American/english

[Jed]

Haha, this is so funny! So can I say bloody now? Or it would be considered a swear word due to the context? Well, I'll be buggered...

Oh so yes. Buggered if I know why?
Bloody Bast**d. Was the one we shouldn't say and still today I can't type it.Maybe I need therapy?

 

[Amalia]

I am sure you don't need therapy for this. Now back to the topic, friends in USA and mate, lad in the UK. I finally got used to these words

 

[ACSAPA]

I am sure you don't need therapy for this. Now back to the topic, friends in USA and mate, lad in the UK. I finally got used to these words

Don't forget chav in the UK, ghetto fabulous or thug in the US.
Chavs are those delinquent kids that dress like rappers or any thieving element in a neighborhood, like the kids that ask to borrow your phone and then mug you.

 

[Babble64]

Okay, I just stumbled on this. Since I love the quirks of the English language, as well as hearing the different words those of you from the UK use, I had to jump in, old post or not!

I think the folks in Australia call a sweater (US) a "jumper". A jumper here means a lady's dress that goes over a blouse, with straps that clip over her shoulders.

US: Bathroom, UK: Loo

I know there are more. My sister married an Irishman and they lived in England for 8 years. She sounds more like a Brit to me than an "American" but I'll bet to the Brits she sounds more like someone from the US.

 

[zigs]

We say Status different, in England its pronounced Staytus.

Buoy is pronounced Boy over here.

 

[zigs]

Porridge.

1. A bowl of hot oatmeal with milk or water. Can be sweetened or eaten salted.

2. A jail sentence - i.e. Doing porridge.

 

[zigs]

There are subtleties and also quite outright differences. Australians have words they use frequently that may shock many others. I grew up when the word bloody was considered a swear word and was often used as an expletive and an adjective or adverb. Though the word bugger was often used and thought okay at the time. Even my mother would say well bugger me or I'll be buggered while bloody was a no no.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bugger

Jed, Bloody comes from Bloody Mary, the queen that converted England back to Catholicism for a while. Its a religious thing that only really lives on in the conciousness of the UK and Australia, we'd mostly forgotten why it was tabu though.

 

[Jed]

That's interesting. When I grew up there was a tad bit of catholic protestant rivalry.That has since disappeared. The fastest growing religion according to the census collected in 2011 is Hinduism in Australia.

 

[morlogs]

Oh these are fun!! I have had to explain these many times to my Polish student in my English classes.

Boot - Trunk (back of your car)
Biscuit - Cracker/cookie
Bonnet - Hood
Chips - French fries
Crisps- Potato chips
Cooker - stove

So,,,If I have a cooker in my boot and I try cooking crisps in my cooker will folks thing I have a bee in my bonnet?

 

[morlogs]

I don't like that all biscuits end up being called cookies in America. No, they are not all cookies, lol

Cookies and gravy? Nu-uh...

 

[morlogs]

Yep Zigs...This should definitely get us through the winter! (If we get one)

 

[zigs]

To confuse things even futher, Trunks are male swimming wear in the uk, think you know them as Speedos.

 

[Babble64]

Cookies and gravy? Nu-uh...

So, is there a difference between biscuits in the UK? Meaning...is everything I would call a cookie here in the US a biscuit in the UK? Or does it have to meet a certain qualification to be a biscuit? (is anyone else confused yet?)

Courgette (UK) = Zucchini (US)....just learned that one this morning!

 

[zigs]

This is what we'd class as a cookie in England,

http://chocolate.wikia.com/wiki/File:Chocolate_chip_cookies.jpg

And this is one type of biscuit,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_tea

These are ginger biscuits,

http://www.magentacakes.co.uk/blog/recipe-hand-baked-ginger-biscuits/

Hobnobs are biscuits too,

http://captious.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/better-than-smores/

The ideal biscuit is one you can dunk into tea without it breaking off before you get it to your mouth

When the packets are opened, we usually put them in a biscuit tin to keep them from going soggy.

Don't try to dunk or eat this type though,

http://www.thefiringline.co.uk/

 

[Gina145]

In South Africa those are all called biscuits too, zigs. Even that chocolate chip cookie looks more like a biscuit to me. A cookie is a cupcake.