Having Richard in Chicago this weekend made us see, even more, the differences between British and American English. I am sure that Shu and Richard, or some of the rest of you, can come up with many more. However, I was intrigued that the Brits don't use "regular" to mean "ordinary," i.e., an "regular" guy. They use it to mean "fixed intervals," such as "regular payments." Then, he says the English would never say, "I will meet you right here." They would say, "I will meet you here." Now, to me, the former is a little more precise. "Here" could mean in this general vicinity, while "right here" is by this door (or whatever). Of course we have talked about bonnet and boot before, but it was fun hearing them used in context. I remember Richard saying something about the "lift" while we were on the elevator...and seeing the smiles on the faces of the other riders.

We do say right here and right now, but the sentence you gave certainly sounds odd to my UK ears. I'm not sure why.

Likewise, we all know what a regular guy is, but that is probably from US films.

Americans of course use regular to describe the smallest cup of coffee or bag of chips you can get. What is wrong with saying small?

Oh, Graham, don't even get me started on sizes here. I hate the sizes of coffees at Starbucks, and I won't even cooperate. I ask for a "small coffee," and they say, "do you mean a grande?" I say NO! I mean a "small."

And, of course we have "regular" gas.

In yesterday's Chicago Tribune, they reported American English that has evolved from "Friends," a TV show that I am told you have seen on occasion in the UK. However, I wonder if any of the lingo from that show has crossed the pond. Some of it I am not familiar with, even though I do watch the show.

Commando - We have discussed this here; going without underwear
Doing a Monica - Tightly wound up (though, I am not sure they defined this correctly. I remember it meaning making a mistake, and then Phoebe turning it around to meaning doing a good job.)
Doi - Duh (never heard of it)
Filter tip little buddy - cigarette (not sure I remember that)
Floopy - messed up (again, I think of it more to mean scattered or flaky)
Nippular area - Boobies
Nuh uh - No way
Oh. My. God! - Surprise! Shock! Fear!
Scunchy - crabby (I don't recall the reference)
She's his lobster - She's his love (to me, more than that; soul mate)
So not true - Not true (use of so for emphasis was common)
Testosteroney - Macho (more than that really; also on the make!)
Twirly - Manic
Yuh huh - Oh, yeah
Wee - Minute (again, I don't recall)

One of the things most seared into my brain under the Death to Marketing list was seeing a tube of toothpaste extolled as 'with that great Regular taste'. Meaning it isn't the one that's minty-fresh or whatever, but they had to say something.

'with that great Regular taste'
Good grief! (BTW, Richard tells me that is British, but I don't think so. I reminded him of Charlie Brown.)

Of course, there's regular coffee, too.

Yesterday I paid $21.39 for ten U.S. gallons of regular gasoline.

To me it seemed more like a Premium price.

Several years ago, just after a trip to mainland America, I was filling my gasoline tank at a local station ("regular" was then $1.899). I mentioned to the station's owner that I had just come from Kansas, where regular gasoline was ninety-nine cents a gallon. He said, "Kansas always either too hot or too cold. Gotta have cheap gas to get anyone to go there."

"Kansas always either too hot or too cold. Gotta have cheap gas to get anyone to go there."
It always amazes me to hear people's reasons for living (or not living) in different places. When I lived in California, literally no one could believe I would be so stupid so as to move to Chicago....because of the "bad weather." I love the changing seasons here and missed them terribly when I was in California. I remember Richard once telling me that he would have to live where there was good beer. While I have learned to like good beer, too, I would never give it a second thought if I were to move.

I suppose it is good that we all don't want to live in the same place.

Quote "...I remember Richard once telling me that he would have to live where there was good beer. While I have learned to like good beer, too, I would never give it a second thought if I were to move..."

How could you call it living if there were no good beer to drink?

Another difference: Richard brought Shu and I each a lovely pewter beer stein (or mug), engraved with our names. He called it a tankard, which is not a word we would normally use.

In the UK a Stein is a different thing. That's a German drinking vessel, typically made from earthenware and holding up to a litre.

A tankard holds an Imperial pint or half pint and would rarely be made of anything except pewter - although glass versions are available.

I just realized that the "Friends" glossary above missed probably the most famous phrase of all:

"How YOU doin'" - A come on.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,

Oh.....I have 2 more "Friendages":

Phalange (Not sure of the spelling!) - Phoebe's word when she needed to come up with one.

"We were on a 'break'!" - We had broken off our relationship!

Wee is used in some areas of the UK, particularly Scotland and Northern Ireland, to mean "tiny", "small".

A recent Terry Pratchett Discworld® novel is called "The Wee Free Men".

It's relatively commonly heard over here.

Though we don't use it that much, except maybe to imitate the Scotish language, "wee" means small here, too.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Richard English:
In the UK a Stein is a different thing...
A tankard holds an Imperial pint or half pint...

---

Or, as a famous woman once said, "A tankard is a tankard is a tankard is a tankard."


Also, "wee" is frequently heard over here in the world of children's literature although, sad to say, it's often used redundantly as in "a wee little cottage."

I recently received an e-mail from someone in England (not connected to this board). He is coming to Chicago, and I said that he could stay with us. He then wrote back, "Brilliant!"

Now, I could see, "Excellent!" But, brilliant? Is that a UK use of the word? AHD cites "wonderful," as a definition, though it is way down the list of definitions. We might say "wonderful." However, I don't think an American (am I right people?) would say "brilliant" in that context.

Kalleh,

"Excellent" describes the idea; "wonderful," as well.

"Brilliant" describes you.

In my view.

Too.

Awww, you're sweet. And, another new look! I like it! (That wink is about as close as I can get to looking sexy on this board! )

"Brilliant" is one of many slang and colloquial usages of words meanig "good" or "very good".
It's quite common although it does depend where in the country you live.

Others include "wicked" and "crucial" (exclusively used by teenagers), "bostin'" (exclusive to my part of the country), "smashing" (rather dated nowadays) and many, many others. Perhaps someone would like to compile a list.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BobHale,

PS. Was it Phil ?

Yes, Bob. Unfortunately I don't have that many English friends!

Would you use "brilliant" that way?

Brilliant, or its abbreviation, "brill" was very common when I was a lad. Like most youth slang it seemed to disappear as its users got older - only to be replaced by new (and equally facile) slang.

As I understand it, something I would have referred to as "brill" will be referred to by today's youth as "wicked".

I have a Liverpool friend, nearly fifty, who invariably replies to a good e-mail joke with one word: "Brill!" It's still in use, and perhaps will make a comeback among the "young."

This is a pronunciation question, and it is about as common as "schedule" or "idea."

On Jaguar advertisements, they say, "jag-you-are." Is that actually how you pronounce it? We say "jag-w-are," or thereabouts.