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American words not understood outside the US
I'm interested in finding some words where the US meaning is generally not understood outside the US.
One example is "biscuit". English speakers generally understand what "cookies" and "crackers" are, and they use "biscuits" to refer to them comprehensively, but I suspect that unless they've visited the US, they don't know that in the US a "biscuit" is a baked good served with the main mean, and very much like what they would call a "scone" (though there are "scones" in the US too).
Another is "entree", which if used outside the US means an appetiser or first course: not the main course, as it does in the US.
Any other good examples? (And not words like "automobile" or "elevator", which are not used but which are still understood outside the US).
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
'Napkin', which in the US means a piece of paper or cloth used at a meal.
Outside the US it could mean 'sanitary napkin' although it probably would be understood in context. 'Serviette' seems to be the most common word for what napkin means in the US, and 'serviette' isn't used inside the US.
'Fanny' in the US exclusively refers to the behind, and it's only slightly impolite. In the UK at least it's only used of women, and means the genitals/vulva.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Napkin is well understood in that context in the UK.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
I got strange looks for asking about a drugstore.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
How about 'busboy' and 'soda jerk'?
Meaningless in England...
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by kk fusion
I got strange looks for asking about a drugstore.
Yes, that makes sense, because the American drugstore really has no exact counterpart in Britain or Australia (where chemists' shops or pharmacies sell a wide range of non-pharmaceuticals, but not as wide a range as drugstores in the US).
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by glee
How about 'busboy' and 'soda jerk'?
Meaningless in England...
In addition, the verb "bus" in the sense of the sign "Please bus your own tables" would not make much sense.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Well, there's the (mostly Southern) use of "[day] week" to mean "not the upcoming day, but the week after that".
For example, if I made an appointment for our cat at the vet's office, I might tell my wife that the appointment is for "Tuesday week" (meaning 8 days from now) instead of "next Tuesday" or "the following Tuesday" or "not tomorrow, but the next Tuesday".
It seems that this usage is unknown outside the US.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Tunaman, that sense of "Tuesday week" to mean a week after next Tuesday is the normal sense in Australia. I'm not sure what the usage is in the UK. However, today being Monday, I'd reference the day 8 days from now as "tomorrow week", not "Tuesday week".
But this example reminds me of an example of ignorance the other way round: most Americans don't seem to understand what a "fortnight" is, so they just talk about "two weeks", while "fortnightly" is "biweekly".
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Giles
But this example reminds me of an example of ignorance the other way round: most Americans don't seem to understand what a "fortnight" is, so they just talk about "two weeks", while "fortnightly" is "biweekly".
Definitely. I used to use "fortnight" a lot, but stopped when i realized that many Americans have no idea what it is.
While it's not exclusively American, i remember many of my Aussie friends not knowing what cilantro is; we refer to the leafy part of the plant (not just the seeds and roots) as coriander in Australia.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Spackle. I mean, I know what it means now, but I'm betting that not many non-US English speakers have encountered it.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
I'm going to assume that the OP means "North America" and not "the US", since virtually all of the terms mentioned thus far are if not part of everyday Canadian English, at least well understood by Canadians.
I know, it's not like most Americans are very aware that Canada exists, but I'd think at least a transported Brit would! :D
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Hey, we know Canada is there! It's the 51st state, right?
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
"Homecoming" is not well known outside the US.
Most people outside the US wouldn't know what 1040 and W2 mean.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Cerowyn
I know, it's not like most Americans are very aware that Canada exists, but I'd think at least a transported Brit would! :D
We know what Canada is. Canada is that one cousin that you always ignore, just because it pisses him off.
I keed I keed :D
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Ah, s'alright. I may be an immigrant, but even I have developed the requisite thick-skin when it comes to such things. :)
Oh, wait. I'm supposed to apologize now, right?
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
... I might tell my wife that the appointment is for "Tuesday week" (meaning 8 days from now) instead of "next Tuesday" or "the following Tuesday" or "not tomorrow, but the next Tuesday".
It seems that this usage is unknown outside the US.
I was born in the Midwest, and am now in the Mid-Atlantic, and and I've never heard this usage.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by glee
How about 'busboy' and 'soda jerk'?
Meaningless in England...
Soda Jerk is meaningless here, too, since the 50s. But what do you call the person who clears the table at a restaurant?
Joe
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Some more food confusions:
American lemonade isn't carbonated. It is just lemon juice with sugar and water added. Limeade is similar, except with lime juice. We don't really have anything very similar to carbonated lemonade here.
American cider is a soft drink, meaning it doesn't contain alcohol and is, in fact, similar to apple juice. I understand that British cider is what Americans call hard cider and is alcoholic.
And this isn't a confusion, but a question: Do the British drink very much iced tea? It's mainly a Southern thing here (Deep South and Southern Midwest) and references to British tea are universally to a hot beverage.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
Well, there's the (mostly Southern) use of "[day] week" to mean "not the upcoming day, but the week after that".
For example, if I made an appointment for our cat at the vet's office, I might tell my wife that the appointment is for "Tuesday week" (meaning 8 days from now) instead of "next Tuesday" or "the following Tuesday" or "not tomorrow, but the next Tuesday".
It seems that this usage is unknown outside the US.
I've been using that over here for decades!
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Wheresgeorge04
But what do you call the person who clears the table at a restaurant?
A waiter. Why do you need a different person from the one who bought the plates to take them away from the table?
Si
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by si_blakely
Quote:
Originally posted by Wheresgeorge04
But what do you call the person who clears the table at a restaurant?
A waiter. Why do you need a different person from the one who bought the plates to take them away from the table?
Si
So you pay some kid even less than the waiter to clear dishes, allowing the waiter more time to look after tables.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Mangetout
Spackle. I mean, I know what it means now, but I'm betting that not many non-US English speakers have encountered it.
Interestingly, spackle is spackel in Swedish.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by si_blakely
Quote:
Originally posted by Wheresgeorge04
But what do you call the person who clears the table at a restaurant?
A waiter. Why do you need a different person from the one who bought the plates to take them away from the table?
Si
The waiter will come along after your meal, and ask, "All finished?" and take your plate, but when you're gone, the busboy cleans the table, takes the rest of the glasses/plates/utensils. Does the waiter do that too, in the UK? At a busy restaurant, a waiter has too many tables to do that...
Joe
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
I was being interviewed by a British journalist when I used the word "burble" to describe the exhaust note of a specific car.
