Just for fun, American words for thing you love and hate

[CherryCherries]

Mine are, I love "stroller" as opposed to our "pushchair" and "take out the trash" as opposed to our "take the rubbish out."

I don't like "pants" as "trousers" or "pantyhose" as opposed to "tights." Or "fanny" for "bottom".

What are yours?

loss ann-juh-luss

@JackieTheFart

The name Carlos for a Mexican person has been Americanised? What? Do Mexicans (and other people of Hispanic origin) not know how to pronounce their own names then *@Andylion*?

I meant the name of the city Los Angeles.

just watch any tv show where there is a character called Carlos and you’ll see what I mean

Agree - it's car-lohse (the O rhymes with most, host, ghost).

I first saw it on some children's shows, maybe Barney, and it made my teeth itch.

I'm not very keen on "New Year's". I'd say New Year's Eve, New Year's Day or just "New Year" to cover both days.

Boo-ee for buoy makes me chuckle.

One thing I love is when you have British actors in Hollywood films, using their normal accents, but saying a phrase we wouldn't use in a month of Sundays.

One poster wrote that she was going to the hairdresser for a shag. When I pointed out that you would never say that in the UK because it's not a type of haircut

Maybe you haven't been around as long as I have, but a shag is definitely a haircut.

Las Vegas - the Las sounds more like Los to my ears - a very soft a sound. More like Lahs Vegas. Very odd.

That flat A sound (as in British apple, pasta) is not used in the US as far as I can tell. I'm wracking my brains to come up with any examples and coming up empty.

Noodles to mean pasta — I pictured some very peculiar meals!

That flat A sound (as in British apple, pasta) is not used in the US as far as I can tell. I'm wracking my brains to come up with any examples and coming up empty.

I don't think I'm turn only one who thought Frozen was about two sisters called Honor and Elsa!

I'll be the odd one out! Panties over knickers any day. Knickers makes me think of Bridget Jones! Tatty, faded white and big enough to be used as a makeshift tent in an emergency.

The American use of entree as main course had me confused. It seemed like people only ever ordered starters in restaurants.

"That flat A sound (as in British apple,"

How do you say Apple in the UK?

I like sneakers and highway.
I prefer 'wait in line' to 'wait in a queue' and asking for the 'cheque' than 'bill'.

American A sound

I like the pronunciation of chicago and new orleans

chicago - starts with shi like shit
njor-lynns

Boo-ee for buoy makes me chuckle.

The first sailing course I ever did was in the US, oh boy....

Pronunciation-wise, it was place-names imported from England which I had trouble with, eg Waltham. Tbf that's usually our fault for not spelling them as they sound.

Rinky/rinkydink/rinky-dinky when something or anything is a bit shit.

On the other way around the use of ‘mind’ in the uk to mean beware of or careful around something instead of to heed it always gives me internal lols.

I like the US way of saying aluminium

condominium always makes me dmile for some reason :o

I moved to Canada, DP is Canadian, we often have conversations where he'll be calling something one name and I'll be calling it something else, it's a bit of a running joke. Stuff like cilantro/coriander, trunk/boot, pants/trousers, cell/mobile etc. We also take the piss out of each other's pronunciation of garage, basil, mobile, yoghurt, vitamin, leisure, tomato, route, tuna, YouTube (he says '"rout", "toona" and "yoo-toob") etc. Keeps us entertained

Specifically Canadian words/phrases I love:
Toque (took): any woolly hat/beanie
Loonie: a $1 coin (has a loon (bird) on it)
Toonie: a $2 coin
Two-four: a case of 24 beers
Mickey: a small bottle of spirits
Double-double: a coffee with 2 creams and 2 sugars, usually from Timmy's (Tim Hortons)
Pencil crayons: coloured pencils
Chesterfield: a sofa
Hydro: electricity, you get the 'hydro bill'
Parkade: a multi storey car park
Garburator: sink waste disposal unit

Chesterfield: a sofa

See also 'Davenport'.

@CherryCherries

When I was in New York I was intrigued that they call a whole pizza a "pie." You could buy a "pie" or a "slice," a slice probably being the size of a small UK pizza. Is that across the board in the US or just a NYC thing?

Definitely not the whole of the US. We are in NY and when traveling in another state we ordered a cheese pie and ended up with cheese fries.

@mathanxiety

Chesterfield: a sofa

See also 'Davenport'.

I hadn't heard that one! I just asked DP and he knew what it was but has never heard anyone actually use it. Apparently to him a Chesterfield is an old-fashioned flowery patterned couch with plastic covers, like his Grandparents had back in the day.

[quote MamaTried]American here who has greatly enjoyed reading through the comments. I always loved the sound of a flat, barrister, car park, and so many more! A few things that stood out--everyones hates the word panties, but it's still how they're advertised. Cuties is a name brand and people still call it by the fruit name. If I were say to "herbs" with the 'h' sound, people would roll their eyes and think I was trying to sound fancy.

The U.S really does vary with dialect from region to region. Here's an interesting NYT personal dialect quiz: www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html[/quote]
I enjoyed that quiz. Apparently my West Country dialect is most similar to the varieties spoken in Hawaii, New York and Baltimore.

I don’t have a specific term for a few of the concepts mentioned e.g. a rain shower when the sun is shining.

I did that quiz and it said I speak most like someone from Los Angeles, and somewhere called Pembroke Pines in Florida. Never heard of Pembroke Pines and after googling it I'm...underwhelmed.

[quote JackieTheFart]@elp30

Don't even get me started on how the British pronounce "Los Angeles" (Loss Ann-jel-ees) That's makes MY skin crawl!

How would you say it? With a short ‘e’ at the end? I’ve heard it both ways tbh from Americans and English!

Las Vegas - the Las sounds more like Los to my ears - a very soft a sound. More like Lahs Vegas. Very odd.[/quote]

I've only just seen that you've asked me how I pronounce "Los Angeles".

I am a Mexican American and my first language is Spanish so I pronounce it, "Lohs Ahn-hell-ess".

I pronounce San Diego, El Paso, San Antonio, San Francisco as they're pronounced in Spanish.

However, I have no problem with them pronounced as most Americans do. It's the "Loss Ann-gel-ees" that I cannot stand.

I hate many!

"Have your friend help you clean" "have your doctor". Weird language. So demanding sounding. Just say. Ask your friend to help

Picked out. Chose is so much easier and doesn't make me think of noses

Gotten. - Need I say more.

Many more I'm sure.

None I love. It's ok for Americans in America but try hard brits using american phrases get on my nerves