# What Britishisms most baffle Americans? What Americanisms most baffle Brits? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 18, 2024, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941 "2024-10-18T08:53:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/401 "2024-10-22T09:05:15Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > The only one that I ever got the first time was “Barney”. =Barney Rubble=trouble. “Barney” as a description of a minor, possibly physical, dispute predates _The Flintstones_ by a century or so. I can’t find the actual etymology. John S Farmer, compiler lists “barney”, in his compilation of _Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present_ (1890) ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/402 "2024-10-22T09:12:37Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > puzzled by their greetings. “Hello, Spoons, are you all right?” It took me a while to understand that what they were saying was the equivalent of, “Hello, Spoons, how are you doing,” here in Canada. It would have sounded more like “aw-roight?” This is the equivalent of the French “Ça va!” and can be used as a whole conversation: ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/403 "2024-10-22T09:14:39Z")
> [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](#): > > it doesn’t rhyme in Scottish English. Quite an effort to find a rhyme for bahookie ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/404 "2024-10-22T09:17:56Z")
So-called “Cockney rhyming slang” has lost any connection with East London and has been taken over by comedians. It was once a form of jargon, used to exclude anyone not from their peer group. “Polari” was similar as was “backslang” (used in an attempt to confuse law enforcement). ---
**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:** [October 22, 2024, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/405 "2024-10-22T09:43:48Z")
I’ve noticed that ‘several’ seems to sometimes confuse some Americans, who appear to think it’s just another word for seven. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/406 "2024-10-22T10:19:21Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > So-called “Cockney rhyming slang” has lost any connection with East London and has been taken over by comedians. It has certainly had the piss taken out of it for decades :- [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cG9X6_o11ec/hqdefault.jpg "The detectives rhyming slang") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG9X6_o11ec&t=23) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YdYn0dEql5w/maxresdefault.jpg "Classic Police Sketch/Cockney Rhyming Slang With Mel & Grif aka Alas Smith and Jones") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdYn0dEql5w&t=22) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/407 "2024-10-22T10:29:55Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > In terms of describing a flow of water, USGS apparently says it goes river \> stream \> creek. Where does “brook” fit in? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/408 "2024-10-22T11:08:17Z")
I didn’t even know of the USGS definition (even though I had also internalized it as “river \> stream \> creek”.) But to me, “brook” is a definitely-small creek. As others have said, the something called a “creek” can overlap in size with a “river”, and few moving bodies of water are actually _named_ a “Stream”. But something called a “brook” is never large. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/409 "2024-10-22T11:14:17Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > river \> stream \> creek “Brook,” “river,” “stream,” and “creek” all refer to flowing bodies of water, but they vary mostly in size and flow. Here’s a quick overview: - **River** – The largest, with a powerful, steady flow, often leading into seas or lakes (think the Nile). - **Stream** – Smaller than a river, with continuous flow, though generally narrower and shallower. - **Creek** – Smaller still, usually shallow, and sometimes drying up during dry seasons. - **Brook** – The smallest, often found in quiet, rural areas, with a gentle, peaceful flow. And while we’re on the topic of water, in New Jersey, saying you’re “going down the shore” means you’re heading to the beach—regardless of which direction you’re coming from! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/410 "2024-10-22T11:34:14Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’ve noticed that ‘several’ seems to sometimes confuse some Americans, who appear to think it’s just another word for seven. ? Who _are_ these people that you’re associating with? I’ve never encountered confusion about “several” in America. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/411 "2024-10-22T11:59:19Z")
Indeed, I associate “several” with more than 2, but _less_ than 7. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/412 "2024-10-22T12:11:30Z")
I got in trouble at work once for saying “the odd assignment” to a student (in! university!) because they didn’t realize it meant “the occasional assignment” and thought I was insulting them. I can’t remember the full sentence, but it should have been clear from context. Anyway, they complained and I was told not to use the word. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/413 "2024-10-22T12:34:43Z")
See also: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ij5mw_eqKuc/maxresdefault.jpg "The Two Ronnies: Rhyming Slang Sermon") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij5mw_eqKuc) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/414 "2024-10-22T12:45:28Z")
The one that got me as a US English speaker the first time I heard a friend from the UK use it is “I could murder a fag” which in the US would translate as something like “I could kill for a cigarette” (at least that’s what I’m guessing its derivation is) or maybe to use an idiom (is this a US idiom?) “I’m jonesing for a cigarette.” ---
**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:** [October 22, 2024, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/415 "2024-10-22T13:50:35Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’ve noticed that ‘several’ seems to sometimes confuse some Americans, who appear to think it’s just another word for seven. 🤨 Where have you heard this? The only time I have ever seen something think “several” means “seven” was the idiot on last season’s Survivor, and every other (American) contestant made fun of him for it. That is _not_ a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/416 "2024-10-22T14:19:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > “I could murder a fag” which in the US would translate as something like “I could kill for a cigarette” (at least that’s what I’m guessing its derivation is) or maybe to use an idiom (is this a US idiom?) “I’m jonesing for a cigarette.” I’ve never _actually_ heard someone use the British phrase, and if I had to do a very rough translation I’d indeed translate it as “I could kill for a cigarette”. But to me, it seems more like they are directly murdering the cigarette, i.e. consuming it with voracious gusto like it has no chance to escape. (Amusingly, during the movie _Yesterday_, a British person says “I could murder a cigarette”, which is sort of a no-win situation since it would seem weird to me both if they said “fag”, but also “cigarette”, because the original feels like it’s a stock phrase that people would always say using “fag”, even if it turns out that “I could murder a cigarette” is a completely valid alternative.) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/417 "2024-10-22T14:20:25Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I got in trouble at work once for saying “the odd assignment” to a student (in! university!) because they didn’t realize it meant “the occasional assignment” and thought I was insulting them. I can’t remember the full sentence, but it should have been clear from context. Anyway, they complained and I was told not to use the word. That’s odd. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/418 "2024-10-22T14:22:11Z")
Appropriately, another British phrasing would be “gasping for a fag” (or a smoke or whatever). But it could also be used in the “gasping for a cuppa” context. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2024, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/419 "2024-10-22T14:30:01Z")
I’ve lost count of the number of times I have mentioned, in one of my videos, that something happened to me, or I have had something, for _several decades_, only to find a load of people either asking me “OMG, so you’re like, 70?”, and in some cases, arguing with me that actually, several _does_ mean seven where they live, which turns out to be somewhere in America. They’re just wrong of course - I don’t believe several means seven anywhere. So, it absolutely _is_ a thing. Also: [Petition · Several Means 7 - United States · Change.org](https://www.change.org/p/merriam-webster-several-means-7) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941/420 "2024-10-22T14:34:06Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > But to me, it seems more like they are directly murdering the cigarette, i.e. consuming it with voracious gusto like it has no chance to escape. Ah! I like that possible etymology even better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-britishisms-most-baffle-americans-what-americanisms-most-baffle-brits/1008941.md?page=22)