Compare how words are spelt or words that are not used in England to America!

[1357rabbitlover]

First of.. what does 'freshmen' mean?? i always hear it on american shows and i really want to know! aha

The only ones i know!
British American

Trousers Pants
Pants Underwear
Biscuit Cookie
Sweets Candy
Ice lolly Popsicle
Rubber Eraser
Bangers and mash Sausage and mash
Bin Trash can
Dummy/dodie Pacifier
Nappy diaper
Toilet/loo restroom
Autumn Fall
Bank holiday Legal holiday
Holiday Vacation
Boot Trunk
Candy floss Cotton candy
Cheque Check
Crisps Potato chips
Cot Crib
Colour Color
Mum Mom

Can you think of any more?!?

 

[degrassi]

There are lots that are spelled different with the our vs or. Because here in Canada we use the English spelling(neighbour/neighbor etc)too.

Freshmen means first year of highschool or colledge. Here in Canada we just say Grade 10(or whatever year you are in, 10/11/12 are highschool, sometimes 9 too) and for University we just say "I'm in 2nd year"

Cell phone/ mobile
Apartment/ Flat

 

[SApple]

Freshman can also mean your first year of doing something.

Freshman sentor : First year of being a sentor

 

[LakeCondo]

There are whole books devoted to this. Here are my favorite 2

In Britain you live in a flat [apartment] in the US your car could have a flat [puncture].

In America a life preserver is a flotation device to save someone drowning. In England it's what Americans call brass knuckles.

 

[Ellie]

I just spent the year abroad in England, so I should know a lot more... but there are TONS when you're living with a different culture! It never ceased to amaze me how many different terms we use.

The only one I can think of right now is "garden" vs. our lawn, or backyard. When I was telling my "flat mates" that I was getting a bunny they told me I should let him run around the garden, but make sure I move the cage around so they have lots of fresh stuff to eat. I was like why on earth would I put a bunny in my garden!? (We refer to garden as the place where we just put flowers for decoration.)

 

[Anaira]

NZ use British spelling, but I was homeschooled, and we used an American curriculum, so I always spelled everything the US way. It drives me crazy! Now my spelling is usually a mix of the two. I'll automatically tend to spell some things US, but if I notice, I'll correct it. It's not uncommon for me to use the same word twice in a sentence, and spell it two different ways. Other times, I can't even remember which spelling is which; I just use the first one that comes to mind.

I don't think anyone has pointed out that what we call 'jam', yankees call 'jelly' and what we call 'jelly' they call 'jello'. And what we call biscuits are a sort of cookie, but what they call biscuits we call scones. Oh, and 'erbs. That seriously drives me crazy when watching US cooking shows. We pronounce the H in herbs, you guys don't.

 

[JjGoesBounce]

Anaira wrote:

Oh, and 'erbs. That seriously drives me crazy when watching US cooking shows. We pronounce the H in herbs, you guys don't.

I know!
Wellies Rain boots
Some from Canada
Color Canadians spell Colour
Same with favourite
Oh and Americans say Zee Canadians say Zed!
Jj

 

[woahlookitsme]

LOL Ive heard my younger friend say herb with the H but it meant a person that isnt cool or a loser

Oh and about the jam and jelly We have both. If I remember correctly jelly is mainly fruit juice and jam is crushed fruit. Preserves are also offered and that is chunks of fruit.

 

[missyscove]

I just had a conversation on Facebook with a friend who studied abroad at my college but is from Australia. She said something about washing a "doona" cover and I asked what it was, turns out it's a duvet cover.

We both also went on a trip to Kenya together where she said something about getting out her torch and we all looked at her funny until we realized she was talking about a flashlight. We think of a torch in more of the Olympic sense, with fire.

