08-10-2010, 12:03 PM
No matter how much the sticklers of British english language sneer and repulse at American English, I love it ! It's fun, casual, young, friendly sounding and yet can be sophisticated. A few years ago, I had received an email forward about some phrases in American english that are different from what the rest of world might use. I thought it may be useful and amusing for those of you who will be making it to the USA for the first time, so I dug it out from the archives to post it here. Consider this a part of your communication skills training ;-)
- You don't open a telephone conversation with a HELLO but with a "Hi"
- The telephone is never "engaged", it's always "busy".
- U don't "disconnect" a phone, U simply "hang-up".
- U never "mess-up" things, U only "screw them up".
- U never have a "residence" tel. no., U have a "home" no.
- U don't stop at the "signals", but halt at the "lights".
- U don't "accelerate", U "step on the gas".
- Your tire never "punctures", U may have a "flat".
- The trains have "coaches" or "boggies' no more but "carriages" or "boxes".
- There R no "petrol pumps", but "gas stations".
- "I don't know nothing", 2 negatives don't make a positive here.
- U no longer meet a "wonderful" person, U meet a "cool" guy
- U don't pull the switch down to light a bulb,rather flick it up.
- There's no "Business Area" only "business districts", and no "districts" but "counties".
- No one stays "a stone's throw away", might"a few blocks away".
- There's no "Town Side", it's "Down Town".
- In hotel U no longer ask for "bill" and pay by "cheque", rather ask for "check" and pay with (Dollar) "bill"s.
- There R no "soft drinks", only "sodas".
- Life's no longer "miserable" it "stinks".
- U don't have a "great" time, U have a "ball".
- U don't "sweat it out", U "work U'r butt off".
- Never "post" a letter, always "mail" it and "glue" the stamps, don't "stick" them.
- U no longer live in "flats" or "blocks", find an "apartment".
- U don't stand in a "queue", you are in a "line".
- U no longer "like" something, U "appreciate" it.
- "#" is not "hash", it's "pound".
- U R not "deaf", U have "impaired hearing".
- U R not "lunatic", U are just "mentally challenged".
- U R not "disgusting" U R "sick".
- U can't get "surprised" U get "zapped".
- U don't "schedule" a meeting, U "skejule" it.
- U never "joke", U just "kid" [am not kidding ;-)]
- U never "increase" the pressure, U always "crank" it up.
- U never ask for a pencil "rubber" U ask for an eraser. a rubber is a condom
- U don't try to find a lift U find an elevator.
- U no more ask for a route but for a "RAUT"
- U don't ask somebody "How r u ?", U say "What's up dude?"
- U never go to see a game U go to watch a game.
- If U see "World" champions(or Series),read "USA"champions(or Series).
- There's no "zero" but "o", no "Z" but "zee".
- There's no FULL STOP after a statement, there's a PERIOD.
- You don't say "How do you do", you say "How you doin'"
- In short U don't speak English, U speak American.
- Well u dont' say life is boring u say LIFE SUCKS !!!!!
