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Hi Everyone. Now before i say anything, i must say that this post is in no way put in any derogatory terms, its meant in a light hearted manner and i have the absolute upmost respect to everyone ‘over the big pond’.
Now thats out of the way…… I know what your thinking! Those darned Brits!!
Language…. yes us brits have different ways of describing things and spelling too, here are a few examples….
Trunk to us is a Boot
Hood to us is a Bonnet
Sidewalk to us is a pavement
Freeway to us is a motorway
Purse to us is a Handbag
Chips to us are served with Fish (good old Fish ‘n’ Chips)
Cheetos to us are ermmm well i’d say Wotsits?
Gatorade, i havent a clue!!!
Fender to us is a Bumper (i think)
Windshield is a windscreen
Cellphone is a Mobile phone
Gray = Grey
Humor = Humour
Color = ColourTold you we talk funny!!! Lets have a laugh and can you think of any more Spelling or describing words that are different from the UK to USA? Again, dont be offended, this is a Humorous (Humourous) topic!!!!
I love you all really xx
Fiona xx
I have always thought the question ‘where are you from?’ is rude (that’s just me) although I am very curious where people are from and the journey that led them to the USA. So instead I ask ‘what is your accent?’ They always tell me where they are from. Never fails.
Wife and I were at a dance class. You dance with your partner for awhile then change partners so you get used to dancing with other people. I introduced myself to my new partner – who had an accent. So I said ‘Karen what is your accent?’ She replied ‘I am from England and it is you who has an accent’. Touché’!!!
Is it true that there is a secret stash of Beezer (= BSA) cycle parts that you are hiding from the colonists until we say that we’re sorry for not liking tea? Also please send us a Police Call Box so Dr Who can visit. All of our phone booths have been removed and we never see Superman anymore. Marg
Pantyhose = tights
Tights = opaque (or high denier) tights ? (not sure about this one. Perhaps someone could do me a favor = favour and let me know.)
tire = tyre
Maybe we should have a meeting on 3/4/2023 to discuss this. Of course, in the US we’ll meet on March 4, while the Brits will meet on April 3.
I just remembered a limerick that I learned in high school (secondary education). Don’t worry, it’s clean.
“I’m British,” he said with a scowl,
“And so I call myself Joule.” (pronounced jowel)
“But as a rule,”
“I answer to Joule.” (pronounced jule)
“Confound that ambiguous vowel.”The US Navy was heavily influenced from its founding by British Navy customs and traditions. One such tradition was a daily ration of “Grog,” which was a mixture of water and rum.
Although modern US Navy ships are officially dry, sailors on liberty ashore will at times refer to an alcoholic beverage as “Grog.”
One of my wife’s girlfriends was visiting in the UK, and stopped in at a pub. She mentioned that she needed to get something out of her fanny pack. Wow, did she get some funny looks.
My wife was in the Liquor Store here in the US. A group of people visiting from the UK were gathered around a display of Knob Creek whiskey giggling pretty hard. My wife let them know that it didn’t apply to the male anatomy here. While she was at it she warned them that calling someone a tw*t on this side of the pond could cause a bit of a violent response. They thanked her.It is funny how the language evolves in different places.
💕Lara
For those of us who were either “Poms”, (Australian for English), or “Dinkum” (aka true Aussies) back in the days when the famous English TV series “Minder” wiv “Arfur and Tal”(Arthur and Terry) nothing beats the double and triple rhyming Cockney slang.
EG “Dodgy kettle”, Stolen watches, =”Kettle and Hob”=Fobwatches.
“Hooky(careful!!) Tom. Stolen jewellery. Tom foolery rhymes with jewellery .
I think it was the late great American comedian George Burns who once said. “I got a million if you want any more.
I’m off to the “rubbedy dub” Australian for Pub
See ya.
Caty.
Hopefully your chickens wont turn to emus and kick your dunny (toilet) door down
As the old TV ad says, “yet there is more” With thanks to Wikpedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhyming_slang
Plus the “Full Monty” on Minder
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minder_(TV_series)
So get your “mince pies” on this little lot and whilst you are at it get yourself a “middy” “schooner” or “pot” (various capacities of glasses of beer here in Oz).
Dont have too much or you’ll be in trouble with the “trouble and strife” aka wife,
Or if you prefer, “old cheese” aka cheese and kisses”. Missus or SO (Or in Minder speak, Er Indoors” Whom on many occasions was wont to “go spare ” aka get very… annoyed
‘See you in the soup but bring your own spoon”
Caty
The U.K. is small but even within there are regional differences and, of course, the Celtic language still spoken. There is an interesting habit I noted in the Highlands of Scotland where the person speaking would listen to you then take a sharp breath and then, after a short pause, reply. I was in Norway and this habit was also noticed. It was in recent years when watching a documentary on Vikings that it was mentioned and the intake of breath was considered as being taken for a ‘Yes’ or acknowledgement to what you have said. If you notice that a lot of people start a reply to a question with the word ‘So’ in the right context it is taken for a ‘Yes’ or acknowledgement too – so we have a connection with our Viking past! Of course there is strong evidence that the Vikings may have been the first European invaders of the U.S so is there any commonality there?
