# Rude English words the yanks don't get! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 25, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523 "2003-10-25T18:11:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/21 "2003-10-25T22:29:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WordMan \* > \*\*I understand it is not common, but “standing Hampton” for “erection” - Sammy Hagar, that noted American intellectual, named one of his albums that…no Yanks got it… \*\* I’ve never heard of that album, but if I had, I’d be well aware that “Hampton” is rhyming slang (Hampton Wick = prick). ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/22 "2003-10-25T23:25:05Z")
My how things change. There are actually quite a lot of Fannys in the 1901 UK census. How rude to take your poor dead great grandmother’s name and give it such a reference. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/23 "2003-10-26T00:19:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mrsface \* > \*\*I’ve noticed Americans don’t seem to use “bollocks” much. Why? It’s such an expressive and versatile word. \*\* If I understand YOUR use of “bollocks”… we just say Oh shit! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/24 "2003-10-26T00:28:48Z")
‘Take a piss’ Although it’s not a word, it took me the first time I heard it. I think it was ‘are you taking a piss at me’? Does that sound right? ---
**Author:** ![mrsface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@mrsface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrsface)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/25 "2003-10-26T01:03:09Z")
Handy, it’s “take the piss”. Correct usage is “to take the piss out of [someone/something]”, as in “are you taking the piss out of me?” ie making fun of, taking the mickey, satirising. You would never “take a piss at” someone, unless you were literally peeing in their general direction. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/26 "2003-10-26T01:04:23Z")
No, **handy** , the expression is “taking _the_ piss (out of someone)”. It means “making fun of (someone)” or “pouring scorn on (someone)” or if no individual is on the receiving end it means “not taking this situation seriously”. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/27 "2003-10-26T01:07:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mrsface \* > **taking the mickey** My dictionary says that that expression is of “unknown origin”, but in the past I’ve heard that “mickey” is a shortening of “micturation”, hence it means exactly the same as “taking the piss”. I’m afraid I can’t provide a cite to back that up. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/28 "2003-10-26T01:10:24Z")
The Shag is also a couples dance, the state dance of South Carolina, in fact. The bars in Myrtle Beach regularly sponsor shagging contests. Come on over if you’re interested. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/29 "2003-10-26T01:15:18Z")
I once knew some people who had moved from the UK to my kind of small town in Oklahoma. The place was so small the local paper did a story about them moving to our town. The man of the house was out working in his yard putting down some grass when the reporter talked to him. When he read the article he was rather embarrassed to read that ‘He was out sodding the yard’ when the reported came. He thought everyone would assume that he was cursing at his yard. ---
**Author:** ![mrsface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@mrsface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrsface)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/30 "2003-10-26T01:16:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by everton \* > \*\*My dictionary says that that expression is of “unknown origin”, but in the past I’ve heard that “mickey” is a shortening of “micturation”, hence it means exactly the same as “taking the piss”. I’m afraid I can’t provide a cite to back that up. \*\* Interesting…I’d always thought it was a (slightly dodgy) reference to the Irish (“taking the Mick”) or something to do with Mickey Mouse. Like your explanation better. ---
**Author:** ![Stimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@Stimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stimpy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/31 "2003-10-26T02:50:28Z")
piss is a good one. in america it means to get angry at someone - he pissed me off - whereas in britain it also means to get drunk and the above. ---
**Author:** ![Stimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@Stimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stimpy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/32 "2003-10-26T02:53:23Z")
words i shouldn’t know are - Spaz - (short for spastic) “Stimpy… he’s such a spaz” - rarely used outside the playground! and smeg… watching Red Dwarf in my youth, i adopted this made-up swear word. my mum told me off for swearing. silly cow. (soz mum, didn’t mean that, just wanted to add another “swear word”) ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/33 "2003-10-26T02:58:18Z")
Since it’s me birfday I’m off to get totally arseholed (drunk). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/34 "2003-10-26T03:02:22Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve noticed Americans don’t seem to use “bollocks” much. Why? It’s such an expressive and versatile word. I use it all the time; usually in the phrase “Bollocks to _that!_”, and occasionally as in “Kicked in the bollocks.” > [@](#): > > and smeg… watching Red Dwarf in my youth When I was in high school (before [i[Red Dwarf\*), a friend and I worked up a routine as “Dr. Smegma and his henchman Ichor”. Well, it was funny at the time… ---
**Author:** ![Stimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@Stimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stimpy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/35 "2003-10-26T03:07:17Z")
twat - me favourite swear word. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/36 "2003-10-26T03:24:27Z")
Re: Mickey: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_092.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_092.html) > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KGS \* > \*\*In music, “wanking” can refer to a guitarist or other musician who’s showing off his talent merely for the sake of showing off his talent, without regard to any sort of melody or musical structure. Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen tend to “wank” a lot. > > In that regard, it’s not that different from the British meaning. 😉 > \*\* Well, that’s just it, it’s metaphor. When someone is wanking, musically, they are (figuratively) masturbating. It’s not really a different definition of the word, just a different usage. I do think a lot of Americans tend to use “wanker” as a general slur, though, not realizing that it literally means masturbator. I’m not a Brit, so Brits please correct me, but I’m under the impression Brits regard “bloody” as a much stronger word than Americans do. Americans, thinking they sound British, will use “bloody” quite casually and shock an upstanding Briton. Is this correct? ---
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/37 "2003-10-26T03:37:12Z")
ponce? birk? ---
**Author:** ![Salem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/38 "2003-10-26T04:05:01Z")
Oh just piss off. 😃 My best friend is British born and raised, but living in the States for many years now and that’s still one of his favorites. I’m often referred to as a twit, but affectionately and I don’t think it’s rude in England, either, is it? He does use “Bollocks” but not as “oh shit”, it’s more like the way we use “bullshit” or " a crock of shit". We just watched The Full Monty the other night and there were some great ones in there. ---
**Author:** ![Eolbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@Eolbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eolbo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/39 "2003-10-26T04:45:49Z")
pillock dill git ---
**Author:** ![spogga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@spogga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spogga)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-english-words-the-yanks-dont-get/209523/40 "2003-10-26T08:11:15Z")
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