Do Americans understand British English?

[knickernicker]

I can't think that there is any American phrase, word or accent that I wouldn't understand, but I wonder if an American would understand everything I say.
I remember sitting for a meal with some people from Boston and being acutely aware of needing to edit what I said to remove any British idiom. It was an odd feeling as when watching American films I forget they're a different nationality.

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

"That dog won't hunt."

[duchesse]

I do find the racial tension in US English quite tiresome even though I can understand where it comes from. Every single thing that can be misinterpreted in a racial way, is. It's almost as though even the words "black" and "white" are suspect. I find the blandness that this touchiness forces into the language a big shame. This for me is one of the most shocking differences between the US and the UK, and the one that makes me feel the most foreign when I'm there. The self-censorship it imposes is nerve-wracking.

[ErrolTheDragon]

The use of 'clerk' to mean shop assistant puzzled me for a while as a child reading Little Women and the like - but you figure it out eventually.

The US education system was also puzzling when reading various American classics - 'Sophomore' WTF? ('Freshman' I could cope with). Why was 'coed' only ever applied to female students? What the heck were all those Phi Beta Kappa type things?

Oh, and one that happened IRL - somehow my degree classification came up in conversation and I said I'd got a First - the bloke looked puzzled and then hazarded 'oh, is that like Magna Cum Laude'? Eh? Like that's more obvious? (I have only just thought to check and surely Summa Cum Laude (sounds more like a folk song ...)

[Beastofburden]

I don't think "black" is seen as any kind of embarrassing or rude word in British English; it's a colour or a style of coffee. People may be black too but that doesn't seem to matter.

I once left my bag in a taxi when arriving to visit a friend in Utah and we rang the firm to see if we could find it. "What was the driver like?" she asked me.

"A young black guy," I said. She winced and said down the phone, "He was a younger, African-American driver".

Must be very tiresome to have to be so mealy-mouthed in US English. He wasn't even African-American, I think he was from Jamaica.

[Beastofburden]

yy to Errol, the US educational system has a whole new language.

And what's with all this "graduating high school"? They haven't graduated, they are not graduates, they have left school, they will be graduates when they have done a degree.

[SmashleyHop]

Oh don't get me started on the school system stuff. I walked into my yr 6 son's parent teacher conference thingy knowing absolutely nothing about levels. He told me DS was a 5A in English and writing. All I could respond with was "Is that good?" I'm so used to A+ to F system. DH did his best to explain. There is hope for me yet. :)

[Raxacoricofallapatorius]

Coffee with cream? Is that actual cream? Because a white coffee is coffee and milk ime. Do you have to specify you want milk?

[Beastofburden]

shamley I also don't get these 5A levels and I don't even understand what Year 5 is- I always have to add five and work out that this means they must be 10 years old.

I am a Brit and have had three DC go through school here.. but I can't seem to rememebr it at all.

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

It is perfectly acceptable to refer to people as black in the US. Barack Obama refers to himself as black. Some people prefer African American. I tend to use African American formally, but I also use black. Most black people I know think either is fine, and I believe recent polls show that is the prevailing view among most African Americans.

[BertieBotts]

No I think they call it cream in coffee even though they use milk.

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

Yes, actual cream, but normally "half and half" which is half whole milk and half cream, similar to single cream in the UK. If you want milk, you would need to specify milk. You would also likely need to specify milk when ordering tea or you might get cream.

[Beastofburden]

I guess thats what the skinny latte jargon is about, trying not to get cream in coffee. Anyone know the American for a nice cup of tea with semi-skimmed milk?

[ErrolTheDragon]

You would also likely need to specify milk when ordering tea or you might get cream.

Bleugh. It's no wonder not many americans drink tea. A cup of non-boiling water with a Lipton's Yellow Label teabag on the saucer, and half-and-half.

[Beastofburden]

Bleugh. It's no wonder not many americans drink tea. A cup of non-boiling water with a Lipton's Yellow Label teabag on the saucer, and half-and-half.

Not just the US. Happens across Europe except then you get longlife milk in little foil packs.

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

Errol You are so right. I have converted many of my family and friends to hot tea drinkers by preparing and serving it in a proper British fashion.

[GrendelsMum]

A black British friend, of Jamaican heritage, was a bit surprised when a visiting young American student politely referred to her as 'African-American'.

[SmashleyHop]

I have to admit I miss my iced tea (however- I take mine with no sugar and a squeeze of lemon. The southern sweet tea is just too sweet for me)
Proper English tea is amazing and would be something I missed if I moved back.

One thing that caught me off guard here was the phrase full fat coke. I think it took three go's till I really got what people were trying to say to me. I was appalled by the thought of fat being in my coke. Sugar yes, fat no. ;) I can't wait for my parents to visit to watch the look of confusion and horror on their faces when they order a drink. Plus they will have to pay for refills!!! ;)

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

In the South, you have to specify "sweet or unsweet" when ordering iced tea. I also like mine unsweetened with lemon.

[Beastofburden]

I think "full fat coke" is kind of a joke- its a very recent phrase and sort of takes the piss out of coke as a health food IYSWIM.

I always have to think twice about "soda". To me, it's soda water, which in the 1970s you had with lime juice in it, or by itself if the lime juice was all gone.

[Beastofburden]

So, real iced tea fans- I sometimes drink Liptons iced tea in a bottle when on holiday. Is it as crap, compared with real iced tea, as Liptons yellow label is, compared with hot tea?

[KeatsiePie]

What is semi-skimmed milk? Like 2% milk?

I have been puzzled by many British expressions on here, but can't remember any right now …

Oh! Question. So, if "it's quite nice" means "it's okay," then if you said "I have quite a lot to do," would you actually mean "I have a reasonable, not-large amount to do"?

[Beastofburden]

semiskimmed is 1.7% fat; skimmed is 0.1%, normal (not regular!) is 3.5% fat.

Quite can mean two exactly opposite things.

if I say "quite right!" I mean "Absolutely right".
Mostly if I say "Quite" I mean "moderately".

However, if I say I have "quite a lot to do" I am being passive-aggressive. What I really mean is "I have far too much to do and am being terribly brave by not making a fuss about this. However you are supposed to notice, marvel at my stiff upper lip and competence, and offer to help me".

It almost never means "I have a reasonable workload, dont worry, all is fine".

Sorry to introduce British passive-aggressive irony and understatement into this..

[FairPhyllis]

Yes you do graduate high school. You get a diploma if you pass high school. Historically it was often the highest qualification people had and it was a huge deal to get your diploma because it opened up loads of jobs to you - most Americans didn't go to college.

Have never had problems with using 'black' for African-American - all the black Americans I know use it too. "African American" is what a white person trying to be ultra PC would say.

[Beastofburden]

but ppl used to get "school certificate" here- thats the same thing.

British English only uses "graduate" to mean university-level qualifications.

[KeatsiePie]

Ha! I wonder how many threads are loaded with passive-aggressive irony and understatement that I just don't see …

Where does the "quite = not really" thing come from? I mean, was there just an enormous pressing national need for a way to say something that would sound nice but would actually be a little mean?

Actually I don't know why I'm asking, I'm from the South, home of the veiled insult