Different English Languages

strauchr

I thought this might be a fun topic to set up as I always find it interesting how different countries use the same language (English) words for different things. Considering there are a lot of Brits, Americans, Australians etc. we should come up with some good stuff. I'll start with a few words that leap to mind that I have to correct myself with sometimes.

Australian - Other
Thongs - Flip Flops
G-String - Thong
Pants - Underwear (UK)
G'Day - Good Day (UK)
Soccer (US aswell) - Football (UK) - you can laughed at quite a bit in the UK
Footpath - Sidewalk
Carport - Garage
Rubbish - Trash/Garbage
Bin - Trashcan
Mate (UK aswell) - Pal or friend
Runners/Sport Shoes - Sneakers


Other differences which intrigue me are the different but similar sports as well

Aus - US - UK
Cricket - Baseball - Cricket
Aussie Rules Football/Rugby - Gridiron/NFL - Soccer/Rugby


Yes I'm bored!

Anything to add?

sprkymrk

Well there was a popular commercial here in the US featuring the Crocodile Dundee guy telling us all to come to Australia for a vacation and he would have some "shrimp on the barbie" ready for us. So now everyone in the US thinks Australians refer to a "charcoal grill" or "barbeque grill" as a "barbie". Can you settle the question for us? Do Australians really call it that?

What exactly is a "meat pie"? I have heard you have them there, but from descriptions I don't think our hamburger or meatloaf are comparable and it is unique to Australia.

Thanks!

EdTheLad

Yes the Aussies say barbie, a meat pie is traditionally english.It has a thick pastry crust around the outside with meat and gravy sauce in the inside.
Next you'll be asking whats a yorkshire pudding or a cornish pastie

strauchr

Oh no, Crocodile Dundee. Puts what it means to be Australian back 50 years.

Anyway, a 'Barbie' is indeed a Barbeque or BBQ. However, I have never heard anyone say throw a 'shrimp on the barbie'. First of all we call them prawns not shrimp and second of all shrimp is not a hugely popular food to cook on a barbie. More common things are sausages (snag), steak, lamb chops, onions and to a lesser extent chicken, fish, pork followed by then prawns.

So a term very commonly used is "Throw another snag on the barbie". I think somehow it was translated for American and then the world and has stuck with us. On a side note no one, and I mean NO ONE drinks Fosters in Australia. Another myth! Yes it is Australian but we simply do NOT drink it. We have many better beers or lagers that we enjoy as well local beers in each state of Australia.

Now a meat pie. England claims to have meat pie but they are very different. Its basically meat chunks (beef or steak usually) in a gravy put into a pastry and covered on top with pastry. Usually it is eaten with Tomato Sauce (A variance on Ketchup but very similar) on top spread over the top of the pastry. It is served hot, usually too hot and you can burn your mouth

Anyway, here is a link to a famous brand in Australia (from my hometown) It shows some pictures of what they look like as well as the variety of different pies you can get. Its not all just beef and pastry as they have made many varieties.

http://www.mrsmacs.com.au/OurBrands/TraditionalPastries.php

My fave is beef, bacon and cheese and I am craving for one quite badly now.

oldbarney

Lorry (UK) = Truck (US)
Solicitor (UK) = Attorney (US)
Abseiling (UK) = Rappeling (US) - Interestingly, the British definition is thought to be derived from abseilen (German), which means to "rope down".

strauchr

So to add a few more to the list

Aus

Tomato Sauce - Ketchup
Barbie - Barbeque
Tinnies - can of beer
Stubby - bottle of beer
Eski - Cooler
Snag - Sausage
Potato Chips - Crisps (UK)

strauchr

ed_the_lad wrote:

Yes the Aussies say barbie, a meat pie is traditionally english.It has a thick pastry crust around the outside with meat and gravy sauce in the inside.
Next you'll be asking whats a yorkshire pudding or a cornish pastie

I've had pies here and I can tell you they are very very different.

Also sausages here (UK) are normally Pork whilst most sausages in Australia are beef.

EdTheLad

strauchr wrote:

ed_the_lad wrote:

Also sausages here (UK) are normally Pork whilst most sausages in Australia are beef.

How true, only the UK and Ireland know how to make proper sausages.

eurotrash

strauchr wrote:

Tomato Sauce - Ketchup

Huh? They're different things. What then would you call tomato sauce that comes in cans/tins (that stuff you use for cooking)?

strauchr

_omni_ wrote:

strauchr wrote:

Tomato Sauce - Ketchup

Huh? They're different things. What then would you call tomato sauce that comes in cans/tins (that stuff you use for cooking)?

