Current Events > Americans, what British slang, words or phrases confuses you?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I said I had a takeaway a while ago which confused my American friend.
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A takeaway? Like you ordered food and picked it up?
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thongs seem to confuse americans
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Pretty much all British slang, since I've never been there and I don't know anyone who lives there.
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why is bloody treated like a cuss word?
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Any and all things Cockney (fucking really Game FAQs auto mod?). C 0 c k-ney English. It's barely even english sounding to begin with but then put through a fine mesh shit strainer and exits sounding like someone vomiting and drowning at the same time.
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BillyKidd posted...

why is bloody treated like a cuss word?

idk if they treat it like a cuss word exactly. I'm not british, but judging solely from tv and movies it seems like it's more powerful than dang or darn but not quite as powerful as damn

It's not a cuss word.


EternalDivide posted...

Any and all things Cockney (fucking really Game FAQs auto mod?). C 0 c k-ney English. It's barely even english sounding to begin with but then put through a fine mesh shit strainer and exits sounding like someone vomiting and drowning at the same time.

No one actually speaks cockney this side of the 19th century.
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haha. i didn't know that word was auto-censored. i can't help but think of another word when I see c***.
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The word for cigerettes
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"bloody" isn't really seen as a bad word anymore

also, it always used to confuse me that Americans put jelly in their sandwiches, til I learned they meant "jam"
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None actually confuse me, some are just amusing. Like the word for cigs as someone mentioned.
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Rika_Furude posted...

thongs seem to confuse americans

Do you call sandals thongs sometimes? That is unusual in the US, usually that word is reserved for the sexy kind
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Sativa_Rose posted...

Do you call sandals thongs sometimes? That is unusual in the US, usually that word is reserved for the sexy kind

No, thongs are the underwear kind here, sandals are strappy summery shoes - if you mean those annoying beach-type footwear things with the bit that goes between your big toe, we call those flip flops, I hate those I always found them uncomfortable to wear
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Sativa_Rose posted...

Rika_Furude posted...

thongs seem to confuse americans

Do you call sandals thongs sometimes? That is unusual in the US, usually that word is reserved for the sexy kind

sandals are something different. you're thinking of these probably

these are thongs
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Why do you call forks stabbychews?
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Oh okay, yeah we call those flip flops in the US, which are a type of sandal. I think my friend from Hawaii though told me once that they call flip flops thongs in Hawaii. But almost everyone calls them flip flops in the US.
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Rika_Furude posted...

Sativa_Rose posted...

Rika_Furude posted...

thongs seem to confuse americans

Do you call sandals thongs sometimes? That is unusual in the US, usually that word is reserved for the sexy kind

sandals are something different. you're thinking of these probably

these are thongs

Thats aussie slang, afaik, we call them flip flops in Britain too.
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Sativa_Rose posted...

Oh okay, yeah we call those flip flops in the US, which are a type of sandal. I think my friend from Hawaii though told me once that they call flip flops thongs in Hawaii. But almost everyone calls them flip flops in the US.

Please direct me to your friend who knows nothing about Hawaii so that I may give him a good shlap. Those are called slippers. It's practically a law to call them slippers here in Hawaii, and when someone calls them flip flops, the locals know he/she isn't from here. Thongs though? Not even the tourists call them that <_<
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I'm not confused by it, but I am amused whenever I see a British person on American TV call someone a "berk."
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KookyCouture posted...

also, it always used to confuse me that Americans put jelly in their sandwiches, til I learned they meant "jam"

They are different though.
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That is a pair of slippers.
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Not really slang but why is showing the backs of your index and ring finger in a v shape the equivalent of showing your middle finger to someone?
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ZombiePelican posted...

Not really slang but why is showing the backs of your index and ring finger in a v shape the equivalent of showing your middle finger to someone?

I asked a British guy once and he told me it was a wartime thing where the prisoners had their index and middle fingers cut off. When some were freed before getting them cut off, they put up the two as a 'fuck you' to their captors.

Don't know if it's actually true, but it sounds believable
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Yea it's basically saying fuck you or calling someone a tosser.
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fuzzylittlbunny posted...

Sativa_Rose posted...

Oh okay, yeah we call those flip flops in the US, which are a type of sandal. I think my friend from Hawaii though told me once that they call flip flops thongs in Hawaii. But almost everyone calls them flip flops in the US.

Please direct me to your friend who knows nothing about Hawaii so that I may give him a good shlap. Those are called slippers. It's practically a law to call them slippers here in Hawaii, and when someone calls them flip flops, the locals know he/she isn't from here. Thongs though? Not even the tourists call them that <_<

I might have gotten confused
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spikethedevil posted...

