The Words the UK Knows but Americans Don't (and vice versa)

[Candy_Kane54]

How many people even know what a davenport is?

 

[Rustyoznail]

How many people even know what a davenport is?

It's a city in Tasmania named after a writing desk.

 

[NotWise]

How many people even know what a davenport is?

In the US, a davenport is a sofa. In the UK it's a desk. I have to wonder how that difference came about.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

In the US, a davenport is a sofa. In the UK it's a desk. I have to wonder how that difference came about.

Hubby looked it up for me, because he sometimes wondered about that. The original design for a compact writing desk was commisioned from Gillows (later Waring & Gillow) of Lancaster, England by Captain Josiah Davenport, possibly for use on his ship, Cleopatra. According to Gillows, it was commissioned towards the end of the 18th century. The US Davenport antique-form sofa/daybed was first produced by AH Davenport & Company of Boston, Mass. in the early years of the 20th century.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

In the US, a davenport is a sofa. In the UK it's a desk. I have to wonder how that difference came about.

I know a davenport is a sofa (I think from Anne of Green Gables sequels) but I've almost never heard of one as a desk - it's a very niche use basically confined to the antiques trade.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Yeah we just call them pens, but I knew what a Biro was from watching The Young Ones.

They're cutlets to me. Grew up in St Louis.

I'm now feeling daft for never realising escalopes and schnitzels are the same thing with French and German names, but a cutlet to me is a lamb version of a pork chop, ie a bone with tasty meat. Pictures come up when googling. No flattening, frying nor breading.

 

[jehoram]

I bet if you asked 100 people when the War of 1812 was, at least 25% wouldn't have a clue...

Groucho Marx used to host a quiz show called "You Bet Your Life" (I think). I f a contestant couldn't answer any of the other question, the last question would be "Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?"

And he'd accept any answer as correct, so that the contestant wouldn't go home empty-handed.

 

[Haulover]

As a Brit who's lived in the USA for 27 years, this list is familiar to me. And I can add that there are MANY more words that could have been added to the list.

It would have been nice if the list contained the equivalent Brit / American word, or a description.

 

[TheRedChamber]

In a shameless act of self-promotion, may I present my latest story which contains all twenty of the British words in their proper context. I'm quite proud as I didn't have to resort to cheap innuendo (not even from Chipolata), Korma is now appropriately non-spicy, and I didn't even have to cheat by sneaking in one of them as the 'safeword'. Luckily my story was already about estate agents, so the word 'gazumping' was practically free.

https://literotica.com/s/well-situated-with-hidden-potential

 

[oggbashan]

I have just had a complimentary comment on my story Christmas Truce. He enjoyed it but he had to look up many words I had used.

Grammarly consistently tells some I used 98% more unique words than its other users.

 

[English_guy_bkk]

I had a couple of *tabs* last night...kindly let me know what l was doing ..(I'm British, from the rough side of Newcastle)

 

[SamScribble]

I told a New Yorker recently that I was 'well chuffed'. He frowned, and then said: 'What? Like a train?'

'No,' I said. 'Like a happy and satisfied person.'

And he frowned again and shook his head.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I had a couple of *tabs* last night...kindly let me know what l was doing ..(I'm British, from the rough side of Newcastle)

Bad acid?

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I had a couple of *tabs* last night...kindly let me know what l was doing ..(I'm British, from the rough side of Newcastle)

Either having sexual intercourse with two Cambridge Uni students, or smoked two cigarettes.

Rough side of Newcastle? My money's on the latter. (Resists temptation to say 'you're a Mackem, then?)

 

[English_guy_bkk]

Either having sexual intercourse with two Cambridge Uni students, or smoked two cigarettes.

Rough side of Newcastle? My money's on the latter. (Resists temptation to say 'you're a Mackem, then?)

Correct re smoking two cigarettes. And yes I'm not from "over the water"..

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Correct re smoking two cigarettes. And yes I'm not from "over the water"..

I've not heard 'over the water' to mean across the Tyne - is that common usage by Geordies? IME it's used to mean the Irish Sea.

References for foreigners: the fair city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (aka Newcastle) sits on the north bank of the Tyne; Sunderland on the south side. To call or imply a Geordie (someone from Newcastle) is a Mackem (someone from Sunderland) is a good way to get your teeth and face reconfigured. And possibly the other way round.

Geordie dialect has a lot in common with Norse and can be incomprehensible for Southerners. (eg bairn for child, modern Norwegian barn, ganning yem = going home = gånan hjem...)

There must be similar location rivalries in America? I can imagine if someone from California mentioned they were from San Diego and was told "so, basically Mexico, then" it wouldn't go down well, but I don't know of any big rivalries or sporting derbies.

