Strange American sayings from an English Perspective
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And speaking of roads: what do you call that circular road which has multiple entrances and exits going into it?
On Cape Cod, Massachusetts, we call them rotaries. I've also heard turnabouts, but I'm not sure where that term is used.0 -
Oh, yeah, I remember being bewildered when I was driving in Seattle, now that you mention it! I was like, stop lights on on-ramps and off-ramps?! It's nutty!This is true, my husband is from Seattle, and he would be so confused with the service roads at first. IN Washington, if an exit sign said "Baker Street Exit", that exit would take you directly to Baker Street, and not a service road where you turn onto Baker Street. I have never been, so I can't speak from experience, but it was interesting watching him learn how to drive in Texas.
Driving in Seattle is insane for most people, including those who live there.
I once made 4 right hand turns in downtown Seattle (trying to "go around the block"), and didn't end up in the same place I started.
I tried to teach my bf (now husband) to drive stick shift in Seattle. Bad idea.0 -
In Ohio, I've generally heard them referred to as "round-abouts." I think my GPS calls it a "traffic circle," though. In the town where I grew up, there was a large one in the center of town, and it is actually called "The Square." :-/ Strange, I know...And speaking of roads: what do you call that circular road which has multiple entrances and exits going into it?
On Cape Cod, Massachusetts, we call them rotaries. I've also heard turnabouts, but I'm not sure where that term is used.0 -
Roundabout. But I've heard the othe terms.And speaking of roads: what do you call that circular road which has multiple entrances and exits going into it?
On Cape Cod, Massachusetts, we call them rotaries. I've also heard turnabouts, but I'm not sure where that term is used.0 -
And speaking of roads: what do you call that circular road which has multiple entrances and exits going into it?
On Cape Cod, Massachusetts, we call them rotaries. I've also heard turnabouts, but I'm not sure where that term is used.
If it's what I think it is, we call them circles here in NJ.0 -
Buffalo has several HUGE roundabouts. The area where they are is called a "square," but the circle itself, they call a roundabout.
In Ohio, I've generally heard them referred to as "round-abouts." I think my GPS calls it a "traffic circle," though. In the town where I grew up, there was a large one in the center of town, and it is actually called "The Square." :-/ Strange, I know...And speaking of roads: what do you call that circular road which has multiple entrances and exits going into it?
On Cape Cod, Massachusetts, we call them rotaries. I've also heard turnabouts, but I'm not sure where that term is used.0 -
Ok I'll concede
on the math question, but come on they ain't sneakers they're TRAINERS
Nope. I'm Canadian and I call them runners.:flowerforyou:
On the EastCoast we call em "kicks"
I'm in Maine. They're called sneakers. Lol
Maryland here and I call them tennis shoes. I don't think I have ever called them sneakers or kicks.
I'm in Vermont and I call them sneakers. However, I grew up in northern Illinois, raised by a mother from Philadelphia and a father from Detroit. Suffice it to say, my children are all messed up. I can't help wondering, though, why New Englanders say" I have an ideer" or call where you park the car a "gararge" Makes me crazy to hear my native Vermonter hubby say that!0 -
We often say someone is good 'craic' but I'm in the North East of England so not far from the lovely Irish.
When I was over in the states earlier this year I found it bizarre when a friend would ask her son if he wanted to go 'potty'. Here a potty is something you use with a toddler to start their toilet training. And speaking of toilets...why is it wrong to say you need to go to the toilet in America, I wouldn't pee in the bath or sink!!!
I had no trouble saying I was going to the 'store' instead of shop or saying look at the fire truck instead of engine but just couldn't get used to saying bathroom!!!0 -
That actually makes sense... But the road there in my hometown, the businesses that exist there, their addresses are "X Public Square." It was something we, as kids, always joked about, calling a circle a square, but... I imagine it was similar reasoning to what you said above.
Buffalo has several HUGE roundabouts. The area where they are is called a "square," but the circle itself, they call a roundabout.
In Ohio, I've generally heard them referred to as "round-abouts." I think my GPS calls it a "traffic circle," though. In the town where I grew up, there was a large one in the center of town, and it is actually called "The Square." :-/ Strange, I know...And speaking of roads: what do you call that circular road which has multiple entrances and exits going into it?
On Cape Cod, Massachusetts, we call them rotaries. I've also heard turnabouts, but I'm not sure where that term is used.0 -
The funniest one for me was when I said to an English co-worker that someone was dogging on another coworker. For me, it meant he was saying something bad about the other person. Apparently in England it means something TOTALLY different LOL!
Hahaha, you do NOT want to tell an English person that you've been 'dogging' :laugh:0 -
That actually makes sense... But the road there in my hometown, the businesses that exist there, their addresses are "X Public Square." It was something we, as kids, always joked about, calling a circle a square, but... I imagine it was similar reasoning as what you said above.