Yea it's basically saying fuck you or calling someone a tosser.

I know that, my question is why?
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Actual British person here. Every single example given here is outdated and only said by people age 35+. Nowadays there's not much "british" slang but there is still heavy regional accents and slang, like scouse/geordie.
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ZombiePelican posted...

spikethedevil posted...

Yea it's basically saying fuck you or calling someone a tosser.

I know that, my question is why?

The French thing is the only thing I can find on it.
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Sativa_Rose posted...

fuzzylittlbunny posted...

Sativa_Rose posted...

Oh okay, yeah we call those flip flops in the US, which are a type of sandal. I think my friend from Hawaii though told me once that they call flip flops thongs in Hawaii. But almost everyone calls them flip flops in the US.

Please direct me to your friend who knows nothing about Hawaii so that I may give him a good shlap. Those are called slippers. It's practically a law to call them slippers here in Hawaii, and when someone calls them flip flops, the locals know he/she isn't from here. Thongs though? Not even the tourists call them that <_<

I might have gotten confused

Either that or your friend was messing you for no reason. Because basically all the locals refer to them as slippers. There is this place called the Flip Flop Shop in Ala Moana though, where you can make and decorate slippers. Chances are they only call them flip flops because A) Ala Moana is tourist city USA and B) Slippers Shop just isn't catchy :<
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They aren't slippers lol.
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Ok then, why do yall call huge delivery trucks lorries?
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ThePredominate posted...

Actual British person here. Every single example given here is outdated and only said by people age 35+. Nowadays there's not much "british" slang but there is still heavy regional accents and slang, like scouse/geordie.

There is plenty of generic British slang, mate. Being a tosser about it doesn't change that.

>.>

But yes, a lot of regional slang too, over generic slang.

ZombiePelican posted...

spikethedevil posted...

Yea it's basically saying fuck you or calling someone a tosser.

I know that, my question is why?

No one actually knows really. It just is.
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spikethedevil posted...

They aren't slippers lol.

Like I said, these are slippers in Hawaii. Call them flip flops or thongs, and you're gonna get laughed out of whatever tourist spot you came from.

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"Tucked in"

Whenever I hear somebody use this term I imagine a Southern bed and breakfast owner getting upset at his British guest.

"Boy came downstairs for breakfast and said he was gun 'tuck in' to them eggs and I was like boy, you just slept eight doggone hours what the hell you mean you're gonna tuck in! It's eight in the morning! I tells you what these Brit folk are something else.'
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spikethedevil posted...

That is a pair of slippers.

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Why can't you say aluminum?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slipper

In Hawaii, slippers, or "slippahs" is used for describing traditional flip-flops.
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muchdran posted...

Why can't you say aluminum?

We can. We just don't want to sound a bit dim witted, so say Aluminium instead.

<3
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fuzzylittlbunny posted...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slipper

In Hawaii, slippers, or "slippahs" is used for describing traditional flip-flops.

Especially of the rubber variety.
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Rika_Furude posted...

thongs seem to confuse americans

Your sig confuses me

muchdran posted...

Why can't you say aluminum?

Because it's aluminium and we don't need to shorten big words to be able to pronounce them oh and we aren't s cared of the big bad letter U either lol.
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Walkie Barks= dogs
Fisti bops= boxing

Juicy bits= pulp in orange juice....
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Walkie Barks= dogs
Fisti bops= boxing


Neither of these a true.
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I don't understand why British people care about queueing so much
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AlternativeFAQS posted...

Rika_Furude posted...

thongs seem to confuse americans

Your sig confuses me

oh well
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Feline_Heart posted...

I don't understand why British people care about queueing so much

You never queued at a carvery to get a nice Sunday joint?
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"cold on the cob"
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Yaridovich posted...

Feline_Heart posted...

I don't understand why British people care about queueing so much

You never queued at a carvery to get a nice Sunday joint?

It's waiting in a line. I don't see how that's interesting or why it needs to have a word for it.
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Feline_Heart posted...

I don't understand why British people care about queueing so much

Because we get to silently judge anyone who dares break the unwritten rules.

Feline_Heart posted...

Yaridovich posted...

Feline_Heart posted...

I don't understand why British people care about queueing so much

You never queued at a carvery to get a nice Sunday joint?

It's waiting in a line. I don't see how that's interesting or why it needs to have a word for it.

You... don't understand why things have words to describe them?
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