U.S. vs UK words/sayings

[PapaLumen]

Bit of history on wiki. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium

It seems Humphry Davy did indeed name it Aluminum (actually called it Alumium first). I think the "but others called it Aluminum and that became the accepted name in Europe" is referring to Aluminium and the Aluminum is a typo.

So europeans making it harder for ourselves as usual

 

[Norm]

I've been watching EEVblog videos and find myself scratching my head now and then, trying to figure out some of Dave Jone's Aussie phrases. If anyone hasn't seen his video blog and is a 'tronics hobbyist, you should...
http://www.eevblog.com/

I'm well aware of EEVblog and Dave's accent is fairly broad, I'm guessing the excitement in his voice doesn't help, if you ever ned a tranlastion PM me with the link.

Norm

 

[DUQ]

*mrs browns boys*

I agree!

:twothumbs

 

[Steve K]

I'm well aware of EEVblog and Dave's accent is fairly broad, I'm guessing the excitement in his voice doesn't help, if you ever ned a tranlastion PM me with the link.

Norm

Dave's accent is fine, for me at least. It's the occasional phrase that makes me go .."huh??"... I think one of them is something like "that's a real bobby dezzler" or something like that. It makes me think of the British rhyming slang.

Mostly, I cringe every time Dave pronounces the "L" in "solder".
.. or says "LED" as an acronym instead of as an initialism.
It's clearly just cultural, but I can't help myself. Is it wrong to yell "sodder, not 'solder'!!" at a laptop?

 

[idleprocess]

British English: "In hospital"
American English: "In the hospital"
A minor point of distinction - perhaps the American usage is to place emphasis on the seriousness of being hospitalized

British English: Engineer
American English: Technician
British English: Boffin*
American English: Scientist
In American usage, scientists discover and advance our understanding of scientific principles, engineers develop applications of scientific principles into working technology, and technicians implement technology
*probably more slang and the price I pay for reading The Register a good deal in the past

British English: Lift
American English: Elevator

British English: Holiday
American English: Vacation
In America, one is likely to take a vacation during a holiday. Vacation is time off from work while holidays are dates on the calendar when everyone has time off - travel optional

British English: Pint (a mug of beer)
American English: Pint (16 fluid ounces)



A few more are tip-of-the-tongue right now. Perhaps I'll fully recall them later.

 

[zespectre]

English---->American
Boot............Trunk
Fag..............Cigarette
Lorry..............Truck
Barmy.............crazy
Gone Spare...............Furious (having a temper tantrum)
Bespoke....................custom made
to Nick......................steal

that's about all I know.

 

[Steve K]

British English: "In hospital"
American English: "In the hospital"
A minor point of distinction - perhaps the American usage is to place emphasis on the seriousness of being hospitalized

this part mystifies me too.
The closest analogy I can think of is the saying "We're going to church now". Technically, we are going to -the- church. I have no idea how the "the" got lost from that sentence, but it's not coming back.
Or is it like "time to go to school'? In both cases, "church" and "school" are as much a process or event as a destination. Maybe "hospital" is the same?

British English: Engineer
American English: Technician
British English: Boffin*
American English: Scientist
In American usage, scientists discover and advance our understanding of scientific principles, engineers develop applications of scientific principles into working technology, and technicians implement technology
*probably more slang and the price I pay for reading The Register a good deal in the past

My experience is that engineer has the same meaning in England as the USA. Well, at least in terms of the applied science of engineering. I'm an electrical engineer, as is fellow CPF bloke Bandgap (he writes for the U.K. EE publication Electronics Weekly).

British English: Pint (a mug of beer)
American English: Pint (16 fluid ounces)

at least in England the pint glasses are marked so you know you are getting a pint. Or a half pint, which I think I got when I was killing some time in Cantebury.

I can't recall the last time I asked for a pint here in the USA. It's just "gimme a beer".. and then "what sizes do you have?". Not a big deal.
Even in Spanish, I got in trouble ordering beer! My Spanish is minimal, so when I tried ordering a beer... "una cerveza" in Spain, I learned that I had to specify "una canya", which was the 12 oz size beer. That's my favorite way to learn a new language!

 

[nbp]

Haha, that one sounds funny. "In hospital". That sounds like someone for whom English is a second language speaking. Why would you not use an article in that situation? Are people also "in restroom", "at store", or "eating sandwich" or are articles used in all other situations?

