Richard III & the Car Park

[Pcdunn]

One of my college professors was an Englishman, and he recounted to us how he learned the different meanings of "to knock one up" when he first came to the States. He used the phrase "well, knock me up in the morning" and his American colleagues laughed and told him that over here getting knocked up means getting pregnant!

[Robert]

It does mean that here too. Also, brothels are known as knocking shops.

[Robert]

Americans seem to find the shortest way to say something. They would rather say 'zone' than 'area.' They don't arrive at towns, they hit them. They don't turn off a light, they kill it. Occasionally our way is shorter, e.g. your elevator is our lift.

[Robert]

From distant memory (may have this wrong) in the only film that John Wayne dies in, his friend tells him that he's going to die and he says "I know it." We would just say "I know." Wayne's character's version seems to betray a French linguistic influence.

[Aldebaran]

Your flat is shorter than our apartment. Our cart is shorter than your trolley. Our truck may be a bit faster than your lorry. We haven't yet shortened our umbrella to brolly [you don't see them much in the states anymore]. We gals over here still swoon over Englishmen. However you say it, it sounds better to us.

[Robert]

Why, thanks. People have always remarked upon my resemblance to David Niven - now that he's dead.

[ChrisGeorge]

Your flat is shorter than our apartment. Our cart is shorter than your trolley. Our truck may be a bit faster than your lorry. We haven't yet shortened our umbrella to brolly [you don't see them much in the states anymore].* We gals over here still swoon over Englishmen. However you say it, it sounds better to us.

(Emphasis mine)

* The British and Australians have a penchant for coming up with nicknames for things and people. More so I think than Americans,

[Robert]

I love some of the American phrases like "a can of worms" and "**** hits the fan."

I remember drawing a chuckle from an American lady when I imagined myself as an American who'd bought tickets for a Michael Jackson concert, only to find he'd died : "These tickets stink. Who wants to see a Goddamn stiff perform? Hand back the dough, motherf*ckers!"

[Aldebaran]

I always thought that song title, "Knees Up Mother Brown" sounded comical. We haven't had a song like that yet.

[ChrisGeorge]

I recall once going into a London shop requesting a slip. No one knew what I meant until I described a "petticoat" well enough to make a light go on.

I was in the Casebook chat room some years ago with one of the Hughes Brothers, the black film makers who made "From Hell" (2001). I used the term "s*igger" or "snicker" meaning "a smothered or half-suppressed laugh." However, Mr. Hughes took great offense, thinking I had employed the racial "n" word, which was not what I meant at all. I tried to persuade him I didn't mean that but he still wasn't convinced.

Chris

[Robert]

Here's another good title, with an American background :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s6WMCSGUlQ

[Aldebaran]

Come to think of it, I nearly got hit by a lorry in the town of Romsey because I forgot to look the right way--or wrong way. We're accustomed to on-coming vehicles arriving from the left. That taught me!

[Aldebaran]

Here's another good title, with an American background :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s6WMCSGUlQ

Hey! I could become a fan!

[GUT]

One of my college professors was an Englishman, and he recounted to us how he learned the different meanings of "to knock one up" when he first came to the States. He used the phrase "well, knock me up in the morning" and his American colleagues laughed and told him that over here getting knocked up means getting pregnant!

You can't imagine when one young American Lass introduced herself..

"hi, I'm Randy and I toot for the Cowboys...."

Totally different meaning.

Or boy she's got a big fanny,

[Robert]

Aldebaran, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band did some work in the US. I think they were very popular in Cleveland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN3JpK3eZ3s