i'd like to know what some of the diff are, i'm planning to go to england soon and i don't want to embarass myself by saying something innocent (for a US english speaker) that could possibly mean something else to a british english speaker.
a good example of this would be how, "pants" to us mean trousers... while "pants" to brits, mean underwear.
p.s. i was wearing a hat that had the O.C.C. logo on it with the lettering "orange county chopper" and i was informed that the word "chopper" meant penis... is this true or were they pulling my leg? (a chopper to US natives is a type of motor bike, it can also be a name for a cleaver knife)
2006-10-17 09:45:02 · 11 answers · asked by kiss my wookie! 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
I'm not English or American but I learned my first English in England, then moved to USA and now my British friends are trying to teach me proper English again (they say they don't like my Yankee English).
You got the trousers/pants thing.
Pissed means drunk in England, not mad or angry
They throw their rubbish in the bin, not the trash or garbage in the can
They go to the loo, toilet or go to "spend a penny" , not the bathroom, ladies/mens room etc
The Brits live in flats, not apartments. The first floor is the 2nd floor where I come from, first is ground floor, then 1st floor.
Never heard of chopper meaning Penis in the UK, many other words but not chopper.
Mostly the difference is in the spelling but if your'e only visiting you might not be writing much there.
Have fun in England
2006-10-17 09:58:46 · answer #1 · answered by IC 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just to correct Dana up there - we Brits tend not to use kilometres, that's more a mainland Europe thing. All the signs are in miles, and the speedometer in your car will have mph as the main gauge.
Most of the usual changes have been given above so I won't bother repeating them. Suffice to say that most people you meet will spot you're an American and will give some leeway when talking to you. If something doesn't quite make sense just ask!
As for chopper - well, just about any word can be used to mean penis; English is a very flexible language like that. It's all about context.
2006-10-18 07:08:27 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
chopper doesnt mean penis.
bathroom is called the loo or toilet.
wanker means a person who jerks alot.
pants ur right.
snogging means kissing.
blimey means :oh my god.
beat around the bush means: banging a Pu$sy or waisting time.
t!ts means bye.
blew up means expanded.
whgogwrog means gibberish.
dont worry you wont understand much we talk too fast u wont be able to prossess it.
oh and bung means erect penis.
flop with wa later old chap.
2006-10-17 17:25:14 · answer #3 · answered by HelldogAssassin5 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ooh, some good answers already.
'Can I give you a lift?' means 'can I take you wherever you're going in my car?'
In another context, lift = elevator
Yup, chopper = penis but it's not a common euphemism. C0ck, dick or willy are more prevalent.
2006-10-17 17:23:08 · answer #4 · answered by pompeii 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We went on vacation to London several years ago, and I frequently used the phrase, "Pardon me" or "I beg your pardon," only to find out later that "pardon me" is usually used when one accidentally passes gas, and that "sorry" or "excuse me" are used for other situations. Needless to say, I was mortified. I am, however, comforted by the thought that I probably will never see any of those people again (who were kind enough not to burst out laughing)!
2006-10-18 14:57:01 · answer #5 · answered by Leah L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
chopper is slang for cock and from an american a chopper will be excused but not every one knows what OCC stands for so dont tell them
FAG means cigarette as well as a gay person just be careful who you ask for a smoke
2006-10-17 16:51:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
One thing a teacher told me... she was in London for a year or so... one day one of her neighbors came over... she was really excited and said "I've lost a stone!". My teacher was confused... she wondered why the lady was happy... had she lost a rock, or a gem or something? She found out, though, that she meant she had lost weight... things can be weighted in stones in the UK, so keep that in mind ^_^
2006-10-17 16:53:24 · answer #7 · answered by KK 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Randy" is not just a name in England. It's popular slang for "horny" so be careful using it if that's your name or if you're going to be talking about someone called that.
To get pissed means to get drunk; taking the piss out of someone means to make fun of them; snogging means kissing; wanker/tosser means someone who jerks off (it's a pretty common insult, like "bastard" Stateside); meatballs are sometimes called "*******" etc
Also, for general purpose, "All right?" or "All right there?" means "How are you?"; it's petrol instead of gas; flat instead of apartment; knickers instead of panties; overtake a car instead of passing; stroking the dog instead of petting; dressing gown instead of robe; feeling poorly instead of feeling sick etc
You have to pay attention to the context in most instances to get an idea of what's being said. Good luck on your trip!
2006-10-17 16:56:02 · answer #8 · answered by Dana Q 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fyi, a stone is 14 lbs.
2006-10-17 16:56:02 · answer #9 · answered by mmhmmm 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when someone says take your pants off... don't just stand there... but run... you don't want your chopper to get chopped while you smoke an a$s...
2006-10-17 16:54:36 · answer #10 · answered by Affu Q 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