Strange American sayings from an English Perspective

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,529 Member
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    And listening to Mel B. pronouncing "juggle balls" as "joogle bolls" is hilarious.

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

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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  • humberstunner
    humberstunner Posts: 38
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    "Fanny pack" ..... that ones ssooo funny!! - No one below the age of 70 would either wear or purchase one of those hideous things, so pretty much not a real staple of American life.

    It's not Americans wearing fanny packs that is funny. It's that a fanny means something completely different in the UK. My Brit friend delicately calls it a "lady's front bottom," and the word fanny is apparently almost as offensive there as the c-word is here. And the c-word is used pretty casually there.
    thats why its ssssoooo funny in a very childish way

    but 'being a right fanny' means being a wuss or a sissy or a bit weak and has nothing to do with the c word. The c word should only be used in very special circumstances as its very rude
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    "Fanny pack" ..... that ones ssooo funny!! - No one below the age of 70 would either wear or purchase one of those hideous things, so pretty much not a real staple of American life.

    It's not Americans wearing fanny packs that is funny. It's that a fanny means something completely different in the UK. My Brit friend delicately calls it a "lady's front bottom," and the word fanny is apparently almost as offensive there as the c-word is here. And the c-word is used pretty casually there.
    My BF plays some computer game and the people on his "team" are mostly from the UK and they talk to each other. So one day they were havign a discussion similar to this one and I told him to ask them about fannies. LMAO

    Thing is, he lived in Ireland for six months and he has watched far more British TV than I have. I would have thought he'd have known that word, but he didn't. He does now.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
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    "Vacation" .... no it's not it's a holiday!


    Holiday for us Americans are days like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentine's Day, Halloween. Not a trip. :tongue:
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    One word: Bollocks.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,529 Member
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    "Fanny pack" ..... that ones ssooo funny!! - No one below the age of 70 would either wear or purchase one of those hideous things, so pretty much not a real staple of American life.
    Actually I wear one at every Amusement park I go to. I don't give a **** what other people think. It just makes carry money and stuff around easier and not have myself worry if something is going to fall out of my pocket. Anyway, I'm sure the ladies aren't staring at the fanny pack, but the physique!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 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.

    As a military brat I had always heard BFE as well... and I use it quite often.

    Also the boonies or the sticks mean the same thing... the middle of nowhere.
  • 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.

    As a military brat I had always heard BFE as well... and I use it quite often.

    Also the boonies or the sticks mean the same thing... the middle of nowhere.

    Bumf*** is one we use a lot.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I was watching House Hunters International one time, and the buyers kept saying they wanted a really big garden for their kids to play in. I was like "Why would they want their kids to play in a garden? Aren't they afraid they will mess up all their plants and flowers?" Hahaha
  • TwelveSticks
    TwelveSticks Posts: 288 Member
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    A couple of things spring to mind:

    re: censorship - while watching the US version of Top Gear, I was amazed to hear the phrase "holy s..." beeped out twice, yet the when the presenter said, in the very next sentence, "holy c...", that was not beeped. How does that work?

    re: "math" or "maths". The Americans treat "mathematics" as a singular noun, so shorten it to "math". The Brits treat it as a plural noun, so preserve the "s" when shortening. Hence the difference.

    re: the Irish. "Craic" is indeed funny, but I was particularly amazed at the prevalence of the word "Feck" in Ireland. When my ma-in-law first said it, I nearly fell off my chair...
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
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    Dust? Anyone? Dust?
    I always wondered if she meant "dust" or "dust"! Like, "specks of dust", or "garbage"...?
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    "Fanny pack" ..... that ones ssooo funny!! - No one below the age of 70 would either wear or purchase one of those hideous things, so pretty much not a real staple of American life.

    It's not Americans wearing fanny packs that is funny. It's the name fanny pack. A fanny means something completely different in the UK. My Brit friend delicately calls it a "lady's front bottom," and the word fanny is apparently almost as offensive there as the c-word is here. And the c-word is used pretty casually there.
    Only amongst certain people/situations. I wouldn't casually drop it into conversation!
  • humberstunner
    humberstunner Posts: 38
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    "Fanny pack" ..... that ones ssooo funny!! - No one below the age of 70 would either wear or purchase one of those hideous things, so pretty much not a real staple of American life.
    Actually I wear one at every Amusement park I go to. I don't give a **** what other people think. It just makes carry money and stuff around easier and not have myself worry if something is going to fall out of my pocket. Anyway, I'm sure the ladies aren't staring at the fanny pack, but the physique!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    No mate their staring at the fanny pack!
  • mistertug
    mistertug Posts: 51
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    I used to be able to make my niece laugh at dinner by offering her a piece of butt turd bread but then she grew up
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 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."
    Did you watch the video? I've only heard "could care less" said by Americans.

    I'm happy to see that you're learning so much about the U.S. from a British comedian.

    Yes. I watched the video, and I have seen it before.

    The people using "could care less" are uneducated.

    And, by the way, I am an American.
    OK, I just asked because I thought you misunderstood the point of the original post, ie. that Americans have this expression "could care less". My mistake. :ohwell: And don't worry, I've learned plenty about the US from real life. No offence meant.

    No offense taken. We make fun of those idiots just as much as David Mitchell.

    My own experiences with the English and Welsh are mostly from working with upper-class solicitors while living in Asia, so I understand that my own perspective is also probably skewed a bit. Good drinkers though. lol! :drinker:
    Yeah, I think that trait applies across the class structure! :smile:
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    "Can I bum a *kitten*?" means something completely different on the other side of the Atlantic.

    I had to laugh at a forum post I saw the other day (yesterday? Tuesday?) where someone said in the title that they were going to give up unhealthy things like *kitten*... I laughed when I realized it had to have been written by a Brit.
  • brraanndi
    brraanndi Posts: 325 Member
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    I always found people from across the ways saying "Can't be arsed" or CBA on forums pretty funny.

    My husband said he worked with a dude named Randy and all the Austrailians thought it was HILARIOUS that you'd name your kid something as racy as Randy.
  • PBsMommy
    PBsMommy Posts: 1,166 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.

    Na, not to specific... I live in rural North East Georgia and we say this all the time, except we add an East before it.

    Our town is so "hidden" the people in the town 13 miles down the road from us rarely knows where it is...

    So, we just got into the habit of when some one from Gainesville asks where we live, we reply East BumfVck Egypt...
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    One word: Bollocks.

    Bollocks to you, too!!
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I always found people from across the ways saying "Can't be arsed" or CBA on forums pretty funny.

    My husband said he worked with a dude named Randy and all the Austrailians thought it was HILARIOUS that you'd name your kid something as racy as Randy.

    why is it racy?

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