English to USA Translations

Alicia_Monique

hahaha I'm totally loving this thread. I go to the UK every year so I'm quite familiar with the slang and I like what some people think the English say!

My faaavorite slang, that I've brought back home with me, is "You're grand!" from Ireland, and "F*** all" ahahahahaha. Love.

MrEmoticon

Did you know that American English has actually changed less and is closer to Shakesperean English than modern day British English?

http://www.englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm


Also, obligatory funny post.

rml_16

Sometimes in the US, pancakes are called Johnny cakes. That's funnier when you know there is a school (can't remember if it's middle or high) in Catonsville, MD, called Johnny Cake.

thegeordielass

I'm a Geordie so I probably say things different to many others from England. :P

I've heard bait box being used for a packed lunch/lunchbox.
If you come up here not only could you ask for a toilet/bathroom/washroom but you could also ask where they netty is.
A marra is a friend and not to be confused with a marrow which is a vegetable.

People keep saying cookie = biscuit but a cookie is a specific type of biscuit. It's round and normallyhas chocolate chips (and/or various nuts) in it.

I had a great discussion with an American friend about how I was having Toad in the Hole for tea (I'm a tea time person, not a dinner but my more 'posh' southern friends disagree!). Toad in the hole is sausages cooked in a Yorkshire pudding and does not involve eating toads at all.

A bread bun is called different things throughout the country and means slightly different things in different areas. It could be a bun/bap/cob/stottie/roll or others.

I've never been to the US but did encounter a few language issues in Canada when I was about 16! I remember asking for a lemonade in a restaurant expecting a Sprite or similar to appear and being confused when a lemon squash turned up.
I also confused someone by asking where the toilets were. Apparently I should have been asking for a washroom/bathroom. I remember there being other things but I can't remember them (apart from fanny pack/ bum bag which had us in hysterics). I do remember the Americans and Canadians we were with making us talk constantly as they found our accents so funny.

Football for you is American Football for us. I'm not sure why you call it football when from bits I've seen you spend half the time carrying the ball.
Football for us = soccer for you.
Hockey for you is Ice Hockey for us. Hockey is a game girls us girls all got forced to play in school and involved no ice (unless it had been snowing and the teachers were feeling mean) and a ball!

If you're talking about drinks, squash = something you put in your water to make it taste of something else. Orange, lemon or apple and blackcurrent for example. A similar thing is cordial. I think it's kool-aid there?

Desert/pudding came up and I tend to call what I'd eat after a meal desert. Pudding is a cake based type of desert.

if anyone is coming over for the Olympics and gets hurt, you'll do better asking where the nearest A&E (accident and emergency) department is than asking for an ER.

Subway does not automatically = tube. The tube is in London. Up in Newcastle we have the Metro. For me, a subway is a tunnel pedestrians use to walk under a busy road.

Speaking of roads, if you hate roundabouts and don't understand them, never drive over here!!!! They're everywhere and you'd love the double roundabout combinations we have going.

I'm sure I'll think of some others that haven't already been said later.

SnakeDarling

UK Roundabout = US Rotary

I've only heard them called roundabouts in the US. Rotary is a club (Rotary International).

I know they are Rotaries in the Northeast. My wife is from Boston and I grew up in the UK so we argue all the time about it.

I grew up in the Northeast and spent a lot of time in Boston and only heard them called roundabouts. Interesting. Must be they use both there and I only heard the one term.

I live in the Deep South now, and they're roundabouts here, too.

entirely possible lol....Boston has so many dialects lol. She is from South Boston.

I live in the South, too, and I've occasionally heard them called Whoop-de-doo's.

PapaverSomniferum

i'm still wrapping my head around the Brittish "fanny"...

also

I sometimes work with a guy from Wales and his accent is to. die. for.

amandammmq

trump - fart

That brings a whole new meaning to my old Top Trump card sets.

it also makes Ivana Trump the funniest name in the world.

Now, imagine if her name was FANNY Trump!!! :laugh: (Fanny is an old fashioned first name for a girl - I believe i even have a great-great Aunt Fanny)

PapaverSomniferum

trump - fart

That brings a whole new meaning to my old Top Trump card sets.

it also makes Ivana Trump the funniest name in the world.

