I'm an international terminology alien, are you?

[SVD]

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.

What would a muffler be but the thing on the exhaust system of a car?

here's a fascinating article from the BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/14130942

From that:

...As an ex-American resident, I remain a big fan of baseball. But I sit over here and listen to people who know nothing of the games talk about ideas coming out of "left field". They speak about "three strikes and you're out" or "stepping up to the plate" without the foggiest idea what these phrases mean. I think the country has started to lose its own sense of itself...

That is SCARY!

Questions for the Brits here:

1) How common is it to use "Aye" in place of "Yes" and who does?

2) I drive over to my friend's house. US: I'm visiting him. UK: I'm calling (on) him?

3) I dial his number on my phone. US: I've called him. UK: ??

 

[T'Girl]

What would a muffler be but the thing on the exhaust system of a car?

A scarf? Especially a long thick one that you can wrap across your lower face, that's from someone who lives in Seattle.

3) I dial his number on my phone. US: I've called him. UK: ??

Ring him up?

 

[Capn Flukie]

Fanny.

 

[M'Sharak]

yes, but several of them are correct. a million and a half is completely different to 1 and a half million, for example.

If you want a million and one-half (1,000,000.5) of a particular item, then all you have to do is say so, but "a million and a half" and "one-and-a-half million" mean the same thing.

I can see were the misunderstanding can come into that.

You could say one point five million or one and a half million, are the same thing. But in the case of one million and a half, you are saying the half after the million. So so people could thing you mean 1 000 000.5.

So just out of interest how would you say 1 000 000.5?

The same way I said it up there: a million and one-half. Or I could do it the way we were taught in school when I was little and omit the 'and', making it "one million, one-half".

 

[MacLeod]

in the UK however the one from one and half is dropped fairly often as it serves no purpose.

 

[Kestra]

What would a muffler be but the thing on the exhaust system of a car?

A scarf? Especially a long thick one that you can wrap across your lower face, that's from someone who lives in Seattle.

Yep, a scarf.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

From the song "Do You Remember These?" by the Statler Brothers:

Movie stars on Dixie Cup tops
And knickers to your knees

 

[scotpens]

...As an ex-American resident, I remain a big fan of baseball. But I sit over here and listen to people who know nothing of the games talk about ideas coming out of “left field”. They speak about “three strikes and you're out” or “stepping up to the plate” without the foggiest idea what these phrases mean. I think the country has started to lose its own sense of itself...

That’s not much different from using a phrase like “flash in the pan” without knowing its origin, or using the word “stereotype” exclusively in its metaphorical sense, unaware that it was originally a printing term.

Fanny.

Tits!

 

[captcalhoun]

That is SCARY!

Questions for the Brits here:

1) How common is it to use "Aye" in place of "Yes" and who does?

2) I drive over to my friend's house. US: I'm visiting him. UK: I'm calling (on) him?

3) I dial his number on my phone. US: I've called him. UK: ??

1. depends on the area. mostly northerners and scots by stereotype.

2. no, you're visiting him.

3. you've either called him, phoned him or rung him. depending on person's preference.

 

[ITL]

That is SCARY!

Questions for the Brits here:

1) How common is it to use "Aye" in place of "Yes" and who does?

2) I drive over to my friend's house. US: I'm visiting him. UK: I'm calling (on) him?

3) I dial his number on my phone. US: I've called him. UK: ??

1. depends on the area. mostly northerners and scots by stereotype.

And those of use that do use "Aye" don't use it exclusively. Well, some might. But I don't.

 

[Deckerd]

That is SCARY!

Questions for the Brits here:

1) How common is it to use "Aye" in place of "Yes" and who does?

2) I drive over to my friend's house. US: I'm visiting him. UK: I'm calling (on) him?

3) I dial his number on my phone. US: I've called him. UK: ??

1. depends on the area. mostly northerners and scots by stereotype.

2. no, you're visiting him.

3. you've either called him, phoned him or rung him. depending on person's preference.

It's not a stereotype. A stereotype is a model. Northerners and Scots use aye because it's part of their language, not so that they fit in.

3. You need to point out the simple past, which is more interesting than jargon for telephoning. In the UK we still have the simple past tense in irregular verbs like shrink and ring, as in 'Honey I shrank the kids'.

