Irritating American names for things

440Hertz

Brussels Sprout wrote: »

They really aren't though as it's a one-way street when it comes to cultural exposure. The Yanks are some of the biggest naval gazers on Earth.

It’s a a very big country with a huge media and cultural output that’s globally dominant, so it’s very much a mostly one way street.

However, I do find that Europeans over estimate how worldly wise they are, when Americans know not that much about Europe, but if you ask your average Irish person a few questions about say Africa, or Asia or even US states, they can be equally thick as can quite a lot of people on the continent and in Britain.

I’ve found people here who don’t realise that Ontario isn’t a US state, that think Mexico is in South America and who think Africa is a country.

We all live in our bubbles, to varying degrees

ohnonotgmail

440Hertz wrote: »

It’s a a very big country with a huge media and cultural output that’s globally dominant, so it’s very much a mostly one way street.

However, I do find that Europeans over estimate how worldly wise they are, when Americans know not that much about Europe, but if you ask your average Irish person a few questions about say Africa, or Asia or even US states, they can be equally thick as can quite a lot of people on the continent and in Britain.

I’ve found people here who don’t realise that Ontario isn’t a US state, that think Mexico is in South America and who think Africa is a country.

We all live in our bubbles, to varying degrees

to be fair there are a lot in the US that would get those wrong as well

kravmaga

Garbage engineer = Binman

Carmel for caramel
I'm going to pour some carmel on this cake

breezy1985

bluewolf wrote: »

Carmel for caramel
I'm going to pour some carmel on this cake

I've seen a few Carmel worth eating in my time

dxhound2005

440Hertz wrote: »

It’s a a very big country with a huge media and cultural output that’s globally dominant, so it’s very much a mostly one way street.

However, I do find that Europeans over estimate how worldly wise they are, when Americans know not that much about Europe, but if you ask your average Irish person a few questions about say Africa, or Asia or even US states, they can be equally thick as can quite a lot of people on the continent and in Britain.

I’ve found people here who don’t realise that Ontario isn’t a US state, that think Mexico is in South America and who think Africa is a country.

We all live in our bubbles, to varying degrees

Average doesn't work for that concept. But on the subject of Mexico, I would guess that more Irish people think it is in Central America than South America. As you know it is in North America.

steamsey

looksee wrote: »

Using visit to mean a chat without the implication of going anywhere. As in a reference to someone talking with the person next to them on a plane 'we had a nice visit'.

Visit is a good one.

To quote Waingro, Heat (1995). " The Grim Reaper's visiting with you". First time I'd heard visit used in that way and I always remember that line because it sounded so strange to me.

Hamsterchops

kravmaga wrote: »

Garbage engineer = Binman

Garbage truck = Bin lorry.

murpho999

In no particular order.

Faucet
Fall (Instead of Autumn)
Sidewalk
Automobile, Trunk & Hood
Pronunciation of "lever" & "tomatoe"
Aluminum.
Check instead of bill
Patty's Day
Bangs (for fringe)
Awesome and how more Irish people are using it.
Pissed for being angry instead of drunk.
My bad
Math
Diapers
Dude
Broil instead of grill
Candy
Parking Lot

scotchy

I have heard the term broiling thousands of times and didn't know till now that it meant grilling.

:rolleyes:

.

Junkyard Tom

murpho999 wrote: »

Fall (Instead of Autumn)

I like that term, it's evocative and has a certain drama to it.

Also I believe it's an artefact from ye olde Englishe.

km991148

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Garbage truck = Bin lorry.

Truck in general.

Lorry or HGV..

cj maxx

I think a lot of posters here need to take their heads out of their fannies

440Hertz

Nothing worse than people from somewhere else doing things slightly differently. How dare they!

Hangdogroad

Mind your business. Instead of mind your own business.

Widye

'Shirt' for a t-shirt.

Widye

'Hate' for criticism.

the purple tin

Just let me grab my pullover and we'll go to the store for some candy.

Quantum Erasure

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Mind your business. Instead of mind your own business.

I could care less

whisky_galore

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

I like that term, it's evocative and has a certain drama to it.

Also I believe it's an artefact from ye olde Englishe.

Some of their words are old English usage preserved in aspic.
Curb, Tire, Trash, etc.

https://www.abroadintheyard.com/new-fangled-american-words-and-spellings-which-are-rooted-in-old-england/

440Hertz

the purple tin wrote: »

Just let me grab my pullover and we'll go to the store for some candy.

They’d more likely say sweater. Pullover tends to refer to cars.

Also if you say it’s cold & you’re going to put on your jumper, bear in mind it’s a sleeveless dress in the USA.

Kaybaykwah

We were just hangin' out with you guys.

Just hangin', you know?

You guys!

You guys, where have you been hangin'?

You guys.

dxhound2005

You guys has an interesting history.

https://time.com/5688255/you-guys/

maudgonner

I've been watching way too much CNN today, and have learned that (at least some) Americans have the same approach to the word 'votes' as they do to 'maths' - i.e. they insist on using the singular.

"There's a still lot of vote to be counted in this state" :mad:

Capt'n Midnight

Silver33 wrote: »

An irish person saying the word "awesome" drives me mental. It just sounds fake..:D

An American using the word "awesome" drives me mental. It just sounds fake..:D

Here it's bringer of wonders, there it describes anything that doesn't suck big time.

Badly Drunk Boy

dxhound2005 wrote: »

You guys has an interesting history.

https://time.com/5688255/you-guys/

This is quite appropriate for today, which is Guy Fawkes Day.

