Those funny Americans.....

[IrishEyes80]

So I came across a website that I found very funny. It basically lays out some of the differences between British and American words.

Ex: In America "Restroom" is a common word. Apparently in the UK it is not I believe they call it the "Loo" which I think is a really funny word.

What I'm wondering is if I can get more examples from people that either don't live in the states or people who have left our country and had issues because you used our terminology.

Obviously the terms we use in America aren't usually funny to me....so I want to know from the world outside what words we (americans) use that are funny to you.

I'm just in a mood to laugh today so please don't offense!

 

[JKayle]

Here in the UK, what our American cousins call an eraser, we call a rubber; a word which I believe has a different meaning across the Atlantic; although both are good for preventing mistakes,

 

[DarkBee]

Here's a nice song to help clarify some words:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88FuCiac8IE

 

[IrishEyes80]

Here in the UK, what our American cousins call an eraser, we call a rubber; a word which I believe has a different meaning across the Atlantic; although both are good for preventing mistakes,

HAHAHA.....that is awesome!

 

[wicked woman]

When I was a kid we moved to a suburb of Boston. I ordered a milk shake and much to my surprise, after a quizzical look from the person taking my order, was served shaken milk - but no ice cream! I later found out that I needed to order a frappe, if I wanted what I, as a Canadian, know of as a milk shake. Not sure if it's still the case though.

 

[Quoll]

When I was growing up Durex was the one on the left. It was not uncommon for rental properties to ask in the contract for people not to stick things to the walls with Durex.

http://travellingtonito.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/durex.jpg​

Not trying to derail your thread at all but you can find some funny ones here too Cultural Conundrums.

 

[Scentofawoman]

Well...
The British call a cigarette a fag. The US has a different connotation. I giggle everytime my English coworker told me he's going on a "fag break."

 

[YankeeGirl74]

When I was a kid we moved to a suburb of Boston. I ordered a milk shake and much to my surprise, after a quizzical look from the person taking my order, was served shaken milk - but no ice cream! I later found out that I needed to order a frappe, if I wanted what I, as a Canadian, know of as a milk shake. Not sure if it's still the case though.

And if you go to Rhode Island or southeastern Mass, it's called a "cabinet". No clue why!

 

[fgarvb1]

Ha!

Y'all should be a country boy from East Texas!

I manage to keep people from other states and countries well entertained on the telephone at work!

 

[NippleMuncher]

Anyone remember the football player named "the refrigerator" Perry? Across the pond he was referred to as "ice box" Perry.

I also like the Brit's cocking about vs the American dicking around.

 

[IrishEyes80]

Ha!

Y'all should be a country boy from East Texas!

I manage to keep people from other states and countries well entertained on the telephone at work!

I hear ya!! We have a twang here in Georgia too! I try to fight it but when I visit my Ohio family they all laugh at me.

 

[bailadora]

One of my cousins traveled to the UK for business. As she was waiting at the desk, the (male) clerk asked if she'd like to be "knocked up" in the morning. :

What he really meant was would she like a wake up call.

 

[Blase]

I used to be on a message board frequented mostly by people from Europe (including the UK) and Australia. I was quite surprised to learn that they used the term "fanny" to mean vagina. Here in the US, for those who don't know, it refers to one's bottom, or derriere. It is, moreover, a cutesy term often used in circumstances where less polite words are considered inappropriate: For example, one might caution a child learning to ice skate to "(be) careful, or you'll fall on your fanny"!

I can easily imagine circumstances where a UK or an Aussie visitor to our shores might be left feeling nonplussed!

 

[NippleMuncher]

the (male) clerk asked if she'd like to be "knocked up" in the morning. :

I don't recall seeing THAT on the career day list.

 

[IrishEyes80]

One of my cousins traveled to the UK for business. As she was waiting at the desk, the (male) clerk asked if she'd like to be "knocked up" in the morning. :

What he really meant was would she like a wake up call.

HA!! I'm sure it's not proper to bust out laughing in someones face when they are being serious (as I'm sure the clerk was) but I would have cracked up if this happened to me!

 

[warl0ck1]

When I was a kid we moved to a suburb of Boston. I ordered a milk shake and much to my surprise, after a quizzical look from the person taking my order, was served shaken milk - but no ice cream! I later found out that I needed to order a frappe, if I wanted what I, as a Canadian, know of as a milk shake. Not sure if it's still the case though.

at one time in RI. if you went in to an Ice cream shop you could order a coffee cabinet. and it would not be a brown piece of furniture but and coffee flavored ice cream milk shake.

Frappes can still be ordered in most of Massachusetts and a milk shake is Milk with vanilla flavoring

 

[Blase]

Frappes can still be ordered in most of Massachusetts and a milk shake is Milk with vanilla flavoring

That use of "milk shake" may not be homogeneous, no pun intended. I've lived in southeastern Massachusetts my whole life and have always heard the terms frappe and milk shake used interchangeably: I'd be quite surprised to order a milk shake and get something with no ice cream in it!

Milk with vanilla flavoring I would simply call a "vanilla milk" or a vanilla-flavored milk, but that is actually something that is hard to find. Some restaurants have chocolate milk on the menu (likely in the kid's section), but I'm not sure where I'd go if I wanted a vanilla milk.

 

[culloden]

I made the mistake of using the term "fanny pack" in front of a British friend. Apparently, "fanny" is the equivalent of "cunt" in the UK. Who knew?

 

[mynameisben]

I made the mistake of using the term "fanny pack" in front of a British friend. Apparently, "fanny" is the equivalent of "cunt" in the UK. Who knew?

My Aunt Fanny knows.

 

[mattastic100]

heinabonics

......

 

[bailadora]

http://www.damnlol.com/a-quick-guide-to-southern-grammer-17899.html

Quick guide to Southern grammar.

http://www.damnlol.com/a-quick-guide-to-southern-grammer-17899.html

 

[YankeeGirl74]

Welcome to Boston....

The Wicked Good Guide to Boston English, From A to Z
http://www.universalhub.com/glossary/a-b

 

[jodylee]

As a Canadian living in the US and married to an American, we have lots of fun with different words/pronunciations... Some noted ones that almost always bring about some discourse are:

"fuckin' the dog" (wasting time)
"ten prices" (costs too much)
by accident (rather than on accident)
10 to (10 of)

I'm sure some of these are from where I grew up regionally-speaking, rather than Canada-wide colloquialisms. I'm learning, and so is he

 

[culloden]

Does anyone know why the Brits don't use an article before "hospital"? Or maybe why Americans do? American's would say, "He's in the hospital." Brits would say, "He's in hospital."

 

[Blase]

Does anyone know why the Brits don't use an article before "hospital"? Or maybe why Americans do? American's would say, "He's in the hospital." Brits would say, "He's in hospital."

It sounds like hospital, in that case, is being used in an abstract sense meaning "a state of intensive care", in which case the usage would not really be different than saying, for example, "He's in distress".