The difference between UK and USA

[Vixxen81]

Wow I thought I was quite good with knowing the US versions but I've never heard that before! I can imagine UK tourists getting very confused by what the find when they stop to ask someone if there's any parking spots nearby

LOL I should have been more descriptive. But yeah dogging is going up to Lookout Pointe or Lover's Lane so to speak. It thoroughly caught me off guard the first time I heard it.

 

[WickedTouch]

Ground Zero in UK = Ground Zero in USA
Ground floor in UK = 1st Floor In USA

and then there is the issue in USA of the missing 13th floors due to old superstitions.

many mysteries... many, many mysteries.


oh and dogging in the UK is much more of a public event, with an audience to observe your outdoor sexual activities.

 

[Vixxen81]

Ground Zero in UK = Ground Zero in USA
Ground floor in UK = 1st Floor In USA

and then there is the issue in USA of the missing 13th floors due to old superstitions.

many mysteries... many, many mysteries.


oh and dogging in the UK is much more of a public event, with an audience to observe your outdoor sexual activities.


View attachment 97270

AH that makes perfect sense. Thanks.

I also learned today that Southern England is considered the posh/rich part of the country while the northern area is considered more working class/blue collar. Here in the US it's virtually the opposite. Lots of poor people in the south and wealthy in the north.

 

[Maxi]

AH that makes perfect sense. Thanks.

I also learned today that Southern England is considered the posh/rich part of the country while the northern area is considered more working class/blue collar. Here in the US it's virtually the opposite. Lots of poor people in the south and wealthy in the north.

As a Northerner who’s moved South that’s definitely true. They call it the north/south divide. Northern towns and cities played a much bigger part in the Industrial Revolution than the south and I guess that working class mentality has stuck.

It’s also the case that London’s in the south too, so a lot of the spotlight goes there. The current Conservative government have been accused of unfairly favouring the south economically, transport-wise, etc, because they know most of their voters are the posh/rich folk who live there.

That said, it’s all relative. Although the wages are lower in the north, so are the house prices and the cost of living in general. And northerners are (IMO) happier and more friendly people!

 

[Sashacurves]

That said, it’s all relative. Although the wages are lower in the north, so are the house prices and the cost of living in general. And northerners are (IMO) happier and more friendly people!

As a southerner who moved north for uni and now lives in the middle, this is so true. Money goes so much further outside of the south!

 

[Maxi]

As a southerner who moved north for uni and now lives in the middle, this is so true. Money goes so much further outside of the south!

Definitely outside of London! I’m moving back up in a couple of months after 12 years in London. I can’t wait. There are so many lovely places here and lots to do, but whenever I go home it just feels so lovely. And the extra funds will help!

 

[MarieElise]

Favourite - Favorite

Sometimes I miss Scotland… but not very often I only went down to England once, to that amusement park in Blackpool. Those bastards banned me and sent my whole class back up to Scotland. Everyone was so SO mad at me!! You really can’t fuck around in England. They’ll kick you out!

 

[Maxi]

Favourite - Favorite

Sometimes I miss Scotland… but not very often I only went down to England once, to that amusement park in Blackpool. Those bastards banned me and sent my whole class back up to Scotland. Everyone was so SO mad at me!! You really can’t fuck around in England. They’ll kick you out!

Wow… I think most people would be happy to be asked to leave!

 

[Alde]

As a mainland European I learned some English in school. However, I learned most from all the English I was exposed to from different sources like TV, movies, music, etc. During a holiday I met some Irish people and it was no problem to have general conversation over a few beers. At a certain point I suggested to one of the Irish guys that he should "toss out" his empty beer bottle in the trash can. The guy got offended because to him apparently "to toss out" referred to the act of masturbation and the associated insult of being a "tosser". While I was well aware of the synonymous insult "wanker", to toss out or tosser in this context was completely new to me.

 

[MarieElise]

As a mainland European I learned some English in school. However, I learned most from all the English I was exposed to from different sources like TV, movies, music, etc. During a holiday I met some Irish people and it was no problem to have general conversation over a few beers. At a certain point I suggested to one of the Irish guys that he should "toss out" his empty beer bottle in the trash can. The guy got offended because to him apparently "to toss out" referred to the act of masturbation and the associated insult of being a "tosser". While I was well aware of the synonymous insult "wanker", to toss out or tosser in this context was completely new to me.