Now, imagine if her name was FANNY Trump!!! :laugh: (Fanny is an old fashioned first name for a girl - I believe i even have a great-great Aunt Fanny)

If I ever write a novel, Fanny Trump will be a character's name

mummma

@mremoticon thats gotta be the most incorrect list ive seen lol

runnercheryl

I had a great discussion with an American friend about how I was having Toad in the Hole for tea (I'm a tea time person, not a dinner but my more 'posh' southern friends disagree!). Toad in the hole is sausages cooked in a Yorkshire pudding and does not involve eating toads at all.

Not that your description will fully help.

I recall being in the US in an English-themed pub. Yorkshire pudding was on the menu as part of the roast beef dinner. We were half-way through our dessert when an American family sat down next to us and were looking at the menu going:

"Oh my God! Look at all these combinations! Salt and vinegar on chips?"

Eventually, one went:

"I've always wanted to try an English roast! But...what's a Yorkshire Pudding?"

To which her (I'm assuming) boyfriend/husband replied, trying to act all smug:

"Oh, it's like a cake thing, with cream"

She responded:

"Ugh...why would they eat that with that?! The English are so weird".

I leaned over and explained before she gave up on the idea of trying a roast, but I realised how hard it is to describe a Yorkshire Pudding to someone who's never had one. I think the description was something along the lines of:

"It's a soft savoury batter, baked in the oven. It rises up as it's cooked."

Great explanation, Cheryl...

momma3sweetgirls

"University" and "college" in the US are kind of odd.

We have the big universities (usually state schools) that have within them several "colleges." (The college of engineering, the college of architecture, whatever your major happens to be.) And the small, private schools are colleges, but not universities. But when you say someone is in college or went to college, you could mean a university.

In Canada, 'college' means a vocational/trade school or community college. 'University' is where you get a Bachelor's degree. Where I live in the US, 'college' means any kind of post-secondary institution.

WickedGarden

I just want to say "I'd like to taste a bloke's spotted **** please"


better include a pic so I don't get yelled at...

Sarauk2sf

@mremoticon thats gotta be the most incorrect list ive seen lol

^^this

suemar74

I'd like to live abroad long enough to be able to say "pervy wanker" without sounding like an idiot. Because I think that would really come in handy.

Sarauk2sf

Whilst living with an American girl, she turned to me in a bar and said "woah, you're double fisting!" I nearly dropped the 2 drinks I was holding! Such a different meaning over here...

I moved to the US about 13 years ago - and this was the worse one for me to get my head around - I still can't say it (or fanny pack)

Sarauk2sf

I'd like to live abroad long enough to be able to say "pervy wanker" without sounding like an idiot. Because I think that would really come in handy.

"it's the dog's bollocks' is a good one too.

Sockimobi

@mremoticon thats gotta be the most incorrect list ive seen lol

Erm... :noway: I have never heard BBC News report on someone being shot with a rooty-tooty point and shooty in the slappy ham :laugh:

There are so many different accents and dialects in Britain that we don't even understand one another half of the time.

I lived in the Black Country for a while - I had no idea what they were on about for months! :laugh:

Pakitalian

i love when you guys say BOLLOCKS!

^^^^^THIS^^^^

treetop57

A British friend was shocked when I logged "Boar's Head Ham." I had to explain that "Boar's Head" is an American meat brand, and I hadn't eaten the smoked head of a wild pig.

And my 3 Musketeer's candy bar got a lot of quizzical comments. 3 Musketeer's is like a Mars Bar without caramel. I believe it's called a Milky Way in the UK. (We have a Milky Way in the US as well, but it's like your Mars Bar.)

My favorite British word right now is bairn. The same British friend with the Boar's head confusion has a little bit of cake or other baked good every day. She explained "It's my bairn's baking."

thegeordielass

I had a great discussion with an American friend about how I was having Toad in the Hole for tea (I'm a tea time person, not a dinner but my more 'posh' southern friends disagree!). Toad in the hole is sausages cooked in a Yorkshire pudding and does not involve eating toads at all.