The interviewer started laughing, and finally questioned my use of the word. He thought it more-or-less a childish, made up word.
I believe I described the car as having a rewarding, deep-throated burble.
Funny.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Derleth
Do the British drink very much iced tea? It's mainly a Southern thing here (Deep South and Southern Midwest) and references to British tea are universally to a hot beverage.
Not that much, no. We understand what it is, but tea is hot in the UK.
What do you understand by a "thong" in the US?
An Australian girl I knew got into terrible trouble in Selfridges asking where to buy "rubber thongs".
(Apparently a "thong" is that sandal with the bit that goes between your toes. We call them a flip flop. A "thong" in the UK is a G string!)
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
In the US, a thong is now underwear. A g-string or butt floss.
When I was much younger, thongs were what are now called flip-flops.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
"Thong", in the sense of rubber sandals, seems to be particularly Australian (perhaps because they are worn a lot there). The New Zealand word for these is "jandal".
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Petrobey
Quote:
Originally posted by Derleth
Do the British drink very much iced tea? It's mainly a Southern thing here (Deep South and Southern Midwest) and references to British tea are universally to a hot beverage.
Not that much, no. We understand what it is, but tea is hot in the UK.
What do you understand by a "thong" in the US?
An Australian girl I knew got into terrible trouble in Selfridges asking where to buy "rubber thongs".
(Apparently a "thong" is that sandal with the bit that goes between your toes. We call them a flip flop. A "thong" in the UK is a G string!)
I remember a thong being flip-flop sandals in the 80s. Then around the early 90s, the word got co-mingled with G-string, and now "thong" primarily refers to G-string, but the older meaning would still be understood in context by anybody, say, 30 and up, I would think. And I haven't heard the word "G-string" since high school. In the early 90s (I graduated high school in '93), I definitely referred to them as "G-string bikins." Now, I'd say "thong bikini." (Hmm...looking over at Wikipedia, apparently a "G-string" is actually a specific type of thong, although the words are often used synonymously.)
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Oliveloaf
I was being interviewed by a British journalist when I used the word "burble" to describe the exhaust note of a specific car.
The interviewer started laughing, and finally questioned my use of the word. He thought it more-or-less a childish, made up word.
I believe I described the car as having a rewarding, deep-throated burble.
On the other hand, I find it amusing that a British journalist would be unaware of burble .
(Although, I would guess that not one Yank in a hundred would actually be able to put a meaning or a sound to the word.)
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by BiblioCat
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
... I might tell my wife that the appointment is for "Tuesday week" (meaning 8 days from now) instead of "next Tuesday" or "the following Tuesday" or "not tomorrow, but the next Tuesday".
It seems that this usage is unknown outside the US.
I was born in the Midwest, and am now in the Mid-Atlantic, and and I've never heard this usage.
I grew up in New York City/State, and now live near Boston and have never heard an American speak this way. I am familiar with it from British books, movies, and TV shows though.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Derleth
iced tea? It's mainly a Southern thing here (Deep South and Southern Midwest) and references to British tea are universally to a hot beverage.
Sweet tea is a mostly Southern thing, (that has grown in popularity in the North over the last decade), but iced tea is sufficiently common to the whole of the U.S. that Lipton actually has an instant product that is intended for use solely as iced tea. I have not been in any restaurant, in decades, that did not serve iced tea. I suspect that the same is true in Canada; (it has been 45 years since I ordered an iced tea in Canada and was brought a glass of hot brewed tea containing several rapidly diminishing ice cubes).
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Wheresgeorge04
But what do you call the person who clears the table at a restaurant?
Jose.
Statistically speaking, it gives me the highest probability of getting it right.
*d&r*
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph
Quote:
Originally posted by BiblioCat
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
... I might tell my wife that the appointment is for "Tuesday week" (meaning 8 days from now) instead of "next Tuesday" or "the following Tuesday" or "not tomorrow, but the next Tuesday".
It seems that this usage is unknown outside the US.
I was born in the Midwest, and am now in the Mid-Atlantic, and and I've never heard this usage.
I grew up in New York City/State, and now live near Boston and have never heard an American speak this way.
That's why I said it's a "mostly Southern" thing. Before today, I'd never heard it outside the South, but now I find it's apparently common in the UK and Australia.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by tomb
I suspect that the same is true in Canada; (it has been 45 years since I ordered an iced tea in Canada and was brought a glass of hot brewed tea containing several rapidly diminishing ice cubes).
Wouldn't happen today, iced tea's everywhere. My wife, though, who's the tea drinker in the family, tells me that to get truly good iced tea in a restaurant, you still have to go to the Southern U.S.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph
Quote:
Originally posted by BiblioCat
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
... I might tell my wife that the appointment is for "Tuesday week" (meaning 8 days from now) instead of "next Tuesday" or "the following Tuesday" or "not tomorrow, but the next Tuesday".
It seems that this usage is unknown outside the US.
I was born in the Midwest, and am now in the Mid-Atlantic, and and I've never heard this usage.
I grew up in New York City/State, and now live near Boston and have never heard an American speak this way. I am familiar with it from British books, movies, and TV shows though.
Well, tunaman did say it was mostly a Southern thing. That said, I've never heard this usage before anywhere in the US, but I've lived in the Chicago most my life.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
That's why I said it's a "mostly Southern" thing. Before today, I'd never heard it outside the South, but now I find it's apparently common in the UK and Australia.
And until today I would have called it an "entirely British (and Australian, apparently) thing". I never realized people in the Southern US used it too. I've never really spent any time there though. Ignorance fought etc. etc.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
As we were discussing in this thread, Americans call back bacon Canadian bacon, but Canadians do not (we call it back bacon, if we call it anything at all). If you came to Calgary and ordered Canadian bacon, after the server stopped staring at you funny, she would try to figure out what the heck you were after. I suspect they might think you meant normal bacon that was from Canadian pigs. :)
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by featherlou
As we were discussing in
this thread, Americans call back bacon Canadian bacon, but Canadians do not (we call it back bacon, if we call it anything at all). If you came to Calgary and ordered Canadian bacon, after the server stopped staring at you funny, she would try to figure out what the heck you were after. I suspect they might think you meant normal bacon that was from Canadian pigs. :)
Same as if you asked for "Swiss cheese" in Zurich. All Swiss cheeses are presumably Swiss. What we call "Swiss cheese" in the USA is Emmentaler.
