Report: Our Friends in the Colonies
Wednesday, January 23, 2002 by AJCrowley | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
I saw a thread last night where there seemed to be a little confusion as to what "Tippex" (whiteout) is. As a British expatriate living amongst our colonial friends in North America, I thought it might be helpful to do something of a language comparison. Because of this is a site for the whole family, I'll keep it from being too raunchy.
Tippex - Whiteout, this has already been covered in another thread.
Cellotape - Scotch tape.
Plaster - Band aid.
Rubber - Eraser, you wouldn't believe the looks I received wondering around the office asking everyone if they had a rubber I could borrow, a simple enough request, or so I thought.
Tramp - Bum.
Bum - Bottom.
Fanny - Not a bottom, this one caused some confusion for me.
Jelly - Jello, so similar and yet so different.
Spirits - Hard liquor.
Solder - Sauder, I thought Americans just had a speech impediment of some kind for a while with this one.
Bog - Bathroom, it also took me some time to learn to stop asking people, "Where's yer bog?".
Bin - Trash Can. Americans seem to understand this one if you repeat it four or five times getting consistently louder each time, they're just not used to hearing it.
Fortnight - 2 weeks. Americans have no idea what this means, making using it when giving estimates for project deadlines a smart idea.
Tea - As with so many of the other finest words in the English language, this can mean more than one thing. It is not necessarily a hot beverage prepared from the leaves of the tea plant, but can also be dinner. It is also nothing to do with odd people having a cup of tea at 4 o'clock with the vicar.
There also seems to be some confusion regarding making a V sign with your fingers. Americans have the notion that if you do it with your palm facing outwards, it means peace, and if your palm faces inwards, it means victory. I was quite stunned to one day turn on the television and see a well know celebrity giving me the v. To English people, if your palm faces inwards when you do it, it's kind of the same as if you were to retract your index finger to leave only a single finger standing, but twice as strong.
That is all I can think of for now. If for some reason that I can't fathom, this thread remains where I can see it, I might provide some updates as and when they occur to me, anyone else who has anything to add is also encouraged to do so, this includes you Australians, you have a far better grip on the English language than our American cousins.
Good day to you,
AJ.
Tippex - Whiteout, this has already been covered in another thread.
Cellotape - Scotch tape.
Plaster - Band aid.
Rubber - Eraser, you wouldn't believe the looks I received wondering around the office asking everyone if they had a rubber I could borrow, a simple enough request, or so I thought.
Tramp - Bum.
Bum - Bottom.
Fanny - Not a bottom, this one caused some confusion for me.
Jelly - Jello, so similar and yet so different.
Spirits - Hard liquor.
Solder - Sauder, I thought Americans just had a speech impediment of some kind for a while with this one.
Bog - Bathroom, it also took me some time to learn to stop asking people, "Where's yer bog?".
Bin - Trash Can. Americans seem to understand this one if you repeat it four or five times getting consistently louder each time, they're just not used to hearing it.
Fortnight - 2 weeks. Americans have no idea what this means, making using it when giving estimates for project deadlines a smart idea.
Tea - As with so many of the other finest words in the English language, this can mean more than one thing. It is not necessarily a hot beverage prepared from the leaves of the tea plant, but can also be dinner. It is also nothing to do with odd people having a cup of tea at 4 o'clock with the vicar.
There also seems to be some confusion regarding making a V sign with your fingers. Americans have the notion that if you do it with your palm facing outwards, it means peace, and if your palm faces inwards, it means victory. I was quite stunned to one day turn on the television and see a well know celebrity giving me the v. To English people, if your palm faces inwards when you do it, it's kind of the same as if you were to retract your index finger to leave only a single finger standing, but twice as strong.
That is all I can think of for now. If for some reason that I can't fathom, this thread remains where I can see it, I might provide some updates as and when they occur to me, anyone else who has anything to add is also encouraged to do so, this includes you Australians, you have a far better grip on the English language than our American cousins.
Good day to you,
AJ.
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BoXXi
Reply #22 Thursday, January 24, 2002 5:43 AM
Reply #22 Thursday, January 24, 2002 5:43 AM
DavidK: From the small amount of information in your post, I would guess it was an MG or MGB GT, am I right? 
BoXXi
Reply #23 Thursday, January 24, 2002 5:45 AM
Reply #23 Thursday, January 24, 2002 5:45 AM
Another one for AJ's collection:
Clingfilm = Saran Wrap. Huh?
Clingfilm = Saran Wrap. Huh?
DavidK
Reply #24 Thursday, January 24, 2002 6:05 AM
Reply #24 Thursday, January 24, 2002 6:05 AM
nope... Jensen GT
It was the best car I've ever owned. A masterpiece of form and function. Once a few bugs got sorted out...
It was the best car I've ever owned. A masterpiece of form and function. Once a few bugs got sorted out...
