Lost in Translation--US vs UK English words

[O'Callaghan]

frock = skirt

No, a frock is a dress, not a skirt

[dfmacliam]

Even though sandwich is an English originated term, we grew up refering to butty's like cuke butty, chip butty, fried egg butty, and bacon butty... as an example.

[starbkjrus]

snip...

...a serving of freedom fries

...snip

Please tell me that a CANADIAN didn't just use the actual term Freedom Fries! Honestly, that one should never have been and anyone that wishes to use it should PM me and I will tell them post-haste and at length why that one was never appropriate.

Poutine is FRENCH fries w/ cheese curds and gravy. Oh so yummy. Order two servings while you are on your cell (mobile) making an appointment with your cardiologist.

:food-smiley-002:

[OC Richard]

The Canadianism is in the use of the word to mean a knit hat, but that usage has indeed spread world-wide.

People can say that that word has spread world-wide, but if Americans and Kiwis and Aussies and Brits don't know what touque means, that claim has little validity. As I said, we had a group of all of the above talking about it at Disneyland and no one but the Canadians had ever heard of touque.

Oh, more English vs US spellings:

ae becomes e

aeons > eons
haemoglobin > hemoglobin
paedodontics > pedodontics
mediaeval > medieval

[Lallans]

[QUOTE=starbkjrus;837450]Please tell me that a CANADIAN didn't just use the actual term Freedom Fries! Honestly, that one should never have been and anyone that wishes to use it should PM me and I will tell them post-haste and at length why that one was never appropriate.

REPLY: We in Canada have a complicated relationship with The Land Of France. I know that those of Quebec heritage have to put up with the sort of distain from the Euro French that, say, Austrailians or Kiwis have to endure from their home country of the UK- but done in the way that only the Euro French can do it.

Anglo Canadians, on the other hand, remember that French President Charles 'Of-All-DeGaulle' once came here and made a televised speech calling for Quebec to leave Canada. This in a country that had just fought for 7 years to free France from the consequences of their surrender tendencies!

And me, I have too much Scots-Irish in me to either forget about the above or to not get a verbal dig in, however obscure.

In short, I as a Canadian say "Let 'Freedom Fries' ring!"

[macwilkin]

QUOTE=starbkjrus;837450Please tell me that a CANADIAN didn't just use the actual term Freedom Fries! Honestly, that one should never have been and anyone that wishes to use it should PM me and I will tell them post-haste and at length why that one was never appropriate.

REPLY: We in Canada have a complicated relationship with The Land Of France. I know that those of Quebec heritage have to put up with the sort of distain from the Euro French that, say, Austrailians or Kiwis have to endure from their home country of the UK- but done in the way that only the Euro French can do it.

Anglo Canadians, on the other hand, remember that French President Charles 'Of-All-DeGaulle' once came here and made a televised speech calling for Quebec to leave Canada. This in a country that had just fought for 7 years to free France from the consequences of their surrender tendencies!

And me, I have too much Scots-Irish in me to either forget about the above or to not get a verbal dig in, however obscure.

In short, I as a Canadian say "Let 'Freedom Fries' ring!"

As a Cajun "by the ring and by the back door", I would remind you sir that not all Francophone Canadians are associated with Quebec. My wife's ancestors, the Melansons (spelled Melancon in Louisiana) were Acadians who were forced from their farms in Nova Scotia during Le Grand Derangement in 1755 and made their way to Louisiana, where they became "Cajuns".

Back in 2003, I heard people using the term "freedom fries" and saying things that upset my wife, who is very proud of her French heritage. Needless to say, they soon thought better of it when I mentioned "The Auld Alliance" between the Scots & the French.

I'll try not to go political here, but the whole "freedom fries" thing was as silly as the "liberty cabbage" (sauerkraut) of the First World War.

And before you make comments about the "surrender tendencies" of the French, perhaps you would do well to remember the The Royal 22e Régiment of the Canadian Army, and its three Victoria Cross recipients in the World Wars.

Todd

[davedove]

Without wishing to be rude the clue is in -

Walkin' and talkin' and chewin' gum.

"Gosh, you look tired. Haven't you been sleeping well?"
"No, I spent all night "Muffin the Mule""

Regards

Chas

Okay, while I can now imagine what it might mean, I can say that I have NEVER heard that expression.

[Lallans]

As a Cajun "by the ring and by the back door", I would remind you sir that not all Francophone Canadians are associated with Quebec. My wife's ancestors, the Melansons (spelled Melancon in Louisiana) were Acadians who were forced from their farms in Nova Scotia during Le Grand Derangement in 1755 and made their way to Louisiana, where they became "Cajuns".

Back in 2003, I heard people using the term "freedom fries" and saying things that upset my wife, who is very proud of her French heritage. Needless to say, they soon thought better of it when I mentioned "The Auld Alliance" between the Scots & the French.

I'll try not to go political here, but the whole "freedom fries" thing was as silly as the "liberty cabbage" (sauerkraut) of the First World War.

And before you make comments about the "surrender tendencies" of the French, perhaps you would do well to remember the The Royal 22e Régiment of the Canadian Army, and its three Victoria Cross recipients in the World Wars.

Todd

Hey Todd,

OK but I think you are confusing the French in France with the Quebecois and Acadians, both of which groups were essentially abandoned by France and have lived separate and apart from them for the past 400 years or so. Peace be upon them and you- there is no more connection between Acadia or Quebec and France than there is between the original England and those who now live in New England.

And hey you know I was bloggating basically in a spirit of fun. Have a Happy New Year! Puis une bonne annee pour la nation de la France!

[macwilkin]

Hey Todd,

OK but I think you are confusing the French in France with the Quebecois and Acadians, both of which were essentially abandoned by France and have lived separate and apart from them for the past 400 years or so. Peace be upon them and you- there is no more connection between Acadia or Quebec and France than there is between the original England and those who now live in New England.

And hey you know I was bloggating basically in a spirit of fun. Have a Happy New Year!

I'm no sure I totally agree with you regarding your statements that there are no connections at all between France and the Francophones of Canada and Louisiana. Geo-politically, yes (excepting Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the last territory of "New France"), but culturally, there are still some ties -- I'll be glad to point you to some sources, especially here in the Pays des Illinois, or Upper Louisiana. I don't you can dismiss such cultural connections so easily.

You may have meant things in the spirit of fun, but you didn't hear the nasty things people said to my wife that were not made in jest. She is proud of her French heritage from Poitou, Acadia and Louisiana, and well she should be, just as I am of my ancestry. Honestly, you made no attempt to say you meant your comments in jest. I'll certainly admit to being thin-skinned about it, and I apologise if you truly did mean it to be funny.

T.

[Steve53]

UK:
Ten one way, half a score the other.

US:
Six one way, half a dozen the other.

The first time I heard the UK version, my mental processes came to a complete stop until I'd figured it out... Took me a minute or two.

Steve