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Am not American, but not British either! Let's translate...
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amother
OP  


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 8:02 am
I'm a Brit living in NY. My American friends tell me I'm so 'British', but just been to the UK for a Simcha, and my family there say I'm so 'American'!

They're both a bit right and a bit wrong, I'm probably somewhere in the middle!

Looking for some fun, let's make a list of British English versus American English..

Vacation-holiday
Highway-motorway
Trunk-(car) boot
Sidewalk-pavement
Cookie-biscuit
Mall-shopping centre
Parking lot-car park
Tuition-fees
Faucet-tap
Garbage-rubbish
Truck-lorry
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amother
Tanzanite  


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 8:05 am
Lift- elevator.
Jumper- sweater.

(American here)
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amother
NeonOrange  


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 9:03 am
I think it's also if you "unconsciously" started watering down your accent.
Tomahtos, vs. Tomaytos
Also,
"Fleishig, and not Flayshig" ( or really, meaty vs milky, that's what they say)
Police are "bobbies" - is that term still used?
My friend moved to US when she was 13, I totally do not hear an accent at all, but people she meets on the street say, "are you from the england"
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amother
Jean  


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 9:04 am
I’m an American who lived in the UK. In the uk I was told I was too American and here in America I’m being told I’ve become British.

Snack bag- packet of crips
Seltzer- sparkling water
Water- still water
Eggplant- aubergine
Stroller- buggy
Cilantro- coriander
Shopping cart- trolley
Takeout- takeaway
Meat and dairy- meaty and milky
Candy- Sweets/sweetie

Also lots of weird spelling besides the obvious colour.
Tires- tyres
Program- programme (are the extra letters really needed?)

School was whole nother parsha to learn!
Carpool- rota
Grade- year
Principal- headmaster/mistress
There were houses, house points, and head boys and prefects (straight out of Harry Potter!).
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amother
  OP  


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 9:05 am
amother NeonOrange wrote:
I think it's also if you "unconsciously" started watering down your accent.
Tomahtos, vs. Tomaytos
Also,
"Fleishig, and not Flayshig" ( or really, meaty vs milky, that's what they say)
Police are "bobbies" - is that term still used?
My friend moved to US when she was 13, I totally do not hear an accent at all, but people she meets on the street say, "are you from the england"


No they're not called bobbies anymore, only in the storybooks!
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amother
Honey


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 9:06 am
Bathroom=WC or toilet
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amother
  OP  


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 9:09 am
amother Jean wrote:
I’m an American who lived in the UK. In the uk I was told I was too American and here in America I’m being told I’ve become British.

Snack bag- packet of crips
Seltzer- sparkling water
Water- still water
Eggplant- aubergine
Stroller- buggy
Cilantro- coriander
Shopping cart- trolley
Takeout- takeaway
Meat and dairy- meaty and milky
Candy- Sweets/sweetie

Also lots of weird spelling besides the obvious colour.
Tires- tyres
Program- programme (are the extra letters really needed?)

School was whole nother parsha to learn!
Carpool- rota
Grade- year
Principal- headmaster/mistress
There were houses, house points, and head boys and prefects (straight out of Harry Potter!).


Ha same! Americans think I'm British, and the English say I'm American!

Also us British call ourselves English, but Americans call us British. And I say I'm from England, but the Americans say 'Are you from the UK!'
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amother
  Jean  


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 9:15 am
Coat closet- Cloakroom
Semi-detached - duplex
Townhouse- terrace
Rental- lettings
Apartment- flat
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schoolbus




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 9:28 am
https://www.imamother.com/foru.....30562
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amother
  NeonOrange


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 10:50 am
Courgette - zuccini
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amother
Forsythia


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 2:26 pm
amother Jean wrote:
I’m an American who lived in the UK. In the uk I was told I was too American and here in America I’m being told I’ve become British.

Snack bag- packet of crips
Seltzer- sparkling water
Water- still water
Eggplant- aubergine
Stroller- buggy
Cilantro- coriander
Shopping cart- trolley
Takeout- takeaway
Meat and dairy- meaty and milky
Candy- Sweets/sweetie

Also lots of weird spelling besides the obvious colour.
Tires- tyres
Program- programme (are the extra letters really needed?)

