Language Please

SMarie10
SMarie10 Posts: 956 Member
in Chit-Chat
No, this isn't a rant against bad language.

One of my Australian MFP pals was talking about eating Breaky. I had no idea what this term meant, but found out via google that this is Breakfast... What other words have you heard that are apparently part of the local language, but might not be something your recognize. Couple of others I know:

Lift = Elevator
Queue = Line (like in queue up to get into the movie)
«1345

Replies

  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    There are a million. We had a whole thread about it a while back. :-)

    But do you know why Americans call it an elevator? Same reason we calls tissues "kleenex." Elevator was the name of a company that made what the Brits call lifts.
  • katamus
    katamus Posts: 2,363 Member
    My family has always called the TV remote a "clicker". I was shocked when someone was confused about what I was asking for.
  • ktillotson14
    ktillotson14 Posts: 331
    Well look at that...ya learn something new everyday :)

    I've realized that when I use the word "commode" outside of the south people look at me like I'm nuts.
  • ktillotson14
    ktillotson14 Posts: 331
    Also- fixin'. As in "I'm fixin' to go to work in 10 minutes."
  • SMarie10
    SMarie10 Posts: 956 Member
    Well look at that...ya learn something new everyday :)

    I've realized that when I use the word "commode" outside of the south people look at me like I'm nuts.
    That reminded me that when I was in France, the Water Closet (WC on the outside) was the toilet? Didn't take me too long to figure that one out when I had to pee.
  • vanillasugar
    vanillasugar Posts: 246 Member
    In Alaska if you say you're going "outside", while it can mean you're just stepping out the door, it's also commonly referencing leaving the state.
  • jporte
    jporte Posts: 164 Member
    When I moved to Western Pennsylvania (from the midwest) 15 years ago a lot of their language was strange to me:
    Redup or something like that is to clean up
    Gumband is a rubberband
    Mac Machine we called them ATM's
    Sweep is to vacuum or to sweep with a broom
    cupboard is a pantry or cabinet in a kitchen
    there is a lot more I just can't think of them now probably since I'm used to them.
  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
    The funniest thing for me was cigarettes being called "*kitten*" in some parts of Britain... Can be confusing sometimes.
  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
    There are a million. We had a whole thread about it a while back. :-)

    But do you know why Americans call it an elevator? Same reason we calls tissues "kleenex." Elevator was the name of a company that made what the Brits call lifts.

    we're not the only ones who do that though - the brits Hoover the carpet where we vacuum.

    i write in quite a few British/BBC fandoms and i know a few in fandom who are in GB and write US fandoms, so we "brit pick" each other's work to make sure the language is correct - even though we are, supposedly, speaking the same language.

    though i will also cop to it, if i've been watching too much Dr Who, MI5, Life on Mars, Top Gear, Sherlock... et al, i will start to speak w/ a few Brit words. was at the supermarket once and told mom i couldn't find my keys to pop the boot.
  • wizbeth1218
    wizbeth1218 Posts: 358 Member
    My husband is from the South and for him, lunch is "dinner" and dinner is "supper", all sodas are "Coke", tea is always sweet enough to substitute as pancake syrup, and grits are always served with butter, never never ever with milk.

    I lived in the high desert of Southern California, and the Los Angeles area was referred to a Down Below, as in, "I'm going Down Below to go to the movies."

    And in college in Sacramento, we said "hella" all the time. "I'm hella tired" or "That test was hella hard."

    A friend is hosting an exchange student from Italy. The night before the first day of school the student asked my friend for a rubber. My friend was a little surprised that the student had such high hopes for her first day of school. Turns out she was asking for an eraser. We're hosting a student from Germany and she said that before she came to the US her agency had a whole day of classes devoted to what slang words they should not use in the US, and "rubber" instead of eraser was one of them. :)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    There are a million. We had a whole thread about it a while back. :-)

    But do you know why Americans call it an elevator? Same reason we calls tissues "kleenex." Elevator was the name of a company that made what the Brits call lifts.

    we're not the only ones who do that though - the brits Hoover the carpet where we vacuum.

    i write in quite a few British/BBC fandoms and i know a few in fandom who are in GB and write US fandoms, so we "brit pick" each other's work to make sure the language is correct - even though we are, supposedly, speaking the same language.

    though i will also cop to it, if i've been watching too much Dr Who, MI5, Life on Mars, Top Gear, Sherlock... et al, i will start to speak w/ a few Brit words. was at the supermarket once and told mom i couldn't find my keys to pop the boot.

