| 1 | It is often said that UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} and UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates are two countries [[UsefulNotes/SeparatedByACommonLanguage divided by a common language]]. For your perusal, here are some American terms that may be lost on tropers from British or Commonwealth countries. And so we begin! |
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| 3 | Sister pages include StockAmericanPhrases, UsefulNotes/BritishEnglish, UsefulNotes/CanadianAccents, and UsefulNotes/AustralianSlang. |
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| 5 | For those interested in articulation rather than vocabulary, there are many pages about [[AccentTropes various nations' accents]], including [[UsefulNotes/AmericanAccents American ones]]. |
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| 7 | * '''Bathroom''', where somebody goes to relieve themselves, and may or may not contain a bath or shower[[note]] Those which do not contain a shower or bathtub are referred to as "half-bathrooms," which is ''only'' really used when discussing real estate. It is also sometimes called a "powder room" (because it’s also where women apply/touch up their makeup)[[/note]]. "Restroom" is generally reserved for public toilets, though the word "toilet" itself is considered a bit rude in polite society and, at any rate, refers only to the porcelain basin itself, not the room. Nobody uses "water closet" (unless it's necessary to distinguish the small, closet-like room that actually contains a toilet and nothing else from a larger part of a bathroom consisting of more than one room--but even then it's not something you hear every day and many people with WC's may not know the term). In Canada, a public "restroom" is called a "washroom," just a slight difference and even though not common, if you ask where the washroom is in the U.S., people will know you mean the restroom. "Lavatory" (which is pronounced as LAV-uh-tore-ee) is recognized but relatively rare (unless you're on an airplane), and "loo" is recognized in context (and giggled at), if the speaker is clearly English/Scottish. People with military experience sometimes use the terms "head" (Navy/Marines) or "latrine" (Army/Air Force). "John," "can," and "crapper" are increasingly harsh cacophemisms that are still mostly acceptable in public (except don't use "crapper" at a fancy dinner party). |
| 8 | * '''Busboy''' or '''busser''': Nothing to do with public transport. Instead an employee of a restaurant whose duties include dish washing and "bussing" the tables, that is, gathering up the dirty dishes/napkins/etc and wiping the tabletop down. This position generally doesn't exist in Britain - waiters clear the tables and junior kitchen employees wash dishes/operate dishwashers. |
| 9 | * With the exception of some hipsters from around 2005 onward, Americans only say "bloody" in the literal sense. They don't say "bloody hell" and they don't use it to mean "very." If an American ''does'' use it, it is usually either in a sarcastic manner, or as a joke about Brits or Aussies, or while doing an impression of [[Franchise/HarryPotter Ron Weasley]]. (Or the American has spent a significant amount of time living in the British isles, in which case they are an outlier and should not be counted.) |
| 10 | * '''Cell phones''' are mobile phones. Both terms are used on both sides of the Atlantic, but "cell" is used much more often than "mobile" in America, vice versa in Britain. |
| 11 | ** However, this seems to be changing. With the term "Mobile game" becoming mainstream along with websites increasingly offering a "mobile view" and never a "cell view," mobile phone is becoming more common than cell phone amongst the newer generation. Thanks to tablets, the term "mobile device" is becoming increasingly common. |
| 12 | * '''Color''' is spelled without the U in America, and ''only'' in America. Spelling it "color" automatically marks one as being a U.S. citizen. As with rules, there's at least one exception: A reasonable assumption would be a programmer; most if not all higher-level programming languages in English use "color" without the U.[[note]] Most such languages were designed in the U.S., and even those which weren't usually follow this convention either for compatibility or out of inertia.[[/note]] Also, be careful of your use of the word "color". If used in the wrong context, people will think you are referring to race/skin color, which is a subject you ''don't'' want to breach with someone, especially as a foreigner, unless you know them very, very well. America (justifiably, given its history) is a very racially sensitive place. |
| 13 | ** This spelling rule also applies to other words that end in "-or"/"-our", such as "behavior"/"behaviour". |
| 14 | * '''Fag''' in American English is an ''extremely'' derogatory and offensive term for a homosexual man. In fact, the use or misuse of the word "fag" has been ([[{{Pun}} ahem]]) the butt of many jokes about Brits over here. Stick with "cigarette", "cig", or "smoke" (i.e. a pack of smokes, bumming a smoke) when visiting the States. ("Fag" is recognized, especially if you have a strong accent, but the joke is ''irresistible''.) |
| 15 | ** That being said, in some regions it sees casual use as a term for someone being needlessly disagreeable. The closest overseas equivalent would be the Australian-bogan utterance of the "c-word"; rude and low-class, but nonetheless present. |
| 16 | ** To "'''bum'''" means to either beg for something, or to act lazy and without purpose. "Can I bum a cigarette?" and "I just bummed around my house today," are both examples. Of course "bum" as a noun means a hobo, or vagrant. The anatomical definition definitely ''is'' known to Americans as well (and it's sometimes used this way in New England especially), which makes "bumming a fag" doubly amusing to our 12-year-olds. |
| 17 | * '''Faggot''' is just as offensive as "fag", and means the same thing to an American. If you want to refer to a lump of pork offal and fillers, call it "scrapple" (if in a loaf) or a "meatball" (if in, um, a ball); if you want to refer to wooden sticks you set on fire, call it either "firewood" or "kindling" please. |
| 18 | * '''Fall through''' and '''Go through''' mean the opposite of one another. If a deal ''fell through'', it means it didn't happen. If a deal ''went through'', it means it ''did'' happen. |
| 19 | * '''Fanny''' is a polite, fastidious word for your rear end. If someone's grandmother or old maiden aunt were talking to a misbehaving five-year-old, she might threaten to "spank him on his little fanny." |
| 20 | ** '''Fanny packs''' are equivalent to bum bags, i.e. a small sealable bag with an integrated belt worn over the top of clothes. |
| 21 | * Americans '''graduate''' from school/college; they don't refer to having "left school" except as a polite euphemism for having dropped out. Even then "leaving school" most often refers to dropping out of postsecondary studies without qualifications. |
| 22 | * '''Hush Puppies''': Little nuggets of fried cornbread, often stuffed with some kind of filling that varies depending upon the cook and usually served with seafood. The story goes that hunters (particularly in the South) trying not to attract unwanted attention from the wildlife would fry up balls of cornmeal to "hush the puppies" when their hunting dogs started to bark. ''Occasionally'' refers to a brand of footwear, but make sure context is clear. |
| 23 | * '''Line''' is what Americans call a queue. A group of people "line up" or "get in line". Queue is usually reserved for technical jargon, such as a printer queue or a download queue. People in technical fields will almost certainly recognize the term, but J. Random Citizen will most likely know the word, but might be confused as to why it's being used. Additionally, "getting '''in''' line" is queuing up. "Getting '''on''' line" refers primarily to connecting electronics (usually to the internet). |
| 24 | ** '''''Important exception''''': In UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity and nearby regions, queueing is called "getting/standing '''on''' line" rather than '''in''' line. You can hear this in most New York-set media, from ''Film/TheGodfather'' to Creator/GeorgeCarlin's stand-up (a New Yorker born and bred) to ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''. |
| 25 | ** All that said, Americans are increasingly using "queue" as a noun to refer to a queue area, which some might refer to as a "queue line" (combining both British and American terms together). |
| 26 | * '''Pants''' means trousers, not underwear (A.K.A. underpants), to clear up any confusion regarding descriptions of people dressing up in pants and going out. "Trousers" is recognized, but rarely used, and many people will generally think of more formal dress pants. Franchise/{{Superman}} wears his pants on the outside in both cases. |
| 27 | * Another thing not done in the US is starting a sentence with "Only..." after having asked a question, as in [[WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit "Have you been peckish during the night? Only someone's been at me cheese."]] An American would probably use "Because..." or "It's just that..." instead. (Among other things.) The "Only..." construction would probably be mildly confusing to someone who hasn't heard it before, but understandable with context clues. |
| 28 | * Even the American alphabet is slightly different: |
| 29 | ** '''The letter Z''', which is pronounced "zee" in the US instead of "zed" (you don't have that thudding missed rhyme in the song anymore). This caused some Americans [[NotUsingTheZWord mild confusion at first]] when watching ''Film/ShaunOfTheDead''. (Oddly, "zed" is occasionally used as verbal shorthand for "zero" – but this should be clear from context. This usage is rare, and probably imported from Canada in any case.) |
| 30 | *** And speaking of which, a lot of words in America have a "z" where everyone else would use an "s", like "analyze"/"analyse". |
| 31 | ** The somewhat rare letter ''ash'' ("[=Æ=]") is almost totally out of use. "E" is used instead, or in some cases type out an A followed by an E. "[=Æ=]sthetic", for example, is "aesthetic" or "esthetic". To type out an "ash" requires the use of the alt codes on U.S. keyboards (alt-145 for lowercase and alt-146 for uppercase, if you were wondering[[note]]If you're using a Mac, it's Option-single quote for lowercase and Shift-Option-single quote for uppercase[[/note]]). The same goes for ''ethel'' ("œ"). The only place where you will see those two letters (along with the diaeresis) used nowadays is in ''Magazine/TheNewYorker'' magazine or some fantasy works.[[note]]Hilariously, ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' used to use the [=Æ=] symbol often, for the archaic, fantastical feeling, but stopped using it in 2016 in order to standardize fonts and make card printing easier - just in time for the ''Aether Revolt'' set that would've otherwise used it everywhere.[[/note]] |
| 32 | * '''Check''' -- the U.S. spelling of ''cheque'' -- in a restaurant refers to the bill. Hence, CheckPlease. It can also refer to an actual check, which you fill out to buy something. Thus, you can pay a check with a check.[[note]]Assuming the restaurant accepts checks as payment, which few do nowadays.[[/note]] |
| 33 | ** It's sometimes spelled "cheque" when referring to "traveler's cheques", presumably because Americans often use them to travel to places that spell it with a q. If you do so, most people will know what you mean. |
| 34 | ** It should also be noted that Americans do not say "check please" nearly as often as foreigners seem to think (and anyone who has ever worked at a hotel or restaurant in an area in which tourism is fairly common will confirm this for you). This phrase is far, far more common in movies than in real life[[note]] and even there, it is most often in the humorous form of the trope by that name[[/note]]. Most restaurants give the customer the bill without prompting; if they have to ''ask'' for it, the implication is that either the customer is ''really'' in a hurry or the waiter/waitress is somewhat incompetent. It does sometimes get used to reply to a question such as, "Will there be anything else?", however. |
| 35 | * '''Bills''' is the colloquial name for paper money in the US, such as "a one-dollar bill", rather than "notes", which is the technical term used in banks. It's still the word for a list of owed costs, as in "phone bill", so like paying the check with a check, one can pay a bill with a bill (if your utility company accepts paper money, which of course isn't usually sent by mail). For any number dollar bill, another, shorter, colloquial name is to just refer to it by the number of dollars it represents. For example, a one-dollar bill can also just be called "a one" (or "a single" in this case), a five-dollar bill is also called "a five", and so on. |
| 36 | * '''Buck(s)''' is a very common slang word for "dollar(s)." There have been any number of other such words ("pictures of the president", "dead presidents"--neither of which are [[UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton strictly]] [[Creator/BenjaminFranklin accurate]]--"smackeroos", etc.) but "bucks" the only one you'll need to learn. Think of it as an equivalent of "quid". It comes from a time when you could trade in a buckskin at a local trading outpost for one dollar. Hence one dollar became known among traders for what it was worth in ''bucks''. |
