Brit/American words - translations/phonetics.

[qwertyMike]

Brit First:

Aluminium - Aluminum
VITamins - Vytamins
Humour - Humor ( and all those Brit words ending in -our)
Paediatrician - Pediatrician
Encyclopaedia - Encyclopedia
UrANus - URanis
Football - Soccer
American Football - Football

any more?

[Arugula Latte]

1. a few more:

biscuit - cookie
lift - elevator
flat - apartment
lorry - truck
boot/bonnet - trunk/hood
jumper - sweater
nappie - diaper
serviette - napkin
schedule (pronounced shed-yule, or something) - schedule (pronounced skedjule)

[Bucky]

44. chav - street rat

"Ere now, whot's 'e all on about?" - "Pardon me, but may I inquire as the subject he is speaking on?"
"Av off wi' 'er" - "I suggest that you whisk the lady away on a romantic excusion."
"Av a go a' er nobs" - "Wine and dine her and perhaps enjoy an evening's passion, if the lady is willing."
"Go on" - "Please, continue with your discourse."
"Bleedin roobish" - "I respectfully disagree, my friend."

[musette_sf]

69. I suggest Roger's Profanisaurus

for your further perusal:

http://www.viz.co.uk/?domain=viz&page=%2Fprofanisaurus%2Fprofan_index.php%3Ffb%3D1

It has brought me many hours of quality British entertainment.

[Drum]

2. um,

chips = fries
crisps = chips
biscuits = cookies

:shrug:

[Oeditpus Rex]

3. British: 'I'm terribly sorry to hear that, sir'

American English: "Ah, go fuck yourself."

[Maraya1969]

28. How true!

[Bucky]

46. See response #44 above

[Critters2]

4. A couple I learned in Africa

Car park=parking lot

flannel=wash cloth

[zingaro]

6. Are you sure you didn't learn those

from Squeeze's Tempted? They're both in there. :) I'm sure the trip to Africa was much more educational than Squeeze lyrics, though.

"I bought a toothbrush, some toothpaste, a flannel for my face
Pajamas, a hairbrush, new shoes and a case.
I said to my reflection, Let's get out of this place.
Passed the church and the steeple, the laundry on the hill
Billboards and the buildings
Memories of it still keep calling
And calling
But forget it all I know I will
Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered
What's been going on
Now that you have gone
There's no other
Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered
I'm at the carpark, the airport, the baggage carousel
The people keep on grabbing, ain't wishing I was well
I said, "It's no occasion. It's no story I can tell."
At my bedside, empty pocket, a foot without a sock
Your body gets much closer
I fumble for the clock, alarmed by
The seduction
I wish that it would stop
Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered
What's been going on
Now that you have gone there's no other
Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered
I bought a novell, some perfume, a fortune all for you
But it's not my conscience that hates to be untrue.
I asked of my reflection,
Tell me what is there to do?
Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered
What's been going on
Now that you have gone there's no other
Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered"

[Critters2]

7. Maybe I heard that song in Africa

:)

[Shakespeare]

5. "You say 'erb' and we say 'herb'......."

'Cause there's a fucking "H" in it.

[qwertyMike]

8. More

Table Tennis = Ping Pong
Cricket = unitelligible rules unless you have a year to spare
Bedsit = Bachelor apt.
Shag = F*ck
Lad = Guy with no morals
Ladette = Girl ditto
Sh*t = English Cuisine
Ring me up = Phone me
Knock me up = Wake me up in the morning
Rounders = baseball (19th Century)
Wanker = Dork
University = School
British Empire = Defunct

[Arugula Latte]

65. Here, "knock me up" has a completely different meaning ...

(impregnate me) :)

[gmoney]

9. "Because there's a fuckin' H in it."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hJQsvoY6VU

[XemaSab]

10. Sellotape - Scotch Tape

:P

[billyskank]

23. Sellotape is a brand name.

One of those instances where a brand becomes synonymous with the product.

