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Thread started 07/29/10 8:16am

erik319

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English English vs American English

Just a fun thread where we can point out different words meaning different things across the pond.

For example, here's a perrfectly innocent American sentence that would definitely get raised eyebrows in Britain:

"his suspenders kept his pants from falling down" eek

And here's a perfectly innocent British sentence that would probably get the same response over in America.

"I've cut down to 10 fags a day." eek

Anyone think of any more?

blah blah blah
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Reply #1 posted 07/29/10 11:56am

Pr1nceQuik

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Yeah heres one...

This thread sucks balls

in american english:

This thread sucks balls
Be glad that you are Free, Free to change your mind. Free to go almost anywhere anytime
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Reply #2 posted 07/29/10 12:19pm

DaveT

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When we are setting the table for dinner here in the UK, my wife might say "Dave, can you lay the table please"....wish might mean something else entirely to our American cousins! smile

And we call an eraser (for rubbing out pencil) a rubber, which makes the "Hey, can a borrow your rubber?" phrase an interesting one in the States!

www.filmsfilmsfilms.co.uk - The internet's best movie site!
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Reply #3 posted 07/29/10 12:31pm

florescent

Americans - be careful when you ask a Brit if they want to see your pants.

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Reply #4 posted 07/29/10 12:32pm

Poiple

florescent said:

Americans - be careful when you ask a Brit if they want to see your pants.

confuse Okay, indulge me.......

Oh, and we (Americans) call it a windshield. Don't you crazy Brits call it a "bugscreen" or something silly like that?tease

[Edited 7/29/10 12:34pm]

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Reply #5 posted 07/29/10 12:33pm

florescent

Poiple said:

florescent said:

Americans - be careful when you ask a Brit if they want to see your pants.

confuse Okay, indulge me.......

Pants is underwear here!

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Reply #6 posted 07/29/10 12:56pm

retina

As far as I know, "You lucked out" means that you were lucky in AmEng and that you were unlucky in BrEng...

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Reply #7 posted 07/29/10 12:57pm

florescent

Poiple said:

florescent said:

Americans - be careful when you ask a Brit if they want to see your pants.

confuse Okay, indulge me.......

Oh, and we (Americans) call it a windshield. Don't you crazy Brits call it a "bugscreen" or something silly like that?tease

[Edited 7/29/10 12:34pm]

windscreen

trunk - boot

hood - bonnet

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Reply #8 posted 07/29/10 1:08pm

Shyra

It always tickled me how Brits call the American cookie a biscuit. I used to work at a hospital that employed people from all over the world. One day a guy from Nigeria educated in London asked me if I wanted a biscuit. I asked him if he had any gravy to go with it! He looked at me like I was nuts. lol

Oh, and another one that cracks me up is "The dog's Bollucks!" I thought that meant the dog was nuts or had rabies. Again, I asked my Nigerian resident what the hell that meant. He burst out laughing! I turned red when he told me what it meant! lol

[Edited 7/29/10 13:13pm]

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Reply #9 posted 07/29/10 1:17pm

Shorty

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florescent said:

Poiple said:

confuse Okay, indulge me.......

Oh, and we (Americans) call it a windshield. Don't you crazy Brits call it a "bugscreen" or something silly like that?tease

[Edited 7/29/10 12:34pm]

windscreen

trunk - boot

hood - bonnet

falloff

boot! lol so you have groceries (do you call them that?) in the back of your car and you want hubby to help you...you say honey, can you get the groceries out of my boot? lol

"not a fan" falloff yeah...ok
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Reply #10 posted 07/29/10 1:19pm

Shorty

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so we've establish in the other thread.

Ice lolly = Ice pop or popsicle in US

oh yeah...Piss head! how could I forget! still not sure what that means though. lush? drunks? alchies?

there's another "piss" term you guys use..."taking the piss" I think. what the heck is that? like taking a joke or something?

if you call underware pants...what to you call underware? underpants?

if you need to take a left hand turn in your car...what do you call the indicator you use to signal to others that you're turning? I know it varies in the US. I say "directional" my friend from LA. laughs at me and says it's a blinker, but I know others who call it a signal.

[Edited 7/29/10 13:25pm]

"not a fan" falloff yeah...ok
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Reply #11 posted 07/29/10 2:10pm

erik319

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Pr1nceQuik said:

Yeah heres one...

This thread sucks balls

in american english:

This thread sucks balls



Thanks for your input. You know a lot about sucking balls, you must be good at it.
blah blah blah
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Reply #12 posted 07/29/10 2:14pm

erik319

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Shorty said:

so we've establish in the other thread.


Ice lolly = Ice pop or popsicle in US



oh yeah...Piss head! how could I forget! still not sure what that means though. lush? drunks? alchies?



there's another "piss" term you guys use..."taking the piss" I think. what the heck is that? like taking a joke or something?



if you call underware pants...what to you call underware? underpants?



if you need to take a left hand turn in your car...what do you call the indicator you use to signal to others that you're turning? I know it varies in the US. I say "directional" my friend from LA. laughs at me and says it's a blinker, but I know others who call it a signal.



[Edited 7/29/10 13:25pm]





Started this thread just for you Shorty wink
blah blah blah
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Reply #13 posted 07/29/10 3:51pm

Christopher

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erik319 said:

Just a fun thread where we can point out different words meaning different things across the pond.

For example, here's a perrfectly innocent American sentence that would definitely get raised eyebrows in Britain:

"his suspenders kept his pants from falling down" eek

And here's a perfectly innocent British sentence that would probably get the same response over in America.