| 37 | ** To '''pass the buck''' means to shift one's own responsibilities to another person. The supposed origin of the term is from Old West poker games, when a counter would be used to indicate who would deal the cards. Typically, the counter was a knife with a buckhorn handle, so it was referred to as "the buck". Any player who didn't want the responsibility of being dealer would "pass" the buck to the next person, hence the term. This has also led to the expression "the buck stops here" when someone refuses to shift such responsibilities. |
| 38 | ** Conveniently for Britons, "fiver" and "tenner" for five- and ten-dollar bills are generally understood, and if they're not generally used, they're not really remarked upon, either. These terms tend to be used regularly only among older Americans, and are seen as being somewhat old fashioned. Also, a ten-dollar bill is sometimes referred to as a '''sawbuck''', [[ArtifactTitle which goes back to the Roman numeral "X" on pre-1929 bills resembling a pair of sawhorses]]. |
| 39 | *** However, do note that referring to a ten a sawbuck is extraordinarily outdated, to the point that if you say it to someone under age 40, or possibly 50, they're likely to give you an ''extremely'' confused look before perhaps assuming you're referring to some unknown denomination of money from ''your own'' country (if they can infer you're talking about money from the context, that is; if not, they'll probably guess you're talking about some exotic species of deer). The deer assumption is doubly true in the south, where deer hunting is fairly common. |
| 40 | ** '''Benjamins''' for 100-dollar bills. One might refer to the figure on the bill by name in conversation, "Me and my friend, Benjamin Franklin, here, would like to make an offer..." |
| 41 | *** "Rolling in the Benjamins" means you are either rich or just recently acquired a large sum of money. |
| 42 | *** You may refer to many Benjamins as "Bennies" (which, confusingly, is also an old slang term for benzedrine; as in "popping bennies") or "C-Notes" (after the Roman numeral for 100). |
| 43 | ** '''Jacksons''' - The most commonly used slang terms for twenty-dollar bills, slightly more common than "double sawbuck". By which we mean, "Almost nobody ever uses them." You might hear "Jacksons", "Hamiltons", "Lincolns", or "Washingtons" in jest,[[note]]Someone making a crappy wage might joke that they're "bringing in the Washingtons", parodying the saying "bringing in the Benjamins" for "making the big bucks", i.e. a good salary.[[/note]] but that's about it. The most common term for a twenty-dollar bill is just "a twenty". One reason for the $20 bill's prevalence is that it is often the highest (or even only) denomination of paper money routinely dispensed from [=ATMs=]; this has resulted in a more recent alternate name, "Yuppie Food Coupon". |
| 44 | ** '''Grand''' is slang for a thousand dollars. It used to be a popular enough term that you'll hear older movies and TV shows abbreviate it "Gs", as in "This car cost me 50 G's." (Do not confuse this latter abbreviation with mutiples of Earth's gravity pulled by astronauts or fighter pilots. Even if your bank account ''would'' black out if you pulled 9 G's.) |
| 45 | ** Younger generations, or people of any age trained in sciences or engineering, are more likely to just use the letter '''K''', so "$10K" would mean ten thousand dollars. If you have "$401K" in your 401(k), that means you have $401,000 in your defined-contribution pension plan conforming to Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code (i.e. the Tax Code) and are probably looking at retirement in the next five to ten years. |
| 46 | ** '''Two bits''' is an antiquated American colloquialism for a quarter dollar (having originated from the Spanish silver dollar commonly used during the colonial period, which was often cut into eight pieces to use as smaller denominations). Still in use by older Americans, it is most used as an insulting adjective describing something of little value (e.g. "My two-bit computer froze up again.") It may also be recognized as the response to ShaveAndAHairCut. |
| 47 | ** If an American asks you for change, they will often ask if you can '''break''' a five/ten/twenty/whatever. What they want the change in will be clarified by context; someone who asks if you can "break a 20" will usually want two tens, but might want four fives, two fives and a ten, etc. They do ''not'' want you to physically rupture the money, unless they're going for a cheap pun in sketch comedy. |
| 48 | ** While $2 bills do exist (UsefulNotes/ThomasJefferson is on the front), they are seldom seen, let alone used -- mainly because most banks don't find it necessary to stock them. Some younger people have been known to think they're fake. They're quite real. In fact, one particularly convenient way to split up money is: a $1 bill, two $2 bills, a $5 bill, and a $10 bill lets you pay any exact number of dollars from $1 up to $20 with the fewest possible bills (except for a $20 bill of course). The $2 bill is printed at a far lower rate than any other bill, but it's still being printed today. |
| 49 | ** On the other hand, $3 bills do not exist. Nor do $4, or $6, $7, $8, or $9 bills. As a result, saying something is '''phony as a three-dollar bill''' (or "a $9 bill") is a way of saying that something is obviously fake. |
| 50 | ** Dollar coins also exist but are not commonly used except in certain vending machines.[[note]]Specifically, vending machines that accept bills larger than $1 usually give dollar coins as change.[[/note]] Americans have resisted attempts to replace the $1 bill with a coin and the situation is not likely to change in the foreseeable future. |
| 51 | * '''Ground floor''' is interchangeable with "first floor" in America, unlike most other places. So the second floor up from the ground is called the second floor, not the first, and so on. But it depends on the building. Typically the ground floor is the bottommost floor that isn't a basement, regardless of function. The first floor is the floor where things like the reception area are, or the commons area or the equivalent for whatever type of building you are in -- essentially the floor you are on when you enter the building. They are the same thing in many buildings but not all of them. Hotels and dorms will often have separate ground and first floors, with the ground floor having things other than rooms, but this varies widely. Sometimes the first floor will be called the "lobby" and there won't be a first floor; the elevator will have an "L" button instead of 1, and the next floor above it will be "2". |
| 52 | ** And it's not uncommon to find that the thirteenth floor is omitted in American buildings.[[note]]And by "omitted" we mean the floor still exists, they just don't call it the 13th floor. Sometimes the floor is given a special label like "12A" or "M" (the 13th letter of the Latin alphabet) but most commonly the list simply skips from 12 to 14.[[/note]] |
| 53 | ** "M" after a number can indicate a mezzanine level (a partial floor between two full floors). Omitted levels in large buildings also often do exist. These are usually available only to staff or other authorized personel. |
| 54 | ** "Ground floor" can get confusing in hilly areas, when one side of a building is at street level and underground on the other side. If a building has both a ground and first floor, both will usually have a street level entrance, with the ground floor being the lower of the two. |
| 55 | * An '''elevator''' is a lift that runs indoors. "Lift" is still used for hydraulic outdoor lifts used by construction workers, and is acceptable for lifts used for transporting goods (but more commonly known as "freight elevators" or "service elevators") and possibly dumbwaiters (probably derived from the association with ''English'' manors). |
| 56 | ** And elevators, those things that you put in the back of your shoes, are called "lifts." Unless you are wearing ''elevator shoes.'' |
| 57 | ** '''Electric streetcars''' are the equivalent of a "tram" or "trolley"--a bus that runs on rails or wires. They are occasionally thought of as the types of cable cars that run in San Francisco, but that is not the correct term for them. A "tram" is an interchangeable word for either. Tourist trolleys are considered different vehicles, and are called "trolley replicas". |
| 58 | * '''Gasoline''' or '''gas''' is what fuels cars in America, not "petrol". Filling a car's fuel tank is sometimes called "gassing up", and to tell the driver to press down on the accelerator pedal you can say "give 'er the gas" or "step on the gas" (replace "gas" with "juice" if you're driving a purely-electric car, though amusingly another slang term for gasoline is "go-juice"). Confusingly, a car powered by compressed natural gas would also be fueled by "gas". |
| 59 | * '''[French] fries''' ([[BeamMeUpScotty No one ever seriously]] called them "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_fries freedom fries]]".) are what people in the UK call "chips". They can be dipped in many things -- ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, barbecue sauce, and sometimes horseradish sauce are all fairly common. The thick ones favored in the U.K. are called "steak fries", with the longer, thinner variety the most common type you'll get in restaurants. Note that the thin variety, especially, tends to be ''extremely'' salty. If you were thinking of asking for vinegar, don't. You'll get red wine vinegar, some very odd looks, and a rather confused waitperson (unless you're on the New England coast). However, malt vinegar ''can'' be bought at most grocery stores and at places that serve fish and chips. |
| 60 | ** '''[Potato] chips''' are "crisps" (confused yet?) Fish and chips ''is'' generally referred to as fish and chips, however, but otherwise "chips" will always mean "crisps". Or is it the other way round.... |
| 61 | *** And if you get asked "Would you like fries with your fish and chips?" by the waitstaff, feel free to mock them--they should know better. This is not guaranteed to humble them because some places do serve ''crisps'' by default. |
| 62 | *** The other confusing thing is: '''potato crisps''' are ''not'' the same thing as potato ''chips'' either. Potato ''chips'' are made by slicing potatoes extremely thin and then frying the slices until they're crispy. Potato ''crisps'' are made by pressing mashed potatoes wafer-thin and then ''baking'' them. For this reason, potato crisps tend to contain less fat than potato chips, and be less greasy to handle. And yes, differentiating one from the other '''''is''''' SeriousBusiness. |
| 63 | * '''Plastered''' means extremely drunk. Has nothing to do with Band-Aids or setting bones. A joke might be made if you're drunk enough to fall over and injure yourself. |
| 64 | ** Similar terms (depending on where you are) include smashed, hammered, shmammered (combining the two), shitfaced, and fucked up. All can be interpreted as injured in some way, but most likely mean drunk. "Three sheets to the wind" is rarely used. Pissed absolutely does not mean drunk and you might get some strange looks if you use it. See that entry further down for more details. |
| 65 | ** The word "wasted" usually means drunk and/or high these days, but in the past (and sometimes in the present) it means "to be killed/murdered." Can be confusing when watching old movies. |
| 66 | * '''Public school''' refers to [[UsefulNotes/AmericanEducationalSystem any school funded by federal or state government money]]. However, if the school is publicly funded but privately run, it's called a "charter school". Only the charter schools and their boosters insist that charter schools are public schools. |
| 67 | ** '''Private school''' refers schools funded by tuition, donors, or both. |
| 68 | ** However, the term '''state school''' has a much narrower definition in the States than in most of the Commonwealth. In the US, it generally refers strictly to postsecondary institutions funded by state governments. K–12 schools are never "state schools", with the rare exception of a StrawmanPolitical or someone wanting to be transatlantically unambiguous. The [[MilitaryAcademy federal service academies]] are never, ''ever'' "state schools". |
| 69 | * '''College''' and '''university''' are used interchangeably in most contexts (though the latter sounds more prestigious). If someone says "I'm going to college," they mean university. "College" just rolls off the tongue more easily, and doesn't sound as British as "uni". A typical university has several "colleges" on it (such as College of Arts & Sciences, College of Engineering, etc.), which is the reason for the interchangeability. University is generally reserved for four-year degree schools. Graduate school comes after for anyone who wants to pursue a higher degree, either a master's (generally 2 years) or doctorate. However, students pursuing professional degrees will not say they're going to "graduate school" (or "grad school")—instead, they'll preface the word "school" with the field of their degree program ("med[ical]", "law", "dental", "vet[erinary]", et al.). State schools are largely taxpayer funded and can vary between 4-year school or community college (often called a CC for short, though they used to be called "junior college" and hence were then abbreviated JC), which is a publicly funded school usually reserved for 2-year associate degrees. Caveat: despite "college" and "university" being used largely interchangeably in the generic sense, it does tend to annoy people if you replace "University" with "College" in the actual name of their school, and especially don't refer to Leland Stanford Junior University (a university named after Leland Stanford Jr.) as a "junior college". |