Well on the bright side at least it wasn’t a salad you asked him to toss . In US that’s slang for a rim job (ie tossing salad).

 

[Vixxen81]

Well on the bright side at least it wasn’t a salad you asked him to toss . In US that’s slang for a rim job (ie tossing salad).

Which makes the Frasier theme song really weird.

 

[Maxi]

 

[AmberCutie]

Did we do whine/whinge yet?

this one bugs me for some reason

 

[CheeseMoon]

Someone should do a thorough explanation on knickers, panties, pants and trousers, what they are, where one should wear them and when. The bonus paragraph should probably be about "unmentionables"

 

[Ozzie_]

Did we do whine/whinge yet?

this one bugs me for some reason

To me (but of course I am an ignorant Aussie ) there is a subtle difference between whining and whingeing, at least down here.

Whinging (how *do* you spell that??) is just general, perhaps constant, low level complaining. Sort of like a fractious toddler.

Whining, to me, implies whinging but coupled with an annoying delivery, like the sound of a mosquito continually buzzing in your ear at night as you try to sleep.

 

[Ozzie_]

Someone should do a thorough explanation on knickers, panties, pants and trousers, what they are, where one should wear them and when. The bonus paragraph should probably be about "unmentionables"

For some reason I dislike the word panties. It seems (to me) to be childish. I much prefer knickers

I understand that in the UK pants means underwear? We down here have underpants or, since we love to shorten words, "undies", which lead to the now unused rhyming slang: "Reg Grundies" referring to a very famous and prolific TV show producer from the 60s, 70s and maybe even 80s, Reg Grundy.

Whereas down here, pants and trousers are the same thing. Also called colloquially: "daks" (Tracksuit -- sweatsuit? -- pants referred to as "Trackie daks" )

(Ahh I should keep away from this thread, I could ramble for days!!)

 

[AmberCutie]

To me (but of course I am an ignorant Aussie ) there is a subtle difference between whining and whingeing, at least down here.

Whinging (how *do* you spell that??) is just general, perhaps constant, low level complaining. Sort of like a fractious toddler.

Whining, to me, implies whinging but coupled with an annoying delivery, like the sound of a mosquito continually buzzing in your ear at night as you try to sleep.

I never assumed there was any difference. I've always used whining the way you describe the other, except in the case of an animal.

When an animal is whining it is more like a cry, high pitch.

 

[CheeseMoon]

I understand that in the UK pants means underwear?

In my experience yes, but it's apparently also just as complicated in various English dialects and offshoots as you wrote The reason I brought it up was because I used "pants" in the UK when I should have used "trousers", and in the northern US it was politely pointed out to me that now and then, depending on context, the civilized way to speak about underwear was calling them "unmentionables".

But then again, the latter happened in a place where toilets (sorry, restrooms) in restaurants and hotel lobbies had loud muzak playing to drown out any spur-of-the-moment body sounds. I think that's actually pretty clever!

 

[Ozzie_]

In my experience yes, but it's apparently also just as complicated in various English dialects and offshoots as you wrote The reason I brought it up was because I used "pants" in the UK when I should have used "trousers",

Yes well some of the Brits can be as pedantic about their version of English as can some of the USAians.

and in the northern US it was politely pointed out to me that now and then, depending on context, the civilized way to speak about underwear was calling them "unmentionables".

oh dear! And did the same person(s) refer to table "limbs" instead of table legs?

But then again, the latter happened in a place where toilets (sorry, restrooms)

Do not get me started on that. It is not a restroom (I am not resting in there), it is not a bathroom (I sure as hell am not bathing there) it's a fucking toilet!!!!!!

 

[Maxi]

To me, growing up, pants were always trousers and underpants were ‘boxer shorts’.

‘Underpants’ is such a funny word to me, I don’t know why

ETA: I’m from the UK. I definitely with @CheeseMoon that local dialects come into okay. It’s like ‘should of’… in certain accents (Scouse, for example) it really does sound like “should of” when spoken so I can see why kids growing up saying/typing that. Still annoying, though.

 

[CheeseMoon]

Yes well some of the Brits can be as pedantic about their version of English as can some of the USAians.

