Americanisms that will never, ever cross over into the UK

It just occured to me that it's probably eighty eighty for a reason that I just never got. Oh well.

no, there was no reason. i just read it as "eight eighty" because it sounded good, and i often read 4-digit numbers with a 0 as the second digit as such when trying to remember them (ie. 7085 is seventy-eighty-five... it's weird and wrong but it must work because I have way above average skill for memorizing numbers)

eighty eighty, not eight eighty

What the fuck does "8080" mean? I've seen it used here on ILX a lot lately.

It means GO HOME YOU LAZY SOD

fake snrub

During my first year of high school, a security guard used the term "good people" (as in "she's good people") and after he left, four or five people stood around going "WTF" and speculating that it was some kind of newfangled black slang and then acting like I was weird for having heard it before.

(Although it IS slightly more a southern and/or black thing, right? The two are hard to separate sometimes.)

I had never even heard of 'soco' or 'druthers' until reading this thread. 'Douchebag' sounds so alien to me that I'm surprised to find another British person upthread saying they use it ('booger' and 'boogerman' too I can't see ever catching on).

'Intern' I didn't understand for ages. Quite a long way into the Monica Lewinsky scandal I still thought that she was someone very important in the American government.

'On the weekend' is definitely creeping in over here, as is 'guys'/'you guys' meaning a group of people possibly including women.

I'd be quite happy for us to import 'dude'. I like the word. In fact I'll happily take 'dude' if you promise to keep 'douchebag'.

California -- "on the weekend" is normal for an upcoming weekend.
"you doing something on the weekend?", although substituting "this weekend" is a bit more likely.
the only time I've ever heard "over the weekend" is past tense.
"what did you do over the weekend?"

also, I always theorized that the use of 'Herb' date back to that Burger King mascot or whatever from the 80's? I don't remember people using it at that time per se but it wasn't long after.

oh scott beat me to it nm

California -- "on the weekend" is normal for an upcoming weekend.
...
the only time I've ever heard "over the weekend" is past tense.

seriously? (in both cases) bizarre.

WTF is a "boogerman?"

PS of course the British will never use "booger," because SOMEONE's regional accent will make it sound a whole lot like "bugger"

are there any britishes who can say "boogie" correctly.

HOUSE, MD excluded

the only time I've ever heard "over the weekend" is past tense.

seriously? (in both cases) bizarre.

ok, thinking about it, people say 'over the weekend' but more seldom, and more likely in re: a 'special' weekend ("what are you doing over memorial day weekend"); subconsciously evokes the spatial difference between a normal weekend and a 3 day weekend i guess, the same way using it past tense evokes the fact that you lived through/over the whoooole weekend as opposed to the open-ended relationship you have with an upcoming weekend that you might not live through. I'll send you the literature.

That'd be boo as in book, not boo as in... shoo, right? Nah, it's oo all the way here. Boooooogie.

xp

(Not to mention the northerners who don't even pronounce book like that. Boooooook. Buke. Luke in the buke.)

I make fun of my husband for saying boooooogie. Also, they say bogeyman like B -long o as in "Bogart" - geyman.

"zelda zonk"

Hopefully, neoconservativism.

Does anyone outside the US use "freshman," "sophomore," etc?

(I don't know what "8080" means either. I mean, I gather it's somewhat equivalent to "OTM?")

ok the explanation of how they say 'book' in northern england basically made me realize that everything i know of their accents i learned from paul's grandad in 'a hard day's night'

well, and mark e smith

(I don't know what "8080" means either. I mean, I gather it's somewhat equivalent to "OTM?")

Yeah, it is. I just missed where it came from.

while we're on the subject, does anyone else think of lol as "lots of/o' laughs"? "laughing out loud" has never read nearly dorky enough for my taste.

Okay I admit I haven't read this whole thread (and don't really have time to right now) but have we got to the thing were Americans say "Now you're talkin'!" when they mean they really agree with what you saying, or they think you have a good idea? I don't think that will ever catch on in the UK will it?

I haven't read the whole thread but did anyone mention Americans saying "how's it going?" or "what's up?" and NOT actually expecting an answer?

Also british people will never say "bro". they may on occasion use dude (ken c?), but it ends there.

I don't think I've ever used "bro" outside ILX

hey Curt1s, what's up?

hey adm.

'sup bra?

i hang around ppl who say 'bro' all the time, completely w/o irony

also, what about "shitty" as "drunk"? Like, dude, me and my homeys were totally shitty last night, i can't believe that fucking guy stole a suitcase from Wal-Mart, what the fuck

BRITISHES: suitcase = 30 pack of beer, Wal-Mart = a chain of stores

cunt is gaining in popularity over here as SHOCKER insult of choice, btw (non-gender specific)

* I have said "good people" completely seriously
* I will use Britishisms occasionally, but that's because moms grew up there and she's basically talking all the time (WE CALL THIS A CHATTY CATHY) and loves using quaint ould Irish/Lanc turns of phrase
* I barely tolerated Aussies/Kiwis saying "bro" in Colorado (even worse than American bros saying it), and would probably punch a Brit in the face if he tried using it
* Britishes have no cultural context for the word "fratty," though I fear it may gain popularity simply because it describes a type of American that Britain already loves to hate (which is probably OK)
* RAD (discus)

BLOOD DIAMONDS IS THE NEW RESPEK KNUCKLES, 8080 IS THE NEW OTM

A lot of NZers say bro.

that doesn't mean i have to like it

Oh no I don't either, jus' sayin'.

what about the use of "rack" meaning a case of beer and "half a rack" as a 12-pack? actually i never heard that outside of new england where we had our own language to tell the outsiders from the natives. c.f., pronouncing "faneuil hall" or what the three apartment dwellings in dorchester are called.

also, does anyone over there say "y'all" in a non-ironic way?

Does anyone outside the US use "freshman," "sophomore," etc?

Nope. The words don't even make any sense as our education systems are completely different. 'Fratboy' doesn't have any equivalent. Or 'High School proms'. Or 'jock'. And for most people 'college' doesn't mean 'university'.

...did anyone mention Americans saying "how's it going?" or "what's up?" and NOT actually expecting an answer?

What does "what's up?" mean in America? I've always used it to mean "what's the matter?", but it seems to mean "what's going on?". I need to know exactly what Bugs Bunny intended by his catchphrase. Also, I haven't come across anyone in Britain saying 'hey!' to mean 'hi!'.

For example, "grew like Topsy" is never going to catch on here in the USA.

But it's a quote from an American book!

Also british people will never say "bro". they may on occasion use dude (ken c?), but it ends there.

-- admrl, Friday, June 29, 2007 4:39 AM (Friday, June 29, 2007 4:39 AM) Bookmark Link

I don't think I've ever used "bro" outside ILX

-- Curt1s Stephens, Friday, June 29, 2007 4:39 AM (Friday, June 29, 2007 4:39 AM) Bookmark Link

I said "bro" a minute before opening this thread. I think I use "dude" as well, though more in the written word than the spoken.

May we never start referring to our main courses as "entrees"... aargh.

yeah that is a weird one

Waiiit who does this!?

Does anyone outside the US use "freshman," "sophomore," etc?

-- Sundar, Friday, June 29, 2007 6:48 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Link

'fresher'.

i say dude all the time.