Oh, and Panama hats really originated in Ecuador. :D
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by featherlou
As we were discussing in
this thread, Americans call back bacon Canadian bacon, but Canadians do not (we call it back bacon, if we call it anything at all). If you came to Calgary and ordered Canadian bacon, after the server stopped staring at you funny, she would try to figure out what the heck you were after. I suspect they might think you meant normal bacon that was from Canadian pigs. :)
So what do you call strips of crispy pork meat? American Bacon? Plain ol' bacon?
Joe
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Wheresgeorge04
Quote:
Originally posted by featherlou
As we were discussing in
this thread, Americans call back bacon Canadian bacon, but Canadians do not (we call it back bacon, if we call it anything at all). If you came to Calgary and ordered Canadian bacon, after the server stopped staring at you funny, she would try to figure out what the heck you were after. I suspect they might think you meant normal bacon that was from Canadian pigs. :)
So what do you call strips of crispy pork meat? American Bacon? Plain ol' bacon?
Joe
If you go into a Canadian greasy spoon and order bacon and eggs, you'll get exactly what you'd get in an equivalent American joint. The Canadian place is more likely to have back bacon or peameal bacon on the menu than the American one, but they'll be described as "back bacon" or "peameal bacon", not just "bacon". That "Canadians call 'ham', 'bacon' "is just one of those jokes that sounds funny to an American, but has no connection to reality.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
In the UK the thing that North Americans call either 'back bacon' or 'Canadian bacon' is just 'bacon'. What Americans just call 'bacon' is called 'streaky bacon' here.
I'm an an American ex-pat in the UK and I can't think of any words that the Brits wouldn't get with a bit of context. There's just too much American telly for that. I grew up in Iowa and didn't hear 'Tuesday week' until I came here. 'Biscuit' as in 'Biscuits & Gravy' (breakfast heaven!) is probably the single hardest thing for the Brits to get their heads around.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Giles
Tunaman, that sense of "Tuesday week" to mean a week after next Tuesday is the normal sense in Australia. I'm not sure what the usage is in the UK. However, today being Monday, I'd reference the day 8 days from now as "tomorrow week", not "Tuesday week".
But this example reminds me of an example of ignorance the other way round: most Americans don't seem to understand what a "fortnight" is, so they just talk about "two weeks", while "fortnightly" is "biweekly".
I thought a fortnight was twenty days...
Although after googling, I stand corrected...
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Although I don't think anyone would misunderstand your intention, if you use the word vacation to describe a break from work in Australia people will know you are not from around there ... and I am from around there (I just happen not to live there anymore). They prefer to go on holidays.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
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Originally posted by gurujulp
I thought a fortnight was twenty days...
Although after googling, I stand corrected...
You're thinking of a scorenight.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Giles
Quote:
Originally posted by kk fusion
I got strange looks for asking about a drugstore.
Yes, that makes sense, because the American drugstore really has no exact counterpart in Britain or Australia (where chemists' shops or pharmacies sell a wide range of non-pharmaceuticals, but not as wide a range as drugstores in the US).
Don't quite get your response here - isn't it the pharmaceuticals (i.e. drugs) which make it a "drugstore" and not so much the non-pharmaceutical trash bags, small appliances, and the like that they also happen to sell?
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
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Originally posted by Rigamarole
Don't quite get your response here - isn't it the pharmaceuticals (i.e. drugs) which make it a "drugstore" and not so much the non-pharmaceutical trash bags, small appliances, and the like that they also happen to sell?
Well, it depends on how you ask. If you said, "hey, I need to get a prescription filled. could you tell me where the nearest drugstore is," they could probably make the leap that "drugstore" means "chemist," whereas if you said "hey, I need to buy some shampoo. could you tell me where the nearest drugstore is," they would think "what's this thing called a 'drugstore' where you could buy shampoo?"
I speak from experience: I forgot to pack shampoo on a trip to Germany once, and people were extremely confused by my inquiring about a "drugstore", which is better known as an "apotheke", and which does not sell shampoo.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by gurujulp
I thought a fortnight was twenty days...
If you have trouble remembering it, realize that "fortnight" is ultimately a contraction of "fourteen nights."
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by OutStandingInTheField
Although I don't think anyone would misunderstand your intention, if you use the word vacation to describe a break from work in Australia people will know you are not from around there ... and I am from around there (I just happen not to live there anymore). They prefer to go on holidays.
This is true of the UK as well. "Vacation" is a clear sign that you're either from 'over the pond' or have at the very least being watching far too much American telly.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
That's why I said it's a "mostly Southern" thing. Before today, I'd never heard it outside the South, but now I find it's apparently common in the UK and Australia.
Yes, I saw that, and I'm in Maryland, which some people consider southern, I guess because we're below the Mason-Dixon line. There were a couple of threads on the SD that got rather heated over whether or not Maryland was a Southern state, but I'm not opening that can of worms again.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
With the amount of US-produced TV and movies shown in the English-speaking world, I'd be surprised if there were many Americanisms which would not be understood. Sure, there would be regional words or expressions, but they would likely not be understood by the majority of Americans, let alone the rest of the world.
To use an example from this thread, way before I ever visited the States I knew that a Drug Store was what I would call a Chemist. I've been to the US many times and I don't recall ever having a problem understanding anything. The closest thing would be mundane stuff unlikely to have come up in movies or TV shows. For example, I still don't know whether "half-and-half" milk is what we in Australia would call "full cream" milk, but that's about the extent of my misunderstanding of American words.
The opposite of course is much more problematic. I have to be very careful what I say in the US, otherwise if I accidentally use Australian expressions or words I will frequently not get my message across.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Nice name, by the way, Lord Mondegreen. :P
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by BiblioCat
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
That's why I said it's a "mostly Southern" thing. Before today, I'd never heard it outside the South, but now I find it's apparently common in the UK and Australia.
Yes, I saw that, and I'm in Maryland, which some people consider southern, I guess because we're below the Mason-Dixon line. There were a couple of threads on the SD that got rather heated over whether or not Maryland was a Southern state, but I'm not opening
that can of worms again.
Ah, the 'Mason-Dixon' line.
Presumably something to do with the Civil War (it means nowt to us Brits, although I've heard it in a song).
