Strange American sayings from an English Perspective

BeachIron

They are called shoes

This. Shoes.

Agreed. There are also "flip flops" and "dress shoes" (a/k/a "church shoes").

tiggerhammon

"Could care less..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7O0MFkmpw

That's not the correct expression. It is "couldn't care less."

As for the other American expressions, we are far more colorful in the South.

"That dog won't hunt."

"Sweating like a *kitten* in church."

"Well, aren't you a pretty thing."

"Bless your heart."

I know the last two have a double meaning..... but don't know what it is....

They're both insults, most commonly said by older women to younger women, and basically mean, "you're stupid."

"Bless your heart" is not an insult. It is meant to follow an insult. I am a lifelong southerner with southern grandmothers. When I was younger, I observed that if there was something unpleasant to be said about someone then bless their heart must follow the insult.

For example, your mother

The ladies that I know who use the expression are far too polite to use "your mother." Their insults are always disguised, and "bless your heart" can also be used to literally mean "bless your heart." Context and tone matter, but it is most definitely also used as an insult, particularly during cocktail hour.

I haze only ever heard one person in my entire life use the term "Bless Your Heart" and that was my grandmother. My grandmother always meant it genuinely, I had no idea it even had a slang use ... kinda sad.

rml_16

Also, to what goes on Pasta I believe the proper term is Mariana. I call it "Spaghetti Sauce" regardless of the use for it, even if put on pizza, its still spaghetti sauce.

The sauce on pizza is NOT the same as the sauce on pasta.

tiggerhammon

Butt hurt is more of an internet term. I rarely hear that offline.

I hear it ALL the time! Very commonly used term around here.

DopeItUp

Ahhh some more(not as good):-

"You don't know squat"

"Fanny pack" ..... that ones ssooo funny!!

"I'm doing the math" ....it's "Maths" not "Math"

"Vacation" .... no it's not it's a holiday!

"He was pissed" ..... In England this would mean he was very drunk

I've always found the "maths" one confusing. Why do brits pluralize "math"? Do you say "I'm doing the sciences" too?

TLwineguzzler

We call it a "slip road"

Fullsterkur_woman

Agreed. There are also "flip flops" and "dress shoes" (a/k/a "church shoes").

Nope! For me, there's just tennies. I ain't going to meet the queen! :laugh:

Oh, and boots, 'cause I'm from Texas.

tiggerhammon

Here's another one. The road next to the highway/interstate, do you call it: 1) access road 2)feeder road 3) service road or 4)something completely different?

It's an off ramp =]

Access road... and the off ramp is only part if it as there is a road that parallels the highway.

We've always called them frontage roads

Edit to fix: I confused myself momentarily. Still tired.

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Here's another one. The road next to the highway/interstate, do you call it: 1) access road 2)feeder road 3) service road or 4)something completely different?

It's an off ramp =]

Access road... and the off ramp is only part if it as there is a road that parallels the highway.

It's all the same to me... off ramp.

Another incosistency for me. Some days it's an exit, some days it's an offramp, or on ramp if you are getting on.

The road that parallels the highway is called a Frontage Road. It's generally named "Frontage Road." At least according to the Federal Highway Administration.

I had a total nerd-out moment. Carry on.

Therealobi1

Ahhh some more(not as good):-

"You don't know squat"

"Fanny pack" ..... that ones ssooo funny!!

"I'm doing the math" ....it's "Maths" not "Math"

"Vacation" .... no it's not it's a holiday!

"He was pissed" ..... In England this would mean he was very drunk

I've always found the "maths" one confusing. Why do brits pluralize "math"? Do you say "I'm doing the sciences" too?

Its short for mathematics so you add the s on. Science is just science.

tiggerhammon

Also, to what goes on Pasta I believe the proper term is Mariana. I call it "Spaghetti Sauce" regardless of the use for it, even if put on pizza, its still spaghetti sauce.

The sauce on pizza is NOT the same as the sauce on pasta.

It is if I make it. Call me weird all you want. I love taking a good Hunt's meat Spaghetti Sauce and using it for the sauce on a pizza.

iquiltoo

I knew about the gravy/sauce thing. But he asked about what we call the stuff we put on French fries.
I was trying to elicit "gravy" for both "sauce" (as in pasta sauce) and "ketchup", because I had people ask me for gravy for their fries. And they weren't eating poutine either.

I guess this is more of a Canadian thing, to put gravy on your fries. Because we actually DO mean GRAVY, not ketchup. After all, they are potatoes, right? and you put gravy on your potatoes, or maybe you don't! (No poutine involved, either - that's a French-Canadian thing.) Anyway, I didn't realize it was not done all over until I was visiting my father and his American wife and I asked for gravy on my fries at a truck stop restaurant. The waitress was totally okay with it as she must have had lots of Canadian truckers there, but my step-mother was astounded! When I explained the gravy/potato thing, she allowed as how that made sense!

BobMcCloskey

Here's one most Brits won't get unless they know a bit of current American History....

