The American/English thread

[Gurtie]

from Heathers comment in another thread its clear that US/UK slang is still confusing as ever Its funny most of the time but sometimes it can actually cause a problem, and also with people whos first language isn't english - the way people say things can really effect the message you hear.... so - translation thread (or one to ask in if confused).

Two which I have to work hard at

'Thanks a bunch' for you 'mercans is, I *believe*, a sincere expression of thanks, while to us English (or at least, the ones where I come from) its a sarcastic comment used when sincere thanks would be a lie (as in - someone volunteers me to answer all noob threads for a month, I respond "wow - thanks a bunch" and walk away muttering "t*sser" under my breath)

Pissed. in the UK this means drunk more often than it means angry. Can cause confusion and/or people to question your mental state if used online.

ok - now it can descend into sexual slang comparison.....

[mick g]

when i met Heather a couple of years ago at Manchester i greeted her with "Hi Heather are you all right" which to me is a normal greeting and i was not aware at the time that i confused her and she was thinking that i was asking if she was ill

[Brad]

'Thanks a bunch' depends on voice inflection as to it being sincere or sarcastic in US-speak.

[4Eyes]

I get irritated by many figures of speech - American, UK or often now 'both' as we seem to cross-contaminate each other pretty often.

I have been watching a lot of product training videos lately, and am getting pretty irritated by people who seem to be unable to just 'do' something - seems the need to 'go ahead and' and 'do' it.

eg
"Now I am going to show you how to install the software"
"Now I am going to go ahead and show you how to install the software"

Onebloke used it about 30 times in a ten minute video - argghhh!

Yes, it is a small thing, but it is a small thing that will end up in some poor bugger receiving what he/she believes is an unprovoked sarcastic verbal assault just because they were the one that pushed me past 'tipping point'.

:sigh: ..... so many people to be angry with, so little time .....

[Rupert]

Colin, you been talking to too many Welsh while you have been away? 


I think they  made you cross.  Really its not a big deal. 

Nicebloke, you got anything to calm him down?

[Gurtie]

you go ahead and tell us how you feel Colin <ducks>

cookery terms are a pita too. Half and half,  rutebagas (took about half an hour discussion for us to work that one out a couple of years back) and why oh *why* do them across the pond drop the H on herbs? If I ever meet Barefoot Countessa I'm liable to deck her just for that....

[jimbanks]

The word "awesome" gets used far too frequent imho by Americans. The word AWE means it something that makes your jaw drop, blows your mind.

Lifts (elevators) don't have a ground floor in America, it's 1, very confusing.

Niche is not nich

Hundreds of these but it's a black/white thing.

What makes us right and Americans wrong?

[4Eyes]

What makes us right and Americans wrong?

Just to add insult to injury - some of the worst US 'twisting' of our language turns out to be no such thing.


eg 'Fall' instead of 'Autumn'

I turns out that Fall was the 'proper' old English word before we borrowed Autumn from the 'cheese eating surrender monkeys', so the best we can accuse you of is of not keeping up with our modifications the language - not a good strategy if we want to beat you up over the rest of the differences.


... and there are a load of other words in the same boat.

[Drastic]

Yeah, thanks for loaning us the language.

We'll let you know when we're finished perfecting it.

[dogboy]

When I go to England, I'm more uncomfortable than if I went to some place that spoke French.  It's because I really feel like I should know what they said, since we are supposedly are speaking the same language. And they surely don't have an issue understanding me. (Maybe because when they sing they sound American?? Whats up with that BTW?)

Usually you'll just see me wearing my stupid American look while I'm there, which is usually elicited when I hear, "Hardy Bardy barty tit it what down" ...and know that the key to me getting my drunk a## back to my hotel room was all lost in that one line of gibberish, once I shook my head and said 'thank you', because I was too embarrassed to ask for clarification for a third time... that, and that I at least got the initial direction down, when they pointed:)

[Drastic]

>When I go to England, I'm more uncomfortable than if I went to some place that spoke French.

Yeah, it's easier to understand non-Brit Europeans, since they get our TV.

[grnidone]

why oh *why* do them across the pond drop the H on herbs?

I've never understood why Brits sometimes drop the "H" on other "h-starting words" but not on "herbs"...?

And how come you all just say "hospital"?

In America:  You go to THE hospital.
England:  You go to hospital.

A small thing...perhaps, but I never understood if the "the" was intentionally dropped, if it was slang, or if it was an accident.

[Gurtie]

I don't know, but I think I say hospital when talking generically (eg; it doesn't matter which hospital the person gets to - just go to one) and the hospital when its specific (eg; we spent all morning at the hospital waiting to be seen)

Or that could just be me justifying something entirely random.

holidays and Christmas takes some getting used to for me. Do 'holidays' officially encompass the period of Thanksgiving and Christmas, or do 'holidays' mean whatever's next - is Easter a 'happy holidays' moment, for example?

[Brad]

>>When I go to England, I'm more uncomfortable than if I went to some place that spoke French.

Dogboy has it right.  In many ways visiting the UK is more stressful for Americans than visiting the Continent.  After about two weeks of British immersion you start to understand better, but then it's time to go home.  On the Continent, you know you don't stand a chance of understanding or being understood so you just consign yourself to your Fate with a small hope that drinking beer will just make it all better.

[grnidone]

Do 'holidays' officially encompass the period of Thanksgiving and Christmas,

The "Happy Holidays" movement in the US started when people were trying to be PC and recognize that we don't just have Christians in this country (nor do we have an official religion)...

In addition to Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas, we've also got Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Canadian boxing day, Yule, and many others I don't even know.

SO...

"Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" usually means "All the holidays starting with Thanksgiving up to and including the New Year's holiday.