American-isms (page 2)

journey-on

Hotchocolate

I enjoyed your post. You weren't rude and didn't try to throw in the anti-American slurs like some on this board do. You sound like a sweetheart of a person.

In somebody's post yesterday, they were talking about having become an American citizen and wishing they could take it back and go back to Canada. Then

she proceeded to ridicule the way Americans talk, the way they look, the way they act, etc. etc. And I was thinking, "she's describing a part of it, a small part

of it, but maybe she lives in an area where the majority of the folks are like that"....I don't know...I didn't even respond to her condescending ill-informed words.

The thing about America is...it's a huge country (3rd largest in the world next to China and India); very, very diversified (I read somewhere that every country in

the world is represented here but two, and they were some small obscure little country I can't remember); culturally and ethnically diverse; and every region has

it's own idiocincracies, accent, and personality. There are super wealthy people, extremely poor people, highly educated people (out of the top 20 univesities

in the world, all but three are in America), high-school dropouts, fashionable elitists, sloppy trashy morons, artsy wine-sipping gallery-hopping folks, and beer-drinking

pool-shooting porn-watching people......and everything in between. I love it!

Bring_the_Light

Which brings me to: why are the dates written month-day-year? Doesn't it make more sense to do day-month-year to keep it in a logical sequence? Hmmm

We write it like we say it, not like a computer may reason. "September eleventh two thousand-one" 9/11/2001

Okay now I'm on a roll.. what's the deal with the English language being tweaked? Centre, favourite, organisation, neighbour. And what's more of a slap in the face is when Microsoft Word wants to put zeds in all my words, and I have to tell it "No, actually I'm REALLY writing English, thanks anyway." haha

You may have noticed we "tweaked" a whole fucking continent out of you empire buddy. Messing with the language we stole in the process is really the least of your problems.

Which brings me to zed. The 26th letter of the alphabet. Yep. Sorry folks, it's zed not zee. I think zee started up when Sesame Street needed their song to rhyme.. :-P heh heh

Sesame Street is the most powerful force on earth, I would not question it. Most important things I learned about life, I learned from Sesame Street (not JayDubs)

Oh dear I'm having way too much fun with this. Hey and why do you guys call your main meal an "entree"? The word literally means "entrance" so we use it to describe the lighter, starter meal before the main. Hey so what do you call your entrees??

I don't call anything entree. I sounds French and I oppose all things French on moral grounds.

But seriously, secretly I'm a big time admirer of America. In fact, I plan on spending a lot of time there in the future. :-)

Most people who aren't retarded share your sentiment. God Bless(ed) America (TM)

RR

One that I use that my wife HATEs is "It's a small little thing"

lonelysheep

Hot Chocolate-that was interesting and funny!

We call our starter foods "appetizers". :)

Zed?? I'd never heard of that till now!

In the U.S., the term fanny is used as a euphemism to denote a person's [a man or woman's] buttocks. However, I have read that in Australia, it is decidedly not a euphemism at all. In fact, it is considered a very vulgar term denoting a woman's sexual organs.

Moreover, the "V" for-victory sign, formed by extending the forefinger and the middle finger in a "V" shape, is also considered extremely vulgar in Australia.

Also, Americans use the term suspenders todesignate the elastic straps that some men use instead of belt to hold up their pants. I have read that Brits use the term braces to descibe these elastic straps used by men. For Brits, the word suspenders designates what Americans would call a woman's garter belt that she uses to hold up her stocking hose or "nylons." For Americans, the term braces is used in connection with teeth or sometimes in connection with leg supports for people who have been injured or are handicapped.

One last thing. It always strikes me as odd when Brits use the term torch [for the American flashlight]; thechemist's [for the American pharmacy]; and boot to designate the back-end [the trunk] of a car.

What is that old expression - America and England are two countries divided by a common language? All joking aside, English has become a universal language; and in fact, there are many varieties of English spoken throughout the world. English has been appropriated by many diverse populations in the world. Each group makes its own contribution.

Awakened at Gilead

BtL: You may have noticed we "tweaked" a whole fucking continent out of you empire buddy. Messing with the language we stole in the process is really the least of your problems.

I don't get it... Why are you so tough on HC? But get the facts right:

America won it's independence from Britain. HC is from Australia, which like America, won its independence from Britain. Or in your history book did America fight Australia for independence?

Sorry for going off subject....

Getting back to the theme of this thread:

Britain: "Bum"

USA: "Butt"

But "ass" is universal, I believe.

A@G

Tired of the Hypocrisy

Git er Done

carla

"In the U.S., the term fanny is used as a euphemism to denote a person's [a man or woman's] buttocks. However, I have read that in Australia, it is decidedly not a euphemism at all. In fact, it is considered a very vulgar term denoting a woman's sexual organs. "------ I suppose they don't sell 'fanny packs' then huh? Travel agents don't suggest using fanny packs to keep valuables close at hand? hehehe

brinjen

Moreover, the "V" for-victory sign, formed by extending the forefinger and the middle finger in a "V" shape, is also considered extremely vulgar in Australia.

Depends on which direction your palm is facing actually. If it's facing away from you, you're saying peace. If you're looking at your palm however, that 'V' takes on a whole new meaning.

But "ass" is universal, I believe.

Actually, the correct spelling is 'arse'.

Faucet (tap), cell phone (mobile), bathroom (toilet)...

Incidentally, there's a suburb here in Darwin called 'Fanny Bay'.

llbh

Potty for toilet in America.

Potty in the Uk means a toilet to train young children

These differences can add to the fun of the encounters with each other

David

American-isms