 

[BunMommaD]

My husband is from scotland and a few think that I can think of are...
Cooker - oven (I remember when we were dating my mil asked me if I had a cooker... And I was so embarrassed I had no clue what she was talking about! Lol)
Cozy - swimsuit
Poofy - ottoman
Bin-trash
Lorrie - tractor trailer, 18 wheeler
Motorway - highway
Boot - trunk
Barron - children (my hubs grandmother calls our nephews this all the time... It took me a while at first to catch on lol)
Footie / football - soccer

 

[1357rabbitlover]

I just searched 'British slang that Americans don't use' and i really didn't know that Americans don't use words like tara, and cheerio, aha.
http://www.effingpot.com/slang.shtml - that's the website, it's weird how we speak the same language but have different words or the same words with different meanings, like you say 'pardon me' when trying to get past someone, but we say 'pardon me' when we've burped aha

It's also funny how Americans think all British people sound posh, and all British people think Americans all sound like people from Texas aha.. like when you ask someone to speak 'American' they speak in a texas accent

This is really random, but i find it interesting! aha

 

[Ape337]

Can I ask what do you mean when you call Americans "Yanks, or Yankees"? I have grown up learning that term specifically referred to Americans from the north in the civil war.
. Today when I am traveling in the southern states I am still referred to as a "Yankee" by some because I come from the North. It is intended to be an insult that is not directed at people you like. I must say this is used by a select few.
Just curious. Not trying to start an argument.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

First time I heard it I almost crapped myself-----***=cigarette. Here it means homosexual, and when I heard it 50 years ago it was definitely a negative connotation.

 

[BunMommaD]

1357rabbitlover wrote:

It's also funny how Americans think all British people sound posh, and all British people think Americans all sound like people from Texas aha.. like when you ask someone to speak 'American' they speak in a texas accent

This is really random, but i find it interesting! aha

LOL totally! When my husband does an american accent its always "southern" and sounds HILARIOUS! ROFL lol

 

[1357rabbitlover]

April, many people use the word to kind of lump the Americans together, like when Americans called us Brits.. do you understand? I have never used the word before, my friend just told me what it meant!

 

[Anaira]

Ape337 wrote:

Can I ask what do you mean when you call Americans "Yanks, or Yankees"? I have grown up learning that term specifically referred to Americans from the north in the civil war.
. Today when I am traveling in the southern states I am still referred to as a "Yankee" by some because I come from the North. It is intended to be an insult that is not directed at people you like. I must say this is used by a select few.
Just curious. Not trying to start an argument.

I knew that the south started it as an insult, but I heard that the northerners turned it around and started using it themselves. I think it depends how a person says it, but I don't think in general I've heard people using it in a derogatory way. No different to people calling us 'kiwis', or English 'Brits' or 'poms', as Charlotte said. Or that's just how I see the name, anyway; just slang. How is it in general viewed in the U.S., or in the north? Is it seen as an insult?

 

[Ellie]

I really like ta and cheers, as well.
Not sure if rubbish was mentioned yet?

Also I love how you pronounce "aluminum" and "oregano".
We pronounce them "al-oo-minum" and you say "a-lu-min-ium" or something like that. Also "or-i-gon-o" and "or-eh-gan-oh"
Not sure if that makes any sense :laughsmiley:

 

[1357rabbitlover]

Yeah, and we say like 'he's daft, cheeky, dodgy' I don't think Americans use them? We also say things like 'and bob's your uncle'
When i was in America last year i noticed everyone said 'it's real nice, it's real hot, ect' you's never say 'it's really nice, it's really hot' And on this show called 'The Voice UK' one of the judges was Will.i.am and he said everything was 'dope' which i guessed meant good? aha

It's funny because americans always think we say stuff like 'blimey what a beautiful day' 'Oh golly my good fellow' when i have never heard anyone in my life speak that posh! Most people are like 'omg, its hot for once innit'

Do Americans have like posh sounding people and chavvy sounding people?

What accents do you like best, including Irish, Scottish and welsh

I LOVE the Texas accent, i can't understand half of it but it's so cool, aha

 

[1357rabbitlover]

Oh and you pronounce caramel, you say 'car-mel' when we say 'cara-mel'

 

[BunMommaD]

My hubby thinks it's strange how much we Americans say "Awesome" lol including me... I say it alot lol

And I of course prefer the Scottish accent... Cuz that's hoe my hubs got my attention... He spoke... *swoon* lol