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Lost in translation (US to UK)

This may have been brought up, it maybe just me or it may just be Australia and New Zealand

Rubbish bin = Trash can

Chilli Bin = Eski = Cooler

Highway = Motorway

Doona = Duvet = ? (I dont know what they call it in America)

Does anyone know a translation for "Stubby"? or would it simply be beer?
 
"I was pissed one day when they told me that I couldn't light a fag while I was cued up for petrol."

Translation:

"Once, when I was drunk, they told me that I couldn't smoke a cigarette while I waited in line to buy some gasoline."
 
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.


I'm gonna use that next time I'm late to a date

"SORRY I'M LATE HONEY, I WAS HAVING AN AFTERNOON WANK":D
 
Great thread! I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, but my family is Irish (Cork). I grew up with British and whatever Irish entertainment we could get over here, and also with American TV, film, and media. On top of that, there is our own Canadian culture, whose voice has become stronger over the decades. I've spent my life translating between the four. It's hilarious!
 
This may have been brought up, it maybe just me or it may just be Australia and New Zealand

Rubbish bin = Trash can

Chilli Bin = Eski = Cooler

Highway = Motorway

Doona = Duvet = ? (I dont know what they call it in America)

Does anyone know a translation for "Stubby"? or would it simply be beer?
i think doona = do not.... but is more often pronounced di (as in did) -nay....i di-nay agree....

I've often wondered aboot the origin of words like "burke"as in idiot,or doggin' (dog end or cigarette butt)and roundabouts would seem be potential carnage on american freeways
 
It's becoming trendy in the US to have roundabouts built in new residential areas.

And yes, it is a disaster.

To be fair, the local dialects between regions of the US are sometimes as far apart as the US/UK. There is no such thing as a "pricker bush" in the southern US, but they're common in the north. A toboggan is either a snow-sled or a hat, and some US dictionaries include both definitions. Yaller dupe (yellow dew?) is Mountain Dew in the south, while it's all pop in the north.

One of my favorite bands of all time is Cock Sparrer. Even after explaining to Americans that they're Cockney, they are literally from a place called Cockney, that's literally the name of the place, it's on the map as "Cockney", many Americans are still convinced that they're homosexual. But there's a town in my county called Manassas, and that's just a normal town name. It's a few miles from Bumpass.
 
"Shag" My all-time favorite.

I'll never forget when those Austin Powers movies came out, especially The Spy Who Shagged Me.

My wife's boss, who is from the UK, was absolutely stunned that we Americans could put that title up on billboards and marquee lights. I can still hear him saying, in wide-eyed whispered amazement, "Do you know what that means?!?!?! It means F***!!!"

So funny.
 
Anyway i'm just off to have a squiz at the idiot box.

Some AUS / US translations for our friends accross the pacific...

squiz = look at
idiot box = TV
petrol = gas
yobbo = redneck
bogan = redneck
soft drink = pop or soda
yank = person from US
pom = person from England
skip = person from AUS
prawn = shrimp
garbage/rubbish = trash
piss = beer
grog = any alcoholic beverage
bathroom = room to take a bath / shower
toilet = room in which to relieve one self
wanker = idiot
poof/fag/queer = homosexual

Plenty of others..... :D
 
Some AUS / US translations for our friends accross the pacific...

piss = beer

Yeah, depending on the brewer, that one works here in the USA as well sometimes.

bathroom = room to take a bath / shower
toilet = room in which to relieve one self

My bathroom at home has a commode in it..is it a bathroom or a toilet?

And where does "restroom" fit in the mix?
 
Yeah, depending on the brewer, that one works here in the USA as well sometimes.



My bathroom at home has a commode in it..is it a bathroom or a toilet?

And where does "restroom" fit in the mix?
a room with a commode would be toilet to a brit.....bathroom and rest room would be the made for tv versions.... i remember when johnny carson used to have to call them "water closets"
 
I'd just like to comment that out of all the sports Ive seen that I could never figure out the rules, objectives, and so forth (cricket, rugby); I love Australian Rules Football! I saw it once on TV and and watched for an hour not knowing what was going on and absolutely loved it. Just the right mix of finesse and violence! I hope thats the number one sport in Australia. It should be more popular worldwide IMO.
 
I'd just like to comment that out of all the sports Ive seen that I could never figure out the rules, objectives, and so forth (cricket, rugby); I love Australian Rules Football! I saw it once on TV and and watched for an hour not knowing what was going on and absolutely loved it. Just the right mix of finesse and violence! I hope thats the number one sport in Australia. It should be more popular worldwide IMO.

Haha! I'm not sure what's more popular, but Aussie Rules and cricket are the two most popular sports here... by a long shot! Since free-to-air digital TV has hit our shores and a full-time sport channel has started up, we've been getting a lot of American football, but I have to tell you, I still don't really get it! Does that sport have a particularly large amount of time-outs and things? They seem to spend an awful lot of time standing around...

Speaking of which, I'm not ashamed to call 'international football' soccer... it's just easier when you're brought up with footy, or football, being Australian Rules/AFL and soccer being, well, soccer!
 
we've been getting a lot of American football, but I have to tell you, I still don't really get it! Does that sport have a particularly large amount of time-outs and things? They seem to spend an awful lot of time standing around...

I'm ashamed to say it, because I grew up watching and playing American football, but compared to rugby, our football is a bit of a girly game. I was recently in a local fish n chips shop in Denver that only shows soccer and rugby on the televisions, and I was absolutely hypnotized by an international rugby match. Rough as hell, and rarely does play stop. No pads! Crazy rough. Very entertaining, but the players' careers can't last very long.
 
Was I high, or is the field/pitch circular?!?

Wow! I've only just realised that Aussie Rules is possibly the only professional ball sport in the world which uses an oval playing field...

But I'm pretty sure that has something to do with its origins in the mid-1800s as a way to keep cricketers fit during winter. When I think about it, that's pretty clever, because every football oval in Australia (what you'd call a football field) also doubles as a cricket oval/field in the summer, thus eliminating the need for a buttload of playing fields!