Strange American sayings from an English Perspective

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  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I recall an episode of Coupling where Jeff goes on a rather long rant about bottoms. And not the bottoms of glasses.

    Seems Brits like their butts, too.
  • runningjen74
    runningjen74 Posts: 312 Member
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    We Irish used to get in to trouble saying we were only here for the craic (fun), we were just having some craic, sure it's only a bit of craic. According to Wikipedia (so must be true), it is actually a word we took from the English. But it sounds very much like a narcotic, and used to get some odd looks when using the term in the US. Don't remember hearing it used in the UK.

    Do other people use the phrase the *kitten* hole of no where to describe, in somewhat derogratory terms somewhere small/out of the way/no where near anything interesting.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    "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."
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Every time I read some one having a cut and a blow, I giggle but I can't remember if it is from my English or Australian friends:laugh:

    As an English bird... I s****** at Cut and Blow.

    EDIT: Does sn*igger mean something different that I am unaware of?

    Edit again: Oh take the s off an it becomes offensive.... so i can type bloody git faced wanking tosser... but not sn*igger. Who knew.

    And I feel really sorry for everyone who lives in S****horpe

    ETA: for the Benefit of the non-Brits here, it's a seaside town in the North of England..... it is Scun + thorpe. Thorpe being a viking place name suffix. No idea what the etymology of Scun is.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Every time I read some one having a cut and a blow, I giggle but I can't remember if it is from my English or Australian friends:laugh:

    As an English bird... I s****** at Cut and Blow.

    EDIT: Does sn*igger mean something different that I am unaware of?

    Edit again: Oh take the s off an it becomes offensive.... so i can type bloody git faced wanking tosser... but not sn*igger. Who knew.

    I giggled. :laugh:
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
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    I recall an episode of Coupling where Jeff goes on a rather long rant about bottoms. And not the bottoms of glasses.

    Seems Brits like their butts, too.

    So many great quotes about bottoms on that show. :love:
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    I recall an episode of Coupling where Jeff goes on a rather long rant about bottoms. And not the bottoms of glasses.

    Seems Brits like their butts, too.

    So many great quotes about bottoms on that show. :love:

    There was a whole entire British comedy series called Bottom, featuring two wanking git-faced tossers:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkIHiPHbXlo
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I recall an episode of Coupling where Jeff goes on a rather long rant about bottoms. And not the bottoms of glasses.

    Seems Brits like their butts, too.

    So many great quotes about bottoms on that show. :love:

    One of the best shows ever written.
  • stackhead
    stackhead Posts: 121 Member
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    Every time I read some one having a cut and a blow, I giggle but I can't remember if it is from my English or Australian friends:laugh:

    As an English bird... I s****** at Cut and Blow.

    EDIT: Does sn*igger mean something different that I am unaware of?

    Edit again: Oh take the s off an it becomes offensive.... so i can type bloody git faced wanking tosser... but not sn*igger. Who knew.

    And I feel really sorry for everyone who lives in S****horpe

    ETA: for the Benefit of the non-Brits here, it's a seaside town in the North of England..... it is Scun + thorpe. Thorpe being a viking place name suffix. No idea what the etymology of Scun is.

    Ah yes, poor old Scunny. Most of us in the area just call it Scummy and let that be it...

    Just for education y'know: "The town appears in the Domesday Book (1086) as Escumetorp, which is Old Norse for "Skuma's homestead"
  • V0lver
    V0lver Posts: 915 Member
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    I recall an episode of Coupling where Jeff goes on a rather long rant about bottoms. And not the bottoms of glasses.

    Seems Brits like their butts, too.

    So many great quotes about bottoms on that show. :love:

    One of the best shows ever written.

    i remember that one. It was a tad bit snail paced for my taste.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
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    Not so much about American sayings, but forum censorship... The weirdest I ever saw was on Petfinder's forums, where instead of replacing "bad words" with ****, they had alternate word replacements, which might have been alright, but some of the words they deemed "bad" were just bizarre. I can appreciate that some people take offense to the b-word used in certain ways, but when you really are talking about a female dog, it shouldn't be a problem.

    The worst, in my opinion, was the word "anal," which was replaced with "rear end." Any questions about someone's dog's impacted anal sacs got changed to "impacted rear end sacs." So you post something trying to sound educated and informed, and you sound like a squeamish 10 year old. :ohwell:
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    "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....
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Brits and American slang...interesting

    http://www.dooryard.ca/index0.html try this site....Canadian/American/French/Brit/ Newfie influences....

    Here is a couple for you...

    Door yard...your yard....back or front
    blat - Cry
    bumble - go for a drive (usually on a back road in a 4x4 truck with some beer and music)
    unthaw - my fav...take it from freezer to thaw....don't ask
    willy wags - out in the middle of no where.
    over (insert word) cross'd - Go to the states,
    overhome - your house when you are not there
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Options
    "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."
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Options
    "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."
    No older Southern lady has ever said those to me. But one did run her hand up the back of my bare leg and then tell me I was a nice girl and the only thing wrong with me was a was a "dam Yankee."
  • hmaddpear
    hmaddpear Posts: 610 Member
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    And I feel really sorry for everyone who lives in S****horpe

    ETA: for the Benefit of the non-Brits here, it's a seaside town in the North of England..... it is Scun + thorpe. Thorpe being a viking place name suffix. No idea what the etymology of Scun is.

    Point of fact, Scunny isn't a seaside town. It's not far inland, but doesn't have its own beach. The denizens of the town have to go to Cleethorpes, which is the nearest decent beach. (Cleethorpes - Thorpes of Clee, Clee from the Viking for Clay, 'cos that's what the surrounding area is built on. There's a lot of brickpits in the area!)
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Options
    "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."
    No older Southern lady has ever said those to me. But one did run her hand up the back of my bare leg and then tell me I was a nice girl and the only thing wrong with me was a was a "dam Yankee."

    Um. That's actually the highest of compliments.

    Yea. I know. It's weird down here.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Options
    Not so much about American sayings, but forum censorship... The weirdest I ever saw was on Petfinder's forums, where instead of replacing "bad words" with ****, they had alternate word replacements, which might have been alright, but some of the words they deemed "bad" were just bizarre. I can appreciate that some people take offense to the b-word used in certain ways, but when you really are talking about a female dog, it shouldn't be a problem.

    The worst, in my opinion, was the word "anal," which was replaced with "rear end." Any questions about someone's dog's impacted anal sacs got changed to "impacted rear end sacs." So you post something trying to sound educated and informed, and you sound like a squeamish 10 year old. :ohwell:

    That is just silly. I can't see why the correct anatomical terms would be considered offensive in an appropriate context, such that they'd need to be censored like that. Especially on a pet website!!!!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Options
    And I feel really sorry for everyone who lives in S****horpe

    ETA: for the Benefit of the non-Brits here, it's a seaside town in the North of England..... it is Scun + thorpe. Thorpe being a viking place name suffix. No idea what the etymology of Scun is.

    Point of fact, Scunny isn't a seaside town. It's not far inland, but doesn't have its own beach. The denizens of the town have to go to Cleethorpes, which is the nearest decent beach. (Cleethorpes - Thorpes of Clee, Clee from the Viking for Clay, 'cos that's what the surrounding area is built on. There's a lot of brickpits in the area!)

    I didn't know that................... being from daaaaaaaaaahn saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahf as I am :drinker: (well i was born up north but my family's from daaaahn saaaaahf and I have a London/Estuary accent. (i.e. Landan/Eschreee)

    and thanks for the etymologies - very interesting.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Options
    "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."

    thanks :smile:

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