# U.S. vs UK words/sayings



## markr6 (Mar 3, 2014)

I was watching the Everest series on Amazon Prime the past few days and noticed a lot of words and sayings the British guys were using. I think one guy from New Zealand too. Some of the words sound funny because it makes sense to me now that I hear it, but just not something I would have used or even heard here in the US.

I also went out with a friend once and he brought his friend from England. We were at a bar and I remember thinking "I know you're speaking English, but I almost don't understand you at all"

So I'm curious, what kind of stuff do WE say in the US that you guys from the UK would never say or maybe even understand? For example, I guess "brilliant" means something like "awesome" in the US...strange it never caught on here.


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## ven (Mar 3, 2014)

garbage=rubbish in uk
jam=jelly
chips in usa=crisps in UK as in packet of salt & vinegar ,chips in uk you have fries in usa,just UK ones are fatter and chips
will think of more :laughing:

Even in UK depending on where you live varies,we have barm cakes/muffins/baps(like bread on a MacDonald big mac)Get funny looks if ask for a chip barm when they know it as a muffin for example.........


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## markr6 (Mar 3, 2014)

ven said:


> garbage=rubbish in uk
> jam=jelly
> chips in usa=crisps in UK as in packet of salt & vinegar ,chips in uk you have fries in usa,just UK ones are fatter and chips
> will think of more :laughing:
> ...



LOL crisps! I love that one. Always laughed watching the show "An Idiot Abroad" when Carl said that a lot (but in general that whole damn show cracked me up the entire time)


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## ven (Mar 3, 2014)

Great stuff
Superb
nice 1
ar kid :laughing:

aye up=how do
laterz=see you later
in a bit= see you again or see you later
my ar5e=yeh right
wicked=awesome
kick a55=awesome

sure more will come :laughing:

I find the "lost in translation" (figure of speech) difficult on all forums,be it UK or USA as it is down to how you interoperate what i type.

Other countries come across as rude/ignorant but they are not,its their culture........if makes sense,i find Germans for example fall under this category..........straight to the point basically.

Been USA couple of times,Florida,and..........well Fernando valley(will leave that working holiday there :laughing 

At all times Americans are very friendly,very welcoming and tbh seem 1 of not the most friendliest peeps i have spent time with out of the UK.

In short i love America,everything is just bigger and better and at times i wish my life was as here but over there..........if makes sense


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## ven (Mar 3, 2014)

Get some *phoenix nights* or *max and paddy* or *mrs browns boys* watched if possible,some great funny stuff there:thumbsup:


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## markr6 (Mar 3, 2014)

ven said:


> At all times Americans are very friendly,very welcoming and tbh seem 1 of not the most friendliest peeps i have spent time with out of the UK.



Well just stay off of Long Island! (uh oh, now I've done it)


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## david57strat (Mar 3, 2014)

I've always wondered:

Since our cookies are their biscuits, what do they call biscuits?
Our flashlights are their torches; so what do they call torches?

Here's an interesting link that translates some of the different uses between British English and American English vocabulary:

http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/british-american.htm


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## ven (Mar 3, 2014)

david57strat said:


> I've always wondered:
> 
> Since our cookies are their biscuits, what do they call biscuits?
> Our flashlights are their torches; so what do they call torches?
> ...


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## ven (Mar 3, 2014)

Off roading=wheeling


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## ven (Mar 3, 2014)

your trunk =our boot


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## Norm (Mar 3, 2014)

david57strat said:


> I've always wondered: Since our cookies are their biscuits, what do they call biscuits?


The closest thing to an American biscuit "as in biscuits and gravy" would be a scone but they are eaten differently.

Some types of dumplings may be similar, as they're eaten more like biscuits. Depends on whether you go by looks or how they're eaten.

Norm


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## ven (Mar 3, 2014)

yorkshire puddings............mmmmmmmmmmm yum yum

Scones with jam and clotted cream..........does that sound tasty to you guys or horrible :laughing:


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## nbp (Mar 3, 2014)

What the heck is clotted cream?!? That sounds nasty. Hahaha!


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## orbital (Mar 3, 2014)

nbp said:


> What the heck is clotted cream?!? That sounds nasty. Hahaha!



+

I think it has something to do with horses


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## dc38 (Mar 3, 2014)

orbital said:


> +
> 
> I think it has something to do with horses


sounds more like butter....coagulated cream is butter, right?


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## PapaLumen (Mar 3, 2014)

Fanny. It does NOT mean bottom in the UK. Aluminium, dont know what this Aluminum stuff is?


