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

[lovelylurker.livejournal.com]

I just feel the need to point out that my Spanish teacher from Ecuador was like "huh, the English language is very efficient" in the middle of class one day.

We were comparing the words for the different types of umbrellas that exist in each language.

Apparently Spanish has like, five words for umbrellas.

While English just tacks on what the purpose of the umbrella is.

Example:

Beach Umbrella = parasol
Umbrella = paraguas

It was very amusing to hear someone actually go "I wish we did that" for once in respect to the English language.

/random


ALSO WE DON'T TOTALLY NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR SLANG. _{Oooooh, double negative. Buuuuurn.}

[hellzabeth.livejournal.com]

What is your Spanish teacher talking about English is extremely complicated and everyone gets confused all the time. :|

... parasol is a Spanish word? Really? Wow, we use it all the time over here to refer to beach umbrellas. And the ones that Victorian women would carry around to keep the sun off them.

WE DON'T LIKE YOU NOT MISUNDERSTANDING OUR COLLOQUIALISMS. >]

[lovelylurker.livejournal.com]

Hey, we use parasol as a word too. For those frilly, Victorian era umbrellas that served no purpose but to look pretty.

XD