Badly Drunk Boy

maudgonner wrote: »

I've been watching way too much CNN today, and have learned that (at least some) Americans have the same approach to the word 'votes' as they do to 'maths' - i.e. they insist on using the singular.

"There's a still lot of vote to be counted in this state" :mad:

They do the opposite with Lego.

"Do you want to play with your Legos?".

Capt'n Midnight

maudgonner wrote: »

I've been watching way too much CNN today, and have learned that (at least some) Americans have the same approach to the word 'votes' as they do to 'maths' - i.e. they insist on using the singular.

"There's a still lot of vote to be counted in this state" :mad:

If Trump gets his way then it will be an uncountable noun.

Bricriu

'Regime-change' instead of 'coup' involving hundreds of thousands of deaths that are never mentioned by 'imbedded' (our guys!) journalists.

mrsdewinter

Dufflecoat Fanny wrote: »

poop

Can we talk about how US terms for digestion issues is so jarring to our ears?

It sounds so childlike and so graphic! Yet it seems like it's quite acceptable to use it in mixed company, with a straight face.

mikhail

Bricriu wrote: »

'Regime-change' instead of 'coup' involving hundreds of thousands of deaths that are never mentioned by 'imbedded' (our guys!) journalists.

Embedded.

Coup is normally internally lead. Conquest with the aim of installing a puppet regime isn't normally called a coup, I think.

Mad_maxx

Brussels Sprout wrote: »

What are the perfectly good names of things that the Americans have, for some reason, decided to call completely different things that annoy you.

I'll open the bidding with them calling Fruit & Vegetables Produce (and pronouncing it "pro-juice").

Aluminium becomes al - loom- in - um

ohnonotgmail

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Aluminium becomes al - loom- in - um

the yanks have it correct on this. Aliminum is what its discoverer called. It was only changed to aluminium to fit in with the other elements that end in -ium

Badly Drunk Boy

'Butt': the way it is pronounced and the way more and more Irish people are saying it. It is said in a short, sharp burst, and usually barely pronouncing the t's. My nephew might say something like "I fell on my butt" but the relaxed cadence of his speech suddenly changes for that one word with an abrupt 'buh".

And it's worse when adult Irish people do it...

whisky_galore

Military ops names, "Operation *insert cheesy name*"

Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation All American Tiger, Operation Airborne Dragon, Operation Cobra's Anger..etc.

US2

The way the pronounce words like

Route - Row-t

Semi- Sem-eye

dxhound2005

ceadaoin.

kravmaga wrote: »

Garbage engineer = Binman

Literally never heard that. Trash or garbage collector is what they say, or sanitation worker if you want to be fancy about it.

Apparently there are sanitation engineers but thats a different thing

Wibbs wrote: »

Well IIRC that has an interesting history which goes back to the 19th century and before cars. Gasoline was originally a trademark of a "motor spirit" producer, though and again IIRC it was spelled "Gazolene" with a zed the "gas" thing coming later?

Don't you mean "zee" ?

kowloonkev

Quantum Erasure wrote: »

I could care less

This one really bugs me more than any pronunciation. Do they even know what they're saying?

I will defend the use of 'soccer' a term which has its roots in the game and is not something invented by Americans in order to differentiate between their sport of Football and the English game. It annoys me more that Irish people will argue this point for some reason and comes across as very petty.

I also like the term 'Shopping Mall' as it differentiates between them and the tiny little shopping centres we would see in Ireland and a lot of Europe where space is at a premium. Shopping malls have hundreds of shops. A Tesco with a pharmacy, barbers and pound shop in the same building is not a mall.

smilerf

Restroom
Wtf do you have a little snooze while you are taking a crap
Waste paper basket sidewalk and bath tub
They love Big names for things

smilerf

Seems to be coming more common here too which winds me up but Gifted and Birthed

smilerf

Ima for I am going to
Write me for write to me

dxhound2005

Text me, call me, ring me, phone me, email me, message me, write me.

Omackeral

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Text me, call me, ring me, phone me, email me, message me, write me.

Never thought of it like that. How dare you make me change my stubborn outlook on something.

breezy1985

smilerf wrote: »

Seems to be coming more common here too which winds me up but Gifted and Birthed

What the hell is birthed? Sounds messy

Homelander

Have you ever noticed how American people say Martin so differently?

We say Mar-tin, they say Mart-in.

The Continental Op

American pronunciation of Irish place names can be funny.

There were some yanks in New Ross asking for directions to Down Town In-Is-Towgee. As a blow in myself I can under stand anyone not pronouncing Inistioge right first time but where did the Down Town come from?

YFlyer

Brussels Sprout wrote: »

What are the perfectly good names of things that the Americans have, for some reason, decided to call completely different things that annoy you.

I'll open the bidding with them calling Fruit & Vegetables Produce (and pronouncing it "pro-juice").

USNAVY. A child was called that name

FishOnABike

The Continental Op wrote: »

American pronunciation of Irish place names can be funny.

There were some yanks in New Ross asking for directions to Down Town In-Is-Towgee. As a blow in myself I can under stand anyone not pronouncing Inistioge right first time but where did the Down Town come from?

Could be worse, could have been asking how to get to zero zero L A (Oola)

breezy1985

FishOnABike wrote: »

Could be worse, could have been asking how to get to zero zero L A (Oola)

Haven't heard that one in ages