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## ven (Mar 3, 2014)

PapaLumen said:


> Fanny. It does NOT mean bottom in the UK. Aluminium, dont know what this Aluminum stuff is?



Alloy or aluminium is just that........... alloy as in alloy wheels


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## ven (Mar 3, 2014)

*Clotted cream (sometimes called clouted cream or Cornish cream) is a thick cream made by indirectly heating full-cream cow's milk using steam or a water bath and then leaving it in shallow pans to cool slowly. During this time, the cream content rises to the surface and forms 'clots' or 'clouts'.[1]​ It forms an essential part of a cream tea.

Thanks wiki*


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## Norm (Mar 3, 2014)

PapaLumen said:


> Aluminium, dont know what this Aluminum stuff is?


Aluminium follows the rules, Aluminum does not, check the other metals on the periodic table. You guys blew it big time.

Norm


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## Steve K (Mar 3, 2014)

Who was it that said "consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds"? 

Yeah, there's no consistency, but there are plenty of precedents for inconsistency in the English language.

I did follow the link that you provided and clicked on the Al box on the table. The link had this text:
"Aluminum was the original name given to the element by Humphry Davy but others called it aluminum and that became the accepted name in Europe. However, in the USA the preferred name was aluminum and when the American Chemical Society debated on the issue, in 1925, it decided to stick with aluminum."
I think there was supposed to be an "aluminium" in there somewhere....

And speaking of local dialects of English, 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/


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## PapaLumen (Mar 3, 2014)

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


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## Norm (Mar 3, 2014)

Steve K said:


> 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


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## DUQ (Mar 3, 2014)

ven said:


> *mrs browns boys*



I agree!

:twothumbs


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## Steve K (Mar 3, 2014)

Norm said:


> 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?


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## idleprocess (Mar 3, 2014)

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.


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## zespectre (Mar 3, 2014)

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.


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## Steve K (Mar 3, 2014)

idleprocess said:


> 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?




idleprocess said:


> British English: Engineer
> American English: Technician
> British English: Boffin*
> American English: Scientist
> ...



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). 




idleprocess said:


> 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!


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## nbp (Mar 3, 2014)

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?


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## Skimo (Mar 3, 2014)

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.


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## inetdog (Mar 3, 2014)

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


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## ElectronGuru (Mar 3, 2014)

nbp said:


> 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'


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## jabe1 (Mar 3, 2014)

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


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## idleprocess (Mar 3, 2014)

Steve K said:


> 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.


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## idleprocess (Mar 3, 2014)

nbp said:


> 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.


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## Norm (Mar 3, 2014)

jabe1 said:


> 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


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## Norm (Mar 3, 2014)

Steve K said:


> 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


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## Steve K (Mar 3, 2014)

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.


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## Norm (Mar 3, 2014)

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


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## Steve K (Mar 3, 2014)

Norm said:


> 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.


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## nbp (Mar 3, 2014)

ElectronGuru said:


> 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.


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## Norm (Mar 3, 2014)

Solder: Well there is a difference, I thought it was just pronunciation but if the word is different, I now understand.

Norm


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## Skimo (Mar 3, 2014)

Silent "L"
Walk and talk with me.
Salmon is my favorite fish.
Could it be possible that a word would have a silent "L" in it?

;D

The English corrupted the pronunciation of the word, well at least in my humble opinion. I'm sure there are some real etymologists or linguistic experts that know more about it than I do.


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## inetdog (Mar 3, 2014)

I believe it was George Bernard Shaw who stated that "ghoti" was a valid spelling of fish.

That is gh as in enough, o as in women, and ti as in quotient.


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## P_A_S_1 (Mar 3, 2014)

Sneakers (US) - Runners (UK)

When I was in London I aslo recall the mens room was commonly referred to as the 'pi$$er'. Thought it was a funny slang.


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## ven (Mar 4, 2014)

inetdog said:


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



Locomotive=train

i call then train drivers

The UK seem to have started dressing job titles up over recent years,lots of***** technician this
To me a technician is a more qualified engineer,an engineer is just that,someone who is skilled,be it tool maker to milling machines etc etc .Basically you make the parts yourself to a set standard working to fine tolerances ...... Be it on a manufacturing machine (like me) or specific parts.


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## Eric242 (Mar 4, 2014)

US Pal & Buddy vs. UK Mate & Bloke & Lad  if I´m not mistaken as it´s not my first language.

