Waistcoat or Vest?

[Bob C]

I'm pretty sure the infiltration of "no worries" into the American vernacular can be attributed directly to "Crocodile Dundee."

[WVHighlander]

I would second that...I know I picked it up from that movie and working with Aussies. I started saying it years ago and people made comments but now I hear everyone saying. (not claiming to start the trend by any stretch.) Of course working with Aussies and Brits I also picked up such lovelies as bloody, cheers, and others I wont put on here.

[California Highlander]

I've always found it interesting when Englishmen sign off a letter with 'cheers' because here in the USA that word has evidently shifted meaning somewhat.

To "be of good cheer" is quaint and outmoded for us.

"Cheer" is a crowd shouting loudly at a sporting event (thus "cheerleaders") or other public event.

Though we might say "cheer up!" though I've not heard anybody say that in a long time.

Funny, up in the SF area in Northern California, "cheers" is a somewhat common way to sign off on an email or a post, and not just for the English. More so a couple of years ago, but I still see a fair number of "cheers" from Americans, English transplants, and from folks in offices in the UK.

[OC Richard]

About Gaelic usages, yes there's "do you have a pen on you?" which is very Gaelic. In English you 'have' things while in Gaelic things are 'upon you' or 'at you'.

Another one just came up yesterday when my son said somebody was 'footing' (meaning 'walking') which is straight from the Gaelic.

Then there's putting 'a-' in front of verbs in my native Appalachia, like "there's somebody a-comin' up the holler" or "I'll be a-goin' now" etc. (Disputed whether this comes from the Gaelic, or earlier forms of English.)

Then there are words like 'smithereen' (smidirin) and 'shenanigan' (sionnachuighim).