Jolted by Slang

Try talking on team speak with a Swede who's learnt all his English from US films and saying 'Hang on a minute, I'm just rolling a fag'. The silence was deafening.

I used to have a few problems when I were a girl - I read a lot of Stephen King and I managed to work out what sneakers were etc. It took till the advent of the internet before I had any idea what Hersheys and Twinkies were bar sweet stuff. Chips always makes me pause too. Chips are big and fat and properly should come from a chippie that full of the smell of steam and vinegar, om nom nom. And then I think, oh, wait, they mean crisps.

I studied abroad in New Zealand several years ago. In the U.S. fanny typically refers to your behind. In NZ fanny refers to certain lower parts of female anatomy. That caused some great hilarity until someone finally explained what was so funny! I was just thankful to not be the source of mocking!

I live just 20 miles from Pratt, Kansas. A British exchange student a couple of years ago had a great time telling the folks back home that he was in Pratt, Kansas. And then he would say, "No, really!" and giggle. It made us western Kansans suspect that there is a huge international joke on us--s6

Yeah, the fanny issue makes me laugh especially if a character mentions sitting on their fanny.

Not so much a slang thing, but I often wonder about blocks as in 'X Street is five blocks away'. How big are these blocks? Are they all built to the same specifications? If I walked from one to the next, how long would it take?

BeatrixKiddo said:

Snogging...that one threw me. "Let's have a snog."

It's just more proof to me that humans are weird.

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Lol. I love a good snog.

I get picked up on the likes of "pass us a johnny." Most have slang for condoms, that's a Brit one (including 'wellies' ).

But 'check' v 'Cheque' still throws me a touch. Just doesn't look right to me: signing a check.

Any time an American begins describing their 'pants' in detail. >_>

Wanna shag?



Er... no. I have one of those carpets already and it's so out of style.

Going out and getting pissed always made me giggle. Nope, I'm really not looking for a fight!

Actually the US use of stoned to mean pissed* gets me every time. Over here it's just used for 'Off your face on weed'.



*I prefer the term 'thoroughly larupped'.

"Jumper" and "Crimbo" always catch my eye. But what I really cannot get used to is adding "ie" to things - pressie, ciggie, etc. I keep wanting to say, Hey - adult here!

A very common time thing tripped me up. Usually, you can tell by context what something might be, but I couldn't at all:

Me: What time is breakfast?
Answer: Half eight.


Hmmm. I seriously had to ask whether it was the half before or the half after eight


Also, right off the coach at Gloucester Green, there was a sign that said 'Busking Prohibited'. Well, I'll try not to busk, except that I have no clue what that is

backslashbaby said:

Also, right off the coach at Gloucester Green, there was a sign that said 'Busking Prohibited'. Well, I'll try not to busk, except that I have no clue what that is

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Buskers are street musicians. If you see someone with a hat on the ground, playing outside, that someone is busking.

So I'm not busking right now, then? Ah, good to know !

shadowwalker said:

"Jumper" and "Crimbo" always catch my eye. But what I really cannot get used to is adding "ie" to things - pressie, ciggie, etc. I keep wanting to say, Hey - adult here!

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I once asked a colleague if we had anything in the bickie stash. He said we didn't so did I want to get some?

My American boss asked 'A what? What did you say?

'Bickie stash.'

'What?'

'Errmmmmm.... a stash of biscuits? You know, cookies?'

She looked at me like I'm an alien.....

Now I say it just to wind her up.

seun said:

Yeah, the fanny issue makes me laugh especially if a character mentions sitting on their fanny.

Not so much a slang thing, but I often wonder about blocks as in 'X Street is five blocks away'. How big are these blocks? Are they all built to the same specifications? If I walked from one to the next, how long would it take?

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Blocks are generally 1/16th of a mile either way. They were carved out as subdivisions of a section (quarter of a square mile.) A section is a subdivision of a township.

Blocks however vary. Salt Lake City is known for having blocks that are twice as long (making them four times as large) as the blocks in Chicago. Generally, blocks give one more of an idea of how many streets they crossed on their way than an actual distance.

Maxinquaye said:

Buskers are street musicians. If you see someone with a hat on the ground, playing outside, that someone is busking.

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Hm, didn't know Americans did not know that term. Buskers (street preformer), huskers (street vendor) and hagglers (street botherer.) Buskers are more welcome here than the other two.

It's a small hat a woman wears on the side of her head.

jjdebenedictis said:

I knew buskers (Canadian here; I don't know if that helps me bridge the divide between US and UK English), but not huskers. Interesting!

Which reminds me. How many people here know what a toque is?

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I know what a touque is, but not a toque or tuque.

That's the spelling that is normal here.

But more specifically with regards to the previous point, a husker sells illegal goods. So someone working a foodtruck is not a husker but someone laying goods out on East Hastings might be.

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

A block goes from the length of one street between two cross-streets. Lengths vary quite a bit, especially in suburbs where the streets wind.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

backslashbaby said:

A very common time thing tripped me up. Usually, you can tell by context what something might be, but I couldn't at all:

Me: What time is breakfast?
Answer: Half eight.


Hmmm. I seriously had to ask whether it was the half before or the half after eight

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Please, ma'am, which is it?

Half eight is 8.30.

Or 4.00, if you want to confuse people.