 

[scotpens]

3. You need to point out the simple past, which is more interesting than jargon for telephoning. In the UK we still have the simple past tense in irregular verbs like shrink and ring, as in 'Honey I shrank the kids'.

Technically that’s also correct in American English. Shrunk is the past perfect: “Honey, I have shrunk the kids.” Shrunken is the participle: “shrunken heads.” But we frequently use shrunk, stunk, etc. for the simple past tense as well. Besides, “shrunk” sounds funnier.

 

[Python Trek]

A few of my faves:

Cookies are biscuits, and biscuits are scones.

A bomb is a hit in the UK and a flop in the US.

An American is "in the hospital", while a Brit is "in hospital".

Brits, American Southerners, and Texans "reckon" things, but other folks never do.

Brits watch chat shows, and Americans watch talk shows.

 

[Holdfast]

i have actually got into the habit of calling it 'season' for a TV show, due to exposure to the American use of it.

I do this too; it's actually useful differentiator, so I think deserves its place in my vocab.

Questions for the Brits here:

1) How common is it to use "Aye" in place of "Yes" and who does?

The Scottish and some Northerner use it. Beyond that, not really. Some others use it as an affectation, but I try to ignore them...

2) I drive over to my friend's house. US: I'm visiting him. UK: I'm calling (on) him?

These days, I think the most common phrase would be "I'm at X's" rather than either of the above. But if in a slightly more formal situation, I'd use: "I'm calling in on X".

3) I dial his number on my phone. US: I've called him. UK: ??

I'd use the same, though as Deckerd pointed out somewhere upthread, it would be "I called him", not "I've called him". I might use "I phoned him" sometimes too.

 

[Mr Silver]

I tend to use "season" in place of "series" despite being British for the same reasons many of you have suggested. The thing with "season" is its down to American shows broadcasting usually from autumn until early spring and then taking the summer off.

UK season based stuff like football is pretty short. Usually a couple of weeks or so before the new season begins.

 

[SVD]

Questions for the Brits here:

1) How common is it to use "Aye" in place of "Yes" and who does?

The Scottish and some Northerner use it. Beyond that, not really. Some others use it as an affectation, but I try to ignore them...

1) How common is it to use "Aye" in place of "Yes" and who does?

1. depends on the area. mostly northerners and scots by stereotype.

And those of use that do use "Aye" don't use it exclusively. Well, some might. But I don't.

Interesting. After watching a lot of "All Creatures Great and Small"on DVD, I've taken to using "Aye" in place of "Yeah" lately, not caring too much for the latter word.

 

[TorontoTrekker]

Going back to the first page, because I haven't had much time to visit the board recently:

And then there’s that curious British idiom in the Elton John/Bernie Taupin song “Daniel”: They say Spain is pretty, though I’ve never been. Never been what — pretty?

That's fairly common:

Me: Ever been to Rhyl?

Him: Never been.

I'm curious - is this a reference to something, or did you just pick "Rhyl" out of the air? Because I grew up on a street called Rhyl Avenue here in Toronto (it's a very small street - only about 50 houses), and I think we were the only people who lived on the street who knew how to pronounce it correctly.

 

[M'Sharak]

Going back to the first page, because I haven't had much time to visit the board recently:

And then there’s that curious British idiom in the Elton John/Bernie Taupin song “Daniel”: They say Spain is pretty, though I’ve never been. Never been what — pretty?

That's fairly common:

Me: Ever been to Rhyl?

Him: Never been.

I'm curious - is this a reference to something, or did you just pick "Rhyl" out of the air? Because I grew up on a street called Rhyl Avenue here in Toronto (it's a very small street - only about 50 houses), and I think we were the only people who lived on the street who knew how to pronounce it correctly.

I don't know whether Joe might have been quoting anything in particular, but Rhyl is the name of a resort town on the coast in North Wales. Someone who used to post here lived in the area.

 

[propita]

A few of my faves:

A bomb is a hit in the UK and a flop in the US.

Except when something/someone is "da bomb."

 

[MacLeod]

A few of my faves:

A bomb is a hit in the UK and a flop in the US.

Well it can mean both in the UK depending on how it's used in a sentance.

As for someone pointing out the baseball sayings, whilst baseball might not be a commonly played sport in the UK. I think it is well enough known for us to understanding the meaning/origin of the phrases.