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Griddle
Broiling
Skillet
Winnebago
Zucchini
Astroturfing
Rutabaga
Government Cheese
Bellwether
Duplex
Biscuits
Cupcake
These are all American terms that I had to look up or ask about at one time or another. I'm sure there are plenty of others. As others have posted above though, in context one can guess what they mean. Until recently though I thought a cupcake was what I would call a muffin. It's actually just what would be called a bun here, maybe a fairycake. The best description I can give for an American biscuit is a savoury scone.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by glee
Quote:
Originally posted by BiblioCat
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
That's why I said it's a "mostly Southern" thing. Before today, I'd never heard it outside the South, but now I find it's apparently common in the UK and Australia.
Yes, I saw that, and I'm in Maryland, which some people consider southern, I guess because we're below the Mason-Dixon line. There were a couple of threads on the SD that got rather heated over whether or not Maryland was a Southern state, but I'm not opening
that can of worms again.
Ah, the
'Mason-Dixon' line.
Presumably something to do with the Civil War (it means nowt to us Brits, although I've heard it in a song).
Sailing To Philadelphia?
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by An Gadaí
Griddle
...
Skillet
...
'Spider' is a very obscure related item: http://www.journalofantiques.com/hearthjan01.htm
The thing itself is not quite obsolete...I have encountered them in a camping context. I've also heard the term used to refer to what most Americans would call a frying pan or skillet.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by glee
Quote:
Originally posted by BiblioCat
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
That's why I said it's a "mostly Southern" thing. Before today, I'd never heard it outside the South, but now I find it's apparently common in the UK and Australia.
Yes, I saw that, and I'm in Maryland, which some people consider southern, I guess because we're below the Mason-Dixon line. There were a couple of threads on the SD that got rather heated over whether or not Maryland was a Southern state, but I'm not opening
that can of worms again.
Ah, the
'Mason-Dixon' line.
Presumably something to do with the Civil War (it means nowt to us Brits, although I've heard it in a song).
Actually, the Mason-Dixon line was surveyed about one hundred years before the Civil War as part of a border dispute. It's actually much further north than many people realize, since "northern" culture has crept downwards in the intervening years, but it's still used as the symbolic line between the North and the South in the east.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by An Gadaí
...
Bellwether
...
Really? I would not have said this was an Americanism. I have lived in North America for a while, but I am sure I knew and understood this term long before I moved here (from Australia).
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by OutStandingInTheField
Quote:
Originally posted by An Gadaí
...
Bellwether
...
Really? I would not have said this was an Americanism. I have lived in North America for a while, but I am sure I knew and understood this term long before I moved here (from Australia).
Yes, it's just a personal list. I've only ever seen it used in the context of US states and elections.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Brit whos visited the U.S. alot but still gets surprises.
Dont think anyone answered this one,but if they have you have no excuse now to forget it but iced tea is virtually unheard of over here though I've no doubt that some people drink it.
Didn't hit the link about burble because it tends to log me out of this board,but burble is armed forces slang for verbal diahorrea,when people are sufficiently drunk they tend to burble all over you ie."Your my best mate you are,I love you man: not in a gay way I mean........etc."
I know OF but dont entirely understand Homecoming and Spring Break,I know that theres a HC queen but thats it on that topic and apparently Spring break is some sort of holiday where everyone goes somewhere by the beach,gets drunk,dances alot and trys to get laid though I suspect that theres more to it then that.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by lust4life
Spring break is some sort of holiday where everyone goes somewhere by the beach,gets drunk,dances alot and trys to get laid though I suspect that theres more to it then that.
Spring Break is generally the Easter holiday week long hiatus from school, but it's no longer kosher to call anything by it's religious reasoning, so the term Spring Break overtook Easter Break.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by lust4life
...
I know OF but dont entirely understand Homecoming and Spring Break,I know that theres a HC queen but thats it on that topic ...
I've lived in the US my whole life and that's about all I know about it too...I've never been to one.
Quote:
...and apparently Spring break is some sort of holiday where everyone goes somewhere by the beach,gets drunk,dances alot and trys to get laid though I suspect that theres more to it then that.
No, that's pretty much it. There wasn't so much dancing when I went (at least not for us guys) but the rest is a pretty good description.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Cluricaun
Quote:
Originally posted by lust4life
Spring break is some sort of holiday where everyone goes somewhere by the beach,gets drunk,dances alot and trys to get laid though I suspect that theres more to it then that.
Spring Break is generally the Easter holiday week long hiatus from school, but it's no longer kosher to call anything by it's religious reasoning, so the term Spring Break overtook Easter Break.
I'm glad you said generally. I have two stepsons in college (one at community college, the other at a university). One had his spring break the first week in March, the other the fourth week in March. Neither was at all close to Easter, so PCness wasn't involved in the name. In the first case, if anything is a euphemism/misnomer it would be the word "Spring" since it certainly wasn't.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
When you "have tea" in the US, it's just that: tea. When I've been invited to have tea in the UK, it's often a complete meal. I've often thought the most puzzling question an American encounters abroad is "What's for tea?"
[American thinking] "Duh! How about, like, you know, TEA, you limey friggen twit?" [/American thinking]
Of course, he's then ashamed and embarrased for his rude thoughts.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by prr
[American thinking] "Duh! How about, like, you know, TEA, you limey friggen twit?" [/American thinking]
Of course, he's then ashamed and embarrased for his rude thoughts.
Yes, for a Brit or for an Australian, having coffee for tea would not be an oxymoron, because "tea" is both the name of a drink and the name of a meal.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by lust4life
I know OF but dont entirely understand Homecoming and Spring Break,I know that theres a HC queen but thats it on that topic and apparently Spring break is some sort of holiday where everyone goes somewhere by the beach,gets drunk,dances alot and trys to get laid though I suspect that theres more to it then that.
Homecoming is generally an autumn dance/spirit week thing, associated with high school and college. It's an event where past graduates are encouraged to "come home" for a football (American) game, and then the students of the school go to a semi-formal dance afterward. There's generally a week of activities before to encourage "school spirit" which students participate in -- pep rallies, theme days where you dress on a theme, etc.
