#1 June 23rd, 2005 07:02 AM

trebora

Member

English to Commonwealth xlation

I go to New Zealand a few times a year and I've picked up on some of the various words that mean something completly different than what an american would think it is.  Lemonade isn't anywhere near the same.  A fannypack isn't funny because they look silly.  And there is no such thing as biscuts and gravy outside of the US (that's just sick and wrong BTW)

I ran across a web site that had a list of some. I was currious if anyone else had any that wen't on the list.  http://www.accomodata.co.uk/amlish.htm

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One by one, the penguins slowly steal my sanity
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zimbonies

Member

Re: English to Commonwealth xlation

I go to New Zealand a few times a year and I've picked up on some of the various words that mean something completly different than what an american would think it is.  Lemonade isn't anywhere near the same.  A fannypack isn't funny because they look silly.  And there is no such thing as biscuts and gravy outside of the US (that's just sick and wrong BTW)

I ran across a web site that had a list of some. I was currious if anyone else had any that wen't on the list.  http://www.accomodata.co.uk/amlish.htm

It's funny that you mention this.  I recently met (and fell in love with!) a woman who spent the first 27 years of her life in Dorset England.  I always have to say "huh?" because I do not understand the vernacular all the time.
My most recent encounter is "who-be".  Example:  "Who-be your shoes?"  This means 'where are'.
My first encounter was 'plaster' which threw me for a loop.
Some of the others are:
Boot
Bonnet
Indicator
Turn-ups

The great thing is that she's a real peach and she puts up with my Pittsburgh accent and tries to teach me how to speak proper!

Cheers!
Zim

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"Look at da Chort?!  He's gone mad wit power!"

nagaloo

Member

Re: English to Commonwealth xlation

Every one to his own, I dont get bent out of shape with the way others use language. If you heard me speak you would wonder where I was from as I have my own unique accent. But I will ask if I dont understand. If you have friends from all over as the internet gives the possibility of having you get some strange sayings thrown at you.

Stew

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The universe is unfolding as it should, and so are the girls on ISM. I love them all.

trebora

Member

Re: English to Commonwealth xlation

One of the funnier things i've seen was a Kiwi, a Texan and a Puerto Rican talking (sounds like a bad joke don't it)  The Kiwi was translating for the Texan and the Puerto Rican. All three were speaking english.  Granted I was drinking but I couldn't understand any of them.

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One by one, the penguins slowly steal my sanity
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SCSIgirl

Member

Re: English to Commonwealth xlation

I go to New Zealand a few times a year and I've picked up on some of the various words that mean something completly different than what an american would think it is.  Lemonade isn't anywhere near the same.  A fannypack isn't funny because they look silly.  And there is no such thing as biscuts and gravy outside of the US (that's just sick and wrong BTW)

I ran across a web site that had a list of some. I was currious if anyone else had any that wen't on the list.  http://www.accomodata.co.uk/amlish.htm

Then you will most certainly enjoy this translating site:

http://rinkworks.com/dialect/

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"Apple of my Eye", "bated breath", "brave new world", "caught red-handed" - all coined by Shakespeare.

liandra_dahl

Member

Re: English to Commonwealth xlation

It's funny that you mention this.  I recently met (and fell in love with!) a woman who spent the first 27 years of her life in Dorset England.  I always have to say "huh?" because I do not understand the vernacular all the time.
My most recent encounter is "who-be".  Example:  "Who-be your shoes?"  This means 'where are'.
My first encounter was 'plaster' which threw me for a loop.
Some of the others are:
Boot
Bonnet
Indicator
Turn-ups

The great thing is that she's a real peach and she puts up with my Pittsburgh accent and tries to teach me how to speak proper!

Cheers!
Zim

He he, glad to know that the love of your life is an English girl. Though I have as much trouble as you when deciphering a strong Dorset accent.

liandra_dahl

Member

Re: English to Commonwealth xlation

I go to New Zealand a few times a year and I've picked up on some of the various words that mean something completly different than what an american would think it is.  Lemonade isn't anywhere near the same.  A fannypack isn't funny because they look silly.  And there is no such thing as biscuts and gravy outside of the US (that's just sick and wrong BTW)

I ran across a web site that had a list of some. I was currious if anyone else had any that wen't on the list.  http://www.accomodata.co.uk/amlish.htm