    Oh, I knew that. I was just pointing out why it's "elevator" in the US.

    I find it really interesting. I read an article about how when brand names become common language like that, the companies lose their trademarks, so companies are taking measures to stop it from happening to their brands.
  • ktillotson14
    ktillotson14 Posts: 331
    Xerox
  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
    There are a million. We had a whole thread about it a while back. :-)

    But do you know why Americans call it an elevator? Same reason we calls tissues "kleenex." Elevator was the name of a company that made what the Brits call lifts.

    we're not the only ones who do that though - the brits Hoover the carpet where we vacuum.

    i write in quite a few British/BBC fandoms and i know a few in fandom who are in GB and write US fandoms, so we "brit pick" each other's work to make sure the language is correct - even though we are, supposedly, speaking the same language.

    though i will also cop to it, if i've been watching too much Dr Who, MI5, Life on Mars, Top Gear, Sherlock... et al, i will start to speak w/ a few Brit words. was at the supermarket once and told mom i couldn't find my keys to pop the boot.

    Oh, I knew that. I was just pointing out why it's "elevator" in the US.

    I find it really interesting. I read an article about how when brand names become common language like that, the companies lose their trademarks, so companies are taking measures to stop it from happening to their brands.

    actually, i didn't know that elevator was one of them. i assumed that was just b/c that's what it does.

    the one i don't get is "Lollypop man" for crossing gaurd. makes me do the quizical head tilt every time.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    actually, i didn't know that elevator was one of them. i assumed that was just b/c that's what it does.

    the one i don't get is "Lollypop man" for crossing gaurd. makes me do the quizical head tilt every time.

    I've never heard that! Maybe they used to give lollypops to the kids?

    I didn't know about elevator, either, until I read that article.
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
    If you find yourself with some middle aged people who grew up in the Boston area, they might offer you some tonic (soda). My dad and everyone he grew up with still says it.
  • marthadztx
    marthadztx Posts: 337 Member
    "stones" instead of lbs or kg
  • k2charmed4u
    k2charmed4u Posts: 282
    actually, i didn't know that elevator was one of them. i assumed that was just b/c that's what it does.

    the one i don't get is "Lollypop man" for crossing gaurd. makes me do the quizical head tilt every time.

    I've never heard that! Maybe they used to give lollypops to the kids?

    I didn't know about elevator, either, until I read that article.

    We call them lollypop men because they carry a lollypop shaped sign with a picture of children on it. They use this to hold in to the road to get cars to stop before they themselves walk out to let the children cross. Also the black band in the centre of the sign is a chalk board. They use this to write registration plates of cars down when they fail to stop for the lollypop man.
  • DollyPocket
    DollyPocket Posts: 33 Member
    actually, i didn't know that elevator was one of them. i assumed that was just b/c that's what it does.

    the one i don't get is "Lollypop man" for crossing gaurd. makes me do the quizical head tilt every time.

    I've never heard that! Maybe they used to give lollypops to the kids?

    I didn't know about elevator, either, until I read that article.

    Becasue in England (not sure where you guys are in the world) Lollypop men or Ladies hold a big stick with a STOP sign on the top that looks like a big Lollypop. :-)

    Hope this makes sense
  • chooriyah
    chooriyah Posts: 469 Member
    "stones" instead of lbs or kg

    1 stone is 16 lbs. Just one of the insane and random measurements that we Brits use.

    One I learnt recently is that some South Africans call traffic lights 'red robots'.
  • nsalerno90
    nsalerno90 Posts: 68
    My husband is from the South and for him, lunch is "dinner" and dinner is "supper", all sodas are "Coke", tea is always sweet enough to substitute as pancake syrup, and grits are always served with butter, never never ever with milk.

    I lived in the high desert of Southern California, and the Los Angeles area was referred to a Down Below, as in, "I'm going Down Below to go to the movies."

    And in college in Sacramento, we said "hella" all the time. "I'm hella tired" or "That test was hella hard."

