Lost in translation (US to UK)

[secretface]

This guy I know who played in England a few times told me a couple funny stories about his time overseas. While out shopping with some locals he proclaimed loudy, "I didnt know it was gonna be this cold over here, I only brought one pair of pants!" They all looked at him strangely. He later found out that over there pants is a term for underwear while in america, it means trousers, britches, pantaloons, etc. The other funny thing he mentioned was he had to bring some of his pen-pals a box of chocolates from america made by a company named Fanny Farmer. The joke being that in England the term 'fanny' is used when referring to a womans private parts. I wonder what other terms have seperate meanings across the pond?

[addylewis]

Theres loads of 'em man - but I can't be bothered thinking of any right now...

Why'd you guys always call "jam" - "Jelly" and "Jelly" - "Jell-o" anyway?

[albertofrog]

I once said to an american friend "I only ever want a fag when I'm pissed"

He thought I was after homosexuals when i was angry, but I meant I only ever smoke when I'm drunk....

Do we really speak the same language?
(and dont get me started on Microsoft "US English"...)

BTW Northern English pants= US Pants.
I get funny looks off southerners when i talk about my "gig pants"...

[Kevin.Kevin]

well there's jelly and jam, at least in Canada. I prefer Jam...

Jello is one of those brand things. Like Kleenex, or Band-aids. Should be facial tissues and self adhesive bandages, but the prevailing brand got the most attention.

Microsoft's US English sucks. It auto corrects Colour, and Centre to color and center which just makes me feel dirty.

The real question is whats with English dudes dropping the C-bomb all the time. Where i'm from thats like the worst word to use.

[51m0n]

Well there's confusion over rubbers!

(You would call what I call a rubber an eraser I believe)

[roysloco]

C-bomb's pretty much the worst word here in the UK too and most people don't use it 'casually' (guess it's down to who you're hanging out with ).

A 'rubber' over here is something you erase mistakes with ... in other countries it's something you use to stop a mistake happening in the first place

[51m0n]

Originally Posted by Kevin.Kevin

The real question is whats with English dudes dropping the C-bomb all the time. Where i'm from thats like the worst word to use.

But its a very good old English word, and only a word at that, its not like we are stabbing you in the face, whats not to like you daft c... ?

[Lady Kayri]

We've had Irish and English girls working at the hotel. One of them ran late one morning, and told us her boyfriend forgot to 'knock her up on time' that morning. Myself and the rest of the staff were on the floor laughing as a result, and she looked perplexed until we told her that 'getting knocked up' in the US is slang for getting pregnant, while for her, it meant him knockiing on her door to make sure she woke up in time... Plus, they call the maid's carts 'trolleys' (while for us, a 'trolley' is a big vehicle similar to a bus, whether it's electric and running on a 'trolley line' or is gas powered and thus independent of an electrical line...) and the fact that for the English, what we here in the US call the 'trunk' of the car is the 'boot.' Of course, there's also the fact that while we may like those 'English accents,' for the English WE'RE the ones with strange accents. (Especially me, as I've lived lots of places in the US between having been a military brat, then in the military myself...a bit of North Eastern accent here, a bit of Midwest twang there, some Southern drawl there, and Californian as well...to say nothing of the fact that after being around our Irish and English girls, I start picking up a bit of Irish and English accents in additions to the rest that color my speech...)

[Darko74]

Im irish but lived in Florida for 2 years. when i arrived i had F**k all money. so we stayed in a real real cheap motel. The motel was so cheap that alot of the 'locals' used it do to crack in. After our 3rd night we got to know the girls working there. One morning they asked us how are night was. We had been out on the town having a few beers. So we told them "it was great craic" The word Craic here in Ireland means Fun. She looked at us very strangely and went away. We only realised the double meaning later on!

[JoZac21]

I'm embarrassed as an american that we call football soccer... and that no one here watches it... GO LIVERPOOL!!! (err... go Liverpool next season....)

[Darko74]

Originally Posted by JoZac21

I'm embarrassed as an american that we call football soccer... and that no one here watches it... GO LIVERPOOL!!! (err... go Liverpool next season....)

Its not Go Liverpool! its C'mon de Pool! Or i prefer C'mon de Hoops!
Hail hail!

[JoZac21]

Originally Posted by Darko74

Its not Go Liverpool! its C'mon de Pool! Or i prefer C'mon de Hoops!
Hail hail!