"I've cut down to 10 fags a day." eek

Anyone think of any more?

fanny here usually means butt/behind...and over there lol

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Reply #14 posted 07/29/10 5:05pm

paintsprayer

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accumulator battery

bonnet hood

Tyre tire

wing fender

Now I'm older than movies, Now I'm wiser than dreams, And I know who's there
When silhouettes fall
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Reply #15 posted 07/29/10 5:39pm

TonyVanDam

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UK: metre

USA: meter

UK: At the end of the day,......

USA: The point is,.....

UK: cidre

USA: beer

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Reply #16 posted 07/29/10 6:00pm

paintsprayer

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TonyVanDam said:

UK: metre

USA: meter

UK: At the end of the day,......

USA: The point is,.....

UK: cidre

USA: beer

UK: Ale

USA: Watery piss

Now I'm older than movies, Now I'm wiser than dreams, And I know who's there
When silhouettes fall
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Reply #17 posted 07/29/10 6:43pm

whistle

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i get met with blank stares by Americans all the time.

i wanna post 25 sentences and see how many of you understand them. smile

everyone's a fruit & nut case
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Reply #18 posted 07/29/10 10:39pm

erik319

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whistle said:

i get met with blank stares by Americans all the time.



i wanna post 25 sentences and see how many of you understand them. smile






smile go for it!
blah blah blah
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Reply #19 posted 07/29/10 10:42pm

JustErin

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erik319 said:

Pr1nceQuik said:
Yeah heres one... This thread sucks balls in american english: This thread sucks balls
Thanks for your input. You know a lot about sucking balls, you must be good at it.

lol

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Reply #20 posted 07/29/10 10:47pm

Moonstar319

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My twocents : I really enjoy reading the differences of common phrases & sentences. This kept me from fallins asleep at my desk here at work.
"When words fail, music speaks..." --- Shakespeare
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Reply #21 posted 07/29/10 11:06pm

erik319

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Shyra said:

It always tickled me how Brits call the American cookie a biscuit. I used to work at a hospital that employed people from all over the world. One day a guy from Nigeria educated in London asked me if I wanted a biscuit. I asked him if he had any gravy to go with it! He looked at me like I was nuts. lol



Oh, and another one that cracks me up is "The dog's Bollucks!" I thought that meant the dog was nuts or had rabies. Again, I asked my Nigerian resident what the hell that meant. He burst out laughing! I turned red when he told me what it meant! lol

[Edited 7/29/10 13:13pm]




The Dogs Bollocks = The best thing ever.

An alternate, slightly less naughty version is The Mutts Nutts.

Gravy on a biscuit? Don't be disgusting! lol
blah blah blah
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Reply #22 posted 07/30/10 1:12am

muirdo

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Aluminium and Aluminium

Fuck the funk - it's time to ditch the worn-out Vegas horns fills, pick up the geee-tar and finally ROCK THE MUTHA-FUCKER!! He hinted at this on Chaos, now it's time to step up and fully DELIVER!!
woot!
KrystleEyes 22/03/05
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Reply #23 posted 07/30/10 1:18am

erik319

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TonyVanDam said:

UK: cidre

USA: beer

eek

Beer's called beer in the UK. Breaks down into Lager, Bitter, Mild and Stout.

Cider is a fermented apple drink, the most historically famous of which would be Scrumpy. Do you not have cider in the US?

blah blah blah
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Reply #24 posted 07/30/10 1:23am

erik319

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Shorty said:

florescent said:

windscreen

trunk - boot

hood - bonnet

falloff

boot! lol so you have groceries (do you call them that?) in the back of your car and you want hubby to help you...you say honey, can you get the groceries out of my boot? lol

Yeh groceries, but just the word 'shopping' is probably more commonly used.

"can you get the shopping out of the boot, and while you're at it, can you open the bonnet, I need to check the oil" wink

blah blah blah
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Reply #25 posted 07/30/10 1:40am

ConsciousConta
ct

Whenever I ve been to America they think my accent is Australian. Do you all mistake the English accent for an Australian one?

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Reply #26 posted 07/30/10 1:58am

ZombieKitten

ConsciousContact said:

Whenever I ve been to America they think my accent is Australian. Do you all mistake the English accent for an Australian one?

I think it's just wishful thinking mr.green they do love their aussies over there!!!

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Reply #27 posted 07/30/10 2:08am

ConsciousConta
ct

ZombieKitten said:

ConsciousContact said:

Whenever I ve been to America they think my accent is Australian. Do you all mistake the English accent for an Australian one?

I think it's just wishful thinking mr.green they do love their aussies over there!!!

Since Crocodile Dundee.

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Reply #28 posted 07/30/10 2:09am

ZombieKitten

ConsciousContact said:

ZombieKitten said:

I think it's just wishful thinking mr.green they do love their aussies over there!!!

Since Crocodile Dundee.

they think we say shrimps giggle

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Reply #29 posted 07/30/10 5:00am

whistle

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erik319 said:

whistle said:

i get met with blank stares by Americans all the time.

i wanna post 25 sentences and see how many of you understand them. smile

smile go for it!

well, you'll understand them, you're English.

1. "don't cheek me, you snidey little c**t, i'll chin ya"

2. "have you had a butcher's at Charlotte's baps? they're ace"

i can't be arsed thinking up 23 more examples. here's some more random words and phrases that Americans don't seem to understand.

- full stop

- pissed as a fart

- bagsy me first

- any use of the word 'twat' apart from the female genitalia

- jammy

- minging

- gormless

- plimsoll

- nonce

- going spare

everyone's a fruit & nut case
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