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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"
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."
Anyone think of any more?
blah blah blah | |
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Yeah heres one... This thread sucks balls in american english: This thread sucks balls | |
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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!
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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Americans - be careful when you ask a Brit if they want to see your pants. | |
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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? [Edited 7/29/10 12:34pm] | |
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Pants is underwear here! | |
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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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windscreen
trunk - boot hood - bonnet
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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.
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! [Edited 7/29/10 13:13pm] | |
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boot! 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? "not a fan" yeah...ok | |
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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" yeah...ok | |
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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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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 blah blah blah | |
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fanny here usually means butt/behind...and over there lol | |
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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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UK: metre
USA: meter
UK: At the end of the day,......
USA: The point is,.....
UK: cidre
USA: beer
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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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i get met with blank stares by Americans all the time.
i wanna post 25 sentences and see how many of you understand them.
everyone's a fruit & nut case | |
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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.
go for it! blah blah blah | |
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My : 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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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.
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! [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! blah blah blah | |
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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!!
KrystleEyes 22/03/05 | |
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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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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" blah blah blah | |
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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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I think it's just wishful thinking they do love their aussies over there!!! | |
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Since Crocodile Dundee. | |
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they think we say shrimps | |
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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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