ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area US English vs. UK English vs. NZ English

Lulu is much older that 37, more like 57.

Breaker would be an auto or other recycler, where they break down a finished (for) item for its component parts or materials.

Rodalco: do you mean to tell us that the crocodile hunter (Mr. "Krikey"!) has been swatting us with a nasty word all these years? I thought that word was just an Aussie equivalent of "how about that!"

Blasphemy was a serious misdemeanor. That's what caused the Flying Dutchman's punishment. Not actually swearing oaths in polite company was the reason for changing a lot of cuss words.
Crikey or Krikey is Christ- thou shall not take the Lord's name in vain: So,
Gor Blimey is God blind me and similary we have Lawks, Landsakes, Lummy etc.
Flipping, and other similar need no explanation.



... the list is endless.

Blooming and blinking means bloody, still considered a bit rude in genteel company.

And of course, cockney rhyming slang such as 'berk', which is short for Berkley Hunt....

Alan

Mmmm lets see

Tony Wedgewood Benn - Labour MP for Chesterfield. He is a controversial ideological activist within his party throughout the Conservative terms of office in the 1980s and early 1990s.

John Prescott - In May 2006 the PM asked John Prescott to chair a number of major Cabinet Committees and to oversee the efficient development of Government policy. He also asked him to continue with his international work particularly with regard to China and Eastern Europe, and, in recognition of his work in delivering the Kyoto Treaty, to work with the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for the Environment on developing the post Kyoto agenda. (The press then found out he has the use of two Jaguar cars XJ12s)

Dianne Abbott - Dont know anythng about her

Harry Enfield - Very British hummor

David Beckham - An English footballer extported to the US to play Soccer (and he took his "posh" wife with him)

Lulu - A Scottish singer who wad hits in the 60s and still thinks "she has got it"

The Krankies - How do you explain the Krankies. Scottish husband and wife team, she dresses as a school boy even though she is sixty

David Mellor - is David Mellor

John Major - Ex PM took over after the "Iron Lady"

Sooty - Yellow glove puppet with Harry hand up his £$%

Hope I was not too political

I think American slang and dialect has become more cultural than regional. It is what people see and identify with on TV these days. Farm kids in Kansas want to talk like California surfers and white kids in Malibu want to talk like black guys in the West Baltimore ghetto.
Of course NASCAR is nationwide. Everyone knows what it means to "get up inside him, break him loose and put him in the wall".

Looks like I'm a little late in this thread, as most of the points have already been covered.

Slang terms which can mean something offensive in one place and something quite innocent in another are quite common. Like the very old joke about a British steward on a cruise ship asking the attractive young American lady, "Would you like to be knocked up in the morning?"

Most people in Britain these days are aware of the alternate meaning so that one's probably not an issue anymore, but there are quite a number of others.



Och aye... Kenbo is gathering the clans to come after you this very moment!

Lulu is Scottish, born 1948, had her first big hit with "Shout!" at the age of about 15. Represented the U.K. in the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest with "Boom Bang-A-Bang."

Also appeared in some movies in the late 1960s, e.g. "To Sir With Love," alongside Sidney Poitier.

No no not all. If you want her you can keep her lol

Mind you the movie was actualy quite good

She was good in "Ab Fab"

LOL Alan! Good topic!
In fact I had to pick up the dictionary a few times during a chat with Trumpy LOL!

"Two nations divided by a common language."

There are certain subject areas where terminology differs much more than others. Food comes to mind, and I can still recall a conversation with a 13-year-old girl in Georgia some years back, which as near as I can remember went something like this:

"Chips in England are what you call fries."
"So what d'you call chips then?"
"They're called crisps. And cookies are called biscuits."
"So what do you call biscuits?"
"Well....."

And so on. I still remember the peculiar look and the "Gee, I thought y'all spoke English over there!"

The question is are "english muffins" just muffins there? (as in Egg McMuffin)