# British, American different turns of phrase **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 22, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070 "2010-12-22T13:58:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/181 "2010-12-29T11:14:02Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Push You Down] > > Not specific to UK/US I think but I tend to hear Brits and Canadians say “on line” rather than “in line” as in “waiting on line at the supermarket” vs “waiting in line at the supermarket.” > > Where the heck is this coming from? I’ve never heard anyone from any part of Britain say “on line”. We say ‘in line’ or - more likely - ‘in a/the queue’ Posting from Canada - “waiting on line” to me means I’m on hold on the telephone, not that I’m physically waiting in line. I can’t recall every hearing this usage. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/182 "2010-12-29T11:55:11Z")
Occasionally on this board I have seen someone refer to “nappy hair”, which I think means curly or frizzy. This is always immensely amusing to me, since in Commonwealth English “nappy” is what you guys would call a “diaper” The image is … interesting :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/183 "2010-12-29T12:40:15Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > US: “Hey Dave.” (Greetings, Dave.) > UK: "Hey Dave… (I’m going to say something to Dave.) > > I’m just going off what some English guy said, here. “Hey” isn’t the same as “hi” according to him. It is becoming more common in the UK now, among younger people anyway. But yeah, I’m old enough to feel slightly uncomfortable using “hey” the American way. It still feels like it should be followed up with a question or observation. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/184 "2010-12-29T14:25:59Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > US: “Hey Dave.” (Greetings, Dave.) > UK: "Hey Dave… (I’m going to say something to Dave.) > > I’m just going off what some English guy said, here. “Hey” isn’t the same as “hi” according to him. Both usages are common on the US bit they are used in different contexts. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/185 "2010-12-29T16:42:56Z")
> [@Hallucinex](#): > > This one took me a while to get used to when moving out here from Australia a couple of years ago. I’ve heard it as any variation of “Are you alright?” (“alright?”, “you alright?”). I kept thinking that I must have looked upset somehow, I also kept going “umm..yeah, I’m fine..” To be fair, it really just means ‘hi’ and doesn’t require a response as to your state of health. A ‘hi’ or ‘alright’ in response is all that’s required. Oh, and a ‘cheers’ when you leave. For those chomping at the bit to discover what marks a ‘public’ from a ‘private’ school: many Brits think it marrks the difference between a boarding (live-in) and a day school (where you still live at home). Not so, it’s apparently dependent on the nature of ownership – a ‘public’ school is normally not-for-profit/of charitable status and a ‘private’ school is owned by an individual or organisation, with profits going to the owners. Some people think the difference depends on membership of the [Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference](http://www.hmc.org.uk/) (in order to be ‘public’) but this is not so. I know this because I went to a public girls’ day school. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/186 "2010-12-29T18:16:33Z")
I went to a public day school while living in Yorkshire (for 1st and 2nd years, and part of 3rd), and what confounded the other Americans and me was that uniforms were worn. In the US, only private schools require uniforms. But I credit those years with teaching me how to tie a necktie, which I otherwise would never have learned (because I’m a girl). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kapri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kapri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kapri)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/187 "2010-12-29T21:14:06Z")
My ex was from England, and he often said “It’s a good job” when we would say “It’s a good thing.” For example, Americans would say, “It’s a good thing we brought our umbrellas.” He’d say “It’s a good job we brought our umbrellas.” I’ve seen this discussed in this thread and just wanted to point out that another ex was from New York, and he always said “on line” instead of “in line,” so it’s not just a UK thing. My British ex also sometimes ate “chip buddies,” for which there is no American equivalent. At least I hope not. Yuck. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/188 "2010-12-29T21:17:54Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Occasionally on this board I have seen someone refer to “nappy hair”, which I think means curly or frizzy. > > This is always immensely amusing to me, since in Commonwealth English “nappy” is what you guys would call a “diaper” > > The image is … interesting :eek: The phrase “nappy hair” is usually associated with the sort of hair people of African descent have, when left untreated. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/189 "2010-12-29T21:31:31Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Occasionally on this board I have seen someone refer to “nappy hair”, which I think means curly or frizzy. > > This is always immensely amusing to me, since in Commonwealth English “nappy” is what you guys would call a “diaper” A few years ago when we were recording a film soundtrack we had a song with the phrase “nappy hair” included in the lyrics. Nobody had any idea what it meant. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/190 "2010-12-29T21:34:01Z")
