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Post by Tammy on Nov 2, 2008 7:16:43 GMT -5
Just starting this as a HAHA ;D LOL Fun, but maybe informative thread...
It has come to my attention letely, that even though we all speak the same language, English, there are vast differences to the WAY we speak and understand each other...
So here I will start to translate and ask for translations from Australian English to American english and vice-versa..
Lest me start with ...
Pot Plant... An ornamental plant that is kept in a pot and tended with love and care... may be a Fern, Cactus, Herbs, African Violet, Philodendron, almost any variety of plant, but if kept in a pot... it is a "pot plant"
WHAT do you guys call it ??
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Post by Ericsmomma on Nov 2, 2008 8:27:06 GMT -5
We usually call it just a plain old "plant" here in Ohio...house plant, vegetable plant, etc. Pot Plant usually means something else here, and it usually involves the police! I also noticed (from watching the WIGGLES) that you in Australia call the letter "Z" Zed (I think thats what I heard). Any other "differences" you can think of?
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Post by lorraine on Nov 2, 2008 8:37:34 GMT -5
Good Idea Tammy......reminds me of the ice pole thread LOL and how about including English/English translations too we have pot plants here also. can't think of any other words at the moment though ...... Lorraine
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Post by Chris on Nov 2, 2008 14:39:50 GMT -5
Hmmm.........if someone said a pot plant I would think of an illegal drug. A potted plant would be some type of plant in a pot. We have tons of regional differences in our language in the US. For instance~ Texas = sack..............Michigan = bag Texas = coke..............Michigan = pop Texas = yall................Michigan = you guys Texas = fixin' to..........Michigan = about to .......ex. I'm fixin' to clean the house....... Texas = tin (10)..........Michigan = ten My entire family lives in Texas but I have been in Michigan for the past 18 years. My family keeps teasing me about talking like a yankee and the Michiganders say I sound like a hillbilly. My daughter is still a huge Wiggles fan. I have listened to them so much that they sound normal to me. Chris
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Post by Emilysmom on Nov 2, 2008 21:39:08 GMT -5
LOL Tammy! I would also refer to that as a "potted plant". Just 2 letters different, but makes a big difference! I was born and raised in Kansas, and also lived for a while in OK and CA. But, for the past 20 years or so, we've lived in TN and we have noticed some pretty interesting grammar and expressions here!! One of the best examples I can think of is this: When someone's family member gets sick, I frequently hear them say "I had to carry Mama to the doctor yesterday". Really? You carried her? ? Funny, but they say it frequently! Chris, I've been told the same thing............people from the North (or my relatives in CA) say I speak like a Southerner. People from here in TN constantly say "You're not from around here, are you" Susan
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Post by Jessie on Nov 3, 2008 16:07:37 GMT -5
Yup, it's a dead giveaway that someone is NOT from Michigan if they say "cola" or "soda". We drink POP!!! LOL
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Post by Tammy on Nov 3, 2008 17:02:00 GMT -5
So there is another one... As a collective, carbonated drinks are "Soft Drink" or "Cool Drink", but each is referred to by its own... ie; Coke is called Coke, Pepsi is called Pepsi, Lemonade is Lemonade, Fanta is Fanta etc if you get what I mean...
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Post by Chris on Nov 3, 2008 17:53:00 GMT -5
In Texas a Dr. Pepper is a coke, a Sprite is a coke, a Root Beer is a coke, Coca Cola is a coke. People think it is funny when a Texan asks what kind of coke do you want? Of course it sounds reasonable to me since I was born and raised in Texas.
Chris
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Post by steffipoo on Nov 3, 2008 23:04:43 GMT -5
we call "pot plants" here in cali marijuana. lol
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Post by momofrussell on Nov 3, 2008 23:37:12 GMT -5
Chris... so in Texas you order a Root Beer and you get Coke? You order Sprite and you get a coke??? That's silly! If I am talking generic... I say SODA.... or I will order by name..... If I order a Coke, I expect a Coke or someone says "We have Pepsi will that do?"... or if I order a Root Beer, I get a Root Beer. Also, in CA or in that area we call "highways" FREEWAYS instead.... and we don't call them Subdivisions, we call them Tracks... or "Track of homes" i.e. "I live in that track over there".Just in the past 10-15 years did they have named subdivisions in areas (due to newer housing communities)... they were just tracks of houses that you lived in.... It's been very hard for me to convert to HIGHWAY and SUBDIVISION when I talk now that I am in the Midwest, but if I use FREEWAY or TRACK... NO ONE knows what the heck I am talking about!!!! LOL Oh, and it's funny to hear people in Missouri say MISSOURA... even the News people say it! LOL This thread reminds me of the time we had that somewhat heated discussion on how "bloody" means something VERY innapropriate in the UK but over here it doesn't LOL A.
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Post by Googsmom aka Jennifer on Nov 4, 2008 17:27:49 GMT -5
I remember when I lived in New Hampshire someone said to me "it's in the dooryard".... HUH? They were speaking of the driveway.
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Post by lorraine on Nov 4, 2008 17:36:32 GMT -5
Highways n subdivisions ? I'm lost. What about streets or roads and you have Drugstore's too ?? What's that all about ?? we have Chemists here, how about you Tammy? Lorraine
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Post by Tammy on Nov 4, 2008 21:46:36 GMT -5
Yep Lorraine.... no "Drugstores" here, we go to the Chemist... although the trend these days is to refer to them as a "Pharmacy" but everyone I know still calls it the Chemist.
OK... we have Highways AND Freeways... a Highway being a major road connecting towns, citiies etc. A highway has intersections and traffic lights, rail crossings etc, with a speed limit of between 60km/h -80km/h in metro areas, more in country areas. It is simply a Major arterial road. Our ONE freeway in Perth, runs from the North of the Perth metropolitan area to the south and cuts right through the city itself. There are no intersections, only "on ramps" and Off ramps", there are no trafic lights or any other stops, and the speed limit is 100km/h.
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Post by momofrussell on Nov 4, 2008 22:21:45 GMT -5
Yes, we have streets and roads here too LOL... For me, a FREEWAY and a HIGHWAY are the same thing.... which would be your FREEWAY Tammy... something with no lights... just on and off ramps.... Streets and roads have lights and intersections....
Dooryard = driveway? That's funny!
A.
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Post by jelanismom on Nov 5, 2008 14:11:14 GMT -5
Great thread Tammy!
I lived all over the US. Here's a few I recall...
a place you purchase food items:
Chicago and midwest- grocery store Cali- market
a place you park your car:
Chgo/midwest- garage Cali- carport
a place to go pee:
Chgo/midwest- restroom Cali- bathroom/toilet my mom- "the little girl's room" LOL
a thing you wear
Chg/midwest- windbreaker Cali- jacket my mom- a "parka" LOL
a thing you carry to school:
Chgo/midwest- backpack, bookbag? Cali- backpack, bookbag my Mom- "satchell" LOL
I love my mom!
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