Strange American sayings from an English Perspective
Replies
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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:0 -
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....0 -
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 there0 -
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."0 -
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."
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."0 -
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!)0 -
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."
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."
Um. That's actually the highest of compliments.
Yea. I know. It's weird down here.0 -
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!!!!0 -
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.0 -
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
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"Bite me".
"Irregardless".
"Junk".
"Bangs".
"Pissed".0 -
I love some British comedies and, even though I'm an American, I have used "Bloody" before. It's fun to say.
I will spy on this, please keep adding 0 -
I don't think I'd been down here a month when that happened. I thought it was quite funny.
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."
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."
Um. That's actually the highest of compliments.
Yea. I know. It's weird down here.0 -
Must be pretty specific to where you live. I know I'm a Yank and all, but I've lived in the South (rural Georgia and north Florida) for almost nine years and I know a lot of southerners, including half my BF's family. I have never heard that phrase.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.
We end the south use the phrase "BFE" or "bum f\/cked eqypt" to describe the middle of nowhere/small town.
For example
"where are you from in Alabama?"
"BFE"
"oh, so a pretty rural place, huh?"
I have no idea where this phrase came from.0 -
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."
Or F you0 -
Must be pretty specific to where you live. I know I'm a Yank and all, but I've lived in the South (rural Georgia and north Florida) for almost nine years and I know a lot of southerners, including half my BF's family. I have never heard that phrase.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.
We end the south use the phrase "BFE" or "bum f\/cked eqypt" to describe the middle of nowhere/small town.
For example
"where are you from in Alabama?"
"BFE"
"oh, so a pretty rural place, huh?"
I have no idea where this phrase came from.
The first time I heard the phrase was from my brother when he came home from basic training after joining the Marines. That was in the 80s. I've always attributed it to the military.0 -
Must be pretty specific to where you live. I know I'm a Yank and all, but I've lived in the South (rural Georgia and north Florida) for almost nine years and I know a lot of southerners, including half my BF's family. I have never heard that phrase.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.
We end the south use the phrase "BFE" or "bum f\/cked eqypt" to describe the middle of nowhere/small town.
For example
"where are you from in Alabama?"
"BFE"
"oh, so a pretty rural place, huh?"
I have no idea where this phrase came from.
I had seen the phrase/word/term BFE used in a book and I kinda got the meaning from context but I had to look it up online. I chortled.0 -
douche bag, douche canoe, and a new one I read today.... douche wagon. These conjure up great mental images, and I like them. I'm not sure they'd sound right in a British accent though, so I don't say them.
I agree, fanny pack just sounds totally wrong in British English
Also, an *kitten* is a donkey. your rear end is your *kitten*.
other ones that would sound silly (and *kitten* obsessed) in British English:
smart *kitten* (this would mean your *kitten* is very well dressed, if you mean your *kitten* is clever, you'd have to call it a clever *kitten*)
bad *kitten* (this one makes more sense)
dumb *kitten* (this means your *kitten* can't speak... you could prove it wrong by farting. If you mean that your *kitten* is stupid, you'd have to say "thick *kitten*" - but thick in American English is apparently a euphamism for fat)
which leads me to....... Americans calling themselves thick, because they don't want to describe themselves as fat. Thick = stupid in British English. Saying "I'm not fat, I'm thick" = saying "I'm not fat, I'm stupid"
"Thick" can also mean "curvy" as in "hourglass shape"
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=thick0 -
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.
I'm dahn sahf now as well - London. But born and bred in Cleethorpes.
I love etymologies - being in London, I'm fascinated by how all the little place names in the Capital have come about!
(And apologies, my reply was supposed to be quietly educational - re-reading it, I was worried it came across patronising. Sorry! Have a beer! :drinker: )0 -
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....
Bless your heart means "I can't believe that you are that dumb" or "aren't you a schmuck"0 -
Butt hurt? I don't know, I've only ever seen it in these forums.
Ditto.0 -
"Irregardless".
Irregardless is NOT a word.0 -
Ugh. I'm an hourglass. Anyone describes me as "thick" might get a punch in the teeth.douche bag, douche canoe, and a new one I read today.... douche wagon. These conjure up great mental images, and I like them. I'm not sure they'd sound right in a British accent though, so I don't say them.
I agree, fanny pack just sounds totally wrong in British English
Also, an *kitten* is a donkey. your rear end is your *kitten*.
other ones that would sound silly (and *kitten* obsessed) in British English:
smart *kitten* (this would mean your *kitten* is very well dressed, if you mean your *kitten* is clever, you'd have to call it a clever *kitten*)
bad *kitten* (this one makes more sense)
dumb *kitten* (this means your *kitten* can't speak... you could prove it wrong by farting. If you mean that your *kitten* is stupid, you'd have to say "thick *kitten*" - but thick in American English is apparently a euphamism for fat)
which leads me to....... Americans calling themselves thick, because they don't want to describe themselves as fat. Thick = stupid in British English. Saying "I'm not fat, I'm thick" = saying "I'm not fat, I'm stupid"
"Thick" can also mean "curvy" as in "hourglass shape"
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=thick
(Not really. never punched anyone in my life. But I don't like that description.)0 -
Could be.
Must be pretty specific to where you live. I know I'm a Yank and all, but I've lived in the South (rural Georgia and north Florida) for almost nine years and I know a lot of southerners, including half my BF's family. I have never heard that phrase.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.
We end the south use the phrase "BFE" or "bum f\/cked eqypt" to describe the middle of nowhere/small town.
For example
"where are you from in Alabama?"
"BFE"
"oh, so a pretty rural place, huh?"
I have no idea where this phrase came from.
The first time I heard the phrase was from my brother when he came home from basic training after joining the Marines. That was in the 80s. I've always attributed it to the military.
FUBAR and SNAFU are both military terms. Well, slang. (I met my BF at a bar called Fubar. Totally appropriate.)
Zero dark thirty is another one I first heard from a Marine.0 -
Butt hurt? I don't know, I've only ever seen it in these forums.
Ditto.
I've seen in on facebook too.0 -
Butt hurt is more of an internet term. I rarely hear that offline.0
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"Can I bum a *kitten*?" means something completely different on the other side of the Atlantic.0
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This. Just all day. ThisFANNY
edit:wrong gif0 -
"Can I bum a *kitten*?" means something completely different on the other side of the Atlantic.
Pahahahahahaha.0 -
Awe our differences are so cute and funny.
Do South Africans and Australians have strange sayings?0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7O0MFkmpw
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