm not convinced America should be bigging itself up.??

Although its meaning can easily be glarked from context, this is not a phrase I am familiar with.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

??

Although its meaning can easily be glarked from context, this is not a phrase I am familiar with.

I and I is usin' it all the time round here mon Big yourself up (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=big%20up%20yourself)

[SpitfireIX]

Someone's going to have to help me here. I spent most of the first twenty years of my life in the UK and speak the language like a native, but I have no idea what the phrase I've bolded might mean. Could it instead have been something like "suck on a fag", said deliberately to provoke a reaction from an American?

Possible. All I know is what my friend told me, which I have no reason to doubt. As I mentioned, he majored in linguistics, so he regularly related stories such as this. This one stuck in my mind because it was particularly bizarre. The one thing that occurs to me is that my friend might have misremembered slightly, and what his roommate actually said was "suck a fag." As a side note, "fag" used to be common usage in America for cigarette, but it's pretty much totally died out.

[arthwollipot]

I and I is usin' it all the time round here mon Big yourself up (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=big%20up%20yourself)Yes, like I said, the meaning is easily glarked from context.

[Damien Evans]

While I agree you can get some disgusting coffee in England, I'm not convinced America should be bigging itself up. Starbucks et al serve perfectly acceptable coffee, but many American restaurants and diners don't, and as for American workplaces, some of the worst coffee I have ever drunk has come from US factory canteens.

:dl:

No, no they do not.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

No, no they do not.

Hmm, I have never visited Australia, so common ground may be hard to find, but if Starbucks doesn't rise even as far as acceptable to you, what would you class as good?

For me, pretty much any coffee bought in Italy or Spain is good, France mostly OK

[brodski]

The only time I can recall a real confusion with UK/US dialect differences was when I told an American that I was shattered when I was exhausted, they thought I was saying I was emotional. It took a while to work that one out.

Although given that this was at TAM, I had spent much of the time "tired and emotional".