| 70 | ** State schools have always charged tuition, and many of the 4-year state schools are vastly more expensive for out-of-state residents than what their British counterparts are allowed to charge. Some of the private ones have price tags of "yes". |
| 71 | ** On a related note, very few Americans refer to "exams" in a general sense. There are two types of exams in American schools: midterm exams, or "midterms", and final exams, or "finals". Their names are fairly self-explanatory; generally, in high school midterms are delivered at the end of the first semester, with finals at the end of the second and the end of the year. There will usually be numerous small short exams called "quizzes" (or a "pop quiz" if not announced ahead of time) and a few medium-sized ones referred to as "tests." In college, which give classes by semester rather than by year, midterms come in late fall and late spring (or sometimes early spring, in order to be given before spring break), or there may be multiple tests of roughly equal weight and one big Final. Finals are given at the end of the semester. If you say "paper" or "papers" in this same sense, most Americans will think you are referring to an essay or writing assignment, not a test to be taken. |
| 72 | * '''Elementary school''' or "grade school" is what those in the UK call a "primary school". "Grammar school" is an old-fashioned term for elementary school, the "grammar" in question being English not Latin. Schools with grades 6-8 are called JuniorHigh schools or middle schools. Some school districts have ''both'', with middle school being grades 4-6 and junior high being 7-8 (or sometimes 7-9, though ninth grade is actually freshman year of high school and districts which lump ninth grade in with junior high still refer to their tenth graders as sophomores; some also have a distinct ninth grade campus separate from both junior high and the 10-12 high school). |
| 73 | ** Grades in America equals Years in Britain minus one (e.g. Year 11 is 10th Grade, the last and second years of high/secondary school respectively). |
| 74 | * '''UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball''' is simply called football. Association football is only called soccer, though Americans are aware that most other countries simply call it "football". |
| 75 | * A sandwich made using a whole small loaf of bread cut in half lengthwise could be called one of many things, depending as much on whom you buy it from as where you are. '''Submarine sandwich''', or "sub" for short, is the most universal, but '''hoagie''', '''hero sandwich''' (not to be confused with gyros, which are sometimes pronounced phonetically), and other variations (most prominently '''grinder''' and '''poorboy'''/'''po'boy''') exist. These variations are primarily regional: "Hoagie" is Philadelphian, while "hero" is common in New York (for some kinds of sandwich; others are called "subs"), "grinder" is from New England, "poor boy" is St. Louis, and "po'boy" is New Orleans (especially if it's with seafood, doubly so if with shrimp). |
| 76 | ** Another sandwich related one: In New England, especially around Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, you might hear people talking about "gaggers", which is referring to hot dogs or wieners. |
| 77 | * Carbonated soft drinks are called by different names depending on the region. '''Pop''' and '''soda''' are the most common, though "soda" is typically used in conjunction with the flavor when it's part of the name, such as "grape soda" and "creme soda." Some American Southerners use '''coke''' to refer to soda in general; the closer you get to UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}} (where Coca-Cola was invented), the more people use it. If you are in one of those regions and you are asked "What flavor?" in response to ordering a "coke", they are asking you to specify what type of soda you want and the proper response is "regular coke" if you want a cola. |
| 78 | ** Oh, and if you're at a restaurant and ask for a Coke and get asked "Is Pepsi (or whatever the brand of cola on tap is) okay?", the waitstaff is not being excessively pedantic. Soda brands are registered trademarks for the most part, and passing one off as the other has resulted in actual lawsuits between the companies. Also, American restaurants essentially always serve ''either'' Coke products or Pepsi products, ''not both''. If you ask for one and they offer the other, it's because the restaurant has a contract with the other company, and that's all they have. Fortunately, every variety of soft drink has an AlternateCompanyEquivalent from each, so you can always get a cola (Coke or Pepsi), a lemon-lime soda (Sprite or 7-Up), etc. |
| 79 | ** Despite that, some Americans have very strong opinions that one company or the other is much better, and sometimes even the most devoted cola drinkers will refuse to order the other type on principle. |
| 80 | ** Americans are some of the biggest soda drinkers in the world. (This is partially due to the legacy of Prohibition, when soft drinks were a popular substitute for alcohol.) Therefore, essentially any restaurant (unless it's ''really'' fancy) will have either Coke or Pepsi products available, and therefore are possible locations for the above conversation. |
| 81 | * '''Cookies''' refer to what people in England call "biscuits" (i.e. those flat round things that make your belts longer and/or tighter); A '''biscuit''' in America is a softer, unsweetened bread made with baking powder instead of yeast, somewhat similar to a British "scone" (but see below). They taste quite delicious with butter, jam, and/or honey, and are usually served as a side with meals. They can be found all over the U.S., but especially in the South (where biscuits are often served with white gravy), up to the point where there are entire restaurant franchises dedicated to them and serving things on them. Other breads served as a side with meals are often called "rolls." Oddly, dog biscuits are still called 'dog biscuits' stateside, even though they're more similar to cookies than American biscuits - but you ''do'' hear Americans asking their dogs if they'd like a cookie as often as if they'd like a biscuit or a treat; the three words are interchangeable in that context ''only''.[[note]]Although "dog treat" technically covers a wider range of products and also includes things like jerky intended for dogs.[[/note]] |
| 82 | ** The difference between a "biscuit" and a "roll" can be tricky. In general, a "[[http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2011/11/old-fashioned-southern-biscuits-550-1320855148.jpg biscuit]]" appears as though someone took a spoon, dipped it in the dough, and dropped it on the baking sheet, with an uneven surface and no crust at all. A "[[http://www.itsfordinner.com/media/uploads/recipe/dinner-rolls/rolls-fully-baked_jpg_600x400_crop_q85.jpg roll]]," by contrast, will have a smoother surface, as if it was rolled by hand, and may have a bit of a crust on the outside (however, less crust is better). |
| 83 | ** An American biscuit also isn't the same thing as a scone, a scone is [[http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Food/Cooking/Scone/Scone.jpg a smallish cake made with butter]] that regularly contains raisins. Most Americans aren't terribly familiar with scones, and you'll have a devil of a time actually finding one in most parts, though they are better if you bake them yourself anyway. The main difference is biscuits tend to be made with lard or shortening, which gives them a heavier, richer flavor. |
| 84 | *** American scones, in contrast, tend to be drier, sweeter, and shaped like right triangles, if they have any shape at all. Home-made versions are often just a lump of dough dropped on a sheet and baked. The general American equivalent to a scone is really a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muffin_NIH.jpg muffin, a kind of quick bread]] that's made with a batter (typically whole-wheat, oat, or bran) and vegetable oil, often with a chunky ingredient like blueberries or chocolate chips mixed in. They can be served warm or cold and can vary in size from bite size to the size of a fist. Cupcakes are similar, but they are made with cake flour and butter instead, and are always served with frosting/icing. |
| 85 | *** That isn't necessarily true in some parts of the states, either. While they'll recognize the standard US version as a scone as well, ask for a scone in some parts of the western states, mostly southwest, and you'll be presented with a fried dough (Usually sourdough), generally with a hollow middle. Much more like frybread or [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopaipilla sopaipillas]] than anything else deemed a scone. Usually eaten with either honey and butter or powdered sugar. |
| 86 | ** Other dry unsweetened biscuits are known as crackers in the west. |
| 87 | ** The use of "biscuit" to refer to a cookie or cracker can survive in an old-fashioned ArtifactTitle, such as how the company "Nabisco" is a portmanteau of "'''Na'''tional '''Bis'''cuit '''Co'''mpany". |
| 88 | * '''Welp''' at the start of a sentence is just a phonetic-ish way of writing how some Americans pronounce "well"[[note]]The interjection, not the adverb, which in many areas of the US has fallen out of use in casual conversation[[/note]]: with the L clipped and with the mouth fully closed before saying the next word. (Think of it as like the last consonant in a French word, perhaps.) It's strictly reserved for conversational writing, though, and has only come into use recently. |
| 89 | * The phrase '''knocked up''' is slang for pregnant, often specifically denoting an ''unintended'' pregnancy resulting from unsafe sex. (Hence, the movie ''Film/KnockedUp''.) Telling someone "I will knock you up" means "I will impregnate you." Say "I'll wake you in the morning," "I'll wake you up," or "I'll come and knock on your door," instead. |
| 90 | * A '''stroller''' is what the British would call a pram. "Baby buggy" and "baby carriage" are other, less common names. |
| 91 | * A piece of hardened mucus pulled from your nose is a '''booger'''. A "bogey" refers to a ghost or hobgoblin (rarely used), a score of one above par in golf, Creator/HumphreyBogart, or an unidentified aircraft if you're a jet-fighter pilot (e.g. "Bogey on my six!"). |
| 92 | * When referring to a {{UsefulNotes/television}} program (never "programme", although most Americans will know what you mean if you spell it that way), the actual show is referred to as the '''series''', and the period of time in which there are episodes is called the '''season'''. The "series premiere" of a show is the first aired episode ever (not necessarily the {{pilot}}). The "{{series finale}}" is the last aired episode of the show ever, unless it is {{Uncanceled}}. A "season premiere" or "season finale" refers to the first and last show aired that season, respectively. |
| 93 | * A small dwelling in a larger building can be an '''apartment''' or a '''condo'''. The difference is whether or not the unit can be individually purchased. If it can, it's a condo (even if it is only being rented), whereas an apartment cannot be. A "flat" generally refers to a flat tire on a car or bicycle. For this reason, a flatmate is called a "roommate", or "roomie" for short, although "roommate" still also carries the literal meaning, so confusion does sometimes occur. |
| 94 | ** Hardly anyone calls a condo a "condominium" unless they're being extremely formal--and by "formal" we mean "they're lawyers and the reference is in a contract/in court." |
| 95 | ** "Flat" is also a term that's starting to be used Stateside for an apartment in highly urban areas, such as New York or newly constructed residential blocks. This is most likely in an attempt by realtors to sound "modern." For some reason it only tends to be used when describing either extremely small and sparse apartments, or extremely large and lavish ones. |
| 96 | * '''Mate''' on its own is very rarely used to mean "friend", and even then it's still seen as borrowing British/Australian slang. "Mate" is commonly used on the zoological sense to indicate a sexual pair of animals, or the sexual act itself. It would generally sound odd or archaic to use it in reference to humans except in compound words, as in "roommate" above. However, it's generally accepted as a form of address; you can say "Hey, mate..." without much trouble, though to some Americans, a male referring to a male friend as a "mate" can have unintended homosexual connotations. |
| 97 | * A large stretch of road which allows cars to drive very fast to various destinations is a '''freeway''' or '''highway'''. If it costs money to get on, it's often called a '''turnpike''', or just a toll road; what it's called depends largely on its official name (e.g.: the Ohio Turnpike is always "the Turnpike", but when it crosses into Indiana it's "the Toll Road" because it's called the Indiana Toll Road not the "Indiana Turnpike"). The words motorway or expressway are not used unless they are part of the formal name of a certain road (''e.g.'', the Long Island Expressway). If it's part of the Interstate Highway System, it may also be called "the Interstate". |
| 98 | ** Specific interstates or state highways will often be called by their number alone: "I'm heading down 94 to Milwaukee" or I-# "Stay on I-55 for ten miles". If you live in a small town and there's only one major highway anywhere near you, it can be referred to as "the interstate" "the highway" "the freeway" and etc. without confusion. In some localities, notably Chicago, sections of interstates that run through and near the city are given honorary names which can be used interchangeably with or even in place of the numeric designation. Hence, the difference between: "Take ''the'' Kennedy" and "take Kennedy ''street''". |