There is a saying "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." It's mostly used when discussing potential future problems that could come up as the result of taking a specific course of action that deviates from the current way of doing things.

In my former career in business, I was primarily a "Change Agent", hired by companies to implement new, cost effective ways of doing business. Almost always, the methods, software, policies or what ever I was suggesting to implement would be challenged by the "old guard" executives who were more concerned with being made obsolete by the changes.

I started responding to their challenges by taking a play on the above expression.
I would say, "In the words of Ted Kennedy, We'll drive off that bridge when we get to it."

Holly_Roman_Empire

Here's another one. The road next to the highway/interstate, do you call it: 1) access road 2)feeder road 3) service road or 4)something completely different?

Frontage road. We're all French and fancible down here in Texas.

I forgot about that one being used down here! Which part of Texas are you in? I'm originally from the Lubbock area, but I live around Austin now. My husband, from Seattle, calls it an access road, but he always looks at me puzzled whenever I say service road. And I've heard a very few people from the midwest call it a feeder road.

rml_16

Also, to what goes on Pasta I believe the proper term is Mariana. I call it "Spaghetti Sauce" regardless of the use for it, even if put on pizza, its still spaghetti sauce.

The sauce on pizza is NOT the same as the sauce on pasta.

It is if I make it. Call me weird all you want. I love taking a good Hunt's meat Spaghetti Sauce and using it for the sauce on a pizza.

No no no! You are doing it AAAAALLLLLL wrong!!!

My grandmother would beat you with her walker for that. :laugh:

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

I work with a lot of English and Scots. One of the things that I didn't really notice but they picked up on right away was the American misuse of the phrase "out of pocket". It is intended to mean that something is going to cost you directly. I hear it often used to describe someone that is not available, e.g. "Ron will not be on the call, he is out of pocket."

The fanny, *kitten*, aluminium arguments aren't really sayings; just colloquial nuances.

I've never heard "Out of pocket" used for anything other than referring to expenses that someone has to pick up on their own. Where does this other use come from?

rml_16

I knew about the gravy/sauce thing. But he asked about what we call the stuff we put on French fries.
I was trying to elicit "gravy" for both "sauce" (as in pasta sauce) and "ketchup", because I had people ask me for gravy for their fries. And they weren't eating poutine either.

I guess this is more of a Canadian thing, to put gravy on your fries. Because we actually DO mean GRAVY, not ketchup. After all, they are potatoes, right? and you put gravy on your potatoes, or maybe you don't! (No poutine involved, either - that's a French-Canadian thing.) Anyway, I didn't realize it was not done all over until I was visiting my father and his American wife and I asked for gravy on my fries at a truck stop restaurant. The waitress was totally okay with it as she must have had lots of Canadian truckers there, but my step-mother was astounded! When I explained the gravy/potato thing, she allowed as how that made sense!

I don't think it's completely unheard of to put actual gravy on fries in the States. I never did, but I seem to remember seeing people do it.

Gravy I can get behind, but not marinara. Ew!

Holly_Roman_Empire

Here's another one. The road next to the highway/interstate, do you call it: 1) access road 2)feeder road 3) service road or 4)something completely different?

It's an off ramp =]

Access road... and the off ramp is only part if it as there is a road that parallels the highway.

It's all the same to me... off ramp.

Another incosistency for me. Some days it's an exit, some days it's an offramp, or on ramp if you are getting on.

But what do you call the ROAD that that off ramp leads to? Hehe. I call them on ramps and exits too, but exit onto the service and get on the on ramp to the highway. :-D

Fullsterkur_woman

I work with a lot of English and Scots. One of the things that I didn't really notice but they picked up on right away was the American misuse of the phrase "out of pocket". It is intended to mean that something is going to cost you directly. I hear it often used to describe someone that is not available, e.g. "Ron will not be on the call, he is out of pocket."

The fanny, *kitten*, aluminium arguments aren't really sayings; just colloquial nuances.

I've never heard "Out of pocket" used for anything other than referring to expenses that someone has to pick up on their own. Where does this other use come from?

I thought it was a Microsoft thing. Like starting every response with "So,..."

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

Northeast and Midwest are TOTALLY different places, culturally speaking! I grew up in the Northeast (upstate NY).

That's gotta be it then! His grandpa's family is out of Buffalo, and it was kinda home base for a lot of years... Thank goodness I didn't pick that up the year I lived there!

Here's one. Does anybody call that red stuff you put on pasta or the other stuff you put on french fries (or chips, if you prefer) "gravy"? I can't remember if that one came from WNY or Rhode Island...

I am in Utah and most everyone here uses Fry Sauce, its sold in every grocery store here.
But, I believe the answer to that one is ketchup.
Also, to what goes on Pasta I believe the proper term is Mariana. I call it "Spaghetti Sauce" regardless of the use for it, even if put on pizza, its still spaghetti sauce.

Spaghetti Sauce does not belong on pizza. I will forgive you because you are from Utah, and probably think the pizza from the Pizza Factory is delicious.