English-American words and phrases - General Discussion Discussion

[–] Prelude (1443) 7 years ago

It's apparently true that the English words and phrases used by Americans and not by modern-day British people, were indeed ones that the British did in fact use back in the day. So every time a Brit accuses the Americans of mangling the language, the irony is they are speaking a form of English closer to original English than the UK now speaks, and it's UK English that has actually changed.

Apparently even the sounds found in most American accents are closer to an influence from some dialects of people in the British Isles, and the same case applies, it's British accents that have altered.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

"I was surprised to read some time ago that 'American' words like faucet, UK= tap, and candy, UK= sweets/ chocolate, etc, are actually English from the 1600's, maybe taken with Pilgrims to the new American colonies at the time?"

That's very interesting, and news to me. Makes sense Pilgrims took those versions with them, and since they were isolated, didn't get word of the updates.

I hear route pronounced as both rowt and root. Route 66 is pronounced as root, and come to think of it I say root rather than route. But I am half Brit, so that may be part of it.

Weird a US skinhead would be depicted as saying "bloody." Although I do find it strange as well that for most of my life the only people I heard say "reckon" were country types of folks from parts of the US that were most often Southern. But in the past 10 years, quite a few Brits now use it.

reply

[–] Prelude (1443) 7 years ago

No, Brits have been using "I reckon" for as long as I've ever heard of, certainly all of my lifetime. It's actually very London Cockney to say "I reckon" etc etc. That's not a past ten years thing, that's always been used by Brits. In fact, the Southern/country folks probably retained it from British settler ancestry, as per the part of the discussion regarding European Americans retaining British usage. This is one that stayed in usage in Britain too.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Funny that none of the Brits I've ever known have said it, until the past 10 years. Also funny that no one in the States except country folk say it. You'd think it'd have been retained by people in the 13 colonies, but it isn't.

reply

[–] Prelude (1443) 7 years ago

Funny that every Brit I've ever known for probably longer than you've been alive have said "I reckon."

You know....you COULD have just said in a nice way "Oh, perhaps it's because my friends are from ___ " but NO, you instead have to be a bitch and actually try to deny me what is in fact TRUE.

I'm FULL British, born and raised in London, and have heard this said around me my entire fucking life, BITCH.

BLOCKED.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

W.T.H.???

Good grief, Prelude's gone off again. Seemed like last time it was because she had too much on her plate. Hope that isn't the case this time. Well, it would help explain it, but it would suck for her.

reply

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

Well that escalated quickly.

I certainly didn't take it like that.
Don't worry about it.

Maybe I'll give her a tip and hug.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Yeah, strange. Glad you didn't take it that way.

I remember her saying she was struggling financially, and working too many hours, so a tip and hug would be just the ticket!

reply

[–] AS117 (246) 7 years ago

Yea, I didn't take it that way either. Wow that was weird. Anyway I do like the topic.

On a more lighter note on english words, some people call a toilet the crapper. Well Thomas Crapper invented the thing, ....kind of. A little interesting entomology. The old timers I knew had other words for it as well. LOL.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Now I'm wondering if she was the only one who took it the wrong way. Ah well, nothing I can do about it, but thanks for letting me know.

I like this topic too. I knew about Mr. Crapper, but just now realised he also brought us the useful word, crap!

What other words? There's the loo, the throne, the W.C., uh, I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of them.

reply

[–] AS117 (246) 7 years ago

My great uncle called it the shit house. Wasn't going to bring it up but... you asked.

Also the out house, bathroom, restroom, pisser, the head, and last but not least The John.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Heh, yes I did ask. Shit house, I've heard that one. There's a saying that goes something like "crazier than a shit house rat." Your great uncle probably knew what that meant, but I don't.

Outhouse, bathroom, restroom, pisser, yes, all of these!

There's also the porcelain throne, usually referred to as praying to or worshipping when one has had way too much to drink and is deeply regretting it coming back up the same way it went down.

reply

[–] AS117 (246) 7 years ago

How could I forget porcelain throne.

I wish I could ask my uncle. So many people I loved have gone.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

I'm so sorry. A lot of people I loved have gone too, so I know how you feel.

*hug*

reply

[–] AS117 (246) 7 years ago

Oh and when I was in school it was the lavatory. And of course the Powder Room.

I have to say this has turned crappy. LOL

I would love to know if there are other words for a bathroom.

reply

[–] GlenEllyn (21642) 7 years ago

Same here. In school it was always the lavatory.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Same here, it was called the lavatory in school. When I was little, I thought it being called that had something to do with Lava soap!

