So I'm cruising the web and I find that the queen teaches her subjects to say, "burgle" instead of "burglarize". What other unusual 'Merican-British English differences do you know of? I'm not talking about easy ones. We all know that Redcoats use "lift" and "blimey." I'm talking about the crazy ones: "clingfilm," "loudhailer," etc.
I've never heard of "loudhailer". But clingfilm is fairly common. Pavement = Sidewalk Telling the meal of the day can vary pretty hugely across the country. Some areas are: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, others are Breakfast, Dinner, Tea (a meal, not a drink), and some are Breakfast, Dinner, Supper. For me it's the 2nd one, with the evening meal being "Tea". It's also worth mentioning that if you have a snack later on, like an hour or 2 before you go to bed, some areas (such as my own) call that "Supper". Nappy = Diaper Probably others, I just can't think of them right now. I assume this thread is for words/phrases, rather than the Americans spelling everything wrong by sticking Zs where they don't belong, and removing Us where they do belong. It's also worth mentioning (Spartacus) that "lift" is also used if you get picked up by someone. Like, "can I get a lift into town?" or "Rob is giving me a lift to the supermarket". Also, no-one says Blimey.
If you're from yorkshire, lunch is 'bait'. As in; 'bait-box' (lunchbox) 'have me bait' (have my lunch) 'wot 'ave yew got fer yer bait?' (what have you got for your lunch?) and so forth. I say blimey on a semi-regular basis. Also blummin' 'eck (blooming heck). Now if you'll excuse me I have to go listen to the wurzels while I tenderise the sheep.
I have never heard anyone call packed lunch 'bait' and I am from yorkshire so I have no idea where you got that from. So either this is bullshit or only confined to one part of yorkshire.
Really?! Huh, I always thought it was a yorkshire thing that spread to where I live. It's definitely a thing among the older and more rural folks north of the moors. Maybe it's not from yorkshire though? Always thought it was. Edit: Apparently it's geordie: http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/case-studies/geordie/lexis/ Also apparently derived from old norse. I guess that makes sense? Odd though because I really associated it more with rural dialect than newcastle. Maybe it's because I live south of newcastle and there's about an hour's worth of farmland between me and there so technically it is towards the farms from where I live, but then everywhere is towards the farms from where I live... Except the bits that are the sea. Geordie is a weird dialect, and annoying because I keep picking the blasted stuff up doing deliveries over there. Swear one of these days I'm going to greet someone with 'wai aye man'. Edit2: Oh god so much of this is geordie, that I always thought was yorkshire inspired. Calling everyone in your family 'our so and so' or children 'bairns'. Apparently that's geordie too.
Please tell me you guys don't really say "Tally-ho!" or 'o or oh' . Who the fuck can tell from voice alone.
Do you call a burglary a burglarism? Seriously, burglarize sounds like something ol' W would have said.
It's Dubya you cunt. And I mean "cunt" in the friendly British way because it's a very friendly word.
French Fries Chips - much thicker than fries. Sometimes fried to be almost brown, and often left with the skin still on. Crisps. Tomato Sauce. Though to be honest, as you can see from the image linked, Ketchup is starting to be used more and more, replacing Tomato Sauce. I don't really mind that. Apartment = Flat Though more and more people are referring to an Apartment as a more "upmarket" flat. I know I certainly refer to my accommodation in the UAE as an apartment.