# The Great British English vs US English Playoff **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 10, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123 "2018-09-10T20:45:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/101 "2018-09-12T07:43:19Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Brit: Chips > US: French Fries > > Result: US win. Chips are not fries. Yes they are. Fish and chips is a fine bar food. Also a terrific lunch when purchased from my favorite secret location featuring the world’s best fish and chips, a former school bus converted to a fish-and-chips stand near the docks of a small town on the shore of Georgian Bay, whose location I refuse to divulge. Whereas “fish and fries” does not exist as a culinary concept, and sounds like it would be some horror served up at McDonald’s as “the McFish Meal”. Brits win. US isn’t even in the race. > [@Mangetout](#): > > …Or one-hundred-ten. I mean, it’s obviously one hundred _and_ ten, right? It is not. Unless you live in a world where “47” is “forty and seven”. Or 1,347 is one thousand and three hundred and forty and seven. Nor is it a list, in the manner of “four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.” ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/102 "2018-09-12T07:49:08Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > UK; abseil > > US; rappel > Push. One French, the other German. It just depends which side of the mountain you’re on. (If in doubt, call for Alp.) ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/103 "2018-09-12T08:52:04Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > One with wheels is a wheely-bin. I’m not going to even try defending that. Except that it’s useful for feeble jokes, along the lines of, “…but where have you _really_ bin / been?” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/104 "2018-09-12T10:25:43Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > But “falling forward” isn’t really a thing as much as “falling back”. I mean, people use it occasionally when talking about physically falling, but the phrase “falling back” is used a lot more IMO. I assumed that’s what it was. Is there some meaning of ‘spring forward’ that isn’t physical? If not, then there’s a mismatch of terms. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/105 "2018-09-12T10:31:55Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > It is not. Unless you live in a world where “47” is “forty and seven”. Or 1,347 is one thousand and three hundred and forty and seven. Nor is it a list, in the manner of “four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.” No, that’s silly - nobody is insisting that we have to insert ‘and’ everywhere, only where it sounds right. Macaroni Cheese is just a term like Lamb Curry (it’s not Lamb _and_ curry - well, it is, but not by name) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/106 "2018-09-12T11:35:00Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I assumed that’s what it was. Is there some meaning of ‘spring forward’ that isn’t physical? If not, then there’s a mismatch of terms. I’m also more slightly likely to hear “spring forward” than “spring back” since it’s sometimes used in the sense of lurching toward something. But I agree that “spring forward” is the weaker link in the mnemonic. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/107 "2018-09-12T12:43:52Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Erm, in the U.K. they _are_ all trousers. Pants are underwear. > > [https://www.screwfix.com/c/safety-workwear/work-trousers/cat850376](https://www.screwfix.com/c/safety-workwear/work-trousers/cat850376) I’m aware of that. This thread is about which usage is better, not “correct”. I was just pointing out why the American usage is better. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/108 "2018-09-12T13:29:49Z")
> [@chaika](#): > > Usually in the US, overalls and coveralls refer to completely different garments. Overalls, sometimes called “bib overalls” (UK: dungarees) are the stereotypical farmer’s outfit, with shoulder straps, worn over a shirt. Coveralls are one-piece garments with sleeves, often worn by mechanics and the like. > > Would you use the term overalls to describe both garments? I am not challenging your usage, just interested. I don’t have enough experience with either version to say – I’m sure the distinction you described is accurate for most folks. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/109 "2018-09-12T16:35:00Z")
UK: Mind the Gap US: Watch your Step UK win because I owned a T-Shirt that said Mind the Gap once. And yes, they don’t mean exactly the same thing, but it’s as close as I can come. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/110 "2018-09-12T16:36:01Z")
