Strange American sayings from an English Perspective

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  • TheLoneMarmot
    TheLoneMarmot Posts: 43 Member
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    "Bite me".

    "Irregardless".

    "Junk".

    "Bangs".

    "Pissed".
  • DesdemonaRose
    DesdemonaRose Posts: 190
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    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 :)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 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....

    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.
    I don't think I'd been down here a month when that happened. I thought it was quite funny.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    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.
    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.
  • latenitelucy
    latenitelucy Posts: 1,314 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....

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

    Or F you
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    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.
    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.

    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.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
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    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.
    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.

    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.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    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
  • 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!)

    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: )
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 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....

    Bless your heart means "I can't believe that you are that dumb" or "aren't you a schmuck"
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Butt hurt? I don't know, I've only ever seen it in these forums.

    Ditto.
  • judyde
    judyde Posts: 401 Member
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    "Irregardless".


    Irregardless is NOT a word.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    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
    Ugh. I'm an hourglass. Anyone describes me as "thick" might get a punch in the teeth.

    (Not really. never punched anyone in my life. But I don't like that description.)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    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.
    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.

    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.
    Could be.

    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.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    Butt hurt? I don't know, I've only ever seen it in these forums.

    Ditto.

    I've seen in on facebook too.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    Butt hurt is more of an internet term. I rarely hear that offline.
  • steve2kay
    steve2kay Posts: 194 Member
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    "Can I bum a *kitten*?" means something completely different on the other side of the Atlantic.
  • stackhead
    stackhead Posts: 121 Member
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    This. Just all day. This
    FANNY

    tumblr_inline_mq314bm3gL1qz4rgp.gif
    edit:wrong gif
  • stackhead
    stackhead Posts: 121 Member
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    "Can I bum a *kitten*?" means something completely different on the other side of the Atlantic.


    Pahahahahahaha.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    Awe our differences are so cute and funny.

    Do South Africans and Australians have strange sayings?

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