Yeah they are slightly different but not the difference you think.

Tomato Sauce in tins is called Tomato Paste. Tomato sauce is you every day sauce you have with sausages etc. which is very similar to ketchup.

strauchr

ed_the_lad wrote:

strauchr wrote:

ed_the_lad wrote:

Also sausages here (UK) are normally Pork whilst most sausages in Australia are beef.

How true, only the UK and Ireland know how to make proper sausages.

We have pork sausages in Australia too which are the same as here. I prefer beef. The beef sausages here (UK) are very different to in Australia.

sprkymrk

oldbarney wrote:

Lorry (UK) = Truck (US)
Solicitor (UK) = Attorney (US)
Abseiling (UK) = Rappeling (US) - Interestingly, the British definition is thought to be derived from abseilen (German), which means to "rope down".

Only one correction:
Solicitor (UK) = Attorney (US)
Many Americans here in the US call them other things too, such as lawyers, thieves, ambulance chasers, and a few things that would get me banned from this site if I said them... :P
Oh yeah, and how can you tell when a lawyer is lying to you?


His lips are moving.

sprkymrk

By the way - thanks for the replies stauchr and ed!

Plantwiz

Couple that I learned over the years:

Torch (UK) = Flashlight (US)

Ring (UK) = Call (US) as in Call someone on the phone (US) or Tele (UK)

****

Basically, your meat pies are similar the US Pot Pies, correct?

And while were going over variation on words etc.. Koala 'bear' as they are mistakenly called here in the US are not bears, there are merely called Koala's and they are masupials not bears.

sprkymrk

Even in the US we have different terms for the same word depending on the region:
Midwest "Cart/Shopping Cart" vs Southeast "buggy".
Midwest "pop" vs. Southeast "soda".
Midwest "you guys" vs. Southeast "y'all"
Midwest "Can you give me a ride to the store" vs. Southeast "Can you carry me to the store".

By midwest I am speaking of states such as Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, etc. By Southeast I am referring to North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, etc.

keatron

i grew up in the south and now live in the midwest. Here are some of my favorites.

South=Take me to the store Midwest=Bring me to the store
South=Look at this Midwest=Look it.

Southern US exclusive
"I reckon" as in I suppose.

Chicago exclusive.
Person 1. I need to find someone to fix my car.
Person 2. "I got a guy"


Don't quiet know where this usage is, but I've heard people refer to a fridge as an "icebox".

BubbaJ

I fixin' to go down to the icehouse an' git me some beer to put in my icebox.

JDMurray

I remember being in a British Pub in SoCal called The Olde Ship and having someone walk up to me and ask, "Where's the bog, mate? I'm dying for a slash!" I felt like I was the straight-man in a Monty Python skit.

strauchr

Plantwiz wrote:

Couple that I learned over the years:

Torch (UK) = Flashlight (US)

Ring (UK) = Call (US) as in Call someone on the phone (US) or Tele (UK)

****

Basically, your meat pies are similar the US Pot Pies, correct?

And while were going over variation on words etc.. Koala 'bear' as they are mistakenly called here in the US are not bears, there are merely called Koala's and they are masupials not bears.

Torch and Ring are the same for Australia.

Not sure what Pot Pies are so can't confirm.

I believe they are called Koala bears everywhere but I'm not sure why. I am sure they are marsupials but I'll look it up.

strauchr

sprkymrk wrote:

Even in the US we have different terms for the same word depending on the region:
Midwest "Cart/Shopping Cart" vs Southeast "buggy".
Midwest "pop" vs. Southeast "soda".
Midwest "you guys" vs. Southeast "y'all"
Midwest "Can you give me a ride to the store" vs. Southeast "Can you carry me to the store".

By midwest I am speaking of states such as Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, etc. By Southeast I am referring to North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, etc.

Cart is Trolly or Shopping Trolley in Aust.

Pop/soda is Soft Drink or Cool Drink.

strauchr

keatron wrote:

i grew up in the south and now live in the midwest. Here are some of my favorites.

South=Take me to the store Midwest=Bring me to the store
South=Look at this Midwest=Look it.

Southern US exclusive
"I reckon" as in I suppose.

