# Fun with American vs. British English **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205 "2006-08-10T20:20:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/1 "2006-08-10T20:20:25Z")
Two true stories: My English friends were visiting and we took them out to dinner. The perky waitress steps up and says, “Hi, I’m Randy and I’ll be your waitress tonight!” My friend was with her husband in England. She was on a boat ride down the Thames. Her seat was on a wooden bench. She turned to the woman next to her to make light conversation and said, “Boy, these benches are hard. My fanny is sore!” Translation: randy = horny fanny = pussy ---
**Author:** ![Pixisis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@Pixisis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixisis)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/2 "2006-08-10T20:30:10Z")
My mom’s parish had a visiting Priest from over the puddle. He said to one of the female parishoners that he would “knock you up in the morning.” :eek: Fortunately for him, she was a good Anglican, and understood. knock you up = knock on your door, come visit ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/3 "2006-08-10T21:06:45Z")
Apparently “chippie” has a more sleazy meaning across the pond? I think of it as a flitty ditzy kind of woman but it means prostitute there, or slut?? ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/4 "2006-08-10T21:25:16Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Apparently “chippie” has a more sleazy meaning across the pond? I think of it as a flitty ditzy kind of woman but it means prostitute there, or slut?? In Britain it means a place where you buy chips. (And fish, and pies and other stuff that goes with chips). ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/5 "2006-08-10T21:56:53Z")
Allow me to point out that American chaps wear their pants on the outside, while Brits wear trousers over their pants. ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/6 "2006-08-10T22:33:33Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Allow me to point out that American chaps wear their pants on the outside, while Brits wear trousers over their pants. And in the West you wear your chaps over your pants. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/7 "2006-08-10T22:45:53Z")
> [@Boulter's Canary](#): > > In Britain it means a place where you buy chips. (And fish, and pies and other stuff that goes with chips). In Ireland that would be a chipper. A chippie would be a carpenter. That’s Hiberno-English, not the Queen’s though 😉 I love me a faggot in the morning. I can’t get enough of those faggots. [Here’s](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2698507.stm) a family of faggot fans spreading the glory of faggots > [@](#): > > Her husband Fred added: "It’s unfair because faggots were a British delicacy long before any of the others. > > “The great British faggot is full of flavour and a great belly warmer at this time of year.” ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/8 "2006-08-10T22:50:50Z")
When the church had a visiting Australian family, the daughter just missed the asst. pastor getting everyone quiet and then asking them to keep a lookout for a missing green fannypack. I made sure to explain to her what this meant, because someone might mention it around her casually. She was surprised, so say the least. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/9 "2006-08-11T01:11:37Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I’m Randy and I’ll be your waitress tonight! A waitress named Randy? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/10 "2006-08-11T01:20:25Z")
> [@awldune](#): > > A waitress named Randy? 😕 Prob’ly Randi. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/11 "2006-08-11T01:34:38Z")
could be a nickname for miranda. i’m watching bbc on cspan right now. our news has “terror in the skies” graphics and threatening music. bbc has no music and " a bit chaotic" as the graphic. so fun. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/12 "2006-08-11T02:34:34Z")
I watched a CBC show once as a teenager, where the host said that the Toronto needle (not sure what it’s called – sorry Canucks!) was the biggest erection in Canada and on and on about the massive erection and construction of the erection. It was pretty damn funny when I was seventeen. 🙂 In Merica, “erection” = erect penis, not a building. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/13 "2006-08-11T02:49:03Z")
> [@Jodi](#): > > I watched a CBC show once as a teenager, where the host said that the Toronto needle (not sure what it’s called – sorry Canucks!) was the biggest erection in Canada and on and on about the massive erection and construction of the erection. It was pretty damn funny when I was seventeen. 🙂 > > In Merica, “erection” = erect penis, not a building. That’d be the CN (Canadian National railway) Tower. And we’re damned proud of our erection, thank you very much. Of course nothing compares to the Wankle rotary engine. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/14 "2006-08-11T02:52:14Z")
> [@Boulter's Canary](#): > > In Britain it means a place where you buy chips. (And fish, and pies and other stuff that goes with chips). And in the US it’s an old-fashioned term yet still occasionally used term for a hooker. ---
**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/15 "2006-08-11T02:55:13Z")
My roommate grew up in England until about middle school. She told us about how she was at school shortly after moving here, and she had lost her eraser. She asked the boy behind her if she could use his rubber. US: rubber= condom Last year she was telling us how she and a friend had taken a walk and seen a cat. She must have said that she “stroked” the cat about 10 times while we tried not to giggle. In these parts, “stroking” means the same thing as over there, but with a decidedly sensual connotation. ---
**Author:** ![Misscegnist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Misscegnist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misscegnist)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/16 "2006-08-11T03:16:53Z")
As a native “English” speaker, (of the British variety) but hailing from neither England nor America, all useages mentioned appear normal to me… and I would not think twice about either meaning, taking it purely from context. Eg - Chippie, would take to mean the local Fish and Chip shop, Carpenter or lady of loose morals (slag) depending upon the context. I would not think unkindly or even find it funny to hear the word in any of these contexts, same goes for fanny, or fannypack. Which brings me to a question, those of us who come from “Minority” countries (I am a New Zealander) speak a broader, more includsive form of English, with a broader “vocabulary” (not neccessarily better, or more words, but simply understand words in a broader range of situations)? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/17 "2006-08-11T03:30:37Z")
> [@yojimbo](#): > > I love me a faggot in the morning. I can’t get enough of those faggots. [Here’s](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2698507.stm) a family of faggot fans spreading the glory of faggots Reminds me of a song I heard on an amateur folk album: He stands on the corner, a fag in his mouth Two hands in his pockets, he whistle me out But still I love him, I can’t deny him I’ll be with him wherever he goes You pathetic fag-hag! ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/18 "2006-08-11T03:31:49Z")
> [@Misscegnist](#): > > Which brings me to a question, those of us who come from “Minority” countries (I am a New Zealander) speak a broader, more includsive form of English, with a broader “vocabulary” (not neccessarily better, or more words, but simply understand words in a broader range of situations)? That’s an interesting point. I suppose English-speakers who aren’t English (deliberately leaving out Welsh and Scottish, there) or American get both the effects of the old British Empire’s spread of the language plus the cultural domination of the U.S. Or, you know, summat like that. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/19 "2006-08-11T03:33:27Z")
I’ve heard that when a Brit offers to wake you in the morning, they’ll say, “Can I knock you up?” ---
**Author:** ![Misscegnist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Misscegnist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misscegnist)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205/20 "2006-08-11T03:35:44Z")
A further thought - my wife, who is not from Hong Kong (and has only ever spent one week there), actually speaks Cantonese with a Hong Kong accent, and can pass for a local. And yes - this is because of all the Hong Kong serials she watches. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-american-vs-british-english/368205.md?page=2)