Americanisms that will never, ever cross over into the UK

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They say bumbag!

ENBB, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:21 (sixteen years ago) link

What the flip is a "baby shower"?

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:22 (sixteen years ago) link

Traditionally a baby shower is when women get together and give a pregnant chick lots of advice and gifts for the baby.

ENBB, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:23 (sixteen years ago) link

An excuse for all pregnant ladies to get presents (and secretly feel jealous that all their non pg mates are chucking back the red wine whilst you are on orange juice) (so I hear).

Sarah, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:23 (sixteen years ago) link

"Buddy" instead of "mate"!

Sarah, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:23 (sixteen years ago) link

grodey? ... not GROTTY....

FROYO?? in the same vein as SoCo I guess....

homosexual II, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:24 (sixteen years ago) link

Can you use "bum" to refer to a homeless person too?

kingkongvsgodzilla, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:24 (sixteen years ago) link

x-post See also: bridal shower in which the engaged lady gets lots of presents and the attendees often play silly games. In this part of the US it's typical for wedding guests to give presents off the registry at the bridal shower and cash at the wedding.

ENBB, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:25 (sixteen years ago) link

I believe they say tramp instead of bum when refering to homeless people.

ENBB, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:25 (sixteen years ago) link

yup, we can, although 'tramp' is ideal

dammit xpost

Just got offed, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:25 (sixteen years ago) link

"Buddy" instead of "mate"!

That's pretty common here.

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:25 (sixteen years ago) link

For some reason I call my cats "buddy". Probably because our first cat was American and came over with his pet passport.

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:25 (sixteen years ago) link

Can you use "bum" to refer to a homeless person too?

Not commonly.

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:26 (sixteen years ago) link

pet passport?!

ENBB, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:26 (sixteen years ago) link

Do you call yourself limeys?

Ms Misery, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:27 (sixteen years ago) link

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

Just got offed, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:27 (sixteen years ago) link

"Gas" for petrol

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:28 (sixteen years ago) link

Yeah until about 4 years ago you could only bring animals into the UK if they went into quarantine for 6 months, but then they brought in a pet passport scheme, where they get vaccinated and tested for rabies and stuff and then they're allowed in.

xpost to ENBB

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:28 (sixteen years ago) link

In my part of America we do not have a rostrum. We have a podium.

Ms Misery, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:28 (sixteen years ago) link

Never heard someone here say buddy unless they are being Shaggy from Scooby Doo and going "hey old buddy old pal"! Which I don't often do, but might start!

Sarah, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:29 (sixteen years ago) link

I believe they say tramp instead of bum when refering to homeless people.

And we don't use tramp to refer to a slutty woman either.

V, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:29 (sixteen years ago) link

What's an "intern"? A volunteer or something?

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:29 (sixteen years ago) link

Yeah, I've always only hear and used podium too.

xpost to MM.

ENBB, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:30 (sixteen years ago) link

tipping amirite

blueski, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:31 (sixteen years ago) link

the yelling out of car windows can be different too

696, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:31 (sixteen years ago) link

Intern = work experience?

V, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:31 (sixteen years ago) link

xpost Intern is more often than not a student who is getting work experience in their field of interest but is not getting paid to do so. Sometimes you can get college credit for internships.

ENBB, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:31 (sixteen years ago) link

and the neighbours and neighbors banging 300 pound bags of lard next door

696, Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:32 (sixteen years ago) link

Do Americans ever use "vicar"?

Tom D., Thursday, 28 June 2007 16:32 (sixteen years ago) link

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 (sixteen years ago) link

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 (sixteen years ago) link

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 (sixteen years ago) link

ENBB right re: interns.

I call people "hoss" sometimes.

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

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 (sixteen years ago) link

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

Awesome.

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

"hoss" ?!

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

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 (sixteen years ago) link

no fighting in the US vs UK room

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

"Buddy" instead of "mate"!

I kind of hate "buddy," tbh.

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

i mean no IN-fighting

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

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 (sixteen years ago) link

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 (sixteen years ago) link

Exactly.

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

no fighting in the US vs UK room

No perma-grumpy sub-Charlie Brookerisms either

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

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 (sixteen years ago) link

What the fuck is a rostrum?

Sounds like a cross between a nostril and a rectum.

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

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

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

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

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

"Grouchy"!

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

crabby

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


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