Your word. our word . . . . Our meaning, your meaning.

"Perhaps we should have a thread about different meanings of the 'same' words in the UK and the U.S. (and other countries). It could be fun. Especially some of the slang (relatively clean slang)."

Let's see if there are any miles (kilometres), in this, shall we?

Not limited to UK and U.S., but any other English speaking countries as well.

I'll start with a few I know are different.

We (UK), call it a tap . . . . you (U.S.), call it a faucet

We call it the boot . . . . you call it the trunk

We call it petrol . . . . you call it gas/gasoline

Any others come to mind?

Also, what other meanings do we (you), for have for the words? Use in slang, like 'give him the boot', etc.?

Is it in the UK you say Torch, and In The US we say flashlight?

We say Bathroom - you say "The Loo?"

We say Cookies, you say Bisquits.

We say sausage, you say "Bangers"

We say Umbrella, you say "Bumper Shoot?" ( Is that right?"

Yes. We usually say 'torch', but we also say that if someone (like a thief), steals a car and sets it alight, they've 'torched it'.

We say 'bathroom' as well and, in parts of the UK, they say 'loo'. To be honest, around here, we usually say 'toilet'! We're pretty down to earth around here. If someone said (in a pub), for instance, "I'm going to the bathroom", they'd probably get punched fro talking like a posh person!

BTW, we say pub ............. I think you say bar ??

To us, the bar is just the serving counter in the pub.

What's your equivalent of 'posh'? By 'posh' we mean 'uppercrust', 'wealthy and snobby' perhaps. The 'la-dee-da'!

Upper crusts - we just say snobs

We say garbage and I think you call it a "Dust Bin?"

What do you call Beer there?

For 'garbage', we say 'rubbish'. The dust bin just holds the rubbish.

We say 'beer', but the really 'good' beer; i.e., no preservatives or nasty chemicals, and brewed in the traditional way, is called 'real ale'.

But we call lager, 'lager'. Then, there's 'cider' (Yummy! ).

We say 'snobs' mostly for the actual people that are snobby. We say 'posh', as in well-to-do, or wealthy looking, but not necessarily snobs. So, we'd say "she's very posh you know".

The origin of 'posh' is interesting. The best seats (for the view), on passenger ships leaving the UK were always on the post side when leaving port nad, therefore on the other side, the starboard side, when returning to port. Hence ............. posh ................ from POrt out, Starboard Home. Good eh?

That is interesting!! You learn something new every day!!

We say garbage and the container that holds it a can - Garbage can.

Rubbish means foolishness here.

Cider is apple cider - or hard cider

Yes - we say "you're just talking rubbish" as well.

We have apple cider (cider), and pear cider - fairly recent in popularity.

Now, here's one that'll make you smile.

Am I right in saying that what we call cellotape, you call Scotch Tape (which is just a brand name of it here)? Well, one thing I'm fairly sure of is this. Whilst we call it cellotape, in Australia, I'm fairly sure they call it durex. Now, I'm not sure if most Americans will know what we, in the UK know as Durex, but I'll tell you anyway. It's what I believe Americans call (in the .... ahem! ..... sexual sense ..... a rubber!). To make things even more 'lost in translation', and potentially very embarrassing, if I was to visit America and walk into a shop asking to buy a packet of 'rubbers', I'd be very embarrassed by what they sold me. Why? Because in the UK a 'rubber' is what you call an ......... 'eraser'! .............................. I only wanted to rub out a few mistakes on my post card to my mum!!!!!!!!!!

OMG!! I am laughing very hard here!!!!! That is tOOOOOOO funny!!
Although, my grandpa called rubbers these things you wear over your shoes so they do not get wet.
Hee- Hee hee... Funny Gelert!!!!

Yes, in school I learned that you use a 'rubber' to erase things. When I was in Sweden I asked someone where I could find a rubber. Apparently she only knew the American meaning.

Uh-oh! Did you get a slap in the face? LOL!!

Narrow escape I think. I managed to explain what I was looking for. Didn't understand though why she had to laugh so hard.

That is why is a previous post I said I would want to speak the language of the places I'm traveling to, so I wouldn't offend or embarrass myself or others!

Better don't go to England then.

As much as I'd like to, I will probably never get the chance anyway.

What worries me most about the rubber-durex-cellotape story is what I could be asking for to - ahem! - wear - ahem! - if I were to walk into an Australian shop and ask for durex! Ooooh! The pain! The pain! ........................... "Doctor please!"

Ouch !

hatshepsut

LOL!!! Well, If I happen to meet any foreigners, and they say somthing incorrectly, I promise not to laugh ( In front of them anyway ) but to be polite!