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If you pave the parking lot they say tarmac instead of pavement, and that's not so bad - most everyone can figure that one.
I guess the one that sticks in my crawl the most is the use of "one-off" to mean a one time event. Boy-oh-boy, how are you suppose to know what that means.
But what I'm asking is this:
What do english folk mean when they say, "you don't know you're born."
Is that the equivalent of you don't know squat or what exactly does it mean?
Thanks,
Here's something I previously wrote about the differences in US and British English ...
"Many of you will already know that the English language took two separate paths when the Pilgrim fathers landed in north America. The American writer, Bill Bryson, addresses this subject in his excellent book, "Made in America".
"Why did the Americans save such good old English words as skedaddle and chitterlings and chore, but not fortnight or heath? Why did they keep the irregular British pronunciations in words like colonel and hearth, but go down our own way in with lieutenant and schedule and clerk? Why in short is American English the way it is?"
My own theory is that this really has nothing to do with differences in the cultures of America or the UK per se. At the time of the colonisation (colonization) communication between the two nations was primitive so, then as now, language continued to evolve but it did so separately, at least until the introduction of modern media and communications in the 20th century, Since then it has begun to once again merge into a single language. It is not uncommon to see people from the UK using American spelling and who cares? We know what they mean!"
Mark Knopfler has a song by this title and I wondered what it meant --- I'm learnin :)
Quick tip for anyone from the UK visiting the southern US. If you smoke, do NOT under any circumstances tell a bunch of rednecks that you are going outside for a quick fag.
english folk
Err.. you probably want to be careful with this term, SlimKim. Only some of us from Britain are English - some of us are Welsh and some of us are Scottish.
Beedeedubbleu for instance is not an Englishman, he is a Scot. I have dual parentage, so I am neither - I can only describe myself as a Brit.
However, we are all, according to our passports, British - at least until the constituent nations secede from the present nation state.
Never yet figured out why so many from the United States insist on referring to the UK as "England".
Only some of us from Britain are English - some of us are Welsh and some of us are Scottish.
How long until someone from NI points out their omission?
If you pave the parking lot they say tarmac instead of pavement
Of course, the pavement is what pedestrians walk on in the UK. It's a sidewalk in the US.
As a Brit married to an American lady and living in the USA, all I can say is, it only gets harder with time -- but it's worth the effort.
If I say I'm going to the shop, my wife thinks I'm going to make a metal casing or something similar - I have to go to the store, or the supermarket. At least I can just about get away with calling the local Wal*Mart an ASDA.
From what I understand of England, this man had spent too much time in London, where (I've heard) a person can easily be run over simply by standing on the sidewalk! ;)
when we found out that "guy" in England means "idiot" or "fool."
I think someone is winding you up. "Guy" means the same in the UK (noting again the use of England as opposed to Britain or UK)) as it does in the US.
...in London, where (I've heard) a person can easily be run over simply by standing on the sidewalk!
Indeed, you have heard correctly. On the pavements of London pedestrians are not safe - from cyclists.
Back to the original theme of the thread; "Don't know you were born." I, for some reason, always associate this expression as typically being said in a broad northern, possibly Yorkshire, accent.
For those in the UK then; didn't the late Brian "Beware the moors, lads!" Glover use this expression to great effect in one of his many TV roles?
Syzygy
(noting again the use of England as opposed to Britain or UK)
Could you explain the difference to me? I never really have grasped the relationship there. I always thought England was the seat of the British Empire, and that the British Empire was collectively known as Britian and/or the U.K. Hence someone from the U.K. wouldn't necessarily be from England, but would be from Britian, and someone from Britian would be from the U.K. but maybe not England, yet someone from England would be from all three. Or am I all wrong here?
And not to stray too far from the original topic, I would have thought "you don't know you're born" would have meant something similar to "if you had a brain you'd take it out and play with it," or, "you'd forget your head if it wasn't attached." (Those being two favorite sayings of my late Great-grandmother.)
The United Kingdom covers the island of Great Britain plus the six counties of Northern Ireland.
You may also hear reference to the British Isles, which refers to an archipelago of islands including Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Orkney, the Hebrides, Shetland Islands, Channel Islands and others. British Isles isn't a popular usage in the Republic of Ireland.
Ken
If "guy" means the same thing there as it does in the U.S., then why is it that some English (or British, or U.K.) people seem to use it in the context of "fool" or some such way?
What people? I have never heard of this.
I always thought England was the seat of the British Empire
Don't they teach you guys any history across the pond.
The British Empire has not existed for about fifty years. It once included all the countries that Britain had colonised such as Canada,India, Australia, Rhodesia, South Africa, USA, etc. As these countries broke gained their independence the term was changed to the more politically correct, "British Commonwealth."
As Ken Hughes says, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of the four countries of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland along with a few smaller Islands. The reason that we non-English and even some of the English people don't like this is that it's a bit like referring to the USA as California. It is not uncommon in Scotland to hear Americans talk about Edinboro, England. Very annoying!