I actualy have a funny little anecdote about this sort of thing. About six years ago I used to work for Merrill Lynch International in London. My boss for about six months was an American called Joan. Now at one point there was a secret little office romance between my friend Justin and a girl called Alison. Only two of us (other than those two directly involved) knew about it because Justin had recently split from Sonia, an Irish girl with a big temper, and he was considerably older than Alison. They used to have "squash matches" in their lunch break, as it explained the flushed cheeks on their return. On returning after one such jaunt to the gym...or where ever...Joan approached Alison and said quite loudly "So did you get your fanny whacked?". Fanny means Pussy in England. Alison stood there staring at her, utterly mortified! I've never seen a blush quite that extreme. Her face was a classic, as was Joans confusion at the response to her question. I never laughed so hard

trebora

Member

Re: English to Commonwealth xlation

It's funny that you mention this.  I recently met (and fell in love with!) a woman who spent the first 27 years of her life in Dorset England.  I always have to say "huh?" because I do not understand the vernacular all the time.
My most recent encounter is "who-be".  Example:  "Who-be your shoes?"  This means 'where are'.
My first encounter was 'plaster' which threw me for a loop.
Some of the others are:
Boot
Bonnet
Indicator
Turn-ups

The great thing is that she's a real peach and she puts up with my Pittsburgh accent and tries to teach me how to speak proper!

Cheers!
Zim

So im sitting in the smoking lounge watching TV a few minutes ago and one of the Kiwis here came in for a smoke.  Seeing him I remeber this post and being the idiot I am ask him whats a turn-on.  He takes a drag of his smoke looks over at me in my pajama bottoms and bed hair and tells me that I'm not one.  So besides the ridicule of that statement now I have to tell him it was a turn up not a turn on I wanted to know about.

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One by one, the penguins slowly steal my sanity
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SCSIgirl

Member

Re: English to Commonwealth xlation

I actualy have a funny little anecdote about this sort of thing. About six years ago I used to work for Merrill Lynch International in London. My boss for about six months was an American called Joan. Now at one point there was a secret little office romance between my friend Justin and a girl called Alison. Only two of us (other than those two directly involved) knew about it because Justin had recently split from Sonia, an Irish girl with a big temper, and he was considerably older than Alison. They used to have "squash matches" in their lunch break, as it explained the flushed cheeks on their return. On returning after one such jaunt to the gym...or where ever...Joan approached Alison and said quite loudly "So did you get your fanny whacked?". Fanny means Pussy in England. Alison stood there staring at her, utterly mortified! I've never seen a blush quite that extreme. Her face was a classic, as was Joans confusion at the response to her question. I never laughed so hard

This reminds me of a cute story.  I was Atari's first photographer.  Somewhere in my archives,  I have the original promo photos for Pong, Grand Track, Scrace, etc.  I remember the tale of the first international shipment of Pong arcade game machines.  They were bought by a distributor in England.  The machines arrived,  the distributor saw "PONG" on the front in 3 inch high letters,  re-packed them and sent them back.

Atari scrambled to re-stencil the name "PING" on the machines and get them back to England.

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"Apple of my Eye", "bated breath", "brave new world", "caught red-handed" - all coined by Shakespeare.

Belgareth

Member

Re: English to Commonwealth xlation

I actualy have a funny little anecdote about this sort of thing. About six years ago I used to work for Merrill Lynch International in London. My boss for about six months was an American called Joan. Now at one point there was a secret little office romance between my friend Justin and a girl called Alison. Only two of us (other than those two directly involved) knew about it because Justin had recently split from Sonia, an Irish girl with a big temper, and he was considerably older than Alison. They used to have "squash matches" in their lunch break, as it explained the flushed cheeks on their return. On returning after one such jaunt to the gym...or where ever...Joan approached Alison and said quite loudly "So did you get your fanny whacked?". Fanny means Pussy in England. Alison stood there staring at her, utterly mortified! I've never seen a blush quite that extreme. Her face was a classic, as was Joans confusion at the response to her question. I never laughed so hard

I've had experience of a few cross-language misunderstanding, as well as dialectic ones. I remember staying for a week in a South London hotel some years ago (not by choice), which was staffed by imigrants and accommodated a wide range of international guests. The first morning, at breakfast, one of the Asian waitresses was getting more and more upset by a kindly but insistent old German gentleman. His grasp of the English language was not very good and he was trying to order two boiled eggs. Unfortunately he couldn't remember the word egg and was demanding, with ever increasing volume that the waitress brought him boiled eye (ei).

The following morning the poor fellow had the whole restaurant in uproar because the same waitress had left the sausage off his English breakfast and he was shouting "when do I become a sausage"

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