Do words have different meanings for Americans than....

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they do for British?

I know that British people use words in different ways. What made me ask this question is that another member just posted about whether she needed her parent's cooperation for a diagnosis. I wonder if her parent are not getting along with each other in getting a diagnosis?

Yeah "american" is just another dialect of english. It is probably closer to british than australian is.

Bonnet in the US is an underused word meaning a womans fancy hat. In the UK it often means the hood(front cover often covering the engine) of a car.

In the US, napkin means a small cloth or paper to protect clothing from stains while eating, and to clean up a bit after. I won't tell you the 2 things it means in the UK. One only applies to women, and the other to babies, so you have a few clues. In the UK, they use serviette, but that isn't often understood in the US.

Australian is similar to UK, but adds a lot of special words, etc...

BTW "American" is a slightly smaller version of the UK english, with a few words added/changed. Don't fall for the "american" dictionary/courses. Most are misleading AT BEST! Many words they list are regional, or JUST WRONG! BTW I have been all over the US, born here, etc..., so I know a little something about it.

Steve

We use "cookie" instead of "biscuit" and our "biscuits" are more like soft, nonsweet scones, real buttery.

We don't use "sarni" for sandwich. We still call it sandwich.

"Cow" is not a bad word here. Unless you're saying someone is fat as a cow, and then it's just mean.

We don't have "bobbies". Just police men or "cops".

And definitely different turns of phrase. Different common sayings.

But then again, even words and sayings are different within the US. Depending on the region, there's different ways of refering to "soda". Here in St. Louis it's just soda. In the south it may be "pop" or "coke". Some say "soda pop". It was very confusing when a southern friend of mine asked me for a coke and I brought him one and he was staring at me like I was crazy because I didn't ask what kind. Coke to me is just Coca Cola and apparently he wanted a Moutain Dew.

Most of what sophist said is right.

Soda, Pop,sodapop, coke, should almost be assumed to be the same general request, as regional distinctions are blurred. Sandwich is actually a word from the UK. The story goes that the earl of sandwich(the UK earl of what is now known as hawaii) was playing a poker game and asked the person to "just put a piece of meat between two slices of bread", so he could keep the cards clean. So I forgot how the UK may have changed that word. 8-(

Steve

And then there's the word "screw", which in England means a raise in pay.

Does it? I've never heard it used in that context. 'Screw' in England usually means either sex or doing someone over.

yeah, screw would mean doing something over in a negative manner in the US.

In the UK, Shag means to make out.

In the US, it means a type of carpet.

It used to.

I've come across it in Kipling. (The story of Uriah:
"He left his wife at Simla on three-fourths his monthly screw.")



So many words and phrases.

"Rubber" = eraser
"To knock up" = to wake up.

"To table a motion"
English = propose to deal with it immediately.
American = propose not to deal with it for the present.

Biscuits and cookies we've had.
Crisps and chips and fries.

Which floor of a building is one above street level? First or second?

Think you'll find it means to have sex - not just making out.

Yeah, Baby!

You reckon? That's interesting! I'm not disagreeing with you at all Steve I just always assumed Australian was closer to 'british' english! That may have more to do with the accent, I don't know!

and then there are the words "gay" and "fag"

I dont know about england but here "gay" means both homosexual and stupid/childish
ex (when a 14 year old has to watch nick jr) "man this is so gay" or "thats a really gay show"

and fag, also means homosexual, but it can mean spaz too, "OMG, you're such a fag!"

Here in the good old United Kingdom you'll almost never hear people calling people 'fags'. All manner of other things, but never a fag. Fags mean cigarettes.

The term 'gay' carries much the same meaning in Britain - probably imported from the US.

Although this started an interesting thread on the different dialects of English,I think the
original question was more to do with interpretation than the meaning of words - 'parents cooperation' referring to whether the parents as a duo would need to coopearate with the doctor,not whether the parents needed to cooperate with EACH OTHER first !

BTW,within the UK there are different uses of certain words,eg
Scots 'bucket' = English 'dustbin' (= US trash can)
Scots 'do the messages' = English 'go shopping'
Scots 'uplift' = English collect by car or lorry (= US auto or truck)
Scots 'tea' = English 'dinner' when taken around 5-6 pm.
Scots ( & US) 'janitor' = English 'caretaker'
Scots 'outwith' = English 'outside a boundary'

There are also different dialects in areas of England like Geordie in Newcastle and Cockney in East London
As if it's not difficult enough for people with AS to interpret meanings !

This topic is getting me really pissed.