Differences in English in England and America and other countries

[switch76]

As I chat with other authors from other countries it becomes apparent how many words have different meanings in different countries. I thought it would be interesting and hopefully helpful to list them. Here are a couple to start with.
In England/In America
knickers-panties
arse-ass

 

[niceguy2002tim]

Different Spelling.

Hello,
Chyoo has a large membership group and nonmembers too from all over the world. The thing that is most different to me is the spelling from Canadian and Austrailian to American. I know a lot of words are spelled differently. For example.

Can/Aus American
Colour color
favour favor
neighbour neighbor
flavour flavor

There are many more, but those are the ones that come to mind first.

-Tim (niceguy2002tim)

 

[android1966]

I've got two sisters who moved from the UK to the US. Some innocuous phrases that have been said to them by Americans that reduced them to fits of laughter are....

"Does my fanny look big in this."

Fanny is a slang term for vagina in the UK.

"Geez, it's so humid, I was tossing all night."

And of course the most common, of Americans talking about their pants. Which we call trousers, pants being Y fronts or the like.

 

[jakelyon]

Arse's, Knickers and Fannies, Oh My!!

The thing that I have noticed is that other people's slang does not sound sexy at all. When I start reading about arses, kinckers, and fanny I have a hard time getting worked up over it. I might as well be trying to read one of the German stories.

I would imagine it is the same thing for the translation of American slang terms.

I don't have a solution to the problem, I just thought I would point it out.

 

[niceguy2002tim]

Accents...

I know this has really nothing to do with Chyoo but I want to say something about accents. Even if you don't think you have one, to somebody somewhere in the world you do.

I am from Ontario Canada and my wife is from Ohio, USA and for the last few years I've been down there a lot and for the last 5 months we've been living in Ohio. I notice some people there have an accent, some thicker than others. Oh Chyoo I noticed that Jakelyon was from Ohio. Which part of Ohio Jake? We're located about an hour south of Columbus.

Anyway, back to accents. Growing up I never thought much about it and never thought I had an accent. To me other people had them but I sounded normal. Of course normal to me isn't normal to a lot of people. The first time I really thought about the accent issue was when I made a friend From Austraila. I remember saying, "you have an accent" and her response was, "no, you have an accent!"

Yeah, this message was probably pointless but I got to blab. lol.

-Tim (niceguy2002tim)

 

[AaronWebster]

Re: Different Spelling.

Can/Aus American
Colour color
favour favor
neighbour neighbor
flavour flavor

Actually, all of those Can/Aus spellings are the UK spellings also.

The thing that I have noticed is that other people's slang does not sound sexy at all. When I start reading about arses, kinckers, and fanny I have a hard time getting worked up over it. I might as well be trying to read one of the German stories.

I would imagine it is the same thing for the translation of American slang terms.

Not necessarily, because we're more used to American slang terms (being much more exposed to them via books, film, etc). Also, I tend to think of the British terms as being a bit harsher (arse as opposed to ass) which can be a turn-on sometimes, but can be a turn-offf to some.

 

[carrie-on]

Several other differences come to mind when I read U.S/English.
truck/lorry
trunk/boot
wrench/spanner
toilet/loo
I have a question,though.
If more than one mouse is mice...
and more than one louse is lice...
Why is more than 1 house...a village?

 

[Chicklet]

Re: Different Spelling.

Hello,
Chyoo has a large membership group and nonmembers too from all over the world. The thing that is most different to me is the spelling from Canadian and Austrailian to American. I know a lot of words are spelled differently. For example.

Can/Aus American
Colour color
favour favor
neighbour neighbor
flavour flavor

There are many more, but those are the ones that come to mind first.

-Tim (niceguy2002tim)

as an american, i want to say that i think the uk. spellings make more sense. when i'm tired that's how i spell things = )

chicklet

 

[Chicklet]

plus i'd like to add:

trunk/boot

 

[tendril]

If you want to add interest to your conversations you should get a handle on Aussie slang, its a development of rhyming cockney slang with a good dose of outback humour/ rudeness. It's a real crack up. Try this one, "a dingo's breakfast".
Well, do you give in..... it means to stop for a piss and a quick look around.

THe net has a few sites that specialise in this stuff, check them out. They will have you ROTFL.

 

[fictionalcharctr]

Something similar....

Here's a website I ran across some time ago and thought was really kinda cool, in a bizaare, play-with-words kinda way.

Cockney Rhyme-slang Dictionary

 

[Celedriel]

a friend was in London once and she said really loudly, in a pub one afternoon, "Where did I leave my fanny pack?" She didn't realize what was so funny

 

[solid_]

British English vs American English.

Aerial/Antenna
Starters/Appetizers
Pudding/Dessert
Aluminium/Aluminum. We pronounce it differently as well; we Brits really do say "ahl-yoo-minny-um".
Anti-clockwise/Counter-clockwise
Bonnet/Hood
Candy floss/Cotton candy
Cheers/Thank you
Crisps/Chips
Curtains/Drapes
Dressing gown/Robe
Dustbin/Trashcan
Fag/cigarette
Full stop/Period
Gearbox/Transmission
Jelly/Jello
Jumper/Sweater
Motorway/Freeway
Nappy/Diaper
Off-licence/Liquor store
Pavement/Sidewalk
Petrol/Gas
Randy/Horny
Tights/Panty hose
Trainers/Sneakers

 

[will68]

As an Australian I can cope with most American language and usage except for:

Fit instead the past tense "fitted"