Originally Posted By markedward I'm reminded of a t.v. show where they asked tourists in front of Buckingham Palace to stand on the pavement. The Americans all stepped off the sidewalk on to the street, while the Brits looked down where they were already standing and had an "ok, I don't get it" look. US: sidewalk UK: pavement US: pavement UK: I don't know what they call the stuff streets are made out of There's also the one that goes something like "Let's take the elevator." "You mean the lift." "Hey, we invented it, it's an elevator." "Yes, but we invented the language, it's a lift."
Originally Posted By sarahwithbaloo <<US: pavement UK: I don't know what they call the stuff streets are made out of>> I think you mean Tarmac. <<There's also the one that goes something like "Let's take the elevator." "You mean the lift." "Hey, we invented it, it's an elevator." "Yes, but we invented the language, it's a lift.">> Strangly the US version of English is truer English than the UK speaks as the UK has had more input from different invaders (I'm talking historically)
Originally Posted By bloona I know its quite a few posts ago now, but a vest in the UK isnt a waistcoat, a waist coat is a more formal piece of clothing that buttons up the front, often worn under a suit. I didnt know you called roads pavements!! really??? wow
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo US: Vest UK: Waistcoat UK: Vest/Singlet US: t-shirt (white fruit of the loom style)/tanktop/Undershirt
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy We don't bloona, that's just we just say the roads are *made* of pavement. ;-) They're just roads or streets here.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost >>>I know its quite a few posts ago now, but a vest in the UK isnt a waistcoat, a waist coat is a more formal piece of clothing that buttons up the front, often worn under a suit.<<< Traditionally that's what a vest is in the US. It has come to be a separate article of clothing now with its own fashion statement. The statement is "Look, I'm wearing a vest and I don't own a suit. Deal with it!"
Originally Posted By markedward Can someone explain the UK term "turf accountant"? On "Keeping Up Appearances" the Bucket woman's brother in law is a turf accountant with a Mercedes and room for a pony.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo A turf accountant is a bookmakers, a booky. Gambling is very open in the UK, and most towns and even villages have book makers. Horse racing is the most popular even for gambling (though dog racing, soccer, the Oxford Cambridge boatrace, rugby and cricket are popular too) but because the horses graze on turf, hence the name - but this is very old fashioned.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle >>Oh, and the British say "take away" for the American "take out", right?<< I asked for some McDonalds to take away while I was in the US and they looked at me like I was drunk. I couldn't believe that they couldn't figure out what I meant anyway! Oh, also in Australia we call it (slang-wise) Maccas, and you guys call it I think MickeyDs? Not sure if we’ve mentioned torches (Aus/UK) and flashlights (US). Also - Vouchers (Aus) Coupons (US) Buttons (US) Badges (Aus)
Originally Posted By u k fan Here in the UK we tend to refer to Mcdonalds as MickeyD's or MackeyD's, but I don't think that's actually crept into popular usage. My brother is housesitting for some Americans and they have a bottle of EasyOff BAM cleaner, which looks remarkably like what we call Cillit BANG!!!
Originally Posted By markedward UK: divided carriageway US: multilane Please correct me if I'm wrong. What do people in Britain call streets and roads that aren't divided carriageways? I call them one and a half lane lane deathtrap where people park on both sides, drive both directions, and scare the Bejeezus out of American tourists
Originally Posted By trekkeruss UK: Roundabout US: traffic circle I have to admit that as crazy as traffic circles are here in Washington D.C. (they're a nighmare with heavy traffic), roundabouts make a heck of a lot of sense in rural areas where stopping isn't really necessary.
Originally Posted By LuLu I'm confused by post 110. I've never heard a street referred to as a pavement. While I would be more likely to call a cement footpath a sidewalk, I could also call it a pavement. If I wanted people to get in the street, I'd say "get in the street." But in UK you would say "get on the tarmac"? I've only heard that used here to describe airport runways or the paved areas where planes park.
Originally Posted By debtee In Aus, we call what you call the sidewalk a pavement and the rest is the road!
Originally Posted By debtee So if you were walking along you would be on the pavement then onto Kerb, then into the road!
Originally Posted By officerminnie I live in the state of Washington and we call a Roundabout a Roundabout here, too .
Originally Posted By officerminnie I live in the state of Washington and we call a Roundabout a Roundabout here, too .
Originally Posted By markedward <I'm confused by post 110. I've never heard a street referred to as a pavement.> I didn't mean to suggest that. But in the US, if asked about the word "pavement" we would say that it is the stuff roads, patios, etc., are made out of. As in "Please don't run on the pavement." or "It was her first lesson, and she didn't drive off the pavement even once." On the t.v. show, the request to stand on the pavement was used to highlight the fact that the word means two completely different things in the UK and US. And, conveniently, it means two things that are often found side by side.
Originally Posted By u k fan Rather than a Divided Carriageway they're referred to as Dual Carriageways!!!
