Americanism

[anupumh]

American Slang’s


"If you are in the USA or talking to Americans .............."

U don't open conversation (on telephone) with a "Hello" but with a "Hi".

The telephone is never "engaged", it's always "busy".

U don't "disconnect" a phone, U simply "hang-up".

U never "mess-up" things, U only "screw them up".

U never have a "residence" tel. no., U have a "home" no.

U never have an "office" tel. no., U have a "work" no.

U don't stop at the "signals", but halt at the "lights".

U don't "accelerate", U "step on the gas".

Your tyre never "punctures", U may have a "flat" tire.

The trains have "coaches" or "bogies”, no more! But "carriages" or "boxes".

There R no "petrol pumps", but "gas stations".

"I don't know nothing", 2 negatives don't make a positive here.

U no longer meet a "wonderful" person, U meet a "cool" guy

U don't pull the switch down to light a bulb, rather flick it up.

U don't "turn on the heat", U "turn on the juice".

There's no "Business Area" ... only "business districts", and no "districts" but "countries".

No one stays "a stone's throw away", rather "a few blocks away".

There's no "Town Side", it's "Down Town".

In hotel U no longer ask for "bill" and pay by "cheque", rather ask for "check" and pay with "bill" (dollar).

There R no "soft drinks", only "sodas".

Life's no longer "miserable" it "stinks".

U don't have a "great" time, U have a "ball".

U don't "sweat it out", U "work Ur butt off

Never "post" a letter, always "mail" it and "glue" the stamps, don't "stick" them.

U no longer live in "flats", U live in "apartment".

U don't stand in a "queue", you are in a "line".

U no longer "like" something, U "appreciate" it.

"#" is not "hash", it's "pound".

U R not "deaf", U have "impaired hearing".

U R not "lunatic", U are just "mentally challenged".

U R not "disgusting" U R "sick".

U can't get "surprised" U get "zapped".

U don't "schedule" a meeting, U "skejule" it.

U never "joke", U just "kid".

U never "increase" the pressure, U always "crank" it up.

U never ask for a pencil "rubber" U ask for an “eraser”.

U don't try to find a “lift”... U find an “elevator”.

U no more ask for a “route” but for a "RAUT"

U don't ask somebody "How r u?" U say "What's up dude?" or U say “How U DOIN "

U never go to “see” a game U go to “watch” a game.

If U see "World" champions (or Series), read "USA" champions (or Series).

There's no "zero" but "O", no "Z" but "zee".

There's no “FULL STOP” after a statement, there's a “PERIOD”.

If someone gets “angry” at U, U get "flamed".

U Drive Ur car on “Parkways” and always park your car in the “Drive Way!”

You do not ask for “brinjal ...” ask for “Egg Plant”. Also there are no “lady’s finger”, Corporation “Okra”

You do not say "He is a trouble creator". Rather u say "He's a pain in my ass"!

U do not say, it’s a “trivial job”, you say it’s a “seat of the pants work”.

Well u don’t say life is “boring” u say “LIFE SUCKS”!!!!!

In short U don't speak “English”, U speak “AMERICAN”

Is this true?

[pyoung]

American Slang’s


"If you are in the USA or talking to Americans .............."
Well, here is the response of an American:

U don't open conversation (on telephone) with a "Hello" but with a "Hi".
Not true of me

The telephone is never "engaged", it's always "busy".
Yes.

U don't "disconnect" a phone, U simply "hang-up".
When one moves, one has the phone disconnected. When one finsihes a conversation, one hangs up.

U never "mess-up" things, U only "screw them up".
I never say 'screw up,' I think it is an ugly phrase.

U never have a "residence" tel. no., U have a "home" no.
Yes.

U never have an "office" tel. no., U have a "work" no.
Yes.

U don't stop at the "signals", but halt at the "lights".
Either one

U don't "accelerate", U "step on the gas".
I don't use the expression 'step on the gas.' It sounds very outdated to me. I accelerate or 'speed up.'

Your tyre never "punctures", U may have a "flat" tire.
I may have a flat tire as a result of a puncture.

The trains have "coaches" or "bogies”, no more! But "carriages" or "boxes".
Trains have cars or coaches.