| 99 | *** The letter that each highway starts with depends on which system it belongs to. "I-#" refers to a highway that's part of the Interstate Highway System, all of which are freeways. "U.S.-#" is used for U.S. Routes (the precursors to the Interstates, most of which are still in use). In addition, each state has its own highways that are designated by the first letter(s) of the state's name. |
| 100 | ** Although using "freeway" interchangeably with "highway" is not at all unheard of, there is a difference in literal meaning, as not all highways are freeways. Some roads that are not all that different in appearance or width from ordinary roads but which go on for a very long ways from town to town are still called "highways", whereas "freeway" tend to refer to the wide, four-or-more-laned, median-divided roads with road signs all over the place telling you how close you are to the next turn or town. |
| 101 | ** The primary characteristic of a freeway is the total lack of cross-traffic and associated signal lights. Ingress and egress is exclusively done via onramps and offramps, and once on the freeway, one can drive for hundreds of miles without stopping. |
| 102 | *** To the lawyers, the terminology is still more different. Under most states' Vehicle Codes, the term "highway" has the specific legal meaning of ''any'' public roadway bigger than an alley. Under California state law, for example, that little cul-de-sac road out in front of your house is a "highway". |
| 103 | ** And of course, Americans will park in '''driveways''' and drive on '''parkways'''. (It's slightly complicated, but if you bear in mind that "Parkway" was originally supposed to mean that driving down it was supposed to be like driving through a ''park'', you get the idea: it's supposed to be relatively pretty drive with greenery, and in many places commercial vehicles (i.e., freight trucks) were banned. Of course, the most famous "parkway" in the country is probably the [[UsefulNotes/NewJersey Garden State Parkway]], which can be pretty on a nice day in the more rural areas in South Jersey but is more commonly a parking lot.) And in Kentucky, the term "parkway" most often refers to what most other states call a "turnpike", as that state used "Parkway" to designate its system of toll roads (all of which are now free), which never banned commercial traffic. |
| 104 | ** '''Expressway''' is used as a synonym for "highway"/"freeway" in some parts of the country, particularly around UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}, where several major stretches of highways have the word "Expressway" in their name. (They also often have sections of the UsefulNotes/ChicagoL running in the middle, but that's another story.) |
| 105 | ** Highways are numbered and can generally be referred to as Route X. Since we have a lot of categories of highway, each with their own number system, it may be necessary to be more specific (I-95 for interstate 95, NY-9 for New York route 9, US-1 for US route 1). |
| 106 | * Some legal code numbers have entered American vernacular. Most notable is '''187''' (pronounced "one-eight-seven," or "one-eighty-seven"), which means murder. Another is '''5150''', (pronounced "fifty-one-fifty,") which means to be placed in a mental hospital on an involuntary psychiatric hold, or to be '''sectioned'''. These are most commonly used in California, where they both originate, but are known throughout the US because of HollywoodProvincialism. |
| 107 | ** The TV series ''Series/Adam12'' also popularized '''211''' (two-eleven), which means a robbery, and '''415''' (four-fifteen), which means a public disturbance. |
| 108 | ** A similar example is a '''Section 8''', US military slang for a crazy person (referring to a discharge for mental illness).[[note]] Because of this (and thanks to ''M*A*S*H''), we'll probably know what you mean by the aforementioned "sectioned"[[/note]] It's also an old term for federally subsidized housing. |
| 109 | *** Speaking of the US military, the various military dialects[[note]]Each branch of service, and sometimes even specific career fields in each branch, have their own often mutually incomprehensible versions of the language[[/note]] provide some similar terms. To be '''Article 15'd''' or '''NJP'd'''[[note]]"En-Jay-Peed"[[/note]] is to face Non-Judicial Punishment, where one's commanding officer can dole out punishment for relatively minor offenses without involving a court of law (the military courts are instead reserved for the ''big'' screw ups). "Article 15" comes from the portion of the Uniform Code of Military Justice that details the procedures for Non-Judicial Punishment. |
| 110 | ** '''Chapter 11''' (from Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code) refers to bankruptcy. Hence, people file Chapter 11. |
| 111 | *** Curiously, though, Chapter 11 covers the bankruptcy of a ''business'' and a few high-income individuals.[[note]]Yes, rich people can go bankrupt if their debts get too great. For someone of this level of financial sophistication, we distinguish between "balance sheet insolvency" or "accounting insolvency"--that is, their total liabilities (how much they owe other people) exceed their total assets--and "cash flow insolvency"--that is, they are unable to pay debts as they come due. The former is quite easy to do if you're particularly irresponsible with your spending habits, and either can happen quite easily even if you are responsible if you run a risky business, depending on the nature of the risks. [[Film/RiskyBusiness No, not that kind of risky business]].[[/note]] Individuals usually choose between two methods of resolving their debts, described in '''Chapter 7''' (total liquidation, also available to businesses) and '''Chapter 13''' (full or partial repayment of debts out of future wages or other personal income, only available to individuals).[[note]]There's also Chapter 12, for family farmers and fishermen, which is like Chapter 13 but with special provisions because small farms and fishing operations are to a large degree at the mercy of Mother Nature and forcing them to make payments in a bad year could ruin them. There's also Chapter 9, for local government units; it's mostly like Chapter 11 with special, extra-favorable rules because municipalities, unlike businesses, often have special legal obligations on them and--perhaps more to the point--''have'' to exist and be in decent financial shape at the end (i.e. they can't convert their case to a Chapter 7). UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} is the largest city to take advantage of Chapter 9, but the heaviest concentration of municipal bankruptcies was among mid-sized cities in California shortly before Detroit's filing.[[/note]] However, since large corporate bankruptcies often receive nationwide media attention, "Chapter 11" has become the most common term. |
| 112 | ** As noted above, a '''401(k)''' is a defined-contribution pension plan that is arranged in such a way that it receives beneficial tax treatment under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code (that is, the Tax Code). |
| 113 | ** '''420''' has become slang for marijuana, although the idea that this has its origin in any particular jurisdiction's legal codes [[http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/420.asp is an urban legend.]] |
| 114 | ** A '''529''' is similar to a 401(k), including the tax benefits, except that it's set up for the higher education expenses of a designated beneficiary (a family member, most often the donor's child or grandchild). It also gets its name from the Internal Revenue Code section in which it's defined. |
| 115 | * People of African racial descent are typically called '''black''' (or '''Black''') without insult. '''African-American''' is a very common and politically correct term for American blacks, to the point that Americans will occasionally slip up and use the term to refer to any black person, regardless of where they live (Creator/FreemaAgyeman, [[Series/BeingHumanUK Lenora Crichlow]] and Creator/LewisHamilton have been referred to as African-American, despite the obvious problems with that). The term is generally used only in a racial sense, and it's therefore incorrect to use it for non-black people who immigrated from Africa to America (in fact, many late-night jokes about Creator/CharlizeTheron being African-American seems to have caused the use of term to fade slightly, since it made people feel like political correctness had gotten a little out of hand ''and'' made them realize that not all Africans are black[[note]]and likewise that not all black people are African: many black Americans trace their ancestry to the Caribbean [[/note]]). The terms '''colored''', '''negro''', '''mulatto''',[[note]]usually used to refer to a mixed-race person who has both black and white ancestry[[/note]] and '''Afro-American''' are all dated and all but "Afro-American" are usually considered insensitive ("Afro-American" is usually just considered hopelessly '60s-'70s), although actual Black organizations that use those terms can [[GrandfatherClause get a pass if they're old enough]] (see, e.g., "National Association for the Advancement of Colored People", one of the older civil rights organizations, and the "United Negro College Fund", which is also old and also more or less exactly what it says on the tin). On another note, despite hearing some blacks refer to each other as "'''nigger'''" without a second thought, it is considered either [[NWordPrivileges extremely offensive or just plain rude for anyone else to use the word]], due to its history as a rather derogatory racial slur. In [[UsefulNotes/AmericanAccents African-American vernacular English]] and rap and hip-hop music, the word will typically be spelled and pronounced with an "a" replacing the final "er" (aka the "Hard R"), somewhat disassociating the term from its origins. But that DOES NOT mean white people get to say it so long as they pronounce it right. |
| 116 | ** Nowadays, a sharp distinction is drawn between '''colored''' (an exclusively derogatory term used to refer to those of African descent)[[labelnote:*]]Note that in South Africa, "Coloured" is the standard term for that country's historic mixed-race community.[[/labelnote]] and '''person/people of color''' (generally seen as acceptable, and often a source of pride, can be used to refer to anyone who is not white). Additionally, saying that someone "is black" will cause few problems, but referring to that person as "''a'' black", or collectively referring to everyone with African or Caribbean ancestry as "blacks" or "the blacks" can sometimes be construed as insensitive or offensive. |
| 117 | * The native cultures and races of America are most commonly and appropriately called '''Native Americans'''. '''American Indians''' (sometimes shortened to "Amerinds") is also generally acceptable, though it seems slightly dated. '''Indians''' by itself is considered somewhat insensitive and also confusing, since it could also refer to people from {{UsefulNotes/India}}. |
| 118 | ** It is fairly common to simply call Native Americans '''Natives''' or '''Indigenous'' people. Some actually don't like being called "Native Americans" because, well, "America" isn't what they used to call the land they're native to, seeing "indigenous" as more fitting. Similar terms (like "aboriginal") are much rarer and more often used for the indigenous populations of places outside America. |
| 119 | ** You will find many Native Americans who prefer "Indian" for whatever reason. Some don't like being called Native Americans because it feels possessive, some like Indian because it is supposed to mean "People with God" (from Spanish ''[gente] en Dios'' -- but this is a folk etymology), some like it because many indigenous groups are clearly different in appearance from one another, and some simply don't care how you refer to them. |
| 120 | ** Because of the persistence of using "Indian" to mean Native American--the U.S. government has an official department that's still called the Bureau of Indian Affairs to this day--people from India will sometimes have to say that they're "an Indian from India" just to avoid confusion. Or use the old "feather" vs "red dot" imagery. |
| 121 | ** "Indian" used to be the only term used. It appears in the Constitution (at a couple of places, but notably in what's called the "Commerce Clause", which gives the federal government near-exclusive authority to handle relations with them) and numerous old legal codes. As a result, Indian is the most frequently used legal term. (Hence the Bureau of Indian Affairs.) |
| 122 | ** If you are going to carry conversation or a relationship with a Native American, it is considered acceptable to politely ask their tribe of origin, although many prefer "nation" to "tribe". This is useful because many of the native nations do have animosity with other nations, and calling a member of one nation by another name can be upsetting, rather like referring to a Scot as being from England. |
| 123 | ** Americans will probably understand the common Canadian term "First Nations" if they hear it, but few if any Americans use the term themselves (though it isn't completely unheard of; there seemed to be a brief attempt at adopting it as a sort of neutral "third option" to try and sidestep the aforementioned "American Indian vs. Native American" debate above. |
