# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/61 "2010-12-22T20:53:28Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > UK: wait on line > US: wait in line I’m in the US and I say “wait on line.” Though like someone else posted, I’m in New York. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/62 "2010-12-22T22:15:32Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Interesting. As an American, if I said, “I’m supposed to clean the house today,” that would mean, prospectively, that I consider it a (perhaps onerous or bothersome) duty to clean the house today. > > But if I said, “I [not ‘I’m’] meant to clean the house today,” that would mean, after the fact, that I intended to clean the house but didn’t get around to it for some reason. I use “meant” the same way as you do. But I see stuff like “aren’t you meant to be doing your homework right now?” in fanfiction fairly often, invariably by non-American writers. It sounds very strange to my ear. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/63 "2010-12-22T23:36:55Z")
UK: It’s on the second floor = where you get to after two flights of stairs US: It’s on the second floor = where you get to after one flight of stairs ---
**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 22, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/64 "2010-12-22T23:46:46Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > I guess most US sports teams are plural (Jets, Yankess, Bears etc), but would you say “Ohio State are going to win” or “Ohio state is going to win”? Ohio State _is_ going to win. The Buckeyes _are_ going to win. As has been pointed out, this runs into trouble when the nicknames are in the singular form, which has started popping up since the 1990s. Miami is going to win. The Heat are(?) going to win. We don’t yet have a comfortable way of dealing with this. > [@](#): > > UK: The government are willing to consider all options > US: The senate are/is reviewing the options…? Definitely “the government is” “the Senate is.” [QUOTE=Northern Piper] Another difference is in relation to the word “sort”, used to solve a problem. Last time I was in the UK I was struck by how it’s used without a preposition (“We’ll sort that problem with your booking”), where I would normally use “sort out”. [/QUOTE] It’s not just for solving problems. It’s for doing any damn thing. “I’ve got tea sorted.” “I’ve got the tickets sorted.” “You’d better get yourself sorted.” A very annoying usage. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/65 "2010-12-22T23:49:20Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > How about: > > US: Take a piss (to urinate) > UK: Take a piss (to mock or tease someone) Nope, again. “Take _a_ piss” in the UK means to urinate. “Take \*the \*piss” means to mock. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/66 "2010-12-22T23:52:40Z")
‘Sorted’ is sometimes used just as an appreciative response by itself too- as in Person A ‘I got tickets for the gig tonight!’ Person B ‘Sorted!’ Seems to be going out of fashion a bit lately, or maybe it’s just that my friends are growing up… ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/67 "2010-12-23T01:13:15Z")
An additional ‘of’ inserted into various phrases: Non-US: The cat jumped off the table US: The cat jumped off **of** the table Non-US: How big a mortgage can you afford? US: How big **of** a mortgage can you afford? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/68 "2010-12-23T01:25:38Z")
Americans seem to only say “cheers” when toasting a drink. Brits use it to mean “take care” or “goodbye” i.e. something to say when someone is leaving or when you’re hanging up the phone or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/69 "2010-12-23T02:14:31Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Americans seem to only say “cheers” when toasting a drink. Brits use it to mean “take care” or “goodbye” i.e. something to say when someone is leaving or when you’re hanging up the phone or whatever. Also used by pretentious-ass American college students when signing off an email. ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/70 "2010-12-23T02:15:35Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I use “meant” the same way as you do. But I see stuff like “aren’t you meant to be doing your homework right now?” in fanfiction fairly often, invariably by non-American writers. It sounds very strange to my ear. As an American, “I’m meant to clean the house today” sounds like it’s my destiny to clean the house. Today. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/71 "2010-12-23T03:01:00Z")
> [@Puff](#): > > In my lifetime in the UK I’ve never heard it used in the former sense. I have certainly heard it used in the latter many times though. Fair warning. I heard “knock up” used in the sense of getting someone’s attention by knocking on their door (or something like that) on an episode of “Two Fat Ladies” just the other day; of course it was probably taped 10 or 15 years ago, but still… Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/72 "2010-12-23T04:35:45Z")
