UK sayings that arent in common use in the US

[Hannah+Vito 0]

pies the other one...lol uk pie = meat. in the usa pie could be a flan cobbler or anything sweet not necessarily pastry encased either. my father in law still recounts his disapointment in new zealand once when they excited went into a cafe that they were told did the best pie around and they didnt do apple pie...they ment meat. lol. i have to remeber chicken pie and stake and kidney pie is pot pies and even then the pastry is strange to me

[Ed+Cindy 1]

"pissed" always causes confusion - were you angry or drunk? (hopefully not both at the same time)

and what about to 'take the piss', as in mock yourself or another.

After living in New Zealand for years, I can now speak two different dialects of English - American and Kiwi/British. I'm sometimes the English to English translator for my wife.

Edited July 7, 2009 by Ed+Cindy

[Welshcookie 17]

pies the other one...lol uk pie = meat. in the usa pie could be a flan cobbler or anything sweet not necessarily pastry encased either. my father in law still recounts his disapointment in new zealand once when they excited went into a cafe that they were told did the best pie around and they didnt do apple pie...they ment meat. lol. i have to remeber chicken pie and stake and kidney pie is pot pies and even then the pastry is strange to me

Then we confuse them all over again with our Mince pies at Christmas

[Hannah+Vito 0]

pies the other one...lol uk pie = meat. in the usa pie could be a flan cobbler or anything sweet not necessarily pastry encased either. my father in law still recounts his disapointment in new zealand once when they excited went into a cafe that they were told did the best pie around and they didnt do apple pie...they ment meat. lol. i have to remeber chicken pie and stake and kidney pie is pot pies and even then the pastry is strange to me

Then we confuse them all over again with our Mince pies at Christmas

yup. just wait till i go to the english shop in santa monica buy a chirstmas pudding and set fire to it. that reminds me refering to all deserts as pudding gets thm as well as here pudding is a specific type of desert.

i still have to find somewhere that sells suet so i can make proper pastry i miss proper pies and sausage rolls yum

[TBoneTX 46,173]

One word: treacle, si man.

[AngelnSteve 0]

My wife thinks it amusing when I say "knickers in a twist".. and corrects me with "panties in a wad".

[Allie and Nigel 2]

This thread made me happy on a really ####### day! Kind of reminds me also my fiance trying to explain to me things that I had no idea what the words were for stuff in the England....and certain phrases! I'm slowly getting better at understanding...but its just so funny! I love it...loved all the posts here! Really made my day and made me laugh....we should keep it going!

[AngelnSteve 0]

Chin-up, gonna be okay

[Created 6]

It's incredible how much confusion can be caused by the different use of language. I once used the phrase "natural wastage" at work - referring to people leaving and the entire room errupted!!

One day I arrived home to find the shed (storage room) wide open in the dusk light, and went back inside the house to find a torch (flashlight) to see if anything was missing. When telling the story to my husband, he was baffled as to where I got the torch from - he was thinking olympic torch!!!

"Donkey's years" is another one that has people rolling!

[MonkeyJuice 3]

I always say 'blimey' or 'crikey' this always get that blank look.

Also 'oh bollocks' as in ooops & 'you're a jammy #######' .... same response. Also when someone asked me if I had a good time the other night, I'd say 'yeh it was crackin!' ...It's a good job my fella is completely versed on most sayings & he has to translate regularly!

oooh & the other night we were out with friends & they asked where we wanted to go next. I said 'well I'm easy'. Again..blank.

When I greet someone I always say 'y'alright?' they don't get that either ...

[amykathleen2005 441]

Just a quick reply from the other side, but I once said to my soon to be mother in law that my pants were wet (as i had just stepped in a puddle). She enjoyed that one. A

[kayandnigel 0]

So I have been here 4-5 years now and I STILL come across numerous things that when I say them the wife looks at me as if to say"huh?!!!". I guess they just aren't phrases used here in the US.

The latest was just last night. Her father posted a photo of his three daughters (my wife being one) on Facebook. They all looked so innocent that I couldn't resist posting a comment, "yes, looks like butter wouldn't melt in their mouths! ;-) "

I have now had the following email me to ask what the hell it means:

Her father (that was the one I had to handle delicately, some web definitions indicate it is a slightly derogatory term, it is NOT)

Her mother

Both sisters

3 assorted friends

...oh, and my wife asked me what it meant too.

Some recent classics.

Upon being tired announcing to my wife that I was 'knackered'.

Hearing a Brit in a local British pub say he was 'well chuffed' and having to explain to my wife afterward it wasn't a medical condition but that he was happy.

Telling my wife a saucepan was on the 'hob' and have her stare at me until I explained it was the cooker.

There are hundreds more but I won't ramble...

So, do you have any classics?!

Paul

**=cigarette

[Ellie-and-David 38]

I said "chuffed" the other day - David did not have a clue.

"Minging" is another one.

Little Britain and in particular Vicky Pollard was a fantastic linguistic lesson for him.

[Jon & Jess 3]

This happened to me when I went to the U.S. as an exchange student.

In Sweden we learn British English in school. So before school was going to start I needed to get all my school supplies and my uniform.

I went to a little store with my host-sister to get binders, papers, markers and so on.

On our way up to the counter my host-sister asked me if I had everything that I needed and I told her "almost, I just need a pencil and a rubber".

She stared at my like I had lost my mind. I couldn't for the life of me understand why she was looking at me like that.

In school in Sweden we learn that the British word "rubber" means "eraser". So I told her again thinking she had heard me wrong or something. But I still got the same look so I then explained that I needed a pencil and the thing that you correct errors with when you make a mistake.

Ohh, you need an eraser she said.

Yes! A pencil and a rubber, I loudly announced thru half the store.

Then my host sister leaned over and whispered to me, it's called an eraser, you don't wanna call it a rubber.

Why not? I asked

She leaned even closer and whispered rubber means condom here....

[Chris & Mara 0]

My wife thinks it amusing when I say "knickers in a twist".. and corrects me with "panties in a wad".

Haha just to add a little more confusion its "Knickers in a Knot" Down here (Australia)...