US English versus English English & customs & attitudes etc etc etc

[perdidobay]

"The United States and Great Britain are separated by a common language."
.......George Bernard Shaw
I love listening to British guests when at WDW
I love British phrases.....like "Bob's your uncle"
and words like gobsmacked and codswallop.

 

[2BoysMum&Dad]

I found a website with loads of differences in vocabulary.
Mainly, the first word on each line is the UK word
(except where I have specified differently).

lift = elevator
torch = flashlight
cinema = (movie) theater
theatre = building where plays are performed with a live audience
flat=apartment
bill = cheque (when paying for your meal etc)
bonnet = hood (on a vehicle)
boot = trunk (on a vehicle)
tramps = bums
suspenders in UK = things used by women to hold up their stockings.
suspenders in US = used by men to hold up their trousers (or pants?).
braces in UK = used by men to hold up trousers (long outer garments or “pants”)
braces in UK is also word for metal contraption for straightening teeth
caravan = trailer
crisps = chips
chips = fries
dustbin = trash can
gear lever or gear stick = stick shift
accelerator pedal = gas pedal
petrol = gas
biscuit = cookie
cot UK = babies bed with high sides
cot US = fold up bed
dummy = pacifier
2nd meaning of dummy in UK = mannequin (e.g. for displaying clothes)
3rd meaning of dummy in UK = fake
4th meaning of dummy in UK = someone who is stupid or a fool
pavement = sidewalk
public school in UK = fee paying school
public school in US = state run school
purse in UK = container for money only
purse in US = handbag in UK

There are millions more on the website, but as this
forum is to do with visiting WDW, I don’t want to
bore you too much! LOL

2BoysMum&Dad

 

[musicalSaranader]

2Boys: what website is that? I'd love to take a look at that!!

 

[2BoysMum&Dad]

Hi MusicalSaranader,

I cannot find the same website I used yesterday at the moment, but I have come across another great one which I am sure people would love to look at.

Try this - http://www.bg-map.com/us-uk.html

2BoysMum&Dad

 

[Princess Aurora45]

We had an enjoyable encounter with a group of British at WDW last November. Our trip planning video featured several British guests and my kids enjoyed trying to imitate their accent. While we were waiting in line at Kali River Rapids, a group of British caught them doing this and we had fun trying our accents on "authentic British"! We couldn't get them to try an American accent though!

I am going to the US for 3/4 months this summer, I wonder how many times I will get asked about it. I love Amercian accents esp the southern ones, I think they are great.

 

[2BoysMum&Dad]

Princess Aurora45, perhaps you should confuse the Americans by talking in a strong "Brummy", "Scouse" or Yorkshire accent!

2BoysMum&Dad

 

[Allie322]

A little off topic, but this is a question for the UK DISers. We enjoy watching Premiership soccer matches, and I frequently hear the announcers use the term "darby". I kind of understand it to mean a match but I suspect that there is more to it. Who can help?
TIA

 

[WeirdEyes]

This thread is fantastic! I love anything British. I practically live by the "telli" watching BBC America. Most of my favorite shows are British. We are finally planning a trip to England & Scotland in two years and I absolutely cannot wait!!!

Here is a web site I frequent that you might get a chuckle out of: http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/default.asp

I was actually the only person in my family that understood Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.

 

[Danauk]

In English football terms a derby is probably best described as a match between two local sides who have a history of rivalry for example when Manchester United play Manchester City.
I hope this helps.

 

[Allie322]

Thanks, Dana! I thought that might be it because I did hear it when Man U. played Man City but then I heard it a few other times in other games, and since I do not know my English geography, I got a bit confused.

And all this time I thought they were saying "darby", not "derby". I had better fine tune my hearing!! Thanks again!

 

[2BoysMum&Dad]

Derby is also the name of a city here in England and "The Derby" refers to a particular horse race. Derby is pronounced "darby". We chuckle when we hear people pronounce it as "derby"!

2BoysMum&Dad

 

[pouncingpluto]

Originally posted by elisebutt
You could go on for hours on this one

Pavement(UK) - Sidewalk(US)
Tights (UK) - Pantyhose - (US)
Pants (UK) - Panties (US)
Trousers(UK) - Pants (US)

etc etc etc

We use "tights," too, though, but it's a little different than hose. tights are thicker and opaque and sometimes patterned. Tights are perfectly fashionable to wear in the winter, whereas pantyhose are unfashionable (for those of us in the youngest generation of adults) any time of year.

 

[pouncingpluto]

Originally posted by Yzma and Kronk

Also - is it: Garbage (northern US and Canada), Trash (Southern US) or rubbish??

This stuff is fascinating for me. There's a particularly interesting American dialect study on the net right now... I think it was done by Harvard. Basically, it has multiple choice questions, and it maps out across the US colored dots representing each answer. It's pretty wild, because I'm southern (though with hardly a trace of an accent), and my boyfriend's midwestern, and we never noticed that we spoke differently until we took this test. Actually, I don't really fit the southern linguistic profile (military brat)... more like a mishmash with a few hints of southern, but he's midwestern to a T!

