What is your favourite American-ism?

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  • curleesam
    curleesam Posts: 462 Member
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    In American, "queue" is only a verb when playing pool, also known as billiards. We also prefer to form "lines" instead of "queues", but we use queues (queue sticks) to hit billiard balls. There's something so odd about that word, I'm not even certain I spelled it correctly.

    If your standing in a line its queue, if your playing a game with a stick its a cue

    Thank you, thank you, thank you! I almost fell out of my chair lol. A pool cue is a noun by the way, not a verb. A queue can be a noun or a verb. You can stand in a queue (noun). Or you can queue up for something (verb).

    As a side note even we Americans are different in this aspect. Where I live it is proper to say "I'm waiting in line for something to eat." In the other parts of the country they say "I'm waiting ON line at the cash register." I don't know why they think they are waiting on a line instead of in one.

    So I have some questions for the Brits about slang. I'm pulling these from the movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrrels:

    "It's no good standing out there like one o'clock half-struck" = what? What is like one o'clock half struck?

    "His iron's rusted" = what?

    "Gone to the local battle-cruiser" = ?

    "Aristotle of the most ping pong tiddly in the nuclear sub" = ?

    Are any of these common?

    These are not popular UK phrases. I think Lock Stock was based on cockney rhyming slang which is an London East end slang. They save it for the movies mostly.

    http://www.phespirit.info/cockney/english_to_slang.htm

    So not everybody uses it but some of the more popular phrases are used by more people in London (eg: going for a ruby murry "curry", going up the apple and pears "stairs" etc)
  • mikeyml
    mikeyml Posts: 568 Member
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    These are not popular UK phrases. I think Lock Stock was based on cockney rhyming slang which is an London East end slang. They save it for the movies mostly.

    http://www.phespirit.info/cockney/english_to_slang.htm

    So not everybody uses it but some of the more popular phrases are used by more people in London (eg: going for a ruby murry "curry", going up the apple and pears "stairs" etc)

    Oh nice - thank you! That will keep me busy for quite a while lol.
  • netty1983
    netty1983 Posts: 15 Member
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    They arent common at all then again i dont know many cockney criminals hehehe but both my parents are cockneys and they havent said any of them ever to my knowledge.

    Except when the clock struck saying, thats pretty common. When the clock is on the hour the bell chims the same number of times, the bell is struck to make the noise, hence "the clock struck one" Hope that makes sence hehe
  • ZanneB
    ZanneB Posts: 6
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    Then again, British food is an entirely different thread. ;)

    So what is the American stereotype of British food? Is it all totally inedible or something?
    :smile:

    Fish and chips, lots of boiled potatoes, food that is bland or has no taste, warm beer, warm drinks in general


    As opposed to what? If it's not nailed down, deep fry it?

    They do seem rather prone to that, don't they? I had NEVER seen deep fried Mars Bars until I went to the US. Come to think of it, I'd never heard of deep frying a turkey until I saw it on an American TV show. Don't get me wrong, I've tried deep fried turkey and it's nice and moist but it's quite the process.

    While I'm here,
    sweater = jumper
    rubbish = garbage
    git = idiot ??

    If anyone was wondering where I fit in this discussion, I'm Canadian. We have Americans as our neighbours (or neighbors) and the Queen is still on our money. I guess that means we're stuck somewhere in between the two.
  • curleesam
    curleesam Posts: 462 Member
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    Then again, British food is an entirely different thread. ;)

    So what is the American stereotype of British food? Is it all totally inedible or something?
    :smile:

    Fish and chips, lots of boiled potatoes, food that is bland or has no taste, warm beer, warm drinks in general


    As opposed to what? If it's not nailed down, deep fry it?

    They do seem rather prone to that, don't they? I had NEVER seen deep fried Mars Bars until I went to the US. Come to think of it, I'd never heard of deep frying a turkey until I saw it on an American TV show. Don't get me wrong, I've tried deep fried turkey and it's nice and moist but it's quite the process.

    While I'm here,
    sweater = jumper
    rubbish = garbage
    git = idiot ??

    If anyone was wondering where I fit in this discussion, I'm Canadian. We have Americans as our neighbours (or neighbors) and the Queen is still on our money. I guess that means we're stuck somewhere in between the two.

    deep fried turkey....ewwwwww!

    deep fried mars bars are very common in the North of England and Scotland. Being a londoner, none of the chip shops round here sell them so I made my own once with the bite sized mini mars bars found in chocolate boxes. They are actually really yummy but at the same time, you couldnt eat many of them!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    "It's no good standing out there like one o'clock half-struck" = what? What is like one o'clock half struck?

    "His iron's rusted" = what?

    "Gone to the local battle-cruiser" = ?

    "Aristotle of the most ping pong tiddly in the nuclear sub" = ?

    Are any of these common?
    I'm a Londoner and most of these are a bit OTT.

    Battle cruiser = boozer, i.e. pub
    Aristotle = bottle
    Ping-pong = strong
    Tiiddly (tiddlywink) = drink
    Nuclear sub = pub (again)!

    The only one I use fairly often are:
    Would you Adam and Eve (believe) it?
    Up the apples (apples and pears = stairs)
    Meet you at the rubber (rub-a-dub = pub)
    Take a butcher's (butcher's hook = look) at that
    Nice Barnet (Barnet fair = hair)
    Ooh, me plates are killing me (plates of meat = feet)
    Use your loaf (loaf of bread = head)
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    git = idiot ??
    It's come to mean that, yes, and is a fairly gentle expletive. It actually derives from "misbegotten", so you're actually calling someone a *kitten*!
  • mikeyml
    mikeyml Posts: 568 Member
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    I've never heard of a deep fried Mars bar lol...eww. Actually I've never really heard of anyone deep frying chocolate bars in general.