Eric


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## Steve K (Mar 4, 2014)

Norm said:


> Solder: Well there is a difference, I thought it was just pronunciation but if the word is different, I now understand.
> 
> Norm



sorry... I may have been imprecise..... the spelling is still "solder", but the "L" never gets pronounced here in the States. No idea why.

Watching Dave Jones' EEVblog, I've also noticed the difference in how the letter "H" is pronounced. In the States, it sounds like "aitch", whereas Dave pronounces it as "haitch" (I hope I've described it adequately). I hadn't noticed if the Aussie pronounciation is also used in the UK. 
But... this is admittedly straying off topic.


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## ven (Mar 4, 2014)

I use matey,buddy,sometimes pal,lots of funny cockney(southern) lingo out there.......

dog n bone=phone
laugh and a joke=smoke(as in cig) 
lots more than that,just off top of my tired head,this brings me on to the stupid English spellings
uk-tyre=tire for example.........so many silly ways to spell simple words.............
We seem to complicate certain words............maybe we just like to be difficult :laughing:


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## Str8stroke (Mar 4, 2014)

Do these qualify? 

Pop = Coke
Soda = Coke
Soda Pop = Coke

Kinda on topic, I once married into a Cuban family. Many sayings and words have different meanings. And many jokes are lost in translation. Needless to say, we had some awkward family moments over the years.


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Mar 4, 2014)

"I'm going to church." This means I'm going to gather with others of similar beliefs to worship. The people gathered together are the The Church, not the building.

"I'm going to the church." This means I'm going to the building, or surrounding grounds where Church is held. I'm probably going there to work, i.e. clean, paint, mow the grass. 

~ Chance


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## Steve K (Mar 4, 2014)

Chauncey Gardiner said:


> "I'm going to church." This means I'm going to gather with others of similar beliefs to worship. The people gathered together are the The Church, not the building.
> 
> "I'm going to the church." This means I'm going to the building, or surrounding grounds where Church is held. I'm probably going there to work, i.e. clean, paint, mow the grass.
> 
> ~ Chance



agreed. The phrases "going to church" or "going to school" sort of imply that "church" and "school" are being treated less like nouns and almost like verbs.... i.e. church and school are being referred to as actions and not simply the building. 
Is that how Brits consider the word "hospital" when saying "he went to hospital"? 

..I think I can add the phrase "going to lunch" as another instance where the noun is treated like a verb. In this case, though, "lunch" is not an obvious physical entity. 

I tell 'ya, languages are so complicated when you actually stop to thing about them! Not unlike tying your shoe.


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## inetdog (Mar 4, 2014)

You mean lacing your shoe??


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## Steve K (Mar 4, 2014)

oh oh... another area for confusion?

well, I was referring to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhXXYuCpVwc

Nice to know that the web can explain stuff that I've been relying on muscle memory for.


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Mar 4, 2014)

Lacing your shoe is when you thread the laces through the eyelets. The tips are called aglets. 

Tying your laces is the last step. I don't always need to lace my shoes, but I always need to tie my laces. 

~ Chance


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## nbp (Mar 4, 2014)

I think watching that video I actually unlearned how to tie my shoes. 

I'm totally gonna try that bunny ears method though! Hahaha


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## Skimo (Mar 4, 2014)

Going through Europe and asking where the restroom is pointless, ask for the loo or water closet (WC). One of my first nights I almost took a pee outside because I couldn't find a bathroom. Luckily I was with guys who had been in Europe before and they pointed to the WC.


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## Capolini (Mar 4, 2014)

Norm said:


> The closest thing to an American biscuit "as in biscuits and gravy" would be a scone but they are eaten differently.
> 
> Some types of dumplings may be similar, as they're eaten more like biscuits. Depends on whether you go by looks or how they're eaten.
> 
> Norm


 Norm,,your a many of many faces!! lol!


Biscuits,,,,,hmmmmm,,Capo loves Biscuits,,,,,,Dog Biscuits=treats!! :twothumbs


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## zespectre (Mar 5, 2014)

nbp said:


> I think watching that video I actually unlearned how to tie my shoes.
> I'm totally gonna try that bunny ears method though! Hahaha



Oh Piffle, you should try Ian's Secure Knot. It's the BEST for hiking boots!
http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm

(see what I did there...piffle...see <grin>)


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## Hot Brass (Mar 14, 2014)

Thermos=flask

HB


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## ven (Mar 14, 2014)

From a just posted post,pacifier=dummy


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## PhotonWrangler (Mar 14, 2014)

If I recall correctly, the hood of a car is called a bonnet in the UK, correct? That just sounds so wonderfully proper.


