American/english

[zigs]

Been chatting privately about our two nations, divided by a common language.

Thought i'd get a thread going about it to see us through the dark days of winter, provide a bit of amusement & clear up a few misunderstandings

Feel free to add or ask about anything you're not sure about And remember, its just for fun, not a declaration of hostilities.

To start off, a few translations, you probably know most of them.

USA - English

Gas - Petrol

Propane - Gas

Cell Phone - Mobile

Yard - Garden

Bum - Bottom

Cigarette - Fag

Fanny - The part of a Lady you wouldn't mention in polite company

Well theres a few, i'm sure we'll think of more as time goes on.

Some other misconceptions,

Tea.
If a brit invites you round to tea, its not usually just a cup of tea, its a late afternoon light meal usually involving sandwiches, biscuits, toasted muffins or similar.

Brits take the tea bag out before serving the cup of tea, which is usually with milk & 2 sugars (but they will always ask if you take it with milk and sugar first)

Accents.

Not all brits speak posh. We all have regional accents, some of which are a complete language barrier to the others. I have relatives in the midlands that I can hardly understand, even though its only 200 miles away.

To talk to each other, we have to use BBC English, the speach that newsreaders adopt.

USA English

Cookies - Biscuits

Cider - Apple juice

Hard Cider - Cider/Scrumpy

 

[zigs]

Oh bother, when it posted it removed my carefully spaced columns

 

[claudine]

Cider is apple juice? I feel so silly now, some time ago I was asked if I like cider and I responded that I've never tried it I had no idea it's apple juice.
This thread is very interesting, it's always nice to learn something new about language

 

[zigs]

Cider is apple juice? I feel so silly now, some time ago I was asked if I like cider and I responded that I've never tried it I had no idea it's apple juice.
This thread is very interesting, it's always nice to learn something new about language

Only in America, everywhere else Cider is alcoholic so go steady

 

[dhrynio]

Oh these are fun!! I have had to explain these many times to my Polish student in my English classes.

Boot - Trunk (back of your car)
Biscuit - Cracker/cookie
Bonnet - Hood
Chips - French fries
Crisps- Potato chips
Cooker - stove

 

[zigs]

Yaay, someone else is joining in

UK

Trunk - a large suitcase

Bonnet - Not only the front opening bit of a car, but also a ladies hat,

Chips doesn't translate into French fries directly. Chips are sliced potatoes deep fried in fat and then covered in salt and vinegar.

French fries as far as we can work out are deep fried reconstituted stuff that neither we or the French would really want to eat.

Mustard is hot and spicy, not a yellow sauce that goes on everything.

 

[Jed]

gallon 3.8litres US - gallon UK/Aus 4.45litres
Pick up truck US - Ute Aus
Truck US/Aus - Lorry UK
Forest US - Bush Aus
Hoovering US/UK - Vacuuming Aus
Fawcett US - Tap Aus/ UK
Comforter US - Duvet UK- Doona AUS

Flip Flops US/UK - Thongs Aus

 

[zigs]

Good one Jed Sorry, didn't mean to leave the Antipodes out of this, just don't speak much Australian

Thong UK - Very revealing ladies underpants

 

[claudine]

Only in America, everywhere else Cider is alcoholic so go steady

Sometimes foreign languages are so confusing . I'm pretty sure the person who was asking me was an American
I always thought my English is more American, now I'm starting to think it's more UK

 

[Jed]

Good one Jed Sorry, didn't mean to leave the Antipodes out of this, just don't speak much Australian

Thong UK - Very revealing ladies underpants

You may have heard of those devastating bush fires in Tasmania. I heard a radio report that shoes were needed for those affected as the only thing they had to get around in was thongs. I thought of this tread zigs and had a chuckle.

 

[Jed]

Fanny-pack US - Money belt Aus as mentioned fanny not mentioned in polite company

 

[zigs]

Ahh, same meaning in Oz then

 

[claudine]

I have one gardening related (in some ways - it's something you can grow):
maize - corn
I always use the word 'corn'

 

[zigs]

Good one Claudine.

In the UK maize is the animal fodder version. The corn on the cob we grow for eating is called Sweet Corn.

If you said corn in the UK, folk would think you were talking about Wheat.

 

[claudine]

If you said corn in the UK, folk would think you were talking about Wheat.

Thank you for telling this, I had no idea and I'm allergic to wheat (well, not exactly allergic but gluten intolerant) so if I traveled to UK it's possible I would order wheat without knowing it.