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[Blearth]

I agree that 'foetus' is etymologically incorrect, and an attempt to impose Greek spelling on a Latin word, like when people try to be clever and use 'octopi' as the plural of 'octopus'.

However, the American spelling of 'paedophile' is wrong, so we've got you there.

To make my own addition to the list, how about pledging allegiance in school every morning? For a country that puts such value on individual freedom, that's some creepy, totalitarian, 1984 shit.

I always sat down during that shit. Though I did go to school in left wing-hippie-marxist-pinko-commie California.

 

[Acorn]

I agree that 'foetus' is etymologically incorrect, and an attempt to impose Greek spelling on a Latin word, like when people try to be clever and use 'octopi' as the plural of 'octopus'.

However, the American spelling of 'paedophile' is wrong, so we've got you there.

To make my own addition to the list, how about pledging allegiance in school every morning? For a country that puts such value on individual freedom, that's some creepy, totalitarian, 1984 shit.

Yeah, that always struck me as weird, but I went to catholic school and started and ended each day with a prayer, so I'm in no place to make a judgement.

 

[WJD]

also, we got mo' atheists

 

[Sixfortyfive]

By the time I was in high school nobody in class bothered to recite the pledge themselves anymore, barring those rare instances when we'd have a substitute teacher who flipped her shit over it (same person, two distinct occasions).

 

[jufonuk]

UK say froat

US say throat

no thats people from sarf east landarn or essecks

(I am from the south east of London, I am not a geezer, nor am I Queens English, maybe I have a slight estuary accent )

 

[Blearth]

By the time I was in high school nobody in class bothered to recite the pledge themselves anymore, barring those rare instances when we'd have a substitute teacher who flipped her shit over it (same person, two distinct occasions).

We stopped doing it around third grade in my school. It was part of the everyday routine, and one day it vanished without a trace.

 

[pulsemyne]

no thats people from sarf east landarn or essecks

(I am from the south east of London, I am not a geezer, nor am I Queens English, maybe I have a slight estuary accent )

Most Americans probably don't realise the amount of different accents there are in the UK.

 

[Kickz]

Can someone explain to me why
Centre
Theatre
Metre
Are written RE instead of how one pronounced it ie ER? British English and French say the same thing, but i never understood it though.

Yes and similarly its color, dafuq is colour?

 

[BertramCooper]

Why are they 'weird'? Because they don't look like the US one?

I find UK plugs weird because they're enormous. But to their credit, they generally stay in better than US plugs.

But still, those things are massive.

 

[Acorn]

I find UK plugs weird because they're enormous. But to their credit, they generally stay in better than US plugs.

But still, those things are massive.

Isn't it because American plugs do not have an earth wire making them less safe?

 

[Inversive]

Yes and similarly its color, dafuq is colour?

The correct spelling? duh

 

[shanshan310]

As long as you weirdos keep saying "me" when you mean "my", you're not allowed to criticize American English.

This thread is giving me the impression that most Americans have only ever heard other Americans doing fake British accents.

Home phones are connected to the home?

Do Americans not have landlines or something? What?

also, we got mo' atheists

Insta-win.

 

[BGBW]

Yes and similarly its color, dafuq is colour?

One is a GameBoy name that other is pigmentation.

 

[ElectricBlue187]

Isn't it because American plugs do not have an earth wire making them less safe?

It's ground and no, that's not the case anymore. All plugs are three pronged now.

 

[Hawkian]

Do Americans not have landlines or something? What?

Anecdotally it's either hilariously too many (my parents) or none (me).

Disclaimer: This is not valid data

 

[NekoFever]

Isn't it because American plugs do not have an earth wire making them less safe?

The top prong on a UK plug opens shutters on the lower holes, which makes it pretty much impossible for a kid to stick a fork into a live plug or something. That's a good feature.

 

[Blearth]

It's ground and no, that's not the case anymore. All plugs are three pronged now.

Some, not all.

 

[BertramCooper]

It's ground and no, that's not the case anymore. All plugs are three pronged now.

All new outlets accept three-pronged plugs, but not all devices have three-pronged plugs.

 

[Shake Appeal]

On balance, there are more weird things about the UK than about the USA. And I say that as an Irishman who has lived in both places.

America's a scarier place, though, between healthcare and guns and batshit right-wing politics as standard.

On the particular subject of plugs, American ones are sillier and easier to break.

Also, American light switches are of a bizarrely universal design.

 

[ElectricBlue187]

Some, not all.

I haven't a two pronger since the early 90's. I'm pretty sure there was some sort of industry wide mandate

Only exception I can think of is apple's plugs are only two prongs

 

[BertramCooper]

I haven't a two pronger since the early 90's. I'm pretty sure there was some sort of industry wide mandate

You have a three-pronged cell phone charger?

 

[shanshan310]

On balance, there are more weird things about the UK than about the USA. And I say that as an Irishman who has lived in both places.

America's a scarier place, though, between healthcare and guns and batshit right-wing politics as standard.

Weird in what way? I'm curious, having lived in neither

 

[WJD]

On balance, there are more weird things about the UK than about the USA. And I say that as an Irishman who has lived in both places.

America's a scarier place, though, between healthcare and guns and batshit right-wing politics as standard.

On the particular subject of plugs, American ones are sillier and easier to break.

Also, American light switches are of a bizarrely universal design.

what the fuck, you're Irish?

edit: oh, thought you were yurt

 

[Blearth]

I haven't a two pronger since the early 90's. I'm pretty sure there was some sort of industry wide mandate

Do you not own a cell phone?

