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?

On kissing a man with a beard

Like the southbound end of a north bound porcupine

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?

"Grits" does sound like a bowl of gravel! 😁

Canadian here and baffled by the page one person seeming to say that it’s wrong to call residents of the USA “Americans”. No it’s not. I am not American, I am North American, though no-one uses that term about themselves, we identify by nation (Canadian, Mexican, American).

I loathe the term seniors, it drive me batty. Also not keen on trash as many younger people say tree-yash.

I like 'Fall' for Autumn. Creates a nice picture of the leaves falling from the trees

American Biscuits are like dumplings right ? They eat biscuits with gravy I think?

American biscuits are more like scones than dumplings. They are fluffier and lighter than scones, though. Some people eat them with gravy, but butter and jam is more usual where I live. Or honey.

Often here, people say "British" when they mean "English." The UK is a blanket phrase to cover Irish, English, Scottish and Welsh. All very different places but "British" or "The UK" is what most Americans would use to cover all bases.

Hate route and vehicle.
But love Birmingham

@CherryCherries

Often here, people say "British" when they mean "English." The UK is a blanket phrase to cover Irish, English, Scottish and Welsh. All very different places but "British" or "The UK" is what most Americans would use to cover all bases.

As an Irish person, I can assure you that the UK is most definitely not a blanket term that includes Irish. Neither British not the UK can be used to describe me or where I live.

While Northern Ireland is part of the UK, the vast majority of those residents of NI who identify as Irish do not identify as British.

Route is pronounced differently in different parts of the US. I say "root." But oddly the first syllable of the thing that moves the wifi around my house rhymes with "out."

"And although it is petty it pisses me off every time now. Don’t claim I’m pronouncing something incorrectly because I’m saying something in the original language! "

But it has been Americanized and, although they shouldn't make fun of you, you were not pronouncing it correctly.

Canadian here and baffled by the page one person seeming to say that it’s wrong to call residents of the USA “Americans”. No it’s not. I am not American, I am North American, though no-one uses that term about themselves, we identify by nation (Canadian, Mexican, American).

Yeah, that person hasn’t been back to defend their absurdity.

I like 'Fall' for Autumn. Creates a nice picture of the leaves falling from the trees.

"Fall" for autumn is actually an older British usage. It appears in Shakespeare. It was transported to the colonies, and like some other older usages like "gotten," for example, we kept it while y'all moved on to different words.

Biscuit = a scone, and eaten IN THE MORNING.
In some states, McDonald's serve a chicken biscuit on the breakfast menu. Basically breaded chicken in a scone from a Maccers.
Mind boggling.

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

I loathe drywall for plasterboard! And siding for cladding, moulding for architrave.. can you tell o watch lots of American property programs 😆

@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.

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?

everyones hates the word panties

Except me so far. Everyone + two weirdos, apparently, who "think" (not much thinking going on there, it seems) "anyone who uses the word is a perv". I mean, it's one thing to hate the word but to "think" such things about the many people who use the word? Really bizarre.

Anyway, knickers were not even originally a word for pants. They were old-fashioned women's undergarment (shorts)/bloomers. Short for 'knicker-bockers'.

I like sidewalk, because it's on the side of the road and you walk on it. Makes sense.

I don't think "Carlos" has been Americanized as such. It's just often pronounced with an American accent.

Biscuits are not just for breakfast in the South. They are often eaten as a bread accompaniment to a meal, like a dinner roll.

I usually call my underwear knickers but the polite word when I was a child was panties. Pants are trousers so I always find it weird to see people on here referring to knickers as pants. I'm Irish so obviously speak a different language to British English.

@PlasticOrchid

Bathroom. I'm a teacher, "I'm afraid we don't have a bathroom in school."

But they don't say bathroom it's usually restroom :)

@SenecaFallsRedux

I don't think "Carlos" has been Americanized as such. It's just often pronounced with an American accent.

Biscuits are not just for breakfast in the South. They are often eaten as a bread accompaniment to a meal, like a dinner roll.

Yes you’re probably right (re Carlos).

It’s just winds me up!

Please someone tell me how to pronounce Los Angeles!