American / European Incomprehension. (page 3)

Mulan

Hi E--man...
Loved your post. I think I've posted this before, but when we were in England, we had a 'crash course' on words not to use in England!! Fanny was the most emphatic one. We had dinner at some friends of friend's house in Essex, and I asked about that, and the teenage girls turned absolutely purple. Of course I knew it meant the female genitals, but I had to cause a reaction. All over England, and Scotland, we heard the same thing........'we speak, English, but we understand American', from shops and people we stayed with in Bed and Breakfasts. Really great people, and we were very aware of the attitude towards Americans so were respectful, and tried to adapt to their way of talking, and asked if we didn't understand. A widow who ran the B&B we stayed in in Inverness, asked one morning at breakfast if we knew whether the "wee man was up yet", referring to the Japanese fellow in one of the other rooms. He was the only other person there, so we said he was up. Later we looked up the word in a Scottish dictionary and found that it meant 'young'. To us, it means 'small'. So, while we all speak a form of English, the dialects can be very different. In Wales, I can barely understand them at all.......they mix Welsh and English I think......on purpose.
I love the UK. Can't wait to go back.

Englishman

Mulan,

Phylis Calvert is rumoured to have been outraged when movie fans were recommended to view her Fanny by gaslight.

Englishman

..... fanaticism masquerading beneath a cloak of reasoned logic.

Mulan

Thanks big E!!

larc

Some random thoughts,

I enjoyed reading everyone's comments. One thing I have also enjoyed here is the language and expression from people from the UK, Norway, and Australia. I have learned some new words and some new news.

About us Yanks: we are woefully lacking in an understanding of what's going on in the rest of the world. Even our knowledge of the geography of the world is limited. Hell, the knowledge of the geography of our own country is limited. Now that I have humbled myself before my world audience, I would like add some other comments.

To Prisca: most of us know that you speak English. I am horrified that some dumb American did not. On another subject: if you don't like McDonald's don't buy their burgers. They will go away in a hurry. Question for Prisca: I know your country is about the same size as the U.S.. Are there distict dialects across your country? We have differences in vocabulary and dialect here.

Lanuage: I find it facinating how the English language has evolved into unique forms across the globe, all in the span of about 200 years. We also have very distinct difference here in the U.S. in a relatively short distance of time and space.

Yes, I knew what the word "randy" meant, so as Francois pointed out, it is part of our language as well.

Quiz question: What does the term "Devil's Strip" mean? The term I grew up with and is commonly used in Akron, Ohio. Much to my surprise, people in other Ohio and Michigan cities did not know the term. This is just an example to show how localized a word or term can be.

I know I have been rambling, and I have to go now. I have to sacrifice a goat to the ancient God Moleck and his sister Judy.

Roamingfeline

Hi Larc,

I'm originally from the Ozarks and I have no idea what Devil's strip means.

Regarding Australian dialect though, it's universal throughout Oz. Not like the US. But then, you have only 19 million people here compared to the 240+million inhabitants of the USA.

BTW, have Englishman tell you what it means to be "stuffed" in the UK. It's certainly different than in USA, as well as "rooting".

RCat

Edited for typos as usual...

bajarama

Since I'm an American asshole, let me bring out the point that you posters from Europe, Asia and Australia would all be speaking a dialect of German, Japanese or Russian if many worthless American's had not given their lives to help defend your lands.

(bajarama steps down from his card board soap box and exits the stage, wondering how much longer lazy, selfish Americans can play the, we saved the world "card")

right on

bajarama

larc

RCat,

I will bet that no one on this board here in the States knows the meaning of "Devil's Strip". I will come back later and tell ya'all. As I said before, I grew up with the term, as did my wife, yet outside of that one city, no one knew what we meant when we used that term.

Is life good or what?

Stephanus

Bajarama:

You may be an arsehole, but McArthur was a bigger one and saved us from eating sushi and teriyaki dishes regularly (rather than occasionally on a night out!). Our wonderful govt. decided to only defend Oz from Brisbane south (which is illegal, according to our constitution). If McArthur hadn't been an arsehole and practically declared marshall law here, who knows what would've happened! (This from one brought up in a staunchly anti-American family!) (Oh, and I love sushi, BTW! LOL)

COMF

Hey, larc! I have no idea what a Devil's strip is. In the town where I grew up, there were two things that "strip" referred to. One was "cruising the strip" and it meant driving your car up and down the same area over and over, from Shadrach Snack Shack up by the high school, down through the red light, circling the Tastee Freeze, back to the red light, right up across the town square to circle Dairy Queen, and then back to the light, turn right, and up to the Shack again.

Yes, life in small-town Texas was indeed boring. About all we had to do was go "across the river" (our hometown was in a dry county... no alcohol for sale; but the next county, delineated by the river, was wet, so right across the river there were several liquor stores) and drive hotrod cars... which brings me to the second meaning of "strip." The Strip was a quarter-mile section of straight highway a few miles outside of town, and was where all the serious car races took place. In the days before the gas shortage, gas was about 14 cents a gallon, and if you had anything smaller than a 327 you were nobody. Maybe you could squeak by with a 289 or a 283 if you had a Holley 4-barrel or a 4-on-the-floor. But just barely. Guys with anything less weren't even able to find anybody who would race them.

But that has nothing to do with Devilment, does it. Oh, well.

Hey, here's one... does anybody know what a fade barn is?

COMF

Tina

Well Im stumped!
Hi Comf,larc..........I have a question as well.

I overheard this in a clinic..What in the world is a beating'country style?' This was spoken in relation to discipling a child....hugs,Tina

American / European Incomprehension.

Share this