19 Confounding Discrepancies Between American English and British English

középfok

19 igencsak zavarbaejtő eltérs a brit és az amerikai angol között. 

19 Confounding Discrepancies Between American English and British English

As a lifelong Anglophile and a recent newcomer to London, I can understand America’s burgeoning love affair with British English. But even with the spike in usage of Britishisms, there are still a number of words and phrases that can baffle even the most pretentious BBC America fans. Next time you’re in London, keep these translations to hand—or as the Yanks would say, nearby—and you’ll be just fine.

1. Knock up: To wake up. Don’t freak out if your flatmate says he will be sure to knock you up in the morning.

2. Pants: Underwear. Be careful not to compliment your friend’s new pants, or she will be very confused. Trousers or slacks are what you wear over your pants.

3. Take the piss: To take advantage of; to ridicule. This is one of the more unattractive British phrases that show up frequently in conversation.

4. Bum bag: Fanny pack. For your own sake, don’t say “fanny pack.” (Come to think of it, don’t say “fanny” at all.)

5. Poncy: An especially negative version of the word “posh.”

6. Plaster: A band-aid.

7. Whinge: To whine.

8. Cash point: An ATM.

9. Car park: Though it sounds more like an auto show, it’s just a parking lot.

10. Garden: Backyard. A front yard or lawn is referred to as the front garden.

11. Accident and Emergency: An emergency room or trauma center; commonly referred to as the “A&E.”

12. Pot: Carton or container, as in, “I had a yoghurt pot for breakfast.”

13. Sex pest: Though it sounds like some unpleasant disease, a sex pest is more akin to a sexual predator or someone who sexually harasses others.

14. Sign on: It has nothing to do with AOL—it actually means to sign up for welfare.

15. The dog’s bollocks: If something is the dog’s bollocks, it is excellent.

16. Tramp: Homeless person. You can still get upset if someone says you dress like a tramp; you’ll just be upset for a different reason.

17. Rude boy: Thug or delinquent. A rude boy in England probably has no special affinity for ska music, unlike the rude boys in the U.S. and Jamaica.

18. Jumper: Sweater or pullover.

19. Mucky pup: Messy person.

by Kathleen Elise (a graduate student at University College London).

source: mentalfloss

Can you match the British and American words or expressions?

1. to hand

a. pants

2. to knock up

b. fanny pack

3. trousers, slacks

c. band-aid

4. to take the piss

d. to whine

5. bum bag

e. emergency room or trauma center

6. poncy

f. nearby

7. plaster

g. carton or container

8. to whinge

h. sexual predator

9. cash point

i. posh

10. Accident and Emergency or A&E

j. to take advantage of, to ridicule

11. pot

k. parking lot

12. sex pest

l. to wake up

13. car park

m. homeless person

14. garden

n. an ATM

15. front garden

o. thug or delinquent

16. to sign on

p. sweater or pullover

17. the dog’s bollocks

q. front yard or lawn

18. tramp

r. to sign up for welfare

19. rude boy

s. backyard

20. jumper

t. messy person

21. mucky pup

u. excellent

Key:

1. f.

2. l.

3. a.

4. j.

5. b.

6. i.

7. c.

8. d.

9. n.

10. e.

11. g.

12. h.

13. k.

14. s.

15. q.

16. r.

17. u.

18. m.

19. o..

20. p.

21. t.

Vocabulary

confounding

összezavaró

discrepancy

különbözőség, eltérés

burgeoning

bimbózó, rügyező

spike

növekedés, terjedés

to baffle

zavarba hoz

pretentious

igényes, nagyratörő

to hand

kéznél van

nearby

közel, kéznél

to freak out

kiakadni

to compliment

megdicsérni

to take advantage of

kihasználni

to ridicule

nevetségessé tenni

fanny pack

övtáska

for your own sake

a te érdekedben

band-aid

sebtapasz

lawn

emergency room

sürgősségi

AOL

American Online rövidítése

thug

gonosztevő, bandita

delinquent

bűnöző

messy

rendetlen

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