Where's The BOOT?

[citrus]

:car: Is it in the back end of the car? Is it on my foot?

Where can I find her bonnet? Is it over the engine compartment of her ford? Is it that pretty lace wear on her head shading her eyes from the hot sun?

How many terms are there from culture to culture that have similarities, yet do something quite different than what we thought it would?

When I heard about the spare in the boot, I immediately thought of a very large cowboy boot style shoe with a tire lodged in it! Who'd've thunk that in Britain the "Boot" is the trunk in back of the automobile!

Since we're in the trunk, Does that go in front of the elephant, or in the hold of the steamliner for the ocean voyage?

[Oldfart]

It's not just the Brits who call "the boot" the bit behind the back seats and "the bonnet" at the front.

What I find an increasing worry is that the terms "fender" "mudguard" "Bumper bar" increasingly don't.

[Fangtasia]

Yep Aussies call it a boot & bonnet too...makes perfect sense to me *L*

[Scarecrow]

^^^ yes but you drive on the wrong side of the road also!!! :thumbs:

[Oldfart]

Didn't the American driving position evolve from a convention related to the drawing of a pistol?

We are too civilised to get caught up in that one.

[PantyFanatic]

The verb 'Lift' is something I do to your skirt and the noun is sold at Victory's Secret, not a dame elevator. :banghead:

[dicksbro]

"Ah So" has a rather generic meaning like, "I understand" or "Oh" in Japanese. In the US we use the term "As* Hol*" refering to our appreciation of who was doing the talking. Well, sometimes anyway. :D

JK

[Lord Snow]

OF, I don't know if there is a greater percentage of right handed people than left handed in the world, but if that is the case. You Aussies and Brits are on the correct side of the road for drawing a pistol with your right hand. Though that is one of the reason why police motorcycles over here have the throttle on the left instead of the right. So you can control your speed with a gun in your right hand.

[Fangtasia]

Who cares why we call it what we do really *LOL* We drive on the left side of the road, we call it a boot and a bonnet, and we aint changing any of the above...sooooooooo ;)

[Oldfart]

OF, I don't know if there is a greater percentage of right handed people than left handed in the world, but if that is the case. You Aussies and Brits are on the correct side of the road for drawing a pistol with your right hand. Though that is one of the reason why police motorcycles over here have the throttle on the left instead of the right. So you can control your speed with a gun in your right hand.

A right hand pistol draw pulls the pistol towards the left. It is hard to draw a pistol and shoot off to the right, you turn your body to make it easier.

Aussie Police don't ride non-standard bikes, as Police are discouraged from firing their pistols "on the run". If a shot is required, offhand is the way to go.

[citrus]

I thought the bonnet is a hood! :doorpeek:

[Oldfart]

Nah, a bonnet's a pretty hat over the engine bay.

[Neige]

Who cares why we call it what we do really *LOL* We drive on the left side of the road, we call it a boot and a bonnet, and we aint changing any of the above...sooooooooo ;)

I, on the other, am fascinated with why we call it what we do. Carry on with the stories!

[Fangtasia]

I didnt say to stop adding the stories, just accept that people call & do things that they do...

I cant for the life of me understand the 'feather tick' that PF mentioned to me about one day...I got an image of a Tick covered in feathers, didnt even know they came with feathers *L*

I'm pretty sure a feather tick is the equivalent of our 'Doona' (yep which i then had to explain to PF *L*)

[dm383]

I didnt say to stop adding the stories, just accept that people call & do things that they do...

I cant for the life of me understand the 'feather tick' that PF mentioned to me about one day...I got an image of a Tick covered in feathers, didnt even know they came with feathers *L*

I'm pretty sure a feather tick is the equivalent of our 'Doona' (yep which i then had to explain to PF *L*)

:huh:

Being a mere Brit, I have NO clue what either of those things are!!

Of course, the word which has the single most diverse meaning between us and U.S. is "fanny". There, In believe, it's a word for the female posterior, whereas here, it's a word for PUSSY!!! Confuses the Hell out of us simple souls y'know!!