There R no "petrol pumps", but "gas stations".
Yes.

"I don't know nothing", 2 negatives don't make a positive here.
This phrase would only be used humorously by most people.

U no longer meet a "wonderful" person, U meet a "cool" guy
No. I do not refer to people as 'cool.' Perhaps ironically. More often I am fortunate enough to meet lovely, delightful, insightful, clever, etc. people.

U don't pull the switch down to light a bulb, rather flick it up.
I turn on the light using a light switch.

U don't "turn on the heat", U "turn on the juice".
Never. I have not heard people use 'juice' to refer to heat. Sometimes they may call electricity 'juice.'

There's no "Business Area" ... only "business districts", and no "districts" but "countries".
Business districts, yes. Did you mean to write 'counties'? A county is a political entity. States are divided into counties. 'District' is used more generally, and usually for a smaller area.

No one stays "a stone's throw away", rather "a few blocks away".
'A stone's throw' not an unusual expression to hear in everyday conversation. To express the idea of a short distance, people may say, 'a hop, skip, and a jump away.'

There's no "Town Side", it's "Down Town".
Yes. Downtown (all one word)

In hotel U no longer ask for "bill" and pay by "cheque", rather ask for "check" and pay with "bill" (dollar).
Very few people pay hotel bills (not checks) with cash (bills). They pay them with checks or, more likely, credit cards. In a restaurant, one might ask for the 'check' (the amount owed).

There R no "soft drinks", only "sodas".
This usage may be regional in the US, but I have heard 'soft drink' and 'soda' used with equal frequency.

Life's no longer "miserable" it "stinks".
I would never use this (stinks) to describe anything but a hog farm.

U don't have a "great" time, U have a "ball".
To have a ball sounds outdated to me. I far more often hear 'great time.'

U don't "sweat it out", U "work Ur butt off
'Sweat it out' means to suffer through a period of anxiety. (He really sweated out the hours until the exam results were posted.) Some people do use 'work one's butt off.' I do not. Sometimes people 'work their fingers to the bone'.

Never "post" a letter, always "mail" it and "glue" the stamps, don't "stick" them.
Yes, I mail a letter. It would be redundant to glue a stamp on a letter these days, since they are all self-adhesive.

U no longer live in "flats", U live in "apartment".
Yes. Although, I don't quite understand the use of 'no longer.'

U don't stand in a "queue", you are in a "line".
Many people use 'queue.' Many people use 'line.'

U no longer "like" something, U "appreciate" it.
To like and to appreciate are two different things.

"#" is not "hash", it's "pound".
Yes, and most delightfully of all, in Mexico it's 'el gato' (the cat).

U R not "deaf", U have "impaired hearing".
No, some people are deaf, some are 'hard of hearing,' some have a hearing impairment.

U R not "lunatic", U are just "mentally challenged".
No, I sometimes feel like a lunatic.'Mentally challenged' is an expression used to describe people with some form of mental retardation or other cognitive problem.

U R not "disgusting" U R "sick".
I try not to be disgusting. It is a word in very common use. Many, many young people use the word 'sick' to express their admiration for a song, an idea, clothing, etc. 'Sick' can also be used to describe thoughts or actions the speaker regards as warped or cruel.

U can't get "surprised" U get "zapped".
I would never use 'zapped' to mean surprised. I would use it to mean what happens if one receives an electric shock.

U don't "schedule" a meeting, U "skejule" it.
I have never seen this spelling.

U never "joke", U just "kid".
No, I joke.

U never "increase" the pressure, U always "crank" it up.
Again, no I don't crank up anything. Sometimes people say, 'crank up the volume.'

U never ask for a pencil "rubber" U ask for an “eraser”.
Yes. In the U.S., condoms are called 'rubbers (among other things).

U don't try to find a “lift”... U find an “elevator”.
Yes.

U no more ask for a “route” but for a "RAUT"
I have never seen this spelling.

U don't ask somebody "How r u?" U say "What's up dude?" or U say “How U DOIN "
I don't use any of these three. I may ask someone, 'How are you?, but never How r u? I also might ask, 'How's it going?'