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## Norm (Mar 14, 2014)

PhotonWrangler said:


> If I recall correctly, the hood of a car is called a bonnet in the UK, correct? That just sounds so wonderfully proper.



And the trunk is the boot.

Norm


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## ven (Mar 15, 2014)

Yes correct,i often lift the bonnet to check my oil and water,then throw my stuff in the boot


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## PhotonWrangler (Mar 15, 2014)

Thanks. A bonnet sounds like something dainty that I wouldn't expect to find any dirt or grease under.


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## ven (Mar 15, 2014)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Thanks. A bonnet sounds like something dainty that I wouldn't expect to find any dirt or grease under.




Little pic of a few bonnets,we call it the walt salute!!!(he is always under his bonnet faffing)




Its just a thing we do now for fun,walts in oz now,great guy,in some of my youtube vids...............when i took his truck to a pay and play(off road site) but i digress sorry

But some bonnet pics for you


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## Steve K (Mar 15, 2014)

ven said:


> Little pic of a few bonnets,we call it the walt salute!!!(he is always under his bonnet faffing)
> .....



"faffing" is one of the UK terms that throws me... I assume I can figure out the meaning from context, but I'm never quite sure. My assumption is that it means fiddling around or tinkering, with an implication of wasting time or being marginally productive.
Am I close??


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## ven (Mar 15, 2014)

Very close steve as in just that .......well to me anyway :twothumbs


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## broadgage (Mar 18, 2014)

inetdog said:


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



Yes for a steam or diesel locomotive, and SOMETIMES for an electric locomotive, but a pedant would call the driver of an electric locomotive a "motorman"

And back in the old days, "engine driver" was applied to the person in charge of a static steam engine in say a power plant. An old text book that I have about the electrical industry refers to the day to day operation of small industrial power stations

"in small industrial plants, day to day operation is normally left in charge of the engine driver, with the works electrician being called in for any exceptional work"


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## Hot Brass (Mar 18, 2014)

Git=idiot HB


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## ven (Mar 18, 2014)

Plonker= stupid/idiot/moron


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## Norm (Mar 18, 2014)

Steve K said:


> "faffing" is one of the UK terms that throws me... I assume I can figure out the meaning from context, but I'm never quite sure. My assumption is that it means fiddling around or tinkering, with an implication of wasting time or being marginally productive.
> Am I close??


You can add blather to that one Steve.

Norm


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## ven (Mar 18, 2014)

Not heard of that one norm............


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## PedroDaGr8 (Mar 18, 2014)

http://bitsandpieces.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/imagesenglish-American-vs-British.jpg

*Image tags removed see Rule #3 Do not Hot Link images. Please host on an image site, Imageshack or similar and repost – Thanks Norm*


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## ven (Mar 18, 2014)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ :laughing: some of them are new to me anyway,love the rooty tooty point and shooty one :laughing:


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## ven (Mar 18, 2014)

Oh and its windscreen wipers or wiper blades up here(northern) in UK


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## mcnair55 (Mar 18, 2014)

We should get them all using the cockney( London talk )

A couple of examples

Danny La Rue (Clue)
La Di Da (Cigar)
Hank Marvin (Starving)


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## Norm (Mar 18, 2014)

Norm said:


> You can add blather to that one Steve.
> 
> Norm


blath·er
ˈblaT͟Hər/
verb
verb: blather; 3rd person present: blathers; past tense: blathered; past participle: blathered; gerund or present participle: blathering; verb: blither; 3rd person present: blithers; past tense: blithered; past participle: blithered; gerund or present participle: blithering; verb: blether; 3rd person present: blethers; past tense: blethered; past participle: blethered; gerund or present participle: blethering

1.
talk long-windedly without making very much sense.
"she began blathering on about spirituality and life after death"
synonyms:	prattle, babble, chatter, twitter, prate, go on, run on, rattle on, yap, jabber, maunder, ramble, burble, drivel, blabber, gab; More
informalyak, yatter, yammer, bloviate, talk a blue streak
"he just blathered about his old girlfriends"

noun
noun: blather; noun: blither; noun: blether

1.
long-winded talk with no real substance.
synonyms:	prattle, chatter, twitter, babble, prating, gabble, jabber, rambling;


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## jabe1 (Mar 18, 2014)

Please don't complicate this with cockney. I'm pretty good with the basics, but the cockney is all rhyme and rythm, using many things known only to the locals; nearly impossible.


