Top 10 US-UK Linguistic Misunderstandings
I just sent in a top 10 list to the superlative podcast, Top of the Pods. Wonder if they’ll read it out…
Top 10 US-UK Linguistic Misunderstandings
10. Beverages: For some reason no matter how I pronounce coke or water in American restaurants I have to repeat it several times. Water and ‘wodder’ I get, but the Coke one puzzles me no end. Lemonade’s another, firstly there’s the pronunciation, LEMonade instead of lemonADE then there’s the fact that it’s some kind of water and squeezed lemon concoction not the ‘Every bubble’s passed its fizzical’ proper stuff. And don’t get me started on Ribena/orange squash’
9. Hair styles: Bangs- ‘I like girls with bangs’Β, my mate told me. I let it pass thinking well, it takes all sorts to make the world go round. I later found that across the pond, ‘bangs’ means a fringe. Somehow’
8. Food: Zucchini / Courgette, Cilantro / coriander, eggplant / aubergine, ground round/ mincemeat, ‘ If you’re buying a recipe book in the states, make sure you have a native handy to translate. Zucchini, I ask you…
7. Adjectives: Mad- If you’re mad in the States, you’re extremely angry. In the UK, you’re insane. It’s a subtle, but important difference. ‘My mate got sectioned after his wife left him’Β, he must be mad. Discuss’ see also ‘mean’ (evil vs. stingy) and if you’re allowed to say it on the family-friendly interweb, pissed (drunk vs. in a bad mood)
6. Carcinogens: Fags / cigarettes/ smokes- Somewhat frosty reception to the phrase ‘It’s nigh on impossible to bum fags round here (in California)’.
5. Body parts: Fanny/arse: The first time I heard the theme tune to dire 90’s US sitcom, ‘The Nanny’Β and it got to the line, ‘What was she to do, where was she to go, she was out on her fanny’ I was shocked to the very core. Of course, fanny means bottom in US English.
4. Car parts: windshield/windscreen, bonnet/hood, trunk/boot, gas/petrol, bumper/fender, lorries/trucks. It’s a mystery…
3. Verbs: Fancy, as in I fancy a pint/your mate is simply not said. My (American) wife thought she understood what it meant and asked me, after I met her parents for the first time, if I fancied her mum. I answered, erm no, and she got extremely upset. She thought I didn’t get on with her mum or something. It took a dictionary and a lot of tact to rectify the situation.
2. Gender of names. Gwyn is definitely a girl’s name in the States (I’m a bloke, it’s a Welsh name and the female version is
Gwynne*edit* Gwen), but there’s plenty of other names you’d expect to be girls but aren’t. There are men happily living their lives called Tracy (http://tracylawrence.musiccitynetworks.com/) and women called Charlie.1. Sweets/ Candy. As you’ll hear on Total Podcastrophe, it’s extremely hard to hold a conversation between an American and a Brit about favourite sweets/chocolate/candy/biscuits without a lot of explanation. Some exist in both countries: Cadburys’ Creme Eggs, some don’t: Dime bars, Crunchies, some have the same name but aren’t the same: Milky Ways. It’s a minefield. Stay well clear.
At work and pretty busy. Went out last night for coffee and wine to Las Palomas and Montjuic. Sita let slip a few of her grand business plans… more of which one day. Anyway, a mere 2 episodes of Lost last night. Aren’t we good?
Or just switch to Spanish. You know it’s a better language anyway… π
Hi CΓ©sar, you’re right, of course, but is that Mexican Spanish or Castillian Spanish. Or Chilean Spanish. Or Puerto Rican Spanish……….. π
Still not sure if ‘navaja chilena’ is a cut-throat razor, or a kind of shellfish,- or both.
A handful o’ notes:
“Coke” is pronounced something like “Kowk” around here. And, yes, American lemonade is generally terrible. Simply lemon juice and sugar in regular water.
In the States “Coriander” is the seed from which “cilantro” grows. They’re considered completely different spices.