[XemaSab]

25. Scotch tape's a brand name too

:P

[Mythsaje]

11. One springs to mind

Garden = yard

[Manifestor_of_Light]

12. My kid used to use British slang to confuse her peers.

When in high school, kids who hassled her were told "Bugger off!" and "Wanker".

They were baffled. I was proud of her!

Bugger off = Fuck off

Bugger = fucker

Buggery = sodomy

Wanker = jerkoff or masturbator

Bum = buttocks

Arse = buttocks

Quid = a Pound Sterling (money)

Lupins = Bluebonnets (as in "Have you any lupins?")


Yes, the Texas State Flower is Lupinus texensis.


John Thomas = the penis

I learned most of the British slang I know from listening to The Who and watching Monty Python.

[Oeditpus Rex]

24. More Brit euphemisms for 'penis'

The Not Noel Coward Song



Isn't it awfully nice to have a penis?
Isn't it frightfully good to have a dong?
It's swell to have a stiffy
It's divine to own a dick
From the tiniest little tadger
To the world's biggest prick
So, three cheers for your Willy or John Thomas
Hooray for your one-eyed trouser snake
Your piece of pork, your wife's best friend
Your Percy, or your cock
You can wrap it up in ribbons
You can slip it in your sock
But don't take it out in public
Or they'll stick you in the dock
And you won't come back

[Arugula Latte]

60. I also love the phrase "Sod Off!"

But, it just doesn't have the same flair if you don't have a British accent to say it with. :)

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FloridaJudy]

14. Fag = cigarette

I learned that one when I went ballistic on a British friend for presumed homophobia.

Knock one up = wake one up
Screw = salary
Spotted Dick = pudding with raisins



A lot of what the English say sounds dirty, but it isn't (though some of it really is).

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. Here are some not-so-well-known ones

British in the first column, American in the second column

garden...yard (Just to be confusing, what we call a garden is also a garden)
pavement...sidewalk
take-away...take-out
look after...take care of
knickers...underpants
sleeping rough...living on the streets
treacle...molasses
to fancy someone...to be attracted to someone
in care...in foster care
lager ...light-colored beer
state school...public school
public school...prestigious old private school
maths ...math
sister...head nurse
registrar ...resident (in a hospital)
on the dole... on welfare
council estate ... public housing development
ladder ... run (in a stocking)
brown toast...whole wheat toast
mobile phone...cell phone
a coffee...a cup of coffee
flash...trendy
bloke...guy
chav...an insulting term like "white trash," except that chavs are usually urban rather than rural

These are gleaned from years of reading mysteries, watching British TV series, and traveling in the UK.

[FloridaJudy]

17. rent boy = male prostitute

I finally made sense of all those British scandals, with some peer being caught with a "rent boy". I thought he'd been harassing the kid who collects money for the leases.

The Repubs are catching up fast.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

31. Then there's "kerb crawling," which is looking for a prostitute on the street

MPs get caught doing that, too. :-)

[Crabby Appleton]

16. pissed

Brit slang for drunk, US slang for angry

[JCMach1]

18. rubbish bin = trash can

[JCMach1]

19. lEHft (lift) = elevator

Jeesh get the language correct... got this in a museum and we went to the left instead of taking the elevator...

[FloridaJudy]

21. Also "dust bin"

[JCMach1]

20. May I have your good name please? = name I believe

but not the BAD one... still figuring that one out!

[Kutjara]

67. Never heard that one...

...and I lived in Britain for 25 years.

[JCMach1]

22. bunking (pronounced boinking)= skipping school

[billyskank]

41. That's a posh term. Ordinary people would say "skiving."

The first syllable rhymes with "sky."

[Bucky]

45. "posh"?

