BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012.


You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?



April 25, 2012 7:42 pm  #1


Awkward words in the US

I'll start this off. We've already had 'fag'.

UK 'Lush' - meaning luxuriant vegetation, growing in abundance, luxurious, opulent (adjective)
US 'Lush'- a drunkard (noun)


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
 

April 25, 2012 7:58 pm  #2


Re: Awkward words in the US

UK - "biscuit" - sweet baked product with tea/coffee
US - "biscuit" - savoury delicacy served with gravy, veggies (similar to scone)


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Watson: Anytime you want to include me... "No, I'm Sherlock Holmes. I always work alone because no one else can compete with my massive intellect!"
 

April 26, 2012 2:19 am  #3


Re: Awkward words in the US

I'll be a bit different.

US : Cheerios - a breakfast cereal
AUS: Cheerios - cocktail frankfurts

You can imagine my horror being an Aussie when an American friend told me they poured milk over their cheerios; and their horror at the thought of me putting tomato sauce on mine!


US: Thongs - female underwear
AUS: Thongs - footwear (you guys may call them flip flops?)

I shocked everyone online once when I said "My thong broke just as I was getting out of the car at the shops, so I threw it away & went inside, bought another pair and popped them on at the checkouts when I paid for them.

Last edited by kazza474 (April 26, 2012 2:20 am)


____________________________________________________________________________________________
Also, please note that sentences can also end in full stops. The exclamation mark can be overused.
Sherlock Holmes 28 March 13:08

Mycroft’s popularity doesn’t surprise me at all. He is, after all, incredibly beautiful, clever and well-dressed. And beautiful. Did I mention that?
--Mark Gatiss

"I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."
Robert McCloskey
 

April 26, 2012 2:59 am  #4


Re: Awkward words in the US

Okay, this one is a bit rude, so cover your eyes if you are sensitive -

Root (stop laughing, Aussies!) -sexual intercourse, as in "I would root so-and-so"

I believe in other countries it has something to do with the part of plants that goes beneath the soil. Actually, it means that here as well, not sure how it came to have the rude meaning and it is something you would never say in front of your Nanna.

Talking of which, my Nanna's favourite swear was "Bum", which here means bottom or backside. In the US it means a homeless person. When we first started to hear it on TV shows back in the 1970s it caused quite a bit of outrage until we figured out the other meaning. The US meaning has never caught on here.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE PUSSY RIOT

I wish the real world would just stop hassling me - Rob Thomas

Did I mention that I have a Kindle?

#destroythejoint
 

April 26, 2012 3:20 am  #5


Re: Awkward words in the US

LOL! so true hep!
I play canasta online and most are Americans & they are always 'rooting for this one or that one'.
Barracking for a team is rooting for them; so the funniest question is " Who do you root for?" Funny, we couldn't post this on an Aussie forum, we'd be banned.


____________________________________________________________________________________________
Also, please note that sentences can also end in full stops. The exclamation mark can be overused.
Sherlock Holmes 28 March 13:08

Mycroft’s popularity doesn’t surprise me at all. He is, after all, incredibly beautiful, clever and well-dressed. And beautiful. Did I mention that?
--Mark Gatiss

"I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."
Robert McCloskey
 

April 26, 2012 3:28 am  #6


Re: Awkward words in the US

Oh and the other one I just thought of.

US: fanny - your backside
AUS: fanny - not a word one uses in public but it is a nickname for the 'frontside of a female person'.

Watching a TV show from America and someone says ' Put ya fanny here' meaning sit down... my eyes always boggle!


____________________________________________________________________________________________
Also, please note that sentences can also end in full stops. The exclamation mark can be overused.
Sherlock Holmes 28 March 13:08

Mycroft’s popularity doesn’t surprise me at all. He is, after all, incredibly beautiful, clever and well-dressed. And beautiful. Did I mention that?
--Mark Gatiss

"I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."
Robert McCloskey
 

April 26, 2012 4:36 am  #7


Re: Awkward words in the US

Yeah "rooting" for your sports team is a valid meaning in Aus as well but you have to be very careful how you use that. It's like "rooting" is ok but "root" is something else.

There's also a difference between what UK/US and Aussies refer to as the feather-filled top cover on a bed. Aussies call it a doona, I think the UK call it a duvet? and the US just call it a blanket? Maybe? I just remember talking to an American who had no idea what a doona was (which meant our highschool joke of writing a film script called "In Bed With My Doona" passed them by LOL)


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I dislike being outnumbered. It makes for too much stupid in the room

 

April 26, 2012 5:07 am  #8


Re: Awkward words in the US

yes, 'rooting' for a sports team is very American-  there is a line in the classic baseball song 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' that goes 'so let's root root root for the home team..'..  sounds like that wouldn't go over so well in Australia.   

