Need some English Help

[W3H5]

Yeah, that sounds about right. Slightly more offensive than being called a white devil like I am by some of the locals here.

 

[Robin]

I never understood why Asian in the UK means Indian yet Asian in the US and everywhere else on earth means Chinese / Japanese / South Eastern etc.

Yeah, that sounds about right. Slightly more offensive than being called a white devil like I am by some of the locals here.

Congraduations, your a Gweilo!

 

[PeterJB]

It should really mean the whole of Asia, though it just doesn't work as a description of Arabs.

 

[W3H5]

I found some more:

Soda - pop/ fizzy drink
8 ball - wrap
Gyro - kebab
potatoes - spuds
Bake - roast
5th of *** - half of *** (vodka, whiskey...)
Crazy glue/ 502 - super glue

 

[thesrdic]

IIRC there's an americanisms thread somewhere..
Correct - American
'Straight' - 'Straightaway' (This is probably the worst word in the world IMO)
'It's half past 4' - 'It's a half past 4'
'The year is two thousand and twelve' - 'The year is two thousand-twelve'

 

[daan]

It's twenty twelve.

 

[thesrdic]

Or that.. 💡

 

[USARMYCOMBATVET]

Yeah, that sounds about right. Slightly more offensive than being called a white devil like I am by some of the locals here.

Oh you speak Wachutu?

 

[PeterJB]

"Oh mistress? I speak Jive."

 

[axletramp]

Wasn't the 'white devil' in Ace Ventura?

 

[USARMYCOMBATVET]

Oh you speak Wachutu?

Wasn't the 'white devil' in Ace Ventura?

Yes, I was referencing the moment when Ace is asked if he speaks Wachutu. Ace had previously said "Let me guess,...'White Devil! White Devil?'"

 

[axletramp]

Ah, your Ventura Powers are greater than mine!

 

[terminator363]

 

[Barra333]

The ones that get me are:

aluminium/aluminum

the American pronunciation of caramel. THERE IS A SECOND 'A'

 

[Small_Fryz]

Fryz > Drunk

Oi!!

Where is your proof of such allegations!

 

[Solid Lifters]

Trolley - Shopping Cart
Rubbish - Trash
Petrol - Gas

 

[W3H5]

Trash can - dustbin.

 

[axletramp]

Is the tortoise/turtle thing a general rule in the States? Surely they don't call the Galapagos Giant Tortoise the Galapagos Giant Turtle.

 

[USARMYCOMBATVET]

The ones that get me are:

aluminium/aluminum

the American pronunciation of caramel. THERE IS A SECOND 'A'

The thing about pronunciation is it varies by region and person, even in the US. I, for one, pronounce that word "Care-ah-mel"

 

[thesrdic]

Is the tortoise/turtle thing a general rule in the States? Surely they don't call the Galapagos Giant Tortoise the Galapagos Giant Turtle.

I know you didn't want any more sciencey facts AT, but..
Technically they're all turtles, it's just been a common thing to call most of the terrestrial ones tortoises. Basically, all tortoises are turtles, and all turtles are turtles. They don't even have particularly distinct genomes/phylogenies, as they all evolved from a Sea-Turtle like turtle around 60 million years ago.. Tortoise is basically a common name for half of the species around today. ('Turtles' have re-evolved around 2/3 times, after an extinction one or two small groups survived, and then diversified again, each time the overall ball-plan has changed slightly for what might be considered a 'turtle'.)

Also, Sulphur (Correct) vs. Sulfur (American)

 

[axletramp]

You know I love a fact!

So which is the accepted worldwide term for land turtles, is it turtle or tortoise? And do American zoologists call them tortoises?

 

[thesrdic]

The terrestrial forms usually have the common name tortoise, so that would be the correct zoological term. It's just that when most Americans see something with a shell- even a Galapagos Giant Tortoise, they just yell 'Ooh look!- a turtle!' Or something, which would be wrong.

On that note, it's Zebra, not Zeebra.

 

[Famine]

Also, Sulphur (Correct) vs. Sulfur (American)

To be fair, IUPAC gives them that on condition we get our "i" in "aluminium".

 

[mattythedog]

Also, Sulphur (Correct) vs. Sulfur (American)

To be fair, IUPAC gives them that on condition we get our "i" in "aluminium".

I keep forgetting in chemistry which one it is. Really annoying, though I think at GCSE we have to put sulfur.

 

[zedextreme8177]

^ What I write in my Chem exams depend on my laziness for that day

 

[thesrdic]

To be fair, IUPAC gives them that on condition we get our "i" in "aluminium".

IUPAC might give that that, but I don't. I'll go 'ph' and keep the 'i' in, thank you very much.

 

[Submerged]

The pronounciation of "vitamin" used to really cheese me off on American shows:

"Vit-A-min"

With extreme stress on the "A". And a massive stop between the "t" and the "a" as well.

The British way seems to be:

"Vita-min".

As in, its more of two syllables and not so much stress on any of it.

Just a bit jarring to hear it, that's all.


(US) Trunk - (UK) Boot (referring to the car's rear storage compartment that can be opened from outside)

 

[Famine]

Vie-ta-min as opposed to vit-ta-min.

Also "erbs".

 

[TJ13]

well at lease I got some help but I think I will be fine now (I am dating the girl that I was talking to who happens to be from Europe.), even though some of my words that I did wasn't in the right place, but I am good.

Gotta love the British accent xD.

 

[Slash]

Soft Drinks can be called Soda or Pop, or Soda-Pop depnding on your location in the country.