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McTell
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18 May 2009, 6:21 pm

Hala wrote:
You call lorries "trucks"
You call angry "mad"
You call mad "crazy"


I do all three of these.



Master_Shake
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18 May 2009, 8:21 pm

lol, Hala. Quite an extensive list. Here are some explanations for some of these

Hala wrote:
You call bonnets "hoods"


Yes, we call what you would describe as bonnets "hoods." Bonnet has a very feminine connotation for us Americans. We use the word "bonnet" to describe a type of female head wear that ties under the chin and has a type of "bill" extended forward over the woman's forhead, protecting the face from the sun. It was more common in the early 1900's and earlier but is still common among Amish women.

Hala wrote:
You call angry "mad"
You call mad "crazy"


We refer to angry as "angry" over here too, but "mad" is a more casual term.

Yes "mad" angry and "mad" insane are very confusing over here. Many people associate the two to be similar.

Hala wrote:
You call tights "pantyhose"


Over here we use the term "pantyhose" to describe leggings with a waistband that are clear. We refer to opaque leggings with a waistband as "tights" especially when referring to what ballerina's wear, we would never say a ballerina wears "pantyhose." We use the term "stockings" to describe leggings that don't have a waistband, but rather terminate on the legs. All three types are referred to as "hose" or "hosiery." Probably derived from the German word "hosen" meaning socks, or simply because they are a hose shape.

BTW, I think all three make a girls legs look delicious :-)

When someone is wearing socks but not shoes we say they are in their "stocking feet."

Hala wrote:
You call sweets "candy"


We use the term sweets to refer to any sugary food served for desert. Candy is a specific kind of sweets.

Hala wrote:
You call full stops "periods"


You British don't have as good of a way of making a point as us Americans do. In America we can make a statement like "I am right, and that's that, PERIOD!" Saying "I am right, and that's that, FULL STOP!" just wouldn't have the same effect.


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twoshots
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18 May 2009, 8:38 pm

Master_Shake wrote:
You British don't have as good of a way of making a point as us Americans do. In America we can make a statement like "I am right, and that's that, PERIOD!" Saying "I am right, and that's that, FULL STOP!" just wouldn't have the same effect.

We make points much better of course because they're backed up by copious quantities of firepower :rambo:


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Master_Shake
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18 May 2009, 8:40 pm

That would be pretty scary if toilets flushed backwards in Australia, instead of poop going down the toilet, it comes up!


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McTell
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18 May 2009, 8:52 pm

Master_Shake wrote:
You British don't have as good of a way of making a point as us Americans do. In America we can make a statement like "I am right, and that's that, PERIOD!" Saying "I am right, and that's that, FULL STOP!" just wouldn't have the same effect.


You've clearly never heard a beautiful, "FULL! STOP!" Before. You have to say both words completely seperate, in their own sentence. I think it works better than, "PERIOD!" because it has fewer syllables.



Keith
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19 May 2009, 12:12 am

Hala wrote:
Why Americans are insane:

You call rubbers "erasers"
You call condoms "rubbers"
You call crisps "chips"
You call chips "fries"
You call boots "trunks"
You call bonnets "hoods"
You call petrol "gas"
You call lorries "trucks" - CORRECTION a lorry in the US is a SEMI. A "truck" is what we call a "pickup"
You call angry "mad"
You call mad "crazy"
You call draughts "checkers"
You call jumpers "sweaters"
You call trousers "pants"
You call pants "underpants"
You call tights "pantyhose"
You call queues "lines"
You call adverts "commercials"
You call sweets "candy"
You call aeroplanes "airplanes"
You call aluminium "aluminum"
You call anti-clockwise "counter-clockwise"
You call full stops "periods"
You call ladybirds "ladybugs"

Aaaand you don't commonly use 24-hour clocks 8O

I rest my case. :lol:



EnglishLulu
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19 May 2009, 12:26 am

MattShizzle wrote:
When my dad was in the Navy and stopped in England he was in a restaurant and asked for a napkin (the paper thing you wipe your hands with for the British.) and everyone laughed. Apparently it means something else entirely there.
Maybe they misheard him and thought he said "nappy" which is what you call a diaper.

I don't know whereabouts in England your father was, but we certainly call napkins napkins.

Or another confusion might have arisen if he was eating in a fast food or cheaper type place, because there they probably had "serviettes" (which are made of tissue paper, whereas napkins are made of fabric).



Henriksson
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19 May 2009, 12:28 am

I call the end 'slut'.
I call speed 'fart'.


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twoshots
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19 May 2009, 12:31 am

Quote:
Maybe they misheard him and thought he said "nappy" which is what you call a diaper.

I don't know whereabouts in England your father was, but we certainly call napkins napkins.

Or another confusion might have arisen if he was eating in a fast food or cheaper type place, because there they probably had "serviettes" (which are made of tissue paper, whereas napkins are made of fabric).

Napkin - definition 3: Diaper
Unfortunately, no dialect info is given.


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Fudo
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20 May 2009, 10:31 am

i'm british & i know some wonderfully "eccentric" people.. anyways the film "Withnail & I" portrays british insanity very well..
"The carrot has mystery" ;)