British-English to American-English 'translation' thread

[OnlyAGinger]

after birth, at the hospital, Lovebug stayed in the 'special care nursery' - not the level of a PICU, just extra support.
i have heard of friends saying that they're painting/decorating the nursery.
definitely familiar w/ nursery/greenhouses for plants
nursery school - more formal education - maybe a term not used as much, i think, but still more educational.
i send Lovebug to daycare, not nursery - isn't that how it's worded in the UK - 'LO goes to nursery'?
also, nursery rhymes, nursery songs - they must overlap, since we have so many of British origin, right?!

[sparkling]

i send Lovebug to daycare, not nursery - isn't that how it's worded in the UK - 'LO goes to nursery'?

Yes, Jiglet goes to nursery, the equivalent to what you'd call daycare. For 3 & 4 year olds it's slightly more formal and might be called preschool or nursery.

And babysitter - here that's usually used for someone who looks after children for a few hours, on an informal/occasional basis. The impression I get is that in the US babysitter is also used for more formal childcare in somebody's home, what we'd call a childminder, is that right?

[OnlyAGinger]

we also use preschool.
babysitter - can be someone who comes to your house or where you drop off your child during the day, if while working, you might call that person a babysitter if she doesn't claim on taxes(?). if she does, perhaps formally called a daycare provider(?). ooh, stickiness...

[BadgersMommy]

Babysitter is pretty informal here, too -- more the teenager down the block than a professional. We'd say nanny for someone who watched a child regularly at your house, and again day care for something outside of the home, even if it's just a woman who watches a few children in her own home. We might say "home daycare" to distinguish from a large "daycare center".

x-posted with OAG -- agree that it's pretty grey.

[Louisianablue2000]

UK: post
US: mail

My Mum got into terrible trouble in Canada for telling someone their house was homely, apparently it means unattractive there, she thought she was complimenting them on how comfortable it was.

[Cait]

US kegels = UK pelvic floor exercises.

[bimbambaLINs]

US kegels = UK pelvic floor exercises.

Ha thx Cait, that just save me from Googling that one after seeing Biddy's thread

[LIN'sNotDIM]

Totally random but.. there's now a link to this thread on the front page of the main website and when I clicked it just now it took me to the top of page two, where there's a post about a shop called 'Fanny Wrappers'. Just made me chuckle because people will probably click it expecting helpful translations of weaning terms, and they'll get 'Fanny Wrappers' instead

[Kate]

ah yeah, it does! maybe aitch ought to change the link so it goes to top of page 1....

[Aitch]

arf. maybe i should...

[blackberrycrumble]

In the interests of scientific enquiry <cough>, I bought a packet of whoppers today (cent quote on phone but a few pages back there was a discussion of whether they were the same as maltesers). I can report that they are similar but do taste quite different. They are sweeter than maltesers and less malty. More like a crunchie type taste/texture. Apols to lovely US friends but also the chocolate is hersheys which is the most unchocolately chocolate I've ever tasted. Makes dairymilk seem Belgian.

All that said they can't have been too bad as the packet didn't last long.

Ah the sacrifices I make for the forum!

[ToothFairy]

Thanks for your hard work BC

[Wilma]

Taking one for the team BC!

[Cait]

Eating Hersheys is a real sacrifice! Now, can you find something close to Graham Crackers for us? Digestives just aren't it and you can't make a good s'more with anything I've tried.

[OnlyAGinger]

LOL!!!
not particularly fond of whoppers, but I think i've had them in a recipe before (maybe crushed & put in ice cream?) & they were then acceptable.