I guess the fact that a real, live furriner was sat at the table may have had something to do with it too. This was long-ish ago when I was the exotic one at various functions. The rest of the party was always eager to educate me on Englishness. Everything from injecting the word "sorry" into every other sentence, when to call people "love" and when to call people "sir", making and drinking proper tea, knowing about The Proms, getting acquainted with sandwiches, being annoyed with this year's Trafalgar Square christmas tree, tube etiquette, how to be proud of royals but at the same time bloody hate them, all the class stuff (effing serious business!), who the cunts du jour are, how you're not supposed to be seen reading The Sun, pub life, chippys and malt vinegar (!), what you can say in public about the Irish, the very peculiar definition of "immigrant" on the isles, how to save face by only complaining in private and all the other secret codes of the British.

In the end I travelled home one last time.

I would never have become a proper brit though anyway, maybe only a decent impostor.

oh dear! And did the same person(s) refer to table "limbs" instead of table legs?
Do not get me started on that. It is not a restroom (I am not resting in there), it is not a bathroom (I sure as hell am not bathing there) it's a fucking toilet!!!!!!

Lol. Whenever I'm in the US for an extended(ish) period of time, I always feel like a social faux pas waiting to happen. I'll probably never get my head around Americans. The freedom is governed by so much protocol and unwritten rules that my head spins. I guess they would say the same coming here

 

[Maxi]

So brilliantly put, @CheeseMoon. And may I add that it isn’t just real live furriners who are subjected to those ‘educations’… as I have been plenty schooled on similar in the past.

…although I certainly agree with ‘don’t read The Sun’.

I remember travelling about an hour from my hometown and being called a ‘cock’ by a shopkeeper in the nicest possible tone: “ta, cock”.

I was a bit taken aback before I realised it was meant as a term of endearment.

 

[yummybrownfox]

One that puzzles me:

UK/AUS/Others: "I couldn't care less"
vs
USA: "I could care less"

To me, the US version implies that you already care somewhat, since you could care less than that.

Good one! I’m in the U.S., and I say “I couldn’t care less.” It wouldn’t even make sense to say it the other way. It’s like come on, if you’re going to make a snarky remark like that to someone, at least don’t fuck up the wording.

 

[AudriTwo]

As a Northerner who’s moved South that’s definitely true. They call it the north/south divide. Northern towns and cities played a much bigger part in the Industrial Revolution than the south and I guess that working class mentality has stuck.

we also have/had better public transportation up north. passenger trains are/were more the norm up north because segregation wasn't profitable when it came to selling tickets, so they didn't build as many stations/rails other than industry. more people able to freely move around from community to community usually means more work opportunities which would boost their local ecomony.

 

[bud9752]

To me, growing up, pants were always trousers and underpants were ‘boxer shorts’.

‘Underpants’ is such a funny word to me, I don’t know why

ETA: I’m from the UK. I definitely with @CheeseMoon that local dialects come into okay. It’s like ‘should of’… in certain accents (Scouse, for example) it really does sound like “should of” when spoken so I can see why kids growing up saying/typing that. Still annoying, though.

What , No tighty whites

 

[Maxi]

What , No tighty whites

Noooooooooo…!

 

[AmberCutie]

But then again, the latter happened in a place where toilets (sorry, restrooms) in restaurants and hotel lobbies had loud muzak playing to drown out any spur-of-the-moment body sounds. I think that's actually pretty clever!

Do not get me started on that. It is not a restroom (I am not resting in there), it is not a bathroom (I sure as hell am not bathing there) it's a fucking toilet!!!!!!

A toilet is the thing you sit on to relieve yourself (relief? rest?), inside of the bathroom, restroom, or washroom.

 

[Maxi]

A toilet is the thing you sit on to relieve yourself (relief? rest?), inside of the bathroom, restroom, or washroom.

Water closet..? WC?

 

[AmberCutie]

Water closet..? WC?

sometimes that, I feel like I only see that on floor plan printouts when there’s a separate tiny room with the toilet in it, connected to the rest of the bathroom with the sink and shower/tub.

 

[CheeseMoon]

A toilet is the thing you sit on to relieve yourself (relief? rest?), inside of the bathroom, restroom, or washroom.

Oh, that room would be the loo in the UK. And to add to the confusion, you can both be in the loo and on the loo at the same time.