Jafo
Reply #25 Thursday, January 24, 2002 6:28 AM
Reply #25 Thursday, January 24, 2002 6:28 AM
Not an Interceptor FF [Ferguson Four-wheel drive] though....;(
THAT was a CAR....
If you want weird foods, you can't go past a 'pie-floater'...[but I always will]...
THAT was a CAR....
If you want weird foods, you can't go past a 'pie-floater'...[but I always will]...
DavidK
Reply #26 Thursday, January 24, 2002 6:36 AM
Reply #26 Thursday, January 24, 2002 6:36 AM
yep - the Interceptor was way ahead of it's time. Chrysler Hemi in a Jaguar frame. The GT though was like an Aston Martin Shooting Brake, a fast little hatchback with a Rolls interior and a Lotus 907 engine. Amazing designers those Jensen boys... I wonder what they're doing now...
MobiusCo
Reply #27 Thursday, January 24, 2002 6:44 AM
Reply #27 Thursday, January 24, 2002 6:44 AM
DavidK remember with that electrical system if the smoke is coming out you know it is working as designed...let alone the whole reversed positive and negetive cables. Just take a british car into a small town garage and you get a new electrical system as soon as they touch it. As for the American language, or use or words, just drive across country a couple times and ever 8 hours the works change.
Now speaking of strange use of words. Lets refer to Australia since we have a few peopel from there. I was there several years ago and one guy kept saying how pissed he was...so of course I thought he was angry...only to find out later he was just saying how drunk he was.
Someone mentioned the term fag as in cigarette. Strangely enough that term along with coffin nail and coffin tack where popular several decades ago here also. Strange how things change.
Now speaking of strange use of words. Lets refer to Australia since we have a few peopel from there. I was there several years ago and one guy kept saying how pissed he was...so of course I thought he was angry...only to find out later he was just saying how drunk he was.
Someone mentioned the term fag as in cigarette. Strangely enough that term along with coffin nail and coffin tack where popular several decades ago here also. Strange how things change.
feline
Reply #28 Thursday, January 24, 2002 8:13 AM
Reply #28 Thursday, January 24, 2002 8:13 AM
JavaBrain - Hey! Feline! That wasn't nice...
i was having one of my anti-human days
actually, i still am
something about working in the pit of despare and hellfire i think *shrug*
anyway, i dont think of you as an american, i think of you as a lovely person
i was having one of my anti-human days
actually, i still am
something about working in the pit of despare and hellfire i think *shrug*
anyway, i dont think of you as an american, i think of you as a lovely person
feline
Reply #29 Thursday, January 24, 2002 8:17 AM
Reply #29 Thursday, January 24, 2002 8:17 AM
craeonics - Care to try?
???
feline feels confused
feline wonders if they do a chocolate or raspery ripple confused
???
feline feels confused
feline wonders if they do a chocolate or raspery ripple confused
AJCrowley
Reply #30 Friday, January 25, 2002 1:24 AM
Reply #30 Friday, January 25, 2002 1:24 AM
Wow, this is quickly turning into a comprehensive guide. To further answer starone's question, "Say, what is a crumpet?", it, like so many of the other finer words in the Limey language, is largely a matter of context. "A crumpet" would indeed be the fine snack, but "A bit of crumpet" would rarely refer to the toaster goodie, and would more likely refer to what JFK may well have referred to as "tang", of which, I read astronauts get all they want.
Further to the matter of words having many meanings based upon their context, one of the finest that the English language has to offer is "Bollocks", pronounced as it looks. If referred to as "me bollocks", this would generally be a light hearted reference to a defining feature of the male anatomy, generally used when associated with pain, as is "ouch, me bollocks". To say something "is bollocks", or somebody "is talking bollocks" would refer to the questionable truth of the subject matter; but, if you were to say that something "is the bollocks", this would be the equivalent of calling it "the bees knees", or possibly "the cat's whiskers".
Mutli functional words such as this, are in my opinion the crowning achievement of the English language, and possibly the aspect I miss the most when I am forced to alter my vocabulary in order to be understood. To my knowledge, there are no North American words that could fall into this category.
Further to the matter of words having many meanings based upon their context, one of the finest that the English language has to offer is "Bollocks", pronounced as it looks. If referred to as "me bollocks", this would generally be a light hearted reference to a defining feature of the male anatomy, generally used when associated with pain, as is "ouch, me bollocks". To say something "is bollocks", or somebody "is talking bollocks" would refer to the questionable truth of the subject matter; but, if you were to say that something "is the bollocks", this would be the equivalent of calling it "the bees knees", or possibly "the cat's whiskers".
Mutli functional words such as this, are in my opinion the crowning achievement of the English language, and possibly the aspect I miss the most when I am forced to alter my vocabulary in order to be understood. To my knowledge, there are no North American words that could fall into this category.
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Reply #21 Thursday, January 24, 2002 5:40 AM
Scrumptious!
If you ever make it to England, I will take you to the famous "Betty's Cafe" in York and buy you an english "High Tea". Deal?