Favo(u)rite expressions from across the Atlantic

Notthe7

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I love, love , love...
"Don't take the piss out of it!"
Or anything of the sort.

MY absolute favorite.


I can say one thing though as far being from the south and living in Texas...
I usually hate that country bullshit but I do so very muhc love it when a guy tips his cowboy hat and says..


"Laides."

hahaha.
 

T-Lex

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My favorite that I've heard a few times from British lasses on American TV is "gutted." What a perfectly descriptive way to say that you're devastated! I suppose that's the way a fish feels lying on the cutting board....
 

Calboner

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I am disappointed that ALL of the responses to my question have concerned British expressions— including the posts from British members of the forum. No one has put forward any favorite American expressions. Perhaps the situation is rather like what it is with Coca-Cola, Macdonald's, and other American commercial products: people consume them all over the world (as they adopt American expressions into their vocabularies) but have no high regard for them.
 

Calboner

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Whether you use them doesn't matter. There are lots of British expressions that I think are a hoot that I don't use, either because they would not be understood or because it would be perceived as affected of me to use them (and would perhaps be so).

Edited to add: Okay, for instance, do you guys say, "That's a hoot," or is that an Americanism? It's an expression that I rather like.

Another addition: The idea that Brits don't use American expressions is rubbish anyway. I recently saw an English news video in which a man was addressing a crowd as "you guys." It used to be that in Great Britain, the word "guy" designated an effigy of Guy Fawkes; "you guys" as a term of plural address was a purely American expression. Now it seems to have crossed the Atlantic.
 

B_ScaredLittleBoy

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I said I like awesome? I thought that was American.

I do occassionally use dude/dudette online. More jokingly than seriously. I don't like to use many American words cos they just make no sense to me (jack? wtf), even heck...that's just silly.
 

dcwrestlefan

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dislike the word "arse". ones i do like...

mate - a friend.

bloke - a guy.

bloody - cuss word.

going on holiday - going on vacation
 

Calboner

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I said I like awesome? I thought that was American.
You're right: I apologize for the oversight.
I do occassionally use dude/dudette online. More jokingly than seriously. I don't like to use many American words cos they just make no sense to me (jack? wtf), even heck...that's just silly.
I'm with you on "dude": I have never in my life used it as a term of address in actual speech, but here I use it frequently. I agree with you that "heck" is utterly lame, but I can't remember the last time I heard it used by anyone under the age of about 70.

About "jack," I take it that you mean the verb, in the phrase "to jack off" (or, in the more abbreviated idiom that has caught on lately, "to jack it"). Well, it seems to me to make about as much sense as "to wank." There is also the noun, used in the phrase "to know jack," or, more explicitly, "to know jack shit," as in "I don't know jack (shit) about computers."

ones i do like...

mate - a friend.
"Mate" is charming when it is used in a genuinely friendly way, though it can also be used in an aggressive way, just as expressions like "pal" and "buddy" can be used Stateside. For some reason the word seems to be much favored by Australians. One of my favorite bits in the kiddie movie Finding Nemo was the flock of Australian sea birds that unceasingly cry, "Mate? Mate?" But let's not forget the New England lobster that tells of how it was "wicked daahk."
 

canuck_pa

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Many of the more common British expressions/words seem to be pretty much covered.

As I child I remember a couple my Yorkshire grandfather used like:

mind - watch it, or be careful
Nout - rhymes with "about" meaning nothing or anything. "Don't know nout about that." "Don't know anything about that."

Other common ones:
Boot - car truck
petrol - gas
windscreen - windshield
hoover - vacuum
lorry - truck
sparks - electrician


I love British comedies like 'Shameless" and "Little Britain". I'll have to listen more carefully for the uniquely British terms and expressions.
 

whatireallywant

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And I also think it's funny that fags are actually cigarettes in old UK slang. I almost told a friend off for asking my gay brother for a "fag" once. Oops.

I find that funny too. One of my friends told me about going to the UK and cracking up when she heard a guy talk about "sucking on a fag". :biggrin1:
 

HazelGod

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Prat.

Git.

Snog. (Goes well with shag.)

Sod off.

Bloody hell.

Fuck-all.

Bangers and mash. Fish and chips.

Eh, wot? (Rhymes with twat :wink:)

Top bollocks on fit birds.

Boots & bonnets of cars.

Lifts to get you up to your flat.


Great...now I actually sorta miss London.
 

sbeBen

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fuck me (surprised at something)
friggin hell (surprised)
crumpet/pikelet (type of savoury food)
eccles cake (northern)
wheelie bin
dustbin
rubbish (something that's not good or trash)

I like how some Americans say "already" as in "Enough already" Is it mostly jewish who say that?