Chicago exclusive.
Person 1. I need to find someone to fix my car.
Person 2. "I got a guy"


Don't quiet know where this usage is, but I've heard people refer to a fridge as an "icebox".

Reckon is also very common in Australia.

strauchr

jdmurray wrote:

I remember being in a British Pub in SoCal called The Olde Ship and having someone walk up to me and ask, "Where's the bog, mate? I'm dying for a slash!" I felt like I was the straight-man in a Monty Python skit.

SoCal = Soho?

Yeah bog is another term for toilet. Also 'dunny' is a very Australian term for toilet.

JDMurray

Loo, John, crapper, lavy, water closet, wc, ladies/gents. There must be lots more.

SoCal = Southern California
SoFla = South Florida

Meat pies and Pot pies are similar concepts. Pot pies are made in a pie tin or a soufflé dish.

Lots more slang in the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slang

TheShadow

To knock someone up has drastically different meanings in the UK and the US.

EdTheLad

TheShadow wrote:

To knock someone up has drastically different meanings in the UK and the US.

Means to get a girl pregers? Doesnt mean the same in US?
Knock someone off... means to kill someone

supertechCETma

Australian - Other - Texan
Thongs - Flip Flops - Sandals
G-String - Thong - overdressed stripper
Pants - Underwear (UK) - jockeys/boxers
G'Day - Good Day (UK) - Howdy!
Soccer (US aswell) - Football (UK) - Soccer is sort of like Football
Footpath - Sidewalk - cow trail
Carport - Garage - shed
Rubbish - Trash/Garbage - Trash
Bin - Trashcan - barrel
Mate (UK aswell) - Pal or friend - buddy
Runners/Sport Shoes - Sneakers - tennis shoes

Texas - it's like a whole other country

sprkymrk

supertechCETma wrote:

Australian - Other - Texan
Mate (UK aswell) - Pal or friend - buddy
Texas - it's like a whole other country

Whoa, hold on there a minute, shouldn't that be "pard" or "pardner"?
I also heard a story about 3 Texans meeting for a business lunch. They got a table for 6, one chair for each of them to sit on and one chair each for their Texas Stetson 10 gallon hats.

One clarification on South Carolina lingo:
If one is speaking to a person (singular) he is referred to as "Y'all", as in "Y'all ought to come to the game tonight". If speaking to multiple people the proper way to invite them all to the game would be to say "All y'all ought to come to the game tonight".

strauchr

Thats my fave Yank word to use, "Y'all"

Oh yeah Yank = Americans for us. But from I can gather if your a Yank or Yankee you from the south or north or something?

Webmaster

Yanks used to be the northern Americans during the civil war, and since they won the civil war it seems especially every other English country refers to any American as 'yank', even use it as an adjective as you did. Inside the US however, I'm not sure if the word 'yank' is always 'appreciated'.
The original yanks (north american soldiers) refered to british sailors as 'limeys', is that also still used?

I like the Australian: "Good onya mate"

and the British(also OZ and NZ probably) word "bloke" for guy

strauchr wrote:

Reckon is also very common in Australia.

Also as in "I suppose'? I thought the Australian version was more like reckon! as in 'definitely!'

sprkymrk wrote:

All y'all ought to come to the game tonight".

So what would you say if don't want to invite eveyone: "Some of y'all ought to come" or "Some of all y'all ought to come"?

Danman32

TheShadow wrote:

To knock someone up has drastically different meanings in the UK and the US.

Ain't that the truth. Someone I used to know told me of a story where she met someone in UK and nearly flattened him for saying that, when he really wanted to call on her for breakfast the next morning.

When she relayed the story to a British couple we met in a group, they said the term 'knock up' was not commonly used anymore.

Koalas are not bears? Gee, that ruins a subplot in the story 'Josephine the Short Neck Giraffe'.

EdTheLad

Danman32 wrote:

TheShadow wrote:

To knock someone up has drastically different meanings in the UK and the US.

Ain't that the truth. Someone I used to know told me of a story where she met someone in UK and nearly flattened him for saying that, when he really wanted to call on her for breakfast the next morning.

When she relayed the story to a British couple we met in a group, they said the term 'knock up' was not commonly used anymore.

Koalas are not bears? Gee, that ruins a subplot in the story 'Josephine the Short Neck Giraffe'.

Ah, its more of an Irish expression and its not "To knock someone up"
Whats generally said is something like " sure i'll knock up to yea later" which basicllay traslates to, i'll come knocking on your door later.