Over the last few months my working knowledge of differences between American English and British English has greatly expanded, especially in the category of food and drink.
For example (I’ll put American and then what I’d call it):
- Eggplant = Aubergine
- Biscuit = Some strange savoury thing with gravy that doesn’t really exist over here.
- Cookie = Biscuit
- Cola = Pop = Soda = Fizzy drinks
- Zucchini = Courgette
- and Spelling things without the u (for example flavour\flavor)
Ok, so my brain has now drawn a blank, but I’m sure there are plenty of others. Can anyone else think of any?
This is Debs mum adding cilantro we call coriander. That one really puzzled me for a while.
Comment by Debs — November 30, 2006 @ 3:24 pm
hehehe biscuits don’t always have gravy — sometimes they have jam or jelly or honey or just plain butter…….
Comment by Maria — November 30, 2006 @ 3:58 pm
Now I am so smart! I have always wondered what coriander and aubergine were.
What about car trunk=boot? Is that right, debs, is that what ya’ll call it? I am sure there is more…..
Comment by lady laura — November 30, 2006 @ 4:21 pm
One that’s more phrasing than vocabulary is that the British say someone is “in hospital” where we say “in the hospital” - or at least I’ve heard that several times. Perhaps it’s not ubiquitous.
I know I was quite startled when Austin Powers came out and I learned that “shagging” was something other than a Coastal Carolina dance step.
(I never saw the movies, by the way.)
Other than that, I’m not so sure how reliable I am since most of the “British-isms” that I know come from Wodehouse books and other out-of-date items. Is “going off your chump” still valid? I say that a LOT. I also like to say that things “aren’t cricket”…
Comment by blestwithsons — November 30, 2006 @ 4:25 pm
Oh Wait!!! We were supposed to be talking about food! Oops!
Comment by blestwithsons — November 30, 2006 @ 4:26 pm
And speaking of American biscuits, I don’t think there is an equivalent to soda crackers in the UK either. A few years ago I spent a week with a friend of mine visiting her sister in Northumberland and we ALL got the flu. Her and her two kids, her sister’s entire family and me. And I kept craving soda crackers and all they had in the house were digestive cookies/biscuits. They are not the same!
I’m trying to think of other food differences but I’m drawing a blank. You’ve mentioned the major ones.
Oh yeah, fries = chips… potato chips = crisps (I think), my British friend calls paper towels, kitchen roll. I’ve even caught myself saying that once in awhile.
Comment by Anita — November 30, 2006 @ 5:15 pm
Saran wrap = cling film
(my brother is a lawyer so I know ALL the jokes)
Vacation = holiday
Lawyer = Solicitor
A solicitor in the USA is someone who is trying to sell you something but either way they are not people most people think of fondly…
I know it is just food but I watch so many Britcoms I have a slew of them floating around in my head. I just cannot catch them right now. LOL
Comment by Leann — November 30, 2006 @ 6:00 pm
I’ll have to get out the cookbooks my English mum sent me - I know there were some items in there that sounded yummy if only I could figure out what the ingredients are!
Comment by Jana — December 1, 2006 @ 8:47 am
Jana, I’m sure between us we can come up with a translation for you! Post any ingredients you weren’t sure about and we’ll see what we can do
Comment by Debs — December 1, 2006 @ 9:15 am