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-   -   Understanding English at the Olympics (Funny) (https://www.quiltingboard.com/general-chit-chat-non-quilting-talk-f7/understanding-english-olympics-funny-t195801.html)

Kitsie 07-26-2012 06:44 AM

Understanding English at the Olympics (Funny)
 
LONDON (AP) -- Americans arriving for the London Olympics will find that the chasm between British and American English can seem as large as the ocean that separates the two nations. Here's a primer:

Brilliant — The land that gave us the poetic cadence of William Shakespeare now places everything into one of two categories: brilliant and rubbish. Shades of gray are not permitted. Brilliant does not mean smart or ingenious. It can mean anything from "OK," ''great" or "fun" to "stop asking questions." Each of the 542 British Olympic athletes is likely capable of using the phrase 10 times in a single press conference.

Brolly — Essential British accoutrement also known as an umbrella, carried by men and women alike daily without embarrassment. See weather.

Football — A way of life not related to the American game with helmets. Balls are propelled forward by everything except hands and arms, unless you are a goalkeeper or Diego Maradona. Describing this as "soccer" might get your teeth knocked out in a bar fight (see trollied).

Gutted — An emotion beyond "disappointed" but not quite "suicidal." Unlike fish, British athletes can be gutted more than once. Related to the nation's historic inability to win football matches on penalty kicks.

Kettle — Electric device used to boil water for tea. Also the British police practice of corralling protesters.

The loo — The toilet.

Over the moon — The opposite of gutted. Something to do with cows jumping.

Oy tink — Phrase heard with increasing urgency in bars as the night goes on and the sports debate gets more heated. Alternate spelling: "I think."

Punter — Nothing to do with a fourth down. A bettor in a land where casinos are as common as pharmacies.

Rain — See Inuit entry for snow. Too many variations to list.

Rubbish — See brilliant. No plural. Conjugate as: "I was rubbish," ''we were rubbish," ''the ref was rubbish," ''the decision to ban me for doping was rubbish." Occasionally also used to mean "garbage."

Sticky wicket — A cricket term used to describe when one is between a rock and a hard place. Easily applicable to other sports.

Taking the piss — Not to be confused with what is done in the loo. Winding somebody up or playing a joke on them. A favorite ploy of drinkers and sportswriters.

Trollied — Drunk, as in taking too much from the drinks trolley. Alcohol has fueled so many bar fights in Britain that one firm created a pint glass that doesn't shatter so it can't be used as a weapon.

Weather. See brolly. Also see rubbish.

QuiltnNan 07-26-2012 07:04 AM

good one :thumbup:

Sunnye 07-26-2012 07:11 AM

Also: being pissed is being drunk

Kitsie 07-26-2012 07:20 AM

When I got my first job in Australia one of the other workers (a male) asked me if I was getting a "good screw". After he picked himself up off the floor I found out he meant "pay check"!

ptquilts 07-26-2012 07:28 AM

Don't forget, if someone offers to "Knock you up" it is not necessary to slap their face. They are offering to wake you up at a certain time.

nativetexan 07-26-2012 11:01 AM

ha, ha. don't even get into quilting terms!

ptquilts 07-26-2012 01:02 PM

Plus, Central Reservations is not the number to call for a hotel room. It is what we in the US call the median strip.

I love this kind of stuff. I can think of a concept for which there are three different terms, American, British, and Canadian. Any guesses what it is? Or can anyone come up with more?

patmas57 07-26-2012 02:27 PM

I loved this post. I watch so much British television that I've heard most of these several times, but I loved the definitions anyway, and there were a couple I wasn't sure of just from context.

DogHouseMom 07-26-2012 03:12 PM

Being married to a Brit and spending a fair amount of time there myself, I pride myself on speaking both English and American.

I can add several to that dictionary ....

Holes: we call it an outlet, they call it holes (or "oles" if they're from the East End).
Chemist: the Pharmacy
Wellies: boots, specifically Wellingtons
Knackered: tired
Bum: we call it a butt, rear end, or the "A" word
Git: Dumb person
Garden: any piece of land they own is the garden, never a "yard".
Ta: Thanks!
Mate: Friend
Afters: dessert
Pudding: also dessert - it could be a Pudding (NOT to be confused with the Jello brand type pudding!), or it could be pie
Pie: usually meat, if it's fruit pie they'll specify
Chips: French fries
Crisps: Potato chips
Sweets: candy


Oh ... a "fanny" is NOT a butt - rather it is referring to the lady parts. Brit's don't have "Fanny Packs"... they have "bum packs".

tons more. I've been married to the man almost a decade, and every now and then I'll still hear a new one.

bearisgray 07-26-2012 03:24 PM

Well - that explains why that book with "fanny" in the title was on the 'adult' list.