To put it in a US context it's a bit like you hearing me saying that I am going to California on holiday (vacation) next year. You then say, "No kidding? Where are you going?"
I reply, "Boston". ;)
As far as im concerned Scots hate being called English (or its just me), Im proud to be scottish infact i do believe its like calling an American a Canadian what do you feel about that?
I always laugh at Americans saying "pants" as trousers. Here in Europe as far as i know pants are a form of underwear! hehe
;-)
...Scots hate being called English...
Call a Scot "English" if you want first hand experience of a "Glasgow Kiss". Lol!
Syzygy
Don't they teach you guys any history across the pond.
Yes, quite a bit, in fact I'm very well versed in history, but I will say that "recent" history, say the last 70-100 years, normally doesn't get the same attention as many other periods in history receive. We tend to hit the highlights (WW I & II, Great Depression, etc.) but things not pertaining directly to the U.S. tend to be overlooked. Hence my mistake.
Regarding "guy," I'll have to bow to your definition of the word - but I say again, at least one of my English friends (he lives in London, does that make him English?) has definitely used that word in the context I cited before. It seemed kind of logical when I thought about it, considering that the origins of "guy" comes from those dummies of Guy Fawkes you "blokes" burn up every year! ;) (I always thought "bloke" was a disrespectful term over there, too, but I guess maybe it isn't?)
This thread sure is an eye-opener as to cultural differences. All the more reason for me never to leave my own country - I'd never survive anywhere else! ;)
This thread sure is an eye-opener as to cultural differences. All the more reason for me never to leave my own country - I'd never survive anywhere else!
Hehe! you just need to leave and explore! Im sure bloke doesnt mean anything bad and yes your friend is English.
Have you never heard of the English, Irish and Scottish jokes?
Have you never heard of the English, Irish and Scottish jokes?
You mean like the English and the Scottish getting into a battle? You know, both sides run short of ammo, so the commanders tell their men to say "bangety-bang" because the other side is so dumb they'll think they're being shot and will die anyway, and when they get at close range they're supposed to say "stabety-stab" because they don't have bayonets, but the other side will think they're being stabbed and will die then, too. So the battle rages with both sides shouting "bangety-bang" and "stabety-stab" until it's down to one Englishman and one Scotsman. Accounts begin to differ here as to which man played which role, but the men began moving towards one another. One calls out "bangety-bang," but the other continues to come at him. As they get close, the first man says "stabety-stab," but still the other comes on. He actually walks right over the first man and goes on without even looking. As the first man, badly trampled, "shuffles off this mortal coil," he hears the other man saying "tankety-tank" over and over!
Is that the kind of joke you mean? ;)
I'm almost certain the Scot was the one saying "tankety-tank," but don't quote me on it! ;)
(noting again the use of England as opposed to Britain or UK)Could you explain the difference to me? I never really have grasped the relationship there.
I was born in Hull, Yorkshire (north-east England) and went to university in Newcastle. The latter is about 150 miles due north of Hull and--although it is also located in "England"--is fairly close to the Scottish border and a very different place indeed to Hull. My first journey from Hull to Newcastle by road was made by hitching lifts. The road north (called "The Great North Road") was under construction at the time, and the car was diverted east into the wild-lands of Northumberland. The driver stopped to ask a local for directions. That man was very helpful and spoke to us for many minutes, with much arm-waving and finger-pointing. The driver thanked him and drove on. Unfortunately, no-one in the car could understand one word that the local had spoken. It truly was as if we were driving in a foreign land.
Whilst most inhabitants of the UK will understand the broad-brush detail of the nature of the islands well enough, it is fair to say that very few will understand the fine detail of anything other than their own locality, which usually means their own valley.
The entities known as "England", "Britain" (and particularly) "UK" are mostly derived from political machinations and, frankly, it would be better if they could be avoided. However, to try and help:
There are 5 broad natures in these islands, comprising the areas currently known as Scotland, Ireland (island of), Wales, West Country (Devon + Cornwall, etc) and the rest of England. Some of the 5 get on well with others, others do not. Politicians (and kings) have worked to place all 5 under the same dominion, and this has been more or less successful at different times. The term "UK" (United Kingdom) has come out of those efforts. "Britain" is from a much more ancient source, being derived from the names of these islands as known by the Phoenicians and ancient Greeks, and connected to "Britannia" and legends of the religious and mystical powers of the lands. "Great Britain" was, once again, referring to the various islands united in common purpose. It is a thread, or theme, which runs throughout the history of these lands.
(Kind of a shame we lost this one though :( )
BTW for the french ..all inhabitants of the British isles are reffered to as "les anglais" .."the english" ..this applies wether it is radio or tv or the web or teaching ..and wether the person speaking or writing about "les anglais" is the president or the plumbers 5 year old kid ..or their teacher ..
( one is considered to be being extremely pedantic if one points out that they are making an error and explain the differences )
they even include us Irish as "les anglais"!
I couldnt understand him - I got only a few words and gathered an idea about what he was saying. Truly terrible.
I think we have a wider range of accents than America.
Oh no - it's started again!