I feel like Mrs. Weasley in one of the HP movies said something like, “I’ll knock you up some dinner” or something like that ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/73 "2010-12-23T05:42:14Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > My old boss–a Canadian–was taking a licensing test at the same time I was. His inquiry of > > “When do you write?” > > seemed very distinct from the > > “When do you take your test?” > > that I’m used to. > > Especially when there was no writing involved! How about “sit an exam”? Is that British, or more from the colonies? I’ve definitely heard that from my NZ and Oz friends, but I can’t recall what the Brits say. > [@Puff](#): > > A personal favourite is with telling the time: > > UK - Half-Six > US - Six thirty US also has common usage with half past six. On a side note, has anyone heard “noon thirty”? I said it as a joke once, and one of my friends claimed it was because I was from NH, and that some people used it there. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it used seriously though. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/74 "2010-12-23T05:48:33Z")
Oh, I thought of another one. People in the US and UK use the word “brilliant” in different (although overlapping) ways. Americans will use it to describe a particular person or idea (or something that’s literally very bright) as brilliant, but we don’t use it to mean something that’s really cool or awesome like British people do. You won’t hear an American (unless he or she is a pretentious Anglophile who needs a smack upside the head) describe, say, a beautiful dress as “brilliant”. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/75 "2010-12-23T06:22:37Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > UK: “in hospital” > US: “in the hospital” This, **this.** I understand perfectly well when a Brit uses “in hospital”. But it’s still a jarring note to these American ears. I know, _the_ hospital doesn’t make a lot of grammatical sense. But it’s still strange to me to hear the British construction. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/76 "2010-12-23T06:56:51Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > UK: wait on line > US: wait in line “In line” vs “On line” varies in the US As a midwesterner (born Madison, live near Chicago) “in line” is what sounds natural to me. But I’ve heard “On line” in the southeast, ranging all the way up to southern Indiana. ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/77 "2010-12-23T07:02:44Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > I realize the OP is looking for phrases rather than a single word, but I think the term “momentarily” has two distinct meanings. > > US: momentarily means “in a moment, in just a little while” (We’ll get to that momentarily = we’ll get to that in just a little bit) > > UK: momentarily means “for a moment” (We’ll get to that momentarily = we’ll briefly touch on the subject before moving on). Both uses are common in the US. For that matter, ‘shortly’ has the same problem - it can mean in a bit, or for a bit. > [@Cunctator](#): > > An additional ‘of’ inserted into various phrases: > > Non-US: The cat jumped off the table > US: The cat jumped off **of** the table > > Non-US: How big a mortgage can you afford? > US: How big **of** a mortgage can you afford? In both those cases, what you have labeled Non-US is what I’d use nine times out of ten. What you have labeled US seems a little less colloquial, but also much less common. ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/78 "2010-12-23T08:21:40Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Americans seem to only say “cheers” when toasting a drink. Brits use it to mean “take care” or “goodbye” i.e. something to say when someone is leaving or when you’re hanging up the phone or whatever. I’ve also heard it used to mean “thanks”–this usage seems very common in England, at least. Sometimes it can function as both “thanks” and “bye,” depending on the context. Another expression that I’ve only heard in the UK is “How did you get on?” and variants. In the US, it seems more common to hear something like “How did things go?” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/79 "2010-12-23T08:55:14Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > An additional ‘of’ inserted into various phrases: > > Non-US: The cat jumped off the table > US: The cat jumped off **of** the table > > Non-US: How big a mortgage can you afford? > US: How big **of** a mortgage can you afford? Americans use both usages for the cat example, but you’re probably right that most would say “of” in the morgage example. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070/80 "2010-12-23T09:45:47Z")
**Gestalt** - you probably recollect correctly. One can “knock up” something- meaning to hastily put it together. “So sorry you missed dinner, but I’ll knock you up some egg and toast in a jiffy”. “You need a bookshelf- no problem, I’ll knock one up for you on Saturday”. “Oh, thanks for admiring the new coffee table- Jeremy knocked it up out of some old crates”. The whole _en route_ pronunciation thing, is one that I pick up in US shows, especially _24_- where someone was always on the way to somewhere else. UK: on root US: in rowt British people play hide and seek as children. Americans play hide-and-go-seek. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-american-different-turns-of-phrase/565070.md?page=5)