Britishisms in Stories About Americans, and Vice-Versa

[MadeleineSinha]

Coming from a family of builders, we considered a bungalow a one-story, with rooms running front to back, and ranch style a one-story with rooms laid out more in a horizontal line.

every day is a school day

Being in England 'Ranch style' is an American salad dressing with blue cheese and very rarely applied to houses. In my experience, of course.

 

[LAHomedog]

A very simple one: what does “bungalow” mean to you?

In the US, a bungalow is a specific style of (usually) one story house, not all one story home. But most one story houses in the US are not called bungalows - at least on the West Coast, the “ranch house” style is more common, and there are others as well.

But I’ve had British guests call our house - very much in the ‘California Ranch House’ style - a bungalow. Which to me is a very different looking beastie.

I live in a two story California "Cape Cod" not a ranch-style house and always considered a bungalow to be a cubbyhole of a house. Typically only one bedroom, maybe a second small one, but small, say under 1,000 square feet?

 

[MadeleineSinha]

I live in a two story California "Cape Cod" not a ranch-style house and always considered a bungalow to be a cubbyhole of a house. Typically only one bedroom, maybe a second small one, but small, say under 1,000 square feet?

Not over here
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/105715787#/

 

[geronimo_appleby]

Yes, correct on all counts. I love the exchange with the film censor - I'm sure they all got the Lady Chatterley and Oz trial transcripts as prescribed reading.

And as Sam notes, cunt in Australia runs the whole gamut from abuse to affection. I use it to give the power of the word back to women, since men are afraid of it so much.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They're_a_Weird_Mob

 

[KeithD]

I live in a two story California "Cape Cod" not a ranch-style house and always considered a bungalow to be a cubbyhole of a house. Typically only one bedroom, maybe a second small one, but small, say under 1,000 square feet?

I've been in what are called bungalows in South Asia that had upwards of 3,000 square feet in them. Big square buildings with deep porches on three or all four sides that added living space above that.

 

[LAHomedog]

I've been in what are called bungalows in South Asia that had upwards of 3,000 square feet in them. Big square buildings with deep porches on three or all four sides that added living space above that.

More example of how location changes the definitions and usages of word. For example, in Kentucky it is "you'all," in Pittsburgh it is "you'ens."

Back to British/American: Anybody, what are bloomers as compared to knickers?

 

[ElectricBlue]

It is quite true, however, that many women do not see the word the way I do. Some like it, and some don't ever want to hear it. As a word-focused man, it's one of the things I like to find out about a partner early in a relationship: what does she think about "cunt"?

Careful how you ask it. Might put ideas in her head with which you cannot compete .

 

[geronimo_appleby]

More example of how location changes the definitions and usages of word. For example, in Kentucky it is "you'all," in Pittsburgh it is "you'ens."

Back to British/American: Anybody, what are bloomers as compared to knickers?

bloomers are knickers your granny would wear. [disturbing image].

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1x0U5F16Baw/Uddzjdgl-MI/AAAAAAAAEXY/sVSk5QTc7gk/s640/blogger-image--757278198.jpg

 

[ElectricBlue]

More example of how location changes the definitions and usages of word. For example, in Kentucky it is "you'all," in Pittsburgh it is "you'ens."

Back to British/American: Anybody, what are bloomers as compared to knickers?

Bloomers = big baggy daggy pantaloons your gran wore. Except when she was getting knickers down for Yank soldiers during the war.

Knickers (nowadays and here in Oz) more your frilly satin and lace French knickers, more lingerie than your practical bikini style panties.

 

[oggbashan]

A very simple one: what does “bungalow” mean to you?

In the US, a bungalow is a specific style of (usually) one story house, not all one story home. But most one story houses in the US are not called bungalows - at least on the West Coast, the “ranch house” style is more common, and there are others as well.

But I’ve had British guests call our house - very much in the ‘California Ranch House’ style - a bungalow. Which to me is a very different looking beastie.

A bungalow originated in British India as a house for officials. It could be very large but typically had a surrounding shaded veranda. The Indian ones could be very large. The first Victorian ones built in the UK were equally large but now it usually means a single storey building with two or more bedrooms taking up more ground space than a two storey house. They are very popular for older people because there are no stairs.

A 'chalet bungalow' is one with bedrooms on an upper floor.

 

[ElectricBlue]

A very simple one: what does “bungalow” mean to you?

In the US, a bungalow is a specific style of (usually) one story house, not all one story home. But most one story houses in the US are not called bungalows - at least on the West Coast, the “ranch house” style is more common, and there are others as well.

But I’ve had British guests call our house - very much in the ‘California Ranch House’ style - a bungalow. Which to me is a very different looking beastie.

Australian California Bungalow:

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:(1)California_Bungalow_Sydney-4.jpg

 

[jaF0]

Whatever the origins, the word 'bungalow' seems to have morphed to mean a number of styles. What I know to be a 'story and a half bungalow' usually has one or two bedrooms, one bath, kitchen, living and dining room on one floor. The upstairs is usually about half the floor space due to the roof pitch and can be either attic space or converted to another bedroom or two and sometimes a bathroom.

Usually there is a full basement, bot not always.

Something along this line:


https://americangables.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Primrose.jpg

 

[Handley_Page]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They're_a_Weird_Mob

There was a film with a similar title.
I remember "Kings bloody Cross" being one confusion.

PS 'Bloomers' are named for Mrs Amelia Bloomer (a noted women's rights activist) who did not like the restrictive undergarments of the time (1851).

 

[Kumquatqueen]

[

Coming from a family of builders, we considered a bungalow a one-story, with rooms running front to back, and ranch style a one-story with rooms laid out more in a horizontal line.