 

[pouncingpluto]

Originally posted by 2BoysMum&Dad
When I started this thread I didn't realise it would get so much response or create so much interest and bring smiles to so many faces! There are so many more differences than I initially thought.

When I have conversations with friends and family about the differences in our language, there is something that is often mentioned. Someone might say "have you noticed what the Americans have done with ........." and give an example. It often turns out that it's us Brits who have changed the usage or meaning and not Americans!!

2BoysMum&Dad

I studied linguistics in college... actually German linguistics, but I also took English linguistics just for fun. It was interesting to learn that American English is acutally the more conservative version. That is to say that American English is closer to the version that was spoken at the time of divergence than British English is. That was particularly gratifying for me to learn after having to deal with a particularly annoying English teacher in Germany who kept telling me how we Americans were taking someone elses language and messing it up.

By the way... the person who was talking about the ground floor... I don't think it's true that in America it's the level below the main level. It's the level that's right on the ground, so it's often the same thing as the main level.

 

[musicalSaranader]

Originally posted by pouncingpluto
This stuff is fascinating for me. There's a particularly interesting American dialect study on the net right now... I think it was done by Harvard. Basically, it has multiple choice questions, and it maps out across the US colored dots representing each answer. It's pretty wild, because I'm southern (though with hardly a trace of an accent), and my boyfriend's midwestern, and we never noticed that we spoke differently until we took this test. Actually, I don't really fit the southern linguistic profile (military brat)... more like a mishmash with a few hints of southern, but he's midwestern to a T!

Could you post the link to this test? It sounds like fun. I'd like to see what "dialect" I have, because I'm from New York and I don't think I have very much of a "New York" accent! Actually, right now, it's a mix between whatever I had before and Maryland, because I go to school there, and I've definitely caught myself pronouncing some stuff slightly differently than I ever did!

 

[2BoysMum&Dad]

.........because I'm southern (though with hardly a trace of an accent), ........

I live in the county of Surrey (which is just below London) and don't think I have any sort of "regional" accent and will often describe my voice as "not having an accent". Whoever you are, you will not think you have an accent!

A famous Englishman with a typical traditional "BBC" voice was out in America lecturing on some specific subject a few years ago. He was at a university in California somewhere (I think) and a lot of the students had what he described as strong American accents. While he was talking, he was asked by a student with a very "strong American accent" to "please could you moderate your accent" because the student had difficulties understanding him! This Englishman found this very amusing as he thought it to be the student who had the strong accent!

2BoysMum&Dad

 

[elisebutt]

We were talking about accents in college the other day and apparently I sound like a 'posh cockney'????? As long as it isn't a Dick van **** style accent

 

[2BoysMum&Dad]

Let's have some fun voting on which are the worst accents by actors at the movies. Thanks for giving me this idea elisebutt - Dick van **** in the film "Mary Poppins" gets my vote.

I am really mainly thinking of English actors/actresses putting on an American or Canadian accent (can be regional if you like) versus US actors/actresses putting on an English (or any British) accent. What's the worst and/or best you have ever heard?

Sorry about the stars above, the board will not allow me to type his name properly!

2BoysMum&Dad

 

[J. Galt]

This is slightly off-topic, but it is a funny story regarding differences in customs between US and UK. I was in my friend's wedding (she US, he UK). The UK parents came across the pond for the wedding. At the church rehearsal, the pastor mentioned that after the couple kissed and he finally introduced the couple as husband and wife, the congregation would clap and then the couple should proceed back down the aisle. The UK parents were absolutely 100% offended and shocked that there would be clapping involved in the ceremony. I thought to myself... uh-oh.... they are pretty proper. Better use a glass for my beer at the rehearsal dinner, etc...

On the to rehearsal dinner where the UK dad gave his toast to the couple. Basically, the toast went like this... dirty joke, dirty joke, dirty joke... dirty joke involving the pastor... dirty joke... "Congratulations to the happy couple". The wedding reception involved a lot of drunken Brits up on chairs singing dirty pub songs (UK dad included).

This probably won't help anyone out at WDW, but if you are ever invited to the wedding of a Brit and an American, be aware of these differences.

 

[2BoysMum&Dad]

It's a shame the British dad behaved like that at the reception. It seems customary for the best man or bride's father in the UK to recall fond and/or funny memories and often one or two embarrassing moments from the groom's past or bride's past, but this does not mean they have to include dirty jokes. The content of reception speaches and the way they are said will obviously depend on the individuals regardless of nationality.

Regarding clapping in church, this is regarded as a modern fashion in the UK and is still not widely accepted, especially at weddings. Weddings are generally one of the last occasions to take on board modern elements. Saying that, it is not unheard of and I have attended English weddings where the congregation have clapped once the bride and groom have been pronounced "man and wife".

2BoysMum&Dad