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## Kingfisher (Mar 20, 2014)

The American "English muffin" is both a travesty of Englishness and muffindom.


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## Steve K (Mar 20, 2014)

My guess is that it is called an English muffin because there's not a better name for it. It looks more like an American biscuit than it does an American muffin. In texture, it's more like bread.... maybe sourdough?? 

I suppose that it is as English as the french fry is French.


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## James3 (Mar 20, 2014)

Cotton Bud = Q-tip
Brew up= make a cup of tea 
He's a Dab hand at this = he's a natural/ good at it
Jumper= sweater 
Pavement = sidewalk
Cozzy (for women)= bathing suit
nappy= diaper 
Aubergine= eggplant
Plaster - band aid


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## Nyctophiliac (Mar 21, 2014)

Here are a few I don't believe have been mentioned.

*US* *UK*

'a flat' ... 'a puncture'
'in back'... 'behind'
'pissed' is angry ...'pissed' is exceedingly drunk
Purse ...Handbag
Loafer ...Slip-on
Soda - is flavoured fizzy drink... Soda - is fizzy water
Jello... Jelly
Candy ...Sweets
Flapjack - is a pancake ...Flapjack is a dense oaty bar

That's it for now ,but I'm sure more will come.

Vives les differrences!!!


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## Norm (Mar 21, 2014)

James3 said:


> Cotton Bud = Q-tip


Isn't Q-tip a brand name used as a generic name like Bic or Biro?

Norm


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## Jumpmaster (Mar 21, 2014)

I've been to London a few times and have had "crumpets"...which to me were exactly the same as we call "English muffins" here in the US.

But we do not have clotted cream nor lemon curd here.


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## Norm (Mar 21, 2014)

This is an English Muffin in Australia.







This is a crumpet.


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## Launch Mini (Mar 21, 2014)

Not sure if applies to the UK, but it does Canada, and we do share more with the UK that the US does, but for school kids
We say Grade 1, Grade 2 etc , the US The First Grade..
Same with University,
First Year = Freshman
Second Year - Sophomore
Third Year - Junior
Fourth - Senior

Ie My daughter is a third year student, not a Junior


Trolly - Bus



Th


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## Norm (Mar 21, 2014)

Australia has a similar mix of UK English and US English, due mainly to the influence of TV over the last 57 years, spoken English is very different to what it was prior to the advent of television.

Norm


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## Steve K (Mar 21, 2014)

since the thread is morphing into "Food Talk", and someone mentioned clotted cream, I thought about the British habit of putting sweetened condensed milk on pie (as I understand it). 

It seems roughly analogous to the US habit of adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a piece of pie (normally a fruit pie, such as apple). Once the ice cream is melting, there's not much difference between it and the sweetened condensed milk. However, I think most folks here in the US would cringe if someone suggested serving pie in the British fashion.

My assumption is that it follows the general trend for the US to serve food and drinks cold, whereas the UK is much less likely to serve anything cold. Is it just because it gets hot here in the US, and the UK is just happy when the sun shines and things dry out?


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## Jumpmaster (Mar 21, 2014)

I don't know -- English muffins and crumpets look and taste the same to me and I'm quite a foodie...

And I've had cream pie which is pretty much baked sweetened condensed milk and eggs...but never put sweetened condensed milk *on* pie...might be good but I've never tried it. Maybe next time I'm in London.


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## Norm (Mar 21, 2014)

Jumpmaster said:


> I don't know -- English muffins and crumpets look and taste the same to me and I'm quite a foodie...



If we're talking about the same thing a English muffin is a type of bread a crumpet bears no resemble either in taste or texture. 

What's the Difference? Crumpets Versus English Muffins

Norm


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## Jumpmaster (Mar 21, 2014)

Yeah, not really. They taste the same to me and have the same texture...to me.

A lot of the differences in your link there cite differences in presentation...served split or not, etc.

All I know is I've had both, several times, and they taste/look/feel the same to me and nothing is going to successfully convince me otherwise.  It may also depend on which particular English muffin and which particular crumpet one is comparing also.

Oh, and the crumpets I've had in England were served split, FWIW...


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## Norm (Mar 21, 2014)

You're obviously talking about different animals they are as different as chalk and cheese.



Jumpmaster said:


> It may also depend on which particular English muffin and which particular crumpet one is comparing also.



Photos were posted to make it clear as to what products I'm referring to.

