This USA and UK lingo on here makes me LOL!

[NewlyWedFifi]

I've lived in both the UK and US and am always having to translate for my british and american friends when I speak because I mix my terminology all the time.

 

[CatherineK]

Thrush confused me at first! And a 'water infection'.

Ad ill never understand all the TOG talk about clothes...I don't think we get that technical with any clothes in the US

 

[mom2b2013]

I can understand both but I mix them up all the time when I speak. I'm originally from Australia and have been in the US for 6 years but I still sometimes forget to say the right word over here. Its funny though to see people's reactions

 

[DLA]

I swear that's half the reason I love BnB. I absolutely love all the English lingo! I wish I had a British accent!! The other day I was talking to my friend and was annoyed about something and wanted to say 'bloody!' but she would have looked at me like I was insane lol. My Grandma was from England and I loved the way she talked. Bloody was my favorite!

My other favorites are: gutted, blasted. Push chairs and prams always make me smile too! Love when people say "I rang the doctor", as opposed to "called".

 

[Mummy&bump]

Not super baby related but iv always found in funny how the us have an ER when we have a A&E! Haha xx

 

[Sweet Lullaby]

I guess we Aussies are lucky. Most our lingo are like the UK (except push chairs) and we know the USA lingo from movies/tv shows from USa

 

[MandaAnda]

Tog is really only for duvets or weighted clothes, like a gro bag.

 

[Nela]

Ah all the terms for the baby clothes always confused me at first, some still do. I also was amazed at the several terms for the stroller/pram/buggy/pushchair, etc. However, the one that confused me most was 'Bassinet' and that's because, in french, 'basinette' is the word for 'crib' so I thought it was just one of those 'borrrowed' words I actually like the Dutch terms as those are much more direct. Luckily, being from Canada originally, I am most familiar with US lingo but living in the Netherlands has exposed me much more to the UK lingo as well so I'm pretty okay with both now with the minor exceptions

Oh, one that took me a while was 'piles'

 

[yoshy]

Bassinet! A musical instrument no?

its like a plastic version of a Moses basket that comes with a stand that's usually on wheels, have little lights built in and vibrate. there are also wooden versions. I've searched high and low for one here in the UK. my dd loved hers whilst we lived in Canada. i was told different safety regulations means they don't sell them here. x

https://i44.tinypic.com/19wop2.jpg

I saw a bunch on the John Lewis website... I'm pretty sure a bassinet is the same thing as a Moses Basket... I dunno about the lights or vibrations, but you can definitely also get ones that you can rock back and forth (also check out the cribs section on the JL website). I was thinking about ordering one of their cribs, but they don't ship over here.

https://www.johnlewis.com/baby-child/sleeping/moses-baskets/c80000569

 

[o0Squeaks0o]

Bassinet! A musical instrument no?

its like a plastic version of a Moses basket that comes with a stand that's usually on wheels, have little lights built in and vibrate. there are also wooden versions. I've searched high and low for one here in the UK. my dd loved hers whilst we lived in Canada. i was told different safety regulations means they don't sell them here. x

https://i44.tinypic.com/19wop2.jpg

I saw a bunch on the John Lewis website... I'm pretty sure a bassinet is the same thing as a Moses Basket... I dunno about the lights or vibrations, but you can definitely also get ones that you can rock back and forth (also check out the cribs section on the JL website). I was thinking about ordering one of their cribs, but they don't ship over here.

https://www.johnlewis.com/baby-child/sleeping/moses-baskets/c80000569

thanks I'll have to have a look. I've brought a mosses basket but i prefer the bassinet as i like that you can wheel them around and the vibrating used to help settle DD. for me there's quite a difference between a bassinet and mosses basket, just they are a similar shape. graco apparently sold one in thread UK buy they quickly discontinued it. xx

 

[girlinyork]

I once mortified an American friend back in my smoking days. Cigarettes are also called "fags" here in the UK and if you scrounge something you "bum" it? I.e. Can I bum some of your milk for my tea? It's not used nationwide though - tends to be a dialect thing.

Anyway, when I asked him if he wanted to bum a fag he looked horrified. Didn't realise it was a VERY different thing in the US....

 

[o0Squeaks0o]

I once mortified an American friend back in my smoking days. Cigarettes are also called "fags" here in the UK and if you scrounge something you "bum" it? I.e. Can I bum some of your milk for my tea? It's not used nationwide though - tends to be a dialect thing.

Anyway, when I asked him if he wanted to bum a fag he looked horrified. Didn't realise it was a VERY different thing in the US....

... brilliant !

 

[Josefin]

I live in Finland and I use a mix of both American and UK english so I understand both But I'm very bad at spelling so I guess some of you have to google what I write, and you might not find an answer Good practice to be here reading tough!

 

[yoshy]

Didn't mention before, but I have to say how much I'm loving this thread...

I'm originally from England but have lived in Israel for the past 16.5 years, and most of my English-speaking friends here are American, so I've picked up both the lingo and the accent has leeched into mine.
That said, my hubby is American born, and while he understands my Britishisms for the most part, occasionally I'll ask him to get me something and he'll just stand there and look at me as though I've grown another nose or something.
There are some things I can just never remember the American words for (kitchen roll, tin foil, cling film to name a few).
And despite being here so long, I still call a wallet a purse and what Americans call a purse I call my handbag!

 

[kirstybumx3]

this is so funny
I have found myself calling things by their American names accidentally when shopping for baby etc and OH looks at me like I have turned into an alien or something and asks why on earth im using such weird words
gotta love B&B!!!

 

[BeautifulD]

I once mortified an American friend back in my smoking days. Cigarettes are also called "fags" here in the UK and if you scrounge something you "bum" it? I.e. Can I bum some of your milk for my tea? It's not used nationwide though - tends to be a dialect thing.

Anyway, when I asked him if he wanted to bum a fag he looked horrified. Didn't realise it was a VERY different thing in the US....

brilliant!!

My funniest one is you guys say fanny when referring to your bum. Fanny over here is... well.... your vagina! So when I heard 'don't let the door hit your fanny on the way out' I practically choked with laughter