BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Awkward words in the US

Sentimental Pulse · June 18, 2012 3:02 am

I'm still trying to fathom why we drive on a parkway and park in a driveway. Inquiring minds want to know

ancientsgate · June 18, 2012 3:26 am

Sentimental Pulse wrote:
I'm still trying to fathom why we drive on a parkway and park in a driveway. Inquiring minds want to know

*snorfle* That's like an old line from a George Carlin stand-up routine. He was too funny. He used to have a whole skit he'd do about oxymorons-- jumbo shrimp, military intelligence, pretty ugly.

Sentimental Pulse · June 18, 2012 3:33 am

ancientsgate wrote:
Sentimental Pulse wrote:
I'm still trying to fathom why we drive on a parkway and park in a driveway. Inquiring minds want to know
*snorfle* That's like an old line from a George Carlin stand-up routine. He was too funny. He used to have a whole skit he'd do about oxymorons-- jumbo shrimp, military intelligence, pretty ugly.

Always loved George Carlin. It's the eternal hippie in me

kazza474 · June 18, 2012 3:49 am

Here in Australia, we have our own 'words' depending on where in the country we live.
Yes, hard to believe our little island nation can be so firmly divided on some issues.

A classic one is Peanut Butter Vs Peanut Paste

Yes, it is war over that nutty spread stuff.

You can read about the origins of it here:
http://www.pca.com.au/archive.php?subaction=showfull&id=1317391442&archive=&start_from=&ucat=73&

In a nutshell (oh that's punny) Queenslanders mostly call it Peanut Paste due to a dispute probably about a hundred years ago where the Dairy Farmers did not want a product using the same name as their product.
The Southern states stuck with Peanut Butter and hence it has become a quirky rivalry between Qld & the rest of the country over this such item.

Hey, we don't have a lot to argue about here!

Davina · June 18, 2012 7:51 am

And the rest of the world, apparently, as I have NEVER heard it called peanut 'paste'.

kazza474 · June 18, 2012 8:33 am

Heathen!

Davina · June 18, 2012 6:59 pm

Even in German it is butter.

Molly Hooper · June 18, 2012 7:36 pm

I don't know why but 'paste' just sounds a bit gross...

veecee · June 18, 2012 7:56 pm

kazza474 wrote:
Dramagod wrote:
Well to start, I think the word "awkward" is awkward. Lots of weird words in the English language but we have more and even awkwarder, trust me.
Ohhh, it's a brilliant word to use to stop yourself saying 'too much' .

I learnt this from my Twitter friend Elizabeth. Here she is with a good tweet:

Elizabeth Windsor - Queen_UK
Just watched a vintage episode of Mr Bean before realising it was Ed Miliband giving evidence at the #leveson enquiry. Awkward.

There's one in your message: "Learnt" is uncommon in the US. It's usually "learned."
A few of us say "dreamt" and "leapt," but I think more say "dreamed" and "leaped." I've never heard anyone but a child say "keeped," though.

veecee · June 18, 2012 7:58 pm

kazza474 wrote:
Here in Australia, we have our own 'words' depending on where in the country we live.
Yes, hard to believe our little island nation can be so firmly divided on some issues.

A classic one is Peanut Butter Vs Peanut Paste

Yes, it is war over that nutty spread stuff.

You can read about the origins of it here:
http://www.pca.com.au/archive.php?subaction=showfull&id=1317391442&archive=&start_from=&ucat=73&

In a nutshell (oh that's punny) Queenslanders mostly call it Peanut Paste due to a dispute probably about a hundred years ago where the Dairy Farmers did not want a product using the same name as their product.
The Southern states stuck with Peanut Butter and hence it has become a quirky rivalry between Qld & the rest of the country over this such item.

Hey, we don't have a lot to argue about here!

Well, here in the US it's "pop" vs "soda" for soft drinks. And in some parts of the country they call all of it "coke," regardless of the brand or flavor. I'm not sure it rises (or sinks) to the level of rivalry, though.

Last edited by veecee (June 18, 2012 8:25 pm)

Dramagod · June 18, 2012 8:06 pm

Here's one finnish word that's awkward even to us Finns.

Järjestelmällistyttämättömyydellänsäkään. You who don't speak finnish (all of you) try that tongue-twister for size.

veecee · June 18, 2012 8:24 pm

Dramagod wrote:
Here's one finnish word that's awkward even to us Finns.

Järjestelmällistyttämättömyydellänsäkään. You who don't speak finnish (all of you) try that tongue-twister for size.

What does it mean?

Davina · June 18, 2012 8:26 pm

Need to add another awkward American/ English confuse-a-consumer word

Torch in English is Flashlight in American English (oops!)

Molly Hooper · June 18, 2012 8:31 pm

Scone or Sc-own?
I'm for the former, it breaks out into huge riots in my form room (Come on Scones!!!)

Davina · June 18, 2012 9:02 pm

We used to call fizzy drinks 'pop' but you don't often hear it in the UK now, well not in the areas I have visited, except for older people. They use 'pop' in Canada too. People here will generally always call colas 'Coke' regardless of the brand. 'Soda' is only used for soda water.

veecee · June 18, 2012 9:57 pm

Davina wrote:
We used to call fizzy drinks 'pop' but you don't often hear it in the UK now, well not in the areas I have visited, except for older people. They use 'pop' in Canada too. People here will generally always call colas 'Coke' regardless of the brand. 'Soda' is only used for soda water.

So carbonated soft drinks in general are called which now?

Molly Hooper · June 18, 2012 10:02 pm

My family call them 'Fizzy Drinks' or if they've got a brand name we'll call them that.

Sherli Bakerst · June 18, 2012 10:18 pm

Having just watched the Pilot for the first time a couple days ago, I was struck by the sign on what became Speedy's. In the pilot, it's Mrs. Hudson's Snax (or is it spelled snacks?) and Sarnies. I had absolutely no idea what sarnies meant until I googled it. I don't think that word for sandwich is used anywhere in the US.

Also, we don't use whilst at all; it's always while.

veecee · June 18, 2012 10:59 pm

Sherli Bakerst wrote:
Having just watched the Pilot for the first time a couple days ago, I was struck by the sign on what became Speedy's. In the pilot, it's Mrs. Hudson's Snax (or is it spelled snacks?) and Sarnies. I had absolutely no idea what sarnies meant until I googled it. I don't think that word for sandwich is used anywhere in the US.

Also, we don't use whilst at all; it's always while.

Yes, but since you've been watching Sherlock, don't you want to?

kazza474 · June 19, 2012 3:03 am

Davina wrote:
We used to call fizzy drinks 'pop' but you don't often hear it in the UK now, well not in the areas I have visited, except for older people. They use 'pop' in Canada too. People here will generally always call colas 'Coke' regardless of the brand. 'Soda' is only used for soda water.

Oh we call coke, lemonade, etc etc all the same thing :
Soft Drink.