I didn't understand a word of that...

[Darko74]

Originally Posted by JoZac21

I didn't understand a word of that...

nobody says Go liverpool. C'mon=come on. De=the. Pool=liverpool.
Hoops= Celtic FC.

[JoZac21]

Originally Posted by Darko74

nobody says Go liverpool. C'mon=come on. De=the. Pool=liverpool.
Hoops= Celtic FC.

Just kidding, I got you...

Disparaissent L'Pool!!!!

[Dekker]

The noun/verb "root" takes on a whole new meaning in Australia/NZ...

[Luke666uk]

One word ive come across which you guys over the pond dont understand is the best English word ever. Bollocks

[BillMason]

Originally Posted by secretface

This guy I know who played in England a few times told me a couple funny stories about his time overseas. While out shopping with some locals he proclaimed loudy, "I didnt know it was gonna be this cold over here, I only brought one pair of pants!" They all looked at him strangely. He later found out that over there pants is a term for underwear while in america, it means trousers, britches, pantaloons, etc. The other funny thing he mentioned was he had to bring some of his pen-pals a box of chocolates from america made by a company named Fanny Farmer. The joke being that in England the term 'fanny' is used when referring to a womans private parts. I wonder what other terms have seperate meanings across the pond?

We in Canada have a weird mix of "Britishisms" and "Americanisms" and a few "Canadianisms" thrown in, many of which are regional because our low population is so incredibly dispersed across a large chunk of the continent. Fanny here means a woman's rear end, and it is funny when we hear Americans use it as a woman's name.

Hoser is really only a northern Ontario thing by the way, I never heard it until Bob and Doug on SNL, but I lived in northern Ontario for a few years and actually heard people use it in conversation, kinda freaked me out. People from Ontario call electricity Hydro, and we in the English speaking Atlantic Canadian provinces call it power.

We call bacon, bacon. Americans call back bacon Canadian bacon. We call processed cheese, processed cheese. Americans call it American cheese. We say zed, not zee, and we spell things with an "-our" not "-or." We say washroom, not restroom. We ask for the bill at a restaurant, not the check (or cheque, which is what we might use to pay the bill). We say arse, which is like a kid-friendly version of "a**" and likely descends from the British pronunciation of "a**."

[kesslari]

A bit long, but well worth the read...


This Penguin Can’t Swim
Advice to American Tourists in England

Vocabulary

The Brits have peculiar words for many things. Money is referred to as “goolies” in slang, so you should for instance say “I’d love to come to the pub but I haven’t got any goolies.” “Quid” is the modern word for what was once called a “shilling” — the equivalent of seventeen cents American. Underpants are called “wellies” and friends are called “tossers.” If you are fond of someone, you should tell him he is a “great tosser” — he will be touched. The English are a notoriously demonstrative, tactile people, and if you want to fit in you should hold hands with your acquaintances and tossers when you walk down the street. Public nuzzling and licking are also encouraged, but only between people of the same sex.

Habits

Ever since their Tory government wholeheartedly embraced full union with Europe, the Brits have been attempting to adopt certain continental customs, such as the large midday meal followed by a two or three hour siesta, which they call a “wank.” As this is still a fairly new practice in Britain, it is not uncommon for people to oversleep (alarm clocks, alas, do not work there due to the magnetic pull from Greenwich). If you are late for supper, simply apologize and explain that you were having a wank — everyone will understand and forgive you.

Universities

University archives and manuscript collections are still governed by quaint medieval rules retained out of respect for tradition; hence patrons are expected to bring to the reading rooms their own ink-pots and a small knife for sharpening their pens. Observing these customs will signal the librarians that you are “in the know” — one of the inner circle, as it were, for the rules are unwritten and not posted anywhere in the library. Likewise, it is customary to kiss the librarian on both cheeks when he brings a manuscript you’ve requested, a practice dating back to the reign of Henry VI.

One of the most delighful ways to spend an afternoon in Oxford or Cambridge is gliding gently down the river in one of their flat-bottomed boats, which you propel using a long pole. This is known as “cottaging.” Many of the boats (called “yer-i-nals”) are privately owned by the colleges, but there are some places that rent them to the public by the hour. Just tell a professor or policeman that you are interested in doing some cottaging and would like to know where the public yerinals are. The poles must be treated with vegetable oil to protect them from the water, so it’s a good idea to buy a can of Crisco and have it on you when you ask directions to the yerinals. That way people will know you are an experienced cottager.