School was whole nother parsha to learn!
Carpool- rota
Grade- year
Principal- headmaster/mistress
There were houses, house points, and head boys and prefects (straight out of Harry Potter!).


Yes! You've nailed it!
Also, water is not water, it's wattah! (Like silent r)
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amother
DarkOrange  


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 2:43 pm
amother Jean wrote:
I’m an American who lived in the UK. In the uk I was told I was too American and here in America I’m being told I’ve become British.

Snack bag- packet of crips
Seltzer- sparkling water
Water- still water
Eggplant- aubergine
Stroller- buggy
Cilantro- coriander
Shopping cart- trolley
Takeout- takeaway
Meat and dairy- meaty and milky
Candy- Sweets/sweetie

Also lots of weird spelling besides the obvious colour.
Tires- tyres
Program- programme (are the extra letters really needed?)

School was whole nother parsha to learn!
Carpool- rota
Grade- year
Principal- headmaster/mistress
There were houses, house points, and head boys and prefects (straight out of Harry Potter!).

Lol in what way did you change?
Did you find it hard

Op
Post is Mail
Bin is garbage
Garden is yard
Pinafore jumper sweter
But the words are the least of the acclimating I had
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sequoia




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 3:07 pm
Don’t forget tannoy for loudspeaker.
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amother
Dill  


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 3:13 pm
amother Honey wrote:
Bathroom=WC or toilet


Loo. Brits say they’re going to the loo.
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amother
  Dill


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 3:14 pm
amother NeonOrange wrote:
Courgette - zuccini


Aubergine - eggplant
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amother
Latte


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 3:44 pm
arugula = rocket
vest = undershirt
waistcoat = vest
bonnet (car) = hood
trunk (car) = boot
faucet = tap
cell phone = mobile
back yard = garden
apartment = flat
paint = decorate
tv = box or telly
subway = tube
underground passage = subway
molding = coving
toilet paper = loo roll
highway = motorway
traffic circle = roundabout
chopped meat = mince
cornstarch = corn flour
confectioner's or powdered sugar = icing sugar
check = cheque
oatmeal= porridge
doctor's office = surgery
complain = moan
whine = whinge
line = queue
diaper = nappy
orchestra (in a theatre) = stalls
crib = cot
math = maths

Also, s = z, as in stabilise, mobiise, realise, recognise
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amother
  OP  


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 3:56 pm
amother Jean wrote:
I’m an American who lived in the UK. In the uk I was told I was too American and here in America I’m being told I’ve become British.

Snack bag- packet of crips
Seltzer- sparkling water
Water- still water
Eggplant- aubergine
Stroller- buggy
Cilantro- coriander
Shopping cart- trolley
Takeout- takeaway
Meat and dairy- meaty and milky
Candy- Sweets/sweetie

Also lots of weird spelling besides the obvious colour.
Tires- tyres
Program- programme (are the extra letters really needed?)

School was whole nother parsha to learn!
Carpool- rota
Grade- year
Principal- headmaster/mistress
There were houses, house points, and head boys and prefects (straight out of Harry Potter!).


I've learned a new word today! Always wondered what Cilantro was! I just skip it if a recipe calls for it!
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amother
Watermelon


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 4:15 pm
I'm a brit married to an American and had to change a few words.

My main change was 'put your pants in the hamper/laundry' instead of 'put your trousers in the washing'
If I said it the British way the pants would stay on the floor.

Recently I was having a shopping talk with my British sil and was going on about buying pants for my son but not from any store coz they need to be the right fit so I don't have to sew them and I want to try them on etc. she could not understand why I was so fussy about my son's underwear.
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amother
  DarkOrange


 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 6:45 pm
Why's there no word for tidy?
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Busybee5  




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 28 2024, 6:55 pm
amother Dill wrote:
Loo. Brits say they’re going to the loo.


Only the low lives call it loo. 🤢
And the more 'posh, proper' Brits call it the Bathroom. We call it the toilet but my in laws say bathroom.
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