| 124 | ** Special note on Alaska and Hawaii: These groups' lineage is believed to be separate from that of the Native Americans on the mainland; it's less arguable for the Hawaiʻians (who are indisputably Polynesian and as such are more closely related to Tahitians and Māori and even Filipinos and Indonesians and Malays than the indigenous peoples of the Americas)[[note]]This sets aside the likely relationship between a small Polynesian branch descended from the people of Easter Island and some South American peoples, but that's getting ahead of ourselves.[[/note]] than with the Alaskans (whose relationships to the other indigenous North Americans is as yet mostly unclear, although linguists are ''pretty'' sure that the Tlingit people are related to some Siberian peoples and to the Athabaskan/Dené peoples of Canada and the Southwestern US, including the Navajo). As such, "Native American" or "Indian" are less commonly used in these areas. A good blanket term for these groups is '''Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian''' or simply "Native". As stated above, the safest path is to ask specifically how he/she identifies. Never, ever, ever call an Alaska Native an Eskimo. Or an Inuit. Some might not mind the term, but for most, it's considered fighting words. |
| 125 | *** The Inuit (sing. Inuk) are mostly from Canada and Greenland, and only one subgroup, the Iñupiat, live in Alaska. Even though the Iñupiat ''are'' Inuit by language, culture, and ethnicity, they strongly object to being called "Inuit". It's like assuming all American Indians are Cherokee, say. |
| 126 | *** Of course, Hawaiians are technically referred to as '''Pacific Islanders'''. |
| 127 | *** England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland's relationship with each other and the UK is similar to that of North American natives: though for some purposes they prefer to organize under a common banner, each nation has its own identity and heritage, and they prefer to keep it that way. A Scot likely wouldn't appreciate it if you referred to him as English, and the term "British", though accurate, is still not appreciated in most cases. The same is true of Native Americans, Alaskans, and Hawaiians; while the Yup'ik people are a subset of the Eskimo people, most Yup'ik prefer the more specific (and less stereotype-tainted) term. |
| 128 | * The word plughole is not used. '''Drain''' is used instead. '''Stopper''' is commonly used for the rubber thing that stops up a drain and not for things that keep bottles shut, although most people will understand what you mean from context. '''Cork''' is used for bottles that have an actual cork, and '''cap''' for everything else. (Mostly - the glass cork in a cruet might be called a stopper, but how often does ''that'' one come up? Most Americans don't even know what a cruet ''is''.) |
| 129 | * The term '''{{fell off the back of a truck}}''' is a euphemism to describe stolen merchandise, as is "fell off the back of a lorry" in British usage. However, '''fell off the wagon''' means a recovering alcoholic, ex-smoker, or anyone else with an addiction who has stopped trying to quit and is now drinking/smoking/whatever again. As in: "He fell off the wagon last night when he decided to have one last beer." |
| 130 | ** Not to be confused with '''fell off the back of a ''turnip truck''''', which describes [[NaiveNewcomer another source of easy money]]. |
| 131 | ** Also not to be confused with '''got on / off the bandwagon'''. This refers to people who support a team/candidate/band only when they are successful and popular. Dates back to when sports teams and political candidates had parades more often. '''Jumping on the bandwagon''' is another term for this. |
| 132 | * The term "wanker" is understood, but not usually used (and usually considered more benign than in Britain, being treated as a ForeignCussWord). Much more common is '''jerk-off''', or '''jack-off'''. This applies to insults as well. "You stupid jack-off!" |
| 133 | * A '''period''' is the Americanism for the punctuation mark known as a full stop. As an idiom, however, putting the word at the end of a statement means "unconditionally" or "without exception" (as in, "not only applies to race cars, but to cars period"). An equivalent expression would be something like "end of story" or "full stop" (e.g. There shall be no X, full stop). |
| 134 | ** Then there is "period" in the sense meaning "menstrual cycle," as in "Are you on your period?"[[labelnote:*]]Which, needless to say, males in general should ''not'' ask someone they are not already on ''very'' familiar terms with, and you better have a damned good reason for asking.[[/labelnote]] (Thus the trope NoPeriodsPeriod.) |
| 135 | ** When Americans put words within double quotes (" ") they aren't always quoting something, but use them as the British use inverted commas (' '). |
| 136 | ** An exclamation mark (Brit.) is an '''exclamation ''point''''' (Am.), though "exclamation mark" is still used in informal speech. It's properly called a '''bang''' if you're a typographer (computer programmers sometimes call it this as well). The question mark has the same name in both. |
| 137 | * '''The government''' to an American means the entire ruling body, i.e. the State (a term Americans only use this way in a few particular idioms such as "church and state," for obvious reasons). The President and those under him are usually collectively called "the Administration" or more commonly "the [name of President] Administration." "The White House" is also common, particularly in the media, as in "The White House announced today that..." |
| 138 | ** "Congressmen" literally refers to any member of either the House of Representatives ("the House") or the Senate, both of which are referred to as "Houses" of Congress. Representatives are in the former, and Senators in the latter, but when you refer to a specific Representative or address them by name, you call them a Congressman or Congresswoman (e.g. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Representative from the 6th District of Minnesota). This has, however, fallen out of favor in recent years, largely thanks to Nancy Pelosi's tenure as Speaker of the House, replaced by "Representative" (e.g. Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Florida's 23rd District). Senators are still referred to as Senators (e.g. Senator Elizabeth Warren). Basically: '''Congress''' is shorthand for both the House of Representatives and the Senate combined. A person who holds office in the House is a '''Member of Congress''', '''Congressman/Congresswoman/Congressperson''', '''Representative''', or '''House member''', while a person holding office in the Senate is a '''Senator'''. |
| 139 | *** Those three funny letters after any Congressperson's name denote political party and state[[note]] The state abbreviations are standardized, and originate, fascinatingly enough, from the US Postal service, but have trickled down into common vernacular[[/note]]. For instance, the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is a Democrat from California; the late Sen. UsefulNotes/JohnMcCain (R-AZ) was a Republican from Arizona; and Sen. Angus King (I-ME) is an Independent from Maine. (Yes, [[UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem we do have more than two political parties]].) Members of the House of Representatives, who are not elected statewide, but instead by specially drawn districts that are, in theory, intended to be roughly proportional by population, often have it taken a step further by having their district number added as well, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) or former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16). Currently, six states (Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming) have a sparse enough population that they only have ''one'' Congressional district; Congressmen are said to represent those states '''at-large''', such as Wyoming's Harriet Hageman (R-WY-AL), though since the "AL" designation is also the abbreviation for the US state of Alabama, it's not used as much. |
| 140 | *** If you ever send a letter to a member of the House of Representatives and get a reply, you may notice two things: (1) Instead of postage, there is a copy of the member's signature in the upper right corner; this is called "franking" and it's an exercise of the privilege that members of both houses of Congress get: the right to send mail for free. (2) Right below the member's signature, you will see the abbreviation "M.C." This means "Member of Congress" and it's the closest you'll get to the British/Canadian/Everywhere else system of calling members of the lower house "Members of Parliament". |
| 141 | *** And if you're looking to be pejorative about the elected officials in Washington, "Congresscritter" is often used. |
| 142 | ** Also the term "opposition" is only rarely used as a noun, pretty much surviving only in the phrase "loyal opposition". The majority party in Congress is simply "the majority" and the minority party is simply "the minority." |
| 143 | * The bonnet of a car is called the '''hood''', and the boot is called the '''trunk'''. |
| 144 | * A '''rubber''' is slang for a condom. '''Galoshes''' or '''rain boots''' are used to refer to rubber boots slipped over shoes during the rain, and '''eraser''' is used to refer to the thing used to remove pencil marks from a piece of paper. |
| 145 | ** In America, '''blackboard erasers''' are soft, made of something akin to rows of compressed felt, and if [[http://www.gocomics.com/frazz/2008/04/09 thrown at people]] do little more than leave a big white chalk mark on clothing, as opposed to the much harder, heavier, and sharper blackboard rubbers in the UK. |
| 146 | * A '''bender''', if not used to indicate "[[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} something that]] [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender bends things]]", generally refers to a wild night, or series of nights, spent partying with copious amounts of alcohol or other intoxicating substances. As in: "I had several days off, so I went on a complete three-day bender." This does not imply homosexual (or any sex) acts were committed during the time period, but it might be true anyway. |
| 147 | * When the British want to refer to someone as having a less than noble character, they'll use "bent", like a "bent policeman." In America, they have a similar "not straight" term, but '''crooked''' is used, like a "crooked cop". It's pronounced in two syllables as well; "crook-ed" instead of one syllable like "looked". |
| 148 | ** This results in amusing euphemisms. An object such as a stick or a pipe that has been noticeably bent or broken might be called "Crooked as a politician." |
| 149 | * UsefulNotes/{{Baseball}} terms are sometimes used in everyday conversation as metaphors. '''Strike out''' means to fail, as in: "I went to a bar hoping to meet a girl, but I totally struck out." '''Home run''' or '''hitting/knocking [it/something] out of the park''' mean to succeed greatly. If your success is truly massive, or if it accomplishes several goals at once, it's a '''Grand Slam'''. Strange or unexpected things '''come out of left field'''. Inappropriate comments are '''off base'''. '''Foul tip''' meaning something that ends with neither a complete failure nor a satisfactory outcome. '''Seventh-inning stretch''' refers to a brief break from something to stretch your legs, while '''home stretch''' refers to something (usually work) being nearly over. |
| 150 | ** When used in response to someone's answer to your question, the phrase '''Swing, and a miss!''' indicates their answer was wrong. |
| 151 | ** If everything's going perfectly for you in a particular way or at a particular time, you're '''batting a thousand'''. If you want to comfort someone for failure, you say "'''nobody bats a thousand'''". |
| 152 | ** If you're giving someone a hard time, you're '''playing hardball'''. Ditto if you're negotiating with someone on the basis of [[{{Realpolitik}} pure political or material gain without regard for principles]]. |
| 153 | ** Conversely, if you ask someone easy questions, you're '''throwing softballs''' (softball being the--theoretically--less-demanding cousin of baseball, or "hardball"). |
| 154 | ** If you're being extra-careful to make sure that every possible way [[MurphysLaw everything could go wrong won't go wrong]], you're '''covering all your bases'''. |
| 155 | ** If what you're talking about is very obscure and technical but deadly important, it's '''inside baseball''' (from the former name of a baseball strategy that relies on small gains and subtle tricks to wear down the opponent rather than big, showy plays; this strategy today is called "small-ball"). |
| 156 | ** A major use of baseball terminology in America, though, is in talking about sexual matters: |
| 157 | *** '''Getting to # base''' refers to sexual activity, with each base coming closer to intercourse. '''Striking out''' is, again, not getting anywhere, '''first base''' is kissing, '''second base''' is feeling up your partner, '''third base''' is either touching each others' genitals or oral sex depending on who you ask, and a '''home run''' or '''going all the way''' is sex. (Yes, all that terminology comes from baseball.) Variations may appear on an ad hoc basis. |
| 158 | *** Someone who [[IncompatibleOrientation is not of your sexual orientation]] '''bats for the other team'''. This can both be used to deflate sexual interest (e.g.: "Hannah, Drew is a great guy, but he bats for the other team" or just to generally alert the facts to someone: "Tom, you do realize that Bill bats for the other team, right?"). |