From now on we'll have to refer to it as the Crappy Thread :D

reply

[–] AS117 (246) 7 years ago

LOL

reply

[–] GlenEllyn (21642) 7 years ago

I certainly didn't take it that way! Good grief. Sorry if she's having problems, but this was uncalled for.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

She probably was the only one who did. It was uncalled for, but now, happily, we've moved on to talking Crap!

reply

[–] yawkee24 (629) 7 years ago

[–] Catbookss (3588) 2 hours ago
W.T.H.???
Good grief, Prelude's gone off again. Seemed like last time it was because she had too much on her plate.
______________________________________________________
more like... too much in her glass

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Couldda been that too.

reply

[–] yawkee24 (629) 7 years ago

I hear route pronounced as both rowt and root. Route 66 is pronounced as root, and come to think of it I say root rather than route. But I am half Brit, so that may be part of it.

listen to the song route 66 by the all American singing group "The 4 freshmen", on "You Tube" very popular back in the day, and they sing root 66 ...not rout 66

I am from the north east, not too far from where the pilgrims landed, and we always say
"Tap water", sweets, and we say aunt not ant, but I never heard anyone from my neck of the woods say "I reckon" to us it's a southern thing, or western, the only time I ever heard was in a cowboy movie, "I reckon so, Clem" they might say it in London, I just don't know, other than what Prelude said, and she would know better than I would.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Yes, that's what I said, it's Root 66, not Rowt 66 :)

You say sweets instead of candy in the northeast? That's a new one on me.

Exactly, here in the US it's a southern thing. All the Clampets. Yes, that's right, cowboys said it too.

I'm sure they do say it in London, probably other parts of the UK too, and it's not something that started just 10 years ago. But that is when I started hearing it, and it surprised me.

reply

[–] GlenEllyn (21642) 7 years ago

My northeast cousins always say soda, not pop or soda pop. I too, think of 'I reckon' as a southern thing, but also a cowboy thing. Maybe the cowboy thing got started because whoever wrote the first cowboy script was from the south?? It's a bit of a stretch, I know. I'm just spit-balling here. I say 'I suppose' rather than 'I reckon.'

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Or because a lot of cowboys were from the Lone Star state? Weren't Jed and his kinfolk from there too? Must have been: Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.

reply

[–] GlenEllyn (21642) 7 years ago

Good point about Texas cowboys. Yours seems the more logical explanation.

reply

[–] yawkee24 (629) 7 years ago

why didn't I think of that?

reply

[–] yawkee24 (629) 7 years ago

My dad always said "tonic" instead of soda, pop was a Chicago thing,
but nowadays it's soda, (which is not good for you)

reply

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

Prelude was correct and people do commonly use the word reckon and always have.
Not as a means of counting but as in "believe"

An example would be:-
"Why do you reckon Prelude lost their shit over this?"

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Yes, yes, I'm sure that's the case, which I said a few posts ago. I never meant to imply otherwise. I just found it odd/funny/strange that with the many Brits I've known over the course of my life, including some family members, not a one of them ever said reckon. Until around 10 years ago, when some have. The End.

I thought it was an interesting theory she put forth that perhaps the people here in the south who use it did it because of British colonialisation, as a holdover. Perhaps that is the reason, but I'd think it'd have been prevalent in the original 13 colonies, not the south.

It's used the same way here, although I reckon "I think" is how it's most often used. Or "I suppose."

As to your question (lol), #tisamystery!

reply

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

Odd that some random character in American X used a British curse word. I wonder if the actress is British and ad libbed that. Doesn’t fit the characters, who were (as I recall) a bunch of US racist rednecks.

Yes, I think globalization in all forms - travel, internet, film, tv - have opened us all up to other cultures, their habits, lingo..

reply

[–] AS117 (246) 7 years ago

It also depends on region and age group. For example some older people I know will say trousers instead of pants. Or even slacks for pants. Sometimes older people will say blouse for any shirt.

I use and hear people say faucet and tap interchangeably.

And we pronounce route both ways. Again a lot has to do with region ( the US is a big and diverse country) and age etc.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Trousers sounds like what a generation ago -- or two would say -- or slacks.

Yet I know that in the UK "pants" = underpants, not trousers, not slacks.

There is a difference between a blouse and a shirt. For the past 10 or more years, all upper apparel for women is referred to as a shirt by the majority.