Spicy

[billyskank]

48. Posh = upper class.

[Rabrrrrrr]

26. Bollocks = really bad, except Dog's bollocks = really good

[TZ]

27. I'm better at doing Oz(Aussie) to American...

Its slightly different from Brit words but still interesting. Here are a few:
Uni-University
Dunny-Bathroom
Prat-Ass/jerk
Sanga-Sandwich
Barbie- Barbeque
Pokies-Poker Machines
Footy-Football
Arvy-Afternoon
Key to Oz-speak seems to be make long words short!!
:)

[taterguy]

29. Robert Redford attended Pratt Institute

Does that mean he's an ass/jerk?

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

47. Let's not forget

Tah = Thanks

[XemaSab]

50. Pill- Soccer Ball

:D

[Esra Star]

74. Specifically the "dunny" is the toilet. Quite often they're in

the bathroom though.

[trof]

30. Boots=chemist=drug store

Boots is a popular 'apothecary' chain.
Not to be confused with your car's boot (trunk).
torch=flashlight
Did anyone mention loo?
Lots of theories on its origination, but really unknown.

Offside wing=passenger-side front fender
And of course nearside wing.
mind your head=low 'bridge' ahead

And then there's Cockney rhyming slang...
apples and pears=(up the) stairs
trouble and strife=(that's my) wife
So many more.

[XemaSab]

51. Have a butcher's - go look at something

:P

[Esra Star]

75. That's from the rhyming slang "butcher's hook.......look" nt

[Kutjara]

68. Boots is now known over here as well.

They sell a range of 'natural' skincare products at CVS Pharmacies and Target. They recently released some "miracle" anti-wrinkle cream that had women (and no doubt many men) stripping the shelves and overloading their online ordering system.

One theory about the etymology of "loo" for toilet goes back to the old days of "chamber pots" and outdoor plumbing. People would open their bedroom windows in the morning and sling their "night soil" into the street. The more considerate would shout out "guardez lui!" - watch yourselves! - (French being the preferred "posh" phrase in the post-Norman invasion years) to warn passers-by of the impending projectile. Over time, the "lui" part was Anglicized to "loo," and came to refer to the toilet itself. Of course, this could all be a backward-construction, made up to cover up the fact we really don't know where the word came from.

Bizarrely, the "offside" and "nearside" thing is the opposite of the way you describe it, as I learned to my cost when learning to drive in the UK. The "offside" is the driver's side. The "nearside" is the passenger's side. It's a reference to the kerb (or "curb" as the Brits spell it). The passenger is nearside to the curb, while the driver is offside.

[flvegan]

32. Bonnet = hood (car)

"piss off" = "fuck off"

The Young Ones taught me everything I need to know about Brit culture.

[Arugula Latte]

58. not to be confused with "pissed," meaning drunk.

:beer:

[kwassa]

33. Cling film

means "plastic wrap" in the US

Does "twin bristols" still mean "breasts" in the U.K.? I was there a looooong time ago.

[annonymous]

34. Here are some more

Gammon = ham
Water closet = bathroom
Binman = garbageman
Party girl = slut
Slag = prostitute
Skip = dumpster
Cooker = stove

I learned a few of these (party girl, water closet) the hard way when I had a boss who went to university in England. This woman would purposely use British terms to insult or confuse people. The other terms listed I learned from reading British mysteries and Harry Potter books.

[XemaSab]

52. Tip - dump

:)

[Ishoutandscream2]

35. Way out (British) -- Exit (American)

[Tommy_Carcetti]

36. Holiday - Vacation n/t

[Monk06]

37. Washing up liquid = Dishwashing Detergent

[FloridaJudy]

56. Also "fairy liquid" = dish detergent

You can't imagine my disappointment! I was picturing something ethereal and sparkling, like pixie dust.

Oh, and "fairy cakes" are just cup cakes. Nothing to do with Oberon and Titania.

