British-English to American-English 'translation' thread

[FestiveTidings]

So the phrasebelt and braces" isn't common in the US/Canada then?

[Brigitte]

[jvnt]

It means being extra safe or taking extra precautions - you can wear a belt or braces (suspenders) to hold your trousers up but if you wear both they definitely won't fall down!

[Brigitte]

[blackberrycrimble]

Table food. This is one that tickles me a bit, I'm not sure why. I think I know what it means - proper meal type food?

[StJuniper]

Yes. Food you'd eat at the table versus watery mush for the high chair crowd, I guess?

[Treeb]

Yes, really just any normal people food. The term can also be used when giving human food to your pet dog.

[Cns2n8]

[Cns2n8]

This was new for me. We call them ladybugs. You all call them ladybirds?

[Cns2n8]

[Cns2n8]

We also fry everything here. Name it.

Fried Oreos, fried pickles, fried ice cream.

[Cns2n8]

And do you all call it swimming pools?

[Brigitte]

[Treeb]

It definitely depends on what area of the US you are from also. I'm from the north east and would never say "you all" and definitely not y'all or "all y'all". I say "you guys" instead.

[Lily]