U never go to “see” a game U go to “watch” a game.
Yes, because seeing is a passive activity, while watching is an active one.

If U see "World" champions (or Series), read "USA" champions (or Series).
It would depend on the sport.

There's no "zero" but "O", no "Z" but "zee".
I'm not sure what this means. There is 'zero' and there is 'z.'

There's no “FULL STOP” after a statement, there's a “PERIOD”.
Usually, yes.

If someone gets “angry” at U, U get "flamed".
No.

U Drive Ur car on “Parkways” and always park your car in the “Drive Way!”
Some broad and scenic roads are called parkways. People do, indeed, park in driveways (all one word).

You do not ask for “brinjal ...” ask for “Egg Plant”. Also there are no “lady’s finger”, Corporation “Okra”
Yes, eggplant or aubergine. Yes, okra. What does Corporation 'Okra' mean?

You do not say "He is a trouble creator". Rather u say "He's a pain in my ass"!
No, I don't. I might say troublemaker.

U do not say, it’s a “trivial job”, you say it’s a “seat of the pants work”.
To do something by the 'seat of one's pants' usually means the same thing as 'by the skin of one's teeth,' that is 'just barely.' (She passed that class by the skin of her teeth. He escaped being arrested by the seat of his pants.) I have never heard it used to describe a trivial job.

Well u don’t say life is “boring” u say “LIFE SUCKS”!!!!!
I never, ever say this. I find it offensive and ugly.

In short U don't speak “English”, U speak “AMERICAN”
apparently not

Is this true?
no comment

I hope this is helpful,

Petra

[anupumh]

Thanks a lot for your time you spent to correct all the sentences..

[misiania]

Although I'm no expert, I don't agree with quite few of those. Are you comparing Brithish English with American English? I have lived in UK for 9 years and I can tell you that many of them sayings are widely used in UK as well. Note, not all of them are slangs. I would not call them American Slang's. Is mailing a letter a slang? Some may be dialects or jargons but not slangs.

U don't open conversation (on telephone) with a "Hello" but with a "Hi".
A lot of people in UK start conversation with ''Hi'' i.e. ''Hi there, I'm calling....''

The telephone is never "engaged", it's always "busy".
Both are used.

U don't "disconnect" a phone, U simply "hang-up".
When one moves, one has the phone disconnected. When one finsihes a conversation, one hangs up.
I agree with Pyoung on that one.

U never have a "residence" tel. no., U have a "home" no.
Residence is for posh people, normal people in UK have home no. or land line.

U never have an "office" tel. no., U have a "work" no.
Both are used. What if you don't work in the office? Well you simply give your friends your ''work no''

U don't stop at the "signals", but halt at the "lights".
Since in UK you have traffic lights, you stop at the lights not signals.

U don't "accelerate", U "step on the gas".
I don't use the expression 'step on the gas.' It sounds very outdated to me. I accelerate or 'speed up.'
I agree with Pyoung

Your tyre never "punctures", U may have a "flat" tire.
I may have a flat tire as a result of a puncture.
What do you say when there is no puncture? My tyre is gone flat or I have a flat tyre.

The trains have "coaches" or "bogies”, no more! But "carriages" or "boxes".
Train carriage is used in UK. 'Coach' is more used as a terms of travelling by bus. I know boxes are for horses.

There R no "petrol pumps", but "gas stations".
In UK you have no petrol pupms either. You have petrol stations.

"I don't know nothing", 2 negatives don't make a positive here.
I dont get it, what has that got to do with so called by you Americanism?

U no longer meet a "wonderful" person, U meet a "cool" guy
That depends how old are you. 15 year olds on average don't meet wonderful people, they meet cool people. And I don't think my 78 year old grandmother would say she met a 'cool guy'

U don't pull the switch down to light a bulb, rather flick it up.
Never heard of switch being pulled down to switch something on or off, you pull a cord. Pulling switch as far as I'm concerned has got different meaning.

U don't "turn on the heat", U "turn on the juice".
Never heard second one.

There's no "Business Area" ... only "business districts", and no "districts" but "countries".
In UK they use counties not countries.