Food

British cuisine enjoys a well deserved reputation as the most sublime gastronomic pleasure available to man. Thanks to today’s robust dollar, the American traveller can easily afford to dine out several times a week (rest assured that a British meal is worth interrupting your afternoon wank for). Few foreigners are aware that there are several grades of meat in the UK. The best cuts of meat, like the best bottles of gin, bear Her Majesty’s seal, called the British Stamp of Excellence (BSE). When you go to a fine restaurant, tell your waiter you want BSE beef and won’t settle for anything less. If he balks at your request, custom dictates that you jerk your head imperiously back and forth while rolling your eyes to show him who is boss.Once the waiter realizes you are a person of discriminating taste, he may offer to let you peruse the restaurant’s list of exquisite British wines. If he doesn’t, you should order one anyway. The best wine grapes grow on the steep, chalky hillsides of Yorkshire and East Anglia — try an Ely ‘84 or Ripon ‘88 for a rare treat indeed. When the bill for your meal comes it will show a suggested amount. Pay whatever you think is fair, unless you plan to dine there again, in which case you should simply walk out the restaurant host will understand that he should run a tab for you.

Transportation

Public taxis are subsidized by the Her Majesty’s Government. A taxi ride in London costs two pounds, no matter how far you travel. If a taxi driver tries to overcharge you, you should yell “I think not, you charlatan!”, then grab the nearest bobby and have the driver arrested. It is rarely necessary to take a taxi, though, since bus drivers are required to make detours at patrons’ requests. Just board any bus, pay your fare of thruppence (the heavy gold-colored coins are “pence”), and state your destination clearly to the driver, e.g.: “Please take me to the British Library.” A driver will frequently try to have a bit of harmless fun by pretending he doesn’t go to your requested destination. Ignore him, as he is only teasing the American tourist (little does he know you’re not so ignorant!). Speaking of the British Library, you should know that it has recently moved to a new location at Kew. Kew is a small fishing village in Wales. It can be reached by taking the train to Cardiff; once there, ask any local about the complimentary shuttle bus to Kew. Don’t forget that buses are called “prams” in England, and trains are called “bumbershoots”–it’s a little confusing at first. Motorcycles are called “lorries” and the hospital, for reasons unknown, is called the “off-license”. It’s also very important to know that a “doctor” only means a PhD in England, not a physician. If you want a physician, you must ask for an “MP” (which stands for “master physician”). For those travelling on a shoestring budget, the London Tube may be the most economical way to get about, especially if you are a woman. Chivalry is alive and well in Britain, and ladies still travel for free on the Tube. Simply take some tokens from the baskets at the base of the escalators or on the platforms; you will find one near any of the state-sponsored Tube musicians. Once on the platform, though, beware! Approaching trains sometimes disturb the large Gappe bats that roost in the tunnels. The Gappes were smuggled into London in the early 19th century by French saboteurs and have proved impossible to exterminate. The announcement “Mind the Gappe!” is a signal that you should grab your hair and look towards the ceiling. Very few people have ever been killed by Gappes, though, and they are considered only a minor drawback to an otherwise excellent means of transportation. (If you have difficulty locating the Tube station, merely follow the signs that say “Subway” and ask one of the full-time attendants where you can catch the bumbershoot.)

One final note:

For preferential treatment when you arrive at Heathrow airport, announce that you are a member of Shin Fane (an international Jewish peace organization — the “shin” stands for “shalom”). As savvy travellers know, this little white lie will assure you priority treatment as you make your way through customs; otherwise you could waste all day in line. You might, in fact, want to ask a customs agent to put a Shin Fane stamp in your passport, as it will expedite things on your return trip.

[roysloco]

Originally Posted by Darko74

Its not Go Liverpool! its C'mon de Pool! Or i prefer C'mon de Hoops!
Hail hail!

Good grief it's like listening to a being from another planet!

Liverpool = football club of Liverpool city.
Hoops = Celtic FC, one of the 2 main clubs in Glasgow.

I've no idea who uses "de" apart from the Irish!

[roysloco]

Originally Posted by Luke666uk

One word ive come across which you guys over the pond dont understand is the best English word ever. Bollocks

+1000, one of the best words ever invented!