There was an author that seemed to refer to 'dangly bits' - - -

DogHouseMom 07-26-2012 04:08 PM


Originally Posted by bearisgray (Post 5396938)
There was an author that seemed to refer to 'dangly bits' - - -

hmmm .... SO MANY terms for the "dangly bits" (including dangly bits!), but two of my favorites are "Wedding tackle" and "Meat and Two Veg".

bearisgray 07-26-2012 04:28 PM


Originally Posted by DogHouseMom (Post 5397005)
hmmm .... SO MANY terms for the "dangly bits" (including dangly bits!), but two of my favorites are "Wedding tackle" and "Meat and Two Veg".

I hadn't heard of either of those before -

daisylil 07-27-2012 03:06 AM

I spent a little time in the US and I think I was almost unintelligable to most :)

jitkaau 07-27-2012 03:08 AM


Originally Posted by ptquilts (Post 5395825)
Don't forget, if someone offers to "Knock you up" it is not necessary to slap their face. They are offering to wake you up at a certain time.

I must say that that phrase has an ENTIRELY different meaning here...something to do with the patter of tiny feet...

Lisa49 07-27-2012 03:29 AM

Smalles are underware.

ptquilts 07-27-2012 04:18 AM

I got a lot from a Police Video type TV show that I used to watch, like central reservation = median strip
Lay-by = rest area
slip road = exit ramp
dual carriageway = freeway

I always picture carriages driving down it, LOL!

DogHouseMom 07-27-2012 06:01 AM

[QUOTE=ptquilts;5397875]dual carriageway = freewayQUOTE]

No ... a dual carriageway is a road that has a central median (like a boulevard). What we call an interstate (or freeway) is called a Motorway in England.


another funny one my husband has used. "Put the wood in the hole" = close the door!!

And then there is the whole cockney (East End) rhyming scheme which seems to be increasing in leaps and bounds - thanks in small part to TV shows like "East Enders" and "TOWIE's" ("The Only Way is Essex" - Englands answer to "Jersey Shore"). I (we) don't know any of the new ones, but some of the old ones are still widely used:

Peckish 07-27-2012 09:01 AM

I briefly worked with a British national once, we had great fun discussing the different words...

Togs = swimsuits
torch = flashlight
trolley = shopping cart

And I think biscuits are cookies, aren't they?

ptquilts 07-27-2012 11:32 AM

yes, DH's uncle was once hosting some young relatives from Australia and told them he would take them to a restaurant for "All you can eat" chicken and biscuits. They were quite confused until they saw the food, and said, "Oh, you mean SCONES!"

Veronica 07-27-2012 11:53 AM

This is so much fun to read.

coopah 07-27-2012 12:44 PM

I just about thought I was from Mars when a relative came back ffrom England and told me they "had a brew-up in the lay by." (Cup of tea in the rest stop.)

Latrinka 07-27-2012 01:51 PM

haha too funny!

blueheavenfla 07-28-2012 08:47 AM

This is a great thread to help us know and more importantly, understand each other. Sometimes it could be pretty easy to take offense at a truly innocent remark.

noveltyjunkie 07-28-2012 05:04 PM

Love it! I really enjoy language. Another one that makes me wince at the Olympics is 'rooting for your team'. In Australia rooting is a very coarse and yucky word for intercourse.

One query on the original post though- who says casinos are common in England? They absolutely are not. However, betting shops/bookmakers/bookies are, and they are places where you place bets (or have a punt) on the outcome of events, notably but not exclusively horse races. But punter is such a common term now, I dont think it has anything to do with gambling. It is often used to mean 'customer'.

MaryStoaks 07-28-2012 05:38 PM

Thanks Kitsie!:thumbup:

cannyquilter 07-29-2012 01:54 PM

here's a few more:-

trunk (of car) = boot
hood = bonnet
pavement = road
sidewalk = pavement
purse = handbag
wallet = purse
in line = queue
cell phone = mobile phone


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