A cry for help!

[hellzabeth]

Hey, majority of watchers!

You're American, right? /obvious

I'm doing a project at college (what, Pidge, are you actually working? Yes, yes I am) about the differences between British English and American English. I need some stereotypically American phrases and amusing miscommunications. (Unfortunately I can't use the usual "rubber vs rubber" that first came to mind.) Any random help would be appreciated.

Additionally, anyone Australian, similar to the above request?

/feels kind of stupid

/wishes she was at home instead of in this stupid class

orz

Edit: I'm not allowed to include anything naughty in my essay guys, the examiners are stuck up. :| So stuff like the difference between "wank" in American and "wank" in British are not applicable. <3 You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.

Comments

[vehira.livejournal.com]

I'm ridiculously American and Texan/Southern, what kind of phrases are you looking for? :D

Oh! We don't spell things with 'u's. Like labor or harbor. If they're spelled 'labour' or 'harbour' then whoever spelled 'em gets weird looks and accusations that they can't spell. So it goes.

Also, not everyone finishes their words. And in Louisiana, jeet means didja eat? So, even though I've heard this mostly in the South, the combination/unfinishing of words is pretty common.

[hellzabeth.livejournal.com]

Even BETTER 8D

I knew that one, since my spell checker is stuck on American and I've had to teach it that realise is not spelt with a Z and that there is a U in favourite.

Oh that happens here too, but mostly Oop North. Stuff like "abisinnia", which is like a slurred together "I'll be seeing ya!", or arvo, which means afternoon which we may or may not have stolen from the Australians idk which way round it goes.

Helpful stuff though! *notes down*

[vehira.livejournal.com]

:D though...it's hard to think of 'em from the top of my head cuz I say them everyday and whatnot XD; umm...there's insults like, "your mom/face," awesome phrases of excited like, "FUCK YEAH" or "awesomesauce!" or "cool beans!".

Wassup, 'sup yo, rockin' out, what's up in the hiz-ouse, hizzle/frizzle/nizzle/dizzle, homie, peeps, bathroom (= loo y/y?), umm...THIS IS MUCH EASIER TO SAY IN A CONVERSATION THAN TYPING IT OUT XD;

But mostly over here instead of "I'll be seeing ya!" would be "See ya later!" with an optional ",man" or ",dude" at the end.

Basically, since the majority population ain't that original, we take things from songs/movies/celebrities/YouTube/comics/commercials/everything ever. Like a boss. Sayings also vary from region to region, state to state, city to city, high school to high school. America. It are diverse.

Stuck on American...*brb laughing*

XD awesomesauce~ glad to be of help! >w<

[hellzabeth.livejournal.com]

Fact: my grandma has a serious spaz when I use Americanisms like awesomesauce (which I do. Often. I blame you guys).

All that fo shizzle stuff is purely for black people mocking and/or imitating that culture. White people and the like... just no. Place where I live is so predominantly white (there is ONE black family in my town, god) I never hear it. We have a lot more Asians and Indian people in England than black people. Oh great now I crave take-away.

Lol amusing thing is we copy Americans when saying goodbye, especially adding accents. Either that, or most of the people I know say things like "au revoir" or "ciao". If not just "bye". >>

I think the phenomenon of copying what you see on TV is universal, but naturally we have different programs. Monty Python is fun. EG: today. Me: *takes old sandwhich out of the fridge* ... what is this I don't even. Sister: *snatches it off me and brandishes it in my face* this. Is an Ex-sandwhich. It is passed on, it is no more, it has gone to meet it's maker. Me: you mean mum? Sister: ... stfu you ruined it.

Curse the fact that Mac products are American made, I DUNNO HOW TO FIX IT AND ALL MY TEACHERS COMPLAIN AKJDKSFD

[vehira.livejournal.com]

XD *thumbs up!*

Pfft, it's not common to hear 'hizzle' or anything anymore, that's so 21st century, just fun to bring up. It's funnier hearing the 40-50 year old teachers say any kind of slang, they're ridiculously awkward about it. Ah, in Texas we have every major minority ever. It's weird going up north, sans-NYC, and seeing all-white people. So strange, so very, very strange.

We do that over here, too! I hear 'adios' more, though. And 'sayonara,' but I've met people who didn't know that it was Japanese.

Eh heh, yeah, good point. Awesome that you can quote Monty Python, though.

Oh, that's funny, I own a MacBook XD here: This ought to help some. Granted, it's for Leopard and I haven't tried for myself to see if it works, but you can basically download new dictionaries for the Dictionary application and ta-da~ none of that American-English :D

[windy-lea.livejournal.com]

Yep, I use "adios". It slips out of my mouth without even trying ^_^

[hellzabeth.livejournal.com]

You mean 20th century? XD My god, my dad tried to say "lol" the other day and my sister and I just looked at him until he got all uncomfortable and asked if it was in the wrong context.

I tried out "do svidanya" once. It failed. >> Nobody understands or recognises Russian.

And Blackadder. Blackadder and everything Stephen Fry has been in ever. But that might just be because I'm obsessed.

Fellow Mac user! *pets her MacBook* omg YAY! *rugby tackles you* THANK YOU THANK YOUUUUUU!