 

[stickygirl]

A classic misunderstanding is 'smoking a fag', which means something entirely different over there

A male friend of the family was staying with rellies in the US. The wife of the American hosts intended to get up early next morning for a trip, so our friend offered to 'knock her up in the morning'... which caused something of a coffee spew. If explanation is needed, he meant to knock on her door to wake her up ( does that also sound lewd?! )

Oh rellies = relatives.

 

[PennameWombat]

I've not heard 'over the water' to mean across the Tyne - is that common usage by Geordies? IME it's used to mean the Irish Sea.

References for foreigners: the fair city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (aka Newcastle) sits on the north bank of the Tyne; Sunderland on the south side. To call or imply a Geordie (someone from Newcastle) is a Mackem (someone from Sunderland) is a good way to get your teeth and face reconfigured. And possibly the other way round.

Geordie dialect has a lot in common with Norse and can be incomprehensible for Southerners. (eg bairn for child, modern Norwegian barn, ganning yem = going home = gånan hjem...)

There must be similar location rivalries in America? I can imagine if someone from California mentioned they were from San Diego and was told "so, basically Mexico, then" it wouldn't go down well, but I don't know of any big rivalries or sporting derbies.

Plenty of the equivalent of sporting derbies in the US, but they’d never use that term (unless they’re smart-asses familiar with it) and just use “rivalry.” But the geographical rivalries? That I can think of, very few that’d be similar to the Geordie-Mackem split. If someone did make your comment about San Diego, they’d likely get a confused stare but not much else. I’m guessing they’d have to be hyper-local. And many of the rivalries, such as they are, would be between rich and poor areas within a city. And even those would rarely rise to the level of aggro you describe.

And I’ve never found American accents to vary as widely as they do in the UK.

Sporting wise… Pick a sport. In soccer, Portland (OR) - Seattle - Vancouver. In ice hockey, NY Rangers vs NJ Devils. Baseball, NY Yankees vs Boston Red Sox. American Football, Las Vegas (formerly Oakland, formerly Los Angeles, formerly Oakland) Raiders against anyone and everyone. But you also have to remember, most American sports have very little ‘away’ culture. The cases I cited are close enough you can get away fans, but mostly the distances are too vast. There have been a couple of very rare cases of away fans being assaulted, but usually it’s relatively good natured If you see someone wearing the away colors. And stadiums don’t have specific away sections.

There’s the time I attended a match at the New Den and guided fans from Sheffield Wednesday (a man and his two teenage sons) from the tube to the stadium’s away entrance. They were shocked that someone with an American accent was guiding them. They pointed out they’d specifically worn their running shoes and had no colours on. I was part of the home crowd. I also advised them that post-game the police would likely lead them to South Bermondsey train station rather than the tube, they had no plans to go rogue. Post match, Millwall had lost, the crowd was not happy, but that day claret was never imminent, I made it back to the tube stop (New Cross Gate) and was a tad worried when the train showed up full of West Ham fans… angry, frustrated West Ham fans after they’d lost, at home, as well. Fortunately, I had my scarf well hidden and if I’d needed to speak, well, American accent, I know nothing, nothing I tell you, about this “soccer” sport of which you speak. I - almost - attended the Millwall - Birmingham promotion playoff match at the New Den, which ended with police on horses breaking up the post-match riot. Only a cancelled flight from Germany caused me to miss it.

For US sports, the riots generally only occur after a team WINS whatever championship they’re playing for.

 

[oggbashan]

In London, any match involving Millwall is likely to end in violence outside. Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur is a fierce competition likely to arouse passions. But Liverpool against Everton, or Manchester United against Manchester City? Avoid!

 

[oggbashan]

In the early 1950s we used to live close to Crystal Palace's football ground. The fans would walk past our house on the way to and from the matches. In those days, wooden rattles were frequently used to make a noise, and as weapons. They have been banned for many years.

But after a match, particularly if Palace lost, our front garden would turn into a field dressing station with my mother and aunt attending to wounds. My brother was in the kitchen making sweet tea for the injured, and tea or coffee for the crowds of policemen.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

But the geographical rivalries? That I can think of, very few that’d be similar to the Geordie-Mackem split. ... I’m guessing they’d have to be hyper-local. And many of the rivalries, such as they are, would be between rich and poor areas within a city. And even those would rarely rise to the level of aggro you describe.

I - almost - attended the Millwall - Birmingham promotion playoff match at the New Den, which ended with police on horses breaking up the post-match riot.

I've wondered this before, but how the fuck did you end up a Millwall supporter?

I've worked with 'disaffected youth' round areas including South Bermondsey, the only station I've ever been to where not only had all the ticket machines been permanently vandalised in the 90s, but the signs displaying the station name, along with all seats and shelters, had also been stolen and sold as scrap metal. So more than once I ended up at the next station because I didn't want to alight the train onto some random lump of concrete!