One of my personal apparel term peeves is interchanging the word coat for jacket. They're not the same garment at all. If I'm looking for a coat, I'm not looking for a jacket, and vice versa.

What part of the States are you from? I'm west coast, and pronounce route as root.

reply

[–] AS117 (246) 7 years ago

NJ. North Jersey specifically.

I say route as root as well. But I hear it both ways. I would say "root" is more common.

I grew up around a lot of older people. I was very close with my great Aunts and uncles etc. One of the funniest things is they would pronounce the word theater as "thee A' ter".. something like that. (I & everyone else I know say it more like thee-ter.) I don't know if its just my family or an older thing. It was this same generation that would say slacks instead of pants and ma and pa instead of mom and dad. Although I and all my siblings called our mother ma all our lives.

So many memories.

Any unique West Coast words?

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Well interesting, completely opposite coast. I wonder what parts of the US root-teenly pronounce route at rowt and which as root. I think I've heard both, but Route 66 has always been pronounced as Root 66, as far as I've ever heard it.

Come to think on it, in other contexts, I do recall it being pronounced as rowt; as in "which rowt did you take?" Same for you?

I grew up around older people as well, but half of them were Brits, so I take that into account. I've always pronounced it as thee-a-ture, with the emphasis on the first syllable. I don't recall hearing it pronounced in two syllables, although I may have and didn't pay any attention because the meaning was clear.

I called my mom mom, and my dad dad. My grandmother was Nana. Grandfather was, uh, I think just grandfather or granddad. I know people in the south call their grandmothers meemaw. Don't know what equivalent they call their grandparents. Meepaw? Paw paw?

Can't think of any words I know to be unique to the west coast.

reply

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

Butting in Cat.

I think "rowt" might be a midwest thing.
The thing on top of your house might be called a ruff pronounced like root.
Creak I've heard pronounced crick.
Another one is a drinking fountain. Around here we call them bubblers.
Soda is usually called pop.
Can't forget a pair of britches or some BVD's.
Although BVD is a brand name but was used for all underwear.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

You mean y'all in the bread basket don't call it Root 66??

And a roof is pronounced as a ... hang on there, does anyone actually say ruff for roof?

I've heard creeks pronounced as cricks before, but that's a country thing, same as reckon.

I've never seen a drinking fountain that bubbled, otherwise I'd be good with calling them bubblers. A bubbling drinking fountain sounds like a lot more fun than a plain old drinking fountain. But I wouldn't know.

Trying to think of what we called carbonated drinks. Not pop, not soda, not soda pop. Just remembered, we called them soft drinks! Don't ask me what was soft about them, I have no idea. Wasn't and still am not all that wild about them.

Britches was something someone far, far away called pants.

reply

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

Some do call it Root 66 , don't cha know.

Oh yeah, you betcha they do. They don't call a boot a butt but a roof is a ruff.

I've seen a drinking fountain with one pipe coming up the center and and the water
did kind of bubble out. Maybe that's where they got it from.
I know when I moved to Utah as a kid I said the world bubbler and never lived it down.

The only thing I can think of is soft drinks aren't hard. Hard like alcohol I mean.
Never understood where that term came from. Like hard cider.

People use brand names for things too. If you're going to get some tissues people
will say I'm going to get some Kleenix. Even if you don't buy Kleenix brand.
Or people say Chapstick for any kind of lip balm.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Yes, ol' Root 66, that's what I'm sayin'! Does anyone in your neck of the woods call it rowt 66?

I've never heard a roof called a ruff. Do the same people say a dog says "ruff, ruff?" Probably.

Our bubblers didn't bubble. Which is a damned shame because that would have made getting a drink of water a lot more fun. I think.

Maybe that's it, they weren't hard as in alcoholic. Still, I always think of soft as in soft water, which doesn't make much sense when it comes to "soft drinks." Or soda, or pop.

I think that's universal. No one says tissue, or lip balm, or gelatin dessert. Ok, maybe lip balm, but that usually refers to something smoother and glossier.

reply

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

I'm sure they do, although I think this is a generational thing.
I don't hear it as often as I used to.

I call people out on the whole roof thing all the time and they just
look at me. It's just natural to them.

It would be more fun wouldn't it. Water just a bubblin' all over.

I just remembered "hot dish".
I'll bring a hot dish to the picnic. Ask what it is and they'll say "oh, it's just hot dish".
It basically covers a lot of different dishes. Many times it involves tater tots, cream of mushroom
soup, noddles and maybe peas.

reply

[–] GlenEllyn (21642) 7 years ago

The song is Root 66, but everything else in my world is rowt.

