Two Nations (US/UK), TWO Languages?

[nicwing]

A recent post from TJ in SOMNM on the subject of the work 'kip' has got me thinking today....

I have travelled on business to the US almost every year for the last 15 and there are still things I don't understand about our "common" language so maybe our chums the otherside of the pond can help me out and the well read chaps here can help them out with any small queries about 'kipping'.

So here is my opening gambit, in no particular order:

- What the hell is a "Home coming queen"

- What is the origin of all this Pi Omega Kappa stuff that student in the Us go in for.

More to follow but that's your starter for ten.

[Robusto]

A woman in New Mexico in a restaurant thought I was asking Where are the tulips? when I was asking Where are the toilets? I love that, and I should have used restrooms, I suppose.

I liked lobbing in kip. I like to do that shit.

[Ramon]

I was just thinking about that the other day, in particular about some automotive terms. Some we all know, ie:

Bonnet=Hood
Boot=trunk
Sedan=Saloon
Estate Car=Station Wagon

But there are a few that I don't think are generally known ie:

Crocodile Clips=Alligator Clamps
Sun Roof=Moon Roof

Moon roof Who thought that one up, I mean it's dark at night, who wants a hole in the roof so you can see the Moon!

Other things like:

Toilet=Bathroom/Can what's that all about?

[TJCoro]

Say What???

A woman in New Mexico in a restaurant thought I was asking Where are the tulips? when I was asking Where are the toilets? I love that, and I should have used restrooms, I suppose.

I liked lobbing in kip. I like to do that shit.

To be honest, senor Robusto, she probably thought you were a fag (the American kind) referring to the Men's room (or restroom) as a "tulip", errrr, I mean "Toilet."

No one I know from the great land up North uses that term, except maybe for some simple folk in parts of Pennsylvania and the Bronx, but certainly not in my beloved SoM, Mexico, where they are referred to as ba?os.

Names TJ, TJCoro, and I do it in the woods.

[Ramon]

There was one thing I forgot to mention, and it's not about US English, but South African English.

When I worked in Tandy (Radio Shack) many years ago, a women came in and asked me if I had a stiffie After a while we worked out she actually wanted a floppy She explained she was on holiday from South Africa with her husband, and they had got split up in the town.

About half an hour after she left, a man came in to the shop and asked for a stiffie as well I didn't think there could be that many people from SA in our little town, and asked him if he had come on holiday with his wife. Yes he replied, how did I know! I then explained how she had come in to the shop looking for the same thing, and that in the UK, they were called floppies.

[Ramon]

I do it in the woods.

We call it "going for a shovel recce" here, though we're not allowed to dig holes in most training areas any more, so it's mostly porta-poos for us. Except for Canada, where the training area is so big you can still get the wind around the nether regions. It's also pretty flat out on the prairie, and no trees, so can be quite public. You just wave to any passing trucks/tanks

[Boss Hog]

There was one thing I forgot to mention, and it's not about US English, but South African English.

When I worked in Tandy (Radio Shack) many years ago, a women came in and asked me if I had a stiffie After a while we worked out she actually wanted a floppy She explained she was on holiday from South Africa with her husband, and they had got split up in the town.

About half an hour after she left, a man came in to the shop and asked for a stiffie as well I didn't think there could be that many people from SA in our little town, and asked him if he had come on holiday with his wife. Yes he replied, how did I know! I then explained how she had come in to the shop looking for the same thing, and that in the UK, they were called floppies.

Did you give her one??

[TJCoro]

Stiffies for Sale...

Did you give her one??

Of course he did, BH....it would be bad manners to turn down a request for a "Stiffie," don't you agree.

[nicwing]

Order, Order, may I refer the honurable member to my original question.

What the chuff is a "Homecoming Queen" and what's all that "Pi Gamma beta delta" stuff about?

Oh and just in case "Chuff" - as in heck, or possibly F**k

[Boss Hog]

Order, Order, may I refer the honurable member to my original question.

What the chuff is a "Homecoming Queen" and what's all that "Pi Gamma beta delta" stuff about?

Oh and just in case "Chuff" - as in heck, or possibly F**k

They dont use / have boll*cks or W**ker either

How about
courgette / zuchinni
aubergine / eggplant
corriander / cilantro

[nicwing]

They dont use / have boll*cks or W**ker either


corriander / cilantro

Now I didn't know that!

I'm always learning here, nice one Boss!

So what's Baysil then?

[G-man]

To be honest, senor Robusto, she probably thought you were a fag (the American kind) referring to the Men's room (or restroom) as a "tulip", errrr, I mean "Toilet."

No one I know from the great land up North uses that term, except maybe for some simple folk in parts of Pennsylvania and the Bronx, but certainly not in my beloved SoM, Mexico, where they are referred to as ba?os.

Names TJ, TJCoro, and I do it in the woods.

TJCoro Im am presently living in Pennsylvania and was born and raised in the Bronx ! But simple folk WTF .Far from it. You 1 funny guy!
LMAO ROTF Now for the Bronxs Yankee fan. Maybe thats where Yanks came from. Or from the north Civil War (YANKS) ?

[cj121]

fanny
Noun
pl -nies Slang
1. Brit & Austral taboo the female genitals
2. Chiefly US & Canad the buttocks [origin unknown]

Now there's another potentially confusing one, if you don't know the crack!

and possibly more, if you don't know the crack

[Stevieboy]

Now there's another potentially confusing one, if you don't know the crack!

and possibly more, if you don't know the crack

Craic is crack too

[Rufus T. Firefly]

A recent post from TJ in SOMNM on the subject of the work 'kip' has got me thinking today....

I have travelled on business to the US almost every year for the last 15 and there are still things I don't understand about our "common" language so maybe our chums the otherside of the pond can help me out and the well read chaps here can help them out with any small queries about 'kipping'.

So here is my opening gambit, in no particular order:

- What the hell is a "Home coming queen"

- What is the origin of all this



stuff that student in the Us go in for.

More to follow but that's your starter for ten.

Here is your answer. Each year the first Home Football game (American Football) of the year played by the High School, is called the Home Coming Game. To celebrate the start of the Football Season, the High School Sponsors a dance. This Dance is known as the Home Coming Dance. The students also nominate several of thier classmates for King and Queen of the Dance and an election is held. During the Dance the winners of the King and Queen election are announced and become the King and Queen of the Home Coming Dance. Hence the term Home Coming Queen. (Usually she's the hottest girl in school and the King is usually the Captain of the Football team type)


The Pi Alpha Omega stuff are greek letters that designate different Fraternities that are on College Campus' in the US. It's usually a 3 greek letters. On College campus Pi Alpha Omega might be known as a party frat. Where as the Delta Omega Pi Frat might be known as a geek Frat or a Jock Frat. Oh Sororities use Greek letters too. Fraternities are for men and Sororities are for women.

Hope this was informative.