Homecoming king and queen is basically a popularity contest where the student body elects a junior or senior (11th and 12th grade) boy/girl couple. (Either seniors or juniors organize the homecoming events. In my high school, juniors were in charge of prom and seniors were in charge of homecoming, so juniors were elected prom king/queen and and seniors homecoming king/queen.) They get crowns and maybe scepters and they open the dancing. It's not really a big deal for anyone but high schoolers.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by MsPurlMcKnittington
Homecoming is ... an event where past graduates are encouraged to "come home" for a football (American) game
Is this actually something that happens anymore? Is it more or less prevalent in different areas? I went to high school in California, and if this was an aspect of our homecoming game, I was completely unaware of it. The description you give sounds like a throwback to a past age to me. But I could also imagine it being bigger in small towns where everybody knows everybody and people coming home to visit is a bigger deal.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by MsPurlMcKnittington
Quote:
Originally posted by lust4life
I know OF but dont entirely understand Homecoming and Spring Break,I know that theres a HC queen but thats it on that topic and apparently Spring break is some sort of holiday where everyone goes somewhere by the beach,gets drunk,dances alot and trys to get laid though I suspect that theres more to it then that.
Homecoming is generally an autumn dance/spirit week thing, associated with high school and college. It's an event where past graduates are encouraged to "come home" for a football (American) game, and then the students of the school go to a semi-formal dance afterward. There's generally a week of activities before to encourage "school spirit" which students participate in -- pep rallies, theme days where you dress on a theme, etc.
Homecoming king and queen is basically a popularity contest where the student body elects a junior or senior (11th and 12th grade) boy/girl couple. (Either seniors or juniors organize the homecoming events. In my high school, juniors were in charge of prom and seniors were in charge of homecoming, so juniors were elected prom king/queen and and seniors homecoming king/queen.) They get crowns and maybe scepters and they open the dancing. It's not really a big deal for anyone but high schoolers.
Thanks for that I genuinly was very curious about what HC was and now I know what The Monkees were on about.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by McNutty
Quote:
Originally posted by MsPurlMcKnittington
Homecoming is ... an event where past graduates are encouraged to "come home" for a football (American) game
Is this actually something that happens anymore? Is it more or less prevalent in different areas? I went to high school in California, and if this was an aspect of our homecoming game, I was completely unaware of it. The description you give sounds like a throwback to a past age to me. But I could also imagine it being bigger in small towns where everybody knows everybody and people coming home to visit is a bigger deal.
That's exactly how it was in my high school -- past graduates came to the game and everything. They generally induct people into the school hall of fame that night, too, so football players come back for that. (Gag me, but I think the entire concept of a high school football hall of fame one of the stupidest things in the whole damn world.) Admittedly, my school was really small. There were 60 kids in my graduating class. So that is probably an influence.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by MsPurlMcKnittington
(Gag me, but I think the entire concept of a high school football hall of fame one of the stupidest things in the whole damn world.)
Come now, MsPurl, have some pity for those whose social influence, physical attractiveness, and sense of achievement and self-worth all peaked at age 17 and have been in slow, inexorable decline ever since.
Let 'em have their good ol' days. :D
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Speaking of high school athletics, we love looking at all the stadiums in small towns when we visit the US. It blows our minds that just about every small town has a huge, well-lit stadium for baseball and//or football. Of course, US Americans coming to Canada might be surprised at every small town having an arena for curling and hockey, but they probably wouldn't recognize them for what they are because they are very nondescript buildings. :)
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
So looking back over the thread at the parts about biscuts and gravy (and being hungry due to it being lunch time and my lunch consists of a large glass of reconstituted dihydrogen monoxide) I have to wonder:
If I went into a typical UK or EU kitchen,
Dumped some pork sausage into a pot (yes, chorizo will work just fine, it will taste a little different is all) and let it get brown and crumbly.
Toss a hand full of flour in there with the sausage and the grease and let it get a little bubbly,
Slowly start pouring fresh milk into the whole concoction until it was a smooth, creamy, salty, meaty substance,
Then dumped it over a biscut, or unsweetened scone, or baked lump of flour, shortning, oil and baking soda,
Would it be recognized as food right away or would I get hauled off for eating such a mess?
For bonus points, what if I added a lightly fried egg (over easy) and some hash browns (fried, shredded potatos) to the mix?
And some nice hot coffee...
Couple of pieces of toast and butter...
Some crispy bacon...
Dammit, I told you I was hungry.
ETA: Not the Canadians though, I've seen what you can do to a plate of fries, cheese and gravy, my arteries think you should be ashamed of yourselves.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
Well, there's the (mostly Southern) use of "[day] week" to mean "not the upcoming day, but the week after that".
For example, if I made an appointment for our cat at the vet's office, I might tell my wife that the appointment is for "Tuesday week" (meaning 8 days from now) instead of "next Tuesday" or "the following Tuesday" or "not tomorrow, but the next Tuesday".
It seems that this usage is unknown outside the US.
It must be a southeast saying. I've lived in Texas for 25 years and I've never heard of this usage.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Giles
"Thong", in the sense of rubber sandals, seems to be particularly Australian (perhaps because they are worn a lot there). The New Zealand word for these is "jandal".
Until the 1990s or so, thongs referred to footwear around where I've lived (Oklahoma and Texas).
I actually have some sandals that are branded "Speedo", so I can frighten people by telling them I'm going to wear my Speedo thongs to the pool.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Badtz Maru
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
Well, there's the (mostly Southern) use of "[day] week" to mean "not the upcoming day, but the week after that".
For example, if I made an appointment for our cat at the vet's office, I might tell my wife that the appointment is for "Tuesday week" (meaning 8 days from now) instead of "next Tuesday" or "the following Tuesday" or "not tomorrow, but the next Tuesday".
It seems that this usage is unknown outside the US.
It must be a southeast saying. I've lived in Texas for 25 years and I've never heard of this usage.
I've lived in Texas for 3 years and this usage is making my head hurt. :lol:
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by BiblioCat
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
... I might tell my wife that the appointment is for "Tuesday week" (meaning 8 days from now) instead of "next Tuesday" or "the following Tuesday" or "not tomorrow, but the next Tuesday".
It seems that this usage is unknown outside the US.
I was born in the Midwest, and am now in the Mid-Atlantic, and and I've never heard this usage.
I've lived all up and down the East coast and I have never heard this usage, either.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by McNutty
Quote:
Originally posted by MsPurlMcKnittington
Homecoming is ... an event where past graduates are encouraged to "come home" for a football (American) game
Is this actually something that happens anymore? Is it more or less prevalent in different areas? I went to high school in California, and if this was an aspect of our homecoming game, I was completely unaware of it. The description you give sounds like a throwback to a past age to me. But I could also imagine it being bigger in small towns where everybody knows everybody and people coming home to visit is a bigger deal.