So there you are me Ol’ ducks, must get me Alan Whickers on, sort out me Bristols, put a pony in me purse, get on on me Dinky Doos then get up the Jack and Jill to me Captain Kirk……The Currant bun is out, have a good ‘un….
As an American, I’ve always been a fan of British television starting with Monty Python and Dr. Who as a teen up and continuing with Masterpiece Theatre as an adult. So while I don’t know every bit of slang I never found it an issue to communicate with Brits while I was working or vacationing there. In fact, while I was working for a British company, one co-worker gave me a little pop quiz on British words, like “knackered”, which I kept answering correctly, and she gave me such a shocked expression that I knew these words it made me feel like I cracked a code. I think when you hear these words in context, even if you’re unfamiliar with the word, you can somewhat work out what they mean. Not always, though. Recently I made a contact in Australia who sold me some music and he told me to enjoy the “ear tucker”, which I couldn’t make out, so I had to look that up and found that “tucker” meant “food”. At least in this respect the internet was helpful.
I have been enjoying watching Clarkson’s Farm (Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear game) on Amazon Prime. The funniest scenes are with his neighbor Gerald. I can’t understand a damn thing that guy says. Neither can anyone else and they just seem to nod and smile which makes it even funnier.
So my British friends what dialect/language is Gerald even speaking??
Lol. It’s English and a broad Somerset(ish) accent. I live about 100 miles from there and after 2 seasons I can still only understand about 10%, so dont worry.
A lot of it are expressions, such as silly = he’s daft as a brush
Not going to work = up creek without a paddle
Inexperienced = don’t know he’s ass from he’s elbow etc
Having traveled the UK I observed the language barriers as well. The Brits aren’t really that bad to understand once you know the slang words. It’s the Scots that no one can understand unless you are Scottish. No wonder their movies in America have to be subtitled. Nevertheless they are the warmest and friendliness people in the world.
As I was pulling my tights on this morning, I was thinking “If I was in the Smoke, I’d have to be getting on the Underground”; – mind, being out here in the Midlands, I’d probably just leave my flat, say hello to the caretaker, get on the lift, head off to the Zebra Crossing (love those Belisha Beacons!) and hope that the Lollipop Lady had turned up. In a fortnight (probably at about half twelve) I’d be off on my jollies to Benidorm (or Skeggy for us Midlanders) and wonder why anyone couldn’t recognise that the labour involved in putting those colours in the harbour didn’t mean we had to use a lot of sulphur and aluminium… Free translations for all sisters from the wrong side of the Atlantic on request European Holly XXX
My family is from Northamptonshire, so I have a special attachment to you all. Diane is teaching me the Kings English slang, Caty is educating me in the language of OZ, now if I could just get Trish to teach canuckian, that with Paulette’s francais, I’ll be the most fluent of the sisters! I was raised with several British words and traditions. Yorkshire Pudding yum yum. Tea brewed the correct way, leaves in basket enfuser and steeped properly. I take mine no milk , 1 lump. “ I’ll ave a bit o cheese dokie”. I volunteer at the National World War I Memorial and Museum and have the privilege of talking to visitors about all of the servicemen and women from over the world, and their sacrifices. Love to read their letters. I close with a quote from the song “ Why cant the English”. “ why there are even places where English completely disappears. Why in America they haven’t used it in years”. Sung by enry iggans.
I kind of mentioned this in the other topic about pantyhose, stockings etc., but “pantyhose” isn’t really an expression used in the UK (well, it never used to be anyway).
Tights over here cover all deniers/styles, whereas I believe in the US pantyhose are the thinner low denier kind made from nylon etc. (designed to be worn without underwear) whereas tights are seen as thicker and are possibly more cotton/wool based. If I have this totally wrong, then please feel free to correct me.
One thing that has caused me confusion, is that a jumper in the UK is a sweater, whereas in the US I believe it is like a pinafore style dress.
And don’t get me started on flip-flops, which can be called Thongs in Australia and Jandals in New Zealand.
Katie
In the US, when pantyhose first came out, they had a panty that was of different material, and were designed to be worn without any other underwear. But this didn’t last very long. Today, pantyhose is of lower denier, anything from very sheer to slightly opaque. And most are worn over a pair of panties.
Tights are of a higher denier, and are usually made differently. They are usually opaque or nearly opaque. Tights are worn by young girls (often white), in the winter time, or by male ballet dancers. If a pair of tights gets a small hole, it often will not run.
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