Comprehensive list of Americanisms

[12fromcold]

Some I love, some I hate. Let's try and get them all here! Especially interested in the ones that are only a slight variation from the British counterpart.

Macaroni AND cheese
Hide and GO seek
GotTEN

I'll remember more and come back.

I get you now (is that an Americanism? Haha!). I would say Greg, but I know what you mean when you’d say egg with an ay (sounding like the ending of neigh).

Yes, that's exactly it.

Craig is not pronounced Creg in Ireland!

Craig is not pronounced Creg in Ireland!

I know. I've already acknowledged that I got mixed up. Sorry!

Is that a west coast thing do you think? I've never heard egg be more like 'aygg'

I’m far north and hear both ways said here. (For egg)

I love these wee dialectal things

and how many school classes do they have during a day? 8 or 9? seems an awful lot.

It's becoming quite common to split 8 classes over two days. My dd's high school has A and B days. The classes are 90-120 minutes long. Her schedule looks like:

Monday, A day (periods 1-4)
Tuesday, B day (periods 5-8)
Wednesday, A day
Thursday, B day
Friday goes A/B every other week

When I was in high school over twenty years ago, I had 7 to 9 classes per day. There were no study hall periods. Average was 7 per day. I chose to take more electives than my allowed two per day (included art, music, language etc) as I was in the school orchestra and also took Japanese, pottery/art and auto shop (mechanics). So I had a "zero period" before school technically started (art) and an eighth period after the regular school day ended (mechanics).

I was the only girl in auto shop. Still fix my own car, I drive a 2001 and baby it along

how many school classes do they have during a day? 8 or 9? seems an awful lot.

I have 3 children in 3 different schools. One high schooler has 4 classes per day, the other has 4-7 depending on the day. My middle schooler has 7 per day. None of them have study halls, because they all do a language and chorus or band, so they all have a full schedule.

No one has 8 or 9, even the high schooler who's officially doing 2 more classes than she should be.

Why do they have these names as well as Grade 1, 2 etc? Confusing

I find names much easier than grade numbers. When someone asks me where my kids are in high school I can very quickly say sophomore and senior, but ask me what grades they're in and I have to sit and think for a while.

"the baby was laying on the bed" instead of "the baby was lying on the bed".

Makes me want to ask, "What was the baby laying? An egg?"

Makes me want to ask, "What was the baby laying? An egg?"

An American might ask you who the baby was lying to, then compliment them on their advanced linguistic skills

Just been catching up on some TV (www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0001y8k/guitar-drum-and-bass-series-1-1-on-drums-stewart-copeland) and thought of this thread as Mr. Copeland insisted on saying drum set where surely it's a drum kit ?

Hide and go seek, macaroni and cheese, gotten etc. all used in Australia/NZ too. Not really "Americanisms".

All used here in Canada, too.

I grew up in Ireland and a lorry meant something bigger than a truck or van but far smaller than a semi, which was called a juggernaut.

Thinking about it, I don’t think I’ve heard the term juggernaut used for years in the UK.

My American relatives use fix for preparing a meal e.g. I'll fix dinner.

www.quora.com/Why-are-big-rigs-often-called-semis-Semi-what

Everything you ever wanted to know and then some about the semi.

Apparently it is short for 'Semi-oscillating turntable hitch'.

Can’t think why it was shortened to semi? 😂

math I never heard anyone say juggernaut in Ireland. We always say artic for a bigger lorry.

juggernaut

Indian word, I believe ?

Yes. It's related to a Hindu procession with a giant wagon carrying an idol.

I say 18 wheeler rather than semi (Canada).

I lived in London for 13 years and definitely change my vocabulary and way of speaking /writing depending on whom I am addressing. Even on MN!

A few that I don’t think have been mentioned:

Kitchen counters vs worktops or sides
Sidewalk vs pavement
On Harley Street vs in Harley Street
Gum vs chewing gum

Cunt is a VERY rude word here and twat is not much better.

It was always juggernaut when I was growing up. I spelled it juggernaught in a spelling test once and broke my streak of 10/10s.

You lost me at “hide and go seek.” I’m American and we always said “hide and seek” growing up.