Cultural Exchange

[luns101]

note to our north american cousins;
look at the use of the letter 'u' in colour...why do you despise using it so much? what has 'u' ever done to u?

That is totally unfair to say we despise using the letter 'u' in the word color/colour. It would be more fair to say that we loathe it.

When I am teaching English, I've noticed more and more how weird our language is. For instance, why do we bother to use silent consonants in order to spell words that we don't take the time to pronounce? There are some rules which I try to implement during the lesson, but we have so many exceptions, I can understand why people get frustrated.

One of my most favorite things to hear from my English co-workers was when they would ask me "Fancy" this or "Fancy" that. Here in America we like to say "would you like to". I'm sure there is some cultural/historical reasons for the differences in spelling, but I'm sure laziness is probably one of them...lol.

[unriggable]

When I am teaching English, I've noticed more and more how weird our language is. For instance, why do we bother to use silent consonants in order to spell words that we don't take the time to pronounce? There are some rules which I try to implement during the lesson, but we have so many exceptions, I can understand why people get frustrated.

If you'r talking about words like 'through', it comes from old german. Also, the word 'knights' comes from the same Irish word 'connacht', if my memory serves well. I just find i surprising how we kept those unnecessary letters.

The 'u'...who the hell cares where that went. I'm surprised those words still have an 'o' instead of an 'e' when written, because its pronounced that way. Also, why is it that 'tr' is always pronounced 'chr'?

[gethine]

loathing is healthy...i guess.

'oops a daisy' - said to a kid if they fall over. or you can laugh.

[flashleg8]

The 'u'...who the hell cares where that went. I'm surprised those words still have an 'o' instead of an 'e' when written, because its pronounced that way. Also, why is it that 'tr' is always pronounced 'chr'?

Not the way I pronounce it: c-uh-lur

Mind you I am Scottish

[Stopper]

Other language differences that amuse me - when Americans talk about their "fannies", and when Australians describe someone as a "spunk". I have the sense of humour of a 13-year-old, so these never fail to make me laugh.

[gethine]

lmao - fanny packs.

i must repeat;
i am 29 years old not 9,
i am 29 years old not 9,
i am 29 years old not 9,
i am 29 years old not 9,
i am 29 years old not 9,
i am 29 years old not 9,
i am 29 years old not 9,
ad infinitum...

lol, the mantra isn't helping, still finding crap things funny!

[btownmeggy]

Other language differences that amuse me - when Americans talk about their "fannies".

Are all the Americans you know middle-aged women??

Who the heck says FANNY?? Really.

[Stopper]

Well, excuse me! I'm quite sure I've heard the term "fanny" used in the context of "fanny-packs" at the very least. Probably off the telly, mind you, not in real-life, but that counts, all the same.

btownmeggy said "fanny". *giggle*

[btownmeggy]

Well, my mom says fanny, I'll admit.

What does fanny mean to you?

[Serbia]

My dad calls those uncomfortable I'd-never-be-caught-wearing-that-thing bags fanny packs.

To me, fanny is the part of your body you sit on.

[flashleg8]

Well, my mom says fanny, I'll admit.

What does fanny mean to you?

[Stopper]

*giggle*

[flashleg8]

Taxi for a fanny!

[Stopper]

This link, if necessary - too much of a gentleman to say it myself. Yeah, right.

[Skittles!]

Well, my mom says fanny, I'll admit.

What does fanny mean to you?

Teenagers/Children of Australia say 'fanny' for another word of 'vagina'. Yeah, we are lame.

[MeDeFe]

Stopper, that site cracked me up for a whole 5 minutes.

fag n. Be exceedingly careful with this one. 1. "fag" is a very common (probably the most common) word meaning cigarette. One of the most amusing e-mails I've had concerning this page was from an American who had arrived at her company's UK offices to be told that the person she was looking for was "outside blowing a fag".

[Backglass]

:lol:

This link, if necessary - too much of a gentleman to say it myself. Yeah, right.

Great link!

“I was beavering away late yesterday when my bloody biro exploded, resulting in quite a pear-shaped cock-up. So, I ate some spotted dick, nibbled some faggots and stopped at the pub for a swift half because I knew if I arrived at the flat rat-assed the wife would never let me get a leg over. “

[btownmeggy]

:lol:

This link, if necessary - too much of a gentleman to say it myself. Yeah, right.

Great link!

“I was beavering away late yesterday when my bloody biro exploded, resulting in quite a pear-shaped cock-up. So, I ate some spotted dick, nibbled some faggots and stopped at the pub for a swift half because I knew if I arrived at the flat rat-assed the wife would never let me get a leg over. “

*head explodes*

[Stopper]

Great! A chance to play at English teacher!

:lol:

This link, if necessary - too much of a gentleman to say it myself. Yeah, right.

Great link!

“I was beavering away late yesterday when my bloody biro exploded, resulting in quite a pear-shaped cock-up. So, I ate some spotted dick, nibbled some faggots and stopped at the pub for a swift half because I knew if I arrived at the flat rat-assed the wife would never let me get a leg over. “

Excellent! 100% understandable! That's better than your effort with the word "sod", a while back!

'Couple of quibbles, mind - "quite a pear-shaped cock-up" makes you sound like Johnny Foreigner.

Plus, it's rat-arsed not -assed. 'Course, possibly for the same reason that Eskimos supposedly have 50 words for snow, there was a whole load of other British phrases you could have picked: blootered, steaming, plastered, legless, mortalled, wankered, and so on and so on.

B+

[MeDeFe]

In fact, they only have 2 different words for snow.

One for falling snow and one for snow lying on the ground.

[Stopper]

Yeah, I was pretty sure it was an urban myth, but I'm quite happy to spread them when it suits me. Also, I think Eskimos are supposed to be called Inuits now. Though, I'm not 100% sure that's correct, either.

[gethine]

there was a whole load of other British phrases you could have picked: blootered, steaming, plastered, legless, mortalled, wankered, and so on and so on.

B+

i like shit-faced, blasted, paralytic and of course - slightly the worse for wear.

[gethine]

Yeah, I was pretty sure it was an urban myth, but I'm quite happy to spread them when it suits me. Also, I think Eskimos are supposed to be called Inuits now. Though, I'm not 100% sure that's correct, either.

i can't believe that not one eskimo has bothered posting an answer.
the ignorant bastar...

[luns101]

Mythical fictional heroes:

America's got Indiana Jones

England's got James Bond

Canada's got....umm, err...The MacKenzie brothers?

Australia's got Mad Max or the Crocodile Hunter...take your pick. I loved the Mad Max hero myself.

[Skittles!]

Australia's got Mad Max or the Crocodile Hunter...take your pick. I loved the Mad Max hero myself.

Mad Max? That's played by Mel Gibson or however you spell it..
And he's American.

So how is that an Australian mythical fiction hero?