| 159 | *** A bisexual is said to '''bat for both teams''', but also (somewhat confusingly, if you understand baseball) to '''swing both ways''' or more concisely '''switch-hit'''. |
| 160 | *** The penetrative partner in a penetrative sexual act is termed the '''pitcher''', while the receptive partner is termed the '''catcher'''. Usually, this terminology is restricted to the context of anal sex among gay men, but in theory it could apply elsewhere. |
| 161 | * UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball metaphors are generally pretty simple. '''Touchdown!'''--sometimes accompanied by raising both arms in the air like a football referee--is common as a synonym for success or reaching a goal. '''Third and long''' refers to a last chance long-shot, and '''going for two''' refers to taking a risky move with a greater reward. By the same token, a '''Hail Mary''' is a desperate, usually final, attempt at something. '''Punting''' generally means a mediocre effort with limited results, a minor defeat, or passing responsibility on to someone else. '''Calling an audible''' also derives from American Football, and refers to changing plans on the spot based on new information (eg; "The bar we planned to visit was closed, so I called an audible and went to the bar down the street"). |
| 162 | * '''Pissed''' in America means "angry," not "drunk", which is why "piss drunk" can sound redundant. Sometimes, people will say '''pissed off''', which means the same thing ("angry"). '''Pissing the night away''', however, will generally be understood as a long drinking session, though some places use it as a rude way of saying someone's wasting time. '''Go on a pisser''' means the same thing. A '''pisser''' can also refer to a fun or amusing person or event (in contrast to British usage where it means exactly the opposite). Or a urinal. |
| 163 | ** On that note, pissing or taking a piss means to urinate, as does taking a leak. Thus, you can get pissed off at getting pissed on [[RuleOfThree by a piss drunk.]] |
| 164 | ** Americans do understand and may occasionally use '''piss off''' as in "Leave me alone", but you don't want to "piss off" someone else, which is just getting them angry. "Pissed off" as in someone has left already is not likely to be in the lexicon of most Americans however. |
| 165 | ** Also, "taking the piss" is not used in America, and likely to cause confusion. (Although '''taking ''a'' piss''' is occasionally heard as a euphemism for urinating.) Though "taking the piss out of something" is used in some regions. |
| 166 | * '''Asphalt''', '''pavement''', and '''blacktop''' are all used to describe tarmac. The popularity of each depends on the region, but generally all will be perfectly understood. "Tarmac" is only used to describe paved runways at an airport. The term "bitumen" is completely unknown except as an obscure technical term. |
| 167 | ** '''Pavement''', meanwhile, can also refer not only to the concrete or flagstones that a sidewalk is made of, but also the sidewalk lining a road. Pavement is, in most locations, a collective word, meaning an entire stretch of paved (usually in concrete) area. Music/{{Adele}}'s song "Chasing Pavements" sounds weird to Americans, as as most Americans would say 'Chasing Pavement,' if they'd use that phrase at all. '''Pounding the pavement''' means looking for a job, or less often, working as a door-to-door salesperson or in any kind of slogging, tedious work done by going from one place to another in rapid succession. |
| 168 | * A '''buzzard''' refers to a vulture, not a hawk. |
| 169 | ** A large hawk (of the family ''Buteo'', such as the near-ubiquitous red-tailed hawk) is referred to simply as a “hawk”, while smaller hawks (Family ''Accipitridae'', such as a goshawk or Cooper’s hawk) are occasionally referred to as a “chicken hawk”. Otherwise, the word “hawk” applies to both groups of birds, and sometimes even to others- ospreys are occasionally called “fish hawks”, “river hawks”, or “sea hawks”. |
| 170 | ** “Raptor” is an occasionally-used term for birds-of-prey in general. |
| 171 | ** ''Tiercel'' is an obscure term for a male raptor, not used outside of falconry or ornithology. |
| 172 | * While we're on the subject, '''vulture''' can be used to describe someone who behaves in a predatory manner. (e.g. "Those vultures from the local news.") It also applies to people who stop their cars in parking lots who wait for you to leave the space. |
| 173 | ** Additionally, “hawker” does not mean falconer, but rather a cheap salesperson who sells (“hawks”) their wares on the street by calling out to passerby. ''Austringer'' as a term is highly archaic, anyone who flies any birds of prey for any reason is a “falconer”. |
| 174 | * Also on the topic of birds: The bird that most British know as a “hissing owl” or “screech owl” is referred to as a '''barn owl''' in most of America. '''Screech owl''' in America refers to a wholly different genus of owl species in an entirely different taxonomic family. |
| 175 | * As noted on the UsefulNotes/AmericanAccents page, in the South and Texas you'll hear '''y'all''' quite a bit. "Y'all" is a contraction of "you all" and is used as a second-person plural pronoun (and in many places as a second person ''singular'' pronoun). Depending on where exactly one listens in, "y'all" will be pronounced as one syllable, rhyming with the American pronunciation of "ball," or two, so it sounds a lot like "''Jawohl''," gentle/lazy German inflection and everything. Though almost everyone in America will understand what "y'all" means, it is ''not'' used in common conversation in all parts of the country, and can earn you some ribbing if you use it too far north. |
| 176 | ** In some places, especially Texas, one will also hear the phrase '''all y'all'''. This functions essentially the same as "y'all," with the caveat that "all y'all" is used to refer to a large group of people, with whom the speaker may not immediately be interacting, ''especially'' in cases where they are trying to get their attention. For example, if a man at a dinner party is conversing with the people at his table, they might use "y'all"; if they stand up to make a toast he would refer to the entire room as "all y'all." |
| 177 | ** Another use of "all y'all" is to make sure every last member of the party being spoken to is being addressed. For example, "Are y'all going to the movies?" is asking if the person/group in question is going to a movie theater, but "Are all y'all going to the movies?" wonders if all the people in that group are going to the movies. |
| 178 | ** An equivalent word used in New York and Philadelphia (and possibly other parts of the East Coast) is '''youse''' or '''youse guys'''. In Jersey, it tends to be just '''you guys'''. |
| 179 | ** UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}} '''yinz''' (a contraction of "you ones"). |
| 180 | * In the South, one can also hear a few unique phrases such as '''might could''' for "might be able to" or '''fixing to''' for "about to." "Fixing to" is sometimes compressed to "Fit'nta" or "Finta" - either of these is stereotypically an urban black term but that's not strictly true anymore. |
| 181 | ** "Fixing to" as heard in the state of Georgia: "Fisin' to". |
| 182 | ** You may also hear "finna" or "fitna" among African-Americans (which is also short for "fixing to"), as in "I'm finna go to the store". |
| 183 | ** There is also the phrase '''bless his/her heart''', which is sometimes half-jokingly referred to as "the worst of all Southern curses." It is usually spoken by women, and be aware that it means you are likely being pitied and thought of as a bit slow (It stems from a common idea in many of the Protestant faiths common to the DeepSouth region that "God looks out for children and fools." So, if they're sending God to help you with a blessing, they think it's because you ''need'' His help, therefore you must be one or the other, and if you're not a child anymore, well then...) |
| 184 | *** "Bless her heart" is basically a term that Southern women use to get away with any amount of insult or condescension (behind someone's back), as if adding a blessing makes the statement any more benevolent or sounds sincere ("Bless her heart, that is the ugliest baby I've ever seen"). A joke is that the more complex and seemingly benign the blessing is ("God bless his pure, sweet heart..."), the more the speaker hates whomever she's referring to. |
| 185 | ** Another peculiar Southernism is using '''like to''' in place of "nearly" or "almost", as in "I like to caught that fish, but he got away." Also used figuratively: "I like to died when I heard what he did." |
| 186 | * "Packie" in British English is a very derogatory term against south Asian folks (though not spelled that way). In certain parts of the United States, mostly New England, this means "liquor store"[[note]] short for 'package store', an old euphemism for for liquor store that is still used in many store names[[/note]]. A "packie run" means going out to buy alcohol, especially cheap beer. |
| 187 | * '''Pudding''' in British English can refer to any sweet eaten after the main meal, while American English prefers the term "dessert". A British pudding can also be a thick, rich food like Christmas pudding. In the US, "pudding" refers only to soft, custard-like sweet foods. While there are certain foods which both US and UK individuals would recognize as "pudding" (like rice pudding which is eaten in both), your average US speaker would probably not refer to a meat-based pudding as such. Similarly, the pudding commonly eaten in the US would probably be recognized by a British person as a custard or blancmange. |
| 188 | * In most places, '''tea''' is usually used to refer to hot tea, though occasionally you will have to specify "hot tea" to contrast with "ice/iced tea." In many places in the south, if you don't want the super-sugary "sweet tea" popular there, you'll have to specify "unsweetened tea". Elsewhere, ordering iced tea in a restaurant will prompt the question, "Sweet or unsweet ''[sic]''?" |
| 189 | * If you say '''pie''' to an American, they tend to picture a ''sweet'' dessert pie, such as apple or blueberry. They ''have'' savory pies made with meat (chicken pot pie and shepherds' pie are both perfectly common), but it's not the first thing they think of. |
| 190 | ** "Pie" is also shorthand for "pizza pie" in some places, most notably in the vicinity of New York City. |
| 191 | ** The term "pie" is also used to describe a cymbal, in drumming lingo. |
| 192 | * Americans usually use '''jelly''' to mean a fruit or fruit-like spread set with pectin (not gelatin) most often used on sandwiches, often with peanut butter. "Jelly" exists with "jam" and "preserves" (also set with pectin) on a sliding scale: "jelly" is a clear spread made from fruit juice (the most common is grape jelly, especially Concord grape jelly, with apple coming next), while "jam" is made from mashed-up whole fruit and may have some small pieces of fruit in it and "preserves" have large pieces or whole fruit, depending on the fruit (most particularly, strawberry preserves--popular for peanut butter sandwiches--will have halved strawberries). To confuse matters further, any of these three could be called "jam" in casual conversation,[[note]]e.g.: A and B live together. A returns from the store and says "I bought milk, bread and jam." B would not be surprised if A produced grape jelly, raspberry jam, or strawberry preserves from his/her bag unless B was the biggest pedant on this side of the Atlantic.[[/note]] and formally all three are considered "preserves." What those in Britain refer to as "jelly" is normally '''Jell-O''' in the United States. It's a brand name [[BrandNameTakeover but has fallen into generic usage]]. |
| 193 | * Americans use the term '''collect''' generally to refer to things. If you say you're going to "collect" someone, it has a connotation that they have no choice in the matter, like they're being taken into custody. Normally, you'd say, "I'll pick you up" or "I'll come get you." Picking up (eg. "Let's pick up chicks, man") also refers to flirting with women, but it's a different context. |
| 194 | ** In the context of telephony, it denotes what in Britain is called a "reverse charge" call. |
| 195 | * '''Making out''' means kissing. '''[Playing] tonsil hockey''' is used similarly. |
| 196 | ** "Making out" can also be used in the sense of "doing", as in, "How have you been doing?" ("How are you making out?") |
| 197 | ** Related: '''hooking up''' refers to any romantic activity that's more intimate than kissing, up to and include sexual intercourse, and usually carries a connotation of being casual and without greater commitment, i.e. "We hooked up once at a party, but I wouldn't date her." Sometimes you can "hook up" with friends without there being any sexual meaning to the phrase; it just means meeting up. The term is intentionally vague so that you can tell your buddies "I hooked up with Jenna" so they will overestimate what was done when in actuality all that happened was some heavy petting and then out for ice cream. |
| 198 | ** Similar term with a different meaning: '''Hooking someone up''' is slang for providing them with something they wouldn't ordinarily be able to get. (e.g. "Hey man, can you hook me up with some concert tickets?") This generally implies that you have special access to the item in question. Naturally, this is frequently used with respect to drugs (so a pothead might call a dealer his/her "hookup" for weed), or something else illegal or borderline (particularly notable being the "booze hookup" for younger college students, because students always love drinking but the drinking age in the US is 21). Consequently, if you've '''got the hookup''', then you know someone who can get you whatever it is you're after. |
