diffrent words

[joseph]

hello. i relised how there is diffirent words in diffrent countys like in england and america. becase when i was talking to frank lots of words in english that not in american like cross and rounders and jaffa cakes. and american like mom. so i wondered what all the words are like that so everone can now each others words from were they live. so if there was a word you dident now it miht be here!mile: i hope that make sense.

[marshlander]

Hi Joseph,

Yes it makes sense mile: If you ever go to America, watch out because it is easy to get into trouble. Some words that people don't mind in England can be quite bad words in America :eek: ... and the other way round for Americans too.

[joseph]

oh no that is hard is hope i never said them! what words are they like.

[marshlander]

oh no that is hard is hope i never said them! what words are they like.

I was afraid you might ask :tongue:

It's obviously a very long list and probably changes all the time, but you might have to be careful if you fancied an "iced bun" or if you were a smoker you wanted to know where you could buy some "fags". An American might be surprised at the response he got in England if he thought he might want to bum around and if you'd been drawing or writing and you wanted to rub out a mistake it's best not to ask for a "rubber", because you would probably be given a condom!

If you have a lot of time here's a longer list:
http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/britguid.html

[Dan1089]

Very interesting read Marshlander.In SA,we use UK grammar and words but we sometimes use both words e.g. hood/bonnet and trunk/boot.There other words that not the same as American e.g. We call them robots = traffic lights,barbeque = braai.I never got why they call petrol,gas,Another word that differs from region to region is "cellphone".

[fjp999]

Not really sure if anyone would really think your on the make if asked about an iced bun... maybe mention the devils dick and youre in trouble...

we dont use mate in the usa but use friend. I do like my mate though...

[joseph]

that is very very intresting.dan and marshlander and frankmile: i like it how there is diffirent words.

[joseph]

i got another one becuse somewere else frank said what is respite. respite is a place like a big house were you go for a week and it is for giving a break.for the carers and the person as well. i dont now if it was called something else in america or you not have it. do you have something that is like that called something else.mile:

[fjp999]

Thanks joseph. We use respite as a break time but not for a location... I am not sure what that would be with American English...

[Shadow]

Another example of an insult in American that means something completely harmless in English is "cracker".

To us, a cracker is a biscuit that you put either butter and/or cheese (and sometimes other things) on ... or something that you have around the table at Christmas that you pull and which contains a prize - a "Christmas Cracker".

In America, however, I believe the term is a rude way of describing a white person ... ??

!?!?! Shadow !?!?!