The “bumpers” are the impact-bearing strips on the front and rear of a vehicle. The “fenders” generally mean the side panels (though these are also called “quarter panels”). An impact to your left-rear fender would probably be somewhere near the left-rear wheel. An impact to your bumper would be to either the front or rear of the vehicle.
Oddly enough, though, a small impact to a bumper is called a “fender-bender.” I believe it’s called a “prang” in UK English?
“Mad” still does mean insane in some cases, though usually only when used in conjunction with another word, such as “madhouse” or “mad scientist.”
It is all rather maddening (by which I mean it makes you insane, not angry)
So what does “fancy” mean? Why didn’t you fancy Sita’s mom? I still don’t get it!
Hi Chris, great post! I started replying last night then Lost started and all bets were off. i’ll write a proper response once i get to work π
And Pat, ah bless… this brings back memories… first off, google “fancy her” and see what comes up.
Fancy has two meanings. One is for things. I fancy a pint. I fancy a kebab. I fancy a stroll. Meaning the idea is attractive to me right now. Vaguely similar to the US expression, I’m jonesing for… the 2nd meaning, is (UK (and Australian i think)) meaning to find sexually attractive. and is used for people. And in perverse cases animals and suchlike. Which is why I smile to myself when I hear about Dog Fanciers. I’m happy to provide further clarification if need be π
another meaning worth mentioning is the UK english term ‘Fancy Dress Party’ for a Costume/Theme Party. And then we call your swim suit, your swimming costume, but that may be changing cos it sounded Victorian even in the 80s…
Dad: Not sure about the navaja chilena. Of course, razor is the fish and the implement in English too. Navaja chilena sounds like something nasty used during Pinochet’s years.
I love this topic! Bring on the semantics π
Chris. Many thanks for your thoughtful acclarations (anything to put off doing the dishes? π )
I’m still mystified about the coke/ kowk thing. I’m going to record an MP3 of me saying it, any chance you could do the same. Then we can submit them for laboratory analysis. Sita says coke the same as me but she was raised in an Irish-Chilean household so she’s not the ideal example there…
I didn’t know about coriander being the seed and cilantro being the “erb”. I think we just call it coriander and coriander seeds. I’m happy to be proved wrong though, as my cooking rarely gets that adventurous. π
As for car parts. i’d have trouble naming them in any language, but I’m mightily impressed you’ve heard of “to prang”. A daft sounding verb if ever I saw one.
I’d never thought about mad house and mad scientist. V. good point, I wonder when the meaning of mad started to mutate to encompass ‘pissed off’.
Anyroad, thanks again for the comment. Hope Washington’s treating you well and you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead as much as I did.
Great list, Gwyn.
I hope they do that one some time.
Hi Paul,
Fingers crossed and all that… I’ve got 6ofthebest.mp3 downloaded but won’t get around to til saturday when Lost runs out. π
I hope Judy’s feeling better. Maybe now’s the time for another semantic debate while she’s still feeling weak π
incidentally, I’m well happy with the number of comments on this entry. And not a single one’s flogging dubious internet ‘enhancement’ drugs. Thanks everyone!
I feel bad though, Gwyn. After reading this list…
Pretty sure I used mad and windscreen in this weeks TPC.
And I didn’t win the debate either :-(.
I am letting us down.
I’ll try and do better.
Hi Gwyn,
Feminine of Gwyn in Welsh is Gwen, -Gwynne is prob some fancy American version!!!!
love Mumxxxxxxxx
Blimey, you live and learn. I forgot about the native Welsh speakers reading the blog π
US beckoning finger ok- Rude in UK.
Got it in for someone UK- US not understood
I’d not noticed that one, Joob. Shall keep an eye out for it. Well its absence, anyway.
Another one is the ‘nod’ and ‘reverse nod’. I happened upon a beach of American surfers in Mexico once and they all greeted me with a ‘reverse nod’, ie a quick up then down head movement. Which, for me, was a sign of “What do you want?” or “You got a problem, pal?”. Fair unsettled me it did. It turns out to be an inoccuous “hi”…
Thanks for commenting, Joob