Well, homecoming actually is a big deal for colleges, since the university wants alumni to come and write checks to the athletic association or alumni fund, or what have you. People that have contributed lots of money in the past are often treated like high rollers are in Vegas - comped airfare and hotels, free meals, etc. My dad has contributed a ton of money to an Atlanta university over the years, and I've seen some of the perks he could have gotten ("donate $10 million and you can stay in the [university] president's house for Homecoming week! Donate $20 million and you can stay in the president's house for the week, *and* he'll shine your shoes every morning during your stay!!!"). Sadly, my dad never contributed 8 figures to the school, so he didn't get THAT kind of treatment! ;)
I think some high schools just copied the "social aspects" of it (the dance, the king\queen election), while other schools might use it to recognize former players (and hit up parents\alumni for money for the booster club, etc.).
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by OneCentStamp
Quote:
Originally posted by MsPurlMcKnittington
(Gag me, but I think the entire concept of a high school football hall of fame one of the stupidest things in the whole damn world.)
Come now,
MsPurl, have some pity for those whose social influence, physical attractiveness, and sense of achievement and self-worth all peaked at age 17 and have been in slow, inexorable decline ever since.
Let 'em have their good ol' days. :D
You can't maaaaaaake me . . .
My resentment might come from the fact that while I was in high school, they cut the honors program and the band director position, while simultaneously installing new lights for the football field, new bleachers, and a new announcer's box. They didn't have any money, you see, so they had to cut academic programs.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Tuesday Week etc. is commonly used here.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by MsPurlMcKnittington
<snip>
My resentment might come from the fact that while I was in high school, they cut the honors program and the band director position, while simultaneously installing new lights for the football field, new bleachers, and a new announcer's box. They didn't have any money, you see, so they had to cut academic programs.
That explains a lot of what we see, actually.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
To expand on the Homecoming thing a bit, in my area (US Mid-Atlantic), the high school homecoming football games were usually played against your biggest rival.
Quote:
Originally posted by MsPurlMcKnittington
My resentment might come from the fact that while I was in high school, they cut the honors program and the band director position, while simultaneously installing new lights for the football field, new bleachers, and a new announcer's box. They didn't have any money, you see, so they had to cut academic programs.
That's just sad. :sad:
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by BiblioCat
To expand on the Homecoming thing a bit, in my area (US Mid-Atlantic), the high school homecoming football games were usually played against your biggest rival.
What school did you go to where that was the case? At my high school, homecoming was always played against the worst possible team. Whichever nearby team went 1-11 the previous year was always chosen for the homecoming game the following year (since you wanted your school to win, right?)
Colleges do the same thing. In the ACC, this is why the Duke football team exists - to give everyone else in the conference a team to play during Homecoming Week!
Quote:
Originally posted by MsPurlMcKnittington
My resentment might come from the fact that while I was in high school, they cut the honors program and the band director position, while simultaneously installing new lights for the football field, new bleachers, and a new announcer's box. They didn't have any money, you see, so they had to cut academic programs.
At my high school, the football team paid for itself via the Booster Club, ticket sales, receipts from the concession stand, ads in the game programs, etc. Of course, at the time, my school usually lost no more than 2 games a year and the margin of victory was usually 30+ points in every win, so it might be different at other schools.
Also, just for the record, at most Division-I colleges, football money funds for every other sport. So the women's lacrosse team owes its existence to the football team (and, to be honest, title IX).
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
"Tuesday week" is not common in Canada, but I believe it is in the UK.
A "jumper" in England is what we call a "sweater". We say "runners" or "jogging shoes" or "running shoes", in the UK they say "trainers". "High tea" is the workingman's dinner in the UK, in the US it has come to mean what teh Brits call "afternoon tea" as in swell, with cucumber sandwiches and Her Ladyship pouring. But since you can't get a cup of tea in the US, whether "high" or "afternoon", it's sorta pointless anyway.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by vison
A "jumper" in England is what we call a "sweater".
Something I've wondered - what's the British English term for what Americans call a jumper? It's a sleeveless dress of heavy material, usually worn over a long-sleeve shirt and common as a school uniform for girls.
(Example here)
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Gym slip.
In Canada it was a jumper or sometimes a pinafore.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by featherlou
Quote:
Originally posted by MsPurlMcKnittington
<snip>
My resentment might come from the fact that while I was in high school, they cut the honors program and the band director position, while simultaneously installing new lights for the football field, new bleachers, and a new announcer's box. They didn't have any money, you see, so they had to cut academic programs.
That explains a lot of what we see, actually.
Featherlou! You wound me, madam.
Quote:
Originally posted by tunaman
At my high school, the football team paid for itself via the Booster Club, ticket sales, receipts from the concession stand, ads in the game programs, etc. Of course, at the time, my school usually lost no more than 2 games a year and the margin of victory was usually 30+ points in every win, so it might be different at other schools.
That certainly wasn't the case here. The boosters and ticket sales did contribute, but the school district spent tens of thousands of dollars, well in excess of what keeping the honors and band director position would have cost.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Another Southernism probably not known outside the US is "fixing to" (or the Georgian "fi'n' tah'). It means "getting ready to" or "am about to''. For example, "I'm glad you stopped by. We were just fixing to eat supper. Won't you join us?"
You probably know "Y'all" (a contraction of you all) as a plural of "you". But you might not know that "y'all" has a super-plural, namely, "All Y'all". For example, "Oh, we have plenty. We can feed all y'all."
Let's see. One more might be "mite", as in "a bit". For example, once the husband and wife are alone in the kitchen, one says to the other, "I'm a mite peeved they popped in that way."
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Liberal
But you might not know that "y'all" has a super-plural, namely, "All Y'all". For example, "Oh, we have plenty. We can feed all y'all."
That's very neat. Double plurals are pretty rare. One in standard English is "agendas", since "agenda" is already a Latin plural meaning "things to be done". And "children" is a fossilised double plural, since it's formed by adding the plural suffix -en (as in "brethren" and "oxen") to the plural form "childer".
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Liberal
Another Southernism probably not known outside the US is "fixing to" (or the Georgian "fi'n' tah'). It means "getting ready to" or "am about to''. For example, "I'm glad you stopped by. We were just fixing to eat supper. Won't you join us?"