The feather top is called a 'duvet' or a 'comforter' (less formal word) in the U.S.   I had no idea what a doona was.  thanks!

 

April 26, 2012 5:13 am  #9


Re: Awkward words in the US

Oooh so it's the Americans who call it a duvet. Okay so what do the poms call it?


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I dislike being outnumbered. It makes for too much stupid in the room

 

April 26, 2012 5:46 am  #10


Re: Awkward words in the US

Ha!   (While we figure that one out,  I needed to take a wikipedia moment to figure out what a 'pom' was..  Hello U.K.! )


Re:   the earlier 'thong' discussion,   in the U.S.  this was also the common term for footwear (flip-flops)--   that
is, until the underwear thong was invented.   Now,  the older  footwear 'thong' term has fallen by the wayside,
at least for those under 30. 

 

April 26, 2012 8:39 am  #11


Re: Awkward words in the US

We call it a duvet too!

What about 'ass', which to me, is a type of horse or donkey, but to Americans is someone's bottom!


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eventually everyone will support Johnlock.

Independent OSAJ Affiliate

 

April 26, 2012 9:23 am  #12


Re: Awkward words in the US

In Aus we use ass and arse interchangeably. Mostly we say donkey for the animal


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I dislike being outnumbered. It makes for too much stupid in the room

 

April 26, 2012 12:08 pm  #13


Re: Awkward words in the US

This is making me laugh! I love the addition of the Australian perspective! lol
What about 'pants'? In the US it means trousers and in the UK it means underwear on your bottom. (Oh and in the UK 'fanny' has the same meaning as the Australian one!)


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
     Thread Starter
 

June 8, 2012 9:52 pm  #14


Re: Awkward words in the US

So...recently we have had the confusion over chips and crisps. Another one to add to the list. Plus the CIA guy fell onto rubbish bins here in the UK but I suppose they are trash cans or garbage cans for North Americans.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
     Thread Starter
 

June 8, 2012 10:04 pm  #15


Re: Awkward words in the US

I was at my friend's (she speaks American English) I cut myself on a branch and she turns to me and says:
Hey, do ya wanna band-aid?
I just stared at her for a while, totally bewildered until she finally shook her head and said:
Plaster! I meant plaster!


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was wondering if you'd like to have coffee...
Hmm. I really don't know. Oh, I'm sorry, did I say 'know'? I meant 'care'. I don't really care. 
Douglas Richardson, Cremona
 

June 9, 2012 1:13 am  #16


Re: Awkward words in the US

Hmmm,

I love Espaleegrish and particularity like to poke at it at any given chance.

But can we leave off the cheap forgotten abortions please?

There is crass and then there is crass.

God save the queen!

-m0r


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
 

June 9, 2012 1:37 am  #17


Re: Awkward words in the US

Davina wrote:

This is making me laugh! I love the addition of the Australian perspective! lol
What about 'pants'? In the US it means trousers and in the UK it means underwear on your bottom. (Oh and in the UK 'fanny' has the same meaning as the Australian one!)

OH men in Australia call what they wear in that area boardshorts or lap laps.


)


____________________________________________________________________________________________
Also, please note that sentences can also end in full stops. The exclamation mark can be overused.
Sherlock Holmes 28 March 13:08

Mycroft’s popularity doesn’t surprise me at all. He is, after all, incredibly beautiful, clever and well-dressed. And beautiful. Did I mention that?
--Mark Gatiss

"I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."
Robert McCloskey
 

June 9, 2012 1:54 am  #18


Re: Awkward words in the US

Molly Hooper wrote:

I was at my friend's (she speaks American English) I cut myself on a branch and she turns to me and says:
Hey, do ya wanna band-aid?
I just stared at her for a while, totally bewildered until she finally shook her head and said:
Plaster! I meant plaster!

Here, we say both, but strangely we almost never use the french word. I don't really know why...


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wanted! Schrödinger's cat. Dead and alive."
 

June 9, 2012 12:22 pm  #19


Re: Awkward words in the US

So...in North America...if you said someone was 'plastered' would it mean the same as here? That is very drunk!

m0r I am very confussled by your post. Too much bibbing? Or have I missed something entirely?


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
     Thread Starter
 

June 9, 2012 12:27 pm  #20


Re: Awkward words in the US

What are you confused about?


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was wondering if you'd like to have coffee...
Hmm. I really don't know. Oh, I'm sorry, did I say 'know'? I meant 'care'. I don't really care. 
Douglas Richardson, Cremona
 

Board footera

 

Powered by Boardhost. Create a Free Forum