 

[fluffydelusions]

Yes and similarly its color, dafuq is colour?

Well they did invent the language so...

 

[Shake Appeal]

The real problem with two-prongers is how easy they are to snap or knock out of a socket. The three-prong plug is both safer and sturdier.

 

[ElectricBlue187]

Do you not own a cell phone?

I was slow on the edit. Can you think of any besides that?

 

[Shake Appeal]

Also, the American biscuit is lighter and flakier than the British scone; they are not the same thing.

American biscuits and gravy is a delight all British people should be exposed to. Similarly, Americans should experience a dense British scone with jam and cream.

Live and let live, brethren.

 

[Übermatik]

UK plugs are so much better than the US 2 pin style. They seem much more solid.

 

[Blearth]

I was slow on the edit. Can you think of any besides that?

My speakers. My alarm clock. My toaster. My microwave (I think). My coffee maker. My blender. My router. My modem. My Wii.

Everything except for consoles, PCs, and TVs/monitors really.

And all cell phone wall chargers are two pronged, not just Apple.

 

[BertramCooper]

I was slow on the edit. Can you think of any besides that?

Pretty much any sort of small electronic device. Radios, portable gaming system chargers, tablet chargers, and even some laptop chargers.

 

[The Lamp]

This is sort of relevant.

I'm howling.

Sorry, I mean I'm diggy-doggy wolf-snickering.

 

[Richfield]

Burglarised.

 

[Half and half]

And another thing: Hershey's chocolate tastes like vomit. Literally.

Word, and it tastes the same whether it's going down or coming back up.

And they pass it out at Halloween like they're hooking the kids up.

 

[RedShift]

Burglarised.

Wouldn't they be more likely to spell it burglarized? They love them some z's.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

I actually really like Hersheys. Do I have to revoke my Brit-card? It's creamy and nice And Reeses are amazing, why don't we have more Reeses products? Reeses Pieces sound fucking amazing but there's only the cups, apparently you have HUGE CUPS in the US?

Also, what's with you guys and the word cunt? It's kinda offensive here but like REALLY bad over there.

 

[Blearth]

Also, what's with you guys and the word cunt? It's kinda offensive here but like REALLY bad over there.

I'm trying my hardest to bring it into casual usage.

 

[Acorn]

I'm trying my hardest to bring it into casual usage.

In some places here its just used as short term for people whom you do not know. Example : "I was with a bunch of cunts I didn't know" without any insult intended.

 

[Richfield]

Wouldn't they be more likely to spell it burglarized? They love them some z's.

I did consider that but couldn't bring myself to typing it. Burglarised was hard enough.

 

[PaulLFC]

"Could care less" has always annoyed me.

 

[The Adder]

Wouldn't they be more likely to spell it burglarized? They love them some z's.

Because it sounds like what you're actually saying.

Also, I'm still interested in hearing what our British friends have to say regarding the whole "Modern American English is closer to the language it and modern British English descended from" thing.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

Do Americans not have landlines or something? What?

They've got to be on a steady decline, especially among 20-somethings and younger. A quick Google search suggests as much.

"Could care less" has always annoyed me.

It bothers Americans, too...

 

[akira28]

I gotta say, twat and cunt are really great insults. Single syllable, quick impact. So much better than some of what we've got over here. I don't think I'll ever bring myself to using them regularly though.

 

[frankie_baby]

Because it sounds like what you're actually saying.

Also, I'm still interested in hearing what our British friends have to say regarding the whole "Modern American English is closer to the language it and modern British English descended from" thing.

Its our language, we get to make up the rules as we go along

 

[demon]

I gotta say, twat and cunt are really great insults. Single syllable, quick impact. So much better than some of what we've got over here. I don't think I'll ever bring myself to using them regularly though.

I wish 'cunt' was more acceptable over here. I love the word. But unfortunately if I use it I'm considered a sexist dick.

 

[Blearth]

The best way to use cunt is to never direct it towards a woman.

eg. "That guy's a dickfaced cunthole" or "What a cuntfucker of a day"

 

[NekoFever]

Also, what's with you guys and the word cunt? It's kinda offensive here but like REALLY bad over there.

It seems like, if you imagine all the swear words sorted into tiers by offensiveness, pretty much all of them are one tier up in America. I wouldn't think twice about a word like goddamn or asshole, but when I was a moderator on a US-based forum that enforced PG-13 language, those had to be removed.

And I think the point about burglarised/burglarized is that if you're the victim of a burglar in the States, you've been burglarized; if it happens in the UK, you've been burgled.

 

[8bit]

UK plugs are so much better than the US 2 pin style. They seem much more solid.

Just wait until you stand on an upturned one in the dark of night.

 

[Blearth]

It seems like, if you imagine all the swear words sorted into tiers by offensiveness, pretty much all of them are one tier up in America. I wouldn't think twice about a word like goddamn or asshole, but when I was a moderator on a US-based forum that enforced PG-13 language, those had to be removed.

Except spaz and wanker.

 

[RedShift]

Because it sounds like what you're actually saying.

Also, I'm still interested in hearing what our British friends have to say regarding the whole "Modern American English is closer to the language it and modern British English descended from" thing.

Wasn't there that American guy (one of the dictionary guys?) who went around changing parts of the language to 'simplify' it, taking away u's from places and such? You can actually find where the language was purposefully changed, I find that claim dubious.