There's no "Town Side", it's "Down Town".
Wouldn't use downtown in UK.

In hotel U no longer ask for "bill" and pay by "cheque", rather ask for "check" and pay with "bill" (dollar).
Very few people pay hotel bills (not checks) with cash (bills). They pay them with checks or, more likely, credit cards. In a restaurant, one might ask for the 'check' (the amount owed).
I agree with Pyoung on that one.

There R no "soft drinks", only "sodas".
They use 'soda' in UK, soft drink more often though.

Life's no longer "miserable" it "stinks".
When life is miserable it usually does stink. Even in Poland not just U.S.

U don't have a "great" time, U have a "ball".
To have a ball sounds outdated to me. I far more often hear 'great time.'
I agree with Pyoung on that one.

U don't "sweat it out", U "work Ur butt off
When you sweat it out, you wait nervously for an unpleasant situation to end or improve.

Never "post" a letter, always "mail" it and "glue" the stamps, don't "stick" them.
You could post a letter or put it in the mail.

U no longer live in "flats", U live in "apartment".
Flats and apartments are both widely used. People tend to say about more pricey flats - apartments.

U don't stand in a "queue", you are in a "line".
Many people use 'queue.' Many people use 'line.'
Again, I agree with Pyoung on that one.

U no longer "like" something, U "appreciate" it.
To like and to appreciate are two different things.
I like my house and I appreciate having it.

U R not "lunatic", U are just "mentally challenged".
Mentally challeged used inappropriately is just as rude as retarded.

U don't "schedule" a meeting, U "skejule" it.
I have never seen this spelling.
Neither do I

U never ask for a pencil "rubber" U ask for an “eraser”.
Yes. In the U.S., condoms are called 'rubbers (among other things).
Not just in U.S.

U no more ask for a “route” but for a "RAUT"
I have never seen this spelling.
Neither do I.


U don't ask somebody "How r u?" U say "What's up dude?" or U say “How U DOIN "
Again that depends how old is person saying it.

U never go to “see” a game U go to “watch” a game.
In UK games are watched as well.

If U see "World" champions (or Series), read "USA" champions (or Series).
World means world, USA is USA. I doubt that Americans are so self absorbed and call themselves a 'World'

There's no "zero" but "O", no "Z" but "zee".
You got it wrong. O is used instead of zero in UK (it is used a lot but not always), when giving numbers (especially phone and mobiles). And 'zee' I have never heard of

There's no “FULL STOP” after a statement, there's a “PERIOD”.
Full stop in UK.

U Drive Ur car on “Parkways” and always park your car in the “Drive Way!”
In UK you park on driveway...if you don't have one, you can always park on the street.

You do not say "He is a trouble creator". Rather u say "He's a pain in my ass"!
Troublemaker is a pain in the ass (not my ass). More polite way to express the same is to say that 'somebody is being pain in the backside'. Used in UK as well.

Well u don’t say life is “boring” u say “LIFE SUCKS”!!!!!
For many people all over the world life is boring and sucks, 'suck' isn't reserved for Americans.

In short U don't speak “English”, U speak “AMERICAN”
American is English. Pyoung just replied to your post and it wasn't written in latin was it? It was plain old English

[Raymott]

Is this true?

No. A lot of these variants are used in Australia and elsewhere too.

[BobK]

Incidentally, 'hanging up' a phone is not an 'American' (or any other regional variant) version of 'disconnecting'. Disconnection is a process that involves the billing company telling the local exchange to withold service. If you don't pay your bill, your phone may be disconnected.

And 'slang' isn't countable. Such of these expressions as are slang expressions (and many aren't) are not 'slangs'.

How I loathe these semi-literate compilations of misinformation that litter the Internet.

b

[thod00]

U don't "schedule" a meeting, U "skejule" it.
I have never seen this spelling.

BR pronounces this word as shed-yule rather than AE sked-jule

U no more ask for a “route” but for a "RAUT"
I have never seen this spelling.

One again this is pronunciation. In BR route and root are homonyms, as are route and rout in AE. I am not sure when this diverged I went and listened to the old "get your kicks on route 66" song and they seemed to say "root".