[TAG] English->American dictionary

[Thomas Adam]

--- Mike Orr <mso at oz.net> wrote:

> Suramya Tomar wrote:
> 
> > Check out an American's guide to speaking British: 
> > http://www.effingpot.com/
> >

I just couldn't pass this up, without a reply.  :)

> That one's great.  Comments:
> 
> FOOD & DRINK ===
> Bacon.  So *that's* why Canadians call Canadian bacon "back bacon".

Hehe, so now you see?  Indeed, one thing that I am quite annoyed with
over here, is that pre-packed bacon tends to have the rashers packed
with water --- so that when you cook then (fry it, usually), it doesn't
fry but boil.  The net result is that the rasher shrinks to nothing. 
:(

> Blancmange & pudding.  My British friend said our pudding is "blanche
> menage".  Not quite what this thing says.

Hehehehe, that's a nice play on words.

> English muffin.  What a hoot.  What about Australian toaster biscuits

> (which I think are called crumpets in England).  They're like an
> English muffin but more solid and sweet.

Hmm.  A muffin is a muffin (unlike a crumpet, which is very airy,
muffins are somewhat more solid, and have a much more floury taste).

> Scone.  The hospital I worked at served them with raspberry jam.  No 
> clotted cream, tea, or strawberry jam.  That may be highly gauche but
> they're great tasting that way.

Indeed.  Mmmm, clotted cream is nice with them, though.  As is just
honey.

> Scoff.  Closest equivalent is "scarf it down".  Kind of the reverse
> of 
> the ass/arse thing.  Scoff is what I would do if Ben said, "I'm an 
> innocent lad who has never done anything wrong."

Indeed.  The meaning of 'scoff' to show contempt has always been a much
lesser use.  But both usages are now acceptable.

> Stuffed.  "I'm stuffed," means very full, not just full.  Especially 
> used around Thanksgiving.  It may have an additional meaning in
> Texas.

It's usually a very common saying around Christmas time (having just
spent three hours eating a turkey and all the trimmings).

> Water.  Why would you ask a salesman in a washing machine shop, "Is 
> water metered here?"  What does that mean?  Everyone buys water by
> the 

'metered' as in the amount of water used is registered on a meter (that
is in units of something or rather).

> cubic foot, yes.  Although in some cities the landlord has to include
> it 
> in the rent so it's a de facto flat rate.

Indeed.

> One thing I noticed in England was a hotel with a machine in the
> shower 
> charging for hot water.  I was incensed.  I already paid for my room,

That sounds stupid to me, too.

> dammit.  Isn't a hot shower one of the basic things you expect in the
> 
> deal?  Unsure if electricity's really that expensive in England, and
> if 

It is getting more expensive yes, as is gas.

> White tea.  If white tea means black tea with milk, what do you call 
> real white tea? 
> http://coffeetea.about.com/od/typesoftea/a/whitetea.htm

Pass.  :)
 
> SLANG ===
> Bang/chat up/cram/fluke/haggle/hanky panky/hunky-dory/nookie/not my
> cup 
> of tea/piece of cake/puke/put a sock in 
> it/round/sacked/sloshed/suss/twit.  All used here.

:)

> Cheesed off.  That's the funniest one on the list.  It doesn't really

> work here; it sounds too much like cheesy or cheesehead.

c.f. (although not strictly related): "Hard Cheese".

> Healthful vs healthy.  Not sure what he means.  People are healthy if
> they're not sick.  Food is healthy or healthful.  But a healthy snack
> is a big snack, which is probably not healthful.

Apply Modeus Tollens to that, to see where you get.  :)  Indeed, we
know what we mean by it.  :)

> Knuckle sandwich.  Also used here.  But it's more of a 50s
> expression.

Yeah, that's like so last year.  :)

-- Thoomas Adam


		
___________________________________________________________ 
To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre. http://uk.security.yahoo.com