UK English vrs US English - light thread

amother

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 3:48 pm

So.. having been married to a Brit for many years before finally moving to the uk, I thought I knew all the words. Well, apparently I don’t. I went to the store to ask for a porta crib because I’m waiting for my lift to arrive and she said, “welcome to England. Get with the program. We don’t sell porta cribs, they are banned from the uk for safety reasons. We sell cot beds and cots. And you aren’t waiting for the elevator you are waiting for your container.” 🙄

I’ll think of many other stories.

amother

Linen

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:04 pm

Well the classic is obviously pants. In the UK they refer only to underwear which can lead to some interesting conversation. What Americans refer to as pants are called trousers here.

We don't have garbage or trash-there is rubbish which goes in a rubbish bin. When my brother visited cousins in New York, there was a lot of confusion when he asked to put something in the rubbish until they figured out he meant garbage/trash.

Welcome to England, OP!
(btw is a porta crib what we English would call a travel cot?)

#Happymom

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:06 pm

Haaa! That's good!
My dd is in an American gan and she talks about going in an alligator (elevator) and when she saw the dustbin lorry she says "look! A garbage lorry"

amother

Goldenrod

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:07 pm

Whereabout in the UK are you? You might be able to buy a portacrib from a home-based business.

I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say waiting for the container.

If I'm not mistaken, an elevator is a lift. The moving stairs you find in large department stores are escalators.

The trunk of a car is a boot.
A vest is a waistcoat. (Undershirts are called vests here.)
Pants are trousers.

More should come to mind soon Wink

amother

Whitewash

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:11 pm

#Happymom wrote:

Haaa! That's good!
My dd is in an American gan and she talks about going in an alligator (elevator) and when she saw the dustbin lorry she says "look! A garbage lorry"

I believe Americans would call it a 'garbage truck' Tongue Out

amother

Pansy

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:11 pm

What's a porta crib? I'm English. This thread is good fun.. My kids sometimes lol at the pants/trousers thing.

I'd love to hear stories of mix ups. I don't think there are so many words that are different or am I wrong? Diapers, pacifier, sidewalk. Smart for clever in the us. Smart for us means that you're dressed nicely/shab dik. These are the words that come to my mind.

amother

Outerspace

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:13 pm

#Happymom wrote:

Haaa! That's good!
My dd is in an American gan and she talks about going in an alligator (elevator) and when she saw the dustbin lorry she says "look! A garbage lorry"

My husband spent a lot of his childhood is England but his parents were American expats. As a little boy, he taught his friends to say 'garbage truck.' Much cooler.

amother

Pansy

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:14 pm

amother [ Mimosa ] wrote:

My jumper is your sweater?

Yes those are pinafore dresses Very Happy

A jumper is a sweater with no zip. A zipped sweater is a cardigan.

amother

Linen

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:16 pm

I remember replying on a thread about baby bottles and talking about the 'teat'. Apparently you Americans call it a 'nipple'.

Also a stroller would be a buggy or a pram (short for the classic prambulator). A pram usually refers to a bassinet style stroller (which we call a carrycot not a bassinet).

amother

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:18 pm

amother [ Linen ] wrote:

Yes, as a newlywed I went to primark and I was so excited how cheap everything was. (This was before they opened in America.) I was telling my father in law how I got a pair of pants for my husband for only £12 and he said, “well that’s not cheap at all!” embarrassed

Thank you! Apparently, it’s called a cot. A cot bed would be a full sized crib.

amother

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:20 pm

amother [ Goldenrod ] wrote:

Thanks. We got our cot.

Container is my shipment of my stuff from America. Not sure what else to call it. We say lift.

Lift is an elevator but I knew that already. Escalators are escalators.

After my engagement party my sisters were taking things out to the car and told my English brothers in law to open the trunk. Oh what a laugh that was! They could not understand!

Kerb vrs curb

amother

Whitewash

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:26 pm

Here's a dictionary for y'all.

pavement = sidewalk
buggy = stroller
dummy = pacifier
trousers = pants
pants = underpants
vest = undershirt
jumper = sweater
pinafore = jumper
chips = french fries
crisps = chips
hot beads = perler beads
lift = elevator
flat = apartment
balcony = porch
caravan = RV
rubbish = garbage
bin = garbage can
courgette = zucchini
mobile = cell phone

Will add more soon...

amother

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:27 pm

amother [ Pansy ] wrote:

It’s basically a small cot. We call it that because the company porta crib apparently invented it.

There are plenty of different words! Off the top of my head-

que- line
Shop- store
Naughty girl- for us the word is quite racy. This shabbos my friend told another you are such a naughty girl and I just had to close my ears
Biscuit - cookie
Sweets- candy
Motor way- high way
Car park- parking lot
Headmaster- principal
Year 1- first grade
reception- pre 1 A
Swimming costume- bathing suit

amother

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:28 pm

amother [ Linen ] wrote:

Well then what’s a “push chair”?

amother

Pansy

Tue, Jun 22 2021, 4:30 pm

amother [ Hawthorn ] wrote:

My son has a bucher in yeshiva from England . He just mentioned to me that a spider they call daddylongleg

Only one specific spider. Ewww they're horrible! The ones with veeery thin long legs lol!