 

[Skimo]

Pants, underwear
Fanny, as mentioned earlier, is not a womans bum.
My short time in Mildenhall showed me that English and American English can be vastly different things. My favorite memory from that trip was outside of Club Dinero when some guys rode by on bikes and I head one of them say "We'll show them what proper thugs we are." I almost fell over laughing. I had hoped that watching Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels would have prepared me... English is a trip.

 

[inetdog]

The person who runs a locomotive is an engine driver, not an engineer.

 

[ElectronGuru]

Haha, that one sounds funny. "In hospital". That sounds like someone for whom English is a second language speaking.

Sure, but we do say 'my son is in college'. Even if we would never say 'my son is at university'

 

[jabe1]

Theses are some of my favorites. I have never had a problem with accents, or odd translations though. Perhaps due to being over- Shakespeared during my school years.

Spanner--wrench
garden--yard
Petrol--Gas

 

[idleprocess]

My experience is that engineer has the same meaning in England as the USA. Well, at least in terms of the applied science of engineering. I'm an electrical engineer, as is fellow CPF bloke Bandgap (he writes for the U.K. EE publication Electronics Weekly).

I occasionally speak with folks from the UK on a VoIP chatroom-type application and they've consistently used the term "engineer" for numerous technician-type functions such as climate-control technicians, building engineers (really just lead facilities technicians), specialized mechanics, etc. Perhaps it's a matter of what sort of people you're talking to. Perhaps they don't quite make the distinction like Americans tend to.

 

[idleprocess]

Haha, that one sounds funny. "In hospital". That sounds like someone for whom English is a second language speaking. Why would you not use an article in that situation? Are people also "in restroom", "at store", or "eating sandwich" or are articles used in all other situations?

I used to work odd hours, so BBC World Service was a typical feature on the ride home, and that phrasing was used with complete consistency.

 

[Norm]

Theses are some of my favorites. I have never had a problem with accents, or odd translations though. Perhaps due to being over- Shakespeared during my school years.
garden--yard

A garden can be in your yard but a yard doesn't necessarily contain a garden. You may have a cattle yard but you wouldn't have a cattle garden.

Norm

 

[Norm]

Dave's accent is fine, for me at least. It's the occasional phrase that makes me go .."huh??"... I think one of them is something like "that's a real bobby dezzler" or something like that. It makes me think of the British rhyming slang.

Mostly, I cringe every time Dave pronounces the "L" in "solder".
.. or says "LED" as an acronym instead of as an initialism.
It's clearly just cultural, but I can't help myself. Is it wrong to yell "sodder, not 'solder'!!" at a laptop?

Bobby Dazzler , Solder how do you pronounce Sold? Sodd? well then Solder has to be Sold er, how do you pronounce Holder? Hodder? same deal Hold er.

Norm

 

[Steve K]

for some reason, the discussion of cattle in the garden reminded me of the British phrase "toys in the attic". When I was still young, there was an Aerosmith album by that name, and I had no idea that it actually meant "crazy" or "nutters".
It is a nicely evocative phrase, though.

heck, we could do a whole thread just on euphemisms for crazy or not too smart... "a few cards short of a full deck", "not the sharpest knife in the drawer", etc.

 

[Norm]

A picnic short of a sandwich.

By the way anything sold at Macca's would never be called a sandwich.

I've spent time mostly in the Southern states so I'm more familiar with sayings down south. I had a friend who would say "youstacould" when he had forgotten how to do something, all a y'All was also common when he discussed a group. He was from AR lives here now.

Norm

 

[Steve K]

Bobby Dazzler , Solder how do you pronounce Sold? Sodd? well then Solder has to be Sold er, how do you pronounce Holder? Hodder? same deal Hold er.

Norm

"bobby dazzler" is in the urban dictionary? who would have guessed...
no etymology, though? Were local constables smitten with the attractive lass, perhaps??

Solder. no "L".
Sold. it has an "L".
Don't ask me why. It's like asking why you don't pronounce the "w" in answer, or the "d" in Wednesday... or half of Worchestershire.

 

[nbp]

Sure, but we do say 'my son is in college'. Even if we would never say 'my son is at university'

So what it really comes to is how the noun is used. Americans view the hospital solely as a location at which you can be present, necesitating an article. You can go to 'the' hospital or stay in 'a' hospital. The word does not double as a general term for healthcare. The same with university; it is a location and requires an article. College on the other hand is both a location as well as a general term for higher education. You can go to visit "a college" as in a specific one like Stanford, or enroll "in college" meaning any post high school curriculum. Weird.