[SoxFan]

38. Yob=Jets fan

:evilgrin:

[GreenPartyVoter]

49. LOL

[SOteric]

39. Bog = toilet

Bog roll = toilet paper
Kitchen roll = paper towels
tea = supper (amoung the working class, and thus some Brit might actually say "I'm going round Ian's to eat tea with him.)
chuffed = pleased, proud
Armoured Wankball = American Football
Land Rover = SUV
Council Houses = The Projects

[Arugula Latte]

59. "Armoured Wankball" -- I LOVE THAT!!!

Damn, that's the best description of that stupid sport I've ever read! :woohoo:

Please, can we change the NFL to the NAWL?!?! :bounce:

:rofl:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

40. I remembered some more:

aubergine...eggplant
rocket...arugula
sarnie or buttie... sandwich
to hoover...to vacuum
college... an upper-level secondary school that prepares students for their A levels (subject exams required for entrance to universities) OR a division of a university.
comprehensive...a state secondary school with open admissions
grammar school...a state secondary school with selective admissions
independent school...a non-state school that isn't one of the ancient "public schools"
Asian...refers mostly to Indians and Pakistanis in the UK, while it seems to refer to East Asians in the US
churchman/churchwoman...someone who is an observant member of the Church of England
chapel...a church belonging to a Protestant denomination other than the Church of England
spiky...high church (i.e. services are very elaborate and ceremonial)
lay clerks...the adult men who sing in English cathedral choirs
agony aunt...advice columnist
news reader...newscaster
electric fire...space heater
plonk...cheap wine
loo...bathroom
banger...a type of sausage
Pimm's Cup...an alcoholic drink popular in the summer, can be bought by the pitcher; think of it as British sangria

[qwertyMike]

53. Speaking of church

Church of England = The Conservative Party at prayer

[FloridaJudy]

57. "Begging letter" = request for donations

I learned some of my "British" from a short stay in England. The rest I'm afraid I got from mystery novels - this one from Sherlock Holmes.

I get quite a few of these in my e-mail and snail mail daily.

[billyskank]

42. Courgette: Zucchini

Aubergine: Eggplant.

[FloridaJudy]

73. But what's a "marrow"?

It's some kind of squash - judging by context - but could you find one in an American grocer's?

[Bucky]

43. The British are right on Uranus. So to speak.

Rogered - Fucked
Buggered - Fucked
Cocked it - Fucked it up
Shag - Fuck


I'm kinda making a point here

[formerrepuke]

54. UK: "Europe" (mainland Europe); US: "Europe" (Europe...all of it)

[Phillycat]

55. Physiotherapy - physical therapy.

I know a million of 'em. I'm married to a Brit. :)

[KamaAina]

61. Pecker = courage.

As used in a sentence: "Come on. You know you must keep ypur pecker up." :evilgrin:

[redqueen]

62. I thought we Americans said UrANus as well.

I could have sworn, actually...

[bif]

63. Holidaymaker=vacationer

[Arugula Latte]

64. More:

pudding - dessert
chemist - pharmacist
mash - mashed potatoes
wee - little
nice (food) - delicious
go to university - go to college
go to hospital - go to a hospital or the hospital
Father Christmas - Santa Claus
"the full Monty" - "the whole enchilada"
lager - beer

on edit: solicitor - lawyer/attorney

[FloridaJudy]

66. I believe a "solicitor"

is the kind of lawyer you consult about making wills, real estate, and other legal matters. A "barrister" is a lawyer who represents you in court.

Fortunately, though I've consulted quite a few solicitors in my time, I haven't needed a barrister yet.

[billyskank]

70. I think a solicitor might represent you in Magistrate's court.

I think a barrister is what you need for representation in High court, which has a jury. Magistrate's court has no jury.

[ceile]

71. A few that came to mind

Some things my Irish ex used to say:

"Go on wich ya" = think Elaine's "Get out!"
"It was good craic (crak)" = "It was great fun"
side yard = back yard

[Pierre.Suave]

72. I only know what I learned in Oceans 11...

And I have no way of telling if that is true or not, but...

barney=trouble...

At least according to the writers of Oceans 11.