    A friend is hosting an exchange student from Italy. The night before the first day of school the student asked my friend for a rubber. My friend was a little surprised that the student had such high hopes for her first day of school. Turns out she was asking for an eraser. We're hosting a student from Germany and she said that before she came to the US her agency had a whole day of classes devoted to what slang words they should not use in the US, and "rubber" instead of eraser was one of them. :)

    This just cracked me up --- high hopes for the first day of school. LOL We hosted an exchange student from Italy last year and we had to go through several phrases that just didn't mean the same thing here.
  • jeffryjirraf
    jeffryjirraf Posts: 179 Member
    It is odd, I am from the east coast of Scotland and a lot of the words I used were just not understood by people down in England. Here is just a few that they had issues with. I would tend to not know why they were having such a problem understanding me.

    sweetie = candy (fairly self explanitory)
    messages = groceries
    scaffy = person who picks up the bins
    fish supper = fish and chips
    clegg = horse fly
    burn = stream
    chuckie = pebble
    workie = builder
    clype = telltale
  • Skinny_minny_mo
    Skinny_minny_mo Posts: 1,272 Member
    I'm from south africa and i've picked up a few chatting to americans on here

    SA - US
    bonnet - hood
    Boot - trunk
    biscuits - cookies
    scones - biscuit

    Even though we are all speaking English i often need a translator!
  • k2charmed4u
    k2charmed4u Posts: 282
    "stones" instead of lbs or kg

    1 stone is 16 lbs. Just one of the insane and random measurements that we Brits use.

    One I learnt recently is that some South Africans call traffic lights 'red robots'.

    In the UK 1 stone = 14 lbs
  • Gail3260
    Gail3260 Posts: 354 Member
    actually, i didn't know that elevator was one of them. i assumed that was just b/c that's what it does.

    the one i don't get is "Lollypop man" for crossing gaurd. makes me do the quizical head tilt every time.

    I've never heard that! Maybe they used to give lollypops to the kids?

    I didn't know about elevator, either, until I read that article.

    Noooooo.....They don't give sweets to kids......The poles they carry with a sign on top look like lollypops!!!
  • AmberJo1984
    AmberJo1984 Posts: 1,067 Member
    I can't think of anything off the top of my head... but, there are many different words that people use for different things. I like seeing the differences though. This should be a fun thread.
  • EmmaM2211
    EmmaM2211 Posts: 536 Member
    actually, i didn't know that elevator was one of them. i assumed that was just b/c that's what it does.

    the one i don't get is "Lollypop man" for crossing gaurd. makes me do the quizical head tilt every time.

    I've never heard that! Maybe they used to give lollypops to the kids?

    I didn't know about elevator, either, until I read that article.

    Because the long stick with a circular sign on the end looks like a lollypop!! haha I'm sure someone more technical than me could find a picture and post it...
  • tubbyelmo
    tubbyelmo Posts: 415 Member
    The crossing sign he carries looks like a giant lollipop, wish they did give out sweeties!
  • DollyPocket
    DollyPocket Posts: 33 Member
    "stones" instead of lbs or kg

    1 stone is 16 lbs. Just one of the insane and random measurements that we Brits use.

    One I learnt recently is that some South Africans call traffic lights 'red robots'.


    1 stone is 14lbs where I live in GB
  • Skinny_minny_mo
    Skinny_minny_mo Posts: 1,272 Member
    "stones" instead of lbs or kg

    1 stone is 16 lbs. Just one of the insane and random measurements that we Brits use.

    One I learnt recently is that some South Africans call traffic lights 'red robots'.

    hahha that we do! confuses the hell out of foreigners especially when giving directions "turn left at the 2nd robot" :noway:
  • Skinny_minny_mo
    Skinny_minny_mo Posts: 1,272 Member
    It is odd, I am from the east coast of Scotland and a lot of the words I used were just not understood by people down in England. Here is just a few that they had issues with. I would tend to not know why they were having such a problem understanding me.

    sweetie = candy (fairly self explanitory)
    messages = groceries
    scaffy = person who picks up the bins
    fish supper = fish and chips
    clegg = horse fly
    burn = stream
    chuckie = pebble
    workie = builder
    clype = telltale

    I;d have a problem deciphering this too - never mind the accent! :happy:

Categories