DM

[Oldfart]

Duvet is the brit term for a Doona, aka Eiderdown.

[PantyFanatic]

When a Britt tells me he's bringing a 'torch', I expect to see a flaming club and the rest of the villagers with pitch forks. :yikes: Not a flashlight.

[Fangtasia]

That could be arranged PF *LOL*

We use both torch & flashlight here, mostly torch though (get it from the Brits prolly *L*)

[dicksbro]

I always wonder when some of these differences in our language occured. Like,, trucks and lorries. Oh well, makes for interesting reading and some fun discussions.

Anyway, here's a few more American / English differences that might be of interest:

Apartment - Flat
Chopped Beef - Mince
Cookie - Biscuit
Motor Home - Caravan
Muffler - Silencer
Windshield - Windscreen

[dicksbro]

How about some US/OZ differences:

Mail a letter - Post a letter
Gas pump - Bowser
Letter opener - Paper knife
Muffin - Patty cake
Buy everyone drinks - Shout a round

Gives some more to chat about anyway. :)

[Oldfart]

A muffin is different to a patty cake, isn't it?

[dicksbro]

A muffin is different to a patty cake, isn't it?
You're no doubt right, but, I couldn't find anything closer. :shrug:

[Oldfart]

We call a muffin a muffin.

[CuteCoupleOz]

To citrus, until 4 years ago, I lived in NC and grew up there. It's long since gone out of usage, but when I was growing up the trunk was called the boot.

A few months back, I needed to phone a lady with some info. When I got her on the phone, she said, "Look, I'm really sick and don't think I can even get up to go write all this down. Can you please call my daughter?"......"Sure, no problem", I said as I took down the number. So I called the daughter and told her what info I was relating and that I'd called her Mum but she was a little under the weather and had asked if i'd call you instead. The daughter didn't make any mention, just took the info and said she'd deliver it. Two days later, I find out the daughter had gone straight over to the elderly mother's home because she thought she was on the piss. I had noooooo idea that being under the weather was another phrase for having had wee bit too much grog. I was so embarrassed. I called both women and profusely apologized. They were fine and the Mum got quite a laugh. I now am trying to not spit out so many American phrases, just in case. LOL Like Fanny.

One of the most confusing conversations between myself and catch22, when we first started chatting online, was when I came online and typed "I ammm so pissed." He types "whatcha drinking?" It just went downhill from there. It musta been weeks and weeks before I figured out that pissed to him was drinking.

So, now, every day, I put on my lippie, my sunnies and head off to work driving on the right left side of the road. For dinner, I have chips with tomato sauce. I often cook things on the grill which is in the oven. And this week my knee is really crook because of trolly mishap at Woolies.

Four years ago, I would have said.... :huh:


----kathy (who after babbling on incessantly believes she has had wayyyyy toooo much plunger coffee this morning)

[Lord Snow]

Can I get a translation in American English?

[PantyFanatic]

:huh:

WTF did she ^^^ say? :wobbly:

[PantyFanatic]

Either she took away too much from the 'carry out' or carried out too much from the 'take away' store. :rofl:

[CuteCoupleOz]

french fries are sticks in a bag.........crisps are chips......and chips are french fries.

altogether nice with a good drop from the bottle shop carried in the esky by the old bloke




--kathy (the rain in spain buckets down .....anywhere but here)

[scotzoidman]

UK, US, & OZ...three great nations divided by a common language :huh:

I'm sure this topic has come up before, but obviously it's been long enough that this quote will be new to some pixies who've joined since then (or are just getting old & forgetful):

Actor/singer David Essex (here he's best/only remembered for the 70's hit "Rock On") found himself in New York, on an elevator, about to light up a cigarette, when he asked the other passenger, "Mind if I light up a fag on the lift?"

He got only a very strange look as an answer...

[Oldfart]

I have a half-remembered joke about things you don't ask in a gay bar.

