So I'm British and we have a lot of sayings. Often times I feel that these sayings are known the world over, then someone says - WTF does that mean!? And I sigh, and I realise that I've been colloquialism-blind again. I know that I'm probably not the only one here who does that (we had damp squib in another thread earlier).
Now I don't write particularly for the American market. As I said, I'm British and I either write characters who are also British, have British influences, or live in a world that is connected to the UK in someway. But at the same time, I don't want to put off non-Brit readers, so I don't want to pepper my work with phrases that those across the pond will have the scratch their head over. So I propose, should someone have a phrase they want to use, but suddenly get that little niggle in the back of their mind, that we have a thread for it!
Anyone who has a niggle like this, feel free to post here and hopefully a friendly yank will come and correct us!
I'll start us off:
Chomping at the bit -- meaning eager to get on / started.
Jam packed -- meaning you can't move, there are people / cars (etc) everywhere and you can't move for trying.
Who's the Jolly Green Giant? -- meaning who's the tall guy?
Cool thread idea. I'll pitch in. Most Americans will understand your last two references. I understood the first one too, but only because I've encountered it in fiction before. I've never heard anyone here say it. Jam packed is pretty common though. And The Jolly Green Giant obviously refers to a tall person
I think with the advent of the internet, language has crossed over, but there are times when I'm writing that I just think... wait... is this something only Brits would get.
As it is, often times there are things I'll say to some one from the South of England that they wouldn't have a clue what I was talking about:
Case in point: What's a Bap? Or a Barm? A Cob? How about a Batch? (they all pretty much mean the same thing, a bread roll, but ask for the wrong thing in the wrong part of England and you'll be looked at funny!)
A lot of older English expressions (Coals to Newcastle, chief cook and bottle washer, fit as a fiddle, scarce as hen's teeth, been through the mill, played out) came to the USA in the 19th century, and also qualify as cowboy (or colonial) slang.
And I find newer vocabulary (the awful "gobsmacked" for example) seeps across the Internet like a foul leakage.
None of your expressions are confusing to an American ear (that has any depth). Champing (chomping) at the bit, for example, is transatlantic (from early 19th C). Along with "back in the days" and "come a cropper".
And the Jolly Green Giant can be intuited since he is featured still on the niblets bag.
You'd have to find something really modern and English, or something that references a particular English (vs American) experience (football - soccer - for example, or many of the words for policemen. Americans think they're called bobbies, not 'the filth' or 'the bill' or such like) to truly confuse.
"I was fitted up by the bill and did a stretch of porridge," might sound odd.
Two terms that always give away a writer as being from the UK are Paracetamol instead of Tylenol, and 'a flannel' instead of what I assume should be a facecloth.
Two terms that always give away a writer as being from the UK are Paracetamol instead of Tylenol, and 'a flannel' instead of what I assume should be a facecloth.
Do UK readers know that flannel can refer to a shirt? I have a sentence that describes my character wearing a flannel...do I need to qualify with shirt?
Flay Otters said:
Damn, girl.
I read: "Mr Brains porks four *******."
Clearly that's not what it says.
Do UK readers know that flannel can refer to a shirt? I have a sentence that describes my character wearing a flannel...do I need to qualify with shirt?
Torch = flashlight
Gob = mouth
Quite right, too -used to say that one thinks someone did the right thing ·"After I was treated so rudely, I complained to the management." "And quite right, too!"
Although I'm still not sure that's quite right for 'quite right, too' since where it happens:
Rose Tyler: "I... I love you!"
The Doctor: "And quite right, too."
Left me thinking, huh? There are others I've had to look up but don't recall off the top of my mind. This one stuck out because it's an emotional scene and because I never felt I understood it even after looking it up.
Well, this is the exact phrasing: "He watched Lily as she tied her hair up and took off her button-up flannel, revealing a black tank top with the bottom hem cut off. "
I think it's clear what you mean to say, but I would still find the phrasing odd. Like, for example, if the shirt were to be cotton instead of flannel, I would never dream of saying 'she took off her button-up cotton'. It sounds wrong to my ear, but maybe that's just me.
Do UK readers know that flannel can refer to a shirt? I have a sentence that describes my character wearing a flannel...do I need to qualify with shirt?
Getting a leg up -- helping to get a promotion (or higher position) The woman who wrote obits finally had a chance to get a leg up to reporter with this article.
Get your leg over -- meaning having a quickie with someone. He's out back, getting his leg over.
On a promise -- meaning you're getting sex tonight --- nah, can't come out tonight lads, I'm on a promise.
Two terms that always give away a writer as being from the UK are Paracetamol instead of Tylenol, and 'a flannel' instead of what I assume should be a facecloth.
But Tylenol is a brand right? Paracetamol is the generic name for the pain killer... it can also be in other medication -- don't take anything that's got paracetamol in if you take these, as there's an overdose risk. Would the pack ingredients list Tylenol or paracetamol or something else in the states?
But Tylenol is a brand right? Paracetamol is the generic name for the pain killer... it can also be in other medication -- don't take anything that's got paracetamol in if you take these, as there's an overdose risk. Would the pack ingredients list Tylenol or paracetamol or something else in the states?
I think it's clear what you mean to say, but I would still find the phrasing odd. Like, for example, if the shirt were to be cotton instead of flannel, I would never dream of saying 'she took off her button-up cotton'. It sounds wrong to my ear, but maybe that's just me.
Oh, I see you're from Canada. We phrase it that way where I grew up, but I'm assuming now that it's probably slang. Since enough people think it sounds weird, I should probably add "shirt" to it.
But Tylenol is a brand right? Paracetamol is the generic name for the pain killer... it can also be in other medication -- don't take anything that's got paracetamol in if you take these, as there's an overdose risk. Would the pack ingredients list Tylenol or paracetamol or something else in the states?
But Tylenol is a brand right? Paracetamol is the generic name for the pain killer... it can also be in other medication -- don't take anything that's got paracetamol in if you take these, as there's an overdose risk. Would the pack ingredients list Tylenol or paracetamol or something else in the states?
Okay, so I'm probably subverting the purpose of this thread being an American and asking about what readers in other countries will know, but I have another question now that I'm thinking about it. Are people in the UK and Australia familiar with mate - as in tea? Should I put the affected accent on the e to show how it's pronounced?
Getting a leg up -- helping to get a promotion (or higher position) The woman who wrote obits finally had a chance to get a leg up to reporter with this article.
Get your leg over -- meaning having a quickie with someone. He's out back, getting his leg over.
On a promise -- meaning you're getting sex tonight --- nah, can't come out tonight lads, I'm on a promise.
Okay, so I'm probably subverting the purpose of this thread being an American and asking about what readers in other countries will know, but I have another question now that I'm thinking about it. Are people in the UK and Australia familiar with mate - as in tea? Should I put the affected accent on the e to show how it's pronounced?
Really? I thought it was common enough. So should I add the affected accent to guide the pronunciation then? I'm sure someone will come along and say it doesn't have an accent though, so can't win either way lol.
Oh, here if you didn't know what it is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(beverage) If you look in the tea section of a decent sized grocery, you will probably see it in tea bag form.
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