Not that your description will fully help.

I recall being in the US in an English-themed pub. Yorkshire pudding was on the menu as part of the roast beef dinner. We were half-way through our dessert when an American family sat down next to us and were looking at the menu going:

"Oh my God! Look at all these combinations! Salt and vinegar on chips?"

Eventually, one went:

"I've always wanted to try an English roast! But...what's a Yorkshire Pudding?"

To which her (I'm assuming) boyfriend/husband replied, trying to act all smug:

"Oh, it's like a cake thing, with cream"

She responded:

"Ugh...why would they eat that with that?! The English are so weird".

I leaned over and explained before she gave up on the idea of trying a roast, but I realised how hard it is to describe a Yorkshire Pudding to someone who's never had one. I think the description was something along the lines of:

"It's a soft savoury batter, baked in the oven. It rises up as it's cooked."

Great explanation, Cheryl...

Yeah, I gave up trying to describe a Yorkshire pudding to her (I think I went along the lines of it's a batter a bit like a pancake batter but thicker and it rises up at the edges and is savoury) and sent her a link to a Delia recipe. She now loves it. They are really hard to explain though as they're something we all take for granted/know.

treetop57

I leaned over and explained before she gave up on the idea of trying a roast, but I realised how hard it is to describe a Yorkshire Pudding to someone who's never had one. I think the description was something along the lines of:

"It's a soft savoury batter, baked in the oven. It rises up as it's cooked."

We have something called a popover, which is like a muffin-sized Yorkshire pudding. Not to be confused with a turnover, which is a little deep-fried fruit pie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popover

jennifer52484

bump -- read some and these should amuse me later!!.

TeachTheGirl

LOVE Yorkshire puddings and Toad in the Hole. I'm going to have to make some this week now.

My husband picked up 'bovered' from my UK friends. Shortened it to 'Bov'd'. So whenever he 'cannot be bothered' to do something, he'll simply say 'Bov'd'. XD So frustrating.

My brother made me laugh in a Facebook chat the other day. I haven't heard 'Fair do' for years!

AlayshaJ

i hate the word crisps! i do, i do, i do!

treetop57

"Rooty-tooty point and shooty" is a joke that only Americans could understand. The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) is forever advertising some sort of deathly sweet breakfast combination that's called "Rooty-Tooty Fresh and Fruity."

juicemoogan

My ex (from England) used to always say

"taking the piss out of you" eg.. making fun of you..

so weird.

We could also talk about Canadianisms vs. Americanisms..

my most hated.. Soda(US) vs. Pop (canada)

wisebadger53

UK Roundabout = US Rotary

I've only heard them called roundabouts in the US. Rotary is a club (Rotary International).

They are called rotaries in some places. This is the problem with "US" meanings since we are a rather large country and the regional differences can be very marked.

They are also called "Circles" in some parts of the US - in New Jersey there are the Cherry Hill Circle, the Marlton Circle, etc.

stormieweather

I didn't see it mentioned here anywhere, but my experience overseas was that the 1st Floor was NOT the floor with the exit from the building. That was the Ground Floor or the Lobby. The 1st floor over there was what our elevators show as the 2nd FLoor in the US. So the elevator panel went G, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.

runnercheryl

I leaned over and explained before she gave up on the idea of trying a roast, but I realised how hard it is to describe a Yorkshire Pudding to someone who's never had one. I think the description was something along the lines of:

"It's a soft savoury batter, baked in the oven. It rises up as it's cooked."

We have something called a popover, which is like a muffin-sized Yorkshire pudding. Not to be confused with a turnover, which is a little deep-fried fruit pie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popover

Ugh, fruit on a Yorkshire Pudding?

Sounds like you get a little more creative with yours! Although if 'What's a Yorkshire pudding?' ever comes up in a conversation with an American again, I have a better description - thanks!

cathyc71

Visiting my brother and sister-in-law in Australia, my sister-in-law asks my b/f if he could finish off her "mother" for her......we were all hysterical over this..... turns out "mother" is an energy drink! LOL