    Deep fried turkeys have become somewhat trendy over the last few years. I've never had one so I can't say if it's any good. Another trendy Americanism lately is the "Turduckin" lol. Basically it's a chicken stuffed into a duck which is then stuffed into a Turkey. I've never tried it but it's supposed to be interesting. I prefer just a regular old brined and roasted turkey myself. .
  • halobender
    halobender Posts: 780 Member
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    As opposed to what? If it's not nailed down, deep fry it?
    Well no, but you don't have to boil everything, and it's OK to use seasonings ;)

    This is the most common stereotype of British food.

    And for the record, I've only ever fried chicken.
  • monkeyboy881
    monkeyboy881 Posts: 287
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    i like all of them......i find myself saying "for sure" a lot.......calling my mobile my "cell"..........on mfp i am paticularly fond of "wtg" "great burn" and "good job".

    the last guy I dated was an American......he used to make me say the word taboo over and over, as he liked how it sounded in a british accent, lol.
    [/quote

    i would loooove to hear that
  • mschelle
    mschelle Posts: 240 Member
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    In American, "queue" is only a verb when playing pool, also known as billiards. We also prefer to form "lines" instead of "queues", but we use queues (queue sticks) to hit billiard balls. There's something so odd about that word, I'm not even certain I spelled it correctly.

    "Telly" = television (I'm not sure whether Brits still use that one), which Americans just call "TV"
    "Lorrie" = truck, or the American "semi", "18-wheeler", "tractor-trailer" or even "rig". Lorries are smaller than "semis".
    "Knackered" = sounds filthy, but isn't.
    "Chips" = fries
    "Crisps" = chips
    "Biscuit" = cookie
    "Tea" = a snack or small meal between lunch and dinner -- not literally just hot water and herbs

    My boss is British, we love to tease him about his mother's kidney pie. He nearly drools thinking of it. Then again, British food is an entirely different thread. ;)

    Cheers!

    "Biscuit" being cookie took me forever to figure out. I always pictured them eating buttermilk biscuits (weird)! Chips, too - fish and potato chips sounds fine...why not?
    And I love the word "knackered"!
    One of my favorites is "taking the piss" (making fun of). Where the heck did that come from?? LOL
  • Franticantics
    Franticantics Posts: 117
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    I love our brits slang :)

    I like to use the word gander, 'Lets go for a gander'
    And no-one can say 'bloody hell' like a brit ;)
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    C'mon now, don't knock the deep fried turkey! I don't care how bad for you it is, it tastes amazing! :bigsmile:
  • yvonnej1
    yvonnej1 Posts: 904 Member
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    I had a giggle when on one of the threads the Americans were talking about eating brats and drinking beer. I kind of figured they weren't eating horrible little children as that's the UK meaning of brat, I guess I should have figured they were talking about bratwurst sausages.

    Having a rather juvenile sense of humour I have to admit to gas being amusing and the whole bottom (butt) being called a fanny thing, I once overheard an American calling to another 'get your fanny over here' now that kept me giggling for a while.

    Oh and I apologise to anybody called Randy but that has another meaning in the UK and I always to try not to smile when I hear it.
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
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    I lived in the UK for 2 years. I'm fluent in all sorts of English.
  • halobender
    halobender Posts: 780 Member
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    I had a giggle when on one of the threads the Americans were talking about eating brats and drinking beer. I kind of figured they weren't eating horrible little children as that's the UK meaning of brat, I guess I should have figured they were talking about bratwurst sausages.
    Brat and brat are pronounced differently ;)

    We have brats—the horrible little children whom you want to punch—and then we have brats (pronounced like brought)—the ones you eat in a hot dog bun.
  • lucylorelei
    lucylorelei Posts: 46 Member
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    Best thread ever!!! WIll be studying closely, as am vacationing in the UK for 2 weeks in September!!
  • fimm
    fimm Posts: 191 Member
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    Thank you all for the explanation! :smile: I thought deep fried mars bars were a Scottish thing (though that's also a stereotype, really, you don't see them that often).
    My favourite "two countries divided by a common language" (have I got that quote right!?) thing is the New Zealand word for what I would call flip-flops - thongs...
  • halobender
    halobender Posts: 780 Member
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    flip-flops - thongs...
    People often use them interchangeably here. I do, from time to time. Though it does seem to be less and less, because I think everyone's mind immediately jumps to the underwear.
  • Breckgirl
    Breckgirl Posts: 606 Member
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    I've never heard of a deep fried Mars bar lol...eww. Actually I've never really heard of anyone deep frying chocolate bars in general.

    Deep fried turkeys have become somewhat trendy over the last few years. I've never had one so I can't say if it's any good. Another trendy Americanism lately is the "Turduckin" lol. Basically it's a chicken stuffed into a duck which is then stuffed into a Turkey. I've never tried it but it's supposed to be interesting. I prefer just a regular old brined and roasted turkey myself. .

    Here in the Mid west and in Colorado they have pig roasts with the pig filled with turkeys or chickens. The jucies from the pig make the birds moist. It's quite tasty. And about that deep fried stuff... It's mostly in the south and Texas. The Texas State fair is known for deep dring about anything. The most recent rage is deep fried butter!

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