I also learnt enough to blend in with lcoal Millwall or Palace supporters. Could have been worse - the only fans who truly scare me are Stoke... And I've never been near an Old Firm match!

Getting back to how to get punched in the face in America: yeah, I guess most rivalries are small and local, maybe one towns high school vs the next township's high school? Or two high schools if a town is big enough for two? Is there nothing that would work on a bigger level, like, say "I grew up in New York City, but not a classy neighborhood." "Oh, you mean Jersey?"

What about being in a sports bar in NY and a visitor from Boston asks the English guy, "Have you heard of the Red Sox?" English guy goes "Yeah, apparently they're like the Yankees, only good." Would that be provocative enough?

Or do you have to resort to 'your mom' level of obvious insult?

 

[MelissaBaby]

Plenty of the equivalent of sporting derbies in the US, but they’d never use that term (unless they’re smart-asses familiar with it) and just use “rivalry.” But the geographical rivalries? That I can think of, very few that’d be similar to the Geordie-Mackem split. If someone did make your comment about San Diego, they’d likely get a confused stare but not much else. I’m guessing they’d have to be hyper-local. And many of the rivalries, such as they are, would be between rich and poor areas within a city. And even those would rarely rise to the level of aggro you describe.

And I’ve never found American accents to vary as widely as they do in the UK.

Sporting wise… Pick a sport. In soccer, Portland (OR) - Seattle - Vancouver. In ice hockey, NY Rangers vs NJ Devils. Baseball, NY Yankees vs Boston Red Sox. American Football, Las Vegas (formerly Oakland, formerly Los Angeles, formerly Oakland) Raiders against anyone and everyone. But you also have to remember, most American sports have very little ‘away’ culture. The cases I cited are close enough you can get away fans, but mostly the distances are too vast. There have been a couple of very rare cases of away fans being assaulted, but usually it’s relatively good natured If you see someone wearing the away colors. And stadiums don’t have specific away sections.

There’s the time I attended a match at the New Den and guided fans from Sheffield Wednesday (a man and his two teenage sons) from the tube to the stadium’s away entrance. They were shocked that someone with an American accent was guiding them. They pointed out they’d specifically worn their running shoes and had no colours on. I was part of the home crowd. I also advised them that post-game the police would likely lead them to South Bermondsey train station rather than the tube, they had no plans to go rogue. Post match, Millwall had lost, the crowd was not happy, but that day claret was never imminent, I made it back to the tube stop (New Cross Gate) and was a tad worried when the train showed up full of West Ham fans… angry, frustrated West Ham fans after they’d lost, at home, as well. Fortunately, I had my scarf well hidden and if I’d needed to speak, well, American accent, I know nothing, nothing I tell you, about this “soccer” sport of which you speak. I - almost - attended the Millwall - Birmingham promotion playoff match at the New Den, which ended with police on horses breaking up the post-match riot. Only a cancelled flight from Germany caused me to miss it.

For US sports, the riots generally only occur after a team WINS whatever championship they’re playing for.

The Yankees suck.

 

[English_guy_bkk]

I've wondered this before, but how the fuck did you end up a Millwall supporter?

I've worked with 'disaffected youth' round areas including South Bermondsey, the only station I've ever been to where not only had all the ticket machines been permanently vandalised in the 90s, but the signs displaying the station name, along with all seats and shelters, had also been stolen and sold as scrap metal. So more than once I ended up at the next station because I didn't want to alight the train onto some random lump of concrete!

I also learnt enough to blend in with lcoal Millwall or Palace supporters. Could have been worse - the only fans who truly scare me are Stoke... And I've never been near an Old Firm match!

Getting back to how to get punched in the face in America: yeah, I guess most rivalries are small and local, maybe one towns high school vs the next township's high school? Or two high schools if a town is big enough for two? Is there nothing that would work on a bigger level, like, say "I grew up in New York City, but not a classy neighborhood." "Oh, you mean Jersey?"

What about being in a sports bar in NY and a visitor from Boston asks the English guy, "Have you heard of the Red Sox?" English guy goes "Yeah, apparently they're like the Yankees, only good." Would that be provocative enough?

Or do you have to resort to 'your mom' level of obvious insult?

Stoke? That said, we went to Leicester once and a bloke in our transit van was singled out for extra abuse because of his red hair.

 

[stickygirl]

Do they wear pullovers in jersey or get fleeces? Is getting fleeced a UK only expression?

 

[English_guy_bkk]

In my humble opinion l think fleeces are rather modern like fingerless gloves. I had a couple of jumpers and a tank top when l was young.