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There are lots of expressions and terms that differ. Most Americans wouldn't know what you're talking about when you mention a "lorry". If you offer an American "chips" he will expect you to open a bag as we don't use the term "crisps" and chips are called fries. We spell; Behavior, color and civilization, not behaviour, colour and civilisation. We are among our friends while socializing, not amonst our friends whilst socializing. We eat donuts, not doughnuts. It's a madhouse, not a bedlam. It's a wildfire or brushfire, not a bushfire. There are differences. Anyone who fails to understand that needs to have their head examined.
Yep. Most Aussies would assume that "lorry" is a person with strange name, and would probably respond "a crisp what?" if asked if they'd like "a crisp". But all that's pretty harmless when you consider the scope for misunderstanding caused by the British interpretation of "pants" which is of course the Aus/US/Canadian "underpants" or the term the Brits commonly use for a rooster.
Last edited by Richard1098; 03-07-2014 at 12:53 AM..
There are lots of expressions and terms that differ. Most Americans wouldn't know what you're talking about when you mention a "lorry". If you offer an American "chips" he will expect you to open a bag as we don't use the term "crisps" and chips are called fries. We spell; Behavior, color and civilization, not behaviour, colour and civilisation. We are among our friends while socializing, not amonst our friends whilst socializing. We eat donuts, not doughnuts. It's a madhouse, not a bedlam. It's a wildfire or brushfire, not a bushfire. There are differences. Anyone who fails to understand that needs to have their head examined.
It's 'amongst' not 'among', and the latter form is certainly well known nowadays. I don't think 'madhouse' or 'bedlam' are exactly modern terms anywhere. In Australia, we actually also call crisps chips (or crisps), as for fries/chips: the skinny ones are fries (like the ones at McDonald's), the fat ones are chips.
Yep. Most Aussies would assume that "lorry" is a person with strange name, and would probably respond "a crisp what?" if asked if they'd like "a crisp". But all that's pretty harmless when you consider the scope for misunderstanding caused by the British interpretation of "pants" which is of course the Aus/US/Canadian "underpants" or the term the Brits commonly use for a rooster.
Most Aussies would most certainly know what a lorry was (even if 'truck' might be more common nowadays), or a big of crisps. I mean they're still called 'Smith's Crisps' for instance. How old are you? I assumed you were fairly old, but if most people you know don't know what those are they seem like Americanised 15-year old teens. What next, using 'hood' and 'trunk' instead of 'bonnet' and 'boot'?
'Can I smoke a ***?' or 'can I bum a ***?' has very different connotations either side of the Atlantic.
Absolutly. I just raised my eyebrows at him, and he pointed to the smoke in my hand. I was like "Ooooooooh. Cigarettes? lol" Then it was normal thing to hear the rest of his trip.
Hahaha this post is hilarious. I can't speak for Argentinians but I can for Mexicans and yes, many say that they have a hard time understanding British people when they encounter them. When they learn English, they learn it the way it is spoken here. The differences are not apparent to you because you're a native speaker.
But american english and british english are closer than mexican spanish and spanish
There are lots of expressions and terms that differ. Most Americans wouldn't know what you're talking about when you mention a "lorry". If you offer an American "chips" he will expect you to open a bag as we don't use the term "crisps" and chips are called fries. We spell; Behavior, color and civilization, not behaviour, colour and civilisation. We are among our friends while socializing, not amonst our friends whilst socializing. We eat donuts, not doughnuts. It's a madhouse, not a bedlam. It's a wildfire or brushfire, not a bushfire. There are differences. Anyone who fails to understand that needs to have their head examined.
Don't know about you but we say wildfire and madhouse.
Those words were used by English people ages ago but at least in Northern Ireland we don't say bedlam lol!!
I mean I just find it hard to believe there are Australians who don't know what 'crisps' are.
Last edited by The Postman; 03-07-2014 at 03:48 AM..
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