| 199 | * Mathematics (both generally and specifically the field of study in school) is called '''math''', not "maths". Saying "maths" immediately marks you as British. |
| 200 | * Sporting events and recreational activities are referred to as '''sports''', not "sport". If you refer to something as "sport" then we'll think you're talking about hunting. |
| 201 | ** That said, a single specific type of event is still called ''a'' sport. |
| 202 | ** And a sport can also mean a player in context of sportsmanship such as "he's a good sport", "he's a poor sport", or just "he's a sport" with the assumption being good sport. Similarly sport can be used to mean the competitive spirit of enjoying a challenge as in "where's the sport in that?" |
| 203 | ** The term "Sportin' Life", while long obsolete now, is an old euphemism for drugs derived from the name of a drug dealing character in ''Theatre/PorgyAndBess''. Today it is most often seen as a reference to the opera, and can be found in things such as album or book titles, rather than general use. |
| 204 | * '''Vacation''' is what Americans might call a "holiday"; this break from school/work is called a "vacation" or a "break." A recreational trip somewhere is also called a "vacation." '''Holiday''' is used only to refer to special days that generally get people out of work or school, such as Christmas or the Fourth of July. Using "holiday" to mean "vacation" is recognized, but rare. |
| 205 | * When something is '''''the'' shit''', then it is great. Something that is just '''shit''' is the opposite. (Brits should think of the difference between "the dog's bollocks" and just "bollocks.") |
| 206 | ** If someone is '''in deep shit''' then they're in serious trouble. You may occasionally hear '''in the shit''' from military personnel, which generally means in a combat zone, and often means being actively in combat. |
| 207 | * '''Guy''' (pronounced the standard, non-French way, so as to rhyme with "fry") is what Americans say instead of "bloke". It means exactly the same. The plural, "guys," can mean a group of males or a mixed-gender group, but never a group of females (except in the Jersey/Midwest "you guys" sense). "Guy" also has a negative connotation in the military, in particular the Army, whose non-commissioned officers often use it as a substitute for other vivid language in an attempt to cast a more 'professional' image. May often be used at civilians' expense or as a jest between junior enlisted. It's also frowned upon severely in the Air Force. |
| 208 | ** '''Dude''' is also used commonly, despite the surfer-and-valley-girl connotations the word has. You can just as easily refer to a man as "dude" than "guy", and there will be no problem. Referring to a group of people as "dudes" is also acceptable, even if the group has girls in it. In modern times the word is more gender-neutral, but only in a direct sense (You can tell a girl, "I don't know, dude," or "How's it going, dude?", and be okay, but saying, "Hey, who's that dude?" will be you referring to a male). |
| 209 | *** However, using "dudette" to refer to a girl makes you sound like you walked out of a bad 60s surfer movie. Or spent too much time watching ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles''. |
| 210 | ** '''Chick''' is sometimes used to refer to a female in a similar way as "dude" refers to a male, but it's grown somewhat insensitive over the years. Most girls won't appreciate being called a "chick", due to it being associated with sexist, possessive males in previous generations, unless you include positive context clues ("You're a cool chick!"). But even then, it can be cringe-worthy. '''Broad''' is also a much more openly offensive version of this, often used in a negative or derogatory sense, ("I can't believe the nerve of that broad."). |
| 211 | ** '''Man''' can be used in a similar fashion, but it has a strong hippie/stoner feel to it today. "Hey, man" is less colored, and used as a way of saying "Hey, you" without seeming as confrontational. '''The Man''' refers to someone seen as oppressive or excessively privileged, especially police or government officials (or, from a minority member, white people in general), though it is increasingly used sarcastically as a way of expressing disdain for PoliticalOvercorrectness. '''You're the Man''' (also rendered as "You da man!"), however, expresses that the person in question is really great. Conversely, '''Aw, Man''' is a general expression of disappointment. |
| 212 | ** '''Bro''' is a phrase that generally refers to a close friend you've known for a while, but comes with the same risks as "man" if you're using it to refer to someone you just met. Generally is also acceptable as a gender-neutral term, but full on '''brother''' is specifically male when '''sister''' is specifically female. The female specific '''Sis''' is extremely outdated, and many girls won't mind if you call them "bro", just so long as you're already friends with them. Context clues will inform other Americans as to when you're actually referring to blood siblings. |
| 213 | ** '''Skillet''' or '''home-skillet''' is practically ancient. Americans only use the word sarcastically and ironically to refer to a friend, often in introduction ("How ya doin', home-skillet?"). |
| 214 | * '''Solicitors''' are people who are trying to sell you something (with the connotation of being annoying; many businesses and some homes will have signs saying "No Soliciting" or "No Solicitors" out front for the very purpose of trying to dissuade them). Someone who practices law is a '''lawyer''' or '''attorney''', used interchangeably. '''Jurist''' is also used for someone who practices law but doesn't make court appearances, but only in law school. If you're talking about the solicitor as in the kind that handles estate matters, then you want an '''executor''' (pronounced "ex-EGG-yu-tor". Yes, like the Pokemon). |
| 215 | ** The U.S. does make a distinction with what we call types of lawyers. Trial lawyers, whom most Brits might call ''barristers'' (Scots call them ''advocates''), are '''counselors-at-law'''--hence why you often hear "Counselor" used as a title on Franchise/LawAndOrder. A lawyer dealing with non-court legal matters--wills, articles of incorporation, etc.--are known as '''attorneys-at-law''' rather than ''solicitors''. In short, if you want some advice on how stupid what you're planning is, you want to see an attorney. After you did the stupid thing and you need someone to represent you in court to help you get out of the legal hot water your stupidity put you in, you'll want a counselor. However, every US jurisdiction has a fused legal profession fulfilling all responsibilities, and new lawyers can practice on either or both sides of the divide as they wish. Only a very small number of states still make the distinction, and even those that do automatically admit new lawyers as both. |
| 216 | * The game noughts and crosses is almost universally known in America as ''TabletopGame/TicTacToe'', and using the former will probably incite at least a little confusion. |
| 217 | ** '''Checkers''' are, likewise, the American name what you might call 'draughts' in the UK. And some Americans might struggle with how to pronounce 'draughts'. '''Drafts''' can refer to beer, wayward wind currents ("Do you feel a draft?"), military conscription, the first version of a piece of writing, or driving very close behind another car. |
| 218 | * '''Shit-eating grin''' is a mischievous smile done in contemplation of doing some dastardly or naughty deed. Similar in meaning to "grinning like the cat that ate the canary". It can also mean a very forced smile given by someone who is obviously ''not'' happy but is trying to hide it. '''Pie-eating grin''' is used as a euphemism with the same meanings. |
| 219 | * '''Mom''' is used instead of "mum". '''Mama''' and '''Ma''' are generally used by children, but it's not entirely unheard of to hear an adult say them (especially in more rural areas). '''Mommy''' is the exclusive domain of children and sometimes younger women, and any male above ten or so using it is likely to be ridiculed or he's just being silly (or they're just [[IWantMyMommy scared]] silly). Some teenage girls and adult women also refer to their fathers as "Daddy," though "Dad" is the term used by most people. |
| 220 | ** '''Pop''' and '''Pa''' also mean the same things, though these are increasingly seen as regionalisms. '''Pappy''' is a more humorous form most seen as a nickname. |
| 221 | * '''Pastor''', '''Minister''', or '''Reverend''' can all refer to a clergyman regardless of denomination; 'primate' (for a bishop, as opposed to an ape) and 'vicar' are almost unknown. '''Padre''' is a regionalism mostly seen in Texas and the Southwest, and while it most often is used to refer to a Roman Catholic priest, it is sometimes used for other denominations as well. As a title, '''Father''' usually applies to a Catholic priest, but it is sometimes applied more broadly as well (primarily among Episcopalians, which are the U.S. offshoot of the Anglican Church). |
| 222 | ** '''Padre''' can also be used in Texas and the Southwest as a short version of ''compadre'', meaning a friend. If your friend happens to be a priest, he is your ''Padre padre'' (Texans tend to love a good pun). |
| 223 | * Teams are treated as singular nouns. In other words, to an American, when you talk about a team, you are talking about the team as a whole, not the individual members. You can still talk about the team members, but to do so requires stating so. This also applies to companies, political parties, or any other group of people. |
| 224 | ** But if the team name is ''itself'' plural (this is the case for most sports teams, but not usually, for example, companies), you use a plural verb anyway. In other words, the verb agrees with the actual ''name'' of the group, rather than parts versus whole. Thus, for example, if the Las Vegas Raiders win a game, you might say "Las Vegas ''has'' won," or "the Raiders ''have'' won." Similarly, a political news story could include a sentence like "The Democrats ''have'' called for legislation but Congress ''hasn't'' acted." |
| 225 | ** And if you support and are cheering on a specific team, you are said to '''root''' for them. There is no sexual connotation at all with the word, in contrast to its antipodean usage - they use the term ''barrack'' to refer to supporting a team. (The song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" probably sounds very amusing to Australians due to this, especially since the chorus is supposed to be Katie Casey talking.) |
| 226 | * The syntax for a job title is not ''title name'' for ''whatever'', it's ''title name'' '''of''' ''whatever''. What this says about leadership philosophies on opposite sides of the pond belongs on [[WildMassGuessing a different page]]. |
| 227 | * '''Line power''' is the American term for what Commonwealth countries call ''mains power''. And you'll rarely hear an American use the term, either - this is mainly due to the fact that Americans don't wire their buildings in a massive loop circuit directly connected to the the power line. Instead, the power line comes into a central control panel--technically called a ''service'', but usually referred to as a '''fusebox''' or '''breaker box''', where it's separated into protected circuits (with the possibility of 220V high-draw appliance lines) and split out into independent circuits. |
| 228 | * Americans use '''cord''' in many contexts where Brits would use "cable", "wire" or "lead" (rhymes with "feed"). An American '''power cord''' is a British "mains lead". "Cable" is interchangeable with "cord", and "wire" in this context might be understood by an American, but "lead" probably won't. |
| 229 | ** However, '''Cable TV''' or just '''cable''' most often refers to pay television services, or to shows that are only on non-broadcast channels. Note that no one uses the term "telly" except in a sarcastic reference to the British slang. |
| 230 | * In the DC metropolitan area, if you hear the initialism "DMV", it's very likely that whomever is not referring to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Over the last several years, more and more people have been referring to this area as the D(C)M(aryland)V(irginia). In Maryland it's not called the DMV, it's called the MVA (Maryland Vehicle Association). |
| 231 | ** Of course, most [=DCers=] just call it "The DC metroplex", "the DC metropolitan area", or "the tri-state area". Or "I live in DC, ok? You want my house number, too?" '''Delmarva''' ([=DELaware=], [=MARyland=], VA (the state code for Virginia)" refers to the area of southeastern Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland's eastern shore. |
| 232 | *** “tri-state area” or “tri-state” may also refer to the region of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, ''or'' New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. |
| 233 | * '''[[CountryMatters Cunt]]''' is ''extremely'' offensive--possibly, barring racial slurs, one of the most offensive words you can use, and one almost exclusively aimed at people one views with contempt (if it's not referring to the vagina itself). It's seen as extremely sexist and degrading, and using the word is likely to cause offense unless speaking among people you're ''very'' familiar/comfortable with. |
