Regional vocabulary differences

Uriel   Sun Nov 06, 2005 2:16 am GMT
Frances: Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) was by US3. Never heard the word "rockmelon" before -- not American.
Yes, that nasty spun-sugar stuff is cotton candy here.
I'm guessing your icy-pole would be our popsicle (also originally a brand name).

Felix: yes, you spelled Saran wrap correctly. That's a brand name too; the generic term is plastic wrap, but nobody uses it.
And go ahead; give in to that urge to say "capsica". Maybe you'll start a trend! Who knows how many others have been dying to say it, too....

Adam: in the US, mufflers go on cars; silencers go on guns. What do you call THAT? Also, we have plenty of jam here, and I think we've explained the difference between jam and jelly ad nauseum... We have paraffin as well, only here it's a type of wax. We also have solicitors; they are door-to-door salesmen.
Uriel   Sun Nov 06, 2005 3:10 am GMT
Oh, and a chunk of ice out of an ice tray -- that's an ice cube, here. Even though most of them are not true cubes.
Frances   Sun Nov 06, 2005 3:52 am GMT
Uriel - correct band! also you're right, ice cubes are the things that come out of trays or blocks of ice (not as eloquent)
Rick Johnson   Sun Nov 06, 2005 8:49 am GMT
Both are used in Britain, especially these:

US..apartment
UK..flat

US..argument
row

US..eraser
rubber

US..can
tin

US..line
queue

US..mail
post

US..napkin
serviette

US..nothing
nought

US..pants
trousers

US..rent
hire

US..sausage
banger

US..soccer
football

US..sweater
jumper

US..pharmacist
chemist

In fact, looking at the entire list most labelled with "US" are words that have been in the English language for hundreds of years.
Boy   Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:25 am GMT
To Rick, what about Transcripts/marksheets? which one use which?
Uriel   Sun Nov 06, 2005 4:32 pm GMT
<<In fact, looking at the entire list most labelled with "US" are words that have been in the English language for hundreds of years. >>

Yeah, we may have made up or borrowed a few words that aren't in standard UK vocabulary, but I don't think any of them are on THAT list!
Rick Johnson   Sun Nov 06, 2005 5:36 pm GMT
<<US..pharmacist
chemist>>

Just a minor point, but the pharmacist is the person who works in the drugstore, who would be no more likely to be referred to as a chemist than he would an apothecary (which strictly speaking would be a more correct term).

I think you meant pharmacy and chemist which are both names for the drugstore rather than the employee.
dflkgjyyy   Tue Dec 13, 2005 2:32 am GMT
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andre in usa   Thu Dec 15, 2005 6:52 am GMT
In Phila:

jimmies - sprinkles
hoagie - sub
water ice - italian ice
tarah   Sat Mar 04, 2006 6:29 pm GMT
yes, it's cantaloupe in the u.s. (i'm pretty sure this is used in all the states).

also, i have lived in california, maryland, and oregon, and my parents are from west virginia, and i have never heard of an "ice-block" as something you can eat. flavored ice on a wooden stick is known as a popsicle (which is a brand name but, much like band-aid, has gained universal usage). the wooden stick you're left with once you're finished is a popsicle stick, and they are often used for children's craft projects. an ice block would be a very large block of ice (perhaps a 10 inches on a side) that you put in a cooler (a.k.a. ice chest) to keep your soda (california) or pop (west virginia) cold.
Guest   Sat Mar 04, 2006 7:37 pm GMT
I live in Southern California.

I use "soda" to refer to soft drinks. "Pop" would be a lollypop or popsicle. "Coke" can only be used for Coca Cola.

Both "drinking fountain" and "water fountain" are used, but I hear "drinking fountain" more often. I've never heard of "bubble" outside of this site.

"biscuits instead of cookies"

I don't really use the word "biscuit" except when talking about a dog treat.

"recruit instead of hire"

Both terms are used here.

"sack/axe instead of fire"

"Sack" and "fire" are both used. People can't be "axed" here, unless you're talking about literally chopping them with an axe. Programs can be, though.

"wait instead of wait up"

Both. "Wait up" is informal, though.

"are you finished instead of are you done"

Both.

"mobile phone instead of cell phone"

Both, though "cell phone" is far more common.

"jumper instead of sweater"

"Jumper" can be used here. Not to mean "sweater", though.

"disciplined instead of grounded"

Both are used. "Disciplined" can mean any kind of punishment. "Grounded" means "restricted" from doing something. If it's just the word "grounded", it means they can't go outside. But you can be "grounded from" anything.

"Year 4 instead of sophomores"

I don't get this one... In the US, "sophomore" means second year.

"Year 3 instead of freshmen"

In the US, "freshman" means first year.

"you people instead of you guys"

"You people" can be used, usually when angry at said people.

"High School dance instead of Junior-Senior Prom"

Both are used. "High school dance" can be any dance, but "prom" is a specific dance.

"Primary School instead of Elementary School"

"Primary school" is sometimes used, but not very often.

"Autumn instead of Fall"

"Autumn" is used sometimes, but normally it's "fall".

"High School Football Team instead of Varsity Football Team"

Both are used. "Varsity football team" means the school's highest level team. Where I live, there are also junior varsity and freshman teams in high schools.
Amatire   Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:41 pm GMT
According to my UK English dictionary (printed in the 1940s so a little early but at a time when more people than just my mum made her own jams! so perhaps more accurate.)

preserve = any food preserved in any way: pickled, salted, smoked, conserved (see below) gentleman's relish and other condiments, or jams etc etc
Conserve = any fruit preserved using sugar.

Jam = where pieces of fruit are included in the conserve. usually eaten as a sweet/dessert originally cut up into squares, later and more recently put on bread/toast.
Jelly = very clear and pale, often actually used as a condiment to go with meat (eg, quince jelly goes with pork or occasionally chicken, red currant jelly with lamb)
marmalade = more bitter than jam, made with citrus fruits, and usually eaten at breakfast. Often with rind shredded in it. Not all citrus based jams are marmalades. It depends on the bitterness.

As for Fall vs Autumn, sorry Adam but you're mistaken. Autumn had had a common usage in British English for many centuries but Fall was frequently used to mean Autumn in Britain too and can be found in many different publications before the (roughly) 1900s (and as far back as the 13th century). By about 1850 or so it was picked up by the Americans and rapidly fell out of use over here, as first the upper echelons of society shunned it and then their choice to stick with Autumn over Fall progressed down to the ordinary people.
Amatire   Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:43 pm GMT
Of course I forgot to mention the gelatin based dessert known as Jelly, but others had already mentioned that. :-)
Uriel   Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:38 pm GMT
<<
preserve = any food preserved in any way: pickled, salted, smoked, conserved (see below) gentleman's relish and other condiments, or jams etc etc
Conserve = any fruit preserved using sugar.

Jam = where pieces of fruit are included in the conserve. usually eaten as a sweet/dessert originally cut up into squares, later and more recently put on bread/toast.
Jelly = very clear and pale, often actually used as a condiment to go with meat (eg, quince jelly goes with pork or occasionally chicken, red currant jelly with lamb)
marmalade = more bitter than jam, made with citrus fruits, and usually eaten at breakfast. Often with rind shredded in it.>>

This is how those words are defined in AmE, too.
seeja   Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:53 am GMT
wat are the different brands of beverages....