Norm


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## Jumpmaster (Mar 21, 2014)

Maybe your "English muffins" down there are different than ours in the US.

Pictures are fine, but they cannot convey taste and texture...

Anyway, I think they're the same and the others I was with that have had both also consider them the same.

If you want to say they're different, that's fine of course. I'm just saying they taste/look/feel the same to me. Not sure why this has become such an issue here...

Anyway, back on topic...I have a British car, so I refer to its parts in "British" English. Seems appropriate.


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## matt4350 (Mar 21, 2014)

Jumpmaster said:


> Anyway, back on topic...I have a British car, so I refer to its parts in "British" English. Seems appropriate.



Then you keep your torch in the glovebox, I imagine...


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## Nyctophiliac (Mar 22, 2014)

Norm said:


> Australia has a similar mix of UK English and US English, due mainly to the influence of TV over the last 57 years, spoken English is very different to what it was prior to the advent of television.
> 
> Norm



This is very noticeable in my kids, they will say 'Zee' for the last letter of the alphabet and not the English pronounciation 'Zed'

In the US you say 'Pickle' for the UK's 'Wally' (South East slang)

In the US 'Corned Beef' is what we would call 'Salt Beef' - to us, 'Corned Beef comes in a can - is that 'Bully Beef' in the US?


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## ven (Mar 22, 2014)

All though this is US vs UK one of my favorites is Sheila = female in Australia


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## ven (Mar 22, 2014)

From a pommy


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## mcnair55 (Mar 22, 2014)

Never mind all that silly US v UK talk as we can get by together easy enough,if you live in the UK you need to learn Polski Sklep = Polish Shop.


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## PhotonWrangler (Mar 22, 2014)

There's a recurring gag on Letterman about obscure British terms... :laughing:


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## Replicant (Mar 22, 2014)

Norm said:


> Isn't Q-tip a brand name used as a generic name like Bic or Biro?
> 
> Norm



It is, but no one I know calls them cotton swabs as the package says. Kind of like when people call all hook and loop Velcro.


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## Norm (Mar 22, 2014)

ven said:


> All though this is US vs UK one of my favorites is Sheila = female in Australia


Sheila has fallen from usage in Australia I can't say that I've heard it in normal conversation since I was a kid and I'm in my 60's now.

Norm


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## ven (Mar 22, 2014)

Norm said:


> Sheila has fallen from usage in Australia I can't say that I've heard it in normal conversation since I was a kid and I'm in my 60's now.
> 
> Norm



Blast those Fosters lager adverts :laughing:..............its all lies i tell you lies...........:laughing:


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## Norm (Mar 22, 2014)

ven said:


> Blast those Fosters lager adverts :laughing:..............its all lies i tell you lies...........:laughing:



I'm talking everyday usage not the *real* world of advertising:devil:

Norm


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## idleprocess (Mar 22, 2014)

Norm said:


> I'm talking everyday usage not the *real* world of advertising:devil:
> 
> Norm


Next you're going to tell us that Outback Steakhouse lacks Australian roots and Foster's is not particularly popular in Australia.


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## Norm (Mar 22, 2014)

idleprocess said:


> Next you're going to tell us that Outback Steakhouse lacks Australian roots and Foster's is not particularly popular in Australia.


Which you know is all true, nobody has ever heard of a bloomin, onion here, I've eaten there the steak was good but let's say it didn't really make me feel at home and some of the names of dishes on the menu are all marketing they certain didn't originate in Australia.

Norm


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## ven (Mar 22, 2014)

idleprocess said:


> Next you're going to tell us that Outback Steakhouse lacks Australian roots and Foster's is not particularly popular in Australia.




Eaten at one in San Fernando Valley ,AWESOME loved the steaks and the onion ring starters(although not rings :laughing: ) :twothumbs


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## mcnair55 (Mar 22, 2014)

ven said:


> Blast those Fosters lager adverts :laughing:..............its all lies i tell you lies...........:laughing:



I hope you do not drink that foul stuff.Only Germany and the Czech Republic make decent lagers.


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## ven (Mar 22, 2014)

mcnair55 said:


> I hope you do not drink that foul stuff.Only Germany and the Czech Republic make decent lagers.



:laughing: i dont even drink!!! and for the very very odd one(sometimes with a meal) its certainly not fosters:thumbsdow


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## idleprocess (Mar 22, 2014)

Norm said:


> Which you know is all true, nobody has ever heard of a bloomin, onion here, I've eaten there the steak was good but let's say it didn't really make me feel at home and some of the names of dishes on the menu are all marketing they certain didn't originate in Australia.
> 
> Norm



Taco Bell - which vaguely alludes to itself as being Mexican - is positioned as unusual American fair in Central and South America.