When I was growing up, trousers were the pants that came with men's suits, or a dressy pair of pants, complete with creases. Girls wore slacks, not pants. Oh, and we call it "casserole" not hot dish, which goes against the local dialect, I believe.

reply

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

Yes, casserole . I had forgotten about that one.
That's what I remember growing up.
Now for some reason I hear more hot dish.
It's basically the same thing.

reply

[–] MissMargoChanning (6630) 7 years ago

"The song is Root 66, but everything else in my world is rowt."

I agree. It's Rowt for everything else, but when it comes to the song, it's Root! Oh' and don't forget the TV show! Tod and Buzz traveling all over America in search of that special place in life in that gorgeous Corvette?
Watching them is when I first heard of Route 66.🚘

reply

[–] GlenEllyn (21642) 7 years ago

Route 66 - who doesn't dream of driving a Corvette? A convertible, no less! That's my dream car. A convertible anything, actually.

reply

[–] MissMargoChanning (6630) 7 years ago

Did you ever watch the show? I have it on now. I haven't seen it in over a year, but this thread got me thinking about it again.

reply

[–] GlenEllyn (21642) 7 years ago

LOL, I have it up on YouTube right now.

reply

[–] MissMargoChanning (6630) 7 years ago

YAY! Me too! Happy trails!

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Cookie, Cookie, lend me your comb.

That show is how I first learned about Root 66 too.

reply

[–] MissMargoChanning (6630) 7 years ago

Really? I liked that too! 77 Sunset Strip. Cookie was Ed Burns. Efrem Zimbolist Jr. was in that too! I loved that show!
I still prefer Route 66 with Martin Milner and George Maharis.

reply

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

You're right, I conflated the two shows! Even misspelled Kookie. As I recall, I liked both of them about equally.

reply

[–] MissMargoChanning (6630) 7 years ago

Oh. I see. You just had the two shows confuddled. Understandable. Those shows were on TV roughly around the same years.

reply

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

I always say tissue and when I was little it was a paper hanky!

I also say lip balm too.
I've heard Dennis Farina say ruff for roof,maybe it is a Chicago thing?

I reckon (!)it could be.

reply

[–] GlenEllyn (21642) 7 years ago

I'm weird, it's always chapstick rather than lip balm.

reply

[–] db20db (17710) 7 years ago

Dennis Farina is a class act ! Also, a pretty damned good actor and narrator.

reply

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

Paper hanky is very classy.

I think I still say chapstick even though I haven't used chapstick brand in decades.

I really think ruff is a Midwest thing which would include Chicago.
It could even more of a smaller regional thing too.

I've heard people say "I'm going to go Xerox something" instead of saying make a copy.

reply

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

We do say Hoover when we mean vacuum cleaner!

reply

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

Band aid is another one, although I wouldn't know what else to call it.
Sticky bandage?

Crock pot for slow cooker.

reply

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

We call a Band aid a plaster.
Slow Cooker is Slow cooker.

reply

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

A plaster is very cool.
I'll add that one to my list.

I always enjoy a good chin wag with you.

reply

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

Me too Dick Van Dyke!

reply

[–] AS117 (246) 7 years ago

Its a funny thing. I always thought it was strange of the old timers to pronounced theater as 3 syllables. For me and everyone else I know the word is pronounced as if the "a" is not there, "theter". Maybe its a Jersey thing.

Being from north Jersey, I have to add this one. I have never gone to the beach or gone to the ocean in my life but I have "gone down the shore" many many times.

Of course Southern California gave us words like rad and gnarly.

reply

[–] yawkee24 (629) 7 years ago

New Jersey has the funniest most unique accent in the entire universe,
you have to be from NJ to understand them.

reply

[–] AS117 (246) 7 years ago

I don't know what your talkin about. Lets get some rippers and go down the shore.

reply

[–] yawkee24 (629) 7 years ago

I was in Jersey visiting my cousins and noticed they were all talking like they were eating lemons at the same time, lol

reply

[–] GlenEllyn (21642) 7 years ago

I don't know why, but I always visualized the word underpants as underpance. 🤷

reply

[–] slimone (7996) 7 years ago

Mum
Mate
Bloke
Nappies

reply

[–] Kazak (2199) 7 years ago

If you find the many idiosyncrasies of the English language interesting, you simply must read "The Mother Tongue" by Bill Bryson.

reply