Buffalo has several HUGE roundabouts. The area where they are is called a "square," but the circle itself, they call a roundabout.
In Ohio, I've generally heard them referred to as "round-abouts." I think my GPS calls it a "traffic circle," though. In the town where I grew up, there was a large one in the center of town, and it is actually called "The Square." :-/ Strange, I know...And speaking of roads: what do you call that circular road which has multiple entrances and exits going into it?
On Cape Cod, Massachusetts, we call them rotaries. I've also heard turnabouts, but I'm not sure where that term is used.
Yeh they're roundabouts over in the UK.0 -
why is it wrong to say you need to go to the toilet in America
It isn't wrong. It just isn't how we say it.
As for potty, it's how we talk to young children, basically. So it's kind of the same as what you described.0 -
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."
I always (purposefully) mix that with another popular old adage, and say , "We'll burn that bridge when we come to it."
Cross that bridge when we come to it is a common saying in the UK too0 -
why is it wrong to say you need to go to the toilet in America
It isn't wrong. It just isn't how we say it.
As for potty, it's how we talk to young children, basically. So it's kind of the same as what you described.
The kid was 7 and my 6yr old actually thought he was going to use a potty rather than a toilet.
Mind, am still hoping to move to the states to confuse you all with my lingo, haha!!0 -
I have a hard time believing that, in this age of global connectivity, anyone would have difficulty in understanding the meanings of these regional language peculiarities; especially considering context. It's fun to highlight the differences, but it's not really a problem - well, maybe a first-world problem. When I'm in the UK, it's obvious that American television and movies have permeated and influenced their culture. In the US, the same can be said of British media.0
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I was just about to ask this one. "Squircle". It's a square, and it's a circle. Squircle.:laugh:And speaking of roads: what do you call that circular road which has multiple entrances and exits going into it?0 -
I have an unhealthy obsession with the UK and watch more of your TV shows and movies than my own country's. I would never be confused! lolwhy is it wrong to say you need to go to the toilet in America
It isn't wrong. It just isn't how we say it.
As for potty, it's how we talk to young children, basically. So it's kind of the same as what you described.
The kid was 7 and my 6yr old actually thought he was going to use a potty rather than a toilet.
Mind, am still hoping to move to the states to confuse you all with my lingo, haha!!0 -
I wouldn't know from experience but I've been told by many out of state people that our pizza is the best. I live in Northeast PA. I've had pizza from 2 places in NY (not that I can remember the names) one in the city and one in upstate somewhere and I didn't think either was anything special. Just like any other place though, there are good places and not so good places to get pizza. These could have been some of the 'not so good' places. We have a few places around here that have sicilian pizza and everyone raves about it but I'd prefer the regular.
As for the gravy fries I've heard of it and seen it offered here and there. I don't think it's out of the ordinary. I'd prefer ketchup on them though and it's one of the only things I'll eat ketchup on.
On the topic of language I have seen on other forums UK mothers taking about pushing their child in their prams, and dressing them in vests and grobags. I've heard them refer to their yards as gardens and their dinner as tea. I always understand what they are talking about and I don't point out the differences and vise versa. It's definitely a cultural difference. We have cultural differences all over the state of PA. Our area is mostly Irish, Polish, and Italian and we have a 'coal cracker' accent and we have coal cracker sayings. In other parts of PA they say different things and have different accents. PA has a lot of Amish and they speak PA Dutch and call us the English.
It's funny how things vary so much from city to city let alone other countries.0 -
Sort of. There are still a lot of terms and sayings that aren't as obvious. And not everyone in the US watches British TV or movies and I imagine the same is true over there about our stuff.I have a hard time believing that, in this age of global connectivity, anyone would have difficulty in understanding the meanings of these regional language peculiarities; especially considering context. It's fun to highlight the differences, but it's not really a problem - well, maybe a first-world problem. When I'm in the UK, it's obvious that American television and movies have permeated and influenced their culture. In the US, the same can be said of British media.
Without living somewhere, you don't get to know certain things as well.
I know Brits call the front of a car a bonnet, but I still have to thnk about it a second when I hear it because it isn't something I hear every day or that I grew up with. And I'm far more familiar with British terms than a lot of Americans.0 -
It isn't wrong... it's just awfully direct. You might as well say you need to "go to the pot" or "go to the john". It just sounds a little bit ugly to our ears. Like if you just say you're going to the bathroom, we can all pretend that you're reapplying your lipstick or brushing your hair. We tend not to be direct about needing to drop a deuce. Don't forget that for all our coarseness, we have a split personality and a lot of our identity is derived from the Puritans, whom you were clever enough to encourage to leave.And speaking of toilets...why is it wrong to say you need to go to the toilet in America, I wouldn't pee in the bath or sink!!!0
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