> [@kapri](#): > > My British ex also sometimes ate “chip buddies,” for which there is no American equivalent. At least I hope not. Yuck. Chip _butties_ (“butty” = sandwich, in Northern English, from the buttered bread). Food of the gods. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/191 "2010-12-29T22:31:36Z")
US: The dog got the leftovers from the farewell party. UK: The dog got the leavings from the leaving party. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/192 "2010-12-29T22:41:42Z")
> [@kapri](#): > > I’ve seen this discussed in this thread and just wanted to point out that another ex was from New York, and he always said “on line” instead of “in line,” so it’s not just a UK thing. Or, as people here have been trying to say, it isn’t a UK thing. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/193 "2010-12-29T22:46:30Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > US: The dog got the leftovers from the farewell party. > UK: The dog got the leavings from the leaving party. “Leaving party” I’ve heard often enough in the UK, “leavings” sounds a bit archaic. Perhaps it’s a regionalism. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/194 "2010-12-29T22:48:50Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > US: The dog got the leftovers from the farewell party. > UK: The dog got the leavings from the leaving party. Again, this is a dialectal and/or old-fashioned word used in some parts of the UK. “Leftovers” would be the usual term, and “leavings” would sound strange to many British English speakers. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/195 "2010-12-29T23:30:20Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > US: [He attends a school that is funded by the state with tax money] He attends public school. > UK: [He attends a school that is funded by the state with tax money] He attends state school. Americans use the UK construction in the context of public (state funded) colleges. ---
**Author:** ![kapri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kapri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kapri)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/196 "2010-12-30T01:37:48Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > Chip _butties_ (“butty” = sandwich, in Northern English, from the buttered bread). Food of the gods. Ha, I wasn’t sure how to spell it, because while he didn’t usually speak this way, for this particular sandwich he always said it like “bu-ees.” I always thought it was “buddies,” but I will defer to you, especially since you say it is the food of the gods. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/197 "2010-12-30T06:19:12Z")
> [@kapri](#): > > My British ex also sometimes ate “chip buddies,” for which there is no American equivalent. At least I hope not. Yuck. Chip butties. Chips (UK) = Fries (US) Butty = northern slang for sandwich Chip butty is a fry sandwich. And it’s utterly gorgeous. You really have to try it. Don’t use those think “McDonalds” style fries, though - proper chips. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/198 "2010-12-30T11:37:58Z")
> [@kapri](#): > > I’ve seen this discussed in this thread and just wanted to point out that another ex was from New York, and he always said “on line” instead of “in line,” **so it’s not just a UK thing**. ::Squeels:: Is nobody reading the other posts?? _Pleeease_ remove the word ‘just’ from the above emboldened statement. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/199 "2010-12-30T11:43:01Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > I went to a public day school while living in Yorkshire (for 1st and 2nd years, and part of 3rd), and what confounded the other Americans and me was that uniforms were worn. In the US, only private schools require uniforms. But I credit those years with teaching me how to tie a necktie, which I otherwise would never have learned (because I’m a girl). 🙂 _Everyone_ in the UK wears school uniform, no matter what sort of school it is. It’s actually a great leveler – poor and rich kids look identical, and school uniform is cheap compared with kitting the brats out in logo’d gear every day. Growing up, most of us kids had a very small wardrobe on non-uniform clothes, as we only wore them at the weekends (heh, that’s another - don’t USAians say ‘ **on** the weekends’). ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/200 "2010-12-30T12:00:39Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > (heh, that’s another - don’t USAians say ‘ **on** the weekends’). Yes. See page 1. Don’t you read the other posts? 😉 (except that poster claims that we emphasise the “-end” in “weekend”, which is not correct.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070.md?page=11)