I've lived in the South my whole life, and I've never heard anyone pronounce the "g" at the end of "fixing". Although your "fi'n' tah" might be correct in lots of places (Valdosta, anyone?), I only regularly hear people say "fixin' to"... even people with master's degrees!
Quote:
Originally posted by Liberal
Let's see. One more might be "mite", as in "a bit". For example, once the husband and wife are alone in the kitchen, one says to the other, "I'm a mite peeved they popped in that way."
You spell it "mite"? I've always spelled it "might". Of course, I'm the same guy that often says that he's "looked all over Hell and half of Alabama" for some misplaced item, so what do I know? ;)
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
The "g" is indeed almost never pronounced.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Liberal
Another Southernism probably not known outside the US is "fixing to" (or the Georgian "fi'n' tah'). It means "getting ready to" or "am about to''. For example, "I'm glad you stopped by. We were just fixing to eat supper. Won't you join us?"
You probably know "Y'all" (a contraction of you all) as a plural of "you". But you might not know that "y'all" has a super-plural, namely, "All Y'all". For example, "Oh, we have plenty. We can feed all y'all."
Let's see. One more might be "mite", as in "a bit". For example, once the husband and wife are alone in the kitchen, one says to the other, "I'm a mite peeved they popped in that way."
These are fairly familiar to me and might even be used theatrically hereabouts.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
I am an Englishman who spent the ages of 6 months to 11 years old in Florida. As a result, I find that my language is often peppered with idiom from both sides of the pond. What's interesting to me is that English people will usually pull me up on it, whereas Americans will nod and smile politely, hoping to get what I mean from context.
Apropos the question asked, the example that irritates me most is words used for mealtimes. To wit, an American might have the following;
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner/Supper
There might be grazing or snacks in between, healthy or otherwise. I don't know and it's none of my business.
An Englishman, depending on how traditional he is, or where he comes from in the country (and that is important), will have some or all of the following;
- Breakfast
- Elevenses
- Dinner
- Tea
- High Tea
- Supper
- Ooh, some Horlicks please, dear - it'll help me sleep.
I remain resolutely American in this. Dinner is what you have at about 7pm. What is lunch for otherwise?
I have a theory that it's because of working profiles and European influence on us Brits. But since I can't get financed by a university to investigate, we'll have to just accept it as a difference.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
"Dinner" varies regionally within the United States. Wikipedia says that in working-class families where the largest meal of the day is served at midday, it refers to that, while in areas where people eat the largest meal at the end of the day it refers to the evening meal, but I'm not sure that's correct. When I grew up in Oklahoma, dinner always referred to the evening meal and in Texas it can mean either, and it doesn't seem class-related.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Yes, the meaning of "dinner" varies in many countries, and often by social class. However, although it can be eaten any time from noon to around 9 pm, it's generally the main meal of the day.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Liberal
The "g" is indeed almost never pronounced.
I hear "finna", not "fixin'". I don't like it.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by jali
Quote:
Originally posted by Liberal
The "g" is indeed almost never pronounced.
I hear "finna", not "fixin'". I don't like it.
I always say "fitin tu".
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
I say "fixin ta". Used to drive my Dad nuts, almost as bad as "you know".
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Things have come to a pretty pass,
Our romance is growing flat,
For you like this and the other
While I go for this and that.
Goodness knows what the end will be;
Oh, I don't know where I'm at...
It looks as if we two will never be one,
Something must be done.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
I just thought of another Southernism that might not be understood: "buggy" for "shopping cart".
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Glazer
Quote:
Originally posted by jali
Quote:
Originally posted by Liberal
The "g" is indeed almost never pronounced.
I hear "finna", not "fixin'". I don't like it.
I always say "fitin tu".
Yes, "fittin' tu" is closer to what I'm accustomed to in the Alabama/N. Fla/Georgia area.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Vox Imperatoris
I just thought of another Southernism that might not be understood: "buggy" for "shopping cart".
Yes! My husband used to tease me about this one all the time. I still can't call it a cart.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by MsPurlMcKnittington
Quote:
Originally posted by featherlou
Quote:
Originally posted by MsPurlMcKnittington
<snip>
My resentment might come from the fact that while I was in high school, they cut the honors program and the band director position, while simultaneously installing new lights for the football field, new bleachers, and a new announcer's box. They didn't have any money, you see, so they had to cut academic programs.
That explains a lot of what we see, actually.
Featherlou! You wound me, madam.
<snip>
Sorry - no wounding intended. I just meant that that explains the fancy stadiums we see everywhere.
I like using "all y'all"; of course when I use it, there's a smidgeon of irony. :)
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
As an American living in the UK I learned to call my US underwear "pants" and my US pants "trousers." I remember laughing at that campaign for Dockers that had the tagline, "Nice pants."
Of course the US t-shirt is called a vest in the UK. I'm not sure what they'd call a US vest across the pond.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Hippy Hollow
As an American living in the UK I learned to call my US underwear "pants" and my US pants "trousers." I remember laughing at that campaign for Dockers that had the tagline, "Nice pants."
Of course the US t-shirt is called a vest in the UK. I'm not sure what they'd call a US vest across the pond.
I always thought a "waistcoat" in the UK was an American "vest."
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Hippy Hollow
As an American living in the UK I learned to call my US underwear "pants" and my US pants "trousers." I remember laughing at that campaign for Dockers that had the tagline, "Nice pants."
Of course the US t-shirt is called a vest in the UK. I'm not sure what they'd call a US vest across the pond.
This is probably region specific. In the north, we call underwear "underpants" and "trousers" and "pants" are interchangeable.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Vox Imperatoris
I just thought of another Southernism that might not be understood: "buggy" for "shopping cart".
Shopping trolley here. Is that used over there?
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
[quote=An Gadaí]
Quote:
Originally posted by "Vox Imperatoris":1tjsbyjo
I just thought of another Southernism that might not be understood: "buggy" for "shopping cart".
Shopping trolley here. Is that used over there?[/quote:1tjsbyjo]
Trolley over here usually refers to a streetcar or tram.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by fachverwirrt
Quote:
Originally posted by An Gadaí
Another meaning of "trolley" is trolley bus, i.e., a bus powered by overhead electric wires, but running on the ordinary street surface.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
"Charlie Horse"
"Stoop" (as a noun.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by Hippy Hollow
Of course the US t-shirt is called a vest in the UK. I'm not sure what they'd call a US vest across the pond.