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## Steve K (Mar 23, 2014)

was just reading a British bicycle website (i.e. "push bike") and was reminded of the "mudguard"/"fender" difference. Functionally, I suppose "mudguard" makes a lot more sense. I'm not even sure what "fender" should really mean... other than to fend off the mud and slop?? Really, if you stopped to think about what the heck words should mean, you'd never be able to get of bed in the morning!

Some days I'm just stymied trying to figure out why it's "gray" in the US and "grey" in the UK. 
Oh well, I still enjoy riding my bicycles as well as a cup of Earl Grey. Still haven't warmed up to Marmite, though.


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## mcnair55 (Mar 23, 2014)

Steve K said:


> was just reading a British bicycle website (i.e. "push bike") and was reminded of the "mudguard"/"fender" difference. Functionally, I suppose "mudguard" makes a lot more sense. I'm not even sure what "fender" should really mean... other than to fend off the mud and slop?? Really, if you stopped to think about what the heck words should mean, you'd never be able to get of bed in the morning!
> 
> Some days I'm just stymied trying to figure out why it's "gray" in the US and "grey" in the UK.
> Oh well, I still enjoy riding my bicycles as well as a cup of Earl Grey. Still haven't warmed up to Marmite, though.



And just think we drive on the correct side of the road in the UK.


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## Norm (Mar 23, 2014)

Steve K said:


> Some days I'm just stymied trying to figure out why it's "gray" in the US and "grey" in the UK.


Come to Australia both are acceptable as with Tyre and Tire.

Norm


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## idleprocess (Mar 23, 2014)

mcnair55 said:


> And just think we drive on the correct side of the road in the UK.


Funny, we also drive on the correct side of the road here in the US. It's like it's not an absolute thing...


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## Steve K (Mar 24, 2014)

Norm said:


> Come to Australia both are acceptable as with Tyre and Tire.
> 
> Norm



"grey" gets some useage here in the US, but nobody writes "tyre". 

courtesy of the interwebs, here is an etymology of "tire":
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=tire

tire (n.) late 15c., "iron plates forming a rim of a carriage wheel," probably from tire "equipment, dress, covering" (c.1300), a shortened form of attire (n.). The notion is of the tire as the dressing of the wheel. The original spelling was tyre, which had shifted to tire in 17c.-18c., but since early 19c. tyre has been revived in Great Britain and become standard there. Rubber ones, for bicycles (later automobiles) are from 1877. A tire-iron originally was one of the iron plates; as a device for separating a tire from a wheel, by 1909.

It makes me wonder if spelling wasn't standardized prior to the mass production and use of dictionaries. I can only assume that literacy was quite low in the days prior to the printing press, and this contributed to spelling variations?


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Mar 24, 2014)

Norm said:


> Come to Australia both are acceptable as with Tyre and Tire.
> 
> Norm



My Grandfather used to refer to them as casings. The gas pedal was the foot-feed. 

~ Chance


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## ven (Mar 24, 2014)

I call tires boots........

Must admit the English spelling is stupid,as for where mr mcnair comes from welsh is very very confusing............well unless your welsh of course.

Yr wyf yn meddwl CPF yn safle mawr, ac yn gartref perffaith ar gyfer rhai sy'n hoff flashlight

Edit- flashlight should really be torch which is tortsh


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## ElectronGuru (Mar 24, 2014)

Steve K said:


> Oh well, I still enjoy riding my bicycles as well as a cup of Earl Grey. Still haven't warmed up to Marmite, though.



Brought a bicycle over from the UK, to discover that the left lever works with the rear tire and the right with the front!


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## inetdog (Mar 24, 2014)

I always thought that was the only way. 
The front brake is the more powerful and touchy, so it gets controlled by the dominant hand.


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## Norm (Mar 24, 2014)

Brake lever setup - left/right.

Norm


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## Jay R (Mar 25, 2014)

Coming from England....
When I was 21 I went to stay in San Luois Obispo, California for a while. My Goth friend took me to her local hang out which turned out the be the place for all the drifters, goths, gays, bums, etc...
So, I'm sitting around a big table with about 15 of her friends getting along great, with them hanging on my every South London accented word when one of them offers me a cigarette...
"No thanks. I don't like fags."
It went REALLY quiet.....
Then it clicked...
"CIGARETTES, I don't smoke cigarettes......"