| 234 | * '''Yankee''' or '''Yank''' applies to people from the northeastern states. Use of the word 'Yank' rather than 'Yankee' is extremely uncommon, and will likely mark you as a foreigner. Never, ever call someone from the Deep South a Yankee (or just anyone south of the Mason-Dixon Line or the Ohio River); they ''will'' likely be willing to kill over this. Those from other parts of the U.S. may not appreciate it, either. Of course, if you're clearly British and refer to us as Yanks, and you're not doing it in a pejorative way, some people will be fine with it and find it amusing, though most will find it very annoying. As Creator/EBWhite summed it up: |
| 235 | --> To foreigners, a Yankee is an American.\ |
| 236 | To Americans, a Yankee is a Northerner.\ |
| 237 | To Northerners, a Yankee is a Northeasterner.\ |
| 238 | To Northeasterners, a Yankee is a New Englander.\ |
| 239 | To New Englanders, a Yankee is a Vermonter.\ |
| 240 | And in Vermont, a Yankee is somebody who eats pie for breakfast.[[note]]see above comment about pie referring typically to sweet, rather than savory, pies. It used to be a tradition among Vermont farmers to have warm fruit pie for breakfast after early-morning chores.[[/note]] |
| 241 | ** As a side note, if you hear someone talking about "the Yankees" or "the Yanks" in America, there's a good chance that they're referring to New York's [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball baseball team]] rather than any of the above. |
| 242 | * '''Shotgun''' can refer to either a gun or the passenger seat in a car: if someone wants to ride as the front passenger, they might say "I call shotgun" or "I'm riding shotgun" or often simply "Shotgun!" if staking their claim on the seat. For the last use, custom dictates that the first person to verbally call "shotgun" gets the seat - some people take this custom farther and insist one must be in view of the car (or en route to the car) to claim one's place in the passenger seat. The term dates from TheWildWest era, when stagecoaches frequently required an armed guard; he would sit out on top of the coach to the right of the horses' driver. |
| 243 | ** It can also refer to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotgunning this thing young people typically do with beer]]. It has spread across the Atlantic, but it's decidedly more common here. Careful--it's messy. |
| 244 | ** A '''shotgun wedding''' refers to a situation where a marriage is rushed between two persons who have conceived a baby out of wedlock, either due to societal pressure or family members. Somewhat like the shotgun seat of old, this originates from a (allegedly) real practice of either the bride or groom's father forcing the marriage through coercion, as if to march the unfortunate groom down the church aisle with a shotgun to his back. A UK equivalent phrase is "knobstick wedding", though "shotgun wedding" as a phrase is probably more widespread after the actual practice went away. |
| 245 | * '''Lawyer''' refers exclusively to attorneys who practice law, and the two words are interchangeable. It never refers to any other profession. |
| 246 | * '''Tramp'''. Although it can mean a homeless person or person down on his luck which is still remembered for Creator/CharlieChaplin's character "Little Tramp", it's a term mostly known for a woman of loose morals. Calling someone a tramp, especially a woman, would be rather insulting. The closest equivalent "strumpet". Someone being referred to as a tramp may also have a '''tramp stamp''', which is a tattoo on the lower back, just above the buttocks. |
| 247 | * '''Chippy''': Has basically the same meaning as "tramp" above, though it's not quite as offensive and sounds a little old-fashioned. No one will know you're talking about a restaurant unless they happened to pick up the term from British TV. |
| 248 | * A '''truck''' is what we call it instead of a "lorry". A "box truck" is more likely to convey your meaning, since pickup trucks are very popular in America. A lorry to us is either a type of bird (from the Spanish word ''loro/lora'', meaning “parrot”) or the amusing word Brits use for "truck". |
| 249 | ** A similar term is '''semi''' (pronounced SEM-eye), "18 wheeler", or "big rig" which refers specifically to large trailer-trucks of the sort used to haul freight cross-country. Someone who drives semi trucks for a living is called a '''trucker''' (and yes, they've all heard ''all'' the puns about that). |
| 250 | * A '''parakeet''' is what we call "budgerigars" or "budgies", though the latter is accepted. This term has most ornithologists tearing their hair out because budgies are ''not'' parakeets. They're lorikeets. Parakeets are a completely separate subfamily. No one knows how the terms got crossed. |
| 251 | ** Similarily, a “monk parakeet” is referred to as a “Quaker parrot” or “monk parrot”. |
| 252 | * We don't say ''to let'', because that verb doesn't mean "rent" here. We say '''for rent''' or '''for lease''' instead. If ''you'' say it, we'll know what you mean, but we'll still find it archaic and slightly amusing. |
| 253 | ** Likewise, you '''rent''' a car, or a steam cleaner or any other piece of equipment you plan to use for only a brief period of time; such equipment is referred to as a ''rental''. '''Hire''' is used only in the sense of paid employment of humans. |
| 254 | *** Exception: The term "let" is sometimes used by lawyers in the law of landlord and tenant. |
| 255 | ** Furthermore, the term 'rent' is ''never'' applied to prostitutes. Saying someone looks like a 'rent boy' is likely to get confused stares. |
| 256 | * '''Geezer''' is not just any person in general. In America, this specifically is an insulting term for an old man, implying senility, feebleness, and being [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking old-fashioned in general]] and yelling at the kids to get off his lawn. Speaking of which... |
| 257 | * '''Old man''' as a slang term refers to one's father. You'll see this in gangster movies as "Eh, so's yer old man", which is equivalent to "[[YourMom yo momma]]". One might also ask politely and sincerely "So, how's your old man doing?". On the other hand, '''old lady''', as in "your old lady", refers to one's wife. No, this doesn't make sense. Especially when talking about [[YourMom your old man's old lady]]. |
| 258 | ** Also a slang term in the Navy for a ship's captain, generally used in an affectionate way, and it exclusively refers to the captain of the ship the sailor is from (Eg. "The old man said to..."). It probably derives from captains traditionally being old(er) men than most of the rest of the crew. |
| 259 | * '''The ol' ball and chain''' is a disparaging way to refer to one's spouse, usually in reference to the wife. The implication is that you're stuck in a stale marriage and that means you're restricted from having fun due to obligations now that you have a family, as if the bachelors are out having more fun. So the idea is that being stuck in a marriage is like being stuck in prison (prisons used to attach men to heavy balls chained to their legs to prevent escape). This is why the term is almost always used around a bunch of men. Never say this phrase to a married woman. [[BerserkButton She won't like it]]. This phrase, and jokes based on it, are seen as rather dated now, and among younger generations are considered a hallmark of "Boomer humor." |
| 260 | * Americans all know that the season between summer and winter is called autumn, but you will also hear us refer to it as '''fall''', a term long obsolete on the other side of the Atlantic - hence the Music/KennyChesney song "The Boys of Fall", about high school football players, who play in the autumn. |
| 261 | * '''UsefulNotes/SATs''' are what the Americans complete at the end of high school, and need to get into their chosen university. Also, be noted that they do have an option of taking the '''ACT''' instead, and neither test is required to graduate high school: they're only used for college admissions. Despite some minor differences in how the tests are administered and the content they contain, they're often treated as somewhat interchangeable, and most colleges accept either. Some colleges (mostly private ones) are becoming "test-optional", meaning that you can apply without having taken either the SAT ''or'' ACT and you can be accepted based on other factors, although if you ''do'' submit test scores, they will be taken into account. This is still quite rare, however, and most schools require at least one of the major tests. The term has leaked into British English as a colloquial name for the much reviled National Curriculum assessment, though the British pronounce it "sat" as in "Saturday" rather than the American "S-A-T" pronunciation of each letter.[[note]]ACT is also pronounced A-C-T, not "act".[[/note]] |
| 262 | * '''Short bus rider''' is an insulting term for a mentally challenged person (comparable to the British "window licker" who rides the "''special'' bus"). The term [[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-457085.html comes from]] the smaller school buses used to transport special-needs students (including those were were physically handicapped) to and from school and their particular learning/developmental centers; they carried fewer people on the trips and stopped at each house (rather than once on each street), making a smaller bus more convenient. '''Riding the short bus''' is a related phrase used to describe when someone is doing something stupid. |
| 263 | ** "Smartest kid on the short bus" is a backhanded insult for someone who is the "best of a bad bunch." It's a slightly more insulting way of saying that someone is the "biggest fish in a small pond." |
| 264 | ** “Special Eddie” is a related-but-rare term with the same meaning and connotations, derived from “special education/special ed”. |
| 265 | ** Similarily, the word “retarded” ''never'' means “late” or “delayed” as in some European countries, and is instead a HIGHLY, ''HIGHLY'' offensive descriptor for a mentally handicapped person (Gen Z in particular considers it a slur). Using it around a member of any of these groups is a guaranteed BerserkButton (especially if you assume that said person can’t understand what you mean). |
| 266 | * '''Son of a bitch''', although still rather vulgar, can counter-intuitively be used in sympathetic ("that poor son of a bitch") or positive (see ''Film/ForrestGump'': "That son of a bitch can run!") contexts, akin to "cunt" in British English. It can also be used as an expletive, as in "Son of a bitch, that's gotta be the fifth time!" It can even sometimes be a greeting between (typically) male friends, as demonstrated nicely in the epic handshake scene in ''Predator''. (Depending on where you are, it can be pronounced "sumbitch".) |
| 267 | * '''Flashlights''' are what you shine into dark rooms as opposed to ''torches'' (sometimes called electric torches, but not often in the UK), which is usually used to refer exclusively to rods with a flammable cloth wrapped around one end in the US. |
| 268 | * In some areas of the US, particularly in the Midwest and northern Appalachia, '''anymore''' can be used in a positive context as well as a negative one, where most other dialects would use "now[adays]" or "these days." Thus, a speaker from one of these areas would say, "It's hard to get a job around here ''anymore''" or "Most people ''anymore'' are using their computers all day." This construction can be confusing to someone who's not familiar with the construction, as they may assume they simply didn't hear the "not" and assume they mean the ''opposite'' of what they're actually trying to say. |
| 269 | * A '''van''' can be an enclosed cargo vehicle as in Britain, or a windowed passenger carrier of either the type known as a minibus or a family people-mover type, but ''never'' a commercial vehicle with an open loadspace; pickups, flatbeds and stakebeds share the "truck" designation with bigger haulers. |
| 270 | * '''Senior citizen''' (old-age pensioner), '''college senior''' (person in the final year of undergraduate studies) and '''high school senior''' (person in the final year of secondary school) all commonly shorten to just "senior(s)" leaving just how old the person or demographic referred to dependent on context. |
| 271 | * In contrast to Britain, in the US the word '''spaz''' is generally considered inoffensive, and is used to describe someone who is clumsy, eccentric, or hyperactive. A small, excited child jumping around might be said to be "spazzing out". This is not to be confused with the internet-coined "''sperging'' out", which ''is'' offensive, as it basically means that someone is behaving akin to someone with autism. |
| 272 | ** That being said, Americans--mostly millennials and Gen Zers--are becoming increasingly aware of the ableist connotations of "spaz"/"spastic", best seen when singer/rapper/flutist Music/{{Lizzo}} got heat from Brits for including "spaz" in the lyrics of a then-upcoming song of hers, which led to her apologizing for it and editing the song to change the word. Although the term “spazzing out” is still occasionally used, it’s becoming less common. |
| 273 | * In a sporting context, the term '''torrid''' has completely opposite meanings in Britain and the States. An UsefulNotes/EnglishPremierLeague team that's off to a "torrid start" will be at or near the bottom of the table. If the same term is used to describe a UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer team, said team would likely be topping the table. |
| 274 | * '''Hockey'''. 99% of the time, this refers to UsefulNotes/IceHockey. Field hockey is not really a thing, very rarely mentioned or played. (This one also applies to [[CanadianEqualsHockeyFan Canada]].) |
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