Different terminologies by country.....

TheRealOrson

Post in here and I will quote-reply what we call that same item over here in Australia.

Some things will be the same obviously, but there are enough differences to make a topic out of it.

Let me volunteer a couple to get started.

Jelly (fruit conserve used in sandwiches) = Jam

Jello (dessert food made from powdered crystals and water then chilled untill set) = Thats what we call Jelly.

Faucet = Tap

Elliesque

hot girl/guy

having drinks with friends

wicked banter

xvxCelticWandererxvx

Pants

US = trousers

UK = underwear

Ya, this makes MY house (US/UK) really interesting!! :laugh:

Ok, so the Aussie definition may be funny on top of this ... as well as a few others, but not appropriate, I'm sure.

NormInv

cricket it not a game bro, its an insect

TheRealOrson

hot girl/guy = no major differences here.....we say "babe"/"hottie" etc

having drinks with friends = having drinks with friends OR "gettin' on the piss with yer mates"


wicked banter =no standout differences here.....maybe "talking *kitten*" or "shooting the breeze"

paperpudding

In Australia, cricket is both a game and an insect.

I'm sure you have words in USA too with 2 meanings.

On another forum I used to be on, the term 'fortnight' was used by one of the Australians - an everyday term, everyone here knows it means 2 weeks.

To my amazement, some of the Americans had never heard of it. :noway:

I later posted a recipe which included sultanas - again, everyone in Australia knows what sultanas are, it did not occur to me that anyone on an English speaking forum would not do so.

But some of the Americans did not - and I had to post an explanation and a picture.
I think it turned out Americans call them golden raisins.

kckBxer396

I don't know what to ask about,but I want to come back later to read the posts!

Any difference in:
-Dinner
- Sneakers (as in shoes)
-Grocery store
-Soda

paperpudding

I don't know what to ask about,but I want to come back later to read the posts!

Any difference in:
-Dinner
- Sneakers (as in shoes)
-Grocery store
-Soda

The term dinner is used in Australia too - usually for tea time (ie evening meal) but sometimes also for lunch, particularly if lunch is a hot cooked meal.
Sneakers and grocery store are terms used here too with same meaning.

By 'soda'. do you mean soft drinks like coke, lemonade? they would be called soft drinks here - I think in UK are called pop.

Some different Australia to UK things.
Chips in Australia can mean hot chips (what you call French fries) and also packets of chips, which in UK are called crisps.

One big difference: in Australia thongs are footwear - what other places call flip-flops.
Thongs are not underwear here.

TheRealOrson

The interesting thing about soda is that even within the US there are massive variances.

Soda, Pop, Soda-pop, Coke (yes in some parts "Coke" is a general term for any soda)

xvxCelticWandererxvx

Baby or young child?

TheRealOrson

Baby or young child?

Baby....until they are no longer a baby....then it would be toddler until a certain point.....then they're just a kid.


Learned a few recently regarding vegetables....fairly sure these are right

What we call a butternut pumpkin, you call butternut squash....despite a squash being an entirely different vegetable.

Also sweet potato.....i think you guys call them a yam???

michael1976_ca

think of bathroom it probly has the most names. i was in the state asked where the washroom was i got one of those looks of what are you talking about

xvxCelticWandererxvx

In the US, sweet potatoes and yams are two different but similar spuds. One is yellow, the other is white, but, both are sweet. They do get confused as the same thing here as well.

Madame_Goldbricker

Baby or young child?

UK North East - young child is a Bairn

TheRealOrson

We only get orange coloured sweet potatoes......all the white ones are very savoury lol

xvxCelticWandererxvx

We have those kind of spuds, too. :laugh:

paperpudding

Even within Australia some fruit have different names - in South Australia we call them rockmelons, in eastern states they call them cantaloupes.
Not sure which you use in USA or UK?

xvxCelticWandererxvx

Baby or young child?

UK North East - young child is a Bairn

Scotland - West/Central - wean

in US baby - as they are over two years, toddler, kid

paperpudding

Just remembered another one from my old forum - chooks.

Everyone in Australia knows a chook is a chicken (we use term chicken too) - but Americans had not heard of this.

vtmoon

Having sex outdoors while others watch. Apparently, it has a specific name in England.

kckBxer396

In the US, sweet potatoes and yams are two different but similar spuds. One is yellow, the other is white, but, both are sweet. They do get confused as the same thing here as well.

Where I'm from in the U.S. sweet potatoes are orange potatoes and yams are a dish that you make with them. haha

kckBxer396

Just remembered another one from my old forum - chooks.

Everyone in Australia knows a chook is a chicken (we use term chicken too) - but Americans had not heard of this.

That sounds so cute!

Madame_Goldbricker

Having sex outdoors while others watch. Apparently, it has a specific name in England.

Dogging......

Also you would need a solicitor for this sport. Not a lawyer.

AllyCatXandi

One big difference: in Australia thongs are footwear - what other places call flip-flops.
Thongs are not underwear here.

This IS a big one.
My family is Australian - I was brought up hearing 'thongs' as terminology for footwear. When I started school (an international one that was slanted towards the American system)...well, little-me embarassed herself a few times.

Also, here in Aussieland we call McDonald's "Maccas". The American exchange student gave us the weirdest look the first few times she heard the term XD

vtmoon

Having sex outdoors while others watch. Apparently, it has a specific name in England.

Dogging......

so the same in Australia as in England? well, I guess we are just weird here in the US for not having a specific name.

snazzyjazzy21

In the US, sweet potatoes and yams are two different but similar spuds. One is yellow, the other is white, but, both are sweet. They do get confused as the same thing here as well.

Where I'm from in the U.S. sweet potatoes are orange potatoes and yams are a dish that you make with them. haha

Sweet potatos aka Kumara

stickytapir

Oh man spring onions is a huge one over here in Australia!

I grew up calling them shallots. Supermarkets label them as spring onions, so I typically call them spring onions now, but throw in shallots every now and then.

Before I found out what an actual shallot looked like, I was using spring onions in the recipes. No wonder some things didn't turn out :P

Spring onions are commonly called scallions in the US, and I think they have a few other names, such as Salad Onion. Salad onions here have a really large white bulb at the end of the green part. Spring Onion are just straight. Also they get green onions, which is also what we call salad onions.

Spring Onions is obviously a serious business :laugh:

AlongCame_Molly

In Australia the word "fanny" is a vulgar term for a woman's...ahem! Whereas here it's just a polite word for "butt". My mom used it a lot when I was growing up. :laugh:

TheRealOrson

How about coriander???

In Australia, coriander is what we call the green herb. The seeds are just called "coriander seeds"

But in the US, the seeds only are referred to as coriander......the plant/herb is called cilantro or something...

xvxCelticWandererxvx

How about coriander???

In Australia, coriander is what we call the green herb. The seeds are just called "coriander seeds"

But in the US, the seeds only are referred to as coriander......the plant/herb is called cilantro or something...

True


Ok ... zucchini in the US and courgette in the UK. How about in Australia?

TheRealOrson

Zucchini also