British-English to American-English 'translation' thread

[RRumbLINg]

All the aussies I know say pash for snog, and root for *ahem* y'know....

[skip]

Haha, yes two of my BILs (both Aussies) can't get over the phrase "I'm rooting for so-and-so"

[oriel]

All the aussies I know say pash for snog, and root for *ahem* y'know....

A pash is a crush, isn't it?

And I thought the phrase was 'would freeze the balls off a brass monkey'.

[RachelS]

I'm with Oriel on the Brass monkey phrase. Along those lines is Brassic for cold.

[Jelly Belly]

And I thought the phrase was 'would freeze the balls off a brass monkey'.

Yep, that's how I know it. Although I thought it was could rather than would.

Also the shortened version...
"Cor, it's a bit brass monkeys today innit?" = "It's very cold outside today."

[Turtle'sMammy]

Might just be my mother.
Man: "It's very cold"
DM: "Take it out and warm it"
or
Man: "It's very cold."
DM: "Wrap your shirt around it."

Oh and is it an Irish thing to say "flute" for pen1s? Every time I read Eric Carle's "What do you hear?" book and get to the line "I hear a flamingo fluting at me" I laugh [juvenile emoticon]

[skip]

And I thought the phrase was 'would freeze the balls off a brass monkey'.

And "colder than a witch's tit"!

Lol TM, never heard that one!

[Riotproof]

Haha, yes two of my BILs (both Aussies) can't get over the phrase "I'm rooting for so-and-so"

It never gets old.. ever.

[VanillaPickle]

And I thought the phrase was 'would freeze the balls off a brass monkey'.

Could well be....a family friend of ours who is very northern always quoted it as falling out of trees so who knows? Probably another regional variation.

Australia 'workbench' = UK 'bed'

[elaruu]

All the aussies I know say pash for snog, and root for *ahem* y'know....

A pash is a crush, isn't it?

Nope, it's a kiss. Short for passionate kiss I think. At least that's where I've always thought it came from.

[Chives]

And I thought the phrase was 'would freeze the balls off a brass monkey'.

Yep, that's how I know it. Although I thought it was could rather than would.

Also the shortened version...
"Cor, it's a bit brass monkeys today innit?" = "It's very cold outside today."

And I've noticed this 'cor' thing said before, not sure what it's all about.

[oriel]

All the aussies I know say pash for snog, and root for *ahem* y'know....

A pash is a crush, isn't it?

Nope, it's a kiss. Short for passionate kiss I think. At least that's where I've always thought it came from.

Ah now, to me it's the sort of hero-worship crush a teenager has on someone older, particularly in a single-sex school.

'Cor' is a corruption of 'God' ('Cor blimey' = 'God blind me').

[Chives]

'Cor' is a corruption of 'God' ('Cor blimey' = 'God blind me').

Very interesting!

[Antje]

One of the other threads alerted me to another word: vest.

Here in Canada/US, a vest is basically the third piece of a three-piece suit, the thing that goes over a man's shirt but under his suit jacket. A sweater vest would be a man's knitted sweater, sleeveless and v-neck, to be worn over a collared shirt.

From what I gather, in the UK a "vest" is what we would call a tank top here? I did see the word "camisole" being used in the same way I would have used it, but the "vest" thing had me confused.

[blackberrycrumble]

Hmmm the bit you are taking about as a vest - the part of the suit - is a waistcoat here.

A tank top here is usually knitted and has no buttons up the front, so prob equiv of the 'sweater vest' you mention.

I have no idea what you would call a tank top so can't confirm if it is the same thing!

A vest is underwear, worn for warmth.