Top 10 UK-US words lost in translation

The tell-tale signs of being a Brit in Iraq are rarely more apparent than when embedded with American soldiers.
Phrases such as: “Please may I borrow your torch?” or: “Where’s the loo?” draw puzzled expressions on US faces until translated into words they understand, namely “May I borrow your flashlight?” or: “Where’s the bathroom?”
Also, the British accent stands out so much more when surrounded by American voices. Apparently my Queen’s English ensures that I sound intelligent no matter how the dumb the remark I make, which is a bit of a bonus.
Riding around in the back of combat vehicles, I’m encouraged to speak over the internal radio to share various English words such as: “minging” or “minger”.
To any non-English-English speaker, this useful expression refers in the first sense to something unpleasant like sewage and in the second sense to an ugly “bloke” or “bird”, sorry I mean (for any American reading this) “dude” or “chick”.
It is frequently said that Britain and the United States are two countries separated by a common language. Well after a two-week embed with US troops I could not agree more.
Here are my top 10 phrases or words that get lost in trans-Atlantic translation. There are a few swear words that I would also love to share but this is probably not the right forum…

1. Where’s the bin? – Where’s the trashcan?
2. May I borrow your torch? – May I borrow your flashlight?
3. Bird, bloke – Chick, dude/guy
4. Minger/minging – Ugly person/gross
5. Knickers/Pants – Panties
6. Have a butch at these piccies – Take a look at these pictures
7. Getting p*ssed – Getting drunk
8. Stop taking the p*ss – Stop making fun of me
9. May I go to the loo? – May I go to the bathroom?
10. Give us a bell on your mobile – Call me on your cell

[Picture 1: An American tank in Diyala;
Picture 2: An Iraqi soldier stands behind a barbed wire barrier.]

Comments

[Jip]

Reading between the lines:

1) Americans are nice.

2) The war is being won.

Suggestions for your next title perhaps?

[n Wilson]

Its very true...and can be a never ending source of amusement. For both John Bull and Uncle Sam

Telling a USian , that something is a "load of bollocks" used to, and perhaps still does, foster looks of complete confusion. The list could go on and on.....

[Scott]

An American friend of mine who is married to a Yorkshire lad shared these:

- Go for a kip = Get some sleep
- On your tod = By yourself
- Where are my gigs? = Where are my glasses?
- It was dia = a heinous experience
- Bring a swimming costume = I always envision something that covers my wrists
- Throw yer glad rags on = Dress decent, you slouch
- Get your skates on = you need to motor

[Joseph Paulk]

I've heard of torch, loo, and knickers, but I would have had no clue if I had heard any of those other expressions. (I'm in Tulsa, Oklahoma.)

[Eric T.]

So Deborah Haynes has now discovered what every American and British person learn when visiting the other's country.

But she missed one of my favorites (or favourites). When I went to University in England in the '60s, a hot woman whom I had just met in my dorm (residence hall) told me that she'd "knock me up in the morning."

I was looking forward to that one! But unfortunately, the reality turned out to be much tamer than I expected.

[boom]

the expressions you call british are mainly southern english,

[James]

In conversation with an American some years ago, I commented on someone who was always smoking: 'He's never happy unless he's got a fag in his mouth!'

Then I realised....

[Norm]

The thing I loved about being in America is that everyone called me Red which I quite liked the sound of. As a boy in England I hated being called Ginger which is the colour of my hair ( or whats left of it)

[Andrew Milner]

Your suspenders have set off the metal detector.
Though that was your department, love.

[T. J. Cassidy, Arlington, VA]

When Princess Diana was killed, Eric Idle said he was pissed in the American sense (angry) and that he was going to get pissed in the British sense (drunk).

[Jamie]

Is there any surprise here with embedding a bird/chick in Iraq and she comes back with a English literature lession. Obivously so well embedded she didn't she a single shot fired. (John Reids old advisor?) Some background digging would have helped to...like telling the difference between barbed and razor wire (see photo caption).

[gunnar]

I believe "banal" has the same meaning in both languages.

[Jeff]

Loo for bathroom? I like that. Short and sweet. I'm going to start using that.

[Aimen]

Hi Debbie
I am faced this problem before and I am facing it again as I decided to accept to American offer. I am leaving to the USA because the British has not offered me anything but waiting.
I believe the British English is better but I have to learn the American accent and phrases.

[Richard Jacques]

re Posted by: Jamie | 16 Aug 2008 14:52:38
Jamie, it's supposed to be humerous. You are either an anally retentive American or a pedantic Brit prick. Either way, to use Brit military speak, Foxtrot Oscar.

[Mollywalk]

Sometimes the words are the same, it's the pronunciation. One afternoon, as my good (British) friend and I were shopping she called out to her daughters, "Alex! Claire!" And a complete stranger said to me, "What is the name of that child?" I said, "Alex, it's short for Alexandra." And the stranger said, "No, I meant the other one. Who would name a child 'Claw?'"

[C.Martin]

Hmm...where are the US terms that are lost in translation? I'm not sure if some of those phrases are actually used by anyone so it kind of undermines the idea that we are separated by a massive divide in the language. If anyone said to me that they were having a butch I would think that they were taking the p*ss. (Americans should see article for an explanation)

[patrick gage]

Ha! Ask an American how many wings his car has. Tell him your car has a very large boot. Suggest his offside rear tyre (?) needs air. Ask them if their car has a glove box. Perhaps the windscreen is dirty? Does it have hub caps or wheel covers? Does it run on petrol or gas?

[gtorres]

Your accent gave the impression of superior intelligence? Wow!!!! A colonial mentality, I guess.

[Terry Langley]

STOP THE PRESSES!!

Yank/Brit terminology can be confusing. You had to be embedded with American soldiers in Iraq to notice that?

Taking "A puff piece" to a new level.

[Texas_Blueblood]

Go ahead and keep hogging (taking an unfair amount) gold medals per capita in the Olympics and we'll have to create some new words to describe limeys.

[Damien Karass]

Well I guess the younger generation may find this new. By the way pants are also trousers in the US and that's razor wire in the picture.....
I could go on.

[ian cooper]

My wife experienced the problem on a plane back from texas. She held out some flowers to the stewardess and said "can you take care of these for me"

They went in the bin!

Ian

[elizabeth schumann]

Does Patrick Gage leave his vehicle in the car park or the parking lot???

[EuroAm]

Start with the 'old world' English language,

Add three hundred years of separation,

Fold in technological, medical and social advances and breakthroughs,

Blend healthy dose of Spanish and French, smaller dose of 'others',

Add a dash of hubris, a splash of narcissism, mix well and bake.

TA-DUH - The American Language.

See also:
Mexican 'Spanish',
Quebecer 'French'.