English

littlest-bee · 11-20-2003, 03:30 AM

I work for a magazine publishing company and I'm fascinated with language - how it’s used (and abused!) and how it varies from place to place. I speak and write British English but like a lot of people in the UK I understand and often use Americanisms – partly because I spend so much time online talking to Americans. Obviously there’s differences too with Canadian English (does that even exist?!) and Australian English and New Zealand English and so on…

Anyway, the reason for this long ramble is that this morning I was given a Style Guide to help me edit out common mistakes in the magazine and there was a huge list of words that have different meanings. Lots of them were new to me like corn syrup (US) instead of golden syrup (UK) – personally I think golden syrup sounds yummier! Some made me laugh too: I always think “ladyfingers” sound a bit perverted (in the UK its finger biscuits which isn’t much better I suppose) and girls have bangs rather than a fringe which makes me giggle.

What other words are there (not just US ones) out there that have different meanings? My inner language geek wants to know! Please play!

girl-who-loves-sharks · 11-20-2003, 05:06 AM

The British meaning of 'shag' was completely foreign to me until the Austin Powers movies. There's another one... what is it... snog? That's more like "make out," right?

Biscuits instead of cookies always throws me. And crisps instead of chips, and chips instead of fries. (I agree, Rosie, that Lady Fingers is obscene-sounding!)

medeous · 11-20-2003, 05:09 AM

and scones instead of biscuits.

when i was very young, we lived in australia for a while. i remember my parents taking a class on how to speak/understand australian english. i wet my pants the first day of school because the teacher asked if anyone needed to go to the loo, but i just wanted to go to the bathroom.

nuKKe · 11-20-2003, 05:15 AM

The oddest is the 2 literally opposite meanings of 'fanny'.
Enough said.

littlest-bee · 11-20-2003, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nuKKe@Nov 20 2003, 01:15 PM
The oddest is the 2 literally opposite meanings of 'fanny'.

That always makes me smirk! "Fanny pack" - ha ha!

(yes I am actually six years old!)

girl-who-loves-sharks · 11-20-2003, 05:35 AM

Oh geez, I didn't even know about the Fanny thing!

"Pudding" always confuses me. Does that just mean dessert or what? Because I think of actual pudding, and I laugh at how obsessed the English are with pudding.

littlest-bee · 11-20-2003, 06:14 AM

Pudding (or pud) can be used as a word for dessert (so can "afters"!) or a stodgy/cakey type sweet like treacle pudding or spotted dick (smirk smirk smirk!)

Cuilanië · 11-20-2003, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nuKKe@Nov 20 2003, 02:15 PM
The oddest is the 2 literally opposite meanings of 'fanny'.
Enough said.

This exact opposition exists also between French from France, and Québécois French. It can lead to some hilarious misconceptions...

Also to be noted, for French, the different meanings of the word "gosses". In France, it means kids. But in Québec, if you ever mention "les gosses de ma soeur" (my sister's kids, or any female relative, really), you will get a very strange look, indeed... *smirk*

[I can't seem to type right today...]

sarahkate · 11-20-2003, 06:38 AM

I love discussions about differences in language. I'm such a dork!

That crisps/chips - chips/fries thing always confuses me too!

girl-who-loves-sharks · 11-20-2003, 06:38 AM

Quote:

That crisps/chips - chips/fries thing always confuses me too!

That's because you're obsessed with potatoes!

11-20-2003, 03:30 AM	#1
littlest-bee Help! I'm Drowning!! Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: England Posts: 966	I work for a magazine publishing company and I'm fascinated with language - how it’s used (and abused!) and how it varies from place to place. I speak and write British English but like a lot of people in the UK I understand and often use Americanisms – partly because I spend so much time online talking to Americans. Obviously there’s differences too with Canadian English (does that even exist?!) and Australian English and New Zealand English and so on… Anyway, the reason for this long ramble is that this morning I was given a Style Guide to help me edit out common mistakes in the magazine and there was a huge list of words that have different meanings. Lots of them were new to me like corn syrup (US) instead of golden syrup (UK) – personally I think golden syrup sounds yummier! Some made me laugh too: I always think “ladyfingers” sound a bit perverted (in the UK its finger biscuits which isn’t much better I suppose) and girls have bangs rather than a fringe which makes me giggle. What other words are there (not just US ones) out there that have different meanings? My inner language geek wants to know! Please play! __________________ It's a nervousness adventure....

11-20-2003, 05:09 AM	#3
medeous Help! I'm Drowning!! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: ferguson, MO Posts: 4,917	and scones instead of biscuits. when i was very young, we lived in australia for a while. i remember my parents taking a class on how to speak/understand australian english. i wet my pants the first day of school because the teacher asked if anyone needed to go to the loo, but i just wanted to go to the bathroom. __________________ <span style='font-family:Courier'><span style='colorurple'>"I'm praying, God dammit!" -The Madness of King George</span></span>

11-20-2003, 05:15 AM	#4
nuKKe Help! I'm Drowning!! Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Tel Aviv!, Israel Posts: 1,503	The oddest is the 2 literally opposite meanings of 'fanny'. Enough said. __________________ Nervous since June 2002 USA 2007 - nuKKe and G go America with ATC's to trade. Wanna meet us? http://vb.nervousness.org/showthread.php?t=15472 - updates about the up and coming trip nuKKe is also on myspace, Flickr and LJ

11-20-2003, 06:14 AM	#7
littlest-bee Help! I'm Drowning!! Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: England Posts: 966	Pudding (or pud) can be used as a word for dessert (so can "afters"!) or a stodgy/cakey type sweet like treacle pudding or spotted dick (smirk smirk smirk!) __________________ It's a nervousness adventure....

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11-20-2003, 05:06 AM	#2
girl-who-loves-sharks Help! I'm Drowning!! Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 2,985	The British meaning of 'shag' was completely foreign to me until the Austin Powers movies. There's another one... what is it... snog? That's more like "make out," right? Biscuits instead of cookies always throws me. And crisps instead of chips, and chips instead of fries. (I agree, Rosie, that Lady Fingers is obscene-sounding!)

11-20-2003, 05:35 AM	#6
girl-who-loves-sharks Help! I'm Drowning!! Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 2,985	Oh geez, I didn't even know about the Fanny thing! "Pudding" always confuses me. Does that just mean dessert or what? Because I think of actual pudding, and I laugh at how obsessed the English are with pudding.

11-20-2003, 06:38 AM	#9
sarahkate Help! I'm Drowning!! Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 3,943	I love discussions about differences in language. I'm such a dork! That crisps/chips - chips/fries thing always confuses me too!

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