Strange American sayings from an English Perspective

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  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
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    Northeast and Midwest are TOTALLY different places, culturally speaking! I grew up in the Northeast (upstate NY).
    That's gotta be it then! His grandpa's family is out of Buffalo, and it was kinda home base for a lot of years... Thank goodness I didn't pick that up the year I lived there!

    Here's one. Does anybody call that red stuff you put on pasta or the other stuff you put on french fries (or chips, if you prefer) "gravy"? I can't remember if that one came from WNY or Rhode Island...
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,261 Member
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    Fannypack

    The first part has a very very different meaning in England!

    we used to call them bum bags when i was a teenager. not sure which one is worst.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
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    You order by name.

    Lagavulin, neat.

    Or Glenmorangie, pronounced correctly or they beat you with a stick.
    Oh, how I miss a good, peaty whisky. Neat, the way god intended. And I don't care what distillery.
  • tattygun
    tattygun Posts: 447 Member
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    'Plead the fifth' I have had it explained to me but I always forget

    'Fanny pack'

    'Kebob'
  • parys1
    parys1 Posts: 2,064 Member
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    Ok I'll concede
    on the math question, but come on they ain't sneakers they're TRAINERS

    Nope. I'm Canadian and I call them runners.:flowerforyou:

    On the EastCoast we call em "kicks"

    Heh. I think of "kicks" the same as "jollies". "More power to ya, if that's how you get your kicks." when speaking to someone about some weird habit they have.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
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    'Plead the fifth' I have had it explained to me but I always forget

    'Fanny pack'

    'Kebob'
    What do you call it then, if not "kebab"?
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Northeast and Midwest are TOTALLY different places, culturally speaking! I grew up in the Northeast (upstate NY).
    That's gotta be it then! His grandpa's family is out of Buffalo, and it was kinda home base for a lot of years... Thank goodness I didn't pick that up the year I lived there!

    Here's one. Does anybody call that red stuff you put on pasta or the other stuff you put on french fries (or chips, if you prefer) "gravy"? I can't remember if that one came from WNY or Rhode Island...
    My parents grew up in Buffalo and say sneakers.

    We put ketchup on our fries.
  • Kimdbro
    Kimdbro Posts: 922 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

    LMAO!!! Saw the same episode and thought the SAME thing!!
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
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    When you stop calling it a "bonnet" and start calling it a "hood"...AND...when you start driving on the right side of the road, then you can start correcting us.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
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    We put ketchup on our fries.
    Vinegar is another popular option, or at least was when I lived there.

    "Gravy" must be those wacky Rhode Islanders, then. They also drink "coffee milk", so whaddaya gonna do...?
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    'Plead the fifth' I have had it explained to me but I always forget

    'Fanny pack'

    'Kebob'

    Plead the fifth: generally means that I choose not to say anything to incriminate myself. Refers to the 5th amendment of the constitution. It says that a defendant does not have to take the stand in a court of law in his own defense.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    Northeast and Midwest are TOTALLY different places, culturally speaking! I grew up in the Northeast (upstate NY).
    That's gotta be it then! His grandpa's family is out of Buffalo, and it was kinda home base for a lot of years... Thank goodness I didn't pick that up the year I lived there!

    Here's one. Does anybody call that red stuff you put on pasta or the other stuff you put on french fries (or chips, if you prefer) "gravy"? I can't remember if that one came from WNY or Rhode Island...
    LOL. I had two Italian friends who had an argument over this. The one from NJ called it gravy, the other from Virginia said calling it gravy was lame and not really Italian. It's supposed to be called sauce or marinara. I called it delicious.
  • dirty_dirty_eater
    dirty_dirty_eater Posts: 574 Member
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    They snicker at you if you order a "Scotch" in Scotland.
    Cheeky buggers.
    WTF would you order? Just "whisky", and it's assumed? Do you have to specify single-malt? Inquiring minds want to know!!

    I was told to ask nicely for whiskey and if I were judged worthy, I'd be given the good stuff. If not, I'd be overcharged for the low end.
  • Liss_Bee
    Liss_Bee Posts: 187 Member
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    they ain't sneakers they're TRAINERS

    I sometimes stumble when tryin gto figure out what to call those. I've lived in places where they have been called, gym Shoes, Tennis Shoes, sneakers, tennies, athletic shoes and trainers.

    I have the same issue with dinner/supper. In some places I have lived you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. In some others you eat breakfast, dinner and supper. In others you eat breakfast, lunch and supper.

    I get confused as to what I need to call each meal in conversations sometimes.



    I call them tennis shoes... It's breakfast, lunch and dinner. But here in the wonderful Midwest, the farm folk call it supper. They also call a drive way a "Lane road" and add an r to wash. WTH is that about?
  • JoelleAnn78
    JoelleAnn78 Posts: 1,492 Member
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    Forgot to add....

    "That'll go over like a fart in church..." This might be my favorite.
  • SpeSHul_SnoflEHk
    SpeSHul_SnoflEHk Posts: 6,256 Member
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    'Plead the fifth' I have had it explained to me but I always forget

    'Fanny pack'

    'Kebob'
    What do you call it then, if not "kebab"?

    skewered meat and vegetables? Just guessing.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    When you stop calling it a "bonnet" and start calling it a "hood"...AND...when you start driving on the right side of the road, then you can start correcting us.

    Um, no correcting is really going on. Just lighthearted discussions. :-)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    'Plead the fifth' I have had it explained to me but I always forget
    The Fifth Amendment is the right not to incrimiate onesself. So, in the legal sense, if you get put on the stand on court under oath to testify and what you have to say would incrimate you in a crime, you "plead the Fifth" instead of testifying.

    We use it in casual conversation mostly joking around.
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
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    Ok I'll concede
    on the math question, but come on they ain't sneakers they're TRAINERS

    Nope. I'm Canadian and I call them runners.:flowerforyou:

    On the EastCoast we call em "kicks"

    I'm in Maine. They're called sneakers. Lol
  • smesche
    smesche Posts: 234 Member
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    Ok I'll concede
    on the math question, but come on they ain't sneakers they're TRAINERS

    Nope. I'm Canadian and I call them runners.:flowerforyou:

    On the EastCoast we call em "kicks"

    I'm in Maine. They're called sneakers. Lol

    Maryland here and I call them tennis shoes. I don't think I have ever called them sneakers or kicks.

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