Americanisms that will never, ever cross over into the UK

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (792 of them)

Before I bother reading this, is this thread the abortion I imagine it's going to be?

Dom Passantino, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:32 (eighteen years ago)

Loads of Brits are familiar with 'baby shower' and 'intern' btw before Americans flip out.

My old boss at Blockbuster video used to not only use 'buddy' but abbreviate it to 'bud' all the time. man he was a dick.

blueski, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:32 (eighteen years ago)

haha a friend of mind once told me that she was in england when she was 12 or so an awkward age and she had a new fannypack and she was telling some nice english lady abt it and the nice lady informed her abt like what fanny meant to britishes and my friend was embarrassed and stuff so then when they were leaving the country an official asked her for her passport and she went to say oh i've got it right here in my fannypack but then remembering the local meaning stopped halfway through and just said "oh its right here in my fanny..." and then she was really embrassed

jhøshea, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:32 (eighteen years ago)

ENBB right re: interns.

I call people "hoss" sometimes.

Ms Misery, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:33 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah but there's familiar with (via US TV shows) and actually being used.

xpost to blueski

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:34 (eighteen years ago)

"oh its right here in my fanny..."

Awesome.

ENBB, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:34 (eighteen years ago)

"hoss" ?!

ENBB, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:34 (eighteen years ago)

Before I bother reading this, is this thread the abortion I imagine it's going to be?

It was fine until you showed up

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago)

no fighting in the US vs UK room

blueski, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago)

"Buddy" instead of "mate"!

I kind of hate "buddy," tbh.

jaymc, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago)

i mean no IN-fighting

blueski, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago)

It's from Bonanza (which I actually never watched). It's the same as "buddy" or something.

Ms Misery, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:36 (eighteen years ago)

where america has a 'rostrum', we have a 'podium' or a 'lectern'

What the fuck is a rostrum?

jaymc, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:36 (eighteen years ago)

Exactly.

ENBB, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:37 (eighteen years ago)

no fighting in the US vs UK room

No perma-grumpy sub-Charlie Brookerisms either

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:37 (eighteen years ago)

in nova scotia they have an excellent usage for buddy = any guy

as in: so im on the bus and buddy just walks over and pukes on my feet right!

jhøshea, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:39 (eighteen years ago)

What the fuck is a rostrum?

Sounds like a cross between a nostril and a rectum.

kingkongvsgodzilla, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:40 (eighteen years ago)

Ugh. Sorry. If I could undo that I would.

kingkongvsgodzilla, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:40 (eighteen years ago)

how common is 'grumpy' in the States as opposed to cranky's reign of terror?

blueski, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:41 (eighteen years ago)

"Grouchy"!

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:41 (eighteen years ago)

crabby

Laurel, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:42 (eighteen years ago)

And the verb "to crab".

Laurel, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:42 (eighteen years ago)

crabby is more feminine.

American Heritage sez "rostrum" is:
1. The curved, beaklike prow of an ancient Roman ship, especially a war galley.
2. The speaker's platform in an ancient Roman forum, which was decorated with the prows of captured enemy ships.
3. A beaklike or snoutlike projection.

sexyDancer, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:42 (eighteen years ago)

crabby

The Scottish word is "crabbit"

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:43 (eighteen years ago)

ticked off

Tracer Hand, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:43 (eighteen years ago)

I don't think I've ever used "crab" as a verb, but I say "grumpy" a lot. "Cranky" seems more befitting of a baby crying over a full diaper.

jaymc, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:44 (eighteen years ago)

NB: When I use "grumpy" it's almost always in a cute way, like "Awww, why are you so grumpy?"

jaymc, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:46 (eighteen years ago)

"snippy"

sexyDancer, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:47 (eighteen years ago)

I like that being "crabby" makes you "snippy" in your dialogue. It's a nice evocative progression.

Awww xp!

Laurel, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:48 (eighteen years ago)

grumpypantsed

nabisco, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:48 (eighteen years ago)

the use and difference of cranky as opposed to crank (as in joke) is interesting.

blueski, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:48 (eighteen years ago)

No one outside the US says "check" to mean "bill," right?

Sundar, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:48 (eighteen years ago)

The speaker's platform in an ancient Roman forum, which was decorated with the prows of captured enemy ships.

I like this. What would Bush's podium be decorated with.

Ms Misery, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:50 (eighteen years ago)

American tourists.

nabisco, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:50 (eighteen years ago)

Only time i've ever heard "rostrum" was in The Who's "Sally Simpson"

xp

crabby => http://images.wikia.com/uncyclopedia/images/thumb/a/a6/Lucyvanpelt.jpg/200px-Lucyvanpelt.jpg

kingfish, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:50 (eighteen years ago)

has anyone mentioned "dude" yet? or do they say that in the UK?

Will M., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:51 (eighteen years ago)

No one outside the US says "check" to mean "bill," right?

Or even cheque!

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:52 (eighteen years ago)

i say dude a lot. i blame/credit certain american ilxors for this tho.

blueski, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:53 (eighteen years ago)

"Guess" for suppose - that prob'ly will cross over

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:56 (eighteen years ago)

surely it did long ago.

blueski, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:58 (eighteen years ago)

Did "tube" for television make it over?

kingkongvsgodzilla, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:58 (eighteen years ago)

Give me an example (xp)

Did "tube" for television make it over?

Years ago

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:59 (eighteen years ago)

saying "momentarily" instead of "in a short while" when it means "FOR a short while" already. OH WAIT.

Alan, Thursday, 28 June 2007 17:00 (eighteen years ago)

"Tube" for television is vestigal in the US and shows only in expressions like "boobtube", as far as I can tell!

Laurel, Thursday, 28 June 2007 17:01 (eighteen years ago)

i guess that's why they all it the blues - elton john

inevitable xpost

CharlieNo4, Thursday, 28 June 2007 17:01 (eighteen years ago)

It's a rock song! They don't count!

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 17:02 (eighteen years ago)

ok

i say it all the time and have done for at least a decade.

CharlieNo4, Thursday, 28 June 2007 17:03 (eighteen years ago)

i see dentistry has been mentioned already...

regarding an interest in guns as a patriotic duty

Alan, Thursday, 28 June 2007 17:03 (eighteen years ago)

i say 'guess' for suppose. i say 'douchebag'. i say 'psyched'. "write me" is the dative tense and entirely acceptable english. i have taken to saying 'season' where britishes say 'series'.

That one guy that quit, Thursday, 28 June 2007 17:05 (eighteen years ago)

trunk or is it still called a boot?

carne asada, Thursday, 28 June 2007 17:06 (eighteen years ago)


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.