British-English to American-English 'translation' thread

[jvnt]

I've heard paci or binky for dummy, maybe it's regional.

[Pics]

Aitch - NOW you tell me that you are putting it on a sticky - would you like me to delete my contribution - it's clearly not food related!

[Chives]

I've been in the UK 8 years now and only just learned about this one the other day:

Owls in the UK say tuweet-tuwoo (or something like that).

Owls in the US say hoo hoo or hoot.

And some Christmas carols have different words to different tunes (O Little Town of Bethlehem, for example).

Yes! I've learned the owl thing in the last couple years. I've been here 10 years and am always learning new words. I will never know the entire British vocabulary. Any new hobby or part of life you get into, there's a whole new vocabulary to learn. It's like a different language. I used to think there was just a bunch of different words, but it's just never ending!

I've recently noticed that people here say 'erm' but never 'um.' So, is erm the British um? Do they pronounce it 'um' and leave out the r in the British 'r' skipping way?

[bimbambaLINs]

I say erm when making a point about someone else's post / behaviour and um when I don't know something!

[RedRum]

Neeps are swede

And swede is rutabaga. Although I thought neeps were turnips, so now I'm confused.

According to wikipedia, rutabaga, swede and turnip are all the same thing... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga

Yam = Sweet Potato right?

[RedRum]

Also, an amusing article here about what = neeps: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/ ... -or-turnip

ETA: another about the swede/turnip divide. Controversial subject apparently: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/ ... intcmp=239

[RedRum]

re: swede - hahaha - was thinking maybe flats or pennyloafers (just thought that swede was a different spelling for suede, & in essence, a reference to shoes!)

This is my favourite definition for swede

[Wilma]

Neeps are swede

And swede is rutabaga. Although I thought neeps were turnips, so now I'm confused.

According to wikipedia, rutabaga, swede and turnip are all the same thing... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga

Yam = Sweet Potato right?

When I lived in Boston you could get Yams and sweet potatoes and apparently sweet potatoes are good for you and yams are not! Could never figure out why as they look the same to me!

US Bassinet = UK Crib
US Crib = UK Cot
US Cot = UK Bed
This is something that really confused me when buying W's cot, I mean crib, no cot, crib.....bassinet????? Babies'r'us loved me!

[Aitch]

<falls over laughing at Pics> hey listen, it's hands-across-the-ocean time, innit?

[Rosie_t_Riveter]

Ha ha Wilma! I was sure I had more of these from living in the States for a year, and you've just reminded me...

Paper Napkin = serviette

We had a party in my French class in America. The teacher said "passe moi la serviette" and while everyone else stood around saying "what's a serviette?" I was looking for one and desperately trying to remember the American name for it. I found one, held it up and everyone said (in unison) "OH! A napkin!"

[RedRum]

Ha ha Wilma! I was sure I had more of these from living in the States for a year, and you've just reminded me...

Paper Napkin = serviette

We had a party in my French class in America. The teacher said "passe moi la serviette" and while everyone else stood around saying "what's a serviette?" I was looking for one and desperately trying to remember the American name for it. I found one, held it up and everyone said (in unison) "OH! A napkin!"

I say napkin though - I thought it was the other way around...

French press = cafetiere

[Rosie_t_Riveter]

I must admit RR that I think they're interchangeable, but I put that down to living in the US for a year. I'm happy to be corrected though! I also use both erm and um, possibly for the same reason?

[jvnt]

re: swede - hahaha - was thinking maybe flats or pennyloafers (just thought that swede was a different spelling for suede, & in essence, a reference to shoes!)

This is my favourite definition for swede

More on shoes, pumps are shoes with heels, I always thought they were trainers.

Oh and corn dog is a hot dog in a doughnut batter onna stick, not a veggie version of a hot dog - ah, the discovery on biting into that!

Queue = line. I think line works in England but queue didn't work for me in America.

My friend always says she finds it cute when English people say rubbish, she thinks it sounds much better than garbage.

[RedRum]

More on shoes, pumps are shoes with heels, I always thought they were trainers.

In my mind pumps are ballet pumps - kind of flat courts I guess.

[Chives]

Uk : Jelly
US : Jello
from what I gather it isn't used really as a dessert thing...more as something when you are unwell, or for Thanksgiving to go with the turkey... (or at least my American friends anyway...)

UK : Jam
US: Jelly... !

Jello is a desert! And not for Thanksgiving to go with turkey! Didn't I serve you cranberry sauce? That's like jam I guess, but weird calling it that, cause it's cranberry sauce.