"Can I bum a fag?" is one.

"Can I push in your stool?" is another.

[pinkFlames]

:huh:

Being a mere Brit, I have NO clue what either of those things are!!

Of course, the word which has the single most diverse meaning between us and U.S. is "fanny". There, In believe, it's a word for the female posterior, whereas here, it's a word for PUSSY!!! Confuses the Hell out of us simple souls y'know!!

DM

Yep, we Australian women have our fanny at the front too. :wink:

[Catch22]

That could be arranged PF *LOL*

We use both torch & flashlight here, mostly torch though (get it from the Brits prolly *L*)


A torch is small and a flashlight is big.

[Catch22]

Smoko is a tea break where you have coffee and a fag!

[Fangtasia]

A torch is small and a flashlight is big.
Hmmm might be where you are, but where i live a torch is a torch regardless of size *L* We call the big Dolphin ones torches too.....but i do hear the odd person call em flashlights. Personally to me they are torches

[Teddy Bear]

Took an Aussie to his first American baseball game and told him we were 'rooting' for the Paw Sox. He gave me the oddest look! By rooting I meant the team we were cheering for and wanted to win. I found out a little later to him rooting was fucking, to root is to have sex. lol. Can only imagine what went through his mind!

A UK friend said she felt 'pants'. I just said okkkkkk..... She meant she didn't feel good, not that she felt men's clothing.

And a 'poof' to me is a thing to wash with, but it's a gay person to some folks.

[Oldfart]

"gay"?

Gilbert and Sullivan's "Patience" has a line,

"For I am blythe and I am gay while they sit sighing night and day".

I was happy when gay had no subtext.

[jseal]

It can lead to confusion about what the author meant.

[Teddy Bear]

I used to watch a little neighbor girl after school. She would do a little homework, part of which was to read out loud. The book she read said 'the boy was gay as he ran home', (or something like that). She paused and said to me, 'gay used to mean just happy'.

I agree, it would be better if words like that didn't need explaining.

[citrus]

ROFLMAOPMP :rofl: :spin: :roflmao:
Hahahahha!!! To citrus, until 4 years ago, I lived in NC and grew up there. It's long since gone out of usage, but when I was growing up the trunk was called the boot.

A few months back, I needed to phone a lady with some info. When I got her on the phone, she said, "Look, I'm really sick and don't think I can even get up to go write all this down. Can you please call my daughter?"......"Sure, no problem", I said as I took down the number. So I called the daughter and told her what info I was relating and that I'd called her Mum but she was a little under the weather and had asked if i'd call you instead. The daughter didn't make any mention, just took the info and said she'd deliver it. Two days later, I find out the daughter had gone straight over to the elderly mother's home because she thought she was on the piss. I had noooooo idea that being under the weather was another phrase for having had wee bit too much grog. I was so embarrassed. I called both women and profusely apologized. They were fine and the Mum got quite a laugh. I now am trying to not spit out so many American phrases, just in case. LOL Like Fanny.

One of the most confusing conversations between myself and catch22, when we first started chatting online, was when I came online and typed "I ammm so pissed." He types "whatcha drinking?" It just went downhill from there. It musta been weeks and weeks before I figured out that pissed to him was drinking.

So, now, every day, I put on my lippie, my sunnies and head off to work driving on the right left side of the road. For dinner, I have chips with tomato sauce. I often cook things on the grill which is in the oven. And this week my knee is really crook because of trolly mishap at Woolies.

Four years ago, I would have said.... :huh:


----kathy (who after babbling on incessantly believes she has had wayyyyy toooo much plunger coffee this morning)

[citrus]

Once as I was boarding my flight to go from McGuire AFB to Frankfurt, I was pissed about having to sit in the middle row. On the flight I kept buying drinks until I was pissed. I frequently had to go to the head and piss.

[Oldfart]

Did they tell you to piss off?

[themi01]

Yeah who said that the Brits and the Americans are separated by a common language ?

[Oldfart]

Just about everybody.