Anecdotes from America

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Oh swimming costume...I laughed my head off the first time I heard that or cozzy for short.

"Bring your cozzy," Say what??

[ChicagoSarah 127]

My husband (the Brit) was recently looking around our new house to check for outdoor outlets. I didn't think too much of it (other than thinking all houses have these) until he commented how it was good there was one in front and one in back for the lawn mower. I was SO confused. Apparently electric/plug-in lawn mowers are the norm in England. I've asked around, and it seems we do have them in the states (or used to at least), but I've certainly never seen one! Our realtor/friend was over and had the same reaction. Sometimes you just don't know what you don't know I guess!

[Boiler 43,436]

I have seen battery ones here.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

I'm Cornish. I've had to explain what/where that is, too, and what all that "recognised national minority" stuff was that happened.

Ah Cornwall, Devons angry little sister!

One of the things I miss most from the UK is a good pasty.

[lost_at_sea 995]

Ah Cornwall, Devons angry little sister!

One of the things I miss most from the UK is a good pasty.

And Rhodda's clotted cream (cue list of everyone's most missed foods).

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

I'm flying home for 2 weeks tomorrow and I was asked how long it takes to get to the other side of the world

[MacUK 983]

And Rhodda's clotted cream (cue list of everyone's most missed foods).

It's something that amused me no end when I was living in Florida, every once in a while we'd drive an hour over to Kissimee to visit a British shop so I could get my fix of things I missed like proper Mars bars, Walkers crisps, choccy Hobnobs, real bacon and that sort of stuff. And when there I'd usually have a craving for a can of Dandelion and Burdock at about $3 a can. In the 12 years I've been back in the UK I've probably had about 4 cans of D&B but while over there I just had to have it!

What amused me most, being Florida so Brit tourists everywhere, was watching the people who'd probably only been there a week or two going mad over the same things at ridiculous prices that they could get at normal prices just a few days later when they get home!

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

I just got an email to "get tossing for charity!" Apparently tossing doesn't mean the same thing it does in the UK and in this case refers to corn tossing. I died when I opened my emails

[Cody and Daisy 373]

I just got an email to "get tossing for charity!" Apparently tossing doesn't mean the same thing it does in the UK and in this case refers to corn tossing. I died when I opened my emails

Oh lord that's gold!

[TrixieStep 10]

One of my first trips to the USA, the belt on my bum bag broke. My friends took me to the local Target to buy another, but we couldn't find the aisle they were supposed to be in. My friend then went up to one of the Store Clerks and said "'Scuse me Lady, where can I find some fanny packs?"

I was absolutely mortified, went bright red and wanted the ground to swallow me up. Someone I thought was a well mannered friend had just gone up to a complete stranger and used such derogatory language towards her!

To my complete surprise, the Store Clerk didn't bat an eyelid and directed us to the aisle where we could find 'fanny packs'. My friend sensing that I was in a bit of shock asked me what was up. I told him that I couldn't believe he'd gone up to lady store worker and used the word "fanny". It was then it was explained to me that the word "fanny" in the USA has a totally different meaning, and meant English "bum"...

And "bum" means something different too! We use to describe an #######/ ###, they use it to describe a tramp. So many UK/ USA words are spelt exactly the same yet have different meanings. With all my trips to the USA I am now bi-lingual - UK English and USA English!

I made the mistake of telling my husband's mates to kiss my fanny on a night out. A couple of evenings later I made the mistake of telling a friend's mother that I was out of breath from chugging (my drink). Pants are also not the same. My mother in law looked at me strangely when I told her before a day trip that I'd spilled #### all over my pants and need time to change. I've wanted to die many times over. Really.

This is brilliant.

I've not had anything like these yet, apart from the fact that no one can ever understand me, especially when I spell out something...

It's literally like they think I'm talking gibberish.

I said to a few friends the other day though that I had to buy a swimming costume... That sent their heads rolling.

I die at swimming costume. I. Die.

My husband (the Brit) was recently looking around our new house to check for outdoor outlets. I didn't think too much of it (other than thinking all houses have these) until he commented how it was good there was one in front and one in back for the lawn mower. I was SO confused. Apparently electric/plug-in lawn mowers are the norm in England. I've asked around, and it seems we do have them in the states (or used to at least), but I've certainly never seen one! Our realtor/friend was over and had the same reaction. Sometimes you just don't know what you don't know I guess!

Our first time to mow the lawn my husband looked for the plugs too.

[Boiler 43,436]

I always think of chugging as charity mugging, but it can also mean loading up with alcohol.

I have comes across chuggers here but seems much less common.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

I always think of chugging as charity mugging, but it can also mean loading up with alcohol.

I have comes across chuggers here but seems much less common.

There's loads or those people around. I tell them I'm a tourist and don't have a US bank account, another advantage of the accent

[JoeyKeano 20]

Being born and bred in South East London, certain phrases and pronunciations of words are often greeted with strange and quizzacal looks.

For instance, I once asked for a bottle of water. With my accent, the "t's" in that very simple request become obsolete, meaning it sounds like I'm asking for a "Bo ill of war-err". I now often asked if I want a bottle by my fiancées family, much to their hilarity.

However, my most embarrassing moment would be when I first met her mother. Again, with my accent, a "H" at the start of a word is often silent. "Hillbilly" become "illbilly", "Hello" becomes "Ello", "House" becomes "Ouse" and so on. Say it quickly and "Ouse" becomes "a$$".

You should have seen everyone's faces when I complimented her mother on her beautiful a$s.

Edited June 3, 2015 by JoeyKeano

[gad33 47]

I just got an email to "get tossing for charity!" Apparently tossing doesn't mean the same thing it does in the UK and in this case refers to corn tossing. I died when I opened my emails

Pizza Hut (I think) had a Meat Tossers Pizza on the menu. One day I had to order a few pizzas for work. The poor guy on the other end of the phone couldn't understand why I burst out laughing when I said meat #######.

[MacUK 983]

Pizza Hut (I think) had a Meat Tossers Pizza on the menu. One day I had to order a few pizzas for work. The poor guy on the other end of the phone couldn't understand why I burst out laughing when I said meat #######.

I'm sure our yankee-doodle cousins would feel the same ordering spotted dick or faggots Edited June 5, 2015 by MacUK