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## Jay R (Mar 25, 2014)

If you want to try Cockney, don't make the rookie mistake of saying the rhyming word. "The trouble and strife is on the dog and bone" would get you laughed at or possibly beaten up where I grew up. "The trouble's on the dog."is all you would want to say.

(In the middle of this post the power went out in my street for 40 mins. Damn but my neighbours all have laughably weak torches. I showed them all up with my Skyray King)

Quite a lot of common phrases you hear in England have their origins in Cockney. Scarper (run away), Go for a Jimmey, Take a butchers at this, Don't tell porkies, That's a load of cobblers, She has a nice set of Bristols, He's doing bird, and many others. Most English people don't even realise it.


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## novice (Mar 26, 2014)

Does the occasional use of the British phrase, "a cunning plan..." come from the former BBC "Blackadder" t.v. series?


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## ElectronGuru (Mar 30, 2014)

Counter-clockwise
Anti-clockwise


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## orbital (Mar 30, 2014)

+

*Is there some kind of master key for when to pronounce an A as an R,,* because it doesn't always seem to apply.
Often very troubling for many

For example:: tennis player MariR SharapovR ~


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## ElectronGuru (May 5, 2014)

Out of pocket...

US: responsible to pay (from my pocket)

UK: not working for someone (not in their pocket)


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## inetdog (May 6, 2014)

ElectronGuru said:


> Out of pocket...
> 
> US: responsible to pay (from my pocket)
> 
> UK: not working for someone (not in their pocket)



Recently in US as synonymous with out of the office or out of contact.
Possibly influenced by the football situation of the quarterback being "out of the pocket".


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## eaglemax (May 6, 2014)

I have found on other forums not related to a torch that some US men do not see the British humour and think you are being rude or cheeky when in fact you are just using every day speech.


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## gravelmonkey (May 6, 2014)

Knackered - Tired and/or worn out. 

Ie. Knackered after a long day or "I need to change that tyre, it's knackered".


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## ven (May 6, 2014)

Eaglemax that could be quite true,I try to adapt my figure of speech although it's pretty much as is (I pretty much type what I think) be it stupid or not :laughing:

But there is always a "lost in translation" even on uk forums with uk humor as it varies a lot anyway.


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## markr6 (Mar 29, 2019)

Forgot about this thread but was reminded in another. So to keep from going OT I'm back here.

I watched a good amount of British and Australian shows on Netflix recently. I like how a lot of people start sentences with "Right...". Sounds more classy than our "OK..." or "So..."


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## bykfixer (Mar 29, 2019)

I thought "boot" was the rear storage of a car called "trunk" in US, but why trunk when everybody knows and elephants trunk is up front?

The other day Ven referred to filling up his fuel tank to "the brim", which caused me to pause and think... "brim??, oh he means to "full". lol


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Mar 29, 2019)

Don't get me started on - 


*trunk*

(trŭngk)_n.*1.a. The main woody axis of a tree.
b. Architecture The shaft of a column.
*
*2.a. The body of a human or other vertebrate, excluding the head and limbs.
b. The thorax of an insect.
*
*3. A proboscis, especially the long prehensile proboscis of an elephant.*
*4.a. A main body, apart from tributaries or appendages.
b. The main stem of a blood vessel or nerve apart from the branches.
*
*5. A trunk line.*
*6. A chute or conduit.*
*7. Nauticala. A watertight shaft connecting two or more decks.
b. The housing for the centerboard of a vessel.
*
*8. Nautical Any of certain structures projecting above part of a main deck, as:a. A covering over the hatches of a ship.
b. An expansion chamber on a tanker.
c. A cabin on a small boat.
*
*9.a. A covered compartment for luggage and storage, generally at the rear of an automobile.
b. A large packing case or box that clasps shut, used as luggage or for storage.
*
__*10. trunks Shorts worn for swimming or other athletics. 


** Is it any wonder why English is such a terribly hard language to learn? 

~ Chance

*
_


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## ven (Mar 29, 2019)

bykfixer said:


> I thought "boot" was the rear storage of a car called "trunk" in US, but why trunk when everybody knows and elephants trunk is up front?
> 
> The other day Ven referred to filling up his fuel tank to "the brim", which caused me to pause and think... "brim??, oh he means to "full". lol




Haha, yes brim/brimmed =full
Bonnet=hood
"Pop the bonnet mate"


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## markr6 (Mar 29, 2019)

_Innit_!! LOL! Love that one.


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