American vs British

[ladyinred]

Re: American vs British

LOL Elizellen. Thanks for straightening us out. My Canadian friends were in New Zealand and they started talking about kahki pants. The NZ'ers killed themselves laughing while my friends stood there looking bemused. For the NZ'ers "kakhi" (sp?) is not a colour and pants, as you say, are underpants. They had quite an image in their minds.

[cmcole]

Re: American vs British

LadyInRed/Richt

did you know they don't have Smarties in the US? They're smarties are little candies, like what are called 'rockets' in canada.

Actually learned this on this board a while back. I thought everyone had Smarties!!!

That moonpie does look like a wagon whell to me. or a vachon cake.

I always thought Smarties were M&M's in the US (and now in Canada, too). I never knew they were Rockets/Sweet Tarts (which I've always hated, anyway)

We can get a 1/2 Moon/Lune, made by Vachon

What about jumper = cardigan, whereas when I grew up, a jumper was a dress-like item that you wore over a blouse or sweater.

Glove Box = Glove Compartment
Petrol = Gasoline

And then there's the "gas mark" on the stoves/ovens/ranges, whereas we just have temperatures or dials

refrigerator = ice box

I'll knock you up = I'll call on you, or wake you up (has taken on an entirely different meaning elsewhere)

garters are used to hold up men's socks, also
Garter belts are the ones used to hold up ladies stockings (either the sexy version, or before panty hose were invented)

yard stick/metre stick (obvious difference as to where you live)

I'll ring you = I'll call you on the telephone

telly = television

[NeonLike]

Re: American vs British

pudding = dessert

[Desertthorn]

Re: American vs British

What a great thread. Thanks for starting it Richt

[Analog6]

Re: American vs British

grey = gray
lorry = truck
tramp = bum
bum = posterior anatomy
aubergines = eggplant
courgette = zucchini
crisps = chips
chips = (French) fries


Note about biscuits...

What we call a biscuit in the US, is what they call a scone in the UK.

Not in Australia, and I don't thinkl in Britain either. A scone (I cannot believe I am writing about scones on an Atkins BB) is flour, butter, egg, milk & sugar baked in rounds (or squares) about an inch thick. They are definietly not bicuits, they come out all soft . . . . and I'll stop torturing us all now!

[Analog6]

Re: American vs British

I fully agree. Nestle (nest-lay) is just plain pretentious! Here in Oz it's always been Nestles (as in nestlesinto the rug (blanket)). I hadn't noticed Rowntree disappearing,but now you mention it it's gone from our country too.

Aust-Eglish-American
cossie or swimmers = bathers = what's the US term?
number plate = ??British?? = licence plate

My home town is York

http://www.visityork.org/explore/main.html


the home of an old sweetie (goodie) maker, Rowntrees (Joseph Rowntree and Co Ltd, a quaker foundation)

A few years ago they were bought out by those French upstarts Nestle (with accent). When I was a boy only Condensed Milk was found in the shops sold by Ness-ells, and the chocholate vending machine on the railway stations sold horrible chocholate by Ness-ells.

When Nestle bought out Rowntree they promised the brand name and the product range would survive, but they have progressivlely removed the Rowtree name and replaced it with "Nestle" (with accent) and have insisted on the FRENCH pronunciation. This Engliahman has views about that.

Sadly it seems that the Rowntree name is now only retained on the fruit and gum based confectionary - anything chocholate bears the name Nestle (with accent) which I will subbornly continue to call Ness-ells.

So there!

[not2late]

Re: American vs British

BTW 'Pants' means underpants here - which is why when we hear 'He wore just pants and suspenders' it brings an unsettling image to most British imaginations!!

lol.

Doesn't "vest" mean an undershirt? I used to watch re-runs of "Keeping Up Appearances" and Hyacinth always used to criticize her brother-in-law for just wearing a vest.

[Miss Phode]

Re: American vs British

So...what does bugger mean? Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Are any of you familiar with "The Office" with David Brent?

One of the characters in the movie suggested his co-worker buy a "bum-bag" when she goes to visit the States, because "there's a lot of crime there". He says "in the states they call them "fanny-packs" because in the US, your fanny is your arse".

Does anyone else watch that show?

[Labarum]

Re: American vs British

lol.

Doesn't "vest" mean an undershirt? I used to watch re-runs of "Keeping Up Appearances" and Hyacinth always used to criticize her brother-in-law for just wearing a vest.

UK vest

this shape

http://www.sportsshoes.com/product/?product_code=ADI2289

a singlet

---

US vest = UK waistcoat

http://www.thewaistcoatman.org.uk/plain_waistcoats.html

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: American vs British

UK vest

this shape

http://www.sportsshoes.com/product/...ct_code=ADI2289

LOL, we call those "wife beaters"

[allierw26]

Re: American vs British

This is a great thread! I am going to have to skim my Harry Potter books and find things I don't understand...lol. I am a 100% Southern girl. I went to England and Scotland for a few weeks when I was 15 and people loved my accent, but I had the worst time understanding some people, especially the Scots! The biscuit thing really confused me while I was there!

Here are a few I know that I don't think were mentioned
guys--blokes
friends--mates
soccer--football
canned food--tinned food

Here are few that appear in Harry Potter that are unfamiliar--treacle tarts? What is treacle? And kippers? And pudding...is pudding a bread in the UK? I vaguely remember Yorkshire pudding looking almost like a roll/bread type thing?

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: American vs British

Kippers are smoked fish in a can- you can buy them in the grocery store near the tuna and the sardines.

[Labarum]

Re: American vs British

Here are few that appear in Harry Potter that are unfamiliar--treacle tarts? What is treacle? And kippers? And pudding...is pudding a bread in the UK? I vaguely remember Yorkshire pudding looking almost like a roll/bread type thing?

4 entries found for pudding.

pud·ding ( P ) Pronunciation Key (pdng)
n.

1. 1. A sweet dessert, usually containing flour or a cereal product, that has been boiled, steamed, or baked.
   2. A mixture with a soft, puddinglike consistency.
2. A sausagelike preparation made with minced meat or various other ingredients stuffed into a bag or skin and boiled.

[Middle English, a kind of sausage, from Old French boudin.]

Black pudding is a sausage like savoury, as is white pudding. Most puddings are sweet. Yorkshire pudding a batter cooked at high temp in the oven - anciently under the spitroast beef to catch all the dripping fats.

A tart is a pastry base filled with fruit or (ususally) seet stuffs.
A "flan" is similar

Treacle comes black and golden

black - like molasses
golden - a liquid sugar product to replace honey

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: American vs British

So are you saying that Treacle is a type of pudding?

[ladyinred]

Re: American vs British

Treacle is similar to molasses or corn syrup.

I was surprised one day to try a recipe for "popovers" and out came what I had always known to be yorkshire puddings. Which are not puddings at all. But which are most excellent with roast beef. Er...used to be most excellent. So I guess popovers are like yorkshire pudding. Or I did something wrong?