Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

[Almost_lost]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

I usually say loo. "I'm just popping to the loo" or "I'm just gonna't loo" (depending on who's company im in), or if i dont know where it is i'll ask for the toilet. I dont know anyone who has a problem using the word toilet. And like others have said, bathroom is usually used to mean the room with the shower/bath because some people have a separate toilet to the bathroom.

[DanieMarie]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

It's like Marie says, using the word "toilet" in the US depends on who you are around. For the elderly people in my family or older people around me, I say "bathroom" to be polite. Around my friends I may say "toilet" or "bathroom". With close friends I'm a lot crude and will say, "Be right back, I gotta take a dump!" or "Excuse me, I have to piss like a Russian horse." That kind of bar room talk isn't good around my mother or older conservatives. My close friends don't mind and think it's funny. ;^_^

Haha I got told off at a job once for using the word "toilet"...the job was at a hotel gift shop, and I had to greet visitors on bus tours and tell them where the bathrooms were and where the buffet and cafeteria were (the gift shop was by the entrance and you had to go through it to get to these things). We had a bus in German ('toiletten') and then one came in from the UK, and people kept saying "toilets" so I just repeated them. My manager took me aside and told me to stop it lol.

EDIT: I should probably specify that this was when I was still living in Canada.

[volcaniclastic]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Haha I got told off at a job once for using the word "toilet"...the job was at a hotel gift shop, and I had to greet visitors on bus tours and tell them where the bathrooms were and where the buffet and cafeteria were (the gift shop was by the entrance and you had to go through it to get to these things). We had a bus in German ('toiletten') and then one came in from the UK, and people kept saying "toilets" so I just repeated them. My manager took me aside and told me to stop it lol.

EDIT: I should probably specify that this was when I was still living in Canada.

I think in Canada it's considered rude to say Toilet. You "go to the washroom" or "go to the restroom" or, colloquially "go to the bathroom"

I usually say washroom. I only use 'toilet' when I'm abroad.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

I used to know someone who always said they were going to sit on the doughnut in granny's greenhouse!

[DanieMarie]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

I think in Canada it's considered rude to say Toilet. You "go to the washroom" or "go to the restroom" or, colloquially "go to the bathroom"

I usually say washroom. I only use 'toilet' when I'm abroad.

Yeah I tend to mirror what people are saying to me, so if British people are talking to me (even back then), I'll use the words they use.

[volcaniclastic]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Yeah I tend to mirror what people are saying to me, so if British people are talking to me (even back then), I'll use the words they use.

Having been to the UK thrice, I'm really bad for this. 10 minutes into landing at Heathrow, and I turn cockney. I don't even mean it, or try to, or anything.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Having been to the UK thrice, I'm really bad for this. 10 minutes into landing at Heathrow, and I turn cockney. I don't even mean it, or try to, or anything.

I'm the opposite... send me abroad and I sound like something from Under Milk Wood....

[volcaniclastic]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

I'm the opposite... send me abroad and I sound like something from Under Milk Wood....

Aw, but your accent is adorable. You wouldn't want to sound boring like a Canadian, anyhow

[Almost_lost]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

I'm the opposite... send me abroad and I sound like something from Under Milk Wood....

I'm sort of the same, send me anywhere in England and I'll turn proper reight Yorkshire but send me to scotland or abroad, and I become the Queen!

[DanieMarie]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Having been to the UK thrice, I'm really bad for this. 10 minutes into landing at Heathrow, and I turn cockney. I don't even mean it, or try to, or anything.

It's sometimes bad for me, because living in Germany, I've picked up some really bad English. This isn't good as a professional writer and proofreader. I have to keep a grammar reference book at hand, just to keep me on top of things.

[RiverSong]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Yeah I tend to mirror what people are saying to me, so if British people are talking to me (even back then), I'll use the words they use.

Having been to the UK thrice, I'm really bad for this. 10 minutes into landing at Heathrow, and I turn cockney. I don't even mean it, or try to, or anything.

I'm raise my hand to this too. I have the bad habit of picking up whatever accent and idioms of anyone I come in contact with. I never mean to, I apologize when it happens, but my brain seems to conform to it's surroundings. For example, I've slipped into the cockney and Northern English accent, but also the American country one, Hispanic accent, Irish at one time, New York accent, and the usual street thug accent... which is funny, because I'm no more thuggish than Vanilla Ice. ;^_^

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Something else about m y part of the world - we tend to talk very quickly. This confuses a lot of people.

[ThorsSon]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

In the U.S. if you bonk something you've struck it or hit it. Such as he bonked her over the head with a book. I believe this term is used in a much different way in the U.K. is it not? If you told somebody you intended to bonk them they more then likely would be offended.

Here, in the US; among cyclists: "bonk," means to run out of energy, "hit a wall," so to speak. About 3/4 through my century ride, I bonked hard! Thankfully, there was a rest stop close by! I grabbed some oranges and peanut butter sandwiches. In about 15 minutes I was good to go."

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

In the UK to bonk is to have sex with someone (or something)...

[volcaniclastic]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Haha, here, we would use it like you meant to hit your head on something. "you bonked your head"

Oh, and chesnut tree nuts - when they are green and spikey, we call them 'bonkers'