U.S. vs UK words/sayings

[Jay R]

If you want to try Cockney, don't make the rookie mistake of saying the rhyming word. "The trouble and strife is on the dog and bone" would get you laughed at or possibly beaten up where I grew up. "The trouble's on the dog."is all you would want to say.

(In the middle of this post the power went out in my street for 40 mins. Damn but my neighbours all have laughably weak torches. I showed them all up with my Skyray King)

Quite a lot of common phrases you hear in England have their origins in Cockney. Scarper (run away), Go for a Jimmey, Take a butchers at this, Don't tell porkies, That's a load of cobblers, She has a nice set of Bristols, He's doing bird, and many others. Most English people don't even realise it.

 

[novice]

Does the occasional use of the British phrase, "a cunning plan..." come from the former BBC "Blackadder" t.v. series?

 

[ElectronGuru]

Counter-clockwise
Anti-clockwise

 

[orbital]

+

Is there some kind of master key for when to pronounce an A as an R,, because it doesn't always seem to apply.
Often very troubling for many

For example:: tennis player MariR SharapovR ~

 

[ElectronGuru]

Out of pocket...

US: responsible to pay (from my pocket)

UK: not working for someone (not in their pocket)

 

[inetdog]

Out of pocket...

US: responsible to pay (from my pocket)

UK: not working for someone (not in their pocket)

Recently in US as synonymous with out of the office or out of contact.
Possibly influenced by the football situation of the quarterback being "out of the pocket".

 

[eaglemax]

I have found on other forums not related to a torch that some US men do not see the British humour and think you are being rude or cheeky when in fact you are just using every day speech.

 

[gravelmonkey]

Knackered - Tired and/or worn out.

Ie. Knackered after a long day or "I need to change that tyre, it's knackered".

 

[ven]

Eaglemax that could be quite true,I try to adapt my figure of speech although it's pretty much as is (I pretty much type what I think) be it stupid or not :laughing:

But there is always a "lost in translation" even on uk forums with uk humor as it varies a lot anyway.

 

[markr6]

Forgot about this thread but was reminded in another. So to keep from going OT I'm back here.

I watched a good amount of British and Australian shows on Netflix recently. I like how a lot of people start sentences with "Right...". Sounds more classy than our "OK..." or "So..."

 

[bykfixer]

I thought "boot" was the rear storage of a car called "trunk" in US, but why trunk when everybody knows and elephants trunk is up front?

The other day Ven referred to filling up his fuel tank to "the brim", which caused me to pause and think... "brim??, oh he means to "full". lol

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Don't get me started on -


trunk

(trŭngk)n.1.a. The main woody axis of a tree.
b. Architecture The shaft of a column.

2.a. The body of a human or other vertebrate, excluding the head and limbs.
b. The thorax of an insect.

3. A proboscis, especially the long prehensile proboscis of an elephant.
4.a. A main body, apart from tributaries or appendages.
b. The main stem of a blood vessel or nerve apart from the branches.

5. A trunk line.
6. A chute or conduit.
7. Nauticala. A watertight shaft connecting two or more decks.
b. The housing for the centerboard of a vessel.

8. Nautical Any of certain structures projecting above part of a main deck, as:a. A covering over the hatches of a ship.
b. An expansion chamber on a tanker.
c. A cabin on a small boat.

9.a. A covered compartment for luggage and storage, generally at the rear of an automobile.
b. A large packing case or box that clasps shut, used as luggage or for storage.

10. trunks Shorts worn for swimming or other athletics.


Is it any wonder why English is such a terribly hard language to learn?

~ Chance

 

[ven]

I thought "boot" was the rear storage of a car called "trunk" in US, but why trunk when everybody knows and elephants trunk is up front?

The other day Ven referred to filling up his fuel tank to "the brim", which caused me to pause and think... "brim??, oh he means to "full". lol

Haha, yes brim/brimmed =full
Bonnet=hood
"Pop the bonnet mate"

 

[markr6]

Innit!! LOL! Love that one.