I'm an international terminology alien, are you?
- Thread starter Mr Silver
- Start date
I knew that much.
I think you've hit on something with giving juvenile sounding names to snacks and candy. There might be an untapped youth market to exploit here. You're an advertising genius!
I guess chocolate/marshmallow/digestive biscuit sandwich, apocalypse surviving mini snack cake, Grandmum's sticky candy, and vaguely pooplike semi-chocolate cylinder were already trademarked, so we had to come up with snappier sounding names.
Sorry to disappoint, but "bolognese sauce" doesn't even exist in Italy. What you call "spaghetti bolognese" is actually the (unholy) corruption of an actual Italian dish, "tagliatelle al ragù alla bolognese", which only marginally looks and tastes like the international counterpart (and I'm being generous: I've tried it and it's vile).
So, no, we don't have this "Dolmio" stuff, and I'm pretty sure if they tried to sell it here, people would burn it in huge bonfires under the full moon, dancing around them naked, and eating real Italian foodstuff.
S'mores, supposedly are a contraction of "some more." And taffy I've always thought must be a corruption of "toffee" since they're similar candies.
Interesting choice of product to mention, within the context of this thread.
I'm not sure whether you're old enough to remember the fuss, but Starburst is actually the American name for what was originally a British product (I think still US-owned even then though).
When it was introduced to the States, it was rebranded as Starburst. That was decades ago, but the British confectionary product (Opal Fruits) was only harmonised in name with the larger-selling American one sometime in the mid/late 90s (globalisation, unified branding, economy of scale of production, the usual story).
I can't remember exactly when it happened in the 90s, but it was a dark day for confectionary (only paralled by the Marathon/Snickers catastrophe some years beforehand but at least in that case the Snickers name was the original).
(the green Opal Fruits were the best, with yellow a close second. Anyone who says differently, lies. Orange is OK too, but strawberry is pretty blah, and whoever merged lemon & lime in order to add the yucky blackcurrant deserves to be force-fed them until he dies.
)
Over the years I developed a close friendship with someone from England and I've learned many terms because of our conversations. Sometimes we tease each other over the pronunciations of words, but it has actually been quite interesting. Because of my Indian heritage I also know many "British English" terms and occasionally still slip up and use the incorrect spelling. Well, incorrect for an American.
My parents have some great stories of confusion because of the differences in vocab, like the weird looks when asking if anyone has seen a muffler or asking someone for a torch.
My parents have some great stories of confusion because of the differences in vocab, like the weird looks when asking if anyone has seen a muffler or asking someone for a torch.
I know what it means, of course. But I’ve never heard an American say “I’ve never been” when someone mentions this or that country. We say, “I’ve never been there.”
And there’s “Pasteurized Process Cheese Food.” Is that something you feed to your pet cheese?
Why not? Everything’s better with bacon!Also; Spam with Bacon? WTF?
And what you guys call “chips,” we call “French fries.” Or just “fries.”
But you knew that.
“Vaguely pooplike semi-chocolate cylinder” — now, that’s funny.
Remember Space Food Sticks? They looked even more like turds — and didn’t taste a whole lot better.
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^ I've heard people use "I've never been" before. Not more than "I've never been there" but not infrequently either.
But it means without a specified limit, so it also makes sense in that context because it means it can possibly still be good since there's no expiration date. I took it as he's sort of gambling that it will still be edible.
But it means without a specified limit, so it also makes sense in that context because it means it can possibly still be good since there's no expiration date. I took it as he's sort of gambling that it will still be edible.
Yes, I know this. I was just making fun."Indefinite" does not mean "infinite."
But it means without a specified limit, so it also makes sense in that context because it means it can possibly still be good since there's no expiration date. I took it as he's sort of gambling that it will still be edible.
Just because the limit isn't specified doesn't mean it won't creep up on you someday and give you painful diahrrea.
May I use that as a quote line?
here's a fascinating article from the BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/14130942
and an interesting follow-up
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/14130942
and an interesting follow-up
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796
I liked the first article, but that second one is incredibly nitpicky.
yes, but several of them are correct. a million and a half is completely different to 1 and a half million, for example.
and if anyone ever said winningest to me, i really think i would punch them.
and if anyone ever said winningest to me, i really think i would punch them.
That's a rather angry response from someone who can't seem to master capitalization.
That second list comes off as being written by a bunch of bitter people with no understanding of how language evolves. So, you prefer to use British English. Fine, no one asked you not to. But why all the vitriol over it? They act like they own the damn language and any derivation from the established vocabulary is a personal affront.
Yeah, but you're an angry person.