Brit: budgie US: parakeet The British win this one because, [Budgie](https://youtu.be/MblXJjHP498) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/111 "2018-09-12T16:39:38Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > I’m aware of that. This thread is about which usage is better, not “correct”. I was just pointing out why the American usage is better. Ok, I didn’t really follow what you meant then. Are you saying that in the U.S., casual or work pants are always just pants, but formal pants can be called trousers? I didn’t know that. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/112 "2018-09-12T17:09:06Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Yes they are. Fish and chips is a fine bar food. Also a terrific lunch when purchased from my favorite secret location featuring the world’s best fish and chips, a former school bus converted to a fish-and-chips stand near the docks of a small town on the shore of Georgian Bay, whose location I refuse to divulge. Whereas “fish and fries” does not exist as a culinary concept, and sounds like it would be some horror served up at McDonald’s as “the McFish Meal”. Brits win. US isn’t even in the race. Good point! The whole chips vs fries debate may come down to something like this: US: Potato chips, tortilla chips, pita chips, etc. = UK: crisps(?) [exception: US: Fish-n-chips, which are fresh, fried potatoes] UK: Chips = US: Fries (various forms)? I still go with a US win, since potatoes thinly sliced, dunked in hot oil until crispy, seasoned and then bagged for later consumption seems more like “chips” of a potato, whereas potatoes cut into thin/thick strips, fried in hot oil until crisp on the outside and soft on the inside then seasoned and served hot for immediate consumption seem more like “fries”, or French pomme-frites (with the exception of the aforementioned Fish-n-Chips. Has anyone here brought-up pudding? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/113 "2018-09-12T18:15:24Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Ok, I didn’t really follow what you meant then. Are you saying that in the U.S., casual or work pants are always just pants, but formal pants can be called trousers? I didn’t know that. In the US, formal trousers are typically known as “slacks”, which are, I think, often distinguished by the more vertical cut of the front pockets. Then, of course, there is the muddle of “knickerbockers”. In the US, these were knee-length pants, similar to the legwear of modern baseball and grid football players and Ian Anderson. Their similarity to a woman’s long, loose undergarment has led to the British usage “knickers” to exclusively mean all types of women’s underwear. Ultimately, New York’s basketball team has come to be known as the Knicks, to avoid confusion. Brit: knickers US: panties The US wins this one by, uh, a red whisker. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/114 "2018-09-12T18:19:11Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Has anyone here brought-up pudding? [No](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=21200137#post21200137), that is a mess we had best no wade into. ---
**Author:** ![Map\_Ylow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/map_ylow/32/85_2.png) [@Map\_Ylow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Map_Ylow)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/115 "2018-09-12T18:30:03Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Brit: budgie > US: parakeet > > The British win this one because, [Budgie](https://youtu.be/MblXJjHP498) Funny, I’ve always called them by both names. (I’ve also always got a kick out of “budgerigar”.) ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/116 "2018-09-12T19:01:55Z")
US: diapers Brit: nappies. US wins. The word Diaper is specific, unambiguous. Nappies could be any number of napkin-type products. Which,of course, leads us to the next vital issue: US: napkins Brit: serviettes Again,the US wins. Serviettes is too stilted and posh-sounding for a cheap piece of paper that gets tossed into the trash. Which leads us to: US: “Trash it”. Brit: “Bin it” This time, the Brits win. To trash something implies wanton destruction. To “bin it” is more genteel. And also sounds nicer than the way a Yankee might sneer “toss it out” . ---
**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:** [September 12, 2018, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/117 "2018-09-12T19:05:52Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Which,of course, leads us to the next vital issue: > US: napkins > Brit: serviettes > > Again,the US wins. Serviettes is too stilted and posh-sounding for a cheap piece of paper that gets tossed into the trash. This is a bit of a class-riddled minefield in the UK (or was, anyway). Serviette is a bit _non-U_. ---
**Author:** ![senoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@senoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/senoy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/118 "2018-09-12T19:13:08Z")
> [@Map\_Ylow](#): > > Funny, I’ve always called them by both names. > > (I’ve also always got a kick out of “budgerigar”.) That’s because a budgie is a parakeet, but a parakeet is not necessarily a budgie. There are many species of parakeets. The one most commonly kept as a pet is a budgie (or more accurately budgerigar). The next most common is the monk parakeet which is sometimes called a Quaker Parrot. There are a few others commonly kept as pets, but budgies are by far the most common one. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/119 "2018-09-12T19:18:20Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > This is a bit of a class-riddled minefield in the UK (or was, anyway). Serviette is a bit _non-U_. How do you translate “non-U” to American? I lived in England as a child,but I’ve never heard that expression. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-british-english-vs-us-english-playoff/821123/120 "2018-09-12T19:18:58Z")
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