In Britain, bungalows are pretty rare, especially ones with more than one or two bedrooms. The word would be used for any house with rooms mainly on one floor (a bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor, in particular). Quite common is the 'chalet bungalow' where there would be a small upstairs but the bulk of the accommodation downstairs - often lived in by elderly couples who cant do stairs but have the upstairs for an adult child, carer, or guests.

House layouts tend to be roughly square.

 

[Handley_Page]

[


In Britain, bungalows are pretty rare, especially ones with more than one or two bedrooms. The word would be used for any house with rooms mainly on one floor (a bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor, in particular). Quite common is the 'chalet bungalow' where there would be a small upstairs but the bulk of the accommodation downstairs - often lived in by elderly couples who cant do stairs but have the upstairs for an adult child, carer, or guests.

House layouts tend to be roughly square.

Quite Why they are called 'bungalows' is a bit of a mystery.
My aged parents lived in single-story house which the builder had given that name
but it did not feature a verandah and over-hanging roof.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

...

World Series? What world?

...

Hey, there are teams from Canada in the MLB - Major League Baseball.

ETA: Metre vs Meter.

 

[Vix_Giovanni]

Craftsman Bungalow/California bungalow is a pretty common style of early 20th C. American home, especially in SoCal; you see it a lot around Santa Barbara. Other than that, I think the most common way I’ve seen bungalow used is in hotel booking descriptions, like “overwater bungalow” for example.

American slang is largely connotation, context place and time. Fuck is like bloody, but it also is just slang for anything good. Lots of people say “It fucks” just meaning that something is really great, or the like. Shit is both bad and good, all depending on context; it’s also a blanket term expressing something’s got too many layers to unpack at the present time (“Shiiiiiiiiiit”). Bet can be either a challenge or accusation (A: “Golden Girls is GOAT—fight me.” B: “Bet.”), or an affirmation that something is accurate (“Golden Girls is GOAT—fight me.” B: “Bet!”). Yeet is similarly bad, good, great and everything in between.

I usually hear people say the word cunt as a measurement; like, eg, “He’s a cunt hair away from losing his job.” In polite company and at work/school in a tongue and cheek way, people I know usually say he/she’s a “Catch you next Tuesday” to describe difficult people.

Maybe I’m weird but I say “school” and write “university”. Never have given it any thought.

Pronunciation is a huge part of American lexical context. A lot of slang is regional; for example, “wicked” might be accurate slang in a story set in working class Boston or in 90s California but it wouldn’t make sense in like Atlanta or something.

Being from Oklahoma, my great-grandparents were all taught weird midAtlantic English to hide their regional dialect; my grandmother is in her early 80s and rolls her rs in non-roll words like paprika, and she over-articulates open-ɛ front unrounded vowels (eg, she says “dray-ssss ahp” instead of “dress up” or Oklahoman “dr’ss’p”). My husband’s Connecticut grandparents have stereotypical wasp-lockjaw and say things like “leffing” instead of “laughing”, and phrases like “oll to thuh gewd” which most Americans outside that area probably only hear in rap music lyrics.

Edit:
Cheerleaders wear bloomers under uniforms here.
My college math seminars were taught by a lot of Brits—I just assumed we were learning “maths” aka somehow different from just “math.”

 

[oggbashan]

Hey, there are teams from Canada in the MLB - Major League Baseball.

Canada is the World?

Cricket involves far more countries, as does rugby...

And 'proper' football is really world wide.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Canada is the World?

Cricket involves far more countries, as does rugby...

And 'proper' football is really world wide.

Yeah, well you know us American's, the world revolves around us.

 

[MadeleineSinha]

Yeah, well you know us American's, the world revolves around us.

*Americans
You're not using the word in a possessive meaning.

 

[oggbashan]

Yeah, well you know us Americans, the world revolves around us.

When I was young, it was possible to meet people in the UK who had never traveled more than a few miles from their birthplace.

Now, almost everyone has been on a foreign holiday or visited relations in Australia or wherever.

But some Americans still think the rest of the world is a myth...

 

[SimonDoom]

But some Americans still think the rest of the world is a myth...

It's more of a nefarious plot than a myth. But your point is well taken.

 

[Vix_Giovanni]

When I was young, it was possible to meet people in the UK who had never traveled more than a few miles from their birthplace.

Now, almost everyone has been on a foreign holiday or visited relations in Australia or wherever.

But some Americans still think the rest of the world is a myth...

Many Americans have never traveled outside of their hometown/borough/county. This is true in small, rural towns and as well as big metropolises. In New York City, for example, many people are born and raised in Washington Heights, never leave the ten block radius of the neighborhood in their lives, not even to take a subway, and only speak the area’s Spanglish dialect. America is very segregated this way; for many Americans, not only the rest of the world but simply “mainstream America” is a myth.

 

[Javahead]

Yeah, well you know us American's, the world revolves around us.

But to be fair, the “World Series” was originally a fair description when it started - at that time, baseball was exclusively a North American sport, and the champions of the two premier leagues played for the title.

Now? Tradition. Even though there are professional leagues in many other countries.

 

[Javahead]

Many Americans have never traveled outside of their hometown/borough/county. This is true in small, rural towns and as well as big metropolises. In New York City, for example, many people are born and raised in Washington Heights, never leave the ten block radius of the neighborhood in their lives, not even to take a subway, and only speak the area’s Spanglish dialect. America is very segregated this way; for many Americans, not only the rest of the world but simply “mainstream America” is a myth.

Vix, that may be true in a handful of major cities, but I grew up in a rural area. Everyone drove to the closest small city to shop nearly every week, and the closest mid-sized city several times a year. The closest National Park was over an hour away, but still a regular playground for everyone of driving age.

I’ll admit that major cities - San Francisco and the LA metro area for us - were regarded with suspicion and visited only when necessary.