Well, as prr said, they're usually called "waistcoats", although nowadays this usually refers to the tailored kind you wear with a suit. Most vests that exist for a specific purpose (like stab vests or bulletproof vests) follow the American usage.
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Re: American words not understood outside the US
Quote:
Originally posted by An Gadaí
Shopping trolley here. Is that used over there?
No, but I've just gotta say that the Brit slang term "trolley dolly" for a (female) flight attendant is one of the funniest (if most sexist) things I've ever heard!
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Something I was thinking of earlier, not so much a word, but Gilligan's Island was a mainstay popular cultural reference in US tv shows aired here all throughout my youth. If Gilligan's Island was ever shown here it long since had ceased to be shown so I never really understood what any of the references meant. I get that it was a show about a group of people shipwrecked on an island and it seems to have been hugely popular in the US but I'm not sure too many people here would have ever seen it.
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Well, there's a Gilligan's Island movie rumored to be in the works, so maybe you can catch up on it.
I think one of the interesting cultural points about the TV show was that the characters were introduced in the theme song simply by their role ("the Professor" was almost always just called that too). They were all archetypes. Also of note, there was a "movie star", but when the credits were changed to add the other young female, her role was simply her name — "Mary Ann". she existed merely to spark the question of whether you preferred the putatively more attractive and famous girl to the cuter one with a better personality.
Going back to 'trolley', I first heard the word used in U2's "Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World" but wasn't entirely sure if it was just surrealist imagery.
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"Grab a freshie."
I've never had to explain it to an American.
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Quote:
Originally posted by
Jaglavak
"Grab a freshie."
I've never had to explain it to an American.
Really?
......can you explain it to me?
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Grab a fresh beer from the fridge.
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Quote:
Originally posted by
tunaman
Well, there's the (mostly Southern) use of "[day] week" to mean "not the upcoming day, but the week after that".
For example, if I made an appointment for our cat at the vet's office, I might tell my wife that the appointment is for "Tuesday week" (meaning 8 days from now) instead of "next Tuesday" or "the following Tuesday" or "not tomorrow, but the next Tuesday".
It seems that this usage is unknown outside the US.
I grew up in the American Southwest and have lived my entire adult life in the Northeast. I have lots of family from the South, and this is the first time I have EVER heard of this.
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Quote:
Originally posted by
Jaglavak
"Grab a freshie."
I've never had to explain it to an American.
You would have had to explain it to this American beer drinker. The only thing I can remember being described as a freshie was fresh snowfall on a ski hill, that was at least 10 years ago.
I also am not familiar with the "Tuesday week" usage but I've lived in the Northeast my whole life...it might be mostly a southern thing.
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Quote:
Originally posted by
Tinker
I grew up in the American Southwest and have lived my entire adult life in the Northeast. I have lots of family from the South, and this is the first time I have EVER heard of this.
I grew up on the East coast, spent a decade plus in Utah, and only once I moved here to Houston did I hear it for the first time. I hear it all the time now, usually from older people, usually from more rural people, almost always from African Americans. If your Southern family falls outside of those three categories, it's very likely you wouldn't have heard it.
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There's a ton of regional terms in Buffalo English that are a complete mystery to the world beyond Western New York; "Let's get some Chiavetta at the lawn fete." Still, we're here to talk about American terms not widely understood outside of the country. Lemme' think ... outside of AAVE and some technical terms, I can't think of much. I'm considering "would Canadians understand it, but not Brits or other first world English-speaking countries?
Maybe we should call this thread "North American English words not understood in other English-speaking countries?"
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Quote:
Originally posted by
elmwood
There's a ton of regional terms in Buffalo English that are a complete mystery to the world beyond Western New York; "Let's get some Chiavetta at the lawn fete." Still, we're here to talk about American terms not widely understood outside of the country. Lemme' think ... outside of AAVE and some technical terms, I can't think of much. I'm considering "would Canadians understand it, but not Brits or other first world English-speaking countries?
Maybe we should call this thread "North American English words not understood in other English-speaking countries?"
What does that (my bolding) mean? I know you just said out of USA, but I'm curious.
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The mention of trousers/pants reminded me of a story ( I believe related at Language Log) about an American looking for 'khaki pants' - most Americans pronounce khaki the same way one would 'cacky', though 'cacky' is not a word in American English.
How far has 'hella' expanded beyond the borders of the US? I grew up with it and only a few years discovered that it had spread out of Northern California but was highly regional before then. As for meaning, it's an intensifier, if an informal one. "That's hella sweet." "Some people find this word hella annoying."
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Quote:
Originally posted by
parzival
The mention of trousers/pants reminded me of a story ( I believe related at Language Log) about an American looking for 'khaki pants' - most Americans pronounce khaki the same way one would 'cacky', though 'cacky' is not a word in American English.
How far has 'hella' expanded beyond the borders of the US? I grew up with it and only a few years discovered that it had spread out of Northern California but was highly regional before then. As for meaning, it's an intensifier, if an informal one. "That's hella sweet." "Some people find this word hella annoying."
The cultural ambassadors Gwen Stefani and Cartman have spread hella hella far and wide.
Cacks/keks is a colloquial term for trousers in much of the UK and Ireland. Are you talking about "cacky" as in "shitty"?
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Quote:
Originally posted by
jali
What does that (my bolding) mean? I know you just said out of USA, but I'm curious.
I went to college in Buffalo but I don't get this either.(To me a fete means a party although no one I know uses the word. I don't know what Chiavetti is but I do know what loganberry tastes like).
As far as I can tell in American English khaki pronounced cacky means tan. Any explanations as to other meanings or pronunciations would be welcome.
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Quote:
Originally posted by
Oliveloaf
I was being interviewed by a British journalist when I used the word "burble" to describe the exhaust note of a specific car.
The interviewer started laughing, and finally questioned my use of the word. He thought it more-or-less a childish, made up word.
I believe I described the car as having a rewarding, deep-throated burble.
Funny.
Pretty common term here and quite onomatopoeic.
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Quote:
Originally posted by
Mangetout
Spackle. I mean, I know what it means now, but I'm betting that not many non-US English speakers have encountered it.
First encountered it in Sweden then read it in an American book (The Ninja: Eric Van Lustbader, IIRC) and knew what it meant, would have been baffled otherwise.
